USA > Nebraska > Dixon County > History of Dixon County, Nebraska > Part 8
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In the surrounding ocean of flame. it seemed ahnost a miracle that Martinsburg village was not burned up, and it would have been but for the herculean exertions of the citi- zens.
Before reaching the vicinity of Martinsburg the fire ran over the farm of Sheriff Jones on Silver Creek, burning cribs
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and stables, and hundreds of bushels of wheat, corn and oats. His grove, one of the best in the country and covering six acres, was utterly destroyed; only his house was saved.
The farms of Samuel and Thomas Jones were also visited, burning twelve acres of groves, hay, etc.
The fire swept over several farms of residents of Otter Creek, among whom T. Marron and Mr. Bales had their houses burned, and Mr. Casey lost everything but his house.
On March 29 and 30, there were more fires. In Hooker pre- cinct much property wasdestroyed. Wm. Bailey, D. D. Grif- feth. J. W. Johnson. John Cummings. Wm. Pfister and John Powers were the worst sufferers, many of them losing houses. barns, farm machinery, grain, hay and fences. Prairie fires so destructive and uncontrollable never before or since occurred in the county and with ordinary care never may again.
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HISTORY OF DIXON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
CHAPTER IX.
THE COAL DISCOVERIES, AND THE UPS AND DOWNS OF MINING IN DIXON COUNTY DURING THE PAST 38 YEARS -THE ALLEGED IMMENSE BEDS OF BLACK DIAMONDS IN THE RIVER BLUFFS AND THE DETERMINED EFFORTS TO FIND THEM HAVE SEDUCTIVE HOPE BEFORE AND BLACK DISAPPOINT- MENT FOLLOWING AFTER -- EVERY ATTEMPT TO FIND A PAYING VEIN IS A TOTAL FAILURE-"OLD JOE BREWER" AND HIS DISCOVERY OF THE PLESIOSAURUS-HIS MOUND BUILDING THEORIES THE IONIA VOLCANO AND INDIAN SUPERSTITIONS REGARDING IT.
The brief allusion, a few pages back, to the fuel question and its importance to residents, will remind old settlers that at various times much hope and excitement has been aroused in the county over the alleged discovery of coal. It will be well to give a history of the various efforts to mine for coal since the county was first settled.
In 1857 some of the settlers while examining the river near Ponca landing, discovered cropping out of the base of the bluffs, a thin layer of inferior coal, or more properly. lignite. With the hope that this thin layer would increase in thickness and improve in quality as it extended under the hill, a number of the citizens, among whom were the Stough Brothers and E. M. Bisbee, made efforts in that year to open and work the vein. As they drifted into the blutf, they were for a time encouraged in the hope of developing a rich and valuable mine, the layer of coal becoming thicker and better as they proceeded in.
Where it cropped out at the foot of the bluff, its thick- ness was but three or four inches. Within. at a distance of thirty feet, the thickness was found to be fifteen inches. The coal at the outset was utterly worthless, and was useful only as a hint and suggestion of a more valuable find farther back under the rocks. The encouraged miners did indeed find
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a better quality as they progressed with their drift, but it was, after all, and at the best, but a poor quality of lignite.
In the absence of wood, it would answer as an apology for fuel. But with the abundant timber which this county was blessed with, especially along the river, the alleged coal find was worthless. The greatest thickness of the vein never exceeded eighteen inches, and the coal itself. charged with sulphur, emitted such Stygian and suffocating fumes that few would after one trial ever attempt to burn it again.
Messrs. Stough. Bisbee and others who were engaged in it. finally came to the conclusion that time and money would be foolishly squandered by continning their coal exploration and so abandoned it.
But the extreme anxiety to find coal in this country and the fear that our supply of timber would fail to meet the constantly increasing demand for it, soon after induced Mr. Bisbee to open another mine a short distance from the first one. He drifted in about sixty feet but found no improve- ment in thickness and quality. The same dirty and sulphur laden material was met with, and when burned, the same unbearable fumes discouraged further efforts.
Professors Aughey and Hayden. both of whom were noted geologists. visited this locality at about that time (1857) to see the coal of which much had been published, and their decision was that the vein was not, properly speaking, coal.
