USA > Nebraska > Washington County > History of Washington County, Nebraska; its early settlement and present status, resources, advantages and future prospects > Part 1
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F 672 . W3 B43 Copy 1
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BLAIR HIGH SCHOOL ..
HISTORY
-OF-
Washington County,
NEBRASKA
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Its Early Settlement and Present Status, Resources, Advantages and Future Prospects.
JOHN T. BELL, Law Reporter, Omaha, Neb. =
OMAHA, NEB. PRINTED AT THE HERALD STEAM BOOK AND JOB PRINTING HOUSE. JULY, 1876.
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F672 . W3 B43
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9-01-07/1 2E
THE COUNTY IN THE PAST.
FIRST SETTLEMENT IN 1819 .- LEWIS AND CLARKE'S POW - WOW WITH THE INDIANS .- ORGANIZATION OF THE TERRITORY AND COUNTY .- LIST OF COUNTY OFFICIALS-NEWSPAPERS .- THE BIG STORM.
The first white settlement made in Nebraska was at a point now in- cluded within the boundaries of Washington county, on which the town of Fort Calhoun is located. It was here, also, that the first council was ever held by the whites with the Indians of the then unexplored north- west-a vast region of country extending from the Red river of the South to the British possessions, and from the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean.
In 1803 was consumated what is known as the Lonisiana purchase, which included the present state of Nebraska, and the attention of the United States government was directed towards exploring and improving the newly acquired territory. Accordingly, in the summer of 1803, an expedition was planned by President Jefferson, for the purpose of discov- ering the course and sources of the Missouri, and the most convenient water communication thence to the Pacific. His private secretary, Capt. Merriweather Lewis, and Capt. William Clarke, both officers in the army, were detailed to undertake this enterprise. These two officers met at St. Lonis in the month of December, intending to pass the winter at La Charrette, the highest settlement on the Missouri, but the Spanish com- mandant of the province, not having received official notification of the transfer of the province to the United States, refused to allow them to pass through. The party, therefore, eneamped on the eastern bank of the Miss- issippi, which formed the eastern boundary of the Spanish possessions, op- posite the mouth of the Missouri. The party was composed of nine young Kentuckians, fourteen soldiers, who had volunteered their services, two French voygeurs, an interpreter and hunter, and a colored servant belonging to Capt. Clarke ; all but the latter being enlisted as privates to serve during the expedition, three of their number being appointed sergeants. In addi- tion a corporal, six soldiers, and nine voyageurs, accompanied the expedition as far as the Mandan nation in order to assist in carrying the stores or re- pelling an Indian assault. The stores consisted of a great variety of cloth- ing, tools, gunlock flints, powder and ball. To these were added fourteen bales and one box of goods designed as Indian presents, and consisting of
4
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
richly laced coats, medals, flags, knives, tomahawks, beads, looking glasses, colored handkerchiefs, paint, etc. The party had three boats, one being a keel boat, fifty-five feet long, drawing three feet of water, and carrying one large square sail, and twenty-two oars. A deck of ten feet in the bow and stern formed a forecastle and cabin, while the middle was covered by lockers which could be raised so as to form breastworks in case of attack. The two other boats were open, one carrying six and the other seven oars. Two horses were at the same time to be led along the banks of the river for the purpose of bringing home game, or hunting, in case of scarcity.
Thus accoutered, the party started on its toilsome journey up the Missouri Monday, May 14th, 1804, and reached the mouth of the Platte July 21, encamping the next day " ten miles from the Platte, Intending to make the requisite observations, and to send for the neighboring tribes for the purpose of making known the recent change in the government, and the wish of the United States to cultivate their friendship." July 27th the expedition proceeded up the river, and on the 30th reached the place where the council was to be held, having passed Boyer creek the day before. The country and the council are described as follows, in Lewis and Clarke's official report, for a copy of which I am indebted to Byron Reed, of Omaha :
" The land here consists of a plain, above the high water level, the soil of which is fertile and covered with a grass from five toeight feet high, interspersed with copses of large plums and a currant like those of the United States. It also furnishes two species of honeysuckle, one growing to a kind of a shrub, common about Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and the other not so high. The flowers grow in clusters, are short and of a light pink color. The leaves, too, are distinct, and do not surround the stem as do those of the United States. Back of this plain is a woody ridge about seventy feet above it, at the end of which we formed our camp. This ridge separates the lower from a higher prairie of a good quality, with grass of ten or twenty inches in height, and extending back about a mile to another elevation of eighty or ninety feet, beyond which is one continuous plain. Near our camp we enjoy from the bluff's a most beau- tiful view of the river and the adjoining country. At a distance varying from four to ten miles, and of a height between seventy and three hundred feet, two parallel ranges of high land afford a passage to the Mis- souri, which enriches the low grounds between them. In its winding course it nourishes the willow islands, the scattered cottonwood, elni, syc- amore, lynn, and ash ; and the groves are interspersed with hickory, wal- nut, coffeenut, and oak. The hunters supplied us with deer, turkeys, geese and beaver. Catfish are abundant in the river, and we have also seen a buffalo-fish. One of our men brought in yesterday an animal called by the Pawnees, chocantoosh, and by the French, blairvau, or badger.
" We waited with much anxiety the return of our messenger to the Ottoes. Our apprehensions were at last relieved by the arrival of a party of about fourteen Ottoe and Missouri Indians, who came at sunset on the second of August, accompanied by a Frenchman who resided among them
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
and interpreted for us. Captains Lewis and Clarke went out to meet them and told them that we would hold a council in the morning. In the meantime we sent them some roasted meats. pork, flour and meal in return for which they made us a present of watermelons.
" The next morning, the Indians, with their six chiefs were all assem- bled under an awning formed with the mainsail, in the presence of all of our party, paraded for the occasion. A speech was then made announc- ing to them the change in the government, onr promises of protection, and advice as to their future conduct. All the six chiefs replied to our speech, each in his turn according to rank. They expressed their joy at the change in the government, their hopes that we would recommend them to their great father (the president) that they might obtain trade and necessaries. They wanted arms as well for hunting as for defence and asked our mediation between them and the Mahas (Omahas) with whom they are now at war. We promised to do so and wished some of them to accompany us to that nation which they declined, for fear of being killed by them. We then proceeded to distribute our presents. The grand chief of the nation not being of the party we sent him a flag, a medal and some ornaments for clothing. To the six chiefs who were present we gave a medal of the second grade to one Ottoe chief and a Missouri chief and a medal of the third grade to two inferior chiefs of each nation, the customary mode of recognizing a chief being to place a medal around his neck, which is considered among 'his tribe a proof of his consideration abroad. Each of these medals was accompanied by a present of paint,gar- ters and cloth ornaments of dress, and to this we added a cannister of powder, a bottle of whisky and a few presents to the whole, which ap- peared to make them perfectly satisfied. The air gun, too, was fired and astonished them greatly. The absent grand chief was an Ottoe named Wahrushhah which, in English, degenerates into Little Thief. The two principal chieftans present were Shongolongo, or Big Horse and Wethea, or Hospitality ; also Shosquscan, or White Horse, an Ottoe. The inci- dents just related induced us to give to this place the name of Council- bluff. The situation of it is exceedingly favorable for a fort and trading factory, as the soil is well calculated for bricks and there is an abundance of wood in the neighborhood, and the air being pure and healthy. It is also central to the chief resorts of the Indians, being one day's journey to the Ottoes; one and a half to the great Pawnees; two days from the Mahas ; two and a quarter from the Pawnee Loups villege ; convenient to the hunting grounds of the Sioux, and twenty-five days journey to Sante Fe. The ceremonies of the council being concluded, we set sail in the afternoon and encamped at the distance of five miles on the south side, where we found the musquitos very troublesome." And, to tell the truth, they are very troublesomo in that vicinity to this day, at certain seasons of the year.
