Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties, Part 18

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 820

USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 18
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 18
USA > Nebraska > Hall County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 18
USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 18

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).

The Fremont expedition of 1842 reached the Big Blue in longitude 19 degrees, 32 minutes, 35 seconds west of Washington, D. C., and latitude 39 degrees, 45 minutes, 8 seconds, on June 20. On the evening of the 22d the command camped on the Little Blue, twenty-four miles west of their first camp in Nebraska, and next day crossed Sandy Creek. Game appeared in large numbers, elk and antelope coming to the little hill tops to take obser- vation of the visitors. Col. Fremont describes his first experiences in a Nebraska rain storm. He says: "A heavy bank of black clouds in the west came on us in a storm, preceded by a violent wind. The rain fell in such torrents that it was difficult to breathe facing the wind; the thunder rolled inces- santly, and the whole sky was tremulous with light- ning, now and then illuminated by a blinding flash, succeeded by pitchy darkness."

Kit Carson was one of the leading spirits of this expedition. On the third or fourth night out from the first camp in Nebraska, he had the watch from 10 P. M. to midnight with Brant and Benton, whose first night on duty this was. The stories of Indian atrocity and cunning had already unnerved the afore- said pair of tenderfeet, and the two hours of duty imposed upon them was only preferable to a sentence to return home; but necessity drove them to fulfil this duty, and afterward they accepted such duty like veterans. On the fifth morning while proceed- ing up the valley of the Little Blue, objects were

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seen on the opposite hills which disappeared in- stantly. One of the rear guard came up rapidly, call- ing, "Indians! Indians!" He reassured his fellow travelers that twenty-seven red-skins were within view. The alarm drove every man to prepare for a battle, and even Kit Carson placed some reliance on the statement; for, mounting an unsaddled horse, he went forth into the rolling prairie to scout, and returning, reported that the twenty-seven Indians had resolved themselves into six elk.

On the night of June 25, 1842, Fremont's party camped in longitude 21 degrees, 22 minutes, 12 seconds west of Washington, in north latitude 40 degrees, 26 minutes, 50 seconds, a point about four miles south of the present city of Hastings, and four miles east of the fork of the Blue where the old road left the river for the Platte. No water was found on the divide. Antelope appeared dur- ing the succeeding morning although an electric and rain storm was raging. In the Colonel's report of June 26 he states: "Crossing on the way several Pawnee roads to the Arkansas, we reached, in about twenty-one miles from our halt on the Blue, what is called the coast of the Nebraska or Platte River. This had seemed, in the distance, a range of high and broken hills; but on a nearer approach was found to be elevations of forty to sixty feet, into which the wind had worked the sand. They were covered with the usual fine grasses of the country, and bordered the eastern side of the ridge on a breadth of about two miles. Change of soil and country appeared here to have produced a change in vegetation. Cacti were numerous, and all the plants of the region seemed to flourish among the warm hills. The Amorpha in full bloom was remarkable for its large and luxuriant purple clusters. From the foot of the coast, a distance of two miles across the level bottom brought us to our encampment on the shore of. the river, about twenty miles below the head of Grand Island, which lay extended before us, covered with dense and heavy woods."

The Oregon trail of 1847-48, called the " Cali- fornia Trail" in after years, was not a common roadway as the modern settler understands a road- way. It was a wide avenue of many tracks, widen- ing out to meet the requirements of fancy or neces-

sity or confining itself to a narrow passage across some creek or swamp. This trail changed gradually from the height of land between the Big Sandy and the Little Blue to the Eighteen Mile Ridge and Lit- tle Blue Valley, which it followed for sixty miles, when a bee line for Fort Kearney was adopted. Over this trail the mud wagon trains of the Salt Lake express were established in 1858. This train was drawn by a locomotive in the shape of six mules, guided by a driver and goaded by a whipper-up, whose promotion depended upon the degree of cruelty which he could reach in his whipping trade. Fortunately for the mules the Pike's Peak stampede came up in 1859, and the Salt Lake express being too slow gave way to Ben Halladay's overland stage line and pony express between St. Joseph and Sacra- mento. Each department of this service was admin- istered in a business-like way. The pony express route-about 2,000 miles in length-was covered in eight days. Each division was 100 miles in length, with a depot at every twenty-five mile point. Indian ponies and courageous riders, weighing about 120 pounds, were employed. The depots of the Over- land Stage Line were arranged on the same principle ; but the heavy coaches precluded the possibility of making the time of the pony express.

