USA > Nebraska > Compendium of history, reminiscence, and biography of Nebraska : containing a history of the state of Nebraska also a compendium of reminiscence and biography containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of Nebraska > Part 20
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 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178 | Part 179 | Part 180 | Part 181 | Part 182 | Part 183 | Part 184 | Part 185 | Part 186 | Part 187 | Part 188 | Part 189 | Part 190 | Part 191 | Part 192 | Part 193 | Part 194 | Part 195 | Part 196 | Part 197 | Part 198 | Part 199 | Part 200 | Part 201 | Part 202 | Part 203 | Part 204 | Part 205 | Part 206 | Part 207 | Part 208 | Part 209 | Part 210 | Part 211 | Part 212 | Part 213 | Part 214 | Part 215 | Part 216 | Part 217 | Part 218 | Part 219 | Part 220 | Part 221 | Part 222 | Part 223 | Part 224 | Part 225 | Part 226 | Part 227 | Part 228 | Part 229 | Part 230 | Part 231 | Part 232 | Part 233 | Part 234 | Part 235 | Part 236 | Part 237 | Part 238
The first line from the east to salute the people of Omaha with the screech of the engine whistle was the Chicago & Northwestern, the first train on that road entering the city on Sunday, Janu- ary 17, 1867. The Missouri river was crossed on a pile bridge, which for several years was used during the winter months for crossing the river, it being removed during the months of naviga- tion and a ferryboat employed in its place to transfer freight and passengers. The second road to reach the state was the St. Joseph & Council Bluffs line. The Burlington & Missouri was com- pleted to the city of Omaha in 1868. The Omaha & Northwestern was built to Herman, a distance of forty miles, in October, 1871, and during the same year the Omaha & Southwestern was com- pleted to the Platte river.
In February, 1869, the legislature of Nebraska appropriated two thousand acres per mile to any railroad which should complete ten miles of its route within one year, the grant in no case to ex- ceed one hundred thousand acres. It was stated that the members of the legislature appreciated its importance of prompt action, and realized that the railroads alone could effect the desired end, and appropriated altogether five hundred thous- and acres of land for the purpose of internal im- provements. Movements to take advantage of this act were inaugurated in various portions of the state during the summer of 1869. Early in October, 1869, James E. Boyd, of Omaha, made through the public press a proposition, the sub- stance of which was that he would be one of twenty men to advance ten thousand dollars for the purpose of constructing the Omaha & North- western road over a route projected from Omaha to the Niobrara river. On the 19th of November, 1869, articles of incorporation were drawn up, and the organization of the company was per- fected a few days later. The work of building the road was pushed with wonderful rapidity, and on February 3, 1870, the railway was com- pleted ten miles on its route at a cost for mater- ials of one hundred and ninety-eight thousand dollars. During 1870 twenty-six and one-half miles of road were completed to DeSoto, and a lease entered into with John I. Blair, of a branch of the Missouri & Pacific road, known as the "DeSoto Plug," by which communication be- tween Omaha and Blair became direct and regu- lar. On the 7th of October, 1871, the road was completed to Herman, on the line of Washington and Burt counties. As showing the liberality with which railroads were treated by the state and the public generally in those days, it may be said that the company received two hundred thousand dollars in ten per cent twenty-year
bonds from
Douglas county, one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars in . eight
per cent, twenty-year bonds from Washington county for the building of the line from the south to the north line of the latter county ; in addition, two thousand acres of land per mile from the state and liberal donations from other northern counties. During 1872 the roadbed was graded to Tekama, but as the panic of 1873 came on it was not completed to Tekama until August, 1876, at which time the company received forty-five thousand dollars in bonds from Burt county. The following year the road was sold under foreclosure proceedings and reorgan- ized, and later was pushed on northward.
