History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 10

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180

USA > Nebraska > Custer County > History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time > Part 10

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).

Nor were the trains the only conveyances bringing in landseekers. Autos galore glided into town all hours of the day and night and from all parts of the country. Up to the date of this issue. over three hundred and fifty cars have brought people to Broken Bow for the purpose of registering. One citizen taking a trip east of here Wednesday forenoon, counted in two hours. 102 autos headed in this direc- tion, and he missed a few at that, when he turned his head to spit. Let all come who want; Broken Bow has ample accommoda- tions and can feed and shelter an unlimited number of people. The Burlington took care of the traffic in a manner that called forth the highest praise, and between it and the excellent town facilities there was no dis- comfort at any period of the rush.

During the twelve days the registration lasted, the Broken Bow authorities handled over 32,000 applicants. For the protection of the crowd, most of whom were strangers, every precaution was taken. The eating houses did not advance the price of meals and every pri- vate house in town contributed one or more rooms. The train service was so organized. however, that no one was required to remain in town over night unless they so elected. A large tent office was erected in the street and maintained as a bureau of information. W. L. Gaston had charge of this bureau and or- ganized an able corps of assistants, who were on duty day and night and left nothing undone for the comfort of the strangers.

PERSONNEL OF THE NOTARIES

The splendid organization of the notaries, by which they handled the crowd as fast as they arrived, can not be too highly praised. They were accommodating and very efficient. Their names are as follows: I. A. Reneau, Broken Bow : M. M. Leonard, Anselmo : 31. M. Run- yan, Mason City: W. B. Eastham, Broken

Bow: Emil Gschwind, Broken Bow ; Robert Farley. Milburn; Dale P. Stough, Broken Bow; Mabel Darnell, Broken Bow; H. H. Andrews. Callaway: J. C. Moore. Broken Bow : James A. Kirk, Broken Bow ; E. House, Broken Bow: A. R. Humphrey, Broken Bow; John S. McGraw, Broken Bow: A. J. Wat- kins, Oconto; Ross G. Moore, Broken Bow : Frank P. Knox. Arnold : J. Thull. Ansley ; J. M. Fodge. Broken Bow : Charles H. Holcomb. Broken Bow: Emery F. Bush, Broken Bow ; Arthur W. Holcomb. Broken Bow : E. S. Hol- comb, Broken Bow: B. C. Empfield. Broken Bow; E. Taylor. Broken Bow : Charles L. Gutterson, Broken Bow : Willis Cadwell, Bro- ken Bow: C. L. Bennett, Broken Bow ; R. D. Pickett, Broken Bow: H. F. Hanson, Broken Bow: J. E. Ferguson, Broken Bow; A. B. Cornish, Lodi: Frank Kelley, Merna : Emma Scott. Ansley.

The land office was represented by Register John Reese : Receiver D. M. Amsberry ; W. L. Lovelace, and Leo Poole.

LET UP, STOP, OVER, AND REST

From the beginning of settlements post- offices were in demand and, as noted elsewhere, were located in an early day so as to give best possible service to the scattered settlers. Some of the names selected for early post- offices were so peculiar and seemed to have heen arranged with so much of design that we stop to record a few of them. In 1880 was established in the present vicinity of Calla- way a postoffice which was named "Letup." In June, 1884, on what is to-day called the Stop Table, a postoffice was established called "Stop." In August of the same year another postoffice was established and called "Over." In November, 1890, on the West Table, a postoffice was established and given the de- lightful name of "Rest." Taken altogether these four postoffices, in the order in which they were established, read, Letup. Stop. Over. and Rest.

None of them is in existence to-day. fra Graves was the postmaster of "Letup." He had the name changed to Delight. Later it was changed to Grant and then, in August, 1886. it was changed to Callaway. "Stop" was discontinued ten years after its estab- lishment. "Over" was discontinued in 1907. "Rest" lasted until August. 1906.

