USA > Nebraska > Buffalo County > Buffalo County, Nebraska, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 7
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Until about the year 1864 the buildings at the Boyd Ranch were of logs with dirt roof. Soon after the stampede in 1864, it is related, Mr. Boyd went to Missouri and purchased twenty-four mule teams, all young mules; he also bought new harness and new wagons with the intention of engaging in the freighting business. Among the first freight brought out from the Missouri River by Mr. Boyd's teams was lumber with which a frame house was erected on the Boyd Ranch. This would not be considered a very pretentious structure
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in these days, but it was something entirely out of the ordinary in those days, being the first frame house in the county.
On December 2, 1863, ground was first broken, near Omaha, for the building of the Union Pacific Railroad, but it was not until 1865 that much progress had been made in the grading and construction of this road. In 1865-66 Mr. Boyd secured a large contract for grading on the railroad in which work he found profitable use for the mule teams he had purchased in Missouri. At the close of the first year's work of grading Mr. Boyd informed one of his neighbors that he had cleared $20,000 on his contract that season. This neighbor states that Mr. Boyd cleared at least one hundred thousand dollars on his contracts for grading on the Union Pacific Railroad. The land comprising the Boyd Ranch was first purchased from the United States by Joseph Boyd, his deed from the United States bearing date of December 10, 1867, and is signed by Andrew Johnson, President. Joseph Boyd paid for this land in "land script," issued to Private Thomas Davis in Captain Henry's company, Georgia Militia, War of 1812. This land script was first assigned to William Henly and by him to Joseph Boyd. Land script, as here mentioned, was issued by the general Gov- ernment to soldiers of both the Revolutionary war and War of 1812 for serv- ices in those wars. This script was negotiable and could be used in securing title to Government lands. Joseph Boyd deeded this land to James E. Boyd for a consideration of $500, the deed bearing date of April 5, 1867. On April 8, 1874, James E. Boyd deeded the Boyd Ranch to Asahel Eddy for a considera- tion of $2,500. From the first establishment of this ranch, at least as early as IS53, continuously until its sale to Mr. A. - Eddy in 1874, it is believed the sale of intoxicating liquors formed a regular part of the business of the ranch. After the arrival of the colony at Gibbon in 1871 there was a saloon located close beside the old brewery cellar on this ranch.
Few people realize the immense number of emigrants that have passed over the California-Oregon-Utah Trail across what is now the State of Nebraska. A very large per cent of these emigrants traveled the trail north of the Platte River and thus passing the Boyd Ranch, though it was probably not known by that name until about the year 1858 when the Boyds first came to Buffalo County. In order to give at least some idea of the emigrant travel over this trail we quote a few illustrations from Morton History, Vol. II: "In 1845 Col. S. W. Kearny estimated that 850 men, 475 women, 1,000 children, with 460 wagons, 7,000 cattle and 400 horses had emigrated by the Oregon Trail that year. Major Cross, in the report of the march of the regiment of mounted riflemen to Oregon in 1849, estimates that from 8,000 to 10,000 wagons passed over the trail that season, with an average of 4 people and seldom less than 10 oxen to each wagon, nearly all bound for California. In 1852 an agent of the Indian Department reported passing at least 500 wagons on the trail each day. In 1859 the secre- tary of the Columbus Ferry Company at Loup Fork (this ferry was over the Loup River near the present City of Columbus) reported that up to June 25th of that year 1,987 wagons, 20 hand carts, 5,401 men, 424 women, 480 children, 1,610 horses, 406 mules, 6,010 oxen and 6,000 sheep had crossed at that point. This statement included no portion of the Mormon emigration, but merely Cali- fornia, Oregon and Pike's Peak emigrants. It was thought that not less than
JAMES E. BOYD Governor of Nebraska, 1891-92. Proprietor of Boyd's Ranch one mile east of Gibbon. This ranch was established about 1846
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:
4,000 wagons had passed over the trail north of the Platte from March 29th to June 25th."
In 1860 a stage line-Western Stage Company-was established from Iowa to Fort Kearney, via Omaha. The Boyd Ranch was a stage station on this route. In 1866 came the Union Pacific Railroad, following the identical trail past the Boyd Ranch first followed by emigrants as early as 1845, so that it will be seen that for more than sixty years there has been a daily stream of travel over this trail and passing a point locally known as the "Boyd Ranch." The early emigrant, with his ox teams and prairie schooner was satisfied if he accom- plished fifteen miles a day on his journey. He cooked his meals beside the trail, sometimes his fire was of wood, at other times of "buffalo chips," but no matter how cooked, he relished and enjoyed his food, for he was blessed with a good appetite. At night he slept in his wagon or on the ground and complained not that he "could not sleep," or that he "did not rest well."
