KEARNEY, Neb. (WOWT) - The groundwork was being laid for one of Nebraska’s biggest cities on this day in history.

Pictures from the Nebraska Historical Society show Kearney dating back to the early 1900s.

The plat to lay out the city was officially filed on this date in 1871.

That’s the year the U.S. government discontinued Fort Kearny as a military post. They tore down the buildings and opened the land for homesteading.

Within just 10 years, the population grew to more than 10,000 people. Today it’s the fifth largest city in the state.

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