Except for occasional Indian or white hunting parties, the scenic valley of the Big Blue River was seldom visited before 1860. The establishment of the Nebraska City-Fort Kearny Cutoff in 1861 brought thousands of overland freighting outfits through the region, crossing the river several miles south of here. Road ranches were soon established along the trail, and scattered settlement began shortly afterward. The river played an important role in the area's history by providing power for numerous water mills that ground grain for pioneer farmers. In the early years of the 20th century, its waters also supplied energy for the first primitive electric plants. Although spring floods are common, damage is usually minimal in part because of the river's limited drainage. This rural valley lies only twenty miles west of Lincoln, Nebraska's state capital. Chosen as the state capital in 1867 when it was little more than a cluster of homes on the prairie, Lincoln later developed into a major cultural and population center.