"You are near the Platte River's famous Grand Island. It is approximately
forty miles in length and two miles at its widest. Providing abundant wood and
water, it often served as a campsite for Pawnee Indians. Journalists for the
expeditions of Astor (1813) and Stephen Long (1819) both noted the island. In
1843 John C. Fremont recommended that a fort be constructed near the head of the
island. Fort Childs, later named Fort Kearny, was established in 1848 as the
first military outpost on the Platte River portion of the Oregon and California
trails. The Mormon Trail ran adjacent to the island along the north bank of the
river.
In 1857 a town company composed mainly of Germans settled the area north of
the island. This first Grand Island failed to develop when the company became
bankrupt. Present Grand Island was not platted until 1866, when the Union
Pacific Railroad reached Hall County. The town grew rapidly and became the
county seat. In 1869 a U.S. General Land Office was established to record land
filings for the region north of the Platte. Grand Island was incorporated in
1872, and it has became a major industrial and agricultural city in the central
Platte Valley." ~ text of marker
Hall County Historical Society
Department of Roads
Nebraska State Historical Society
I-80 E Phillips Rest Area Interchange
Hamilton County
Marker 171