Early Maps of our Area

Looking at a map of our area in 1872, one of John C. Fremont's Routes is shown traveling through the sandhills near Benkelman and Haigler, but I have not yet found reference to this area in his survey notes.

At first I thought this to be the first expedition he was in command of, however, after finding the official "Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the year 1842", which was submitted to Congress, I discovered that the first expedition joined the Platte River near Grand Island toward the end of June 1842.

Another quotation indicates that the first expedition was along the Platte:

"The first expedition of Lieutenant Fremont, in command of an exploring party on a large scale, occupied the summer of 1842. He would embrace the country between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains, going along the lines of the Kansas, and the Great Platte, or Nebraska, river. After receiving full instructions from Colonel J.J. Abert, the chief of the corps of topographical engineers, Fremont left Washington on the 2nd of May. The one thing I found of interest during his first and second expeditions was the fact that he had an inflatable raft with him. Made of India rubber and inflated by the use of a bellows. The first company was made up principally of Creole and Canadian voyageurs for a total of twenty-two men. Besides these, there was a Mr. Charles Preuss, a native of Germany, who was thoroughly educated to sketch the topographical features of a country. Then Fremont hired L. Maxwell as the hunter, and Christopher Carson, known world over for his exploits as a mountaineer, but better know as Kit Carson for the guide of the expedition.

This expedition lasted till the 17th of October when he again arrived back in St. Louis. He then reported to the chief of the corps in Washington on the 23rd of October.

--John Charles Fremont, Explorer ! by Bob Wynn

In looking closely at this map, the Republican River is too far north of the state line, but the fork of the Arikaree and "Rock Cr." (North fork of the Republican) join in the right place in the southwest corner of Nebraska. It shows Fremont's Route to be somewhat south of the Republican Fork (River), but crossing the Republican east of the Arickaree junction.

Another map of the area in 1856 shows the area occupied by the Arapahoe and Cheyenne tribes and the same Fremont's Route to cross the Republican quite a distance southwest of Brady on its way into Colorado then south to Tahoe in New Mexico.


And of course we all know that at one time our area was called "The Great American Desert" as shown on this map of the "Gold Routes" of 1862.


Note the name Padouca on the following 1733 map overlay taken from Google Earth. This was an early name for the Comanche Indians who occupied the area ranging from the Black Hills to the Arkansas River. The map shows an overlay of current highways.
Reference: "The Comanches: A History, 1706-1875"



References:
Maps at Digitized Kansas Map Collection at Wichita State University
Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the Year 1842
John Charles Fremont, Explorer ! by Bob Wynn