The following facts related by H. G. Armitage are deserving of mention in this chapter: About two miles east of Kenesaw, on the farm of C. P. Mecham, can yet be seen the remains of what is called the "old government well." It was dug 100 feet deep and curbed with logs hauled from the Lit- tle Blue. Although dug in the "days of '49," it was still in good state of preservation when the first settlers came into the country. This well has a his- tory in connection with a " lone grave" three miles northwest of Kenesaw, where the old " overland " trail comes out of the bluffs into the Platte River Valley. The grave is about a quarter of a mile east of the old trail on the north side of a little hillock. A marble headstone marks the spot, upon which is the following inscription, "Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Susan C. Haile, of Lafayette Coun- ty, Mo., who died June-, 1852, aged -. "

The so-called "government well" was dug by a party for the purpose of selling water to thirsty trav-

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elers as they were passing over this divide between the Little Blue and Platte Rivers, a distance of about twenty miles. After leaving the Little Blue, travelers usually made it to this well at about noon. From an old "49er " it is learned that the proprie- tor of this well was massacred one morning by the Indians, and the well poisoned. Mr. Haile and his wife passing along the trail a few days afterward used of the water and both became violently sick. They succeeded, however, in getting as far on their way as where the "lone grave" is found. Mr. Haile recovered, but his wife died in the night. The next morning Haile took off his wagon-box, and making a coffin from it buried his wife. He then drove back to Omaha, procured the marble head- stone, brought it back and marked the long and lonely resting place of his departed companion.

Indian treaties were made with the Otoes, Mis- souris, Iowas and Pawnees, by the officers of the Missouri Fur Company, as early as 1809. On Jan- nary 5, 1812, a treaty between the United States and the Pawnees was negotiated; on December 26, 1815, the Mahas and Iowas ratified a talk held dur- ing the year. Two years later the Otoes ratified a treaty; while on January 7, 1819, a treaty with the. Grand Pawnees and Noisy Pawnees was negotiated, and on January 17, 1819, the Republican Pawnees entered into treaties of peace with the young repub- lic. Benjamin O'Fallon was the prime agent of the United States in the negotiations. December 30, 1825, the Kansas tribe ceded a large traet of terri- tory here, and on April 12, 1834, the Grand Paw- nees, Pawnee Loups, Republican Pawnees and Pawnee Tappaye (then residing on the Platte and Loup Fork) ceded all their territory south of the Platte River. The latter treaty was rendered easy of negotiation by the fact that, in 1832, the terrible epidemic, small-pox, carried away the Pawnees and other Indians of this section in large numbers, while the Delawares destroyed their town on the Republi- can River and killed hundreds of the residents. In 1833 the remnant of this once great tribe moved north of the Platte, where they were found when the Congressional act of June 30, 1834, designated Ne- braska as Indian Territory.

The Sioux, Cheyennes and Pawnees may be

termed the original inhabitants of this section, within the historic period at least-the Sioux inhab- iting the plains at will. Through it passed the Fre- mont trail of later days; but owing to the fact that Fort Kearney was only forty miles away, the sav- ages held aloof from this section when in war paint, except during the Civil War, and especially in 1864, when the general attack along the trail was carried out. Evidences of a massacre were observed four miles south of Juniata some years ago ; while in the fall of 1870, four of the five emigrants, forming a little party, were killed by the savages. In the his- tory of Clay County the story of the attack on Spring Ranche and other points bordering on the present county of Adams, is related at length from the reminiscences of James Bainter.

Mr. Bainter relates the following anecdote: "Early in the spring of 1866 a man named Cline and myself were trapping near where Ayr now stands, in what is known as Fleming's grove. One morning, while cooking breakfast, two Sioux ap- peared, and asked for something to eat. After finishing the meal they began packing our furs and, putting them on my pony, started off with our prop- erty. I made up my mind not to submit to it, and, as I had just taken from the Dutch oven a hot cake, I concealed a knife therein and followed them. Near the camp was an icy place, and round it the Indian, leading my pony, went, while the other went straight across. Thus they lost sight of each other. I had nearly overtaken the one with the pony when I made a slight noise and he turned and stopped. As I came up to him, I offered the bread, which, with a sardonic grin, he reached to take, and, as he did so, I drew my knife and struck him with it. As he fell I struck him across the throat and killed him withont attracting the attention of his com- panion. I followed Indian number two, and before he was aware of my presence shot him dead, and thus saved our furs and my pony."

For the purposes of this chapter the following memoir of Mortimer N. Kress, the actual pioneer of the county, is given. The story is based on his own relation of names and events.