It was merely lignite, coal in its infancy, and might after ages. become coal. It is safe to say that neither Mr. Bisbee or others desired to wait that length of time to make a paying coal business, and again coal mining was dropped for pursuits which had a nearer profit. So the matter rested awhile.
However, the adverse verdict of Professors Aughey and Heydon was in a measure forgotten after a few years and other confident explorers started in from time to time to try their hands at making a better coal discovery in the bluffs.
In 1874 Joseph Brewer (who the year before, dug out the Plesiosaurus, an account of which will be given in this chapter) dug into the bluff about twenty feet and announced that he had struck a wonderfully thick layer of excellent coal. Much excitement was caused by his report and many
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went to see his discovery. They found Mr. Brewer prodding into the same old vein which had been ineffectually labored in years before, and in which he had a thickness of about fifteen inches. What little he was enabled to get out, he had a sale for, but at the price received could barely earn enough to keep famine at bay, and hence in a short time, he too, like the others who had preceded him, flung up the sponge and retired from the business.
In the spring following, (1875) several enthusiastic parties formed a company to open another hole into the bluff in search of coal. One of the company by the name of Werni- mont was recently from Eastern Iowa and claimed to be an expert in geology and especially in coal and stated that nearly all his life had been devoted to it.
It was afterwards learned that his labors in that respect had been of a practical nature rather than scientific and that his experience had been previously confined to handling a pick at $1.50 per day in an Iowa coal bank. But what he lacked in knowledge of geological formations he kept to himself and courageously asserted that Professors Aughey and Heydon were entirely mistaken in disbelieving in the existence of a paying deposit of excellent coal a few hundred feet farther under the bluff.
Accordingly Prof. Wernimont started bravely in, he fur- nishing the science and labor and the others the money, and in a few weeks had penetrated the bluff to the distance of one hundred and thirty-five feet. the mine being five feet high and six feet wide. In that distance he was never able to get under solid rock, nor did the coal become thicker or better, and it looked after all, as though Profs. Aughey and Heydon might possibly be right and Prof. Wernimont wrong. At the end of one hundred and thirty-five feet. Prof. Wernimont drilled down perpendicularly to the depth of ninety-five feet, when finding nothing and his courage: oozing out, his scientific labors were brought to a close.
Soon after this, Mr. Bisbee's ambition to possess a rich coal mine revived again and he commenced to re-open the old mine he had worked in years before. He and his men worked diligently and drifted in about one hundred feet. But like Prof. Wernimont, he found no improvement in the coal. He got out considerable. however, which was sold for
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fuel. But as was seen in the former efforts to burn it. the sulphurous smell of it, (suggestive of that torrid country where sulphur is a main article in business) rendered it unfit for use unless one held his nose.
One day while Mr. Bisbee was laboring in his mine, the roof fell upon him and crushed him badly. Not fatally. fortunately, although several months elapsed before he could get around again. This disastrous incident dampened his mining enthusiasm and he quit it like the many explorers and investigators who had gone before him.
Then the coal business took another long rest and the next experience of the kind was in 1880 when a stock company was formed for the purpose of exploring deep down into the bowels of the earth in search of a thicker and better quality of coal than that which had been worked in the bluffs. The company raised the necessary money, pur- chased an engine and drill. and employed a number of experienced men.
After several months' labor on the Heydou farm a mile west of Ponca. a hole was drilled to the depth of five hun- dred and seventy-six feet. There it was announced a vein of coal was found. four feet thick. Under the advice of Prof. Aughey the company proceeded on down. expecting to find a still thicker vein within a short distance.
Before finding the thicker vein the drill broke off and was lost in the hole and the labor terminated. As to the alleged four foot vein, it was, on reflection. deemed a matter of doubt whether any coal had been found at all. So much doubt. in fact, that no one felt like contributing money to sink a shaft. Hence this exploration went the same beaten road of former efforts.
Again there was a lull in the coal exploring business but after several years people again forgot their misfortunes and failures in this respect and gave the coal business another trial.
In 1887 a company was formed under the leadership of one Newman. a Cornish miner, so called, and a new drift was made into the river bluffs. The company went into the hill about three hundred and fifty feet. finding the same sort and thickness of coal. no better and no worse, than that which Brewer, Wernimont and the others had found years
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before. Hence, in time that effort petered out and the com- pany disbanded.
