USA > Nebraska > Seward County > General history of Seward County, Nebraska > Part 12
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Following these publications came the "Nebraska Repor- ter." It was founded at Seward in the early seventies by
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
Charles Crony who was succeeded by O. S. Ingham who shortly turned its management over to Thomas Wolf. He kept the paper on a solid foundation for two or three years, or until 1876 when Frank Simons became its editor. Mr. Simons made a first class county paper of it and cotinued its publication till 1899 when it was suspended and the plant sold.
"The Advocate," Seward's third publication, and the fourth in the county, was started in 1877 by W. S. Walker who published it for a period of two years when J. H. Betzer purchased the plant and established the "Blue Valley Blade." Under Mr. Betzer's able management the "Blade" become a creditable journal, but age forced him to retire and turn the management over to his son who still conducts the business.
"The Seward County Democrat," Milford's second pub- lication, was fonded in 1882 by Alexander Brothers. When the "Democrat was two years old it was sold to Prof. Geo. F. Burkett who renamed it "Milford Ozone." Shortly after- wards Editor Burkett took Horace Boyle as partner who soon sold his interest to H. C. Hensel. After two months Mr. Hensel purchased his partner's interest in the publica- tion and changed the name of the paper, calling it the "Mil- ford Nebraskan" and it flourished for three years under his management when he transferred it to H. A. Brainard. Mr. Brainard was succeeded in the business by Mr. Warner in 1893 and Mr. Warner established his son-in-law, L. O. How- ard in the editorship of the Nebraskan after a few years and the paper was continued until a recent period. The "Milford Mirror made its appearance in Milford in 1895. It was a bright, neatly printed local newspaper, ably published by W. L. Withrow, but did not receive the support it deserved and suspended after one year.
The first newspaper published at Beaver Crossing worthy
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of mention, was printed at Milford by H. C. Hensel and issued at Beaver Crossing in 1886 under the name of "Beaver Crossing Bugle." This paper continued under Mr. Hensel's management about a year and then was issued by George H. Borden who continued it for a short time when it disa- peared. Following shortly upon the terminus of this enter- prise, P. C. Carpenter launched the "Beaver Crossing Jour- nal." the first paper to be printed in the town. Mr. Carpen- ter published the "Journal" till the spring of 1891 when he sold it and the plant to Dewitt Eager who leased the plant to Ed. Miller and he established the "Farmer's Patriot." This paper was issued at Beaver Crossing one year when D. Eager sold the plant to J. H. Waterman who founded the "Weekly Review" and Mr. Miller moved his "Patriot" to Crete. The "Review" was published by its founder five years, at the end of which time Dewitt Eager re-purchased the plant and leased it to Harry E. Stout who continued the Review until he had collected all the advance subscriptions he couled and then left for other fields. Beaver Crossing was then without a news dispenser for about six months when E. N. Overman came to the rescue and resurected the old "Review." He continued the publication for three years at the end of which period Mr. Eager re-sold it to J. H. Waterman under whose management the life of the "Re- view" was extended until 1905 when F. C. Diers purchased it and opened up a surprise sheet under the stunning name of "The Pride Of Beaver Crossing." After a few issues of this paper its name indicated so much sweetness that Mr. Diers, through large hearted kindness to the citizens, chang- ed the name, calling it "Beaver Crossing Times." F. C. Diers' "Pride" was such a "stumbling block" to his own suc- cess in the publishing of a paper that he soon quit and turn- ed it over to his brother who shortly transferred it to Mr. Scaggs. The "Times" proved too hard for Scaggs and he
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
"flew de coop" one night for parts unknown, leaving the sad announcement that "this is the last of Scaggs." The sec- ond Diers was then forced to resume the management of the paper under a strong protest, stating his determination to discontinue the publication if he could not soon make a sale of it, offering it to the writer at his own price. In this di- lemma, forced upon him by the slackened newspaper enter- prise and support of the "prominent citizens" who had held out false inducements to get the Dierses to leave good and remunerative positions to come to the town to "run" some- body else "out" of a ligitimate printing business, Mr. Diers scanned every avenue of escape. When he had about reached the climax of patient endurance on insufficient sup- port, he succeded in making a sale of the "Times," trans- ferring with it the title to the "hard times" which were the legacies of Beaver Crossing editors, to E. A. McNeil, who has felt and still feels the squeezing grip of "tight wads" in the conducting of his paper. F. C. Diers was well aware of the scheme of boycotting spite work of those "business men" he choosed to call them, who had induced him to make a sac- rifice upon their altar of folly and personal spite and there- fore reaped from the "gang" just what he planted for some- body else. He was so carried away with the deceptive flat- tery of his solicitors that he immagined himself the center of atraction and named his paper "The Pride of Beaver Crossing." With the fall of his "Pride" he lost his job at Exeter and a good, comfortable home at that place.
