Crossing Nebraska: A History from the Great Platte River Road to I-80 - Paperback

by Andrea M. Riley (Author)

Journey the historic path from wagon ruts to blacktop highways across Nebraska.

For centuries, Nebraska's Platte River Valley has served as a natural passageway for the nation's travelers. The Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails guided intrepid settlers west. Soon, the Pony Express, roughly following those trails, provided the first direct mail service connecting the West Coast with east of the Mississippi River. These historic routes later evolved into the transcontinental railroad, the Lincoln Highway, and eventually modern-day Interstate 80. History buffs, road-trippers, and the generally curious alike can navigate the tracks that each era of travel left locally and nationally.

Blending vivid historical detail with memorable personal narratives, author Andrea M. Riley offers an enlightening journey through one of the country's most important transportation corridors.

Author Biography

Andrea is a writer of history--both real and fictional. Her main interest is the late nineteenth-century American West, especially outlaws and lawmen, women, Native American history, and the mythic West. She has a bachelor's degree in history and Great Plains studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master's degree in public history from Arizona State University, and a master's degree in library and information science from the University of Arizona. She has worked for the National Archives and Records Administration for more than twenty years. She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her husband, two daughters, and four cats.