Original subtitles

(triumphant music)

(adventurous music)

- Our journey begins

following the extensive Nebraska railway system

out into the Oglala National Grasslands,

home to the nimble pronghorn antelope.

From there we'll fly south to Fort Robinson State Park,

once the site of ferocious battles

between Indians and early European settlers.

We'll pass Old-West style stage coaches

and galloping herds of buffalo

as we head towards the town of Alliance,

an historic center of the Wild West.

A brief detour takes us to America's answer to Stonehenge

before joining the trail of the pioneers westward

towards Scotts Bluff National Monument.

We'll end our journey amongst the mammoth rock formations

towering over the rolling plains,

as stunning now as they would've been to the early settlers

s making their way west over a century ago.

(dramatic somber music)

Nebraska is often referred to as the state

where the west begins,

alluding to its vast landscapes and pioneering history.

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It was here that construction on the first

transcontinental railway began in 1865.

In the midst of the Civil War,

President Abraham Lincoln approved a law

to build a 3,000 kilometer railroad

that would open up this new frontier

connecting the east and west coasts of the country.

Though the original tracks have been absorbed

and built over by other railway lines,

both freight and passenger trains still use the same route.

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Covering over 36,000 hectares,

the Oglala National Grassland

sits on the northwest corner of Nebraska.

Managed by federal government,

the wildlife reserve is home to range of unique fauna,

the best known being the pronghorn antelope.

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Described as the true marathoners of the American West,

pronghorns are the fastest land mammal in the country

and second in the world only to the cheetah.

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They thrive in the wide open expanses

of Nebraska's great plains,

surviving in an environment that was often harsh

to the early pioneers that came here from the east.

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Long before the white settlers arrived,

it was the Native Americans who lived

and hunted in these grasslands.

The many isolated hills, or buttes,

with their flattened tops

provide breathtaking views of the countryside.

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Once a backdrop for bloody encounters

between early settlers and Native Americans,

the reserve today is altogether calmer.

The standout feature of Oglala is Pine Ridge,

the largest human planted forest in the United States.

(dramatic music)

A common occurrence here and on the prairies

are forest fires.

Recently, in 2012, a severe drought

and record temperatures resulted in the worst fires

in Nebraska's history,

destroying a large part of Pine Ridge.

The forest is only slowly recovering.

Regardless of such setbacks,

Nebraska is still known as the tree planter's state,

and in 1872 it founded Arbor Day,

an event now celebrated all over the country.

(dramatic music)

Here impressive rock formations

jut out of the grassy hills.

The unique geology was created by thousands of years

of water and wind erosion on layers of sandstone and clay.

The sediments that make up these formations

were deposited by an ancient body of water,

the Western Interior Seaway,

which cut through the continent 70 million years ago.

28 million years ago, the sea receded from the land

joining the continent, eroding the softer rock

and leaving behind these other worldly shapes.

Besides geologists, paleontologists too are lured here

by the ancient sea creatures,

now long extinct whose fossils are buried

within these hills.

Eventually the grasslands give way completely

to the Nebraska National Forest,

which covers four and a half thousand square kilometers.

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In the 1800s the American West was an uncharted land,

full of opportunity for those who dared make the journey.

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And while early on, many settlers arrived

in covered stagecoach wagons,

most were carried here by train.

Before long, it became a vital way of getting farm produce

back to the booming markets in the east.

The waves of new settlers in the 19th century

weren't entirely welcomed by the local Indian tribes.

The tension led to many skirmishes.

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By order of the United States government,

Fort Robinson was established,

a military outpost set in the heart of Indian territory.

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It played a major part in the Sioux wars from 1876 to 1890.

The most notable battle was at the nearby War Bonnet Creek

where the iconic Native American war hero Crazy House

was finally defeated.

But it was here at Fort Robinson,

he was killed at the hands of his captors.

The fort has since played a number of roles.

Up until 1907, it was where the all African American

9th and 10th Cavalry regiments were stationed.

They were best known as the Buffalo Soldiers,

a name given to them by the Plains Indians.

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During the great war, it was the largest remount depot,

providing horses and mules for the military.

And in World War II, Fort Robinson served

as a German prisoner of war camp.

After the wars, the entire estate

was turned over to the public

and is now an important historic landmark

and a symbol of the West's turbulent past.

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The national park surrounding Fort Robinson

covers almost 9,000 hectares of rolling plains

and geological formations.