CHAPTER V

THIE COMING OF THE SETTLERS

NO SETTLEMENT IN THE COUNTY - THE BUFFALO BILL TREE - THE FIRST HOME - WHO WAS THE FIRST HOMESTEADER? - LEWIS R. DOWSE FIRST SETTLER - FRANK OHME WAS FIRST MAN TO FILE - THE FIRST COMERS - MORE FOR DOUGLAS GROVE - NEW HELENA HOMESTEADERS - DISCOVER CEDAR CANYON - ESTABLISHES FIRST POSTOFFICE - THE BE- GINNING OF LEE'S PARK - A FINE STOCK BREEDER - A SIGNAL SERVICE MAN - SPEN- CER'S PARK - MAUK WAS A GAY BACHELOR - NOW THEY COME TO LILLIAN - SETTLING IN MERNA VALLEY - A BUNCH OF IOWANS ARRIVE - AN IMPROMPTU RECEPTION - SETTLING IN CUSTER CENTER - DOWN IN ASH CREEK VALLEY - HOW CUSTER COUNTY GOT BOB HUNTER - THEY FILL UP THE TABLE - FIRST OF THE DEEP WELLS - SETTLERS COME TO DALE - LOHR RUNS SOME STORE - MORE ABOUT LILLIAN - DOWN ON THE REDFERN TABLE - PLENTY OF ROOM IN A SMALL HOUSE - AN ACCOMMODATING ENGLISH MAN - TOO MANY ROOSTERS FOR REAM AND JEFFORDS - SETTLEMENT OF GEORGETOWN - HELP YOUR- SELF - "GETTING IN BAD" - CUSTER COUNTY PIONEER HONORED - PELHAM STRETCHES THE QUILT - A FLOCK OF BACHELORS - GIBBONITES ON THE LOUP - FIND AN OLD DUG- OUT - TWIN FAWNS AT THE CENTENNIAL - WOULD NOT STAND FOR THE NAME - THE HAUMONTS - WHERE BROKEN NOW STANDS - EARLY DAYS: HARD TIMES - ONE OF THE OLD SETTLERS

The transition period between the white man and the Indian is always a very interest- ing period in the development of a new coun- try, but it is one that affords little comfort to the historian who covets accuracy. Records are scarce if, in fact, there be any at all ; treacherous memories and conflicting state- ments are about the sum total of obtainable material. The best that can be done is to give the general narrative and let the old settlers supply the details.

NO SETTLEMENT IN COUNTY

The present state surveyor. Robert Harvey, who with his party surveyed the principal lines of this county in 1872, says :

"There was not a settler in Custer county that we observed, and the only evidence no- ticed of an intention to settle was in section 26, township 18 north, range 17 west. in the south end of the Oak Grove, close to Rock

creek, where we found four logs cut and laid up for the foundation of a cabin, and on a blazed oak tree nearby was the notice in pencil of 'Buffalo Bill's' claim of intention to file. It was dated in June and my recollection is that it was on the anniversary of the battle of Bun- ker Hill."

In 1873 and 1874 the first settlements were made. During that period several parties came up from the Grand Island country, or perhaps a little farther east, and settled in the Middle Loup valley,- Lee's Park and the present New Helena. Other families came up from the south, filtering through Kearney, Lexing- ton, then called Plum Creek, and made settle- ment in the South Loup valley. It was in these localities that Custer county settlements began. Some of the settlers were married men who brought their families with them and were therefore ready as soon as possible to establish some kind of a home. Whether a

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

dugout, a log house, or sod house, it didn't matter. If four walls could be erected or dug out, and a roof constructed over them, it was home and in it home life began.

