USA > Nebraska > Custer County > History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time > Part 1
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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA
.
yours W.h. Gaston
HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA
A NARRATIVE OF THE PAST, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS UPON THE PIONEER PERIOD OF THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, ITS SOCIAL, COMMERCIAL, EDU- CATIONAL, RELIGIOUS, AND CIVIC DEVELOPMENT FROM THE EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT TIME
BY W. L. GASTON AND A. R. HUMPHREY
1
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA WESTERN PUBLISHING AND ENGRAVING COMPANY
1919
COPYRIGHT. 1919 BY WESTERN PUBLISHING & ENGRAVING CO.
THE TORCH PRESS LINCOLN. NEBRASKA AND CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA
AUG 15 1919
v.|
416
35
PREFACE
Long centuries ago when the children of Israel had passed dry-shod over the river Jordan, intent upon invading and subduing the promised land, their young leader, whose reputation was then unmade, commanded that there be taken out of the river twelve stones and that they be set up in monument form in the first camping place. "And it shall come to pass," he said, "when your children shall say to you, 'What mean these stones?' ye shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord when it passed over Jordan, and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever."
The contents of this volume are given to the public to serve exactly the same purpose for the people of Custer county that those stones which Joshua caused to be carried from the river and set up in the land of milk and honey served for the children of Israel. We have gone to the river of forty years ago and from under the waters of the past have brought up stones with which to build a mon- ument to another set of pioneers who at a later date invaded another promised land. We have attempted to establish a few landmarks, to erect an enduring monument and to embalm the traditions of the early pioneers for the benefit of the next succeeding generations. We claim for the work no literary merit. It has no distinguishing marks of genius to parade. We claim only that it is a simple recital of a comparatively few things which took place in this county since the exit of the Indian and the coming of the white man. In addition to this, we claim that it is a roster of heroic names that should be preserved, and contains life sketches of some of those indomitable spirits whose early achieve- ments were the foundation stones of our present-day homes and public institu- tions.
There was a great demand for a volume of this kind. Only a limited num- ber of the first settlers who actually had to do with the beginning of things were alive, and if their story was to be preserved. first-handed, the time to write it had come. Any history that laid any claim to accuracy must be written under their direction. For this reason we yielded to the pressure of the prominent cit- izens of the county and attempted the work. How well we have succeeded. the readers must judge. In the compilation we have encountered innumerable diffi- culties which have been accumulating for forty years. The records of early- day events and public transactions are few and meager. The memory of man is exceedingly treacherous. Traditions are always contradictory, but with the material at hand we have done the best we could to give an accurate account of
1
8
INTRODUCTION
those early days which will never return .. . We lay no claim to infallibility. There are doubtless errors and omissions. It could hardly be otherwise. When records failed us we depended upon the memory and statements of those who had best opportunity to know. When there was a conflict of statements and records, we gave preference to the records, and when there was a conflict of statements, without records, we made reconciliation by careful analysis of known conditions and turned upon the mooted question the light of probabili- ties in connection with general events.
We acknowledge with deep gratitude the valuable service rendered by people from all parts of the county, who contributed much valuable information and in every way assisted the compilation of this volume. The newspapers gave us free access to their files. The county officials were exceedingly courteous, and explored for us the dusty volumes of early records in the county vaults. Pio- neers who had long since left the country wrote valuable contributions, and so much help has been extended that we can lay no claim to originality. We have gathered from other men's flowers and claim only the poor form into which we have woven them.