It is also one of the most popular

horse trekking areas in the state.

Nebraskans flock here for short trips

or multi-day expeditions on horseback.

The regions long association with horses

goes back to the military's presence in the area.

During the First World War,

when motorized technology finally superseded

the need for mounted calvary,

15,000 horses were auctioned off to the local public.

But when the United States Army again took interest

in the animals in the 1940s

it kick started the Arabian breeding program,

introducing them into the market.

These open plains have been a popular spot

for horse riders ever since.

Another attraction are the State Park Museum's

stage coach rides,

offering visitors an experience of what was once

the most common mode of cross country transport.

Traveling at an average speed of eight kilometers an hour,

the name stagecoach referred to stations

or stages on a traveled route.

Usually a fresh set of horses or mules

would be ready for the next onward journey

allowing the travelers to continue without delay.

Up to 100 kilometers could be covered in a day

and unlike these pleasure rides,

there was also the very real danger

of being robbed by bandits and highwaymen.

Added to this were the attacks from Native Americans

during the long journeys across the wilderness.

To protect the passengers from such perils

a guard, called a shotgun messenger,

would often accompany the party,

sitting alongside the driver.

(adventurous music)

(dramatic music)

The uniqueness of Nebraska lies in its combination

of prairie landscape and scattered pine forests,

knolled rocky ridges, and abrupt buttes.

It would have seemed like another world

to the early pioneers from the east.

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But today's exploration of Nebraska

is more for the pursuit of leisure than for colonization.

These hills around Smiley Canyon

are a well known spot for viewing wildlife.

Golden eagles, prairie falcons, and wild turkeys

are a common sight in these forests and grasslands.

Many come solely for the spectacular views.

Still others take to the mountain roads for prize game.

Deer, elk, and big horn sheep are the most coveted targets.

And it's no surprise these hills have become known

as the big game capital of Nebraska.

The biggest game of all and a prominent feature

of the plains is the great American bison

that previously roamed these grasslands in massive herds.

An estimated 60 million of these animals

once dominated the North American plains.

But shortly after the arrival of Europeans

the number dropped drastically.

A combination of commercial hunting

and diseases from domestic cattle

almost resulted in their extinction in the 19th century

with numbers dropping to below 750.

Through careful conservation and management,

the bison of Nebraska are back in sustainable numbers

and are no longer an endangered species.

These days cattle are a more common sight

as Nebraska is one of the largest producers

of beef in the country.

The combination of abundant pasture lands

and a bountiful supply of water from rivers,

streams and wells has made this industry

dominant in the state.

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These ideal conditions for cattle grazing

were a key attraction back in the 1870s.

Large tracts of land were opened up to settlers

by the government under the Homestead Act

which gave long-time squatters the right of ownership.

Supported by the federal government,

the majority of this land was seized

from Native Americans who were then forced

to settle on reservations.

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Livestock flourished on these plains

and to boost the emerging industry,

cattle were brought up to Nebraska by Texas drovers

looking for higher prices for their herds.

The result was the die hard cowboy culture

that still exists today.

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Looming over the grassy plains

are the imposing sandstone buttes

that make for some of the most spectacular trails

in the region.

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But as we fly further south,

the prairies gradually give way

to the famous sand hills, grass covered dunes

which make up a quarter of the state.

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The landscape morphs yet again,

this time to flat fertile farmland

with a seemingly endless pattern of circular fields.

It's a fairly dry region of the country

making irrigation of the crops vital.

Most of the water is sourced from underground.

It's then distributed to these farms

by a central pivot irrigation system,

creating this mosaic of circles.

Water here hasn't always been this abundant.

The devastating droughts of the 1930s

wreaked havoc on farming,

reducing these lands to a virtual desert

during the infamous Dust Bowl

right in the midst of the Great Depression.

Eventually, Nebraska regained its position

as a major agricultural center

with the help of these new irrigation techniques.

But now with the ground water being depleted,

far faster than it is being replenished,

the state's farming sector has new problems

mounting on the horizon.

Dubbed an oasis in the sand hills,

the city of Alliance is one of Nebraska's

most important historical centers.

A new town built on the railway,

the county courthouse itself was transported here by train

from nearby Hemingford in 1899.

It was an event celebrated in both "Scientific American"

and "Harpers" magazines.

Early on, Alliance became a focal point

for homesteaders and ranchers needing supplies

and wanting to sell their crops and cattle

to other parts of the state.