Though the early settlers of Council Bluff's, Iowa, have endeavorcd to make it appear that their town is located upon the site of this olden time conference, the fact is established beyond all question that they were in
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
error and that the site of the present town of Fort Calhoun, is the exact locality. At this point the government established Fort Atkinson-af- terwards called Fort Calhoun-in 1819, and abandoned it some ten or a
dozen years later. response to a letter of inquiry on
this subject from Mr. N. Ramsey, secretary of the His- torical society of St. Louis, under date of December 9, 1867, the late Father De Smet wrote : "During the years 183S and 1839, I resided oppo- site what is now called the city of Omaha. In 1839 I stood on the bluff on which the old fort was built in 1819 ; some rubbish and remains of the old Foot were then visible, and some remaining roots of asparagus were still growing in the old garden. Fort Atkinson was located where now stands the town of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska Territory, about sixteen miles in a straight line above the city of Omaha, and forty miles by river. The mouth of the Boyer now empties into the Missouri river, some twelve miles (straight line) above Omaha : in 1839 the same river emptied into the Missouri river about five miles above the old military post. Mr. Ca- banne's trading post was six miles, by land, below Fort Atkinson, and twenty-five miles by river ; Mr. Cabanne's trading post was ten miles, by land, above where now stands Omaha City. Manual Lisa had a trading post one mile above Cabanne's. I met Captains Joseph and John La Barge, and proposed the question of the former site of Fort Atkinson, in order to test the accuracy of my memory, and they confirmed it in every particular."
On the 30th of May, 1854. the organicact, opening Kansas and Nebraska for settlement, was passed by Congress. Francis Burt of South Carolina was appointed Governor of Nebraska, but was taken sick while on his way to the new territory and died soon after his arrival, at the old Mis- sion House at Bellevue on the 1Sthi day of October, 1853. By the death of Governor Burt, the Secretary of the Territory, Thos. B. Cuming, became acting Governor, and his first official action was certain proclamations: One ordering a census of the Territory upon which to base an apportion- ment; another fixing the time of holding the election, and convening the legislature; and one dividing the Territory into counties and fixing boundaries to the same. By the terms of the latter Washington county was bounded as follows : Commencing at a point on the Missouri river one mile north of Omaha city ; thence due west to the dividing ridge be- tween the Elkhorn and the Missouri river; thence northwestwardly twenty miles to the Elkhorn river ; thence eastwardly to a point on the Missouri river two miles above Fort Calhoun ; thence southerly along said river to the place of beginning.
The Territory was divided by Gov. Cuming into four election districts with voting places distributed as folows : Bellvue, Omaha, Fontenelle, and Fort Calhoun. Dr. M. H. Clark and Col. Wm. Kline laid out the Fontenelle or Western district, which extended from the big Papillion to Fort Kearney, or, in fact, to the Rocky Mountains. There is a tradition in the western part of the county to the effect that, in order to swell the list of voters, these enterprising individuals included in their census re-
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
turns a lot of names copied from the trees at the crossing of the Elkhorn, where they had been carved by California and Mormon emigrants, but this may be a base slander.
