USA > Nebraska > Seward County > General history of Seward County, Nebraska > Part 6
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other difficulties, similar to the loss of the satchel, by which the wedding was delayed. Business affairs in Iowa de- manding my immediate return, as we could go with William Collier who was going to make a Sunday drive to Lincoln we were married on Saturday. Sunday morning broke with a raging, blinding north-west blizzard of the old time grade and we were corralled for four days. But we finally got off. spending two days and one night on the route to Nebraska City where I found the satchel at the hotel. Crossing the river in the morning to take railway passage, having run short of cash I presented a bank draft to pay for tickets, but the ticket agent said I would have to be identified to get tickets with that. Here was the worst appearing dilemma I had met, but fortunatly my wife had an uncle, Judge Ed. Reed, also an aunt and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Royal Buck residing in the city and we recrossed "old muddy" and spent twentyfour hours in a very pleasant visit with the uncle and aunt and their families. Judge Reed cashed my draft and the journey was completed without further trouble. I trust that the narration of the difficulties incountered on this short trip and the marriage, illustrates the condition of the country in regard to travel and the transit of mail in those early times in a more comprehensible manner than in any other way of presenting them. The railway fare from Logan to Beaver Crossing at the present time is two dollars and twenty cents, and the time reqired to make the trip is five hours. I was four days and three nights making the same journey. And the expense of the round trip, including the cost of the shirt and box of collars, wedding fees and return fare for the bride was ninety-five dollars and fifty cents.
The Beaver Crossing Mail.
Regarding the Beaver Crossing mail in pioneer time be- ing a "weakly affair" there is a greater reason than Adams' jug to say it was a strong one. It is true it came by what
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
was called star route. only once a week. but for this reason it was too heavy for the back of a broncho, at least as early as the spring of 1870. Beaver Crossing was the terminus of the mail route and mail was brought there for settlers on an area of territory reaching into York and Fillmore counties, and the fact must be apparent that with the rush of settle- ment in the years of 1869 to 1870, inclusive, there must have been a large and increasing demand for mail service. Com- munication between the homesteaders and their recent old homes was a matter of absolute necessity to the progress of the country's settlement. While there was not such a vast amount of second class and ordinary mail matter in those days as at the present time, it can scarcely be denied that mail to and from Beaver Crossing of the first class, or let- ters, was heavier then than at the present time. Although the postoffices at Camden and Milford were served by the mail route three times a week in 1870 the heaviest mail to be delivered in any postoffice in Seward county at that time passed through those offices to Beaver Crossing.
PIONEER POSTOFFICES AND POSTMASTERS.
The first of the pioneer postoffices was opened with James Johnson as pestmaster at Camden in 1865. This office served the people of the entire county of Seward and many settlers in Saline county and counties further west, for a period of about two years when an office was opened with J. L. Davison as postmaster at Millford, and almost simul- taneously with this postoffices were established at West Mills, on the West Blue river, west of Camden and at Beaver Crossing and the star route was extended from Lincoln via Pleasant Dale, Millford and Camden to West Mills and Beaver Crossing. Thomas West was the posmaster at the Mills and Rolland Reed at the Crossing.
About the time these latter offices were opened the enter- prising little settlement in the vicinity of the proposed town
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
of Seward resolved to get a postoffice and after making an ineffectual effort to induce Lewis Moffit to accept the posi- tion of postmaster an application was sent to a Nebraska representative in congress to have the honor of postmaster bestowed upon Mr. Moffit as a pleasant surprise regardless of his determination not to accept it. He was the only available man, being the only resident of the site of the pro- posed town and his house the only suitable place for the postoffice. The application was duly considered, the ap- pointment made and Seward had a postoffice and post- master. But the patronage was so small that the govern- ment declined furnishing it with a star route. With a brand- new postoffice and postmaster the people of Seward were not going to be nonplussed for the want of a mail agent and they contracted with E. L. Clark, a one armed soldier, to carry the mail to and from Camden once a week for one dollar and fifty cents a trip, funds for the purpose being rais- ed by subscription. The distance from Seward to Camden was about fifteen miles and Mr. Clark made the trips on foot and carried the mail in an old army haversack.
