On the banks of the Missouri River, this area served as an important outfitting site for early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and later became Florence, a major crossing and supply point for people heading west. In 1847, just north of here, the Nebraska dugway of the Upper Mormon Ferry carried travelers across the Missouri River toward Winter Quarters, while goods, cattle, and other animals were moved into Nebraska Territory. After many early Saints left for the Great Salt Lake Basin in 1848 and others returned to Iowa to await their turn, the area grew into Florence, and in 1854 a steam ferry began operation to help thousands crossing the plains to the Rocky Mountains and beyond. Florence became a busy outfitting post for 33,500-plus pioneers, with large quantities of supplies, cattle, corrals, stores, storage buildings, river docks, and steamboat arrivals supporting the movement west. Between 1859 and 1863, pioneers arrived in Florence by handcart, wagon, steamboat, and later railroad, but all had to cross the Missouri River, first by a ferry pulled by men and later by steamboat ferries carrying hundreds each week. Many people bound for the California, Colorado, and Montana gold rushes also outfitted here. Florence replaced Iowa City as the main outfitting post in 1856, and under Brigham Young's encouragement of lower-cost handcarts, it became a center for repairing and outfitting handcarts and wagons, gathering families from the British Isles, securing food and supplies, and milling wheat and corn into flour. Between 1847 and 1863, about 142 Mormon wagon trains, about 22 Mormon-related freight trains, and 10 handcart trains left the Florence area, carrying roughly 33,500 persons to Utah, though more also traveled from here.