The Great Platte River Road Archway Momument
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is located just east of Kearney, Nebraska on Interstate 80. I have driven under it several times. It is a landmark for me. Until this April I’d not visited it. This trip west I had time. I expected a huge gift shop with all sorts of stuff that I wouldn’t be interested in. I was quite surprised as you will see.
The Arch celebrates and commemorates a road that has been well traveled. It is near the beginning of the Oregon, Mormon, and California trails that were used beginning in 1830. Fur traders to and from the Rocky Mountains first used these trails, followed by settlers in 1841. In 1849 the gold seekers used these trails. Once the gold fever died down over 40,000 people used it to travel west. Freight wagons began in the 1850-60’s and then stagecoaches. For the short, less than 2 years, of the Pony Express, the Pony Express riders used this trail. It’s use for far west travel declined with the advent of the transcontinental railroad.
In 1912 it became part of the Lincoln Highway, the first paved road which ran from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, California. This road was 3,389 miles long and ran through 14 states. It became part of US Routh 30 in 1926.
This same road is now part of Interstate 80 which was the first interstate completed under President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System. I 80 runs from Teanick, Jew Jersey to San Francisco, California. I 80 is the 2nd longest road in the United States at 2,900 miles. I 90, at 3,0020 miles from Boston, Massachusetts to Seattle, Washington, is the longest road.
The Arch completely crosses I 80, which was shut down for a day to place the arch. It is over 300 feet above the road. It had a rough beginning until full east and west bound exit/entrances from I 80 were constructed. Once these and Archie the Bison was added it began to make a profit.
There is, indeed, a small gift shop, art gallery and rest rooms. The real reason for the arch is to tell the story of the Platte River Road. There is a charge to see the exhibits which I thought was reasonable for what I saw. There are many life size dioramas that depict life in the 1800’s, complete with a personal audio guide to each diorama. Once you go up the escalator there is thunder and lighting, recreating the sound of those wonderful thunderstorms that sweep across the Plaines. It is difficult to take photos because of the lighting but I did the best I could. There is even a movie of a bison charge created to have the bison appear somewhat ghost like since they no longer roam the Plaines.
The exhibits continue to the present day, including a small drive in theatre with those stand and microphones you used to hang on your open window and a gleaming, shinney, silver dinner.
Outside there is a statue commemorating the story of two brothers riding horseback together to escape Native Americans. An arrow went through one and into the second brother. Miraculously they both survived. There is a small hiking/biking trail through the wire mesh herd of Bison across the road from the parking lot.
All in all I’m glad I stopped and, if you’re ever headed east or west on I 80 just east of Kearney, Nebraska, perhaps you’d like to stop also.
The music is Autumn from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi which I played from one of my piano books.