USA > Nebraska > Dodge County > History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska, and their people, Volume I > Part 13
USA > Nebraska > Washington County > History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska, and their people, Volume I > Part 13
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
Finally, bonds were voted by Dodge County in the sum of $120,000 running for twenty years. With this for backing, a member of the local company went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and there met John I. Blair, who had already utilized the franchise of the Sioux City & Pacific road from Sioux City to Fremont. To Mr. Blair were given the above-named bonds and Dodge County's interest in the state lands set apart for this purpose and he in consideration of this went ahead and constructed that portion of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley road which runs from Fre-
VIEW ON "BURLINGTON" NEAR FREMONT
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mont to Wisner, a distance of fifty miles. In 1880 the main line of this road was extended on west, the track reached Deadwood in 1890. The narrow gauge extension from Deadwood to Bald Mountain and Ruby Basin was opened up in 1891 and the Hot Springs branch in the same year.
The first ten miles of track north from Fremont were laid on this line late in the season of 1869 and an excursion was run over the track from Fremont January 1, 1870, during which year it reached West Point and was leased to the Sioux City & Pacific Company, which continued to operate it until August, 1884, when it passed into the hands of the Northwestern system.
Of the Wyoming extension of this road it should be stated that it was commenced in the summer of 1885. Track-laying was begun at Dakota Junction in April, 1886, and completed to Douglas that year. It reached Casper in June, 1888, and Lander, present terminus, early in the '90s.
In 1885 the Chicago & Northwestern also decided to enter the South Platte country. The line from Fremont to Lincoln was located in the winter of 1885-86 and graded in the early spring of 1886, the track being completed to Lincoln that year.
In 1887 the Hastings line was built from Platte River Junction to Hastings and the Superior line from Linwood to Geneva.
In 1888 this road was completed to Superior .. The Scribner branch was built from Scribner to Lindsay in 1886 and on to Oakdale in 1887.
In 1887 the Elkhorn line was connected with Omaha and South Omaha's stockyards by a line built from Arlington Station, in Washing- ton County, east of Fremont, on the old Sioux City & Pacific line. The Creighton branch was extended to Verdigre in 1888.
THE CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY RAILWAY
What is usually dubbed the "Burlington" or sometimes the "Q" line of railroad, in Nebraska, has a branch or division running from Ashland, near Lincoln, Nebraska, to Sioux City, Iowa, with principal stations in Dodge County, at Fremont, Nickerson, Winslow and Uehling. This runs about north and south through this county. It was built in 1905-06. Its passenger and freight depots at Fremont are thoroughly modern buildings and are appreciated by the citizens generally. While not as large, it is in many ways far superior to the new Union Pacific station in Fremont. In the passage of this road through Dodge County it crosses Platte, Nicker- son, Hooper and Lyon townships.
This railway connects at Sioux City with the Great Northern system, sometimes styled the "Jim Hill System", which extends from St. Paul to the Pacific Coast.
EARLY HISTORY
The subjoined communication from a railway official in St. Paul to one of the officials at Lincoln, written in September, 1908, is self-ex- planatory :
"Replying to your letter of September 29, 1908, in reference to the dates of track-laying on the line from Sioux City to Ashland.
"Our track-laying on this line commenced at Dakota City September 19, 1905, reached Walthill November 1, 1905 ; track-laying gang was then moved to Ashland. The northern portion of this line was put into oper- ation by the Great Northern Railway from Sioux City to Walthill Janu-
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ary 2, 1906. Track-laying began at Ashland November 8, 1905, with C., B. & Q. train service, reached Oakland February 25, 1906; commer- cial business handled by construction trains until April 8, 1906, at which time the C. B. & Q. regular trains were placed on the south end of the line. The north and south ends of this line were connected through a big cut between Walthill and Rosalie June 13, 1906. C., B. & Q. trains were operating at this time and I presume this is all the information you need."
Truly, (Signed) A. H. HOGELAND, Chief Engineer.
