Courthouse and Jail Rocks

	Courthouse and Jail House Rocks
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Courthouse and Jail Rocks
Nearest city	Bridgeport, Nebraska
Area	917 acres (371 ha)
NRHP reference No.	73001067
Added to NRHP	April 24, 1973

Courthouse and Jail Rocks are two rock formations located near Bridgeport in the Nebraska Panhandle.

The Oregon-California Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Pony Express Trail and the Sidney-Deadwood Trail all ran near the rocks. The pair of rock formations served as a landmark along the trails for many pioneers traveling west in the 19th century. Many travelers would stray as much as five miles (8 km) from the Oregon Trail just to get a glimpse of the rocks.

Hundreds of westward-bound emigrants mentioned Courthouse Rock (originally also McFarlan's Castle) in their travel logs and journals. The name "Courthouse" was first used in 1837.^[3] In 1845, one traveler described the rock as "resembling the ruins of an old castle [which] rises abruptly from the plain....It is difficult to look upon it and not believe that art had something to do with its construction. The voyagers have called it the Courthouse; but it looks infinitely more like the Capitol."^[4]

Courthouse and Jail Rocks, which rise 400 feet (121 m) above the North Platte Valley, are composed of Brule clay, Gering sandstone and volcanic ash. The rock formations are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and in the Nebraska Natural Areas Register.

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ Darton, N.H. 1903. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred and third meridian. United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 17, 69 pp. (See Plate V)
^ Mattes, M.J. 1987. The Great Platte River Road. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, p. 348
^ Mattes, M.J. 1987. The Great Platte River Road. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, p. 349-350

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

[2] Darton, N.H. 1903. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred and third meridian. United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 17, 69 pp. (See Plate V)

[3] Mattes, M.J. 1987. The Great Platte River Road. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, p. 348

[4] Mattes, M.J. 1987. The Great Platte River Road. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, p. 349-350

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v t e Mormon Trail landmarks
Illinois	Nauvoo
Iowa	Garden Grove, Iowa Mount Pisgah, Iowa
Nebraska	Winter Quarters Chimney Rock Courthouse and Jail Rocks Scotts Bluff
Wyoming	Register Cliff Fort Laramie Independence Rock Devil's Gate Martin's Cove South Pass Names Hill Fort Bridger
Utah	Big Mountain Pass Emigration Canyon This Is the Place Heritage Park First Encampment Park

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References