There is a lot of history in this area. Ft. Kearny was built in 1848 to protect travelers on the Oregon Trail and it was the first of 6 major forts the pioneers would pass on their way west. It also served as a Pony Express and Overland Stage station. War Department records show that 30,000 passed through the fort during one 18-month period in the late 1840’s. A decade later, the march was still on - one report indicated that 800 wagons rolled through on a single day just before the Civil War.
On Thursday we checked out The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument which is a huge attraction where the whole building arches across I-80 just before the Kearney exit. The major theme is westward migration over the years and how it has evolved to present day.
On the lower level is the gift shop, restaurant, and restroom facilities. After the ticket purchase in the gift shop, you go up a very long escalator to the 2nd level and then follow through all the various still and animated displays - beginning with the settlers who migrated west on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, followed by the Pony Express, the Overland Stage, the Trans-Continental Railroad, the Lincoln Highway (the first for automobiles), and finally the interstate. They gave you a set of earphones at the beginning and there was a running commentary all along that changed as you proceeded through the various segments.
At the end there were two windows where you could look out at the traffic going both directions on I-80. We spent about 2 hours there and thought it was money well spent - we enjoyed it.
We are here for several days, so I will be making one or two more posts from here later.
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