RAILWAY MILEAGE IN DODGE COUNTY-1920
The present railway mileage in Dodge County is: By the Chicago & Northwestern system, 55 21/100; by the "Burlington" system, 26 72/100, and by the Union Pacific system, 25 21/100 miles.
CHAPTER VIII
AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES
NEBRASKA COMPARED WITH OTHER STATES-PRODUCTS OF THE RICH
SOIL-FARM STATISTICS-A LARGE NUMBER OF TOTALS-COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES-DODGE COUNTY FARM NAMES-OFFICERS OF DODGE COUNTY FARM BUREAU-DIRECTORS-FARM BUREAU'S AGENT-CHIEF CO-OPERATORS OF FARM BUREAU-THE RACE TRACK.
A writer concerning this state in 1888, wrote as follows, and as it refers to many products grown in Dodge and adjoining counties, it is here used as a preface to this chapter :
"This beautiful valley is a part of the great State of Nebraska which is 'first in corn, first in wheat, and first in the hearts of her citizens.' Between four and five hundred miles wide every morning in the corn growing season the farmers go out into a corn field larger than New Jersey. Every noon the harvest hands come in from a wheat field con- taining 150,000 acres more than the State of Delaware and every night Mary calls the cattle home from a pasture larger than the State of Penn- sylvania. Once called the 'Great Western Desert' is now the garden of the world. The mustang is succeeded by the Norman. The buffalo has turned the fertile grass over to the Durham. Corn tassels where the Sioux danced his war-dance. The wheat crop grows over the old prai- rie dog villages. The same warm sun that crept over the sage brush and the Indian wigwams, smiles on the orchard and meadow."
The altitude in Eastern Nebraska is highly adapted to the maturing of crops of wheat, corn, vegetables and grasses. Corn and stock have for many years been important factors of farm life in Dodge County. In 1888 the agricultural reports show that about 6,000,000 bushels of corn were produced in the county, and more than one-half of this vast amount was fed to Dodge County cattle and hogs, before they were marketed.
The drainage of the flat, wet lands of the county have been largely drained and tiled out until now but small tracts of land only remain without such profitable improvements. (See other mention of the county's drainage.)
FARM STATISTICS
In 1918 the state agricultural reports gave figures on Dodge County as follows :
Number of farms occupied by owners, 837; farms occupied by tenants, 778.
Number of acres in farms in county, 238,410; acres under cultivation, 231,627 ; acres uncultivated, 106,783.
Farm mortgages filed, 206; amount mortgaged, $1,560,000.
Number of horses in county, 10,667 ; mules, 1,193.
Number dairy cattle, 6,071; number of all cattle, 25,796.
Number of hogs, 29,820.
Number sheep and goats, 1,512.
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Number dozens poultry, 12,665; incubators, 251 ; stands of bees, 71. Number of dogs, 1,918.
Number automobiles on farms, 1,374; gas tractors, 133 ; gas engines, 922 ; silos, 150; cream separators, 1,079; butter-making machines, 91.
Number of acres of corn, 98,239 ; average yield, 33 bushels ; total num- ber bushels, 3,241,887 ; valued (at $1.25 per bushel), $4,052,000.
Number acres winter wheat, 31,961; average per acre, 14 bushels ; valued at $2.00, equaled $895,000.
Number acres spring wheat, 20,277 ; average yield per acre, 8 bushels. Total value of all wheat crop, $1,211,229.
Number acres of oats, 48,000; average per acre, 37 bushels ; valued at 63 cents.
Number acres of rye, 905; averaged 15 bushels to the acre, brought $1.20 per bushel.
HoGs
Number acres of barley, 1,298; average per acre, 30 bushels.
Number acres of millet, 369; average per acre, 2 4/10 tons; value per ton, $15.40.
Number acres in sorghum, 625 ; average tonnage per acre, 4. Value $10.00.
Number acres of navy beans, 2. Of onions, 11 acres.
Number acres potatoes, 942; average yield, 48 bushels.
Number acres of alfalfa, 8,053 ; average per acre, 3 2/5 tons. Valued at $20.00 per ton ; total value, $515,000.
