USA > Nebraska > Buffalo County > Buffalo County, Nebraska, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 15
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1873-F. R. Woods, Hannah Jay, Geo. E. Norris, J. N. Keller, J. W. Bradley, W. J. Perkins, J. G. Carson, E. P. McDonald, J. C. Bunnell, J. R. Hurst, J. Carr, A. E. Russell, J. H. Hollenbeck, E. Spencer, W. Smart, A. W. Reddish, Wm. Swartwood, W. C. Griffith, A. H. Connor, J. A. Smith, M. Smidt, W. S. Gregory, W. C. Turner, Max Boetsch, J. Williams, Walter Colby.
1874-J. W. Nash, C. Baumgartner, M. M. White, C. Israel, J. Fish, E. H. Wilcox, W. Hewitt, N. C. Honnold, E. L. Lull, P. Keefer, F. Reynolds, H. W. Ross.
1875-M. N. Hildebrand, J. B. Wicker, J. R. King, C. Larson, Ole Larson, B. Tuesdale, C. Abrandt, W. B. Brown, Wm. Moner, T. C. Roberts.
1876-John Pfrom, C. S. Hill, S. S. Hill, C. W. Porter, L. Wenzell, T. S. Nightengale.
1877-H. H. Magill.
1878-N. Campbell, M. Nevius, H. E. Swan, H. Lantz, D. Lowenstein, C. L. A. Klatte, Julia Haven, C. C. Black, J. S. Atwood, John Barnes, Joseph Black, E. Kleber, J. M. Feather, James Cox, W. S. Slate.
1879-J. H. Lantz, H. Lowenstein, N. D. Bort, S. R. Black, I. J. Sommers, W. L. Nash, W. M. Guardian, M. Smith, A. J. Crossley, J. L. Seymour, A. Sheifeldt.
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
DIVIDE TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. 10, RANGE NO. 16
1872 -- Wm. Willard, W. Richardson, V. O. S. Reynolds, A. D. Raymond, W. F. Piercy, J. L. Chevaux.
1873-J. F. Young, S. Herod, A. E. Thomas, G. N. McKeen, M. J. Spry, I. Neff, E. A. Cutting, W. L. Willard, G. S. Duncan, I. S. Knight, Mrs. M. B. Fox, D. Inman, D. A. Dorsey, E. W. Thomas, C. A. McConkey, J. Joseph, A. L. Spry, J. Brown, S. A. Atwood, G. L. Bakewell, C. Lewis, B. C. Sprague, J. E. Spry, S. N. Spry, D. Vance, R. H. Eaton, H. W. Collins, T. G. Mclaughlin.
1874-T. J. McKee, H. Mitchell, G. Beal, H. Sievert, J. Ginther, C. Kirk, F. Siewert, F. Riesenweber, A. Davidson, F. Willoper, H. Baumgarn, S. Miller, T. Turney, J. Rilinger, A. H. Cleaveland, C. Bishop, John Swenson, J. Schutt.
1875-L. Logan, J. H. Harrison, L. N. Thorndike, D. H. Compton, J. Som- merville, Thomas Ginther, O. Neff, Wm. Hueselton, F. Weiss, A. Gartley, H. Randolph, C. Schandtz, E. Cuddebach, A. L. Hopwood, A. Ayers.
1876-L. G. Walter, N. Boquet, C. Stierlen, L. Brucker, A. A. Brucker, T. Hutchinson.
1877-V. H. Barrager, Robert Scheiching.
1878-F. Hone, Lydia P. Bever, A. Stedwell, Robt. Knittel, F. Juhl, C. Scheiching.
1879-Emory Peck, J. W. Lalone, W. H. Pettit, D. Hamilton, B. Koeppe, M. S. Stover, H. A. Wells, K. Holmes, Xaver Hoell, F. Juhl, G. Scheiching, Wm. Stover.
RUSCO TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. II, RANGE NO. 16
1873-E. M. Holly.
