The 100th Meridian -- Cozad NE
N 40° 51.413 W 099° 59.088
14T E 416997 N 4523336
An official state of Nebraska historic marker on the grounds of the Old UP Railroad depot at Cozad NE
Waymark Code: WMK498
Location: Nebraska, United States
Date Posted: 02/10/2014
Views: 7
The 100th meridian passes through the small town of Cozad NE, and was a major milestone point for the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the late 1860s.
There are multiple signs, monuments and markers for this line. We are waymarking the official Nebraska historic marker on the west side of the grounds of the historic UP depot.
The marker reads as follows:
"The 100th MERIDIAN
The 100th longitudinal line west of Greenwich was the major goal set by Congress in building the first transcontinental railroad. Construction of the Union Pacific track reached the Meridian on October 5, 1866. To celebrate this record–breaking achievement against terrific odds, appropriate ceremonies were enacted on this ground on October 26, 1866. A “Great Excursion From Wall Street To The 100th Meridian” brought 250 notables including railroad and territorial officials, congressmen, financiers, and newspaperman on the first passenger train to run west of the Missouri River. A large signboard proclaiming “The 100th Meridian 247 Miles From Omaha” stood for many years close to the track on the Meridian, but finally disappeared, and in 1933 was replaced on the original site with a monument of native stone by the Cozad chapter of the DAR.
In 1879 John Wesley Powell, U.S. Army, in his report for the geological survey recognized the 100th meridian as the natural demarcation line extending northward from the western shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Evaporation from the Gulf waters supplies most of the rainfall east of the Meridian. West of the meridian precipitation comes largely from the Pacific which is generally insufficient for agricultural needs without irrigation. Here on the 100th meridian, Humid East Meets Arid West."
Marker Name: The 100th Meridian
City: yes
Roadside: no
Other: no
Web Address if available:: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Post Pictures:
1. Close up of historical marker
2. Picture of surrounding area (would prefer to have the marker in the picture also). Thanks!