In eastern Rock County, pioneers recognized this valley as a great natural haying region extending over twenty miles to the south. The nearby village of Newport, established in 1883, became one of the nation’s major hay shipping centers, exporting thousands of tons each year. Prairie fires posed a major threat to farmers and ranchers, and the great prairie fire of 1904 burned more than forty miles northward through the county, causing major damage to farmsteads, crops, and livestock while threatening Newport with destruction. Because of its fine pasturage, Rock County developed into a major beef producing region, sending thousands of cattle annually to livestock marketing centers, and travelers through the area can view herds of prime beef cattle. On this site about 1938, Vic and Maude Thompson established what is considered to be the first roadside rest area in Nebraska, and in 1966 they dedicated the Centennial Memorial Forest and proclaimed their ranch a wildlife refuge free to all.