Several postoffices were established in the northern pre- cincts of the county in pioneer days. A postoffice was open- ed in Milten Langdon's house on section 21, at Oak Groves in 1869 with G. B. Harding as postmaster. It was first served by "buckboard" star route and later the mail was carried by stage. A postoffice named Orton was kept in a farm house in D precinct in the late sixties, Stephen Phillips being the postmaster. There was also one maintained at Marysville in C precinct for several years. The German- town postoffice was established after the advent of the B. & M. rail road in 1873, with John Westerhoff as postmaster. The postoffice at Pleasant Dale was established in 1870 with James Iler as postmaster. The office was located in Mr. Iler's residence, and if our memory serves us correctly it was
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
a structure made of small stones which undoubtedly had been gathered along Middle creek, Pleasant Dale being in the Middle creek valley, in the eastern portion of the county. There is an abundance of stone along this valley. The Utica postoffice, established in the fall of 1877, was the last one in the list of what might be called pioneer postoffices of Seward county. T. E. Standard was its first postmaster, through whose efforts the office was shortly advanced to a money order office.
The foregoing postoffices of the pioneer period were small and perhaps as Mr. Cox says "weakly affairs," but their mission was great and grand. And we feel safe in saying that there never was the same number of mail de- liveries to serve the same number of inhabitants that did the real good to the patrons and the country in which they were located that those offices did.
And the benevolent pioneer postmasters whose labors in the performance of service to their neighbors was, with the exception of the reward of appreciation, practicially an un- rewarded act of kindness to the patrons of their offices, to them and their offices is due the credit for having assisted the pioneer settlers in the civilized settlement of Seward county.
This picture represents an "old land mark," undoubtedly remembered by many hundred pioneer settlers as the place where their bread material was manufactured. It was built just south of the present location of Beaver Crossing in 1871 by Smith and Ingles. It was sold to Wm. J. Thompson in the fall of 1872, and he conducted the mill for several years, finally sell- ing it to J. F. M. Dimery who later sold it to George Winand. It was again transferred in a short time to Mr. Dimery who permitted it go out of use. It shortly afterwards become the property of John Martin who repared it and placed it in working order. His son, Robert Martin has conducted its business several years and is still the miller. There was a politically his- torical event connected with the sale and transfer of this mill to William J. Thompson. He had just been elected, after a hard worked campaign, to represent his district in the state legislature and just about the time for him to assume his duties at the state capital he made a deal for the mill when he absolutely refused to serve as one of the state's law makers on the grounds that he could not afford to leave his business.
CHAPTER XIII.
Pioneer Towns-Stores-Saw and Grist Mills-Bridges and Highways.
Camden, located in the intersecting vallies of the North and West Blue rivers which unite a short distance below, and also at the freight route crossing of the North Blue, was the first place in Seward county to present an appearance of a village or town. It was a beautiful locality with its expanse of bottom land, the sparkling rivers with their winding beds bordered with rows of timber and the distant hills on either side. This attracting the attention of the public travelers upon the freight route induced early settlement and the form- ation of a town began as early as 1866. A postoffice had already been established. The first store of the county was opened here in 1866 by Wm. Buckhannan and a saw and flouring mill was erected by H. W. Parker and Fordyce Roper at an expense of $ 15,000 the same season. The mill was first class and an enterprise of inestimable value to the town and general public throughout the county. A hotel soon followed and then the second store. A blacksmith had located a shop early and engaged in shoeing freight teams, and added to the ringing music of the hammer and anvil was heard the duller rattle of the carpenter's hammer, ad- ding many dwelling houses. In March 1870 we were a guest over night at the Camden hotel, the name of which with the name of the proprietor we have forgotten, but we remember that he was a very busy business man. having, besides his hotel to oversee, the responsibility of the office of justice of the peace. There were two stores and both were kept in log buildings, and one of them carried a line of
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drugs and patent medicine in addition to its general mer- chandise entitling it to be classed as a department store. There were a collection of dwelling houses surrounding the business center, the place appearing like a town of two or three hundred inhabitants. And it is probable that it had about reached its growth limit as it gradually decreased from about that time.
