The Last Outfitting Station on the Missouri River: 1864 to 1866 Wyoming, NT & the Nebraska City Cut-Off Trail

Between 1864 and 1866, thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints left their homelands in Europe and South Africa for the desolate deserts of Utah Territory, which they hoped would be their Zion. Church leaders had supported gathering to a specific location since 1830. In 1856, Jacob Dawson discovered a beautiful location on the Missouri River, just seven miles north of Nebraska City, where he established a town. Dawson named the town Wyoming. Although determined to promote and build a vibrant settlement on the river, his efforts failed. The village of Wyoming was mobilized as an outfitting station (rest area) for pioneers traveling west during the years 1864 to 1866. Most of these European converts traveled on The Nebraska City Cut-off Trail, which was forged out of the soil of eastern and central Nebraska. This remarkable trail shortened the distance from the Missouri River to Fort Kearny, created an unprecedented opportunity for freight haulers, and saved days of travel time for each person heading west. Read the inspiring stories of these pioneers and freighters, and build a bridge with our past.

About the Author
Wadsworth, Erick: - "Erick Wadsworth was born in Dade City, Florida in 1951. His family moved to Idaho when Erick was 7 years old and he has resided in that state for the majority of his life. Erick's interest in history focuses on the United States with special attention to the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and western migrations during the mid 19th century. He entered Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1969, but left in 1971 to pursue a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and later became involved in a family owned business. He reentered BYU's online program in 2004, graduating with an undergraduate degree in 2010. In September, 2010 Erick entered the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) as a student in its master's online history program. Mr. Wadsworth graduated from UNK in May of 2014 with a master's degree in history. Erick's thesis was entitled "The 1866 European Mormon Migration." This thesis was awarded the "Outstanding Thesis Award" for 2013 - 2014 from the College of Natural and Social Sciences at UNK. Erick is a member of the Oregon California Trail Association, the Nebraska Historical Society and Mormon History Association. During his time at UNK Erick was accepted into Phi Alpha Theta. He presented at three regional conferences and one national conference for Phi Alpha Theta during his time in the honors program. For superior academic achievement, Erick was granted the privilege of carrying the Graduate College gonfalon (banner) at commencement exercises May 9, 2014, at Kearney, Nebraska. Erick retired from full-time employment 31 December 2017, and enjoys researching American history, traveling, and spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren."