Nebraska

Missouri river navigation was a leading method of transporta tion until the construction of the railways in the '7os. As a result of railway competition it declined to almost nothing. Rail way mileage amounted to 6,104m. in 1934. The principal railway construction since 1920 has been branch railways for transporta tion of sugar-beets in the North Platte valley. In 1927, all but four counties had railway outlets. Ten trunk railways radiate from Omaha, five of them with a network of feeders Over the State. The Union Pacific was the first railway, beginning construction on July 13, 1865, at Omaha. There were in 1932 approximately 157 m. of electric railway operating in the State, chiefly as city street transportation systems. Motor truck transportation has greatly increased.

The most important development in Nebraska in the years 1920-35 has been the great extension of improved highways directed from the State engineer's office. An era of road-building and road maintenance began in 1917 which has been greatly pro moted by the rapid increase of motor vehicles. The total mileage in the State highway system on Jan. 1, 1935 was 9,179. Of this total 6,o9om. were gravelled, 788m. paved and 2,301 graded roads. The total number of motor vehicles registered in 1935 was 408,044, of which 59,054 were motor trucks and tractors. Nebraska is traversed by two great trunk highways, or tourist lines, the Lin coln highway and the Detroit-Lincoln-Denver, each gravelled al most the entire distance across the State. North and south gravelled trunk lines include the Kansas City-Omaha, the Corn husker highway and the Meridian highway. The Yellowstone Park and Oregon Trail highways traverse the North Platte valley.

History.

Francisco Vasquez Coronado, with 3o Spanish horsemen and two Indian guides, crossed the great plains north east from the Rio Grande valley in the summer of 1541, seeking the kingdom of Quivira, which they found to be nothing more than Indian villages not far from N. lat. From Coronado's account most historical writers believe that he was the first white man to reach Nebraska and that view has been incorporated into the literature and pageantry of the State. In 1720, a Spanish and Indian command under Col. Pedro de Villasur, marched from Santa Fe to the valley of the Platte for the purpose of con quering and colonizing the Nebraska region. His command was massacred by the Otoe and Pawnee Indian tribes, probably near the present city of Columbus, on Aug. Io. French explorers

came up the Missouri river to Nebraska shores in 1700. In 40, the Mallet brothers (French) crossed the region from east to west naming the Platte river in their report. Nebraska was claimed by France, Spain and England. From about 1700 until 1763 France was the leader in trade and exploration. From 1763 until 1803 Spain exercised authority, but the white population and language of the vast Louisiana province, including Nebraska, re mained French. Nebraska passed to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. American exploration by Lewis and Clark (1804-06) ; Lieut. Z. M. Pike (1806) ; Manuel Lisa (1807-2o) ; Major Stephen H. Long (1819-2o) ; Col. Henry Dodge (1835) ; Lieut. John C. Fremont ; and Lieut. G. K. Warren (1855-57) made known to the public im portant facts regarding the region. Major Long's map designated the country as a "great desert," and his report stated that the country was "entirely unfit for agriculture." Records show the existence of trading posts in 1795, 1802, 1807, 1812, the last two near the present towns of Ft. Calhoun, 16 m. north of Omaha, and Bellevue. Manuel Lisa, of Spanish descent, was the leading fur trader and first white settler (1807). The most important early white settlement was Ft. Atkinson on the present site of Ft. Calhoun, a military post of 1,000 men, and the centre of the first white industry and agriculture (1819-27). Bellevue (1823), was the first permanent white settlement, and in 1849 the first United States post-office in Nebraska. In 1825 the Government acquired the first Indian lands and in 1833 the first white missionaries began work among Nebraska tribes. Ft. Kearney was established in 1847 where Nebraska City now stands, and in 1848 it was relocated on the south bank of the Platte about 6 m. south-east of the present city of Kearney.

The overland trail era was the next important period in Ne braska history. Beginning in 1832 with the Oregon trail which followed the Little Blue and the south bank of the Platte across the State, followed by the Mormon or California trail in 1847 up the north bank of the Platte, and the subsequent Nebraska City cut-off (established 1858-60), Nebraska furnished the prin cipal routes from the Missouri river to the Rocky mountains and Pacific coast. In a single year 50,00o people with nearly as many live stock and 8,000 wagons crossed the region by these highways.