The Omaha & Southern Railroad Company was one of the projects organized to take advantage of the act of the legislature passed in February, 1869, appropriating two thousand acres of land per mile to any railroad which should complete ten miles of its route within one year. This com- pany was organized November 27, 1869, when officers were elected and plans laid for pushing the work. The affairs of the road were conducted with signal ability with a view solely to the com- pletion of the first ten miles before the first of February, 1870. The work of grading was let to Smiley & Meson, McCarth & Fleming, William Knight and John Green, and commenced without delay, so that its completion was reached and the last rail laid on the evening of January 29, 1870, at a total cost of one hundred and ninety-five thousand dollars. The celerity with
which this railroad and also the Oma-
ha & Northwestern line (which is mentioned elsewhere) was incepted, pushed for- ward and completed the desired number of miles, was something marvelous and up to that time ex- ceeded anything in the annals of railroad build- ing. Sixty days previous to their completion the ties of both roads were in the primeval trees of the forest, the iron composing the rails was in a crude state six hundred miles away from where they were to be subsequently laid. This road, as previously stated, soon after its construction be- came a part of the Burlington & Missouri River, now the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system.
On the 11th of August, 1866, authority was ob- tained under the general law of Nebraska by the St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad Company to build a railroad from the Nebraska state line to Fort Kearney. The Northern Kansas Railroad Company was consolidated with this company, and the rights to land granted by act of congress July 23, 1866, of one million seven hundred thous- and acres was thereby obtained. Subscriptions from municipal corporations to the amount of one million twenty-five thousand dollars were se- cured in aid of building the road. Work was com- menced, and eighty miles of the line were com- pleted and in operation in October, 1870, at a cost of about one million five hundred thousand dol- lars. In 1871 the line was extended forty-eight
91
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
miles, and in the following year it was completed to Hastings. It later passed into the hands of the Union Pacific Company, and was extended to Grand Island in the summer of 1879. Later it was extended further north. Harrison Johnson, an early writer of Nebraska history, said of this line: "The total cost of the line from St. Joseph to Hastings was five million four hundred forty-nine thousand six hundred twenty dol- lars and twenty-seven cents, of which stockhold- ers paid one thousand four hundred dollars, seven hundred eighty-two thousand seven hundred twenty-seven dollars and ten cents from state and municipal aid, and the remainder four million six hundred sixty-five thousand four hundred and ninety-three dollars and sixty-seven cents from the proceeds of mortgage bonds."
Early in the "seventies" the project of build- ing what was then called the "Julesburg Cut- Off" or the "Omaha & Denver Short Line" at- tracted a good deal of attention. In 1873 the Union Pacific road first fostered the enterprise of building this line, and much of the projected line was graded between 1873 and 1875, when certain complications with the then inimical Kansas Pa- cific forced an abandonment of the scheme. Upon the completion of the purchase by the Union Pa- cific of the Kansas Pacific, however, the recon- struction of the line was recommenced early in 1880, and it was rapidly pushed to completion to Denver.
On January 17, 1870, the first passenger train from Chicago to Council Bluffs over the line of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad marked the completion and opening of a third line of rail- way from Chicago to Omaha. To the Chicago & Northwestern is due the credit of
having been the first, followed soon afterward by the completion and open- ing of traffic on the Iowa division of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. This was fol- lowed, as stated, by the Burlington & Missouri River Railway, a continuation of the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Railroad. This line became a part of the great organization known as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad system. They rapidly pushed their lines beyond the Mis- souri river by acquiring other lines already built or under construction, and by the construction of new lines. Their lines now traverse the richest portions of the state.
In 1871 a line of railway was built from Ne- braska City to Lincoln, a distance of fifty-eight miles, by a company organized that year under the title of the Midland Pacific Railroad. It was extended to Seward, eighty-three miles from Ne- braska City, in 1874. It was the intention of the original company to build a line to Fort Kearney, or to some point farther east on the Union Pacific road. A branch was also projected from the main line in Otoe county to Fort Riley in Kansas. The line was, however, sold under foreclosure and re- organized under the name of the Nebraska Rail-
way, and later passed into the hands of the Bur- lington & Missouri Company in 1876, and later was pushed on westward to York and Aurora and Central City in Merrick county, and was also ex- tended southward from Nebraska City.
