Western Overland Trains in Nebraska
Traveling through the vast expanses of Nebraska, one often thinks of the vast open spaces, the rolling hills, and the majestic Sandhills, but few remember the overland trains that traversed this state, transforming the country and shaping American history. Western overland trains were a series of passenger and cargo rail lines that connected the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast, with Nebraska being an integral part of this massive network.
The construction of the transcontinental railroad in the United States, led by Union Pacific Railroad, was completed on May 10, 1869. This iconic event took place in Promontory Summit, Utah, about 66 miles west of Ogden, Utah, marking the East and West coasts as being now fully connected through rail. This connected the Nebraska territory and effectively turned Omaha, located in the eastern part of the state near the Missouri River, into the railroad's gateway city to the West.
The Union Pacific Railroad expanded its lines in Nebraska in the 1860s and 1870s. Cholera outbreaks decimated Native American populations in towns along rail routes. However, its route traversed not only main towns, but also connected existing pioneer trails such as the Platte River Road, and significantly increasing accessibility to distant townships like Elm Creek, located just southwest of Kearney, Nebraska, along the historical trails of the Mormon and Oregon Trail, which many have traversed before.
On another railroad route, Chicago and Northwestern Railway in the northeastern part of the state connected the small area of Norfolk to both North Platte in western Nebraska and Chicago on the Illinois and Michigan border to the east, when the Black Hills rose and demand was on the increase in the last part of 1870 for Gold Routes.
Furthermore, the Kansas Pacific Railway, later absorbed by the Union Pacific system, also added more lines to its railroad network. Upon entering the city of Nebraska from the east at the state capital, it connected it in the south of Iowa, Missouri, to Utah's Promontory territory when finished, traversing the more direct latitude line about 4o in latitude at its most southeast western. As they trekked forward, these lines ultimately became influential when turning into one main pipeline by the other side by east-southeast cities via Kansas river, ending beyond towards more northerly latitude in Rock Islands beyond Nebraska in Colorado territory in time they became influential among South western pipeline, another line that weaves backward, branching towards our northernmost of eastward treks near the Canadian border.
From 1883, western overland trains followed another railroad line constructed by Northern Pacific Railway near 1860 when heading west, across the Sandhills from Norfolk in north of Nebraska to Othello city and into North Dakota headed at the southern part just a relatively far western territorial location as far as what we even know now on Fort Boise's river trail today near the Fort Boise's western and Idaho locations.
Many parts of lines built and being constructed by them were also even started earlier on in the Kansas railway going northwest along the north Platte river which would effectively create Rock Island trails of the west.
Nebraskans also followed lines other western overland tracks beginning from the Eastern boundary.
In later period of Nebraska history towards close early 1900s until late 1990s, the use of overland western lines connected the nation effectively but in contrast now was much rather used more selectively by those interested in visiting the area at leisure for events occurring at one of many sites visited for the many railroad-related celebrations, which these once busy roads now take part as historic landmarks along travel through newly evolved network in Nebraska.
The construction of the transcontinental railroad in the United States, led by Union Pacific Railroad, was completed on May 10, 1869. This iconic event took place in Promontory Summit, Utah, about 66 miles west of Ogden, Utah, marking the East and West coasts as being now fully connected through rail. This connected the Nebraska territory and effectively turned Omaha, located in the eastern part of the state near the Missouri River, into the railroad's gateway city to the West.
The Union Pacific Railroad expanded its lines in Nebraska in the 1860s and 1870s. Cholera outbreaks decimated Native American populations in towns along rail routes. However, its route traversed not only main towns, but also connected existing pioneer trails such as the Platte River Road, and significantly increasing accessibility to distant townships like Elm Creek, located just southwest of Kearney, Nebraska, along the historical trails of the Mormon and Oregon Trail, which many have traversed before.
On another railroad route, Chicago and Northwestern Railway in the northeastern part of the state connected the small area of Norfolk to both North Platte in western Nebraska and Chicago on the Illinois and Michigan border to the east, when the Black Hills rose and demand was on the increase in the last part of 1870 for Gold Routes.
Furthermore, the Kansas Pacific Railway, later absorbed by the Union Pacific system, also added more lines to its railroad network. Upon entering the city of Nebraska from the east at the state capital, it connected it in the south of Iowa, Missouri, to Utah's Promontory territory when finished, traversing the more direct latitude line about 4o in latitude at its most southeast western. As they trekked forward, these lines ultimately became influential when turning into one main pipeline by the other side by east-southeast cities via Kansas river, ending beyond towards more northerly latitude in Rock Islands beyond Nebraska in Colorado territory in time they became influential among South western pipeline, another line that weaves backward, branching towards our northernmost of eastward treks near the Canadian border.
From 1883, western overland trains followed another railroad line constructed by Northern Pacific Railway near 1860 when heading west, across the Sandhills from Norfolk in north of Nebraska to Othello city and into North Dakota headed at the southern part just a relatively far western territorial location as far as what we even know now on Fort Boise's river trail today near the Fort Boise's western and Idaho locations.
Many parts of lines built and being constructed by them were also even started earlier on in the Kansas railway going northwest along the north Platte river which would effectively create Rock Island trails of the west.
Nebraskans also followed lines other western overland tracks beginning from the Eastern boundary.
In later period of Nebraska history towards close early 1900s until late 1990s, the use of overland western lines connected the nation effectively but in contrast now was much rather used more selectively by those interested in visiting the area at leisure for events occurring at one of many sites visited for the many railroad-related celebrations, which these once busy roads now take part as historic landmarks along travel through newly evolved network in Nebraska.
