Beatrice, Nebraska

===Early development===
The Big Blue River was both a help and a hindrance to the development of Beatrice.  It provided the town with a water source, and produced ample power to operate the mills that were among the town's first industries.<ref name=andreas/><ref name=casde/>  However, it represented a major obstacle to travelers on the Oregon Trail route;<ref name=survey/> and floods frequently destroyed the dams and bridges in the area. Not until 1890 was a Big Blue bridge built in Beatrice that could survive for decades.<ref name=survey/><ref name=andreas/>

In 1871, the [[Burlington and Missouri River Railroad]] constructed a line from [[Lincoln, Nebraska]] to Beatrice. In 1879, the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] built a line joining Beatrice to [[Marysville, Kansas]]. By 1890, the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad]] had also run tracks through Beatrice.<ref name=survey/>

On August 3, 1892, future president [[William McKinley]], then governor of Ohio, gave a campaign speech in Beatrice.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1892-08-03 |title=AN ADDRESS BY M'KINLEY; THOUSANDS LISTEN TO OHIO'S GOVERNOR AT BEATRICE. HE DEALS AT LENGTH WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM AND UN- FOLDS THE NUMEROUS BLESSINGS OF A HIGH TARIFF -- PROTECTION, HE SATS, HAS VINDICATED ITSELF. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1892/08/03/archives/an-address-by-mkinley-thousands-listen-to-ohios-governor-at.html |access-date=2023-05-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The former international foods conglomerate, [[Beatrice Foods]], (now a part of [[ConAgra Foods]]) was founded in Beatrice in 1894 as The Beatrice Creamery Company, by George Everett Haskell and [[William W. Bosworth]].