The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley railroad began building westward in the late 70's. Each year it pushed farther into the new farming regions. To supply the needs of the new settlers the railroad carried freight, mail, express and passengers to its western terminus, Oakdale, then Neligh which it reached in 1880.
In the
late 70's the cattlemen came ahead of the railroad. They were
attracted by the rich, abundant
grasses of the prairies which
offered excellent range for
their herds, with water, shelter and firewood
to be found in the canyons. As
a rule these ranchers held a
"water front" on some running
stream and had no legal title
to the land as it had not formally been thrown open for settlement.
Government surveyors had been
at work for several years blocking out the land in
sections,
townships and ranges so that records of each man's land could be kept.
They began near the Missouri River in the southeast part of the
state, and each year pushed a little
farther west and north. Great
dangers and hardships were suffered by
the surveyors while on duty
in the new
country. Robert Harvey of St. Paul,
Nebraska,
was in charge of the work in this
portion of the state