THE BUFFALO BILL TREE

A tree in the vicinity of Douglas Grove bore for years the name, "William Cody, 1869," cut deep into its shaggy bark, showing that "Buffalo Bill" had camped here on some of his hunting or scouting trips. Opposite the grove were three large pine trees, standing four miles back from the river. Two of them

Suffolk Eby Boston

BUFFALO BILL WHEN A HUNTER IN NEBRASK.1

were cut in the winter of 1873, taken to Loup City and sawed into boards, which were taken to Omaha and Lincoln as an advertisement for Kountz county pioneers. In 1880 the last of the three pine trees disappeared. They had stood for years, faithful sentinels in the dreary sand hills-a guide for the weary hunter to his camp. All the early settlers miss that last lone pine, which could be seen for miles on either side of the river. None but a tender- foot could have destroyed the last remaining relic of early times. Owing to the fact that Cody's name was found carved on this tree. the story became current that Cody had located a claim within the boundaries of the county. There is nothing to substantiate the claim.

THE FIRST HOME

Who had the first home in Custer county ? That is one of the many interrogations no historian can answer. During the early '60s trappers and hunters often visited the country but it is not known that any of them had per- manent stopping places. Perhaps some of them put up rude shelters, but they were noth- ing more than shelters. Out south and west of Callaway, on the old Finch-Hatton ranch. was located what is probably the first white man's abode of any kind ever established in the county. Old settlers tell us that in 1872 the remains of a demolished dugout were dis- covered in this locality and at that time it gave evidence of having been abandoned at least ten years. The excavation and side wall were clearly demarked and no mistake could be made concerning the fact that it was made for a human occupant. Beyond doubt, then, this was the first home in Custer county. As the proprietor was never at home to any of his neighbors, or rather did not wait until his neighbors moved into the country. his name will never be recorded in these pages.

WHO WAS THE FIRST HOMESTEADER ?

There has always been more or less dispute concerning the first homesteader who filed on land within the boundaries of Custer county. Both the South and Middle Loup countries have, with more or less insistence, laid claim to the distinction. Both Douglas Grove and the New Helena district make claims to this distinction, and it has been rather hard to harmonize all these claims and assertions. Butcher's history gives the honor to Edward Douglas, of Douglas Grove, to whom this volume gives third place. Great pains have been taken to ascertain the facts in the case. The different claims have always been main- tained. no one took the trouble to search rec- ords and ascertain when these different parties filed.

LEWIS R. DOWSE FIRST SETTLER

The honors of being the first bona-fide settler belong, without doubt, to Lewis R. Dowse, who came into the county and settled in the

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Middle Loup valley in August. 1873. He brought with him his breaking plow, reaper, and mower. He put up hay, did some break- ing, and settled on the homestead where he now resides. He did not file on his land at the time he located, but held it by squatter's right until such time as he had the money to make homestead entry. Accordingly Dowse is the first settler but was not the first to file on Custer county land. Before he could make entry of his land several others had filed home- stead claims.

FRANK OHME WAS FIRST MAN TO FILE

Frank Ohme, who settled over on the east county line and whose address is Arcadia, in Valley county, is beyond doubt the man who filed on the first claim in Custer county and the second place goes to Edward Douglas, who is championed by the Douglas Grove people, and for whom Douglas Grove was named. As a matter of fact, there is only three weeks' differ- ence between the times of their filing. Frank Ohme filed January 26, 1874, and his filing number at the land office was serial 4728.

Edward Douglas filed February 16, 1874, and his serial number was 4972. This puts twenty-one days between the entry of Frank Ohme and that of Edward Douglas, and we believe it definitely settles the question of priority.

The next entry found in the land office records is that made by Joseph A. Woods, March 21. 1874. Ten days later he was fol- lowed by Daniel Wagner, who filed May I, 1874. The next name on the land office record is Patrick Kelly, May 5th of the same year, and this is as far down the column of entries as it is profitable to go.

THE FIRST COMERS

We quote W. D. Hall as authority for first Douglas Grove settlements and they were among the first, if not the first, in the county.

