Fort Kearny Lighthouse of the Nebraska Prairie

The history of Fort Kearny (1848-1871) reveals the complicated and amazing time when the United States was expanding its western front.

Fort Kearny became an important safeguard for the expansion of the United States and it was the first fort built in the Nebraska Territory. The territory was a huge area covering in whole or in part the current states of Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

Teamsters, families, and every kind of humanity from all over the United States travelled west along the trails at great human cost. Some came thinking they would get rich from gold mines in California or Colorado, while others came just looking for a better life.

While our country was fighting in the Civil War in the east, Fort Kearny was needed to protect civilians in the west from the Indian depredations including the Indian Ware of 1864-1869. The fort served as a refuge for travelers as they endured many hardships along the trails. It was also needed for protection of the settlers in the area.

Great advancements in communication and transportation soon followed as the population expanded and people's needs grew.

-By local author, Sandra Slater
-Editor: Patti Simpson
-Publisher: Morris Publishing
-372 pages