The Sioux City & Pacific Railroad was one of the pioneer railroads of northeastern Nebraska. The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley road, which was operated by the Sioux City & Pacific, was also among the pioneers. The first ten miles of this road was completed December 31, 1869. This line reached Stanton, the county seat of Stanton county, in 1879. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway, with lines from Sioux City to Omaha and branches, was a pioneer in northwestern Nebraska, and was an important factor in the growth, settlement and development of that region. These lines are now a part of the Northwestern system, one of the greatest of America's railway organizations. The North- western system has extended their lines through- out all of northern and eastern Nebraska.
RAILROADS OF TODAY.
The foregoing pages have treated of the rail- road development in Nebraska in early days. Perhaps no state in the union owes more of its rapid growth to the railroad than does Nebraska. The last thirty years has been an era of railroad building throughout the west, and especially is this true of Nebraska. The state has been cov- ered with a net-work of rails that extend to all parts of the commonwealth, and in all directions the lines radiate into the outer world. Transpor- tation facilities today are excellent, not only with- in the state, but in all directions with the centers of trade and commerce of other states.
The Union Pacific has its main line extending through the state from east to west, making it the greatest of all highways between the east and the Pacific coast. It also has various branches in Ne- braska extending north and south from the main line, notably those reaching the following named towns: Norfolk, Albion, Spalding, Ord, Callawa and Stromsburg; also a branch south through Lincoln to connect with the Union Pacific lines in Kansas, and they also control the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railway, extending from Grand Island southeast to St. Joseph, Missouri.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system trav- erses the entire state of Nebraska from east to west, with various branches. The Chicago & Northwestern line, together with the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, which it controls, is another of the great railway systems that today serve much territory within the state and connect the state with the outside world. Their main line to the northwest and to the Black Hills, with var- ious branches, serve the north and northeastern part of Nebraska, while branches also extend southwest to Hastings, Superior and Lincoln. In
92
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
addition to these, there are a number of other im- portant lines of railway that have trackage inter- est in the state and add to the transportation fa- cilities of Nebraska in connecting the state with the outside world, among which should be men-
tioned the following : The Missouri Pacific, Kansas City & Northwestern, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, the Chicago Great Western, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Great Northern, and the Illinois Central.
CHAPTER VI.
MISCELLANEOUS HISTORICAL MATTERS.
THE LOCUST OR GRASSHOPPERS.
In the early history of Nebraska nothing ex- cited more general interest than the locust ques- tion. Early in the decade between 1860 and 1870 these insects invaded portions of the state and wrought great havoic and damage, but the great- est damage was done during the latter part of the following decade-the damage they accom- plished being particularly great in 1874, 1876 and 1877. In those days there were generally a num- ber of years between great locust invasions. It never occurred that the whole state suffered at one time, but in those years small visitations were more frequent and over comparatively small areas. This is now all a thing of the past, but as it forms one of the most interesting features of the natural history of Nebraska, we present the following article on this subject written by Prof. Samuel Aughey, Ph. D., in 1880, when the lo- cust question was one of vast importance to the settlers of the western states, including Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and the Dakotas. The settlers had then only recently suffered severely from the locust visitations and were constantly in fear of their reappearance.