Very sincerely, I. L. GASTON A. R. HUMPHREY
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I - IN THE BEGINNING . The First Owner - In Far Off Days - The Prehistorie Tribes Were Here - The Finding of Pottery - The Indians of Sixty Years Ago -No Indian Atrocities in Custer County - Probable Battles - Well Marked Rifle Pits -- The Signs of Battle - A Fort in Custer County - New Helena Frightened - An Indian Battle - The Clarion Article - Who was the First White Man? - Did Coronado Find Us? - Plenty of Wild Game - Other Expeditions - General Warren was Here in 1855 - John Wil- mouth the First Man Here - Uncle John's Story
19
CHAPTER II -DESCRIPTIONS, LINES AND BOUNDARIES 36
Table Lands and Valleys - Undulations Tabulated - Towns and Ranges - No Tech- nical Terms - Harvey's Contribution - Bridging Clear Creek -A Mutiny - Find Ruins of Old Fortifications - An Impending Indian Battle- A Camp Fire - Find an Error on Fifth Parallel - A Lame Ox and the Remedy - Names of Creeks - Fooling the Cook - Government Surveys-Custer County Weather - Temperature and Precipitation Tables
CHAPTER III - IN THE DAYS OF CATTLE Ranches are Located - Big Profits - Life With the Cowboys - Women Were Scarce - A Stampede - The Roundup - A Roundup of Roundups - Cattle Men Versus Settlers - A Near Battle - An Underground Railroad - The Wild West has Wild Horses
51
CHAPTER IV- COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT .
67
The Proposed Garber County - Kountz County - Governor's Proclamation - First County Officers - First Meeting of Supervisors - First Voting Places - First Elec- tion Results - The New Officers - Custer County Judges - The First County As- sessment - Names of Those Who Have Served as County Clerks - Clerks of District Court -County Treasurers - Registers of Deeds - County Superintendents - Offi- cial Roster of Custer County - A Noted Sheriff - Multiply Voting Precinets - The Last Precinct Supervisors - The New Board - Brand Commissioners - County Division - First Land Documents - The Evolution of the Court House - The Custer County United States Land Office - Kinkaid Bill Goes into Effect - New Law Takes Effect - A Quiet and Orderly Crowd -Crowd Gets a Rest - The Land Entries - Opening of the Military and Forest Reserves - Personnel of the Notaries - Letup, Stop, Over, and Rest
CHAPTER V - THE COMING OF THE SETTLERS No Settlement in the County - The Buffalo Bill Tree - The First Home - Who was 3 the First Homesteader? - Lewis R. Dowse First Settler - Frank Ohme was First Man to File - The First Comers - More for Douglas Grove - New Helena Home- steaders - Discover Cedar Canyon - Establishes First Postoffice - The Beginning of Lee's Park - A Fine Stock Breeder -A Signal Service Man - Spencer's Park - Mauk was a Gay Bachelor -Now They Come to Lillian - Settling in Merna Val- ley -A Buneli of lowans Arrive-An Impromptu Reception - Settling in Custer Center - Down in Ash Creek Valley - How Custer County Got Bob Hunter - They Fill up the Table - First of the Deep Wells - Settlers Come to Dale - Lohr Ruins Some Store - More About Lillian - Down on the Redfern Table - Plenty of Room in a Small House - An Accommodating Englishman - Too Many Roosters for Ream and Jeffords - Settlement of Georgetown - Help Yourself - "Getting in Bad"- Custer County Pioneer Honored - Pelham Stretches the Quilt - A Flock of Bach- elors - Gibbonites on the Loup - Find an Old Dugout - Twin Fawns at the Cen- tennial - Would not Stand for the Name - The Haumonts - Where Broken Bow Stands - Early Days: Hard Times - One of the Old Settlers
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CHAPTER VI -OLD SETTLERS' STORIES Entertains Boh Olive - A Wild Night for Hans - Bob Hunter has Close Call - Mrs. Hunter Learns the Way of the West -"A Wise Cow Tale" - Terrible Fall in a Deep Well - A Thousand Elk in One Herd -Made His Own Powder - Won by
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CONTENTS
a Nose - A Back-acting Wedding Fee - A Plucky Custer County Woman - Was a Justice All Right - God and Boblits- A Courtship in the Court's Office - Experi- ences of a "School Marm"- Life too Short for a Sod Roof - Entertained the Paw- nees - All Ready for Indians- Mysterious Death of Trapper - A Fight for "Deer Life" - Saved One Bed-J. D. Haskell's Personal Experience - Douglass Finds Relics - Jess Gandy Joins the Elks- Mrs. Gandy Entertains a Stranger - Jess Gandy Rides a Buffalo - The Masons Buried Him - The First Great Flag Pole - The First County Seat Contest - A Hospitable Roof - A Little Sport with Guns - Lassoed an Elk-Lost in the Sand Hills- Hunters Find Game in the Bed - Had 10 Religion - One of the County "Dads" - A Prairie Fire -Twin Tragedies - A Watermelon Stampede - It Killed the Toad -Dan got the Logs - Indian Scares - The Grasshopper a Burden -A Land Quarrel - Grasshoppers Chewed Tobacco - The Senator was not Handsome - Burlin and Kellenbarger Have Some Experience - A Race Through the Storm - Something of a "Mixup" - Nearly Ruined His Eye
CHAPTER VII - HARD WINTERS AND HARD TIMES
The Black Winter of 1880-81 - A Tough Time in 1880 - Heavy Losses - As Things Looked to Bishop - Accidents and Tragedics - No Christmas Presents - An Early Blizzard - Down Twice but Not Out - Frozen to Death in Powell Canyon - The Blizzard of 1888-A Hard Times Christmas - Christmas Entertainments in the Various Churches in Broken Bow - Filled up on Christmas - The Glovers Weather Ninety-four - Didn't Carry off the Mortgage - Fourth of July Hailstorm - Dry Ninety-four - He Won Out -Had to be Helped - Poor but Happy - A Home- grown Cyclone - Worst Blizzard in Thirty Years - Sheep Perish in Transit
CHAPTER VIII -A CHAPTER IN BLACK
159
The Mitchell-Ketchum Tragedy - The Shooting - The Arrest - Escaped the Kear- ney Mob- Judge Gaslin's Story - Deputizing a Posse - Turns State's Evidence - Judge Boblits Takes a Hand - The Haunstine Tragedy - Hamer and Others Quiet Crowd - The Execution Takes Place-The Only Execution - A Fatal Land Quarrel - War Breaks Out-Spilled the Booze - Making an Honest Mexican - Fatal Hilarity at Anselmo
CHAPTER IX- TOWNS AND VILLAGES
177
Westerville - Might Have Been County Seat-A New Town Laid Out - Lee's Park -Other Dead Ones -Comstock - The Beginning of Callaway - J. Woods Smith has a Dream - Town Christened - Smith was an Advertiser - A New Town- site - A Town Fight is On - "Podunk" News Items - Acknowledges the "Corn"- More Improvement - Build a Mill -The Train Arrives - Moving Day at Night - Callaway up to Date - The County Seat - The Broken Bow - The Town Grows - Twenty-five Miles for Butter - The Town Still Grows - First Town Officials - Rail- road Comes - Big Buildings Go Up-Gets to be a City - Modern Buildings Go Up - Plenty of Good, Pure Water - Broken Bow to Date - The Public Service Club - Present Officers - The Town of Arnold - A Big Celebration - Village of Berwyn - The Hustling Town of Merna -Atkisson Speaks for Merna - Mason City - Present-day Business Interests - Oldest Inhabitants - Federal Officers - Sar- gcut - Ansley - Ansley's Banks - Ansley's Mercantile Establishments - Ansley's Mills, Shops, Livery Stables, etc. - Ansley's Lumber and Coal Yards - Ansley's Shipping Association - Ansley's Drug Stores -Ansley's Professional Men - Ansley's Electric-light, Water, and Telephone Systems-Ansley's Newspapers-Ansley's Post- office - Ansley's Patriotism - Ansley's Library - The Story of Anselmo - Postoffice History - Town Improvements - Anselmo Newspapers - Anselmo Fights the Kaiser - Anselmo Churches - Anselmo Fraternal Societies - The Story of Oconto C
CHAPTER X - THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN SOD AND BRICK The Beginning - Districts Organized - First County Institute - The Mason City Schools - Broken Bow - Ansley - Anselmo - Arnold - Callaway - Comstock - Sargent - Oconto - Merna - Jaynesville - Berwyn - Lower Lodi ~ District No. 97-King - Hoosier Valley - Longwood - Sand Valley - In General
