Nebraska City

Nebraska City was incorporated in 1856, and its location near the states of
Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa quickly made it an important stop on the
Underground Railroad. Visitors can stop at the Mayhew Cabin, located on 4th
Corso near 19th Street, to see where slaves hid on their way to freedom in
Canada. It was built in 1852 by Allen Mayhew with help from Abraham Kagi, his
father-in-law. Kagi's son, John, fell under the influence of famed abolitionist
John Brown and created a tunnel system under the cabin to hide the slaves.
This is how the site came to be known in later years as "John Brown's Cave."

Nebraska City was named the county seat of Otoe County in 1865, when the
county was formed and named for a local Native American tribe. The Otoe
County Courthouse was built the same year and is the oldest public building
still in use in the state. On the grounds is a marker noting that the Overland Trail
passed through here.

Nebraska City is most famous as the home of Arbor Day. It was the brainchild of
prominent Nebraska City resident J. Sterling Morton, a newspaper editor and
politician. Morton's grand home, Arbor Lodge, is now owned by the State of
Nebraska and is open for public tours from April to October. Admission is $5 for
adults and $1 for children. Vehicles entering the grounds must have a Nebraska
State Park permit. An annual permit is $17, but a daily one is just $3. These can
be purchased in the mansion. Arbor Lodge State Historical Park is located in
the northwest corner of Nebraska City and can be reached from 2nd Avenue or
Steinhart Park Road. As it turns to the north along the edge of the park, 2nd
Avenue becomes Arbor Avenue. Across from the park on Arbor Avenue is the
Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure. This attraction features an interactive nature
trail and the Woodland Pavilion, where a holographic J. Sterling Morton talks to
visitors about the importance of trees. Admission to the Tree Adventure is $5.50
for adults and $3.50 for children ages 4-12. Children under 4 are free. The Tree
House Trail is paved and handicapped-accessible.
The Tree Adventure parking lot also serves the Apple House gift shop and Pie
Garden.
Want to totally immerse yourself in the Arbor Day experience? Then stay at the
Lied Lodge & Conference Center, which looks out over Nebraska City from its
tree-lined ridge. With its stone and timber facade, this modern building looks
like an old mountain resort.

Residents of the Nebraska City area were enthusiastic about the Arbor Day
concept and planted many trees, including a lot of apple trees. Every
September, the city holds an AppleJack Festival to celebrate the apple harvest.
Visitors might want to check out one of the orchards in the area, like the Kimmel
Orchard north and west of town. The lengthy Apple Barn, with its dining room
and gift shop, is the focal point of the orchard.

The Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Visitors Center is a beautiful new
wood and stone building erected in conjunction with the bicentennial of the
explorers' journey up the Missouri. Ground was broken on the project in October
2002. There are many interactive exhibits inside the building that make history
fun for all ages.

Other Nebraska City sites include:

		Wildwood House
		Old Freighters Museum
		GAR Hall and Civil War Museum