1874-A. Peake, John Wilson, L. H. Johnson, J. L. Scott, L. Allen, B. D. Graham, A. M. Morse, F. Boyer, J. H. Lockard.
1875-W. H. Jordon. 1876-W. Rusco.
1877-M. P. Baker, C. Scott.
I878-J. W. Phillips, A. D. Colwell.
1879-E. Beyer, J. A. Beyer, J. T. Field, A. O. Olsen, C. E. Field, S. A. Field, Kate M. Trott, F. M. Moore, J. Nickman.
LOUP TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. 12, RANGE NO. 16
1874-H. F. Hand, J. T. Palmer, L. A. Colburn, C. B. Oakley, N. Dick, N. A. Brunce, J. Welch, H. H. Clark.
1876-E. Colburn, J. C. Carr, John Sheckler.
1878-C. F. Madsen, J. H. Booher, R. Reiter, J. J. Parks, C. A. Turner, O. Holnies, J. Pearson, I. Holmes, D. A. Parks.
1879-H. H. Smith, E. Reiter, D. A. Peterson, J. F. Hunter, W. H. Sparks, J. Unick, D. Rohrbarer, C. E. Parks, F. Scholtz.
ODESSA TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. 9, RANGE NO. 17
Also that portion of town No. 8, range No. 17, embraced within the limits of Buffalo County.
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
1871-Dan A. Crowell, B. Allen Crowell.
1872-R. D. Gould, J. Zerk, D. Brown, E. Christianson, C. Christianson, J. F. Suplee, S. Tolefsen, R. Vails, S. W. Homer, Flora Thomas, H. Brown, J. B. Vincent, M. Fagley, H. F. Leonard, Wm. C. T. Kurth, Geo. W. Tovey, J. Ratliff, M. Homer, J. E. F. Vails, John D. Seaman.
1873-C. S. Greenman, E. N. Lord, Geo. D. Aspinwall, George Hall, R. F. Watters, Theadore Knox, James Sturrock, A. Ream, J. E. Chidester, J. Homer, Jr.
1874-James Halliwell, D. Harpst, John T. Brown, Edward Keltner, Wm. F. Reeves, J. M. Grant, Thomas Maloney.
1875-George Jones.
1876-H. Ransom, Catherine Edwards.
1878-F. W. Nickols, J. Vails, George A. Bailey, Susan C. Hurlburt, R. D. Gould, D. Hostetler, H. H. Achey, Susan Grant, L. C. Skelley, Ada Grant.
1879-J. Segard, John Davis, W. Broat, Cordelia M. Waite, J. B. Neal, John Work, George T. Broughton, Wm. H. McNett.
GRANT TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. 10, RANGE NO. 17
1872-John Groves, J. Atkinson, Jr., Richard Bell, J. J. Roberts.
1873-M. B. Hunt, W. White, E. S. Marsh, G. L. Kough, A. M. Mudge, J. K. Sanford, W. H. Brown, G. F. Hesselgrave, T. E. Foster, Wm. N. Brown.
1874-Wm. Grant, G. W. Coffman, A. Thompson, Lydia M. Mace, H. Coff- man, J. H. Coffman.
1875-H. A. Jules, G. H. Sand, D. Halsey, Charles Wandel, C. L. Hamilton. 1876-M. Butler, A. Clark, L. Major.
1877-Katie Lander, J. W. Brewster.
1878-Daniel Holden, P. H. Esler, M. E. Lathrop, H. L. Seaman, Pat Riley.
1879-J. H. Fisher, B. L. Mushrush, H. Brown, F. C. Almy, W. J. Clark, H. B. Gilbert, J. C. Douke, Wm. M. Hoover.
SCOTT TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. II, RANGE NO. 17
1873-Benjamin Scott, John Laro. 1874-W. Hanshen, J. P. Gilmore, James A. Betts.
1878-J. J. Moore, James Broadfoot.
1879-W. W. McLea, O. H. Lowery.
SARTORIA TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. 12, RANGE NO. 17
1878-B. Lee, Nels Lee, Mattie Stockdale.
