Crossroads of the West

A heartland oasis, Kearney, Nebraska, celebrates its Western heritage year round.

- Leo W. Banks

Fort Kearny, the first U.S. Army post on the Oregon Trail, was a busy place after its founding in 1848. During one 18-month period following the 1849 Gold Rush, some 30,000 pioneers passed through, headed for California, Utah and Oregon.

Several westbound trails met there, as did two railroads, and the fort served as a stage station, an outfitting depot for Indian campaigns, and home for Pony Express riders.

The town of Kearney today is a sweet, close-knit community of 30,000 on the Platte River. Often called the Midway City, it’s in the center of the United States, equidistant between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and transportation is still a draw.