Looking Back
The community enjoys a rich heritage shaped by early pioneers and 49’ers as they converged at Fort Kearny while following their dreams on the Mormon, Oregon and California Trails. Later, the Pony Express, Overland Stage, Union Pacific Railroad, and Lincoln Highway all passed through Kearney as they connected the east and west coasts to build a continental nation. Although many who traveled these early trails were bound for points farther west, some hardy and enterprising adventurers recognized emerging opportunities along the “Great Platte River Road” and stayed, laying the foundation for what would become the “Midwestern work ethic.”
Fort Kearny, named for Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny, was built in 1848 to protect those heading west on the Oregon Trail. More than 30,000 travelers passed through the fort as they headed west during an 18-month period around the Gold Rush, making the site an early crossroads and stopping point. The community is named for the Fort, although observant readers are quick to point out the difference in spelling between the fort and the town. The extra “e” in Kearney is not difficult to explain. Someone in the post office simply made a spelling error and by the time it was realized, no one felt a change was necessary.
The town site was surveyed in the summer of 1871 by Anselmo B. Smith and the plat was filed with the county clerk on October 27, 1871.
After a reversal of fortunes just before the turn of the century, Kearney began to rebound. In 1904 the cornerstone was laid for what is now the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Classes began in 1904 with 96 students forming the first class. In the new century Kearney’s growth was steady but less dramatic than before. By 1930 the population was 8,575. In later years the community was aided by the completion of Interstate 80 in 1964. I-80 created a boom in tourist trade which, in turn, encouraged the construction of motels and restaurants to increase. Linked to the busiest east-west highway in the United States, Kearney benefited from its geographic position in the heart of the country and the state.
During the 1990s, Kearney has been Nebraska’s fastest growing city of 20,000 or more. The 2005 U.S. Census reported the city grew at a rate of nearly 1.5% percent to reach a total population of 29,064. Workforce numbers grew at a corresponding rate providing local business owners a continually expanding pool of qualified labor.
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is the only historical educational monument that has been granted air rights over a federal interstate highway. This eight-story high archway is longer than a football field and was placed over Interstate 80 in 1999. The structure, which opened in June 2000, houses two levels of fascinating interactive exhibits tracing the history of the Great Platte River Road from Oregon Trail days to the fiber optic future world of tomorrow.