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CHAPTER XI - CHURCHES AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS
241
A Cowboy Preacher .A Story of Early Church Work - And Now the Methodists - The Ansley Church - The Broken Bow Methodists- Gates and Walworth - AArnold Methodist Church - Sargent Methodists - Merna Methodists-Westerville Methodist Church - Methodist Church of Callaway - Baptist Pioncer Work - The Baptist Churches that Live -The Broken Bow Church -New Baptist Church at Broken Bow Mason City Church - The Merna Baptist Church - The Ansley Baptist Church Organized - The Eudells - Lomax and Lodi - Bethel Union - Highland - The Free Methodist Church - The Presbyterians - Broken Bow Presbyterians - The Ansley Presbyterian Church - Episcopalian Work in the County - Callaway Protes- tant Episcopal Church - The Broken Bow Episcopal Church - The Church of God - Christian Church -Christian Churches of Arnold, Liberty, Broken Bow, Anselmo,
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CONTENTS
White Pigeon, Ansley, Coburg, Mason City, Lillian, Sargent, Banner Schoolhouse, and Milburn - Custer County Catholics - Beginning of Catholic Work in Dale - The Broken Bow Catholic Church - The Oconto Church and Mason City Church - Ansley Catholic Church - United Brethren in Christ -The United Brethren Begin at Custer Center - Sunday Schools in Custer County - County Sunday School Asso- ciation - The Reorganization Works Well - State Sunday School Convention at Broken Bow - Comparison of Convention Attendance
CHAPTER XII - LODGES AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
An Early-day Feed - A Stag Party Performance-Fun with a Meek-eyed Bronchio - A Pioneer Picnic- An Old Settler's Association - 1883 was the Boom Year - Old Settlers' Association of South Loup - Ancient Free & Accepted Masons - Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows - Modern Woodmen of Custer County - Ansley's Lodges - Mason City Lodges - Royal Neighbors of Arnold - The Grange - Woman's Clubs in Custer County - Shakespeare Club - Callaway Sorosis Club - History of Browning Club - The Book Lovers' Organziation - Broken Bow Art Club - Arnold Women's Improvement Club - The Broken Bow Woman's Club - Sargent Woman's Club - Woman's Club of Ansley
CHAPTER XIII - POLITICAL AND PARTISAN ACTIVITIES
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309
CHAPTER XV - MILITARY AND PATRIOTIC CONTRIBUTIONS The Grand Army of the Republic - Broken Bow Organizes a Post - Berwyn Post - Post at Mason City - Post at Ansley - Post at Arnold - The Post at Sargent - Post at Comstock - Post at Callaway - Post at Merna - In the Spanish-American War - The Missing - The Company Personnel - The World War -Clyde G. Seiver - Joseph Elwood Palmer - Raymond Ross Killed - Paul Coffman - Lewis H. Rob- ertson - Gustav Roerick - Claris A. Tucker -Orrie Amsberry - Henry E. Cain - Arthur Bergman .- Glen Buckner - Loyd Clow - Sam Miller - Gage Sauter - Ros- coe Rhodes - John M. Rudge - Jeff Andrews - Clyde O. Thomas - Chester Webb - James N. Burdick - Roy Imboden - Homer M. Yates - Harvey M. Sloggett - Ralph C. Leui - Vanner A. Gustus - Joseph Bernert- Custer's Military Roster - World War Activities - The Exemption Board - Bond Drives - The War Savings Stamp Drive - The Young Men's Christian Association - The Four Minute Men - War Savings Societies - The American Red Cross - Woman's Council of Defense - Public Meetings and Celebrations - General Pershing's Birthday Celebration