The counties were not named by the Governor, but were christened by the first legislature, which met at Omaha in the winter of 1854-5. and con- sisted of eight Councilmen-four from each side of the Platte-and thir- teen Representatives, Washington county sending, as Councilman, James G. Mitchell, and as Representatives, Anselum Arnold, and A. J. Smith. February 22, 1855, an act was passed declaring that "a county shall be or- ganized to be called Washington, and shall be bounded as follows: Con- mencing at a point on the Missouri river, two miles north of Florence, or Winter Quarters, thence north following the meanderings of said river to a point in a direct line, twenty-four miles from the place of beginning, thence west to the dividing ridge between the Elkhorn and Missouri rivers, or to the eastern boundary line of Dodge county, thence south along said line twenty-four miles, thence east to the place of beginning." Fort Calhoun was designated as the county seat, and the following were appointed county officers, by the Governor : Stephen Cass, Probate Judge; Thomas Allen, Sheriff; Geo. W. Nevelle, Clerk ; George Martin, Treasurer ; Z. Jackson, Register, and Thos. Wilson, Surveyor. Since that date the following named have been elected to the various positions designated:
COUNCILMEN-Wm. Clancy, 1856; G. E. Scott, and Geo. W. Doane (now of Omaha), floater, 1858; John A. Unthank, 1860; E. A. Allen and Frank Welch, of Burt, floater, 1862; John D. Neighley, of Cuming, floater, 1866.
STATE SENATORS-Jesse T. Davis, 1866; W. F. Goodwill, of Burt, floater, 1868; B. F. Hilton, 1870; L. W. Osborn, 1872; Waldo Lyon, of Burt, floater, 1874.
REPRESENTATIVES-Wm. Connor, Elisha P. Stout, and James S. Stew- art, 1856; P. C. Sullivan, R. H. Peterson, and James S. Stewart, 1857: P. G. Cooper, L. M. Kline, and Charles Davis, 1858; James S. Stewart, and John S. Bowen, 1859; Silas Mead, and Henry W. De Pugh, 1350; E. A. Allen, and John S. Bowen, 1861; L. R. Fletcher, and Dean C. Slader. 1862. [The session of the legislature for the winter of 1862-3 was dispensed with by act of congress, and the money, equal to the expense of the ses- sion applied to war purposes. ] John Evans (now of Omaha), and H. J. Rohwer, 1863; H. M. Hitchcock, and Nevin McCandlish, 1834; E. H. Clark, and Charles Eisley, 1865; A. S. Warrick, and Dr. L. J. Abbott, Ter- ritorial, and John A. Unthank, and Dean C. Slader, State Representa - tives, 1866-there being two sets elected on account of a State constitution having been drafted; W. H. B. Stout (now contractor for the erection of the State's prison), and Christian Rathmann, 1868; Elam Clark, and H. C. Riordan, 1870; Henry Sprick, 1872-a new apportionment having given the county but one member of the House-E. S. Gaylord, 1874.
In July, 1866, a special session of the legislature was held, in which Frank Welch, of Burt, represented Washington county as Senator, and
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HISTORY OF WHSHINGTON
Wm. R. Hamilton, D. McDonald, and Thomas R. Wilson as Representa- tives.
COMMISSIONERS-David Franklin, A. Phinney, and John West, 1856; J. B. Wiekwire, 1857; E. Allen, 1858; E. B. Hamilton, 1859; John Parks, 1860; John Evans, and James S. Stewart (the latter to fill Mr. Parks' un- expired term), 1861; Silas Masters, 1862; Jacob Carter, 1863; Jas, S. Stew- art, re-elected 1864; John A. Unthank (appointed to fill the unexpired terni of Silas Masters, resigned), 1865; W. B. Beals, 1866; Alonzo Perkins, 1867; Thos. Frazier, 186S; Watson Tyson, 1869; Wm. R. Hamilton, and David Couchman (the latter to fill the unexpired term of Thos. Frazier, deceased), 1870; David Couchman. re-elected 1871; Watson Tyson, re-elect- ed 1872; Wmn. R. Hamilton, re-eletced 1873; H. J. Rohwer, 1874; Charles Selleck, 1875,
COUNTY CLERKS-E. Mather, 1857; Abram Castetter, 1861; re-elected every election from that time to 1899, when Peter R. Benner was elected and re-elected in 1871 and 1873; E. C. Jackson, 1875.