One would think that after all these numerous failures in which not a single glimmer of hope was given to cheer and encourage, people would have been shy about having anything more to do with coal mining in this vicinity. They were shy for a while, but not for long.
In the fall of ISSS another company was organized and with a diamond pointed core drill, a prospect hole was put down to a depth of seven hundred feet, on a lot in the north- ern part of Ponca. The core, which was carefully taken out and preserved, showed not the slightest indications of coal. The fact is, there is no coal here as has been conclus- ively proven by the long series of costly investigations.
Since the failure with the core drill, there have been no farther efforts to date, to hunt out a coal vein. As years go by. however, people may again forget their former bad luck and try it again.
We referred previously in this chapter to the unearth- ing of the "plesiosaurus" by Mr. Brewer, and a brief account of it and of Mr. Brewer's other discoveries will be inter- esting.
"Old Joe Brewer" familiar to all in Dixon county twenty years ago, had little education that had not been derived from experience instead of books. He owned what is now the farm of H. I. Brown, two miles northwest of Ponca. There, with a family of fifteen children, Mr. Brewer lived many years. He was a man whose study was nature and whose unfaltering enthusiasm and expectation led him to see wonders in every hill and to expect valuable minerals in the rocks and slopes of every ravine.
His land, which extended to the river a fearful array of bluffs and gorges, was in his belief the place where mound builders many ages ago had lived. He pointed out excava- tions and artificial mounds which he believed corroborated his conclusions, and exhibited bones and fragments of pot- tery which he had found. The place where he claimed this ancient city to have been was on the bluffs, and three hun- dred feet above the Missouri.
From that elevated position a wide view is had in every direction: across the level Dakota land to the north and
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for miles up and down the river, and on a clear day the buildings of Sioux City are plainly visible. That this ele- vated land was the home of mound builders may be doubt- ed. although it is likely that a large Indian village had been located there, a hundred or more years ago.
Along the precipice of rock which bounded the river side of this "mound builders' city," Mr. Brewer devoted much time to exploration. He tried to find gold, silver and other minerals: he also delved for coal, and in 1874 rediscovered the worthless vein which Bisbee and others had before and since tried to make profitable. The only thing which Mr. Brewer ever found in all his explorations which was of value, was a petrified skeleton of some great antediluvian animal, said to be the remains of a plesiosaurus.
One day in the spring of 1873 while passing along at the foot of the precipice, Mr. Brewer noticed that the high water of the river which is ever encroaching and undermin- ing. had caused a large fragment of rock to fall. On exam- ining the place, he observed that an immense skeleton had been in part revealed. It was near the bluff that he found a small part of the fossil protruding, the remainder of it was still covered by the ledge of rocks three hundred feet high. With little idea of what animal it had been or of what value it would be to the scientific world. Mr. Brewer and his sons set to work to dig it out. Had care been used in the exca- vation. a most valuable petrification would have been ob- tained. As stated, it was afterwards found to be the petri- fied bones of a plesiosaurus, the second one that had ever been discovered. Hence if brought to the outer world in as perfect condition as it was found by Mr. Brewer it would have been a most important discovery. But the digging it out was nearly the ruin of it. With crow bar and pick axe and careless indifference whether one broke the rock or the fossil, the diggers were as destructive as a bull in a china house. So that when the bones were all dug out they were broken into a hundred pieces. Yet, badly as the break- ing was, the immense pile of bones showed that the animal had been one of the most enormous of the ancient denizens of the earth.
The bones were sold soon after by Mr. Brewer to some parties residing in Covington and they removed them to
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HISTORY OF DIXON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
Sioux City, and the bones thus badly broken were after much labor cemented together again.
The size of the petrification could now be better seen. Its length was about eighty feet, and the backbone was eighteen inches through it. The weight was over six tons. The rep- tile when alive could not have been less than 100 feet long. and could lift its head thirty-five feet above the ground. Prof. Aughey, the state geologist. stated that the animal lived over five hundred thousand years ago.
After its fragments had been cemented together the pet- rification was exhibited in Sioux City and elsewhere by the Covington parties, and was finally taken to Chicago and sold to a museum there.
