4 NEBRASKA INTRODUCTION Nebraska is a state of treeless prairies fertile croplands and grassy rolling plains It lies halfway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans The Platte River flows across the state offering its waters for irrigation recreation and the production of hydroelectric power The Platte’s broad valley is an important transportation corridor linking eastern and western Nebraska It has provided a path for thousands of travelers throughout history The river is also indirectly responsible for the state’s name The Oto who were among the first Native Americans to live in the area named the Platte River Nebrathka which means flat water Nebraska is nicknamed the Cornhusker State after its main agricultural crop Corn harvesting and the removal of husks were once done by Nebraska’s Platte River is one source of irrigation water for the state’s farms hand Large cornfields wheat fields and vast grazing lands have earned Nebraska the reputation as one of the world’s best farming regions The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln Nebraska covers an area of 77,359 square miles Nebraska became the 37th state in the Union on March 1 1867 Corn grows on more than 8 million acres of land in Nebraska
INTRODUCTION 5 Nebraska is bordered by six other states South Dakota is to the north of Nebraska while Iowa and Missouri are to the east Kansas lies to the south and Colorado and Wyoming are to the west The Missouri River forms Nebraska’s entire eastern border and part of its northern border Nebraska’s central location makes it easy to reach by roadways It is within a one-day drive of many major cities including Chicago St Louis Kansas City Minneapolis Denver and Salt Lake City Interstate 80 an east west route running across Nebraska is one of the state’s busiest highways Several railroads carry freight through the state and passenger trains serve the larger cities Nebraska’s busiest public airports are in Omaha Lincoln and Grand Island Nebraska Location Map Capital Lincoln 0 0 Interstate highways 35 70 56 112 Mi Km Scale Population 1,711,263 Size 77,359 square miles Highest point Kimball County 5,424 feet More than 3 million passengers use the Omaha Airport every year With about 1 7 million people Nebraska ranks as the 38th state in population The state song is Beautiful Nebraska Every stream and river in Nebraska eventually drains into the Missouri River
In the early 1800s thousands of pioneers crossed through Nebraska The Platte River Valley became a westward route as people from the east headed for the rich farmland of Oregon and the gold mines of California The Oregon California and Mormon trails were all very important routes that followed the Platte River and other river valleys At this time Nebraska was regarded as little more than an access route to the west Pioneers traveled through the region mistakenly assuming that the dry land would be difficult to farm The region was flat sandy and treeless These features prompted the Nebraska region to be labeled the Great American Desert As time passed settlers decided to take on Nebraska’s desert and they began to discover the rich resources the land had to offer Nebraska’s early pioneers transformed the Great American Desert into farmland Still no amount of hard work could turn the exposed rock in the northwest into farmland 6 NEBRASKA Today people can hike drive or take a covered wagon tour of the Oregon Trail retracing the route of the early settlers The goldenrod is the state flower The cottonwood became Nebraska’s state tree in 1972 It was chosen to replace the elm which had been the state tree since 1937 because most of the state’s elm trees had been lost to disease The state insect of Nebraska is the honeybee The western meadowlark is Nebraska’s state bird
I N T R O D U C T I O N 7 Today most of the land in Nebraska is used for farming and grazing Thanks to large irrigation systems land that was once believed too dry for agriculture now yields an abundance of crops Good soil for farmland has become one of Nebraska’s most valuable resources Also the state’s Sand Hills and grasslands are now vast grazing ranges that support countless herds of cattle Nebraska’s thriving farmland is not just a source of food it is also a source of pride for many of the state’s residents Nebraska is a state of surprising variety It consists of widespread prairies hundreds of small lakes miles of sparkling rivers dense hand-planted forests and fascinating rock formations Nebraskans are closely connected to their environment The lakes rivers sands prairies and rolling hills have become part of Nebraska’s charming identity and contribute to its thriving livelihood The Pine Ridge area in northwestern Nebraska contains 6,600 acres of trees hills and rolling plains There are approximately 49,000 farms in Nebraska Nebraska’s state rock is prairie agate Omaha is Nebraska’s largest city The largest lake in Nebraska is Lake McConaughy at 35,700 surface acres Nebraska’s state motto is Equality Before the Law
