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Stephen H. Long

Stephen H. Long dubbed the Great Plains the "Great American Desert".
From the 1991 NET Television program Platte River Road.

The trappers, fur traders, and river men are generally given credit for exploring the West and opening it to settlement. The Army Corps of Engineers should also be credited. Stephen H. Long was a member of this group. Like most engineers, Long was college-trained and was willing to work with the modern technology of the time. Engineers were different from the ... Read more

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The Challenges of the Plains

Lesson Plans & Activities: 1850-1874: Homestead Act Signed: The Challenges Of The Plains - Grade Level [4-12]

The “Great American Desert” was an erroneous title — but it was one that stuck for nearly 30 years. From extras from the 2008 NET TV production, Beef State

Major Stephen Long coined the phrase during his expedition to the Great Plains in 1819-20. His journey was only the third major exploration of the Louisiana Purchase since the U.S. bought it from France in ... Read more

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The Mighty Mo

Steamboats from St. Louis provided most of the supplies for the West during the 1840s and ’50s.
From the 1980 NET Television program Hidden Places, Where History Lives: Two Routes West

The first routes west were the rivers, and "the Mighty Missouri" was very popular. Travelers who were coming from St. Louis or points south used the Missouri River. Communities along the Missouri River like Bellevue and Nebraska City became starting points for pioneers moving westward to California or Oregon.

The Missouri River ... Read more