Another of Dixon county's curiosities and which at- tracted as much attention twenty years ago as the plesios- aurus or coal mines, was its volcano at lonia. It was first seen by white men in 1804 and was then discovered by the Lewis and Clark exploring expedition, the first company of white men who for purposes of observation, over visited the country now forming the state of Nebraska.
The passage of the Lewis and Clark expedition up the Missouri was marked by many adventures and discoveries. They often landed on the western shore, and going back of the ranges of bluffs, saw a beautiful and densely populated country. On the gently rolling prairies which stretched away to the west. they noted great herds of buffalo and an unending variety of game in the forests and fish in the lakes and streams. The copper colored inhabitants were friendly and hospitable, and intercourse with them was not marked by the treachery which in later times has generally been as- sociated with the name of "Indian."
The expedition landed at two or three places in Dixon county, and at the place known of late years as the "lonia Volcano" they stopped several days to investigate the phe- nomenon which was, as since, an interesting mystery. Here, as at other points on their route. they were welcomed by the Indians with the utmost courtesy and hospitality. Fish and game were supplied them and joyful indian dances were held in their honor. By the aid of their interpreter. the travelers were made acquainted with several stories and old legends relating to the tribes who then and in still more
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ancient days had lived in this country, their towns, wars and most noted warriors, their laws, customs and amusements. Among other things the voyagers were told the legends especially relating to the volcano and the story of the elves aud supernatural inhabitants on Spirit Mound, a few miles above and on the opposite side of the river. Thus with feasting and pleasure the travelers passed a several enjoyable days, and their departure up the river was a source of regret to the friendly tribe whose guests they were.
The so called "lonia Volcano" is (or more properly speak- ing was until 1878, when the river undermined and swept it away) located on the bank of the Missouri, in Dixon county, at lonia. about twelve miles above Ponca and thirty- six miles from Sioux City. The bluff that has exhibited the phenomena ascribed to voleanie action was about 1,100 feet long. and 160 feet high, and sloped irregularly to the river.
The phenomena witnessed on this bluff led many to be- lieve that the presence of a genuine volcano was indicated. Sounds were heard proceeding from below, especially on placing the ear to the ground. Occasionally flames were seen to break forth, especially at night, as at that time they were more easily observed. Steam also escaped from num- berless crevices and where openings were made the heat be- rame too intense to proceed further. Some of the lime stone was changed to quick lime, and the temperature of some portions of the interior was sufficient to raise it to a red heat. Incrustations of mineral salts were abundant on top and on the sides of the mass. and like all the rock of this description along the Missouri. crystals were abundant.
The rocks at this point are, as geologists inform us, of the cretaceous age, and largely composed of carbonate of lime. Innumerable crystals are also found of the bi-sul- phide of iron which is popularly known as "fools gold." or iron pyrites.
Now. at this so called volcano the heat was occasioned. not by internal fires but by the decomposition of the iron pyrites and the carbonates of lime and magnesia, such de- composition being occasioned by exposure to air or water.
One of the histories of the voyage of Lewis and Clark, while speaking of the discovery by them of this remarkable burning mound, mentions that this phenomenon was well
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known to the wild tribes scattered along the river and had from time immemorial. been regarded with much supersti- tious fear. Evil Manitous were supposed todwell in the sul- phurous fires, and many legends in which they were alluded to. were handed down from one generation to another, and lost none of their interest by the transition nor by the vivid im- agination of the narrators. Elsewhere in this book will be found one of the principal legends referred to.
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HISTORY OF DIXON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
CHAPTER X.
THE BUILDING OF THE RAILROAD UP THE LOGAN VALLEY AND ITS GREAT HELP IN SETTLING UP THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY THE TERRIBLE WINTER OF 1880-81 -- THE SPRING BREAK-UP OF THE ICE IN THE MISSOURI AND THE DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE ENSUING -GREAT BEND IS CUT OFF FROM DIXON COUNTY BY A CHANGE OF THE RIVER AND BECOMES A PART OF DAKOTA TERRITORY -THE FLOOD AT PONCA AND ALONG THE AOWAY AND LOGAN -- THE STARTING OF WAKEFIELD IN 1881 -A TRAGEDY NEAR NEWCASTLE -THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY PROJECT RE- VIVED AND THE FIRST COUNTY FAIR IN SEPTEMBER, 1882 -- RECORD OF GENERAL GROWTH - INDIAN RAID ON EMER- SON -ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRST G. A. R. POST IN COUNTY - BRIEF REVIEW AT END OF 1882.