Nine miles north of Camden, where the steam wagon road crossed the North Blue river, the second village in Seward county sprang into existance during the period from 1866 to 1868. Davison & Reed started a grist and saw mill in 1866 and as this mill was located just above the old ford crossing of the river the town was named "Milford." But while the mill was in line of progress the ford passed into retirement by the errection of a bridge, the second one to span the North Blue river in Seward county. This bridge was what might been called a "wild west bridge." It was a true representation of pioneer art and called to memory the truthful addage, "necessity is the mother of invention." It was made by sinking large piling into the earth upon which stringers of logs were placed reaching from the bank to the first pile and continued from one to the other until the opposite bank was reached. Upon these stringers small poles were thickly lain and then covered with a matt of hay and dirt. J. L. Davison built the bridge to accomodate the travel upon the steam wagon road while he was in the bus- iness of keeping a ranch at that place. Milford was located in an attractive area of Seward county territory. The North Blue river here was superior to the Nebraska streams in gen- eral, being imbeded in rock. The bottom of the stream was composed of large flag stone, from which we took several perch of flag stone in 1874 for a foundation to the Beaver Crossing school house. This condition of the river affords the place one of the best water power sites in Nebraska and
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
it has been improved. The settlers were progressive and as . early as 1868 had made apparant signs of future advance- ment. Doom & Etherly opened the first mercantile store, being followed by S. G. Merriam & Son with the second one in a short time.
In March 1870 we were at Milford and took dinner at the Milford hotel, kept by L. D. Laune. We 'became ac- quainted with the two professional men of the county capital, D. C. McKillip, attorney at law and Dr. Band who occupied a building perhaps twelve feet wide by about sixteen in length with an assortment of drugs and medicines, and we believe he called it his drug store. He did not remain long at Milford. but moved to Crete when that place was first founded. Dr. J. H. Woodward settled at Milford in 1870 and Dr. G. W. Brandon and Dr. Mitchell came to the place about two years later. Dr. Woodward and D. C. McKillip moved to Seward shortly after the location of the county seat at that place. They were both Union soldiers in the war of the rebelion.
One of the two first newspapers published in Seward county, The Blue Valley Record was started at Milford in December, 1870 by Culver & Parsons. It was a neat and enterprising little local newspaper and appeared regularly every week until 1873 when the publishers moved it to Lin- coln and consolidated it with a paper in that city. However Mr. Culver did not remain in Lincoln, but returned to his former home after about one year.
A contention over the matter of the county seat sprang up between Camden and Milford in the early period of their ex- istance, and as Milford was located nearer the center of the couuty it won the contest. While this was a brief and tem- porary stimulus to Milford it seemed to be almost a death blow to Camden. However Milford retained the prize but a few years when it was relocated at Seward. Milford's
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
pioneer postmasters were changed several times, the emol- uments of the office undoubtedly being the honor more than the salary the desire to hold on to the position was limited only to the time the next fellow would take it. J. L. Davi- son, the first postmaster. was appointed in 1867 and was succeeded by Mr. Etherly in 1868, J. H. Culver succeeding him in 1871. Two years later, in 1873, Thomas A. Healey was appointed and held the office till 1876 when he resigned to accept the office of representative in the state legislature, his wife succeeding him in the postoffice, and was succeeded by S. D. I. Emerson in 1879, who held the office six years when it passed from the pioneer period.