COUNTY TREASURERS-George Stevens, 1857, Lewis Tucker, 1858; E. N. Grennell, 1859; re-elected each election until 1863, when Alex Reed was elected, and he was continued in office until 1875, when J. H. Hun- gate, the present incumbent and the then Mayor of Blair, was elected.
SHERIFFS-Orrin Rhodes, and Hugh McNeely (the latter to fill unexpired term), 1856; Hugh McNeeley, 1857; Chester Lusk, 1860; Israel Swihart, 1831, Dan Case, 1868; A. T. Chapin, 1869; Rice Arnold, 1871, and re-elected in 1873 and 1875.
PROBATE JUDGES-James A. Goodrich, 1757; Z. Jackson, 1861; John S. Bowen, 1869, and re-elected in 1871; Jesse T. Davis, 1873, and re-elected in 1875.
SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS-Eli Bacon, 1857; D. McLacklin, 1858; Charles G. Bisbee, 1869; re-elected in 1871; Charles Cross, 1873; re elected in 1975.
SURVEYORS-Thomas Wilson, 1857; re-elected in 1858; George Brigham, 1861; V. G. Lantry, 1869; re-elected in 1871; J. C. W. Kline, 1875,
CORONERS-Jesse T. Davis, 1861; Charles Emerson Tennant, 1869; H. P. Butler 1871; Dr. S. B. Taylor, 1873; E. C. Pierce, 1875.
Mr. Ballard represented Washington county in the constitutional con- vention of 1871, and E. N. Grennell and J. J. Thompson in that of 1875.
The foregoing list of officers is incomplete, but is a full as can be made after a thorough overhauling of the county records.
In the vote upon the constitution, submitted in 1871, Washington coun- ty cast 94 for and 419 votes against the section, submitted separately, grant- ing women the right of suffrage, and 194 for to 319 against the compulsory education clause, also submitted separately, while she rejected the consti- tution itself by a majority of 97 votes. At the special election held in 1868, on the proposition to aid the construction of the Sioux City and Pa- citic railroad by voting county bonds to the amount of $75,000, to be paid only so fast as a tax of one mill on the dollar would pay it, the vote stood 347 for to 153 against the issuance of the bonds.
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
The following named have occupied the position of Deputy County Clerk, an office conferred by appointment: Roger T. Beal, D. McDonald Peter R. Benner, E. B. Hamilton, John S. Bowen, Harry M. Bowen, and Cara Clark, the present incumbent. Treasurer Hungate's deputy, is also a lady-Miss Edna Reed.
At the first election held in the county, in 1855, there were 70 votes polled. At the last general election-that of 1875-there were 1,180 ballots cast. The first census returns showed a population of 207; that of last year, 6,286, there being 314 births in the county in 1875. The following has been the annual levy since 1859:
For the year 1859.
$ 7,555 25
66
66
66
:61. 7,284 02
66
162
7,763 91
163.
9,642 61
764
12,382 65
66
'66. 17,690 01
24 583 90
$6
66
768.
28,401 80
66
169 42,389 73
170 67,593 28
66
71׳ 86,542 30
64,817 62
'73. 86,782 56
174. 77,631 81 66
775 (about). 86,000 00
The assessed valuation of property for this year was $1,551,756, with $75,000 exemption on account of the planting of trees, the exemption be- ing at the rate of the tax, and on fifty dollars for each acre of fruit trees on one hundred dollars valuation for each acre of forest trees, for the term of five years after the trees were planted. This was one of the wisest acts ever performed by any legislature, and the result will be that in the course of a few years Nebraska will be a well timbered state. The law is generally appreciated and acted upon by the people, Sheridan precinct alone receiving an exemption for 1875 of $23,- 000 on account of tree planting, while Grant and Lincoln was each bene- fitted about $10,000.