About the time of the birth of the aforesaid "Pride, " the writer established a paper in Beaver Crossing under the name of the "Independent Examiner." This paper was a success in as much as it went outside of Beaver Crossing for advertising patronage while it received a fine subscription support at home and a share of the better grade of home ad- vertising. The plant was the best in its job department ever
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put in the town and was over run with fine job work, making the enterprise a financial success, but on account of failing health we were forced to sell the business after eighteen months. J. D. Austin, of Bethany, Nebraska purchased it, moving the plant to Bethany where he started the "Christian Reporter. The writer again entered the publishing arena at Beaver Crossing by starting the "Echo," Jauuary Ist, 1913. This little paper run one year and was discontinued.
The second "Seward County Democrat" was started at Seward by H. E. McClellan in 1884. This "Democrat" was only four years old when it was sold to M. Meehan who renamed it "People's Rights." Shortly after this D. M. Smith established the Seward County Independent which was bought by Meehan and consolidated with the "People's Rights." This paper and plant was sold in 1893 to the Inde- pendent Publishing Company and the "Seward Independent" was its offspring. In 1891 P. C. Carpenter revived the name of "Seward County Democrat" under which he estab- lished and published a paper for five years when it expired. In 1897 Wm. H. Smith purchased the dead Democrat and the "Seward County Independent" and founded a paper under the consolidated name of "Independent-Democrat." Under Mr. Smith's management this paper has become one of the best and most popular local and county newaspapers in Nebraska. Mr. Smith is serving as State Auditor, but still owns the plant and publishes the paper while it is ably edited and managed by R. W. Johnson.
The "Farmer's Zeitung," a German paper made its first appearance at Seward, Friday, April 12, 1901 ander the management of Joseph Tagwerker. The paper has not fail- ed to appear regularly every week since its first issue and has become a perminent Seward enterprise. It is non-partisan in politics.
The "Utica Sun" was founded at Utica by Frank Comp-
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ton in 1886 and was published by him for some time. His successors in its publication at different periods were first his brother, Wm. Compton, who was followed by Stephen Lowley, E. W. Harvey, and again William Compton who died while its editor, his wife continuing its publication for some time. She was followed by H. M. Smith, Hunter & Harvey and finally by the present able editor, Dana R. Mutz. The "Sun" has reflected its rays from the pens of more dif- ferent editors than any other newspaper in Seward county, but it is creditable to each of them that the name of the pa- per has not been disturbed or changed. The enterprise of Utica citizens in supporting their paper gave the place the credit by newspaper unions of being the banner country newspaper town in the state, whether this record has been maintained to the present or not we are not able to state, but trust it has.
The "Tamora Register" was founded at Tamora in 1892 and continued publication till 1909 when it suspended and F. P. Shields started a fire tinted, short lived paper under the name of "Shields' Tamora Lyre." We are unable to say what his object was for doing so, but he printed his "Lyre" on pink paper, but the "Lyre" went out of tune in 1913.
H. Sage started a paper called the "Journal" at Cordova in 1889. It was short lived. The "Cordova Progress" was started by Frank Dorsey in 1892. It was a bright little paper and continued publicaiion two or three years when it suspended.
Now, we believe this completes the list of Seward county publications and is a creditable record for the county.
1 CHAPTER XXIV.
Early Official Conditions in Seward County-The First Election -First Board of County Commissioners and County Officers-Tax Assess- ments and Collections.
The Epoch in the official era in Seward county is record- ed in the latter period of Nebraska territorial government. Like other matters of pioneer times it had a feeble beginning and would call to mind that memoriable time in life when all humanity "creeps before it walks." Official spoils and rewards had no charms in those early times, the machinery of county government being run with little financial support, and without office salaries, the incumbents serving for the good of the country.