CHAPTER XII
ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1853-WESCOATT BROTHERS TAKE 400 HEAD OF COWS TO CALIFORNIA-CAPT. JOHN FULLER WITH HIS COMMAND JOIN THEIR PARTY- INDIANS MASSACRE EMIGRANTS ON BANKS OF PLATTE RIVER-JOHN HODGES ESCAPES AND SWIMS THE PLATTE-PURSUIT OF INDIANS AND THIRTY-SEVEN KILLED-BURIAL OF MASSACRED EMIGRANTS-THE BOYD RANCH-TWENTY DOL- LARS FOR A GALLON OF WHISKY-THE BOY, JOHN HODGES, FINDS HIS UNCLE IN CALIFORNIA-SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PROFIT ON THE HERD OF COWS- WESCOATT BROTHERS RETURN TO IOWA.
ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1853
Capt. Riley Wescoatt, an early settler in Central Nebraska, relates his experi- ence in crossing the plains in 1853.
In the spring of 1853 Riley and Jonas Wescoatt of Albia, Ia., arranged to take a herd of 400 young cows across the plains to California. Jonas Wescoatt had made the trip to California and back the year previous with the view to the present enterprise. Their cows cost them about four thousand dollars, and in addition the expense of the necessary outfit, comprising saddle horses, wagons and twenty yoke of oxen, provisions, bedding, ammunition and other necessaries for so extended a journey along the route of which nothing could be purchased. The Wescoatt brothers were both married and their wives and three children accompanied them. Their wagons were covered and the wagon boxes extended over the wheels so as to provide comfortable sleeping quarters and as they carried feather beds and plenty of bedding they made the journey with comparative comfort. The saddle horses were for use in driving the cattle, the Wescoatt brothers furnishing board and transportation for thirty-five men who wished to go to California and who assisted in driving and caring for the cattle and doing each his share of guard duty as compensation for board and transportation. The Wescoatt family had moved from the Tippecanoe battle ground in Indiana to Monroe County, Ia., in 1831, and the thirty-five men who accompanied them on this journey were neighbors with whom they were well acquainted, as it was a somewhat hazardous undertaking and only men of character and courage were wanted.
They crossed the Missouri River on April 28th at Bellevue, then a trading point. and Mr. Riley Wescoatt states that they saw no house or habitation after leaving the Missouri River until their arrival in California, except the ranch later known as "Boyd's Ranch" on Wood River, about ten miles northeast of Fort Kearney, the location of this ranch being about a mile west of the present Village of Gibbon in Buffalo County.
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It was an unusually early spring and even at that early date the emigrant travel was so great that six steamboats had come up the Missouri River from below and were used for ferrying purposes at the Bellevue crossing. At the crossing of the Missouri the Wescoatt brothers met a party of 100 well armed men enroute for California and under command of Capt. John Fuller. Captain Fuller had made the journey to California the previous year and had arranged to furnish board and transportation for these 100 men, they to pay him $100 each, $10,000 in all, and each man to do his full share of guard duty. The Wescoatt brothers and Captain Fuller arranged to make the journey together and did so, not camping more than a mile apart during the entire journey. The party traveled the trail north of the Platte and because of the heavy emigration over the trail found the pasture very short. Because of the scantiness of the pasture they were compelled to range their cattle, at times some distance from the regu- lar trail and so for the first month their rate of travel was very slow. On May 28th, about one hour before sundown, when the party was about four miles south of the present Village of Wood River, in Hall County, Nebraska, and was preparing to camp for the night, it was noticed that there was a commotion on the south side of the Platte River and the firing of guns was heard. By means of field glasses which both commands carried, it was seen that a large party of Indians had attacked an emigrant camp on the south bank of the Platte and were scalping women in the camp. The fight appeared to last but a short time, ten minutes, Mr. Wescoatt says, and while there was some talk of crossing the river it was finally decided not to do so. In explanation of this decision Mr. Wescoatt says: "The Platte was very high, and also our own commands were in danger of attack, as there appeared to be a large party of the Indians, and it was thought best not to divide our own forces." As a matter of general information in con- nection with this tragedy it might be well to state that the Platte River at this point is more than a mile wide from its north to its south bank. There is one large and several small islands in the river and three main channels. The largest or north channel is about 1,400 feet in width, the middle one about 1,000 feet and the south channel about 350 feet, in all the water channels are nearly 3,000 feet in width. High water occurs in the Platte from May 15th to June 15th, varying with the earliness of the season when the melted snow from the mountains comes rushing down on its way to the ocean. The fall in the Platte River is 3,400 feet in the 400 miles across the State of Nebraska, being an average fall of about eight feet to the mile. When we compare this fall with that of the Mississippi River, averaging less than one foot fall to three miles between its mouth and St. Paul, Minn., it will be seen that the fall in the Platte is nearly twenty-five times as great as in the Mississippi. The Platte has a sandy bottom and in high water numerous quicksand holes, also in high water there is somewhere between its banks what is termed a "main channel," here today, elsewhere tomorrow, continually changing, in which the water is much deeper and runs with a stronger current than the remainder of the stream, mak- ing it an extremely dangerous river to cross when the water is an average of three feet in depth and much deeper in the "main channel" referred to. These explanations are deemed necessary because the casual reader, not understanding the surrounding conditions, might be led to think the Wescoatt and Fuller com-
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mands were heartless and lacking in courage in not at once going to the rescue of attacked emigrants. Also the reader will in some measure be the better able to realize what a small boy braved and endured in his escape on this occasion.