Still farther up the North Blue river Seward, the third place to enter upon the stage as a town, became a preten- tious village early. The first step towards the formation of a town was taken in 1868 when Thomas Graham was em- ployed by Lewis Moffit to survey the first section of the town-site and lay it out in lots. In the same season Beaty & Davis opened a store, W. H. Tuttle built a small portion of what later become the Commercial Hotel, Dr. L. Walker added a small residence and with prospects of new recruits, in the fall of the same year Seward was marshaling its legions to capture the county seat. And a contest was soon in "full blast" between that place and Milford, the one to gain and the other to retain the scat. The contest was waged with furious energy by both sides, mixed with a little wild west trickery for a long and bitter period. Seward had the advantage of being located nearer to the center of the county, and Milford was burdened with the dissatisfaction of Camden on account of the previous county seat contention and when the proposition to relocate the county seat at Sew- ard was finally submitted to a vote on October tenth, 1871, it carried by a safe majority and Seward was on the map as a county seat town. And its developement as a village
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
was rapid. With the assurance that the county seat ques- tion was permanently settled new industries began to appear. Professional men-lawyers and doctors were soon mingling with the pioneer homesteaders. And added to the former important feature in the up-building of Seward the B. & M. rail road reached the place early in the spring of IS73. With this enterprise came the establishmet of a standard market for farm produce which stimulated other branches of business and the new town, scarcely four years old. could begin to view its future prospects above the support to be obtained from the county seat. Energetic and substantial grain buyers were soon upon the scene of future operations and ware houses were erected in view of handling the coming fall's business. Among the resident grain buyers Beaty & Davis took a prominent part, and as a special grain dealer who came to Seward to make that line his business, E. C. Carns was the most prominent of the early dealers. What- ever may have been the general impression of thought en- tertained by the public of Mr. Carns, he was an able man in his line of work and was a pillar of great strength to the city of Seward, holding the confidence of the farmers in the pur- chase of their grain he was an attraction which drew the rural patronage from the entire county. A brick yard was placed in opporation the same year. Joel Tishue erected a large brick store building and opened a general mercantile store which was followed in a short time by the opening of stores by Herman Diers and S. Adler. A store was opened by the Grange along about 1874 which later was made the headquarters for the distribution of aid to the grasshopper sufferers throughout the county. E. A. Polley was an early time jewelry dealer and Cyrus Chapin entered into the music trade about the same time, dealing in organs, pianos, and sewing machines. Phil Unitt opened a meat market, in 1873 and in the same year the State Bank of Nebraska, the first
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
bank in Seward county, was established by Claudius Jones. A court house was an early enterprise. It was an inexpen- sive structure, but cost more than it was worth to the county as a court house. It stood just west of the present business portion of the city. It passed out of use as a court house before the close of the seventies and court was held in the opera house and other rented rooms. And the rooms for county officials were also rented in one of the business blocks. Whitcomb & Williams were prominent figures in the early business of Seward, in the line of livery, feed and sale stable which they conducted for several years. The Seward County Bank, the second bank in the county, was founded in 1876 by S. C. Langworthy. This bank merged into the First National Bank later on. Among the early business we recall to memory A. J. Calender, coal dealer. Dun- baugh Brothers, dealers in drugs and medicines. S. D: Atkins, dealer in and manufacturer of harness etc. J. W. Dupin, a prominent citizen of Seward in early days, and an early homesteader, we first remember as a clerk in the Grange Store in 1874, afterwads in the county clerks office, postoffice and county judge. J. A. Fallen, contract builder for many years, located in IS72. J. P. Gannon, paper hanger and decorater settled in 1875-a comrade soldier in the war of the reblion. W. B. Barrett, one of the first lum- ber merchants in the county, came in IS72. Mr. Barrett was a Union soldier in the war of the rebellion. J. A. Sheely. a bridge carpenter, settled in IS71 and followed his line of business throughout Seward county for many years. Win. Shultz, boot and shoe merchant came to Seward and entered business in 1875. Wm. H. Wait, a stone mason, settled in 1875 and worked at his trade for many years. He was an- other comrade soldier in the war of the rebellion. Chas. K. Humphrey, a carpenter and builder was a settler in the early seventies. He was a Union soldier in the war of the
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
rebellion-his son, Orson Egbert Humphrey, a Seward boy born July 28, 1877-shared his father's patriotism and en- listed in Co. M Ist Nebraska volunteers and served in the Phillippines where he was severly wounded in the battle of Quinga, April 23, 1899. He was brought back to the home of his childhood where death clamed the young soldier boy, from the effects of his wounds, after several months of intense suffering. November 17, 1899. August Richman, who was for many years a drygoods and clothers salesman, settled in 1875. Jeff Ogg, an 1870 pioneer, was for a long time a gentlemanly clerk for Joel Tishue, and a traveling salesman later for an eastern wholesale house. He was a Union sol- dier in the war of the rebellion. Edmund McIntire, B. & M. railway land agent, settled in 1871. L. G. Johns, city treas- urer and twice county treasurer, an 1870 pioneer. He was a Union soldier during the war of the rebellion. J. W. Gladwish, one of the earliest settlers and the most conspic- uous figure in Seward county, has served the city in differ- ent official capacities, and is now serving the twenty-seventh year of continuous service as police judge, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. He was a Uuion soldier in the war of the rebellion. J. F. Goehner as one of the later pioneer business men of Seward, opened a grocery store in 1875.