The third claim taken in what is now Cus- ter county was in what is known as Oak Grove, and was entered February 16, 1874, by Ed- ward Douglas, who died the following sum- mer, at Loup City. For him the town was

named. W. H. Comstock settled here in the spring of 1874, with D. J. Caswell, Sanı Wagoner, B. D. Allen, James Oxford, E. D. Eubank, C. A. Hale, A. E. Denis, and Thomas Darnell. A. A. Higgins came in the spring of 1875 and brought with him a family of twelve, which greatly added to the population of the little settlement. Mr. Higgins was a patriarch of the gospel, a staunch upholder of the teachings of Wesley, and it was under his roof that Elder Lemin, the pioneer of · Methodism in Nebraska, preached the first Methodist sermon and held the first quarterly conference in the county.

Frank Ingram bought from the heirs of Edward Douglas the Oak Grove claim in 1875. Oak Grove is a beautiful place. The country around is rough and rugged in the extreme, and is well known to all the old settlers on the Loup.

MORE FOR DOUGLAS GROVE

Douglas Grove received its full share of the pioneer inflow until 1884, when practically all government land was occupied. The first settler in Dry valley was James Wagoner, who settled on what is now the Len Town place. in 1878. Frank Muthic took the next claim, followed by N. W. Alberts, Dewitt Konklin, W. Bener. J. W. Scott, John Campbell, the Amos family, Brumbaugh family, Joe Armour, J Roth, John Jems, the Twombly family, Worley brothers, Mr. Mattox. Swanson broth- ers, C. Gollier, A. Kohn, W. Newcomb, L. L. Wood, James Boggs, Mr. Bowers, and others who have made Dry valley a neighborhood of permanence and thrift.

M. E. Vandenberg located at the mouth of Sand Creek in 1878; the Payne ranch was located in Dry valley in 1880 and has been since 1884 the property of S. L. Glover and sons ; Charley Hill located in 1880 on Wagoner creek.

To do justice to those who helped to make the history of Douglas Grove in its first de- cade, we mention the three Mickle brothers and their families, the Glazier family, I. C. Buck, John Stewart, the Stevens family, the Cleveland family. W. Hudson, Dewitt Com-

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

[Photo by S. D. Butcher !

WILLIAM COMSTOCK AND WIFE IN FRONT OF THEIR OLD LOG HOUSE, BUILT IN 1875

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

stock, W. S. House, H. H. McIntosh, H. G. Stockes, J. A. Kenyon, G. E. Whitcomb. W. D. Hall, J. H. Walton, W. C. Gaddish, and W. P. Higgins, who twice has represented the county in the state legislature.

Captain Comstock, B. D. Allen, and Sher- man Wagoner homesteaded in the Douglas Grove country in the spring of 1874. Captain Comstock remained in the country till the time of his death, a few years since, and became one of the noted characters of the community. - one whose life history is interwoven with the story of Custer county and its develop- ment.

Hary Andrews "shinned" up a cottonwood tree, broke off dead limbs, and soon had a roaring camp-fire. The next morning, after the blizzard had subsided, they moved up to the mouth of Victoria creek, where they met trappers who described to them the Victoria valley. They followed the creek until they came to the present site of New Helena. Here too they found many evidences of trappers and Indians.

DISCOVER CEDAR CANYON

NEW HELEN.1 HOMESTEADERS

In the spring of 1874 C. R. Mathews, who still lives upon his homestead in the New Helena district, organized 2 party of Vir- ginians for the invasion of Custer county. The party con- sisted of him- self, C. R. Ma- thews, Amos Broughan. Watts Sifford, Harv Andrews, George Snyder and wife, William King. W. P. Tolley, J. H. Withers, and a man by the name of Circle, whose first name is not recorded. They came by way of Omaha. Kearney, and Loup City into the Middle Loup country, fording the Middle Loup river where the old town of Wescott now stands. There were no roads, no lines of any kind, no bridges, so they pushed their way over the prairie. At Lillian creek they encountered a snow storm, which before the night was over became a blizzard. They had difficulty in crossing the stream, which was almost bank- full at the time, but they managed to reach the western bank, took off the wagon box and braced it up for protection from the stormn.

