Sutherland

Understand

As is true for most small towns in the Platte River valley of Nebraska, the earliest history of Sutherland can be traced to the westward migration. The Oregon-California trail generally ran south of the South Platte river, while the Mormon trail ran north of the North Platte river. In 1843, the Oregon-California trail began to see heavy traffic, and in 1847, the first contingent of Mormons traversed the trail.

O’Fallon’s Bluff, just southeast of Sutherland, was a famous landmark referred to by many travelers in their journals. In the days of the trails, the river ran along the base of the bluff. Wagons would converge in this bottle-neck from along a fairly wide path and move single-file between the bluff and the river.

During the years 1858 to 1860, there was a trading post, stage station and Post Office near O’Fallon’s Bluff. By 1866, troops sent to protect the wagon trains from ambush near O’Fallon’s Bluff had established Fort Heath. In 1867, the O’Fallon’s railroad siding, depot and Post Office were built north of the river opposite the bluff. It included a trading post and saloon. In 1869, after the completion of the overland railroad, “Cody Siding” was established along the Union Pacific near the site of present-day Sutherland.

Though the settlement was quite well established, it was not until 1891 that the railroad platted an official “town”. A post office was established in 1892, and the village of Sutherland, named for railroad official George Sutherland, was incorporated in 1905.

Though it was once a thriving community that boasted an opera house, several hotels, a movie theater, a bowling alley and numerous stores, Sutherland has developed into a bedroom community for the larger town of North Platte 25 miles east.

The primary occupation in the area is farming and ranching, although a large number of people are employed at Nebraska Public Power District’s Gerald Gentleman generation station five miles south of Sutherland, and at Union Pacific’s Bailey Railroad Yard, located in North Platte.

The ethanol industry is very important to Sutherland, with an existing plant producing nearly 25 million gallons of ethanol annually, and an expansion underway to produce 120 million gallons from corn grown locally.

Get in

The primary means of getting to Sutherland is Interstate 80, which runs east-west; US 25 comes into Sutherland from the south. Highway 30, named the Lincoln Highway Scenic Byway, runs east-west. Lincoln is 3.5 hours east on I-80; Cheyenne is 3.5 hours west on I-80; Denver is 3.5 hours west on I-80 and I-76.

North Platte Regional Airport (LBF) with connecting flights from Denver International Airport.

Get around

The easiest way to get around Sutherland is by car. The town is small enough that it is easy to walk around or use a bicycle.

Go next

By all means, get off of the beaten path! Go north out of Sutherland on Prairie Trace Road (East County Road on the east edge of town), and soon you will be in the beautiful Nebraska Sand Hills. You will be on pavement for about twenty miles, then the road turns to gravel. You can turn around here, or keep going, sticking to the "main" road, and you will end up back on Highway 30-Interstate 80 in Paxton.

You can also take Highway 25 south. This eventually connects to Interstate 70 in Kansas. You will be driving through Loess Hills on this drive.

• Tin Camp Working Ranch, +1 308-587-2439, 26 miles north of Sutherland, offering horse riding classes, roping lessons, experience working cattle, also birdwatching, wildlife watching, tubing, fishing and trail rides.