Mortimer N. Kress, or Bill Kress, as he was sometimes called by companions or friends, in the

Respectfully No LElion

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early days when the State of Nebraska was one vast wilderness-was born in Lycoming County, Pa., near Williamsport, in 1841. He was the youngest of thirteen children forming the family of George and Eliza (Dunlap) Kress. His father, a native of the United States, was born in 1799. He followed farming, and was a successful business man until his death in 1873. The senior Mrs. Kress died in 1846, leaving Mortimer, the youngest son, who then was only five years old. an orphan. lhe had some schooling up to the age of eleven years, when he took a notion to see some of the world. Ile was thrown on his own resources mostly, and while still young saw a great deal of life. lle enlisted in 1861, in answer to the first call, in Company E, First Pennsylvania Cavalry, under Col. George Bayard, and served under Fremont in what was commonly known as the Army of Virginia. He was in all the battles after Bull Run fought by the eastern army. His regiment traveled 4,500 miles while in the ser- vice, and he was all the way with Sheridan on his raid, and on June 9, 1863, was injured at Brandy Station, receiving a sabre wound in the shoulder. He remained with his company, and during the day was taken prisoner, and escaped three times. The sabre wound proved to be serious, but he still con- tinued with the company until he received his dis- charge, in December, 1864. He offered to remain with the reorganized company, but exposure and hard fighting had so militated against his health that he was not received.

Returning to the place of his youth, the old home in Lycoming County, Pa., he remained a few months, and in the spring of 1865, being of an active nature, moved westward and located at Den- ver, Col., where he stopped a short time. There his life as a plainsman and trapper commenced. Mr. Kress passed over what is now Adams County in 1865. The plains seemed to be his home ; he loved them and they agreed with him, even as well as did most of his friends and acquaintances. Mr. Kress was a young, active men-few men on the plains were his equal at anything he undertook to do. He had a good, strong constitution and a large amount of native pluck. In following the life of a trapper he traveled all over the western country. In

the spring of 1867 he was through this section of the State and at Thirty-two Mile Creek, the supposed site of the great Indian massacre, was told of a man be- ing found dead there, but states there is no reason to suppose any wholesale slaughter occurred at that place, as is reported. Subsequently he went all over the State, and through Kansas, Colorado, In- dian Territory and Texas. In these varions locali- ties he mingled with the different tribes of Indians, and became familiar with each language, and was engaged in trading with them a great part of the time. Traflic with the Indians proved to be a busi- ness that had some profit, for at times he would accumulate a large amount of money, that was in- vested in some venture. During his wanderings he found the Republican River to be a good trapping- ground, and located there. While engaged at that business he became acquainted with MI. J. Fouts (California Joe), they later hunting and trapping together. In 1869, while looking for some stray mules he had lost, Mr. Kress wandered into Adams County. He admired the country for several reasons; it would give him a home near to his field of action, and as it was necessary to have a home somewhere for the summer months, he concluded to take up a claim in Adams County. He went back and in- formed his companion of the intention, and they in company came and located claims in Little Blue Township, the claim of Mr. Kress being on what is now Section 13, Township 5, Range 9. It is still owned by him. M. J. Fouts also settled on the same section. At the time of their location there were no settlers in what is now this county. The county took in half of what is now Hall County, and a few men had chosen sites up Thirty-two Mile Creek, in the latter county. After settling, Mr. Kress went to take out his papers for the claim, and found that, aside from Fouts' and his, only two en- tries had heen made, his numbering the fourth in the county. In the winter of 1869 and spring of 1870 Kress built a hewed log-house. He commenced to improve his claim, and in 1870 turned over fifty acres of sod, and had it well stocked. The summer of 1870 he remained on the claim and farmed. In the winter he engaged in trapping on the Republican River. lle found it very profitable as well as en-

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joyable employment, his yearly income from wolf pelts amounting to a large snm. In the winter, leaving his ranch in charge of a man employed to look after bis stock, it was his custom to go to the Republican River, there staying and hunting buffalo, deer, antelope, and trap the wolves, otter, beaver and mink. Some of these trips took him a long way from home. He led the life of a scout and hunter from his first settlement in the county until 1880, sometimes absenting himself from this region a number of months. On one of these occasions he drove from Texas, and never a day passed that he did not see and talk with some of his former acquaint- ances or border friends. He was scouting on Big Piney Creek when Fort Kearney was built, and assisted in its construction. Mr. Kress acted as scout for Gen. Miles and Gen. Mckenzie in 1874.