Under the provisions of the territorial law Seward county formed a part of Lancaster county, for judicial purposes, but at the october election in 1865 it was released from this com- pact and elected its first board of county commissioners which was composed of William Imly, of -G- precinct; W. J. Thompson, of - K- precinct and H. W. Parker of -P- pre- cinct. At this election there were but twenty-four votes cast in the county. The newly elected board proceeded immediatly to legal business, meeting and organizing it canvased the votes and found the following canidates for the different county offices duly elected : Thomas West, clerk; C. J. Nieghardt, treasurer; J. L. Davison, probate judge; W. E. Chapin, sheriff.
To the credit of this pioneer board of county commis- sioners and those first county officials it may be said they laid the foundation upon which the future official welfare of the county was destined to stand. Notwithstanding the many difficulties of those ungoveryable times the business of the
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
county intrusted in their hands was duly cared for and trans- acted. Contentions over the county seat location and other unsettled matters kept the board almost constantly between two fires. The meeting place of the board was at indefinite places and at the close of one board meeting the members scarcely knew what locality of the county the next meeting would be in. There was but a small amount of taxable real estate in the county, which was assessable at a low rate and did not afford much revenue. Personal property was limited and taxes upon it soon became delinquent and dif- ficult to collect and the financial means to make both ends meet in the public expenses was an unsolved problem. But the record of official conduct is an unbroken evidence of the public enterprise that ever prompted our pioneer business managers to a creditable performance of duty.
The tax levy fixed by the county board for 1865 and 1866 was six mills on the dollar. Had this tax been fully collected it would not furnished an amount equal to one-fourth of the yearly salary of one of several of our county officials at the present time. The record, so far as we have been able to learn, shows amount of levy for 1865 upon all assessed valu-
ations to have been $ 175.95. The total amount of general fund collected was $62.62 and the amount paid out by the treasurer on warrants was $65.33 leaving a balance due the treasurer of $2.71. The total amount of road tax collected was $60.48, six dollars and forty-one cents being allowed the treasurer for collecting there was still in his hands 54.44. The amount of general fund delinquent, 25.45. Delinquent road tax, 27.50.
The tax levy for the two years of 1865 and 1866 amount- ed to $423. 34, penalties added bringing the total up to $440- 37. Of this amount $319.91 was collected, leaving a delin- quency of $ 120.46, and with several unpaid warrants out- standing the treasurer had but eight dollars and fifty-seven
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
cents of county funds to pay them with. The only school fund was a dog tax amounting to eighteen dollars. And as there were no roads only such as had grown wild on the prairie we are unable to state what the road fund was for. Schools were all supported and sustained by private sub- scription and the dog tax may have been intended as seed for the propagation of other school tax. Our early settlers were very enthusiastic over 'school matters and perhaps thought the tax on dogs for school purposes would be a good start in the right direction, and would let the world know that public education was at least remembered and consid- ered in Seward county. The eighteen dollars dog tax would have been sufficient capital to build one sod school house or with the aid of volunteer help, build several of them.
The official business of Seward county with unorganized counties west of it and attached to it for judicial and other purposes is not considered in the record of Seward county's business transactions, although the tax assessments in those counties seem to have been made by Seward county citizens who were allowed three dollars a day for their services.
From the beginning of county government in 1865 there was a marked degree of advancement in public affairs. As valuations in tax assessments increased tax collections be- came more easy, these conditions being advanced in perpor- tion to the increasing settlement, general improvements, and increase in all kinds of stock. And there has been no period in the county's history when those attainments have been so rapid as they were in the period from 1865 to 1871. In that period the first county superintendent of public instruction was added to the list of county officials and school funds were raised by tax levy to support public schools throughout the county. And in some localities public funds had in- creased to such an extent that the citizens had advanced a scheme to build a railroad with county funds.
CHAPTER XXV.
Precinct Settlements and Pioneer Settlers.
We find it difficult to obtain, at this late date, names of even a majority of those who made homes in the pioneer days in Seward county. But we have geathered a number from each precinct which we are glad to record on these pages. Many names which are not mentioned here may be found in the list of those who have passed to their final rest, published farther along in this work.
A PRECINCT PIONEER SETTLERS.
Settlement began in this precinct in 1864, John A. Scott and John Owens took homesteads in section 22 in that year. J. D. Maine on the same section in the spring of 1865 fol- lowed later in the same year by Asa Munn and Warren Brown who located homesteads on section 20. John D. Olney settled on section 22 in 1866. John Darnell, S. M. Darnell and William Clapp on the same section, W. R. Waddles on section 18 and R. H. Dart on section 30 in 1867. G. B. Hardenberg, E. W. Olney and H. Hawkins were settlers in the late sixties. H. M. Brooks and Milton Langdon settled near Oak Groves in 1872. The former, H. M. Brooks was a Union soldier during the war of the rebellion. His son, Wm. J. sharing his father's patriotism served in a Nebraska regiment during the U. S. war with Spain.