The Wescoatt and Fuller commands camped at this point for the night. About 2 o'clock the next morning the camp guard brought a small boy to Mr. Riley Wescoatt. The boy's clothing, consisting of shirt and trousers, was wet and the child, while greatly excited, seemed able to control his feelings. He said he belonged to an emigrant party going to California and camped on the other side of the river; that last evening they were attacked by a large party of Indians and he was afraid all but himself were killed; that he hid in the brush on the bank of the river and when it became dark he saw a camp fire on the other side of the river and knowing how to swim had crossed over; that he was carried down the river a long ways, five miles he told Mr. Wescoatt, and when he got across he had followed the river until he reached the camp. The boy said his name was John Hodges and that there were five in the family, his father, mother and three children. John was at once taken to Captain Fuller. Messengers were sent to camps below on the trail, requesting as many men as could be spared to come, armed and mounted, ready to cross the river at day- light. Mr. Wescoatt states that guns carried on this journey were flint-lock muskets, although some of the party had revolvers with percussion caps. Little John was given a revolver and a horse and took an active part in the fight with the Indians later in the day. Mr. Wescoatt states that John was about thirteen years old and a boy of more than ordinary intelligence, energy and courage. At daylight a party of 185 men, armed and mounted, crossed the Platte, going direct to the place of the massacre. They found the emigrant party consisted of fifteen men, nine women and four children, all killed except the boy, John Hodges. The women had been scalped, but not the men. The wagon train, con- sisting of seven wagons and the necessary oxen, had been destroyed, the Indians burning most of the wagons and contents. It appeared that the Indians were armed with bows and flint pointed arrows, though little John thought some of the Indians had guns. If the emigrants had killed any of the Indians the dead bodies could not be found.
Captain Fuller was in command and his party took the trail of the Indians and it was soon learned that the Indians had already broken camp and were going south towards the Republican River some fifty miles distant. The Indians were surprised and attacked some miles south of the Platte River on the divide where it was broken by ravines and draws. The Indians were mostly mounted on ponies and it was a running fight, lasting two hours or more. At the close thirty-seven dead Indians were counted. It was estimated that the Indians num- bered one hundred and fifty. They were Sioux, all warriors, and undoubtedly a war party as they were in Pawnee territory and the Sioux and Pawnees were traditional enemies.
The Fuller command returned to the place of massacre about 2 o'clock in the afternoon and planned for the burial of the murdered people. Graves were dug on a rise of ground near the emigrant camp and members of families, as identified by little John, buried side by side. There was nothing of which coffins could be made and the dead were wrapped in their clothing and committed to the
CAPTAIN RILEY WESCOATT
A soldier of the Mexican and Civil wars and a pioneer settler in Central Nebraska.
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JUDGE JONAS WESCOATT
In company with his brother, Capt. Riley Wescoatt, he took a herd of cattle across the plains in 1853.
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care of Mother Earth who is ever kind. The Wescoatt and Fuller commands remained in camp two days before the burial of the emigrants was completed. Their next camp was near a place known later as "Boyd's Ranch," before men- tioned in this paper, the Wescoatt party camping on what is now section 21 and the Fuller command on the hill or bluff on what is now known as section 16, both in Gibbon Township, Buffalo County.
