The Burlington Depot

Adams County, and Hastings in particular, are "children of
the railroads," having been founded and sustained by rail companies between
the 1870s and 1960s. Hastings owes is very existence to an intersection of two
railways, the Burlington and Missouri River and the St. Joseph and Denver City
lines. Although most of Hastings is built on former Union Pacific land, Adams
County has always been Burlington country.

Known as the Burlington and Missouri River (1871), the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy (1880), the Burlington Northern (1970) and the Burlington
- Santa Fe (1995), this railroad built its main line through the country, constructed
the most elaborate depot and had a division office here the longest. It was
the Burlington which brought the fabled Zephyr to Adams County, and on its road,
Nebraska's last commercial passenger trains, via Amtrak, continue to run. When
the Burlington Railway Depot was completed in 1902, Hastings was the third largest
railroad center in Nebraska. Designed by Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball,
the station is an example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The building,
which welcomed presidents Taft, Truman and Eisenhower, is on the National
Register of Historic Places.

McCormick Hall

Hastings College opened in September 1882. In April 1883, ground was broken for McCormick Hall, the first building erected on the campus. It was named for reaper inventor, Cyrus McCormick, who made the initial contribution for the building'

Hastings, NE National Register

The Kool-Aid Birth Place

This building is known locally as the birthplace of Kool-Aid. More accurately, it was the home of the Perkins Products Company, the manufacturing and retail enterprise of Kool-Aid inventor Edwin E. Perkins and his family. The company was housed here from 1923 until 1931

Hastings, NE Famous Homes

The Strand Theatre

Studded in bright lights, the Strand Theatre marquee heralded first-run showings of such movie classics as "From Here to Eternity" and "The sound of Music." For almost seventy years the Strand was the grand dame of motion picture entertainment in Hastings. The Strand'

Hastings, NE Theatres

Highland Park Cemetery

Hastings' first cemetery contains sculpture commemorating Oregon Trail travelers of the 1800

Hastings, NE Cemeteries

Softball Hall of Fame

Adjacent to the Smith Softball Complex, the Hall of Fame showcases softball displays and provides information about the Nebraska Amateur Softball Association and Nebraska Softball Foundation. It pays tribute to the individuals,

Hastings, NE Museums

LASR.net Homepage

Attractions and Upcoming Events

McCormick Hall

The Kool-Aid Birth Place

The Strand Theatre

Highland Park Cemetery

Softball Hall of Fame

Things to do Railroad History near Hastings, NE

Historic Depot

C B & Q Depot

The Burlington Depot

Burlington-Northern Depot

Union Pacific Depot