"The permanent habitat of the migrating locust is the region between latitude 43 degrees and 53 degrees north, and 103 degrees and 114 degrees west of Greenwich. From their native habitat may move mainly in an easterly, south- easterly and southern direction. Moving in this direction those that commence migrating from northern Montana by the middle of July reach southern Dakota territory, and in some cases probably Nebraska and even Kansas, sometime in August or September. Generally, however, those that come into Nebraska and Kansas were hatched and matured south of Montana. It takes generally from two to three seasons for them to reach these latitudes. Often the numbers that alight are amazing. During July, in 1866, in Cedar county, their numbers were so great that the sun was darkened. Many of the tree limbs were broken under their weight. This was an
exceptional case. However, they often complete- ly covered the ground. Generally, the cereal grains are already harvested when the migrating locusts reach Nebraska. Wheat, oats and barley are safe. Corn and the gardens are the victims if they come before the former is sufficiently ripened to resist their attacks. A swarm of lo- custs in July and August can ruin a field of corn in a few days and sometimes a few hours. Often the fields are only partially destroyed. Some times the silk and foliage are partially eaten off and the ends of the ears bared, so that the crops cannot mature. If they leave at this stage of their proceedings, all is well, and if not their eggs are deposited and the wheat crop endangered during the coming spring. The countless num- bers that are hatched out, if the spring happens to be favorable to them, become exceedingly voracious. As they soon commence to move by jumping in one direction, when abundant they are apt to devour everything in their path. This continues until they are old enough to fly, when they depart for other regions. Generally some corn can be saved and late planting may entirely escape. Often the third planting of corn during locust years yielded a fair crop. The cereal grains have, however, in some places and during a few years, been largely destroyed during the time between the hatching out and flying of the locusts. As yet no successful method has been devised to destroy the locusts on their first ap- pearance in migrating swarms from the north- west. The eggs, however, which are laid in autumn, have been frequently destroyed by re- peatedly harrowing the ground, breaking up the nests and exposing them to the action of rain and cold and birds. Plowing them under very deep also destroys great numbers. When they hatch out in the spring in destructive numbers, the most vigorous methods need to be employed. One of the most successful ways of destroying them is the digging of ditches around the fields, across the path on which they are moving. If the trenches are made from twelve to fourteen inches deep, and still deeper holes dug every few rods
93
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
in the trenches, the young locusts first get into the trenches, then into the holes, where unable to get out, they can be destroyed by piling ground on them. Some farmers have saved their entire crops in this way in the midst of the most infested districts. However, nature has its own method of destroying locusts. The locust's natural habi- tat is a high, dry region where the rainfall is from ten to twenty inches a year. They cannot long endure a combination of low altitudes and moisture, combined with extreme and sudden changes of temperature. Hence, the locust can never become localized in Nebraska. From the time they leave their native habitat, constiutional impairment sets in, and a few years in lower moisture regions exterminates them, unless they speedily return to their upland dry home. Gen- erally, there are many years between great locust invasions. It never occurs that the whole state suffers at once, while the small visitations have been more frequent, the destructive ones occur at very long intervals and over comparatively small areas. The small area under cultivation even in the thickest settlements has been hereto- fore one reason for the destructiveness of locusts. The locusts seemed to select the corn fields and gardens for their feeding grounds. When the area under cultivation is trebled, the amount of damage they can do will be more than one-half less. Another more potent agency against their increase and destructiveness is the increasing rainfall of the state. The presence of the locust is by no means the pest that it sometimes has been represented to be." (1880).
The following very interesting article on the grasshopper raids was written by Harrison John- son, in 1879, viz: "During the growing seasons of 1874 and '75 the Rocky Mountain locust, or grasshopper, visited Nebraska and did incalcu- lable damage by devouring the crops in a large portion of the state. In many sections, more particularly in the western and middle counties, the destruction of crops by these insects was al- most complete, not a vestige of anything green being left untouched by them; and as many of the farmers living in the sections so afflicted were new settlers, the total loss of their crops upon which they were dependent for the support of their families, was a great calamity and caused much distress and suffering. The destitution was so widespread and so great in some localities, that public aid was asked, for the relief of the suffer- ers. The prompt and generous responses to the call by the people of the east and other localities not so afflicted, in forwarding provisions, cloth- ing and money, saved many a poor family from actual want if not starvation.
"While it is true that the damage done by the grasshoppers was very great, and caused much genuine distress among the people in several of the counties yet the whole matter was grossly exaggerated and enlarged upon by a certain busy class of persons who somehow always come to
the front on such occasions, actuated, generally; more by a desire to further their own selfish ends than by any kindly, true feeling for the dis- tressed. This blatant, noisy class, with their loud demonstrations and universal begging, not only disgusted the more sensible people, but did the state an injury next to that of the grass- hoppers themselves.
"Yet it is a stubborn fact that the timely suc- cor sent to the settlers in the devastated districts saved much suffering among the poorer portion ; and the people of Nebraska owe a lasting debt of gratitude to the noble men and women of the east, who contributed so willingly and bounti- fully to their aid in time of need. By an act of the legislature of Nebraska, fifty thousand dollars were donated as a relief to the grasshopper suf- ferers, which amount was judiciously expended and distributed for that purpose, but the grass- hopper scares have passed away, we hope, for- ever; the seasons have come and gone, leaving us with bountiful crops of all kinds to enrich and supply the wants of all, and prosperity reigns supreme throughout the length and breath of the state." (1879).
