Built in 1819 as the first military post west of Missouri River, Fort Atkinson is considered to be the very site that paved the way into creating the Nebraska Territory. It may have been abandoned in 1827, but it played a huge part in exploring the area, allowing for the formation of the state.

Before Fort Atkinson was established, the Council Bluff was first created. It was used in 1804 for the council of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. William Clark actually suggested that the area could be a great location for a fort.

Today, Fort Atkinson is known as Fort Atkinson State Historical Park. It has been declared as a National Historic Landmark in 1961, 10 years before the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission turned it into a public park.