Much of the town's history

revolves around the railroad, even its name.

When the Burlington line reached Alliance in 1888

the town was actually called Grand Lake.

But the Railroad Superintendent at the time,

petitioned to change the name to Alliance

because it began with a letter

at the beginning of the alphabet

and so in his view would attract more business.

Continuing its long standing connection with the railway,

Alliance boasts one of the largest

locomotive maintenance facilities in the United States.

It's owned and operated by the Burlington Northern

and Sante Fe Railway or BNSF,

the second largest freight network in North America.

The company hauls enough coal

to generate roughly 10% of the nation's electricity.

(dramatic music)

With over 600 employees,

trains constantly move too and from

the Powder River Basin Mines

in the neighboring state of Wyoming.

And being the center of distribution

for the biggest coal field in the United States,

has earned this freight yard the nickname Heart of Coal.

(dramatic bluegrass music)

Most of the material extracted from the Powder River Basin

moves through here before supplying the many power plants

that dot the country further east.

(dramatic bluegrass music)

Just outside Alliance is one of the most

visited sites in Nebraska.

Carhenge, a collection of 38 vintage vehicles

that have taken on a new life as art.

Originally conceived in 1987 by Jim Reinders,

the cars stand like England's Stonehenge,

but with a modern twist.

Early on, the installation was threatened

with a removal order.

But after a long campaign by its many admirers,

Carhenge was gifted to the citizens of Alliance.

The original construction included three imported vehicles,

but these were later buried and replaced with alternatives

produced in Detroit.

(jazzy music)

Now an estimated 75,000 people flock to the site each year.

And in 2009 it was listed as part of the

Top 10 Wackiest Attractions in the United States

by the website Trip Advisor.

A gathering is already planned for August 21, 2017,

when Carhenge will be in the path of a total solar eclipse.

Continuing along this vast open expanse

we make our way further west.

(dramatic music)

Although many urban centers have flourished in Nebraska

the state's reputation is firmly rooted in agriculture.

Alongside modern farming methods,

are the old tried and tested ones.

Irrigation canals have been in use since the early settlers.

This one leads us to our next place,

the town of Scotts Bluff.

As with so many cities in the west,

it emerged with the advent of the railroad.

A construction boom in the late 1800s

brought people and trade into the valley

to work on large scale irrigation projects.

Today, the population holds steady at about 15,000.

Since its early days, Scotts Bluff has gone on to diversify

to manufacturing, education, and tourism.

Amongst the attractions is its renowned art center,

the Midwest Theater.

Built in 1946, in the Modern style of the period,

it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Scotts Bluff is served

by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

Freight trains pulling around a hundred wagons

are a common sight.

Their combined length is staggering,

often exceeding two kilometers.

The freight is driven by two mighty diesel locomotives

that will, over their lifetime,

travel up to 80 million kilometers.

That's four round trips to the moon.

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Flying across Mitchell Pass reveals a group of steep hills

or bluffs that have traditionally served

as a key way point for travelers.

From families to missionaries, farmers to soldiers,

all making their way west,

the bluff became an important psychological milestone

on the hazardous journey.

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This spectacular scenery would have come as

welcome relief for travelers after months

of flat, open prairie.

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Prior to American expansion westward,

native tribes found ample hunting opportunities

amongst these formations and the ground is rich

with archeological artifacts even to this day.

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Dwarfed by the massive Eagle Rock on one side

and Sentinel Rock on the other,

stands the Scotts Bluff Visitor Center and Museum.

(whimsical music)

As well as housing a permanent collection,

the buildings serve as headquarters for

historical reenactments that take place in the park.

(whimsical music)

The site is also a popular starting point for hikers.

(whimsical music)

The buildings themselves were constructed

by the Civilian Conservation Corps

an organization established by

President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935.

Its purpose was to preserve America's national parks

as well as provide a source of steady employment

during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Here, visitors can find a wealth of exhibits

including the relics of Native Americans and pioneers.

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Coiling up from the visitor center

into a tunnel beneath Sentinel Rock is Summit Road,

weaving into and around the rocks

following their contours.

Its construction was partially undertaken

by the Civilian Conservation Corps

and so the road represents the toil

of hundreds of young men from relief families

which culminated in this extraordinary legacy

for future generations to enjoy.

The display of nature's splendor

as well as human ingenuity and resolve

makes Scotts Bluff a perfect place to end this journey.

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