As stated in chapter seven, the hope that Dixon county's narrow gauge railroad would pass into other and better hands, was realized in the fall of 1879, and soon a general overhauling and improvement ensned.
Commencement was also made by the new owners of the road to build from Coburn Junction, between Jackson and Dakota City, a branch line to the southeastern corner of Dixon county (where Emerson now is) and from there a line to Omaha and another to Norfolk. The Norfolk branch would run up Logan valley. and thus aid in opening the southern part of the county to settlement. There was also talk of extending the Ponca branch into Cedar county, either by the way of New Castle or Martinsburg. Cedar county was asked to vote bonds but its narrow escape from being bitten by the C. C. & B. H. Co .. defeated the pro- posed extension.
The Logan valley under the stimulus of the expected Norfolk branch railroad, rapidly came into notice in 1880. Many settlers were seen moving in and buying farms which
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could be obtained at from $2 to $3 per acre. (That land now sells readily for $25 to $40 per aere.) On October 14, the railroad company bought one hundred acres of land at Demy's Junction (Emerson) for a town site. In November the road was completed and cars running to Omaha from Coburn Junetion, so that Ponea had direct communication with that city.
In this year (ISS0) this country had a short autumn. On October 15. a great storm of snow covered everything and plunged the country at once into winter. The winter thus commeneed continued until the next April. The river was frozen over November 18, and remained so until in the spring it broke up and swept away a large amount of property. The winter which thus commenced so early, found farmers ill prepared for it. The corn was not all harvested and preparations for the housing of stock were in many instances not completed.
The winter showed no merey. A succession of storms swept across the country in untiring and persistent rapidity. Railroads in all sections were blocked by snow, till regular trains became a novelty and more accidents were caused than ever before during the same length of time in the history of railroading. To add to the discomfort and danger in the northern portion of the county. small pox broke out across the river in Dakota. Fortunately it did not extend to the Nebraska side. But bad as the winter was and much as was the suffering occasioned by it. the worst was yet to come. When in April the snow melted and the rivers and streams were overflowing their banks, then disaster com- menced in earnest.
When the Missouri broke up. Dakota for many miles up and down the river and for twenty miles back from it. ap- peared from the bluffs on the Nebraska side, as a vast sea filled with floating ice. The country thus submerged was the richest and most beautiful in Dakota territory. It was filled with highly cultivated farms, the fine dwellings and groves of which evinced comfort and prosperity. Now all that splendid region was overwhelmed with water and great masses of ice. and chaos and destruction ruled supreme. Tremendous gorges were formed at many points which were rapidly added to. so that between Sioux City and Niobrara
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the extent of such gorges up and down the river was not less than 75 miles. Just below Ponca landing was an ice gorge 12 miles long and extending across the river and for miles into Dakota. It was packed solid to the bottom and rose above the water from ten to twenty feet. This enorm- ous mass, tens of thousands of tons of ice, blocked up the course of the river and threw it over on the Dakota bottoms, literally drowning ont all the country until stopped by bluffs.
It was reported that Niobrara was destroyed, that Yank- ton was in a great part under water and that Green Island, in Cedar county across the river from Yankton, was totally swept away. These reports were not greatly exaggerated. Every building in Green Island was carried away, and men, women and children were seen clinging to trees or on float- ing buildings or cakes of ice. By great exertions the lives of all at that place were saved.
Among the buildings seen floating past St. Helena was a church from Santee agency, the bell of which fittingly tolled a requium over the scene of destruction. At Vermillion its business part was under water from ten to fifteen feet. Op- posite Vermillion was the peninsula of Great Bend, around which the river had its course. The river cut a channel across the neck of the peninsula and therefore left that large part of Dixon county attached to Dakota. The people living on the peninsula escaped by boats. The channel across the neck of Great Bend was not cut by the force of the water running over from the upper side, but by undermining the bank on the lower or east end of the new channel. which kept caving off till within a short distance of the upper cur- rent, when with a mighty roar that could be heard for miles. the river broke through, and a new channel for that part of the Missouri was made.
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