 Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state, as well as the home of the Southern Power District serving southern Nebraska.In 1857, 35 German settlers left Davenport, Iowa, and headed west to Nebraska to start a new settlement on an island known by French traders as "La Grande Isle", which was formed by the Wood River and the Platte River.The settlers reached their destination on July 4, 1857, and by September had built housing using local timber.