1879-P. Pierce, W. Cook, C. Cook, W. J. Grant, George Pfeiffer.
ELM CREEK TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. 9, RANGE NO. IS
Also that portion of town No. 8, range No. 18, embraced within Buffalo County.
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
1871-A. F. Fraser, T. J. Holt; B. Foot, H. Ryan.
1872-Fannie Nevius, James Tyler, W. Shreve, R. M. Holt, M. Stout, F. Ryan, D. McAlister, W. S. Leake, J. E. Anderson, P. Hansen, D. T. Hood, W. V. Hoge, J. McKee, J. W. Stevens.
1873-H. B. Steele, John Tyler, D. C. Bond, D. Dooley, J. Degler.
1874-C. J. Swayne, H. T. Morton, J. Meach, J. Dane, J. Ulrich, William Dawns, J. T. Shufflebarger, Wm. Snell, F. Foster, J. DeKam, Charles Davis.
1875-L. Kocker, A. S. Leake, S. T. Wolf, A. Shufflebarger, J. Shufflebarger, Sarah J. Calkins, George Miller.
1876-G. W. House, J. P. Arndt. 1877-D. I. Brown.
ยท 1878-R. K. Potter, W. C. Shufflebarger, J. R. Churchill, M. Hurley.
1879-J. Somell, A. Straight, S. M. Tingley, H. Hobson, C. E. Holmes, L. Knapp, D. Browning, A. S. Sabin, L. P. Wells, J. Demuth, A. Jarchke, Thomas Bolan, N. O. Calkins, J. B. Wait.
LOGAN TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. IO, RANGE NO. IS
1878-C. A. Willis, Ella A. Willis. 1879-Anton Rager.
ARMADA TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. II, RANGE NO. IS
1873-H. C. Harbough, A. J. Fennell, Wm. Carr, R. Burney, Thomas Jeffry. 1874-John Mercer, J. H. Brown, Robert Miller, Oscar Hamilton.
1875-I. Lamb, J. F. Mackey.
1877-A. L. Armstrong.
1878-Wm. M. White, G. A. Roach, H. Zarrs.
1879-J. L. Abel, R. F. Simpson, F. B. Craps, A. F. Burt, H. T. West.
HARRISON TOWNSHIP-TOWN NO. 12, RANGE NO. 18
1879-John Hurse, J. W. Cassell, E. Miles, C. Olmstead, W. N. Wright, E. A. Woodbridge, Cannute Lee.
CHAPTER XXVII
FIRST FOURTII OF JULY PICNIC, 1872-HELD IN DUGDALE GROVE-SUNDAY SCHOOLS FROM BUFFALO AND HALL COUNTIES PARTICIPATE-500 CHILDREN IN ATTEND- ANCE-SAMUEL B. LOWELL, PRESIDENT-COL. I. D. NILES DELIVERS THE ORATION -PROF. D. B. WORLEY IN CHARGE OF MUSIC.
FIRST FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC
(From Buffalo County Beacon, July 13, 1872)
The day was ushered in by the booming of a big cottonwood log and the ringing of bells. It was one of those beautiful days only to be seen in Nebraska. The Sunday schools of Gibbon and Wood River Union (Centre Township) and their friends assembled at the schoolhouse in Gibbon at II A. M., where con- veyances were ready, for all who wished to participate, for the grove, situated about four miles east of town on grounds owned by Henry Dugdale. On arrival at the grove, we found it a cool and delightful place on the banks of Wood River, carefully cleaned of underbrush and fitted up with seats, swings, rostrum, etc. District No. I and Wood River Station (Hall County) schools were already on the ground. After a short time spent in preparation, the different schools, headed by their superintendents, marched into the grove, the Wood River School first, numbering sixty members and bearing a banner trimmed with colored rosettes and ribbon streamers. The center was the figure of an eagle of beautiful needle work, bearing in its beak a scroll inscribed with the national motto, "E Pluribus Unum." This banner was the work of Japanese men and was presented to the school by Doctor Patterson. Rufus Mitchell was superintendent of this school. Next in the procession came District No. I School numbering 115 members with Rev. J. N. Allen as superintendent. Then came the Gibbon School, 150 members, bearing a banner inscribed "Gibbon Sunday School" and on the reverse side "Holy Bible," the banner trimmed with evergreen, Rev. O. A. Buzzell superin- tendent. Last came the Wood River Union School, sixty-five members, carrying the Stars and Stripes, and a plain banner with the inscription "Union Sunday School" and on the reverse "God is Love," W. H. Kinney, superintendent.
