USA > Nebraska > Antelope County > A history of Antelope County, Nebraska, from its first settlement in 1868 to the close of the year 1883 > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19
That same morning, just after the family of D. E. Beck- with had finished breakfast, a stranger rode up to the door and asked for something to eat. He stated that he had lost his way, and had slept in a straw stack the latter part
82
83
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
of the night. Mr. Beckwith, at that time, lived on his claim just six miles south of Neligh. The horse was taken to the stable and fed, and Mrs. Beckwith at once prepared breakfast for the stranger. She noticed that when her guest removed his coat to wash and comb, which he did with great care, that he carried a belt filled with cartridges and a revolver attached. These he did not remove. She also noticed that in talking he exposed a gold tooth. Her guest was the same who had stopped the night before at Mr. Caldwell's, on Beaver Creek. After breakfast he offered to pay for his fare, and, asking the distance to Neligh, mounted his horse and rode away. Mr. Beckwith's boys observed, however, that he followed the Neligh road only about half a mile, and then, turning to the west, struck off over the prairie at a gallop. This was the notorious "Doc" Middleton, or "Gold tooth Jack," or just "Jack," as he was known to his confederates.
After the Indians had given up making raids on the settlers it was no uncommon thing for some settler in Boone or Antelope County, and especially in Holt County, to lose a riding horse or sometimes a team. Usually the theft could be traced to some member of a gang of horse and cattle thieves who had their head-quarters somewhere on the Niobrara River, and this "Doc" Middleton was the head man of this gang of thieves. Middleton and his gang conducted operations somewhat on the Robin Hood order. While they did not rob the rich to give to the poor, after the manner of the renowned Robin Hood, they did manage generally to keep on good terms with their near neighbors, and their neighbors were in turn expected to keep quiet and never betray any member of the gang to the officers who might be looking for them, or to give any infor- mation that would lead to their arrest. The country in western Holt County was filling up somewhat with cattle ranches, and an occasional settler.
The members of the Middleton gang made themselves friendly with these stockmen and settlers, and at the same time gave them to understand that it would be for their
84
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
interest to keep quiet. It is said, too, that they paid very liberally for meals or other accommodations which they received from settlers who were poor. Any who were suspected of being unfriendly to them were notified to leave, and if this notice was not quickly obeyed their stock would be driven off and their lives threatened.
At the same time the mills at Neligh and Oakdale were sending supplies of flour and feed to these cattle ranches, and also to the Black Hills. The teamsters, in making these trips, had become more or less acquainted with Mid- dleton and his men and of course kept on good terms with them, as it was to their interests to do. If, however, any one traveled through that country who was thought to be a detective or a spy, he was at once sent out of the country. One detective who succeeded in getting into the haunts of this gang, was caught by them, his horse, saddle, and revolver taken from him, and he was told that "the walking was good - he had better get out." He took the hint and walked down to O'Neil, where he took the stage.
Just at what time this gang began to operate in this coun- try is not known, but it probably was as early as the year 1874. It is certain that they had confederates in Holt and Antelope counties, and men in Boone and Madison counties were strongly suspected of being in league with them. After the gang was broken up it was found that they had confederates as far east as central Iowa, but nothing definite is known as to the number of men actually engaged in this business. Their plan of operation was to steal horses and cattle, going a considerable distance from their headquarters for them, driving them to their rendezvous, branding them, and afterwards sending them to market farther east; but they never trespassed upon their immediate neighbors provided, of course, that these neighbors were friendly. After marketing their stolen stock, they were very apt to steal horses from some of the settlers in the border coun- ties to ride back home on.
85
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
In making their raids to steal stock they did not always meet with complete success. At one time they found a camp of Yankton Indians, who were on a hunt, being camped on a tributary of the Loup River in the sand-hill country. Waiting until after dark, when all was quiet, they "rushed" the camp, firing their revolvers and endeav- oring to stampede the Indians' horses. They did succeed in getting away with thirteen of the horses, but they lost Tom Brown, one of their men, who was killed by a shot fired at random in the darkness by one of the Indians. This circumstance was related by Longfoot one of the Indians who was in the fray. Some effort was put forth to procure the arrest of "Doc" Middleton, not only by the settlers of Antelope and adjoining counties, but by other sections of the country as well, for the depredations of the gang extended at least as far south as the Platte River and northwest to the Black Hills. These efforts, however, were at first unsuccessful. Any move for the capture of the gang was pretty sure to be reported by some of their friends along the line. Besides, it was not safe for a small party to penetrate to their haunts with hostile intent.
