Rock Bluff, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Rock Bluff is a ghost town
in Cass County
located approximately three miles east of Murray
in the U.S. state
of Nebraska
. Once the home of an influential college called the Naomi Institute
, Rock Bluff was instrumental in the 1866 vote that gave Nebraska statehood
.
. Settled in 1854 by a German named Benedict Spires, Rock Bluffs became a leading point for equipping freighting outfits to cross the plains during the 1850s. By 1877 it had almost 200 residents, as well as a Methodist Church"Rock Bluff City, Cass, Nebraska". Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 8/31/07., a post office, a mayor, the county fair, a common lodge hall for Masons and Odd Fellows, and a variety of businesses including three stores, two blacksmith shops, two saloons and a billiard hall. There was a race track near the steamboat landing, and a coal mine south of town. Rock Bluff once competed with Plattsmouth
the be the county seat
of Cass County
.
in Nebraska was very important because the Legislators were to choose Nebraska's two state senators. That year, before the Legislature was a unicameral, the state House was to include 17 Republicans and 17 Democrats, and the state Senate was six to five for the Democrats, with Cass County's votes still to be counted.
107 votes were cast for Democrats that year, with 47 for the Republicans. However, there were charges of voter fraud which led the state clerk to throw out the county's votes and put the county in the office of the county clerk, who was Republican. That party was against slavery
existing in the new state, and when the Legislature went Republican the Territory was allowed into the Union.
. It closed in 1872, after failing to gain support, and the building later became Rock Bluff School.
in the 1870s the town of Rock Bluff lost its importance, which was only exacerbated when the closest railroad tracks were built ten miles west. The post office was closed in 1904"Rock Bluff City, Cass, Nebraska". Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 8/31/07., and the town was completely abandoned by the 1940s.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Cass County
Cass County, Nebraska
-Other Geographical notes:Due to its proximity to Cass County, Iowa, and because both of those counties receive most of their broadcasts from Omaha, Nebraska, references to 'Cass County' must be frequently disambiguated, or result in confusion.-Demographics:...
located approximately three miles east of Murray
Murray, Nebraska
Murray is a village in Cass County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 481 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Murray is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Once the home of an influential college called the Naomi Institute
Naomi Institute
The Naomi Institute, also known as the Rock Bluff School, is located in the ghost town of Rock Bluff, Nebraska, three miles east of Murray. It was one of the earliest higher education institutions in Nebraska, founded in 1870 as a pioneer college...
, Rock Bluff was instrumental in the 1866 vote that gave Nebraska statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
.
About
Rock Bluff was a pioneer crossing on the Missouri RiverMissouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. Settled in 1854 by a German named Benedict Spires, Rock Bluffs became a leading point for equipping freighting outfits to cross the plains during the 1850s. By 1877 it had almost 200 residents, as well as a Methodist Church"Rock Bluff City, Cass, Nebraska". Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 8/31/07., a post office, a mayor, the county fair, a common lodge hall for Masons and Odd Fellows, and a variety of businesses including three stores, two blacksmith shops, two saloons and a billiard hall. There was a race track near the steamboat landing, and a coal mine south of town. Rock Bluff once competed with Plattsmouth
Plattsmouth, Nebraska
Plattsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Nebraska, United States, which was founded in 1855. The population was 6,887 at the 2000 census.-History:...
the be the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Cass County
Cass County, Nebraska
-Other Geographical notes:Due to its proximity to Cass County, Iowa, and because both of those counties receive most of their broadcasts from Omaha, Nebraska, references to 'Cass County' must be frequently disambiguated, or result in confusion.-Demographics:...
.
1866 Nebraska Statehood vote
In 1866, the composition of the Territorial LegislatureNebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
in Nebraska was very important because the Legislators were to choose Nebraska's two state senators. That year, before the Legislature was a unicameral, the state House was to include 17 Republicans and 17 Democrats, and the state Senate was six to five for the Democrats, with Cass County's votes still to be counted.
107 votes were cast for Democrats that year, with 47 for the Republicans. However, there were charges of voter fraud which led the state clerk to throw out the county's votes and put the county in the office of the county clerk, who was Republican. That party was against slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
existing in the new state, and when the Legislature went Republican the Territory was allowed into the Union.
Naomi Institute
Rock Bluff was home to Professor J.D. Patterson's Naomi Institute, which he founded there in 1870. It was regarded as one of the leading educational institutions in Nebraska, and was the first higher education institution in Cass CountyCass County, Nebraska
-Other Geographical notes:Due to its proximity to Cass County, Iowa, and because both of those counties receive most of their broadcasts from Omaha, Nebraska, references to 'Cass County' must be frequently disambiguated, or result in confusion.-Demographics:...
. It closed in 1872, after failing to gain support, and the building later became Rock Bluff School.
Kid Graves
Perry Ivan "Ivia" Graves was born, raised and died in Rock Bluff. He was the 1912 Boxing Welterweight Champion of the World, and traveled across the United States and around the world earning and defending the title. His career lasted 15 years, from 1910 to 1925.Abandonment
After a railroad bridge was built in OmahaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
in the 1870s the town of Rock Bluff lost its importance, which was only exacerbated when the closest railroad tracks were built ten miles west. The post office was closed in 1904"Rock Bluff City, Cass, Nebraska". Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 8/31/07., and the town was completely abandoned by the 1940s.