Gibbon, 1871–1971 Historical Marker

The Gibbon, 1871–1971 historical marker stands on the access road to the Windmill wayside off Interstate 80, about 3 miles south of Gibbon. It tells the story of Col. John Thorp's Soldier's Free Homestead Colony, whose first 80 families arrived by Union Pacific train in April 1871.

The colony grew to 129 families from 15 states, mostly Union veterans. They lived in boxcars at first and came through a prairie fire and a blizzard. The Gibbon Lions Club and the Nebraska State Historical Society put up the marker.