In the early spring of 1873 the country was aroused by the report that the Indians were coming down to take the life of Wild Bill, who was then at his claim in Little Blue Township, for the shoot- ing of Whistler, the chief of the Sioux. The in- habitants of the county were much alarmed, and some of them threatened to hang Bill if they could find him. All this time Bill was on friendly terms with the Indians, and was in no danger, although circumstances did point rather strongly against him. The story in effect is as follows: In the spring of 1873, Bill was camped on the Republican River trapping, when he fell in with one named Jack Ral- ston. The latter was a man of good education, and had been on the successful side of life at one time ; but becoming too familiar with the bottle, he had chosen to remove to the wild west to reform. Bill took him in and shared his gains with him. One day about the latter part of March, Bill and his com- panion crossed the river, and while hunting in the timber came upon a dead mule. Shortly after two Indian ponies were found, which they took with them over the river to camp. A few days later, the weather being cold and wet and the two companions having just finished their evening meal, three In- dians came into their camp, and asked for food and lodging. Bill offered them the remains of the sup- per, pancakes, cold meat and coffee. But Ralston being of a somewhat kind nature, wanted to enter-

tain them more royally and give them a hot supper. Bill knew that the supply of coffee and sugar and salt would not last but a few days, and not wishing to run short, differed from him. The difficulty ended in Ralston being kicked ont of the camp. He took one of the ponies and went to some of the small trading places in the upper part of the county, and there traded the pony for a plug of tobacco, a square meal and a half gallon of good old whisky, which was too freely imbibed, with the result that he told a very nice story about Bill and himself killing the three Indians who had come into their camp. At about this time Whistler was killed, and one of the ponies proved to be his. Suspicion was naturally attached to Mr. Kress. Ralston could not be found. Kress was not arrested, and the Indians did not make any attempt to kill him. In fact, Snow Flake, who took Whistler's place, thanked him for the favor he supposed he had done him. Mr. Kress was elected or appointed constable in the early days before the county was organized, and served in that capacity while at home.

The first deaths that occurred in Adams County were two parties named Robbins and Lumos, young men who settled in 1870 on the Blue, and the same year were killed by a man alleged to be Jake Haynes. There was no doubt of the fact that Haynes did the work, but he was cleared, and a few weeks later was hung for stealing a mule in Kansas.

In 1873 the first load of grain was taken to Hastings to market-wheat raised by W. S. Mont. Kress had brought wheat into the county for seed, and raised the first crop, though this was not marketed. The first couple who were married after settling in the county were Eben Wright and Susan Gates. Mr. Kress took them to Grand Island on October 10, 1870, where the ceremony was per- formed. The first marriage in the county proper by a white man was Roderic Lomas and Lila War- wick, married by her father, John Warwick, who also preached the first sermon in Mr. Kress' log house in 1870.

The first birth was a child born to Frank Lucy and wife in the spring of 1870. A man by the name of Cecil started a small general supply store m 1871 on the Blue, in Little Blue Township. Mr.

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Kress shot his last buffalo in Adams County in 1873. but up to 1880 continued to hunt in the Republican Valley.

California Joe, or Jerome Fouts, and Mortimer Kress, settled in Adams County in 1864 and 1867, respectively, and on March 5, 1870, located claims in the southeast part of the county, where they re- mained for about three years when they resumed scouting, but later returned to their lands. In the summer and fall of 1870 there came thither among others-Charles Mont, James Bainter, (referred to in the history of Clay County), Charles Bird, W. S. Mont, J. W. King, Charles and Volney Jones, S. L. Brass, Isaac Stark, the Ballons, and Titus Bab- cock and others. named in the history of Juniata.

Mr. Fouts, who as stated homesteaded 160 acres on Section 11, of Little Blue Township, was born in Hancock County, Ill., in 1848, the oldest of seven children of David and Emaline (Perry) Fouts, of Pennsylvania and Maine, respectively. The former when a young man located in Illinois, but in 1852 went to California, settling at Cloverdale, whence he removed to Seattle, Wash., his present home, his wife having died in California in 1877. In 1863 Jerome enlisted in the First Nevada Cavalry, took part in the Indian warfare, and after two years and eight months of service was discharged at Camp Douglass, Utah. His subsequent history partakes largely of experiences on the plains; hunting, trap- ping, fighting the savages, frontier life in all its phases have combined to make him a sturdy son of the West. His wife, formerly Maria Wiswell, has borne six children. As one of Adams' first settlers Mr. Fouts is well and favorably known.

F. M. Lucy, who entered his homestead on the Little Blue, March 5, 1870, claims the honor of be- ing the first homesteader of Adams County. J. R. Carter, of Little Blue, was the third person to settle in Adams County, September, 1870, and his wife, Elizabeth, was the first white woman who ever made a home here. In October they saw their first vis- itors-two men who stayed with them that night, next day went on their claim and next night were murdered by white murderers-as stated in the rem- iniscences of Mr. Kress. On the authority of a statement made in February, 1884, by Rev. J. W,

Warwick, it is said that William II. Kress, who resided on Section 10, Township 5, Range 9, was the first settler who died in Adams County and received Christian burial. This occurred in the fall of 1871. Mrs. Eliza (Warwick) Knoll was the first person married here, Rev. Warwick officiating. The first deed recorded in Adams County was that by John and Margaret Stark, to Charles F. Morse, dated October 31, 1971, conveying the northeast quarter of Section 12, Township 7, Range II, in consideration of $500.

