In little more than a century, Nebraska--part of what was once called the "great American desert"--has evolved from a vast prairie occupied by Native Americans and buffalo to a farming, ranching, and manufacturing mainstay of America, with an ample variety of recreational and cultural opportunities.

Spaniards visited the region first, but it was on the basis of explorations by Father Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673 that French voyageurs, fur traders, and missionaries swept over the land, and France claimed it. Nevertheless, it was recognized as Spanish land until 1800, when it became a plaything of European politics and was sold by Napoleon to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Famous pathfinders like John C. Frémont, Kit Carson, and the men who trapped for John Jacob Astor thought it a land unfit for cultivation.

Nebraska was the path for many westward-bound travelers. Native Americans, fur trappers and explorers, pioneers, the Pony Express, the Mormon and Oregon trails, the Overland Freight Company, and the railroads all made their way through the state, following the natural path of the Platte River. In 1854, Nebraska became a US territory along with Kansas. Febold Feboldson, the Paul Bunyan of the Great Plains, is said to be responsible for the perfectly straight southern boundary line with Kansas. According to the legend, he bred bees with eagles for 15 years until he had an eagle-sized bee. He then hitched the critter to a plow and made a beeline between the two states.

Farming is big business in southern and eastern Nebraska. With continually improving crop returns, Nebraska has few equals in total output of farm production. It is a leading producer of wild hay, beans, grain sorghum, sugar beets, wheat, soybeans, rye, corn, and alfalfa. Good grazing land can be found in the north central and northwest parts of the state. America's largest formation of stabilized sand dunes is located in the Sandhills, heart of Nebraska's nearly $5-billion cattle industry. Real cowboy country, the ranches of the Sandhills have given starts to many professional rodeo stars.

Within 13 years after being named a territory, statehood was approved by Congress; the town of Lincoln won the fight for the state capital over Omaha, and the Homestead Act opened the way for settlement. The Pawnee were often friendly with settlers but were devastated by the smallpox, cholera, and tuberculosis the settlers brought with them. Wars with the Native Americans ended by 1890; by then the land was teeming with farms and ranches. Railroads were creating new towns for repairs and supplies, and the twin aids of irrigation and better stock pushed up farm profits.

The fine highway system makes it a pleasure to drive in the state. Several villages and towns settled by Old World immigrants still celebrate their ethnic heritage in folk festivals each year. Native Americans on the Santee, Winnebago, and Omaha reservations also keep their customs at annual powwows. Besides pioneer and Native American history, Nebraska offers a wealth of state parks and recreation areas. The angler has many well-stocked fishing streams and lakes from which to choose. For hunters, game birds, waterfowl, and deer are abundant, and seasons are long.