Husker Harvest Days in Grand IslandEach September, Grand Island, Nebraska, becomes the center of attention in the farming world as it hosts Husker Harvest Days. Grand Island: From Settlers’ Trail to Husker Harvest DaysThe Platte River and Westward ExpansionGrand Island sits along the Platte River, a vital corridor in 19th-century America. Just over a decade later, in 1866, the Union Pacific Railroad platted the area and gave it the English name Grand Island. While the Platte River has shifted its course over the decades and the original island no longer exists, the community of Grand Island has endured and thrived. A Legacy That EnduresToday, Grand Island honors both its pioneering history and its role in modern agriculture.