In the spring of 1878 Sheriff Hopkins was notified by A. H. Snider of three horses that had been stolen from the Black Hills. Mr. Snider had just returned from the Hills, and having seen the owner of the horses, had received from him a minute description of them which he turned over to the sheriff. It was thought that the horses were held by parties this side of the Niobrara River. Sheriff Hopkins took with him two men, D. V. Coe and Lauren Means, and made the trip to the Niobrara River in search of the stolen property. Two of the horses were found at or near Car- berry's ranch, where Atkinson now is, and the other was caught at Morrison's bridge, on the Niobrara. They were all brought down and afterwards restored to the owner. This was an unexpected visit, or it would not have been successful. Middleton sent word to Hopkins, advising him not to come again.
The character of the country on the Niobrara and its
86
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
tributaries was favorable to these outlaws. The country was extremely rough and well timbered, affording shelter and hundreds of hiding places. If a small force were sent against them, it was easy to waylay and to kill or capture them all. If a large force should invade their territory, they could scatter out among the hills and timbered cañons and elude capture easily.
Being emboldened by their success in eluding pursuit and capture, they became less vigilant, and this led to the capture of three of them. Four of their number had stolen a span of horses and two mules from two German settlers of Holt County, who had not shown as much friend- liness to the gang as was demanded and expected. With these they made across the country to the Platte valley. It was no doubt their intention to dispose of this property and then make a raid on some ranch, gather up a bunch of horses, and run them across the country to their rendez- vous on the Niobrara. They stopped at North Platte and at night attended a dance. The sheriff of Lincoln County, getting wind of their presence, raided the dance-hall and captured three of them, one of them being Charley Fuget, who was reputed to be the second in command of the gang. Middleton himself escaped. He supposed, however, that the bridge across the North Platte was guarded and ex- pected a fight there if he resisted arrest. He made up his mind to fight it out, and on approaching the south end of the bridge, took the bridle reins in his teeth, a revolver in each hand, and spurring his horse to a run, crossed the bridge, firing the revolvers as he went. The ammunition was wasted; the bridge was not guarded. These facts are partly obtained from Lauren Means, who had become quite well acquainted with Middleton while teaming to the Niobrara ranches and to the Black Hills. Afterwards, when Middleton himself was captured, he talked freely of these things.
CHAPTER XVI
THE HORSE THIEVES CONTINUED - STOLEN STOCK CAPTURED AND RECLAIMED - "DOC" MIDDLETON ARRESTED AND CON- VICTED - DISTANCES TO THE MARKET TOWNS - MANNER OF GOING TO MARKET
T HE Oakdale "Pen and Plow" of December 21, 1878, in its news columns contained the following :
"In an interview with Sheriff Hopkins we have ascertained the real facts of his recent raid on the horse thieves' nest on the Niobrara. In obedience to a warrant placed in his hands to serve, he started out with a force of eighteen men, including Cassidy, the interpreter, and Longford, a guide and scout, from the Yankton tribe. They proceeded to a point thirty miles from the Niobrara, on Turtle Creek, which is about one hundred and thirty miles from Neligh, and came upon the real headquarters of this nest of horse and cattle thieves. They captured eighty-one head of cattle and eleven head of horses, all of which have been since reclaimed. Sheriff Hopkins sup- poses that there are about fifty men engaged in this nefa- rious business of horse and cattle stealing, who have head- quarters on Turtle Creek. They are freebooters - bandits, like those of Italy and Spain. No United States marshal dares to penetrate that nest, although they can have, if they wish, the whole United States army to back them."
.