Number acres wild hay, 28,886; yield 1 6/10 tons; value, $16.00.
Number acres of clover, 3,129; acres timothy, 561; timothy-clover mixed, 10,815; other tame hay, 6,437.
Number bearing apple trees, 9,791 ; cherry trees, 2,467.
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES
There appears to be no record of an agricultural society in Dodge County prior to 1870, when there was formed what was styled the "Union Fair Grounds Association." It was organized at Fremont, but as was once said concerning it, "It takes in the whole world."
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In 1872 a joint stock company was organized and known as the Dodge County Agricultural Society. This was formed at Centerville, section 32, township 19, range 7. The first officers of this organization were as follows: J. P. Eaton, president ; J. B. Robinson, treasurer ; W. C. Aikin, secretary. The first annual exhibit. was made at Centerville in 1872. This continued until 1879, when after considerable pulling and hauling between various parts of the county, the location was changed to Fremont by a vote of the stockholders as follows: Fremont, 95; Cen- terville, 72, and Hooper, 3. At the same date this society was consoli- dated with the Union Association at Fremont, which made a new strong society. After these changes had been made the first officers elected were: James G. Cayton, president ; H. P. Nicodemus and J. Y. Smith, vice presidents ; F. I. Ellick, secretary.
Originally, the fair grounds here comprised eighty acres, but that was cut down to forty acres prior to 1890. The grounds are about one mile northwest of the central part of the city. From time to time good buildings were placed on these beautiful fair grounds, but in July, 1890, a severe windstorm destroyed many of these valuable improvements, but by the next year nearly all had been replaced.
In looking over old minute books of the society it is found that in 1892 the officers were: J. B. Robinson, president; William E. Lee, vice president ; M. H. Hinman, treasurer, and J. W. Hyatt, secretary. At that date the society only owed about $1,000. But year by year misfor- tune and change of public opinion lessened the general interest, one element being a difference of opinion as to conducting races in conjunc- tion with agricultural fairs. Finally about 1900 the society went down, like many another in various states. Now there are numerous district and town stock exhibits, such as the successful ones of Hooper and Scribner, where the interest is usually well centered. A Trotting Park Association was formed at Fremont instead of a county fair and that holds its annual races to the entire satisfaction of the horsemen of this and adjoining counties.
DODGE COUNTY FARM NAMES
Since 1910-11 there has been a provision in the Nebraska laws that each county clerk in the state shall be provided with a record book in which shall be recorded the name selected by the owner for his farm, and with it shall be a description as to location, section, township and range. No two persons can claim the same farm name. The fee in Dodge County for recording "farm names" is $1.00. While not many have so far taken advantage of this law, yet since 1910 there have been recorded the names of thirty-nine farms. The recorded description of these is as follows :
No. 1 of these "farm names" was recorded July, 1911, by William J. Coad, for his farm in section 7, township 17, range 9, the same being called "Maple Grove Farm."
"Sunny Slope" farm was recorded by M. A. Uehling, September 30, 1911, the location being a quarter of sections 8 and 17, in township 19, range 8.
"Island View Home," May 12, 1913, by George W. Ainsworth, in Westside Addition.
"The Elms," May 29, 1913, by Ray Nye in Nye & Hawthorne's Addition to Fremont.
TRACTOR PLOW
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"Pine Hurst," in part of the south half of the southeast quarter of section 13, township 17, range 8, by Mrs. J. W. Van Anda. The date was June 14, 1913.
"Maple View," July 3, 1913, by Philip S. Rine, in the southwest quarter of section 2, township 18, range 8.
"Logan Lodge," September 13, 1913, by May Lyman, in Hooper Township, section 10, township 19, range 8.
"Utopia," November 5, 1913, by J. J. Hawthorne, in Platte Town- ship, in sections 21 and 22, township 17, range 8.
"Elmhurst," by Jesse W. Hibben, Platte Township, section 24, town- ship 17, range 8, on November 17, 1913.
"Spruce Hedge Farm," by Christ Muller, in section 35, township 18, range 8, on November 20, 1913.
