Last updated: January 17, 2023
Place
Oak Grove Station/Comstock Ranch
Quick Facts
Location:
South of Oak, Nebraska
Significance:
Monument erected on the Oregon Trail by Nuckolls County Nebraska in memory of those who were killed and those who escaped at the Oak Grove Ranch in the Indian Raid, August 7, 1864
MANAGED BY:
Private; only the monument area is open to the public - please don't cross the fence.
A map of Passport and Places to Go locations for National Historic Trails.
Oak Grove Station was a busy road ranch operated by the Comstock family. On August 7, 1864, a suspiciously friendly party of 20 Cheyenne dropped in for a visit. While chatting casually with nervous ranch workers who had gathered for dinner, the Cheyenne suddenly struck, killing two men and wounding two more. Eleven ranch workers fled into the ranch house and another escaped into a nearby oak grove. The Indian fighters abruptly rode off as a wagon train approached.
The next day, the survivors fled and the raiders returned and set fire to the ranch buildings. No original structures remain, but the site retains its ranching character. The site contains a parking area and a monument commemorating those who experienced the raid. The Oak Grove Pony Express Station is also commemorated here. Only the monument area is open to the public; please do not cross the fence.
Site Information
Location (South of Oak, Nebraska)