CHAPTER XVI -CUSTER COUNTY LITERATURE Newspapers of Custer County - Westerville - Broken Bow's First Paper - More Papers for Westerville -- Now Comes Ansley - Algernon - A Daily Paper - Pol- itics Didn't Pay -Purcell Starts at Merna - "Sun" Shines at Anselmo - The "Chief" Shows Up at Broken Bow - Arnold - Callaway - The Callaway Courier - Berwyn - Sargent - West Union - Comstock - Oconto - S. D. Butcher, Historian-A State Contribution - "Farewell Homestead Shanty" - Elmer E. Dowse -A Picture of Early Days - Mrs. M. B. A. Martin - "The Broken Bow" - A. J. McArthur, M.D. - Prize Article - Custer County - George B. Mair - "The South Loup River" - Harry B. Iszard -Tahulated Knocks- Mrs. G. W. Dewey -"The Blizzard" - Court House Corner Stone - Corner-stone Poem A Custer County Poet - "Little Bolie- mian Girl"- "Early Days in Custer"- Sol. J. Cook - "The Poet" - Mrs. Martha A. Hunter - Mrs. A. H. Stuckey - "The Lark's Returning" - "The Goldenrod" - "The Service Flag" - Mrs. Sabina Penrod - "Dawn in the Custer County Hills - Gaston's Rhymes for Padding - "Home in Broken Bow" - "Walking the Waters"
CHAPTER XVII - AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Years, Two Score and One - Horse and Cow Pull the Plow - Corn Wears the Tassel and is King - A Great Alfalfa County - Custer Stands at the Head - Dressed in
276
The First Election - Had Some "Pep," However - In Scrappy Days - A Joint De- bate - The Populist Version - Through Republican Goggles - The "Populist" Move- ment in Custer County - First County Ticket - The Cat Creek Club - Like a Lamb to the Swallowing - The Republican Party Organizes - The Republicans Split - The Democratic Party - Very Prominent Politically - The Primaries of 1918 - The Elec- tion of 1918
CHAPTER XIV -LEGAL AND OTHER PROFESSIONS The History of Custer County's Bar - First Grand Jury - A Hog in the First Case -A Lawyer Engaged in Useful Work-Two Custer County Judges - Another Class - The Younger Bloods - Didn't Know Anything - Was Criminal Enough - No Spread-eagle Stuff - Had to be Shown - Had Two Chances to Escape - Sum- moned the Dead Man-Confused the Witness - All Lawyers on the Same Side - Too Old for the Pen - Ten was a Plenty - Trials by Day and Night -A Square Lawyer -Custer County Medical Men
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CONTENTS
Green, Custer County Heads the List - An Early Live-stock Association - Live-stock Raising - Cattle Grades Improved - Hogs, Black and Red -The Porker Pays the Mortgage - The Purple Blood of High Breeding - Sheep in the Wild and Wooly County - A City Man Makes Good- A Sample of Custer County Thrift - Custer County Agricultural Society - Out of Debt - Races Twenty Years ago - The Lundy Hydro-Electric Power Plant - Custer County Irrigation - Horticulture in Custer County- J. D. Ream Makes a Find- Fruit Received Too Little Attention - The Milling Industry - The Broken Bow Roller Mills - Electric Lights Everywhere - Towns Have Good Water - No Mining Industry - Has Developed Wealth Slowly - Happy and Prosperous Now - "Since He Paid the Mortgage" - The First Settler Tells the Story of the Years
CHAPTER XVIII - PRESENT DAY WEALTH AND RESOURCES 395
A Bright-red Contrast - They Go Faster Now - They Have Traded Plows - No Telephone Gossip - No More Freight Hauling - Custer County Resources - Per- sonal Property- Live Stock and Crops of the Present Year - The Automobiles Honk - Banks and Banking - Figures in Recapitulation - Another Statement
CHAPTER XIX - FOUNDERS AND BUILDERS
Personal Mention of Many of Those Who Have Been Exponents of Civic and Mate- rial Development and Progress in Custer County
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ILLUSTRATIONS
WV. L. GASTON · . Frontispiece INDIAN RELICS FOUND IN CUSTER COUNTY . 21-23 BLACK KETTLE, A CHEYENNE CHIEF 25 A FULL-DRESS PARTY . 26 26
AN INDIAN COUNCIL AND WAR DRESS
27
RIFLE PITS ON THE WESTERVILLE BATTLE-FIELD
28
FACSIMILE OF LETTER OF J. N. DRYDEN
29
AN EARLY WINTER SCENE
31
AN OLD SETTLER ON THE SOUTH LOUP
32 37 41
A MORNING HUNT ON THE MIDDLE LOUP
50 52
A TYPICAL CATTLE SCENE IN EARLY DAYS
58 60
CATTRAN AND SANDERS CATTLE RANCH
ROUNDING UP OF "WHITE FACES" ON THE MCDOWNEY RANCH
THE OLD BLACK RANCH ON DEER CREEK . .