The assemblage was called to order by the president of the day, S. B. Lowell. Rev. Wm. Morse offered an appropriate and impressive prayer. The audience then sang the national hymn, "America," led by Prof. D. B. Worley, who presided at the organ, this followed by the reading of the immortal declaration of inde- pendence by Rev. J. J. W. Place. The remaining exercises were as follows :
Song, "Beautiful River," by the Gibbon School.
Oration, Col. H. D. Niles.
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SAMUEL B. LOWELL
Early settler in Buffalo County. Pre- sided at first Fourth of July Sunday school pienie held in the county, 1972.
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
The afternoon exercises consisted of a musical selection by Prof. D. B. Worley ; an address by Rev. J. N. Allen and recitations by Misses Edith George, Flora Sprague, Carrie Marsh and Flossie Day. * * It would have taken a great stretch of the imagination to have pictured to the mind the scene which actually took place on the Fourth at Dugdale's Grove. Not less than five hundred children assembled and singing praises to God where eighteen months before the wild Indians roamed at pleasure and herds of buffalo occupied the very grounds the picnic was held on. It shows with what a bound civilization has advanced over the prairies of Nebraska within a short period of time. May the children who took part in the first celebration of our national holiday in Buffalo County live to see many more such.
CHAPTER XXVIII
THIE COUNTY SEAT-THE FIRST COURTHOUSE-HAULING WOOD FROM THE LOUP RIVER-FIRST TERM OF COURT-LIST OF GRAND AND PETIT JURORS-OFFICERS OF THE COURT-BOUNDARIES OF JUDICIAL DISTRICT-REMOVAL OF COUNTY SEAT -- BUILDING A SECOND COURTHOUSE-USING THE OLD COURTHOUSE-ACADEMY AT GIBBON-BAPTIST COLLEGE-UNITED BRETHREN COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE-COM- MERCIAL COLLEGES-FARMER'S INSTITUTE.
THE COUNTY SEAT
When on the first day of December, 1869, Governor David Butler called a special election to be held in Buffalo County, in order to reorganize the county, he designated that the election be held at the schoolhouse in Precinct No. 1, which was in the immediate vicinity of Wood River Center, and thus Wood River Center became the county seat of the reorganized county.
At this point, in the dwelling of Patrick Walsh, in an ironbound box, secured from Fort Kearney by Sergt. Michael Coady and presented to the county, all the records of the county were kept, the same being in possession of County Judge Patrick Walsh. The official meetings of the county commissioners were held at this point, Wood River Center, until the arrival of the colony in April, 1871. On May 13, 1871, a meeting of the commissioners was held at Gibbon. At this meeting the commissioners authorized the holding of their meetings at Gibbon, it being a more convenient point. About this date, Sergt. Michael Coady, county clerk, who resided at Fort Kearney, being in the military service of the United States, appointed Frank S. Trew, deputy county clerk and the county records were placed in Mr. Trew's keeping. George Gilmore had erected a cheap frame building, 12 by 16 feet in size as a land office. This building was used also by Mr. Trew as a land office and in this building was kept the county records and it was also used by the county as the office of the county clerk, county judge and county treasurer, Patrick Walsh being county judge and by appointment county treasurer. At the regular election held October 10, 1871, the county seat was, by vote, located at Gibbon. At the same election Aaron Ward was elected county clerk, Edward Oliver, treasurer; C. Putnam, superintendent of schools; O. E. Thompson, sheriff ; B. F. Sammons, and W. F. McClure, commissioners. As recalled Frank S. Trew served as deputy county treasurer. On May 22, 1872, the county records were transferred to a building erected for a private residence, being at this date ( 1915) the residence of Mr. F. M. Riggs. On this removal the county clerk was authorized to expend not to exceed $50 for a desk and other furniture for his office. The county offices and county records were kept in this
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
building, for which a rental of $io per month was paid by the county until February, 1873, when on the completion of the new courthouse the offices and records were transferred to that building.
