Florence, North of Council Bluffs and Omaha

Mormon Trail Center. Bobbi had to do some scouting to find this one. It is on State St., off RT 75, only State Street was completely closed and dug up, but I found it. Here are the handcarters again, a feat that bears repeating. Here is the rumor/scoop on these towns. This area, now Florence, really a suburb of Omaha, was originally called Kanesville, after a big deal Mormon, and in 1846, literally thousands of Mormons came here for Winter Quarters waiting for the trek West. The Mormons had boats that were bringing emigres from Russia and Europe. They built a huge camp that stretched from the river up the hill. They built cabins that were smaller than the RV for 2-3 families. Then, incredibly, they all left, most pulling handcarts. Back then, the Mormons were not popular, and were still supporting polygamy, so when they left, the town name of Kanesville went also. Omaha became the dominant town, when President Lincoln set it as the starting point for the Union Pacific Railroad. When the railroad was finished, it took 3-4 days to cross, what had taken the pioneers 7 months to cross, on a good trip.