the lone tree ferry, later known as the council bluffs and nebraska ferry company, was the crossing of the missouri river at council bluffs, iowa, and omaha, nebraska, us, that was established in 1850 by william d. brown. brown was the first pioneer to see the potential for a city on the site, and the landing became a popular gathering site for the first settlers of the nebraska territory. named after a solitary tree on the nebraska bank of the river, the lone tree ferry became central to the founding and development of the city of omaha.