The foregoing is substantially correct, only there was no interpreter along, and none was needed. Longford, the Yankton Indian, was Longfoot, mentioned in the pre- ceding chapter, who was with the camp of Indians that was attacked by the Middleton gang sometime before, when Tom Brown was killed. He acted as guide and scout, and had no love for the Middleton gang. There was also a man along by the name of Frank Tappan, who was em- ployed as foreman by a cattle company who had suffered
87
88
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
from the depredations of this gang. It was through this man Tappan that Sheriff Hopkins first obtained definite information as to the probable headquarters of the gang. Tappan got the most of his knowledge from Longfoot and other Yankton Indians, who had harbored a spirit of re- venge ever since their former experience with this gang of outlaws. The Turtle Creek mentioned is the Keya Paha, the latter being the Indian name. At the same camp they caught four of the men, but Middleton himself was away, and only these four were seen.
The sheriff proceeded to follow down the Niobrara River to Niobrara city, in Knox County, where he turned over most of the stock to the owners, and gave the men into the charge of the sheriff of Knox County. Seven head of the cattle were brought to Oakdale, as will be seen by the following notice taken from the "Pen and Plow":
"NOTICE"
"Notice is hereby given that I have seven head of cattle, six yearlings and one spring calf, captured along with other stock on Turtle Creek, October 5th, 1878. The owners are requested to prove property, pay charges and take them away.
"Dated at Oakdale this 14th day of November, 1878. "J. HOPKINS,
"Sheriff of Antelope County."
Middleton himself was suspected of having had a hand in robbing a post-office, and on this charge United States Deputy Marshals Llewellyn and Hazen were instructed to capture him. To do so they employed a ruse, as it would have been foolhardiness to have attempted his arrest in that country with a small force, and no large party could have penetrated that region without information being sent along the line in advance, so that not a man wanted could have been found. They sent word to Middleton that they wished to meet him and that they had a proposi- tion to submit, - that if he would quietly surrender he
89
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
would be pardoned and protected and would be given a prominent place on the detective force. He agreed to a consultation and set a time and place for the conference.
The detectives met with him as agreed, and as they were proceeding along on horseback, Middleton riding between the two detectives, one of them gave him a letter to read, containing the proposition. A third man was concealed at a certain place they had to pass, and when the party reached this place this man fired at Middleton, wounding him in the hip. Middleton was thrown from his horse, but, at once drawing his revolver, he fired twice at Hazen, both shots taking effect and severely wounding him, Hazen at the same time falling from his horse.
Llewellyn put spurs to his horse and got out of the way as fast as possible. He went directly to Fort Hartsuff on the North Loup just below the present site of Burwell, and got a squad of cavalry to go back with him to the scene of the encounter.
Middleton went to his father-in-law's cabin, which was not far away, as his wound did not hinder him from drag- ging himself along. He supposed that he had killed Hazen. He was taken by friends into a timbered cañon where he was cared for in a tent. Hazen crawled to a settler's cabin and was brought to O'Neill. He subsequently en- tirely recovered. Llewellyn returned with the soldiers. They hunted up Middleton and placed him under arrest. He passed through Antelope County, in charge of Llewellyn and a squad of soldiers, July 30, 1879, was tried, convicted, and served his time in the "pen." This completely broke up the gang and for many years the settlers were free from trouble from horse thieves.
From the time of the first settlement of the county, in August, 1868, to the coming of the railroad, in November, 1879, a period of eleven years, the settlers were at a disad- vantage by reason of the long distance to market. Counting the distance from Neligh by the most direct traveled roads it was sixty-five miles to Wisner, sixty-seven miles to Co- lumbus, seventy-two miles to Yankton, one hundred ten
90
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
miles to Sioux City, and one hundred twenty-five miles to Fremont. At the first there was only one road leading out of the county. This road followed down the north side of the Elkhorn River to Norfolk. At Norfolk it divided, one branch leading northeast to Sioux City, the other keep- ing on down the valley to Fremont. From 1868 to the fall of 1871 all the travel to and from the county passed over this road on the north side of the Elkhorn. The Norfolk flouring mill was completed and began grinding in the fall of 1869. This gave the settlers a chance to have their grain ground into flour and meal and also furnished a sup- ply to those who had to buy. Norfolk was thirty-seven miles from Neligh by this same road.