OLD COTTONWOOD TREE ON THE ANTON ABEL RANCH
A TRINITY OF OLD-TIMERS
77
THIE LAND OPENING AT BROKEN BOW IN 1904
86
BUFFALO BILL WHEN A HUNTER IN NEBRASKA
88 89
HISTORIC RESIDENCE OF JUDGE C. R. MATHEWS
95 98
A TYPICAL DUGOUT
107
JACOB COVER'S SOD HOUSE .
108 109
J. A. WOODS, FIRST SETTLER IN WOODS' PARK
IIO
SOD RESIDENCE OF THOMAS J. BUTCHER
112
NEW RESIDENCE OF THOMAS J. BUTCHER
I13
OWL'S NEST IN CHEESEBROUGH CANYON
ROBERT HARVEY, STATE SURVEYOR
A RANCH SCENE ON THE SOUTH LOUP
62 64 68 71
BUILDING THAT SERVED AS FIRST COURT HOUSE OF CUSTER COUNTY
PRESENT CUSTER COUNTY COURT HOUSE . 79 80
WILLIAM COMSTOCK AND WIFE IN FRONT OF THEIR OLD LOG HOUSE
C. P. FOOTE'S OLD PIONEER HOUSE AT MERNA
EMIGRANTS HEADED FOR CUSTER COUNTY
EDWARD HAUMONT'S SOD PALACE
CUSTER COUNTY'S FIRST DRYING PLANT
14
ILLUSTRATIONS
ROUNDUP OF A COYOTE HUNT
114
RUINS OF OLD JEFFERSON POSTOFFICE
115
POWELL CANYON 151
THE OLD I. P. OLIVE RANCHI
160
WESTERVILLE MILL AND POND
178 180
COMSTOCK .
VIEWS IN COMSTOCK .
181
RESIDENCE OF CHARLES D. BRAGG
182
RESIDENCE OF EDWARD F. SKOLIL
182
RESIDENCE OF ROBERT S. STONE .
183
CITIZENS STATE BANK, COMSTOCK
183
THE FIRST BUILDING IN CALLAWAY
184
CALLAWAY VIEWS
185
STREET SCENE IN CALLAWAY
189
.A MIXED TRAIN AT CALLAWAY IN 1890
190
OLD MARBLE TOP HOTEL
192
BROKEN BOW STATE BANK
193
FIRST PRINTING HOUSE IN BROKEN BOW .
194
FIRST TRAIN INTO BROKEN BOW
196
CARNEGIE LIBRARY AT BROKEN BOW
197
DIERKS BLOCK, BROKEN BOW
198
BROKEN BOW RESIDENCES
199
PUBLIC SQUARE PARK, BROKEN BOW .
200
ROOMS OF BROKEN BOW SERVICE CLUB
201
AN EARLY DAY IN ARNOLD
202
VIEWS IN ARNOLD
203
BUILDINGS IN MERNA
206
BIRDSEYE VIEW OF BERWYN
207
MERNA ELEVATORS
207
GROUP OF RESIDENCES AT MERNA
208
RESIDENCE OF DR. J. H MORROW
209
MASON CITY TWENTY YEARS AGO
210
RESIDENCE OF JOHN T. WOOD .
211
FARMERS STATE BANK, AT MASON CITY
213
CITY WATER TOWER, SARGENT
215
VIEWS IN SARGENT
216
VIEWS IN ANSLEY
218
VIEWS IN ANSELMO
226
VIEWS IN OCONTO
231
CUSTER COUNTY SCHOOLIIOUSES
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