“Settling Down” in Western Nebraska: Grounding Local History Through Memoir

“S e t t l in g D o w n ” in W e s t e r n N e b r a s k a : G r o u n d in g L o c a l H is t o r y t h r o u g h M e m o ir C h a r l o t t e H o g g A ll h ist o r y is u lt im a t e ly lo c a l a n d p e r so n a l. T o t e ll w h a t w e r e m e m b e r , a n d t o k e e p o n t e llin g it, is t o k e e p t h e p a st a liv e in t h e p r e se n t . — P a u l G r u c h o w , G r a s s R o o t s T r a v e l a n d S e t t l e m e n t : A M e m o i r o f P l a c e W it h o u t th e r ailro ad , it ’s u n lik ely m y h o m e t o w n o f P ax t o n , N e b r a sk a (p o p u la t io n a p p r o x im a t e ly fiv e h u n d r e d ), w o u ld h a v e e x ist e d a t all. In U n io n P ac if ic: T h e B u ild in g o f th e First T ran sc o n t in e n t al R ailro ad , G a r r y H o g g w r ite s t h a t w h e n t h e C e n t r a l a n d U n io n P a c ific R a ilr o a d s w ere se le c t in g t h e t r a il fo r b u ild in g t h e fir st t r a n sc o n t in e n t a l r a ilr o a d in t h e ear ly 1 8 6 0 s, t h e y u lt im a t e ly fo llo w e d P r e sid e n t L in c o ln ’s a d v ic e “t h a t t h e m o st p r a c t ic a b le r o u t e fo r t h e ir r ailw ay w as a lo n g t h e P la t t e V a lle y ” (4 3 ). F o llo w in g t h e c o u r se o f t h e P la t t e R iv e r , t h e O r e g o n T r a il, t h e P o n y E x p r e ss, a n d t h e n t h e U n io n P a c ific R a ilr o a d all e n v e lo p e d t h e a r e a t h a t la t e r b e c a m e m y h o m e t o w n . P a x t o n is n e st le d b e t w e e n t h e N o r t h a n d So u t h P la t t e R iv e r s t h a t c o n v...