Suitable building material was crucial to Nebraska’s pioneer settlers, and in Jefferson County native limestone was used for construction while stone burned in kilns produced lime for mortar and whitewash. The U.S. Army reportedly operated the first kiln in this area during the 1848 construction of Fort Kearny on the Platte. During the 1870’s and 1880’s, the limestone industry flourished in Jefferson County, with numerous kilns and quarries located nearby. The surviving limekiln at this site was built in 1874 by Woral C. Smith, who had settled in the county the previous year. Much of the limestone from Smith’s quarries was used locally, but after the St. Joseph and Denver City Railroad built a siding to the kiln, limestone products were shipped throughout the region. In 1876, Smith constructed the nearby house with limestone from his quarries. Commercial limestone production continues in several areas of Nebraska, and the Smith kiln and limestone house remain as examples of this important pioneer industry.