HISTORIC RESIDENCE OF JUDGE C. R. MATHEWS, NEAR HELENA Buildings constructed of cedar logs

Fortunately they found enough cedar logs and poles, which had formerly been used by trappers, to make bridge enough to get the wagon across Victoria creek. after which they headed for the breaks and the hills in a north- westerly direc- tion. In about three miles and a half they struck what is known in Cus- ter county at the Big Cedar canyon. The canyon was a dense forest of cedar and other trees. This timber was very valuable, and has furnished cedar logs for most of the early homes within a radius of twenty-five miles. Judge Matthews' present dwelling is made of cedar logs from this canyon, and consists of two log cabins place side by side with the doors fac- ing each other in old Virginia style. At the present time the logs in Judge Mathews' house, if sawed into lumber and sold for market value, would bring money enough to build as fine a home as could be found in Custer county, but the Judge prefers the old home and the old logs with which all the memories of early days are associated. The undergrowth in the can- yon was so thick that it could hardly be pene-

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

trated, but pushing their way through they came to a clearing in the center of which stood an Indian wigwam. They experienced cold chills in the region of the spine, but their fears were groundless for the wigwam proved to be empty and in it they spent a very comfort- able night. After a few days spent in ex- ploring the country they returned to Loup City and proceeded to equip themselves for starting life on the Nebraska claim.

Their return was the starting of the settle- ment. These settlers consisted of H. B. An- drews. Edward Nelson, Judge C. R. Mathews, George E. Carr. and O. A. Smith. The next winter Ezra A. Caswell and Thomas Lough- ran took claims further down the creek, near the Middle Loup. About this time Jacob Ross, with a large family of grown-up daughters, made a welcome addition to the community. In the next spring. 1875, N. H. Dryden and family, J. R. Forsythe. and J. P. Bell settled in the neighborhood.

ESTABLISHES FIRST POSTOFFICE

During the winter of 1874-5 C. R. Mathews, circulated a petition asking the authorities at Washington to establish a postoffice at New Helena, to be served by a post route from Kearney, via Loup City, Arcadia, and Douglas Grove. New Helena received the first mail by this arrangement on the 15th day of April, 1875. Aaron Crouch brought the first mail and subsequently served as mail carrier for several years. The mail came but once a week, arriving and leaving on Saturdays. Mathews' commission as postmaster bears the date of February 9, 1875, during President Grant's administration. It locates New Hele- na in Kountz county. Nebraska.

THE BEGINNING OF LEE'S PARK

In September. 1874. James Lee, discovering a fertile valley in the eastern part of the county located on a central quarter-section. and made it his home. The following summer he entered the quarter on which he lived as a pre-emption, and also the adjoining quarter as a tree claim, under the old law which required forty acres of trees planted.

This gave the name of Lee's Park to the valley. Although parties often passed through the park, no one seemed inclined to locate. Mr. Lee kept bachelor's hall in a sod house, and began to subdue the native soil. He evidently succeeded, as his first wheat crop of one acre testified. He obtained from it forty bushels of wheat, which is supposed to be the largest yield ever raised in the park.

The following spring he continued his opera- tions on the farm, and planted some trees on his timber claim, but the grasshoppers again found him, and ate up his corn crop, as well as his little trees. During these years, as hunters and adventurers passed through, they occasionally stopped at the bachelor's mansion. and the fact of his being the only settler, and working with his trees on his timber claim. caused the travelers to name the valley "Lee's Park." Here then this settler dwelt, year after year, in solitude - farming. planting trees, and doing his sewing, cooking. and washing. He tried to get others to locate, but no one volun- teered. Nearly four years had passed by, and his courage, which had remained firm for years, began to wane. with the result that he at last decided to leave his beautiful half-sec- tion of land.

