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Description

Highly detailed birdseye view of Nebraska City, Nebraska, as seen from northeast of the town on the Iowa side of the Missouri River, by Augustus Koch, one of the most prolific American panoramic view artists.

The view shows a fine panorma of the town, with a paddlewheel steamship on the Missouri River, headed North toward north toward Omaha. The railroad line from the east is shown entering the town, with several factories near the river and the layout of the town in the foreground, with the major streets identified. A key at the bottom identifies 20 key points of interest on the view.

The view is extremely rare, with Reps identifying on the the Nebraska Historical Society copy and no copies listed in OCLC.

The view was drawn by Augustus Koch, one of the most prolific American view makers. As noted by the Amon Carter Museum:

Augustus Koch (1840-?) was born in Birnbaum, Germany. He received a good education (whether in Germany or this country is not known) and served as a clerk and draughtsman in the Engineers Office of the Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War. Although his English was poor, he won an assignment as an engineering officer with an African-American regiment serving in the Lower Mississippi Valley.

He began his bird's-eye-view career with a few pictures of Iowa cities in 1868 and 1869. He traveled to several other states, from California to New York and Alabama, before arriving in Texas in 1873. He worked for years with Joseph J. Stoner of Madison, Wisconsin, the same person who served as agent for both Drie and Brosius, who preceded him to Texas. Koch produced some twenty-four views of Texas cities that are known and dozens of views of cities in other states. Koch's views are known for their detail and accuracy. He returned to Texas on at least two subsequent occasions, revisiting cities that he had already drawn and producing updates for cities such as Austin, Brenham, and San Antonio. His death date is not known.

Nebraska City was the site of Old Fort Kearny, a military post used by the government in 1846 and abandoned several years later. Shortly after the post was vacated, John Boulware developed a ferry service from Iowa across to present day Nebraska City. He and his father grew their business and built a ferry house, the first residence in Nebraska City in 1852 or 1853. Slaves were first bought and sold in the 1850s in Nebraska City.

In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed legal settlement in the area. Three early townships were incorporated, Nebraska City and Kearney City in 1855, and South Nebraska City in 1856. Nebraska City was among the cities considered for the Nebraska Territory capital. On December 31, 1857, these three town sites along with Prairie City merged to form the present day Nebraska City.

In the mid 1800s, steamboats were the primary force behind Nebraska City's growth. In the spring of 1858 Russell, Majors and Waddell started freighting from Nebraska City on a government contract to transport all provisions for all western forts. The supplies were brought up the Missouri River by steamboat and then taken out by wagon train. Nebraska City's favorable position and good trail made it an important link to the west.

Since that beginning, the city was established as a regional transportation, economic, and agriculture hub for the three state area. Additional forms of transportation were important including the steam wagon and the first locomotive engine of the Midland Pacific.

Augustus Koch Biography

Augustus Koch (1840-?) was one of the most prolific American engravers of Birds Eye Views working outside of the major publishing centers.  Koch initially served in the Union Army during the Civil War as a clerk and draughtsman in the Engineers Office in St. Louis. Although his English was poor, he was later commissioned as an officer and assigned to one of the Black regiments serving in Mississippi where he drew maps for the advancing Union forces.  By 1865 he is thought to have contracted malaria and at 25, was discharged from the army.

By 1868, Koch had become an itinerant Bird's Eye View engraver. His earliest dated views are of Cedar Falls, Vinton, and Waterloo, Iowa. At that point his career seemed to take off and in rapid succession, maps by Koch were produced in every section of the country. In 1870 he produced 5 maps in Utah, Wyoming and California.  In all, Koch produced over 100 views, including over 20 Texas Views, during a career of 30 years.  His last recorded view was produced in Montana in 1898. 

Reps notes that while Koch engraved fewer views than some of his contemporaries, "no American viewmaker traveled more widely in search of subjects. . . "