It was somehow understood that a war party of Sioux, 400 strong, were pre- paring to attack these two commands in revenge for the Indians killed in the fight south of the Platte and an anxious night was passed, but the commands were not molested. The Indians had been troublesome all along the trail that spring and word was sent to the officers at Fort Kearney in regard to the massacre of emigrants less than twenty-five miles east of that fort, but the officers of that garrison made no response and Mr. Wescoatt spoke of the officers of the fort at that date in terms not at all complimentary. The buildings of the ranch mentioned were of sod with dirt roofs and the owner had a large corral in the bend of the river west of the house. He trafficked in oxen and horses, trading for such animals as had become lame on the trail. He had a considerable number of men about the place, frontiersmen, some half-breeds, most of whom could speak the Indian language. He seemed to be on good terms with the Indians and did not seem to fear an attack. The ranchmen kept liquor for sale, freighting, as he said, alcohol from the Missouri River and making out of one barrels of alcohol twenty barrels of whisky, selling his whisky for $20 a gallon. Both the Wescoatt and Fuller commands bought each twenty gallons of whisky, paying $800 in all. The wives of the Wescoatt brothers carried the money and the men had quite a time to convince their wives that it was advisable to purchase the liquor, but the men in their employ insisted that liquor was needed on so long a journey and as it could not be secured elsewhere it was purchased.
The boy, John Hodges, was made one of the family by Mr. and Mrs. Riley Wescoatt, Mrs. Wescoatt coming to love and care for him as one of her own family, and he accompanied them to California, where the two commands arrived on August 17, 1853. The boy made his home with the Wescoatts for more than two years, when he one day accompanied, as usual, Mr. Wescoatt to Sacramento, some five miles distant from their ranch. On the street John saw and recognized an uncle who had gone to California some years before and who had not before learned of the massacre of his relatives. This uncle was a rich ranchman and accompanied Mr. Wescoatt home and remained several days, finally inducing his nephew to make his home with him.
The Wescoatt brothers realized a profit of more than sixteen thousand dol- lars for their cattle, some of the choicest cows bringing $150 each and the heavier oxen $300 a pair. Jonas Wescoatt and wife soon returned to Iowa where Mr. Wescoatt served for many years as a judge in that state. After the death of his wife he returned to California, living in a hotel in San Francisco, where he lost his life in the destruction of that city by earthquake a few years ago.
Riley Wescoatt and wife returned to their Iowa home about the year 1856, coming via Panama, crossing the isthmus soon after the completion of the rail- road at that place. Mr. Riley Wescoatt was a soldier in the Mexican war, serv- Vol. 1-4
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO COUNTY
ing under General Taylor. He was wounded soon after reaching Mexican soil and returned home. On the breaking out of the Civil war he raised in his own county Company H, First Iowa Cavalry, being commissioned captain of that company and promising the members of the company that he would remain with them during their term of service. He remained with the company as captain and was mustered out with his regiment April 16, 1864. In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Wescoatt came to Nebraska, taking a homestead on Elm Island, in Hall County, less than two miles distant from where the massacre of the emigrants occurred in 1853, and repeatedly visited the place where they were buried. Mrs. Riley Wescoatt died July 15, 1905. The death of Mr. Wescoatt occurred on March 6, 1909. He was buried beside his brave and courageous wife in Riverside Ceme- tery, near Gibbon.
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CHAPTER XIII
A PIONEER FAMILY, A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF ONE OF THE FIRST FAMILIES TO MAKE SETTLEMENT IN BUFFALO COUNTY-CONVERTS TO THE MORMON FAITII-LEAVE ENGLAND IN 1855-FIVE WEEKS TO MAKE OCEAN JOURNEY-FIND EMPLOYMENT IN PIIILADELPHIA-LEAVE PHILADELPHIA IN 1859 FOR UTAII-JOURNEY FROM FLORENCE TO UTAH ACROSS THE PLAINS WITH AN OX TEAM-DEATH AND BURIAL BESIDE THIE TRAIL OF AN EMIGRANT'S CHILD-THE ARRIVAL IN UTAH-DIS- GUSTED WITH TIIE MORMON RELIGION-THE RETURN FROM UTAH ACCOMPA- NIED BY MRS. ALLEN-STORY OF MRS. ALLEN, A DESERTED MORMON WIFE- FORDING THE PLATTE IN HIGH WATER TIME-LOCATE ON A "SQUATTER'S" CLAIM ON WOOD RIVER-RAISE AND SELL 600 BUSHELS OF CORN FOR $600-STAMPEDE OF 1864-BABY HELEN LEFT BEHIND-THE FLIGHT TO IOWA, ACROSS TO QUEBEC AND ON TO ENGLAND THE RETURN TO NEBRASKA- TAKES A PRE-EMPTION CLAIM-PLANTS AN ORCHARD OF 2,000 TREES -- BUILDS A HOUSE WITH ALL MODERN CONVENIENCES.