In the summer of 1871 the merchants of Columbus, hav- ing heard that the middle Elkhorn valley had been settled to some extent, took steps to open a road from the present site of Newman Grove to Cedar Creek. From Newman Grove to Columbus there was already a road that had been used about two or three years. This road was first made by the soldiers in their trips through the country for the purpose of keeping the Indians quiet. The road followed down Shell Creek valley, and the soldiers had bridged the small streams tributary to Shell Creek. As Shell Creek was settled, this road had been used and the bridges kept in repair by the settlers. Lewis Warren and George Whitcher of Shell Creek were employed to extend this road, and this was done in July, 1871. Lewis Warren and George Whitcher had homesteads on Shell Creek near the present town of Newman Grove, a part of Newman Grove, in fact, being on Mr. Warren's old homestead. These men came to Cedar Creek and remained over night. The next morning, after procuring a quantity of oak stakes from the timber along the creek, they began on the west line of sec- tion 2 Cedar township, and staked out a road to connect with the one already in use on Shell Creek. These stakes were placed about eighty rods apart and were plainly marked by mounds of sod and earth. Other roads were marked out from St. Clair and from Ives Creek valleys to connect with this Shell Creek road, and in a short time
91
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
it became the main thoroughfare. These were not regu- larly established roads, but were marked out and used by the settlers for their convenience until county roads were legally established.
The Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad was begun in 1869, extended to West Point in 1870, and in a year or two more was extended to Wisner. The trade of the county was divided after 1872 between Colum- bus, Wisner, and Yankton. The settlers in the southern part of the county did their marketing at Columbus; those in the northern part went to Yankton; while those in the Elkhorn valley divided their trade between Columbus and Wisner. It took from four to seven days to make the round trip to any of these market places.
In going to market in warm weather it was customary to camp out, a camping outfit being carried along for that purpose. In the winter, stops were made over night with ranchmen who had the necessary accommodations. All the accommodations needed, however, were a stable and hay for the horses, a chance to make coffee on the kitchen stove, and a place inside the house to make a bed. Every one was expected to carry his own bedding, and usually his grain for the team and provisions for himself. In the winter, when bad snow-drifts were likely to be encountered, and icy, slippery hills to be traveled over, it was usual and necessary for two or more to go in company, so as to render mutual assistance. Shovels were always taken along at that season, to be used in opening a road through the snow- drifts. Scarcely anything was taken to market except wheat. Spring wheat was the only variety raised, and, the ground being new, the grain was nearly always of extra good quality, and brought in the Columbus market from forty to ninety cents per bushel, the usual price being from fifty to sixty cents. Sometimes a few loads of fat hogs were marketed, but not often, the haul being too long. Cattle were not fattened for the market to any extent, but were sold to drovers, who were in the habit of coming around two or three times a year, buying up the feeders and driving them to points on the railroad farther east to be fattened.
CHAPTER XVII
THE MARKETS - LOG HOUSES - DUGOUTS - THE FIRST FRAME HOUSE - SOD HOUSES - THE FIRST SAW-MILL - A HAPPY COMMUNITY - CARRYING THE MAIL - THE FIRST WEDDING - THE FIRST BIRTH - THE FIRST DEATH
N TOTWITHSTANDING the great distance to market towns on the railroad, the settlers had about as good a market for what they had to sell as those living farther east. This market was furnished by the great cattle ranches on the Niobrara River and tributaries, and by the mining country that was opening up in the Black Hills. Beyond Holt County nothing was raised except cattle, horses, hay, and perhaps a few garden vegetables. Not much grain was raised as yet in Holt County, and none to spare. The ranchmen depended wholly on the farmers of Antelope County for their supplies of flour, mill feed, corn, and oats. The Black Hills country got part of their supplies from Sidney on the Union Pacific Railroad, which was nearer than Antelope County. But there was nothing raised around Sidney, and all the supplies found there had to be shipped to that place over the railroad. For these reasons, a great trade began to spring up with the country northwest, about the year 1873 or 1874, which continued to increase until the coming of the railroad. This north- west country, extending to the Black Hills, took all the surplus corn and oats raised in the county and much of the wheat and rye, the two latter being, of course, first ground by the mills of the county. This trade also fur- nished employment for many men and teams, as nearly, or quite, all the hauling was done by Antelope County people.