THE COURTHOUSE
On April 20, 1872, the commissioners, W. F. McClure and B. F. Sammons, ordered a special election to vote on the proposition of issuing courthouse bonds. This election was held May 7, 1872, and resulted as follows :
For bonds, 121 ; against bonds, 55; majority for bonds, 66. On June 8, 1872, Charles F. Driscoll, an architect from Omaha, appeared before the commis- sioners and was authorized to furnish plans and specifications for the courthouse building. He received for drawing plans and specifications the sum of $423.
To build this courthouse there was issued $20,000 in bonds, bearing 10 per cent interest and dated July 1, 1872. They were twenty-year bonds, optional after ten years. It might be of interest to state that these bonds, are still unpaid (1908) ; they were refunded in 1888 at 7 per cent interest ; in 1893, refunded at 5 per cent interest ; in 1899 at 3 60-100 per cent interest. The interest on these bonds from July 1, 1872, to date, 1908, approximates $51,480. The original bonds were sold to Farr & Trew, bankers at Gibbon, for 871/2 cents, that being 5 cents higher than the bid of any other bidder.
The county, received in cash for these bonds. .$17,500
The county has paid, approximately, in interest. 51,480
The county has yet to pay on bonds. 20,000
On July 13, 1872, ten bids were received for the construction of the court- house and jail, the jail being in the basement of the building. The contract was awarded to H. B. Dexter of Omaha to complete the building for $16,925. Mr. Dexter further agreeing that the brick would be manufactured at Gibbon. Mr. Dexter at once began the construction of the courthouse. The stone for the foundation and the lumber to be used were shipped from Omaha. The brick were made from clay and sand found in the immediate vicinity of Gibbon and it was planned to burn the brick with wood procured from the Loup River in the north part of the county, a distance of about twenty-five miles by the route neces- sarily traveled. The contract to cut the wood was taken by W. F. McClure and he was assisted by John Silvernail and Samuel Mattice. J. S. Chamberlain took the contract to haul the wood at $6 a cord and among those who hauled wood for this purpose were J. S. Chamberlain, W. W. Gibson, S. C. and B. C. Bassett. Bray Brothers and W. F. McClure. McClure hauled with a horse team, the rest with oxen. With three yoke of oxen two cords of wood could be hauled at a load. by doubling the teams from the Loup through the sand, a distance of about four miles. There was a drive of about twenty miles without water, making it necessary to drive in the night a portion of the trip as the oxen could not stand it without water if driven in the heat of the day. It required three days, with good luck, to make the trip with oxen, and it usually took longer as breakdowns occurred or wagon tires became loose, often in the night, when the wheel must be taken off, the tire heated over a wood fire, strips of burlap tacked on the wagon
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
wheel felloe and the tire, when heated as hot as the green wood would heat it, crowded back on the wheel and cooled with all the water carried in the little five gallon kegs used on such trips. A loose tire was greatly dreaded as it meant a delay of some hours. The wood cut for this purpose was both cottonwood and oak. It was cut on the south side of the Loup, opposite the mouth of Beaver Creek on section 9, Garfield Township, the timber being on an island in the bend of the river and had thus been protected from prairie fires by having water on both sides of the timber.