A PIONEER FAMILY, A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF ONE OF THE FIRST FAMILIES TO MAKE SETTLEMENT IN BUFFALO COUNTY
William Nutter, aged twenty-five years, and Dinah Hingham, aged eighteen years, were married in Lancastershire, England, in 1853. In the family of Wil- liam Nutter there were nineteen children, all from the same parents, and Mr. Nutter recalls seeing fifteen of these children seated together at his father's table. In Mrs. Nutter's family there were seven children. Mr. Nutter from his earliest youth was taught the spinner's trade and worked at his trade until he rose to the position of foreman of the card room before leaving England. Mrs. Nutter, as a small child, wound bobbins for weavers and when older worked in cotton and woolen mills. About this date there were many Mormon elders in both England and Wales and large numbers of the people in these parts of England were con- verted to the Mormon faith and emigrated to Utah. At first polygamy was not preached as a part of the Mormon faith or practice, but about this date (1852-54), its preachers becoming more bold, announced that Mormons of deep piety and who gave liberally to the church were permitted more than one wife. Mr. Nutter was converted to the Mormon faith and earnestly advocated its cause, though it seems that he gave little thought to its polygamous feature as it did not appeal to his nature or mode of life. Mr. Nutter was so imbued with the truth of the Mormon faith that he attempted to convert his mother, who had already borne nineteen children, from her own faith to that of the Mormons, but without suc- cess. Two children, the eldest a daughter named Olive, and the second a son
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named Moroni, after one of the most prominent characters in the Mormon Bible, had been born to Mr. and Mrs. Nutter when in the spring of 1855, in company with 700 other Mormon emigrants, they took passage on a sailing vessel named the Juventa, their destination, Salt Lake City, Utah. This vessel, the Juventa, had been condemned as unseaworthy by the British government, but the con- demnation seems not to have prevented the use of the vesssel to transport Mormon emigrants. The passage cost about thirty dollars for each person and included board. Five weeks were required for the trip and they landed at Phila- delphia, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Nutter were without means when they landed, but had been led to believe that plenty of work at good wages could be had on arrival and that they could earn enough to enable them to pursue their journey to Utah. As both had worked all their lives in cotton and woolen factories, they fully expected to find like employment on arrival, but were disappointed. Mr. Nutter finally secured work in a truck garden at $3 a week, working from daylight till dark. Work was so scarce at the time that many worked for their board and it is related that an aged man, toothless, who worked for his board, was found fault with because he took so much time at his meals. About this time the eldest child, Olive, died of summer complaint and was buried in Philadelphia. After a few weeks Mr. Nutter found employment in a cotton factory but was taken sick and being without any means, was compelled to ask for and received a ticket of ad- mission to an almshouse, but could not get admission for his wife and child. The family went together to the almshouse, arriving in the evening. The superin- tendent, on coming to the door, demanded in a loud, coarse voice, "What in h-1 did you come at this time of night for?" This brutal reception so angered Mr. Nutter that he left the building, and passing down the street, it being a warm evening and the people sitting on their porches, inquired where he might find lodging until he was able to find work. He was taken to a building called "House of Industry," established by the Quakers for those out of work and without means, where the family were provided with clean beds and good food until employment could be found. When able to seek work Mr. Nutter found a man who promised work on a railroad in the State of Delaware and who fur- nished transportation on a sailing vessel but furnished nothing to eat and the family became very hungry when a negro cook took pity and gave them a meal. Here Mr. Nutter worked two weeks and then found work for himself and wife with a farmer but neglected to fix a price and when they came to leave had little coming-just enough to pay their passage back to Philadelphia. They started on Saturday and at midnight the vessel cast anchor until Monday morning and the family became very hungry. On arriving at Philadelphia, an Englishman, whom they met, gave them some money and referred them to a friend in Gloster, N. J., where they found employment in print works, and where they remained for two years. At this place the second child, Moroni, died and was buried in Gloster, also John N., the second son was born in 1855. In the fall of 1857 the family returned to Philadelphia and Mr. Nutter found work at his trade at $I a day wages, but soon came the panic of 1857, and all manufacturing ceased. In the spring of 1858 Mr. Nutter found employment at his trade, as foreman of the card room at $40 a month wages. In the year 1857, twin boys were born, Wil-
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