The common belief that nearly all the first settlers of Antelope County lived in sod houses is erroneous. Not a sod house was seen or heard of in the county until it had been settled about four years. There were three kinds of dwellings known in the county in the early days - the
92
93
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
log house, the dugout, and the frame house. The first frame house in the county was built by Jonas J. Irish on the northwest quarter of section 3, Grant township, in the spring of 1871, the material having been hauled from Sioux City. The dugouts were sometimes made in a bank, the front part being walled up with logs, and sometimes a front room of logs would be added, making the house half log and half dugout. Another style of dugout was made like a cave or outdoor cellar, the top, or roof, being of logs on which brush and hay were first placed, and the earth taken out of the excavation was thrown on top for a cover, making it rounded enough to shed rain perfectly. The dugouts, which were not numerous, were commonly occupied by bachelors, the women generally objecting to a life underground, even as a temporary expedient.
The groves along the Elkhorn and the timber creeks fur- nished logs for building purposes in abundance for three or four years, when they began to grow scarce. Most of the houses built at first, therefore, were made of logs. Gen- erally they were covered with a roof made of poles on which was placed fine straight brush, and over this sods and earth. The cracks were chinked and then plastered inside and out with clay, which filled all the crevices, making the houses warm and comfortable. Some of the best houses were covered with shingles, but as they had to be brought from so long a distance, earth roofs were by far the most common. There were at first no floors, as lumber was too high in price and had to be hauled too far. Lumber was used only for the doors and windows. The ground being used as a floor, it would wear out unevenly; about the door and around the stove, where most used, it would become hollowed out by constant use, and occasionally clay would be brought in and pounded down to level up the holes. Furniture was neither abundant nor expensive. Some people had chairs, bedsteads, and tables that they had brought with them, but more had none until they had furnished themselves with home-made substitutes. For chairs they provided themselves with three-legged
94
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
stools. Bedsteads were framed into the sides of the wall and covered with slats rived from the native timber, and on this the straw or hay tick and bedding were placed. The tables were made of the most convenient home mate- rial, or perhaps in part from a pine board brought for that purpose.
Some time during the year 1871 a portable steam saw-mill was brought into the county by C. P. Mathewson of Nor- folk and set to work on Judge Snider's homestead, on the southeast quarter of section 6, Burnett township. In May, 1872, a water-power saw-mill was built by George H. McGee on Clearwater Creek, on section 6 in Ord town- ship. These saw-mills were a great convenience to the settlers, as they furnished lumber suitable for many pur- poses. They both continued running as long as a supply of logs could be had. In 1872 the mill at Snider's was sold to Jesse T. Bennett, who moved it to Oakdale in the fall of that year, where it continued to do business for several years, when, the supply of saw logs giving out, it was moved out of the county. McGee's mill still continued to do work for several years.
A few of the settlers built log stables for their teams, but most of them used a stable built of poles and covered with hay or straw. These were warm and convenient if kept in good repair, and if the covering was sufficient properly to shed the rain. As the settlements began to spread out over the dry valleys and the rolling prairies, the logs gave out and sod houses began to come into use. A good sod house is the best and most comfortable of any that can be built by the settler of a new country in this climate. The walls should be at least three feet thick at the bottom, and not less than eighteen inches at the top. If properly con- structed they will last for many years, especially if they have a shingle roof with eaves that project well over the sides. Such a house is absolutely frost proof, and, if plas- tered inside, it is clean and presents a neat appearance. It is warm in winter and cool in summer. The only lumber used is for floor, roof, doors, and windows. It seems almost
95
HISTORY OF ANTELOPE COUNTY
a pity that the day of the sod house has gone by. The old settlers who are here to-day in Antelope County are wont to refer back to the early times with pleasure and affec- tion. It is doubtful if with all their convenient, modern surroundings they are as happy as in the early days with all the inevitable drawbacks and inconveniences. To illus- trate the conditions that prevailed in those days the fol- lowing quotations are made from an address delivered to the Pioneers September 21, 1886, by the secretary:
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.