Old Freighters Museum
Property Overview
The Old Freighters Museum
About
Housed in the home office of the Russell, Majors, & Waddell Freighting Company, this museum’s mission is focused on the interpreting the significance of the freighting and shipping industry in the development of Nebraska City. Russell, Majors, & Waddell, more widely known for their later business venture the Pony Express, spent around $300,000 in 1859 to turn Nebraska City into a shipping port for their company.
Russell, Majors, & Waddell was the largest shipping firm in the Great Plains at the time and they reportedly reached their peak in 1865, moving 44 million pounds of freight that year. The exhibits in this museum demonstrate not only the history of the shipping firm, but also the history of westward movement along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. One exhibit houses the last remaining piece of the “Steam Wagon”, which is one small part of an interesting and humorous anecdote from the early years of Nebraska City.
Exhibits
Old Freighters Museum contains numerous galleries dedicated to the history of the freighting company, the men who ran the wagon trains, and the journeys they experienced.
These galleries include the names of known freight company employees in Nebraska City and rare artifacts, such as an 1860 Freighters Bible signed by Alexander Majors.
EXHIBIT
William Henry Jackson
William Henry Jackson was a pioneering photographer, explorer, and artist best known for his stunning images of the American West in the late 19th century. His photographs, including those of the Oregon Trail and early national parks, played a crucial role in promoting westward expansion and the establishment of the U.S. National Park Service.
EXHIBIT
Russell and Waddell
William Hepburn Russell and William B. Waddell were key founders of the freighting firm Russell, Majors & Waddell, which played a major role in westward expansion and launched the Pony Express in 1860. The Old Freighters Museum in Nebraska City preserves their legacy, showcasing the city’s role as a vital 1850s shipping hub.
Visit The Old Freighters Museum
Hours of Operation
Arbor Day to June 30th
Friday to Sunday
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
July 1 - September 30
Thursday to Sunday
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