The first newspaper published in the county was the DeSota Bugle, established at DeSoto in 1856 by Isaac Parrish ; the second was the DeSoto Pilot, established in 1857 by Merrick & Maguire; the third the Washing- ton county Sun, established in 1858 by Potter C. Sullivan, and the fourth was the DeSoto Enquirer, established in 1858 by Z. Jackson. Then there was a lull in the newspaper publishing business, until 1869, when the Reg - ister was established at Blair, by B. F. Hilton & Son. In 1870 the publi- cation of the Blair Times was undertaken by a company consisting of C. B. Herman, John S. Bowen, J. H. Post, V. G. Lantry, H. P. Dexter, Jesse
'60
6,569 24
66
165.
16,035 10
66
167
66
172
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
T. Davis, Abram Castetter, Alex. Reed, W. H. B. Stout, and W. W. Wilson. In a few months it passed into the hands of V. G. Lantry, and W. H. B. Stout, then into the hands of the former, who sold it to John A. McMurphy, now editor and proprietor of the Plattsmouth Herald. Mr. McMurphy conducted the paper for a year or two, and then sold it back to Mr. Lantry, who sold it last spring to Judge John S. Bowen, by whom it is now managed in a very able manner. Two years ago J. Y. Lambert, editor and proprietor of the Pilot, published at Tekamah, Burt county, moved that paper to Blair, and there published it until about a year ago, when it was purchased by George Sultherland. It is now edited by L. F. Hilton, formerly of the Register, and is one of the spiciest, most enter- prising weeklies in the State.
The winters of 1856-7 found the settlers of Washington county little prepared for its hardships, The winters of 1855-6 had been remarkably pleasant and mild, and it was supposed by the few white residents of the county at that time that that was a fair sample of the Nebraska winters. The houses were generally of a temporary character, many of them having been built the summer previous of new cottonwood lumber, which ma- terial makes beautiful "open work" after a few days exposure to the sun, rendering a building cool and airy for summer use, but not so pleasant for winter. Little or no shelter had been prepared for stock, and as there was a dearth of feed, cattle were allowed to wander here and there through the small petehes of breaking, finding an occasional stray stalk of sod corn with which to astonish their stomachs. No one was provided with wood for more than a few days' use. Provisions were very scarce, and money searcer. Such was the condition of things when the sun went down on the evening of the 30th of Noveniber, 1856. A light snow was falling, and had been for an hour, but the air was mild and pleasant, with a light wind. During the night the wind increased to a terrific gale ; the weather grew intensely cold, and the air was filled with the driving snow, which was forced into the houses through a thousand and one crev- ices, covering beds, chairs, tables, stoves, etc., with a cold mantle of white. The day dragged by, with the wind surging and roaring and the air so thick with cutting, blinding snow that one could not see a house five feet distant ; thus rendering it impossible for the stock to be fed, as a man could not find his way back to the house after leaving it. Several made the attempt, and perished in consequence, their bones being found when the snow melted the next spring, in some instances, within a short dis- tance of their homes. Night settled upon us cold and dreary, and an- other day of suffering dawned and passed without the least prospect of re- lief. A second night and third day passed by, during which the wind seemed to have lost none of its fury, while the snow appeared to come from some inexhaustable source, whirling, eddying and driving, piling and drifting in the houses to a depth of two or three feet. As the evening of the third day eame on, the anxious settlers were rejoiced to find that the storm was gradually losing its force. Another miserable night passed, and the fourth day dawned. The wind had gone down, and the sun rose
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
bright and clear upon a brilliant, glistening, dazzling sea of snow, strech- ing away as far as the vision extended, covering the ground to a depth of three or four feet on the level, while in the ravines it was drifted in places to the depth of twenty feet. The writer remembers distinctly of finding snow in a sheltered nook, the next June. The storm having snb- sided the settlers turned out to take care of their stock. In many places stables were built down in ravines, and were so completely covered with snow that some time elapsed before they could be found and the horses they sheltered-and very effectually too-dug out. Great difficulty was also experienced in gathering together the roaming cattle, and many per- ished in the storm.
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