The history of Blair, Nebraska, 1869-1920

Blair, situated on the Missouri River at the eastern edge of Nebraska, is in the original territory of Nebraska, opened for settlement by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. (Figure 1, p. 2) Prior to this Act small settlements had been made at Fort Kearny, on the Platte River, and at Bellevue on the Missouri. There were ferry landings along the Missouri River that later became the towns of Nebraska City, Plattsmouth, and Omaha. The prospered because of river transportation and trails to the interior. Blair was unique in that, through situated on the Missouri River, it came into being as a railroad town rather than as a result of the river. Muh of the surrounding region was settled before the town was founded and this gave impetus to its growth. Blair as a railroad town rapidly developed into an industrious trading community