Nebraska City: Apples, trees and history
Nebraska City is where it all began…for Arbor Day! J. Sterling Morton came to the small southeast Nebraska city in 1854, at the age of 22. His life would see him serve as a newspaper editor, territorial governor and the force behind creating Arbor Day.
Morton and his wife lived in a small cabin he built on the grounds where the Arbor Lodge mansion now stands. In fact, the original home is located INSIDE the mansion. The home was expanded to a 52-room mansion by Morton’s eldest son, Joy. Joy eventually turned the mansion and property over to the state of Nebraska, where it later became a state park. The mansion resembles the White House in Washington, DC.
Joy was the founder of Morton Salt. I always thought it was J. Sterling. Joy was a successful businessman. In fact, all four Morton sons enjoyed success on his own level. Mark worked with Joy in several business ventures as a partner. Paul served as Secretary of the Navy during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidential administration. Carl, the fourth son, helped create the Argo Starch company. He died at age 36.
Tours of the house are available. The additions Joy made turned the original 4-room house into a masterpiece. Rooms have their own names. The reception room is very large. The Red Room resembles a den.
The original portion of the house contains the old doors and can easily be identified from the expansion.
The house has some interesting rooms, including a bowling alley in the basement.
The Morton family has a burial lot at the Wyuka Cemetery in town. The grave marker for Morton cannot be missed – it’s a large carved tree trunk.
The Mortons have a major neighbor in the cemetery. Daniel Gantt served as Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court. He served five months as Chief Justice before his death at the age of 64 in 1878.
We also found the grave marker of John Clement, the first person buried at Wyuka.
Morton’s influence on the area and the nation is recognized with a statue on the lodge’s grounds.
In addition, trees galore dominate Nebraska City. That is clear as you cross the road to the Arbor Farm. The farm is home to rows and rows of apple trees. People visit from all over the region to pick their own apples and take in the attractions.
Interested in visiting a giant tree house? The farm offers that opportunity with the Tree Adventure. You can take a hike through some great tree-lined paths.
You eventually stop at the 50-feet high tree house. The tree house offers a look at various exhibits, including some animal skulls, butterfly samples and other nature items.
We enjoyed the walk through the grounds. As you get farther away from the visitors center, you can get some nice views of nature, including trees and creeks.
You can find some wood carvings along your way. You may even encounter three large chairs in the middle of nowhere. My first thought was to do a quick search for a family of bears. Fortunately, three bears didn’t pop out from the woods.
As we made our way back to the visitors center, we checked out the apple selection. Harvest season looks good. Apples were very appealing. Arbor Farm offers a great variety of apples.
Nebraska City’s history includes a role in the Underground Railroad. It was the name given to the effort to help slaves escape the southern states for new lives as a free people in the northern states, prior to and during the American Civil War, during the mid-1800s.
The Mayhew family had a small cabin in Nebraska City. The family would help hide escaped slaves hide in a cave on their property. They actually helped 12 escaped slaves, who eventually went on to live elsewhere. Descendants of one of the freed families and a Mayhew descendant met at the historical site once.
The cabin was moved from its original location due to a road design a long time ago. So, the current cave isn’t the original. But, its message is still heard.
The site includes a visitors center, offering a look at the days of slavery and the Underground Railroad.
With Nebraska City being the “Arbor Day City,” it makes sense the city would show off its tree influence with a tree art project. Decorated tree sculptures have displayed around the city since 2013.
In addition to the tree art, the city has some beautiful murals that highlight its history. A mural recognizes Morton Salt, which was founded by Joy Morton.
Another mural highlights the city’s history. It’s located in a small main street park. People can sit on a bench and admire the art or just enjoy a nice day.
We had a great time visiting Nebraska City. We spent an entire day in town and realized we needed at least another day to check out the Civil War museum and the Lewis and Clark Center, just to mention a couple attractions.
For more information on Nebraska City attractions, please visit www.gonebraskacity.com or www.visitotoecounty.com.