The list of personal property owners and polls in the year 1872, with the amount of assessment in each case, is as follows : Edwin M. Allen ; * E. N. Adams, $125; Pliny Allen, $150; Paul Abney, $175; Louis Abney, $140; Adna H. Bowen, as- sessed $1,800 for 120 lots at Juniata, and Titus Babcock, $15 for one lot, the tax per lot being $2.79; C. C. and R. D. Babcock, four lots and other property valued at $510; Titus Babcock, $200; Peter H. Babcock, $200; Austin Banker ;* John W. Bradner ;* William Bahl; * George Bea- man, $175; Stephen B. Bonfield, $125; H. H. Ballou, $95 ; Judson Burwell, $130; G. W. Briggs, $350; Nathan L. Brass, $165; Samuel L. Brass (128 lots at Juniata were assessed $15 each, yield- ing a tax of $2.79), $75; Charles Bird, $125; James Beasley, $200; J. H. Bachman, $165; An- drew Clute, $150; John S. Chandler, $210; Charles M. Cranson; * John Clarkson, $125; George Carr, $50; James Carr, $5; W. W. Camp, $140; C. H. Chapman, $510; I. R. Carter, $246; John B. Cecil, $316; Jacob Calhoun, $228; II. A. DeWolf; * H. A. Dean, $10; William Derrick, $5; Ira G. Dillon, 850; R. K. Daily, $601; James Donaldson, $5; P. Duncan, $390; F. Ernest, $255; G. Edgerton, 8800; Thomas Fleming, $234; Wilkinson Farrar, $200; William Gardner, 85; A. T. Gales, $383; J. T. Gault, $210; S. P. Howland, $50; John Hur- son ; * N. B. Hamp, $110; Joseph Hopkins, $20; J. H. Hummel, $105; William A. Henderson & Co., $400; George Henderson, $150; Orland Hudson; * John Huston, $240; Joseph Horgan, $20; Simeon Johnson, $105; William J. Jones & Co., $190; J. M. Jacobson, $700, and one lot at Juniata ; Thomas

* Amount not known.

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Jolinson ;* J. W. Keatley, 875; Charles Kilburn; * E. S. Knapp, $120; W. L. Kemp, $155; William Kelley, $225; L. G. King, $185; Lewis Keith, $320; William Kress, $280; George Kuder, $5; R. S. Langley, $135; M. C. Lindsey ;* William Lawden, $125; F. Lenbye, $10; John G. Moore, 8125; Walter Meeklin, $50; Isaac Mattie, $260; John M. Meyer, $50; Clark S. Morrison ; * Henry McKelva, $20; D. Monroe, Jr .;* M. Mckenzie; * Joseph Meeklin, $245; James McCleary, $35; H. B. Munson, $445; W. S. Moote, $178; A. T. Matheson ; * Charles Muntz, $20; Robert Mason, $110; John Avery, $288; H. J. Parkin, $145; John Plank, $140; N. G. Platt ;* C. Peters, $75; Albert D. Rust; * George Robbins, $175; Oliver C. Rogers, $180; J. W. Roby, $180; B. E. Swift, $20; Ezra Shaw; " Henry Skinner, $105; . Jacob A. Swift, $130; D. E. Salsbury, $55 ; Frank Salsbury, $55; Isaac W. Stark; 8140; John Stark, $95; Menzo Snyder ;* John Skinner, $125 ; William Sten- house ; * James H. Sweeting, $75; Isaiah Sluyter, $25; Simeon Sinclair ;* James Sinclair ;* W. W. Sellick, $282; A. M. Sachem; * John F. Shafer, 8423; Milton Scott, $722; Edmund Spelekner, $125; A. M. Suckett ;* B. H. Scott ;* Thomas Tisit, $50; Thomas B. Wilks ;* George Wilks; * Robert Wright; * William White; * Thomas E. Watts, $125; Amos Wetherby, $5; E. Wyatt; * Eben Wright, $95; D. L. Winters, $206; C. W. Wilson, $260; W. M. West, $861; John Woods, $160; M. Wilson, $35; William Wallace, $125; and John Yager, $150.

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Author: Goodspeed Brothers Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co. Number of Pages: 820

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 820