PUBLIC LANDS.
In early days the public lands in Nebraska were given with a lavish hand to aid in the set- tlement, growth and development of the country, as well as for internal improvments, railway grants, and school purposes. The state received from the general government millions of acres for various purposes. The records show that during the first ten years of statehood the state received grants of land aggregating nearly three and a half million acres, as follows : For internal improvement 500,000 acres; for agricultural col- lege, 90,000 acres; for university, 46,080 acres; for public buildings, 12,800 acres; for peniten- tiary, 32,000 acres; for saline purposes, 46,080 acres; for common school purposes two sections in every township, aggregating about 2,650,000 acres. The 500,000 acres for internal improve- ment purposes were granted to the state upon its admission to the union, under the provisions of an act of congress, approved September 4, 1841. These lands were selected through agents appointed for that purpose, and disposed of in pursuance to the provisions of an act of the legis- lature, approved February 15, 1869. Up to Feb- ruary 24, 1874, the general government had turned over 504,131 acres of land to Nebraska for internal improvement purposes. These lands were disposed of by the state in the following manner. Deeded to Saline county for bridges, 1,000 acres; Gage county for bridges, 1,000 acres; Elkhorn & Missouri Valley R. R., 100,030 acres; Midland Pacific R. R., 100,384 acres; Brown- ville & Ft. Kearney R. R., 19,989 acres; Bur- lington & Missouri River R. R., 50,104 acres; Sioux City & Pacific R. R., 47,327 acres; Omaha
94
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
& Southwestern R. R. 100,010 acres; Omaha & Northwestern R. R., 80,416 acres; Burlington & Southwestern R. R., 20,000 acres; Atchison & Ne- braska R. R., 12,841 acres.
The railroads received from the government an immense amount of land in the way of land grants. The aggregate amount of lands in Nebras- ka received by the Union Pacific Railway from the govenment was about 5,926,400 acres, all contigu- ous to their line of road, and about half of these lands were in the Platte Valley. The Burlington & Missouri River Railway received from the gov- ernment a land grant in Nebraska amounting to 2,382,208 acres; they received from the state of Nebraska 50,104 acres, and when they took pos- session of the Omaha & Southwestern Road, they acquired the land grant made to that line by the state, of 100,010 acres. These lands were situated chiefly in the north-central and south-central por- tions of the state, and were designated as "North Platte" and "South Platte" lands. The railroad lands were placed on the market at extremely low prices and on very reasonable terms, a very small cash payment being required and long time being given for payment of the balance at low rates of interest. These conditions greatly stimulated the settlement of the state.
On the first of January, 1863, the homestead law went into effect, and thereby public lands were subject to entry by those who acknowledged their intention to settle permanently, for a mere- ly nominal fee. Congress, in order that the bene- fits of the law might be justly distributed, from time to time amended its provisions and enlarged its scope. Liberal provisions were made by which the soldier, his widow and his orphans were per- mitted to receive enlarged privileges in securing homesteads, thus adding to the national recogni- tion of the principle that every citizen of the re- republic was entitled to the rights to make him- self a home upon the public domain, the still nob- ler and higher doctrine that it was the nation's duty to reward the defenders of the country and provide homes for the families of those who gave up their lives in its defense.
The preemption law also helped materially the early settlement and development of Nebras- ka. Under this law, with certain restrictions, every person who was the head of a family or over tweny-one years of age and a citizen of the United States, was entitled in early days to enter a quarter section of land under the preemption act. The rules of the general land office in those days repuired a person to build a house and break at least ten acres of land before he could make final proof and perfect his title to the land, and in order to take a preemption a settlement on the land was required to be made within sixty days from the date of filing the claim. A patent could be secured at the expiration of thirty months from the time of filing on payment of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre where the land was located outside the limits of a railroad land
grant and two dollars and fifty cents per acre if within such limits.
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.