Fort Kearny - Kearney, NE - Pony Express Monuments on Waymarking.com

Fort Kearney Historical Park has on display replica buildings of the fort and preserves foundation footprint of the original fort site. A Nebraska Historical Marker in the center of the park describes the significance of Fort Kearny throughout its years of service, including its contribution to the Pony Express.

The historical marker reads as follows:

FORT KEARNY
The growth of overland emigration to Oregon after 1842 resulted in the establishment of military posts across the West to protect travelers. The first post, Fort Kearny, was established in the spring of 1848 "near the head of the Grand Island" along the Platte River by Lieutenant Daniel P. Woodbury. It was first called Fort Childs, but in 1848 the post was renamed Fort Kearny in honor of General Stephen Watts Kearny.

Despite its lack of fortifications, Fort Kearny served as way station, sentinel post, supply depot, and message center for 49'ers bound for California and homeseekers traveling to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. By the 1860s the fort had become a significant state and freighting station and home station of the Pony Express. During the Indian Wars of 1864-1865 a small stockade was apparently built upon the earth embankment still visible. Although never under attack, the post did serve as an outfitting depot for several Indian campaigns.

One of the fort's final duties was the protection of workers building the Union Pacific. In 1871, two years after the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the fort was discontinued as a military post. This site has been entered on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visit Instructions:
1) Locate and photograph a monument or memorial to the Pony Express, be it a stone or a mural or a roadside sign.

2) The standard rules apply: a photo of the goal and one of your GPS unit - no vacation photos or web downloads will be accepted.

3) Include the coordinates of the location and the name of the city or town in your log.

4) Feel free to include as much history as you'd like. Educate us!

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/28/2013 kb0rpw visited it 05/26/2012 kJfishman visited it

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