Long Pine - A Railroad Town

When the railroad quit the line west of Norfolk in 1992, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy bought the right-of-way the next year for $6.2 million under federal railbanking law and gave it to the state. The Cowboy Trail was established in 1996, and Nebraska Game and Parks built it out 10 to 20 miles a year until the last gap between Valentine and Norfolk closed in 2009, leaving 195 continuous miles of crushed stone. At Long Pine the trail crosses the creek on the old railroad bridge, 595 feet long.

What the plaque says

Long Pine-- A Railroad Town Like many Nebraska communities, Long Pine's history is tied to railroad development. When the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley line arrived in 1881, Long Pine became a bustling railroad town. The Chicago & North Western Railroad (CNW) built a 115-foot tall steel bridge across Long Pine Creek in 1905, and the town became a division point between Norfolk and Chadron. Crews bunked in town, while steam engines were serviced at the roundhouse. The railroad harnessed the Seven Springs south of town and pumped water to the standpipe providing residents with pure spring water. Freight trains carried goods and livestock to market from surrounding ranches and farms. Five passenger trains per day stopped in Long Pine, bringing many visitors to the annual Chautauqua and the Hidden Paradise resort. They lodged at Long Pine's numerous hotels, including the Upstill Hotel and Miller Hotel, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Transferred to Union Pacific in 1984, the last train ran through Long Pine in 1992. Known as the 'Cowboy Line,' it is now part of the Cowboy Trail. Long Pine Heritage Society Nebraska State Historical Society, 2019

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Ainsworth Army Air Field — 16 mi
• Lakeland Sod High School — 16 mi
• Spring Valley Park — 19 mi
• Norden Dance Hall — 30 mi