Lone Tree Ferry
Encyclopedia
The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River
at Council Bluffs, Iowa
, and Omaha, Nebraska
, US
, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown
. Brown was the first pioneer to see the potential for a city on the site, and the landing became a popular gathering site for the first settlers of the Nebraska Territory
. Named after a solitary tree on the Nebraska bank of the river, the Lone Tree Ferry became central to the founding and development of the City of Omaha.
in the California Gold Rush
of 1849 when he decided to stay in Council Bluffs. In 1850 he outfitted a flat boat with oars and obtained a charter from the Pottawatomie County Commissioners
to operate a ferry across the Missouri River, at which point he also illegally staking out 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of the prime Missouri Valley
flatland which became Omaha. It was from this position that Brown first conceived of founding Omaha. The point which he launched from on the Nebraska side was purportedly in the Miller's Landing area.
, Jesse Williams, and Joseph H. D. Street, all of Kanesville, Iowa, that the Omaha plateau was an ideal spot for a city. On July 23, 1853 they formed the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company. In addition to owning ferry boats the company also owned property on both sides of the Missouri River. In September 1853 the company bought a steamboat from Alton, Illinois
called the General Marion. In its early years the company was the instrumental force in getting settlers into the Nebraska Territory.
Early in 1854 the company built the St. Nicholas Hotel, the first building and first hotel in Omaha. During the next summer the organizers of the ferry company surveyed and laid out the town site for Omaha City west of the Missouri River. The first commercial building in Omaha belonged to the ferry company, which donated its services as the legislative chambers for the first territorial legislature and the first post office.
Prior to the completion of the Omaha railroad bridge
in April 1872 the Union Pacific railroad transfer boats carried the trains across to the Nebraska side. In the winter an ice
bridge was constructed for the train to use. In 1862 Captain W. W. Marsh bought a large interest in the company and the next spring took charge of the business. The company ran a twenty-year charter which featured a variety of boats until 1872, when the Union Pacific railroad opened the first bridge across the Missouri River. That bridge made the ferry service obsolete at the end of the contract term after it was constructed in 1888.
People associated with the ferry company included pioneers such as Dr. Enos Lowe
, Jesse Lowe
, Jesse Williams
, and Joseph H. D. Street, all of whom resided in Kanesville, now known as Council Bluffs. The president of the incorporated company was Dr. Enos Lowe, and the other members were Sam S. Bayliss, Joseph H. D. Street, Henn and Williams, Samuel Curtis
, Tanner and Downs, and others.
and the east bank on West Broadway in Council Bluffs, Iowa
. However, in 2004 a map expert using GPS and old maps identified a location by the Gallup University as the location.
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
at Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
, and Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown
William D. Brown
William D. Brown was the first pioneer to envision building a city where Omaha, Nebraska sits today. Many historians attribute Brown to be the founder of Omaha, although this has been disputed since the late nineteenth century. Alfred D...
. Brown was the first pioneer to see the potential for a city on the site, and the landing became a popular gathering site for the first settlers of the Nebraska Territory
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
. Named after a solitary tree on the Nebraska bank of the river, the Lone Tree Ferry became central to the founding and development of the City of Omaha.
Lone Tree Ferry
William Brown was headed west from Mount Pleasant, IowaMount Pleasant, Iowa
Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa, in the United States. The population was 8,668 in the 2010 census, a decline from 8,751 in the 2000 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders.- History :...
in the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
of 1849 when he decided to stay in Council Bluffs. In 1850 he outfitted a flat boat with oars and obtained a charter from the Pottawatomie County Commissioners
Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Pottawattamie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 93,158 in the 2010 census, an increase from 87,704 in the 2000 census and is the second largest county by area in Iowa. The Pottawattamie county seat is located at Council Bluffs. It is one of three Iowa...
to operate a ferry across the Missouri River, at which point he also illegally staking out 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of the prime Missouri Valley
Missouri Valley
Missouri Valley may refer to some places in the United States:* Missouri Valley, Iowa, a small city* The Missouri River Valley* The Missouri Valley Conference, a college athletic conference...
flatland which became Omaha. It was from this position that Brown first conceived of founding Omaha. The point which he launched from on the Nebraska side was purportedly in the Miller's Landing area.