There was no money in hauling this wood at $6 a cord and the last brick made were burned with coal, it being impossible to develop sufficient heat with the green wood. It might be mentioned that in tearing down this courthouse in 1908, brick used in the inside walls were found that had not been heated sufficiently hot in the making or burning to destroy the grass roots that had grown in the clay of which the brick had been made. Some of the men who hauled wood on this contract carried at times nothing but green corn to eat on the trip, and while green corn is a most toothsome article of food, especially as a side dish where a variety of foods comprise the meal, yet when one has corn for breakfast, corn for dinner, corn for supper, corn, corn, corn, it somehow loses its delicious tooth- some flavor, especially when eaten cold. In the drive of about twenty miles, without water, in hot weather and hauling a heavy load, the oxen sometimes became so thirsty as to become unmanageable and it was necessary to unhitch from the load and go some miles to the water. At such times the oxen, frantic with thirst, would break away and bawling run like mad for water and drink till it seemed their hides would burst.
One serious accident occurred in the building of the courthouse. While work- ing in a sand pit on the north side of Wood River, to secure sand for the con- struction of the building, the sand caved in and thereby William Brady lost his life. Mr. Brady was a member of the colony, a soldier of the Civil war, Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-third New York Infantry. His death occurred on September 17, 1872. He left a wife and four small children and none of the early settlers had a more arduous, laborious struggle than did Mrs. William Brady to support and educate her family of children. She met this struggle, extending over many years, with fidelity and true courage and success crowned her efforts.
Just when the courthouse was completed the county records do not show. Final settlement was made with Mr. Dexter, the contractor, on April 1, 1873. The first meeting held in the new courthouse was on Washington's birthday, February 22, 1873. It was a public gathering of the people on the occasion it now seems, of the formal acceptance of the courthouse. The gathering was in the evening and among the other exercises was an address by Col. H. D. Niles, a local attorney. The exercises concluded with a dance, music for the same being furnished by the Thomas Brothers Orchestra, George, Aleck and Thorn Thomas, homesteaders living in the eastern part of the county. The first entry in the journal of the District Court in and for Buffalo County, is as follows: "The first term of District Court was called (as the law provided) for March 3, 1873. Judge failed to appear therefore I adjourn District Court until March 4, 1873 .- Aaron Ward, clerk of the District Court in and for Buffalo County, Nebraska." The court was adjourned from day to day until March 6th when an order was
BUFFALO COUNTY COURTHOUSE, KEARNEY
T : 41 F
E
FIRST COURTHOUSE IN BUFFALO COUNTY ERECTED AT GIBBON IN 1873
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
received from Judge Maxwell adjourning court until April 3, 1873. This order was issued from Plattsmouth, Nebr.
In the Buffalo County Beacon of March 22, 1873, is given the names of grand and petit jurors, drawn to serve at the ensuing term of the District Court to be held at Gibbon on the 3d of April next: Grand Jury-A. D. George, J. P. Smith, A. Clark, F. D. Boardman, Miles B. Hunt, W. H. Kinney, Ed Oliver, Henry Dugdale, H. Hilficker, Aaron Scott, J. E. Judd, H. Fieldgrove, D. P Crable, J. N. Keller, DeWitt Brown, S. W. Grant. Petit jury-G. Flehearty, George Hoge, David Harpst, William Patterson, E. S. Marsh, B. F. Sammons, Ira D. Bishop, George Norris, W. H. Barnes, J. Danner, C. O. Childs, Miller H. Fagley, I. C. Starbuck, W. C. Sunderland, L. B. Cunningham, D. B. Allen, S. S. Curry, David Anderson, G. W. Tovey, Charles Lisch, Barnley Foot, E. T. Jay, Robert Goar, W. Hewitt.
