The dream was of a great city in Nebraska—the future gateway to the entire American West. It would be the largest, most important urban center between Chicago and San Francisco.

The dreamer was Dr. John Evans, a Chicago real estate tycoon and the namesake of Evanston, Illinois. Evans believed he had the vision and experience to make Oreapolis succeed. He failed.

This episode is from the article "Oreapolis, Nebraska's Ghost City" by John Irwin, published in the 2020 Fall issue of Nebraska History Magazine.