NEBRASKA CITY

seat of Otoe county, southeastern Nebraska, U.S., on the Missouri River at the Iowa border. It originated around Fort Kearny (1846; moved west to Platte River site in 1848), was incorporated in 1854, and combined in 1857 with the adjacent settlements of Kearney City and South Nebraska City to form one incorporated community. Its growth as an unloading point on the river for westbound freight was sustained by the arrival of the Midland Pacific Railroad (1871). John Brown's Cave was a station for runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. Markers indicate other historic spots, such as the Overland Trail passing point and the Pony Express headquarters. The Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped dates from 1876. A mixed farm economy is supplemented by small manufacturing (notably gas meters). The home of J. Sterling Morton (founder of Arbor Day) is in Arbor Lodge State Historical Park at the city's western edge. Pop. (1990) 6,547.