The early professional settlers of Seward were R. S. and T. L. Norval, D. C. McKillip, George W. Lowley, William Leese, and H. Lewis, attorneys. Doctors L. Walker, J. H. Woodward, Dillon, Beechly and Reynolds. Five of these were Union soldiers during the war of the rebellion; Dr. J. II. Woodward, Dr. Beechley, attorneys D. C. McKillip, G. Lowley, and Wm. Leese. In regard to this we will say that the city of Seward will never again have as large a pre- centage of veteran soldiers on its list of business and profes- sional men as it was honored with in its pioneer era. How- ever we hope and trust that comrade Gladwish may remain
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
with it until he has rounded out his five score years at least.
A saw mill, which was the fifth one in the county, was built at Seward by H. L. Boyes in 1867-68. To this Mr. Boyes added a flouring department in 1870. This mill was a beneficient enterprise to the pioneer settlers along the North Blue river and through northern portions of the coun- ty. It was a popular bread-stuff factory and was known throughout the county as the Banner Mills, being decorated in the national colors. But its foundation seemed to have been faulty and becoming overloaded with farmers' grists the bottom fell out one night in 1871, letting the scores of grists, loose grain and mill machinery drop into the river. This was an unfortunate loss to the proprietor of the mill and also to its patrons. In those times of limited supplies the loss of a grist meant to many persons almost a calamity, and the loss of the services of the mill was no small item in the mis- fortune. Mr. Boyes did not become entirely discouraged, but went to work with energy and perseverance and soon had the burrs in motion again.
What might be termed the second Seward flouring mill was built on the North Blue river two miles below the city, in 1874 by Cooper & Henderson. Captain Robert T. Coop- er was a resident of Seward, a veteran of of the war of the re- bellion.
Seward's pioneer postmasters were frequently changed, the position undoubtedly becoming burdensome was resigned whenever a new one was found that would take it. Lewis Moffit was appointed in 1867 and was suceeded by W. R. Davis in 1868. Mr. Davis held the office three years and resigned when E. L. Clark, the one armed mail carrier was appointed, and was succeeded by L. G. Johns in 1873, and Mr. Johns held on to the office four years when Wm. Red- ford was appointed, being succeeded by Chas. VanPelt in 1881. During this period the increase in the mail handled
.
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
was extensive and the increase in the postmaster's compen- sation may be marked by the seeming increase in the post- master's inclination to hold on to the office.
The first bridges to span the Blue river at Seward were somewhat in the line of architecture with the Milford bridge and were relics of pioneer ingenuity until along in the seven- ties.
Going back from the early settlement of the three first towns in Seward county to 1864 the first saw and grist mill of the county appears, nine miles west of Camden on the West Blue river, and known as West's Mills. It was small in size, but great in the minds and hearts of the people of the scattering settlements of Seward county. Upon the proprietor of this enterprise, Mr. Thomas West, they looked with overflowing gratitude and their patronage was sufficient to make it a financial success. While there was never any town at West's Mills Mr. West kept a general supply store in early times before other stores were opened.
Twelve miles farther west at Beaver Crossing a store was opened in the fall of 1869 by Thomas H. Tisdale, and the present village of Beaver Crossing was formed in 1871 with two stores, a hotel built by John Osborn, a blacksmith shop under the management of Edward Maule, a sod school house and residents to the number of about fifty people. Smith's flouring mill was built the same season. The pioneer post- masters were Roland Reed from 1867 to 1869; Daniel Mills- paw from 1869 to 1870 and T. H. Tisdale from 1870 to 1884.
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