Courthouse and Jail Rocks
Morrill County, Nebraska
Courthouse and Jail Rocks were the first rocky outcrops travelers on the Oregon Trail would have encountered on their way westward and signaled to them that they were finally approaching the Rocky Mountains after having traveled almost 500 miles across North America's Great Plains. This is about 6 miles south of the North Platte River and so, travelers typically did not come over to climb the rocks or leave their names engraved here.
“Courthouse Rock was first noted by explorer Robert Stuart in 1812 and quickly became one of the guiding landmarks for fur traders and emigrants traveling to the California, Oregon, and Utah Territories. It is a massive monolith of Brule Clay and Gering Sandstone that was likened to a courthouse or a castle. A smaller feature just to the east was called Jail Rock. From this location, Courthouse Rock has an obvious resemblance to the familiar building with a dome or cupola in the city square back home. This could be anybody’s courthouse from Maine to Iowa, but most thought it resembled the famous old courthouse in St. Louis.
While these two landmarks are located south of the North Platte River, they could be seen by the Mormons as they passed this way. Many wrote journal entries recording their fascination with land formations from Ash Hollow to Scott’s Bluff. Their journals describe the “awesome space and empty openness” as well as their interest with the rock formations that seemed to rise out of nowhere, Some called Courthouse Rock “castle like” and for some, it reminded them of a temple.
“Opposite the camp on the south side of the river is a very large rock very much resembling a castle of four stories high, but in a state of ruin, A little east a rock stands which looks like a fragment of a very thick wall. The scenery around is pleasant and romantic.” William Clayton May 24, 1847
“Meeting held at 1:15 pm at which Pres. Joseph W. Young exhorted the Saints to diligence, constancy in prayer, union, etc. Some discord having exited, he found it necessary to speak plainly to the camp and scolded them somewhat which, however, was done in an amiable spirit. At 4:45 pm the company moved on, traveled 5 miles and camped for the night at 7 o’clock on the side of the road opposite Court House Rock” Henery Pugh, clerk of the Joseph Young Company, Saturday, August 21, 1853
“Today we passed Temple Rock. This is a curious work of nature. It is a stupendous rock some eighty feet in diameter at its base. It rises some 40 feet perpendicular or nearly so. On the top of this is a dome or steeple 15 feet in diameter and 20 feet high running to a point at the top. Beside this there are smaller rocks from 15 to 20 feet high.” William Henry Branch, Sr. – Wilford Woodruff Company, Mon August 12, 1850” "
(National Park Service)
Courthouse and Jail Rocks
Morrill County, Nebraska
Courthouse and Jail Rocks were the first rocky outcrops travelers on the Oregon Trail would have encountered on their way westward and signaled to them that they were finally approaching the Rocky Mountains after having traveled almost 500 miles across North America's Great Plains. This is about 6 miles south of the North Platte River and so, travelers typically did not come over to climb the rocks or leave their names engraved here.
“Courthouse Rock was first noted by explorer Robert Stuart in 1812 and quickly became one of the guiding landmarks for fur traders and emigrants traveling to the California, Oregon, and Utah Territories. It is a massive monolith of Brule Clay and Gering Sandstone that was likened to a courthouse or a castle. A smaller feature just to the east was called Jail Rock. From this location, Courthouse Rock has an obvious resemblance to the familiar building with a dome or cupola in the city square back home. This could be anybody’s courthouse from Maine to Iowa, but most thought it resembled the famous old courthouse in St. Louis.
While these two landmarks are located south of the North Platte River, they could be seen by the Mormons as they passed this way. Many wrote journal entries recording their fascination with land formations from Ash Hollow to Scott’s Bluff. Their journals describe the “awesome space and empty openness” as well as their interest with the rock formations that seemed to rise out of nowhere, Some called Courthouse Rock “castle like” and for some, it reminded them of a temple.
“Opposite the camp on the south side of the river is a very large rock very much resembling a castle of four stories high, but in a state of ruin, A little east a rock stands which looks like a fragment of a very thick wall. The scenery around is pleasant and romantic.” William Clayton May 24, 1847
“Meeting held at 1:15 pm at which Pres. Joseph W. Young exhorted the Saints to diligence, constancy in prayer, union, etc. Some discord having exited, he found it necessary to speak plainly to the camp and scolded them somewhat which, however, was done in an amiable spirit. At 4:45 pm the company moved on, traveled 5 miles and camped for the night at 7 o’clock on the side of the road opposite Court House Rock” Henery Pugh, clerk of the Joseph Young Company, Saturday, August 21, 1853
“Today we passed Temple Rock. This is a curious work of nature. It is a stupendous rock some eighty feet in diameter at its base. It rises some 40 feet perpendicular or nearly so. On the top of this is a dome or steeple 15 feet in diameter and 20 feet high running to a point at the top. Beside this there are smaller rocks from 15 to 20 feet high.” William Henry Branch, Sr. – Wilford Woodruff Company, Mon August 12, 1850” "
(National Park Service)