About this time, however. Frank Wright of- fered to locate in the park, providing Mr. Lee surrendered to him his pre-emption. on which was his house and well. This Mr. Lee agreed to do, and soon afterward Mr. Wright started to claim his new possessions. On his way he fell in with some land-seekers who seemed to be headed for Lee's Park. so they went to- gether. and on arriving at Mr. Lee's, Wright asked for the papers, which were immediately surrendered. Soon afterward, however, this Mr. Wright sold the place for twenty-five dol- lars to F. E. Morrison. These land-seekers were William and Joseph Murray, who, in February. 1878, took claims in the park, and their families arrived in May the same year. Soon after this, in March, Benjamin Knight located in the park. He then returned to his Wisconsin home to claim the hand of his "best girl," and together they journeyed to their frontier home. From this time on, settlers

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

flocked in rapidly, and James Lee, no longer solitary. decided not to leave. His pre-emption right, however, being gone, he proceeded to the extreme end of the park and filed a 160-acre piece as a homestead, on the bank of a little stream afterward known as "Lee's creek."

In July Messrs. Overton, Chandler True, Jay Hamlin, George Hamlin, Jr., E. Stephens, and William Van Alstine settled. In August T. J. Johnson and Amos Smith ; then followed Parish Freeman and his son Charles, William Hall, Joseph Peacock, and James Thompson. In 1879 Edward Knight. Philip Lynch. James Wisely, N. Mehrhoff, Nelson Potter, Sam Min- chell, and Mr. Abel located here. In 1880 Thomas, David, and Archie Tod, F. E. Morri- son, and James Bradford, also Thomas, John, and Sam Berridge, who afterward commenced the importation of English shire horses, under the firm name of Berridge Brothers. They made three importations, among which were some very choice specimens of the breed.

A FINE STOCK BREEDER

In 1881 J. L. H. Knight settled permanently here with his father, Edward Knight, and as this youngster was a lover of fine stock, he early sought an opportunity to obtain some thoroughbred hogs. His first purchase was in 1885, and was a Poland-China pig, which cost him thirty dollars. Two years after this he purchased three head of Shorthorn cattle. and from that time he continued to show his belief in good blood by frequent purchases. He pur- chased 520 acres of his father and brother in the southern end of the park and named it "Pleasant Hill Stock Farm." Here he had choice specimens of Shorthorn cattle, Poland- China hogs, and the Plymouth Rock fowls. Al- though not confining himself exclusively to hogs, he made the raising of fine pigs a specialty and was often spoken of as the "hog man."

A SIGNAL-SERVICE MAN

In 1883 the fine section of school land in Lee's Park was put upon the market, and two brothers, C. A. and W. A. Forbes, energetic young men, were fortunate enough to obtain

160 acres. At the same time, J. L. H. Knight purchased the remaining 320 acres for W. S. Delano, who was then in the signal service and who was one of Mr. Knight's classmates in the Michigan Agricultural College. In 1886 his term of enlistment expired, and very will- ing was he to leave the service of Uncle Sam to engage in farming. He at once com :- menced raising seeds for D. M. Ferry & Com- pany. of Detroit, Michigan. His two broth- ers, F. E. Delano and Milton Delano, shortly afterward entered into partnership with him, under the firm name of Delano Brothers.

SPENCER'S PARK

Spencer's Park, located in township 16, range 19 west, is comprised of about 3,600 acres of level land surrounded with hills, and opening in the Muddy valley by a narrow neck one and one-half miles northeast of the town of Berwyn. in Berwyn precinct. Its greatest length is three miles and its greatest width two miles, and it comprises some of the finest land in Custer county. The soil is of a black loam from three to six feet deep, underlaid with a fine light-colored clay from thirty to fifty feet in depth, and is particularly adapted to hold moisture in extreme drought, besides taking moisture readily.

Probably the first home-seekers that looked over the park with a view of locating were George Early and Clark Wellman, who came from near Lincoln, in the fall of 1879. The former entered the southwest quarter of sec- tion 10 and the latter the east half of the northeast quarter of section 9, and west half of northwest quarter of section 10, but they did not make permanent settlement on the above land.

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History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 10

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180