Council Bluffs & Nebraska Ferry Company
Brown convinced 12 businessmen, including Dr. Enos Lowe, Jesse LoweJesse Lowe
Jesse Lowe was the first mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving for one year from March 5, 1857 to March 2, 1858. An important real estate agent in the early city, Lowe is credited with naming the city after the Omaha Tribe....
, Jesse Williams, and Joseph H. D. Street, all of Kanesville, Iowa, that the Omaha plateau was an ideal spot for a city. On July 23, 1853 they formed the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company. In addition to owning ferry boats the company also owned property on both sides of the Missouri River. In September 1853 the company bought a steamboat from Alton, Illinois
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
called the General Marion. In its early years the company was the instrumental force in getting settlers into the Nebraska Territory.
Early in 1854 the company built the St. Nicholas Hotel, the first building and first hotel in Omaha. During the next summer the organizers of the ferry company surveyed and laid out the town site for Omaha City west of the Missouri River. The first commercial building in Omaha belonged to the ferry company, which donated its services as the legislative chambers for the first territorial legislature and the first post office.
Prior to the completion of the Omaha railroad bridge
Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge
The Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge is a rail truss bridge across the Missouri River connecting Council Bluffs, Iowa with Omaha, Nebraska.-History:...
in April 1872 the Union Pacific railroad transfer boats carried the trains across to the Nebraska side. In the winter an ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
bridge was constructed for the train to use. In 1862 Captain W. W. Marsh bought a large interest in the company and the next spring took charge of the business. The company ran a twenty-year charter which featured a variety of boats until 1872, when the Union Pacific railroad opened the first bridge across the Missouri River. That bridge made the ferry service obsolete at the end of the contract term after it was constructed in 1888.
People associated with the ferry company included pioneers such as Dr. Enos Lowe
Enos Lowe
Enos Lowe was a pioneer doctor and businessman who was among the original founders of Omaha, Nebraska and served as president of the Second Iowa Constitutional Convention.-Biography:...
, Jesse Lowe
Jesse Lowe
Jesse Lowe was the first mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving for one year from March 5, 1857 to March 2, 1858. An important real estate agent in the early city, Lowe is credited with naming the city after the Omaha Tribe....
, Jesse Williams
Jesse Williams
Jesse or Jessie Williams may refer to:*Jesse Williams , American television actor*Jesse Williams , American high jumper*Jesse Williams , Welsh international footballer*Jesse Lynch Williams, author and dramatist...
, and Joseph H. D. Street, all of whom resided in Kanesville, now known as Council Bluffs. The president of the incorporated company was Dr. Enos Lowe, and the other members were Sam S. Bayliss, Joseph H. D. Street, Henn and Williams, Samuel Curtis
Samuel Curtis
Samuel Ryan Curtis was an American military officer, and one of the first Republicans elected to Congress. He was most famous for his role as a Union Army general the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.-Biography:Born near Champlain, New York, Curtis graduated from the United...
, Tanner and Downs, and others.
Location
There has been speculation about the location of the Lone Tree Ferry landing. One source places the Nebraska side at the east end of present-day Davenport Street in OmahaOmaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
and the east bank on West Broadway in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
. However, in 2004 a map expert using GPS and old maps identified a location by the Gallup University as the location.
See also
- Transportation in OmahaTransportation in OmahaTransportation in Omaha, Nebraska includes most major modes, such as pedestrian, bicycle, automobile, bus, train and airplane. While early transportation consisted of ferries, stagecoaches, steamboats, street railroads, and railroads, the city's transportation systems have evolved to include the...
- History of Omaha
- Founding figures of Omaha, NebraskaFounding figures of Omaha, NebraskaThe following people were founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska. Their period of influence ranges from 1853 through 1900. Many in this group were members of the Old Settlers' Association and/or the Omaha Claim Club...