1. James Mason Diary
FORT KEARNY, NE
MAY 24, 1850

2. May 25 – traveled 1 –m & enc near Fort Kerney Diary of James Mason
May 24 – traveled 25 m and encamped on plat it is very muddy and its bank is low & bottom quicksand the bottom is large & extensive
May 25 – traveled 1 –m & enc near Fort Kerney
Diary of James Mason
From Marysville, NE to Fort Kearney, NE

3. Diary of James Mason Ft Kearney, NE – May 25
Placerville
Independence
Diary of James Mason
Ft Kearney, NE – May 25
California Oregon Trail from Independence, MO - to Hangtown (Placerville, CA)

4. Fort Kearney, NE

5. Fort Kearney, NE

6. surname also appears as Kearney in some historic sources;
Fort Kearney, NE
Stephen Watts Kearny
surname also appears as Kearney in some historic sources;
August 30, 1794 – October 31, 1848
In the late 1820s after his career was established, Kearny met, courted and married Mary Radford’, the stepdaughter of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The couple had eleven children, of whom 6 died in childhood.

7. Fort Kearney, NE
Long before early French explorers named it the Platte River, for "flat water," this heartland oasis was a crossroads. Migratory birds, abundant wildlife and native Americans were in residence for centuries when the confluence of the Oregon and Mormon Trails led pioneers to the site that would become Kearney.
Bound for points further west, some hardy, yet visionary souls saw opportunities along the Platte and they stayed laying the foundation for what would become the Mid-western "work ethic." Now, at the very center of the country, as this great, braided river cuts an arc across the plains, Kearney, Nebraska faces a brilliant future.
As America grew during the nineteenth century railroad developers also saw Kearney as a crossroads. Union Pacific, the Burlington & Missouri and other railroads followed the Platte River Valley to connect east to west. Today, Kearney lies at the center of the world's busiest rail corridor.
In 1848, a fort was established to provide protection for travelers heading west along the Oregon Trail. Named for Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny, Fort Kearny afforded a safe haven for pioneers, pony express riders, prospectors and others as they followed the great Platte river road.

8. Fort Kearney, NE

9. Fort Kearney State Park A few buildings remain
Fort Kearney, NE
Fort Kearney State Park A few buildings remain

10. Fort Kearney, NE
On the Nebraska Trails

11. Fort Kearney State Park - Corner guard station
Fort Kearney, NE
Fort Kearney State Park - Corner guard station

12. Fort Kearney State Park - Corner guard station
Fort Kearney, NE
Fort Kearney State Park - Corner guard station

13. END
James Mason Diary
FORT KEARNY, NE
MAY 24, 1850