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Rockport, Washington County, Nebraska
Historic Towns: Rockport
-Courtesy of Washington County Nebraska History, 1980
In 1805, Manuel Lisa, a French fur trader, had followed the Missouri River north to a point which he named Bellevue, and established a trading post. He soon moved farther north,
and about 20 miles from Bellevue, started another post. This was in the southeastern corner of the county, and it became known as Point Lisa. It became a busy steamboat landing and in
1855 a white settlement was made at or neat the point. The settlement was named Rockport.
Early settlers of Rockport included William H. Russell, who started the first sawmill in Washington County in 1856, D. B. Hawley, Eberd Hawley, William Conner, George and David Neale,
William Shipley, Charles H. Burdick and a Dr. Lewis. Russell started a grist mill in 1857, and operated both his mills until 1863, when he moved the grist mill to Fremont and sold it.
Burdick started a lime kiln and a shingle mill. There was a great deal of hardwood timber in the area, as well as extensive stone quarries, and businesses flourished for a while. It is
said that there was a population of 50 at one time. A hotel was built by the Town company, but was never finished and was finally moved south to Florence.
Several factors seemed to have combined to hasten the demise of Rockport. The Union Pacific Railroad bought up the timber and reportedly quickly cut it down, depleting the supply of lumber.
The steamboat era was gradually fading with the advent of the railroad, so the landing was no longer busy. The population was beginning to center farther north at De Soto and Cuming
City, then finally Blair. Soon Rockport was just a memory.
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