B PRECINCT PIONEER SETTLERS.
Settlement in this precinct seems to have been made at a later period than in -A- precinct. J. D. Hickman settled on section 32, J. T. Poor on section 28, William Hickman and J. W. Hickman on the same section, and Joseph Hick-
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
man on section 30, all in 1868. F. M. Timblin and W. W. Moore on section 32, John Poor on section 8, Amos Cole- man on section 28, William Knight on section 20, and L. G. Johns on section 30 in 1869. John Quinlan, Thomas Quin- lan, John Varner, Peter Varner settled in the precinct in '68 being followed in 1869 by James Reid, E. H. Nixon, J. T. Davis, H. G. Dawley, Elias McClure, and others previously mentioned. Michael Dunigan settled on a homestead in 1871. Charles M. Gordon settled on railroad land in section 13 in 1875. Calvin S. Wright bought and settled on a farm near where the village of Bee is located in 1879. He con- ducted an extensive stock farm. Rev. Christian Bek settled on a farm in this precinct in 1877, but moved to Seward after a short residence where he organized an Evangelical church.
We are sorry that we cannot give a complete list of the homestead settlers who served in the Union army during the war of the rebellion. Soldiers who returned from the service at the close of the war had an ungratified love for the old land marks around the home of their boyhood and did not take the interest in making new homes in an unsettled coun- try that they did a little later on, but we find a few mingled with the early pioneers. Michael Dunigan, was a Union soldier, served in an Illinoise regiment from 1862 to 1865. Charles M. Gordon, another -B- precinct early settler was a Union soldier in the war of the rebellion, as was also L. G. Johns.
C PRECINCT PIONEER SETTLERS.
Settlement in this precinct began early. Frank Shields took a homestead in section 10 in 1863, being followed in 1864 and 1865 by William Reed, J. A. Durland, Judge John W. Shields, George Reed, Frank E. Pitt, Moses Mitchel, Sidney Pitt, John W. Pitt, and Walter Hoops. William Hornberg, John W. Gladwish, John Schoepp, Ed. C. Archer,
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
John Gillbanks and Thomas Carr located in 1868. George Leggitt settled on section 28, and August Deahling on sec- tion 34 in 1869. Martin Castle settled on section 34, Wm. Reid on section 34, Geo. C .. Mckay on section 28, Homer M. McKay on section 30 in 1870. Luke Agur settled on railroad land in 1871, errecting the Maryville flouring mill the same year. Martin V. Mitchell, Marian Graham, Geo. Streeter, Wm. Crosby and Robert Hitchcock were 1870 homesteaders. Those reported as Union soldiers in the war of the rebellion are John W. Gladwish, Edward C. Archer, Sidney Pitt, and Thomas Carr.
D PRECINCT PIONEER SETTLERS.
Settlement in this precinct did not begin so early as it did in some others. William Jackman and son, John Jack- man settled on section 34 in the spring of 1867, and in the fall of the same year Charles Dack, Oscar Ragan, Henry Harris and Jessie Horton took claims on section 28, and Frank Bivins on section 22, James B. Reynold, Timothy Johnson and William Johnson on section 32. A. D. Horn- berg homesteaded in 1868 and A. D. Ritchie in '69. Hon. W. E. Ritchie, son of A. D. Ritchie, homesteaded in 1870. Served one term in the Nebraska state legislature and one term in the state senate. C. Allen and E. B. Hatch were 1872 homesteaders. Hoadley G. Hosford came in '69. He was a soldier in the Union army during the war of the re- bellion.
E PRECINCT PIONEER SETTLERS.
Settlement in this precinct began later than most any other precinct in Seward county which is evidence of the general desire among the early settlers to make homes upon bottom lands, and to shun the up-land precincts. There is no valley land in the precinct. Joseph Jones, Antius Keefer and Frank Johnson entered homestead claims on section 6
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
in 1869. L. E. Morgan settled on section 22, Elisha Bab- cock on section 20, Benjamin Colden on section 14, A. J. Oliver on section 10, Louis Larson on section 24, and James Mikleson on section 10 in 1870. Howard M. Coleman set- tled on a quarter of section 28 in 1871, Rev. Calvin E. Phin- ney settling on the same section in '70. Loren Thygeson homesteaded on section 12, and James E. Hibbard on sec- tion 10 in '71. Hon. George A. Derby settled on section 30 and B. F. Perry on a quarter of section 8 in '72. Fredrick Suhr, M. C. Wright, Samuel Gleason, and Mr. Greenwood all located homesteads in 1870-'71.
