In 1846, a town emerged on the western bank of the Missouri River. Although it only existed for a few years, there were a lot of elements that resembled a regular town, and its impact is still felt today. This is a history of Winter Quarters in the Indian Country.

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Terrorized by religious extremists in the eastern United States, including New York and Illinois, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took up their lives and journeyed westward across North America, following their leaders. Eventually they received word of an area at the edge of a great sea, and thousands packed wagons, pulled handcarts, bought ox, and headed west towards the future Salt Lake City. Moving along as a large unit, their route would take them through present-day North Omaha.

Arriving at Kanesville, Iowa in spring 1846, the Mormon travelers quickly got in touch with the local US government Indian agent to find out whether they could stay in the Indian Territory across the Missouri River. Within days they secured a meeting with representatives from the Omaha and Winnebago tribes, who gave them permission to stay near the river on the west side of the river.

However, many of the travelers must have heard the negotiations wrong, because their leader guided them about three miles west of the river along present-day Mormon Bridge Road. Establishing their temporary township near present-day State Street, the group named it Cutler’s Park in honor of the leader who brought them to that site. However, within a month, the entire encampment of nearly 4,000 people were moving east back towards the river. Apparently the tribes complained that the group was setup in a prime hunting valley, and not by the river where they’d agreed to their positioning.

When they got to the river, church members quickly built up Winter Quarters. Winter Quarters had a mayor and city council, 24 policemen and fireguards, various administrative committees, and a town square for public meetings. There were more than a thousand cabins, houses, soddies, and dugouts built onto square blocks with yards and streets. There were sidewalks and intersections, and the entire temporary town was established as a regular community.

The town of Winter Quarters had approximately 4,000 residents, and they built…

• Two main streets
• 38 blocks, each with 20 lots totaling 760+ lots for residents and more
• Cabins, lean-tos, dugouts, other crude shelters, and tents
• A grist mill (later to become the Florence Mill)
• A 22’x32′ town hall called the Council House
• helped lighten the hearts of the Saints allowing them to temporarily forget the cold and misery of winter.
• A cemetery with several hundred graves originally.

When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pioneers established Winter Quarters in present-day Florence in 1846, there were reportedly several Black people among them. Listed as “colored servants” because the church informally did not allow Black members, the group included Hark Lay Wales (1825–1881), Oscar Crosby (c.1815-c.1872), Green Flake (1828-1903), and Jane Manning James (1813–1908). Each of these pioneers left an indelible mark that should still resonate today.

Social gatherings, religious meetings and dances happened in the Council Hall. It was a “log structure was one-and-a-half stories high, with wooden floors, fireplaces, and windows.” Private schools were available for the wealthier travelers who could afford them for their kids. Those were held in individual homes. There were also businesses selling goods along the main streets and other services available. The leaders of the town, including Brigham Young, assigned workers to establish “Summer Quarters” about 10 miles north of Winter Quarters at the site of the old Fort Atkinson. Originally operating between 1819 and 1827, the Mormons used former farm fields from almost two decades earlier to grow wheat for the beasts of burden and flour for travelers heading westward. They used that location for at least 3 years after establishing Winter Quarters.

Unfortunately, many of the Mormons weren’t ready for a cold, harsh winter on the banks of the river. Between disease, starvation and scurvy, hundreds of people died. A total of 359 travelers were buried in present-day Florence’s Mormon Pioneer Cemetery.

By June 1847, many of the Mormons packed up and left town. From Winter Quarters in North Omaha, they would likely have gone to a Mormon camp located on the south edge of the North Omaha Airport off North 72nd Street along Bennington Road. Crossing the Elkhorn River at the present-day “Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area” off Highway 36, they would have gone to the “Liberty Pole Camp” within the present-day Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area. From there they followed the north side of the Platte River for more than 500 miles.

A few were left back in Winter Quarters though, and there were homes and buildings left behind too. Houses, stores, grain storage, and a few other buildings stood there for years, some in use, many vacant.

The last remnant standing today is the Florence Mill, located where Mill Creek once flowed freely to the Missouri River. For reference, the mill was located on the west side of Winter Quarters.

In 1850, early Nebraska pioneer Peter Sarpy told James C. Mitchell about the deserted Winter Quarters across the river from Kanesville, Iowa. By 1854, Mitchell eventually bought up all the land and renamed it for his wife’s niece.

Winter Quarters Tour

Today, there are several monuments, memorials, and other commemorations to the Latter Day Saints who traveled to Winter Quarters and beyond in the Florence area. They include:

1. Winter Quarters Temple, 8283 North 34th Street
2. Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters, 3215 State Street has a historic marker called “A Meeting House for the Saints”
3. Mormon Pioneer Memorial Bridge, I-680 and the Missouri River
4. Site of the Mormon Tree, Florence Park, 3105 State Street
5. Mormon Mill aka Florence Mill, 9102 North 30th Street has two markers called “The Florence Mill”
6. A historic marker called “The Road to Zion” marker near the Florence Mill
7. A historic marker called “From Indian Lands to the Golden Gate” near the Florence Mill
8. A historic marker called “A Little Town That Dreamed of Greatness” near the Florence Mill
9. Mormon Pioneer Cemetery, 3301 State Street
10. A historic marker called “Winter Quarters” at North 30th and Mormon Street
11. The historic site of the Mormon Tree in the Florence Park at North 30th and Mormon Street
12. A historic marker for Cutler’s Park, Mormon Bridge Road and Young Street
13. A historic marker called for the first Mormon pioneer camp after leaving Winter Quarters, North 69th and Bennington Road
14. The historic site of the rumored Brigham Young House at 8314 North 31st Street

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You Might Like…

• A History of Ponca Hills
• A History of North Omaha, Part 1

MY ARTICLES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF FLORENCE
Basics: History | Banks | Newspapers | Churches | Mayors
Public Places: Florence Main Street | Florence High School | The Mormon Tree | Mormon Bridge | Florence Boulevard | River Drive | J.J. Pershing Drive and Monument | Potter’s Field
Businesses: Florence Mill | Zestos | Florence Home | Florence Bank | Florence Mill | Florence Ferry | Florence Water Works | Florence Depot
Houses: Parker Mansion | Brandeis Country Home | Lantry-Thompson Mansion | Mitchell House | Hunt Mansion
Other Historic Places: Cutler’s Park | Winter Quarters | Vennelyst Park | Florence Building
People: James M. Parker | James Comey Mitchell | Florence Kilborn | Jacob Weber Sr.
Neighborhoods: Winter Quarters | Florence Field | Wyman Heights | High Point
Mormon History Locations: Mormon Pioneer Memorial Bridge | Site of the Mormon Tree | Cutler’s Park | Brigham Young House | Mormon Mill
Other: Directory of Florence Historic Places

Elsewhere Online

There are so many sources online about this information that I tried to confine myself to resources specifically from the Church of Latter-Day Saints or affiliated sources. It’s their history after all. When I couldn’t find anything I used the next best source.

• “The Mormon Pioneer Trail / A Meeting House For The Saints,” Historic Marker Database
• “Pioneer Date Summary,” Heritage Gateway — Utah Education Network in partnership with Utah State Board of Education
• “The Route West,” Mormon Trail National Historic Trail
• “MTA 1997 Official Guide The Mormon Pioneer Trail” by Stanley B. Kimball
• “The Mormon Trail,” National Park Service e-publications

Bonus Pics

This is the Mormon Tree, once located in Florence Park. The park, which acted as the Florence town square for generations, was created there because of the story that Brigham Young planted this tree there outside his cabin. Learn more in my article about it »

Click on the pics for info about the Mormon Pioneer Camp.