In regard to the first term of the District Court the journal records as fol- lows: "At the adjourned March term, 1873, of the District Court of the Third Judicial District in and for Buffalo County, Nebraska, held at the courthouse in Gibbon in said county on the 3d day of April, 1873. Present Samuel Maxwell, judge of said court: M. B. Hoxie, district attorney ; O. E. Thompson, sheriff ; and Aaron Ward, clerk of said court." The sheriff read the names of (grand) jurors summoned by him and the follow reported present : A. D. George, J. P. Smith, A. Clark, W. H. Kenney, H. Dugdale, H. Hilficker, Aaron Scott, H. Field- grove, D. P. Crable and S. W. Grant. The court ordered that the sheriff com- plete the panel by selecting talesmen from those present, resulting as follows : J. W. Wiggins, S. V. Seeley, C. Putnam, J. M. Bayley, T. Q. George and P. K. Drury. C. Putnam was appointed foreman and the jury duly sworn and instructed. The first case was C. B. Parsons vs. Simon Murphy. The plaintiff filed stipulation and the case was settled without going to a jury. Henry D. Niles presented a certificate from the District Court of Ohio and was duly admitted to practice as an attorney. Norton H. Hemiup presented a diploma from the Supreme Court of the State of New York and was admitted to practice in this district. C. B. Parsons presented a certificate from Iowa and was duly admitted. James A. Smith was also admitted to practice upon presenting his certificate from Indiana. The grand jury reported "no indictments" and the jail in a satis- factory condition. It does not appear that a petit jury was impaneled and doubt- less the only case before the court was the one mentioned. There is a tradition that at this term of court Judge Maxwell was presented with a pair of gloves or mittens as a token of respect and esteem as well as a souvenir of the occasion. If this be true the judge had need of them if he was out of doors on the wind swept prairies of the state on the 14th and 15th days of the same month when raged the memorable storm of '73.
At this first term of District Court held in the county it is interesting to note, so far as can be learned, whence came these persons who had a part in the holding of the term of court, representing as it did "The majesty of the law." The judge of the court, the clerk and three members of the grand jury, including the foreman were from the State of New York, the sheriff and one member of the jury natives of England, and of the other members of the jury, three came from Pennsylvania, three from Massachusetts, two from Ohio, and one from Missouri.
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
As the writer recalls from memory Messrs. F. G. Hamer, A. H. Connor and D. Westervelt were practicing attorneys in the county although their names are not mentioned as being in attendance at this term of court: Including these among the attorneys, three, Messrs. Connor, Hamer, and Smith, came from Indiana, Mr. Hemiup from New York, Mr. Niles from Ohio and Mr. Parsons from Iowa. Mr. Niles was the only attorney residing at Gibbon, his office being in the courthouse; the other attorneys resided at Kearney Junction. Of the twenty-three persons mentioned in the court record as performing duties in con- nection with the holding of this first term of District Court at least thirteen of the number were soldiers of the Civil war.
In the Civil war it was the custom in the formation of brigades, divisions and corps, to include in these formations regiments from many different states, as it tended to a spirit of emulation and inspiration reaching to every officer and private connected with a regiment. This spirit-pride of birth, country, state, what e'er one pleases to term it, pervades all classes, even those engaged in the making and execution of the law. Able attorneys, learned judges are inclined to give more weight, to place a greater degree of dependence upon a statute or a decision of the court coming from their own native state, and especially is it true that legislators are extremely jealous as regards the superiority of the laws in force in the state whence they came. In the making and executing of the law some of the results, that to a "layman" seems wholly unexplainable, when traced back to the original source are found to have had as a first cause this same spirit before referred to. The township organization law, en- acted by the Nebraska Legislature in 1883 is a case in point as regards the making of the laws. This law, as a whole, required things to be done which it was utterly impossible to do. On investigation it was found that the committee which framed this law was composed of men who came from various states, New York, Ohio, Iowa, etc., having township organization and each member of the committee considered the law of his native state in this respect much the best. The result was that the Nebraska law was made up of sections taken bodily from the statutes of the states mentioned without careful supervision to make sure the various provisions would harmonize as a whole ; the result, the requiring of impossible things to be done. This spirit of emulation on the part of early settlers, coming as they did from many different states, together with the fact that they were all, men and women, comparatively young, also hopeful, ambitious, courageous, has had much to do with the wonderful growth and development of the county and state.
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