Of this number of settlers the following were soldiers in the war of the rebellion: Joseph Jones, served in the sixty- second Iowa infantry. Benjamin F. Perry, thirty-first Iowa infantry. James E. Hibbard, service not known. Rev. Calvin E. Phinney, and Howard M. Coleman.
F PRECINCT PIONEER SETTLERS.
Settlement in this precinct began as early as 1864 when Rev. E. W. Johnson built a log house on section 24, Thomas Skillman settling on section 13, Joseph Sampson on section 25 the same year. George and Russell Rogers and widow- ed mother each took homesteads on section 14 in 1866, and Charles Thurman and Joseph Thurman on the same section in '67. John W. Figard and Aaron Anderson settled on sec- tion 12, Henry Creighton, Charles Harvey, D. E. Lyon on section 34, Levi Hafer and Samuel Smith on section 26 in 1867. Samuel Pence, H. F. Mayland on section 10, and John Woods on section 18 in 1868. Marcus Reightmyer settled on section 2, George Slonecker on section 14, Samuel D. Dutton on section 10 and Samuel G. Mathews, section 22 in 1869, David H. Figard settling the same year. La- Fayette Weldon settled on section 30, Joseph W. Dupin and Isaac McFeely on section 8 in 1870. Ebenezer Jull settled
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on section 3, rail road land, in 1871. Alonzo Slonecker was an 1869 homesteader. John Slonecker bought a farm and Henry Slonecker a homestead and settled in 1875, Louis T. Bouchard in 1874 and W. S. Wallick on school land in 1876. Henry Shultz was an 1870 homesteader.
Of these early settlers who served in the Union army during the war of the rebellion were John Woods, Marcus Reightmyer, Samuel D. Dutton, and David H. Figard.
G PRECINCT PIONEER SETTLERS.
This precinct had a greater early settlement than any other town in the county. Robert T. Gale, said to have been the first homesteader in Seward county and who was without doubt, among the earliest homesteaders in the United States took out homestead papers on a quarter section of Uncle Sam's domain just east of the present city of Seward upon the morning opening of the land office in Nebraska City the next morning after the homestead act became a law, January 2nd, 1863. Stites Wooley was another early homesteader, locating on section 15 near Seward's townsite in the fore part of 1864. This pioneer and wife were with- out doubt one of the oldest couples that settled upon wild land in Seward county at that time, he having been born in 1807 and she in 1811. But still another couple of pioneer homesteaders who may be classed, not only among the old- dest but as the oldest in the persons of David Imley and wife who settled on section 10 in 1864, he having been born in 1792 and she shortly afterwards. They were married in 1814 and settled on a homestead the year of their golden wedding anniversary. W. W. Cox was an 1864 homestead settler. Hon. William Imlay settled the same year; was a member of the territorial legislature representing Seward and Lancaster counties one term and served three terms on Seward county's first board of commissioners. Rev. E. L.
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
Clark, Seward county's first resident preacher settled on a homestead two miles south of Seward in 1865. Lewis Mof- fit entered and settled upon a quarter, and a half of the ad- joining quarter of section 21, which became the townsite of Seward, the square upon which the county court house now stands being a portion of that homestead, in 1865. Lewis Anderson settled on the North Blue river bottom just west of Seward in 1866. Charles L. Lyon homesteaded on sec- tion 12, Levi Hafer three miles west of Seward and Wm. O. Pierce east of the townsite in 1868. Richard Sampson was an 1865 homesteader. Bayard Wickersham home- steaded the south-west quarter of section 14 in 1869. John N. Roberts was an 1865 homesteader and John Roberts sr., James Brown, J. F. Duncan, Roger Cooper, William Cooper and E. B. Shafer came in 1866. Orson Olmstead settled in 1870. The earliest entries of government land in -G- precinct were a quarter of section 18 by E. L. Ellis in 1861, and a part of section 21 by George Hilton in 1862; but those gentlemen are not supposed to have been pioneer settlers.
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