"Clover Leaf Farm," by John Petrow, in section 8, township 17, range 8, November 25, 1913.
Fred De La Matye, in section 20, township 17, range 8, the "High- lands."
"Westfield Acres," by Frank Fowler, in section 15, township 17, range 8, November 25, 1913.
"Thoroughbred Holstein and Poultry Farm," by J. Watts Kaven, in section 36, township 19, range 9, on December 1, 1913.
"Idlewild Farm" is in section 20, township 18, range 9, and was recorded December 9, 1913.
"Morning Side," by Wallace M. Smith, in section 24, township 7, range 8, December 13, 1913.
"Edgewood Farm," in section 28, township 19, range 6, in Ridgeley Township, by George Nolan, December 22, 1913.
"Valley Grove Farm," in section 11, township 17, range 6, by Fred D. Howe, December 29, 1913.
"Lake View Farm," in section 2, township 19, range 7, by Herman Monnich, July 5, 1914.
"Oak Hill Farm," by Herman Monnich, in section 2, township 19, range 7, July 5, 1914.
"The Londonderry Farm," in section 13, township 19, range 5, by John J. Fey.
"River View Farm," by Charles W. Mulloy, in section 14, township 17, range 7, on February 28, 1914.
"Evergreen Home," by David Brown, in section 9, township 18, range 7, on April 9, 1914.
"Pfaffe Valley Farm," by Frank J. Kromas, in section 2, township 17, range 5, September 18, 1914.
"Square Deal Farm," by Monnich & Sons, in section 19, township 7, November 3, 1914.
"Lone Cedar," by Alfred C. Rexin, in section 17, township 18, range 6, on March 11, 1915.
"Wildwood," in section 28, township 17, range 8, by George F. Wolz and Frank Pfeiffer, April 11, 1916.
"Creek View," by Swan Anderson, in section 3, township 17, range 8, on July 15, 1916.
"Grand View Park," by George F. Wolz, in section 28, township 17, range 8, August 21, 1916.
"Plain View Farm," by Joe Baechler, in section 24, township 19, range 6, recorded November 25, 1916.
"Wildwood Farms," by Fred Eason, Cotterell Township, in section 9, township 17, range 6, recorded September 5, 1917.
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"Wittdale," by Anna Witt, Ridgeley Township, in section 2, town- ship 19, range 6, recorded November 21, 1917.
"The Grove Stock Farm," by H. M. Kern, in section 26, township 18, range 5, recorded March 20, 1917.
'South View Stock Farm," by Henry S. Spath, in Ridgeley Town- ship, sections 9 and 16, in township 19, range 6, recorded May 31, 1919 ..
"Logan View Farm," by Emil H. Suhr, Logan Township, in section 9, township 20, range 8.
"Hillside Farm," by Willie Olson, in Pleasant Valley Township, in section 16, township 19, range 5, recorded October 11, 1919.
"Poland China Farm," by Harry C. Dahl of Maple Township, in sec- tion 19, township 18, range 7, recorded March 29, 1920.
"Valley View Farm," by H. C. McGath, section 20, township 18, range 7, recorded June 17, 1920.
"Lakeside Farm," by Ray A. Hindmarsh, in section 19, township 19, range 10, recorded June 23, 1920.
OFFICERS OF DODGE COUNTY FARM BUREAU, 1920
Frank E. Liston, president, Hooper ; William Havekost, vice presi- dent, Hooper ; William M. Milliken, secretary, Nickerson.
DIRECTORS OF FARM BUREAU
C. F. Luecking, Scribner ; Louis Musbach, Scribner ; Emeal Sievers, Scribner ; Albert Gerecke, Fremont; Chris Schow, Fremont.
COUNTY FARM BUREAU'S AGENT
R. N. Houser, Fremont, office in courthouse.
CHIEF CO-OPERATORS OF THE FARM BUREAU
H. J. Wolf, Ames ; John Ehninger, Hooper ; J. G. Hunteman, Hooper ; Henry Tank, Fremont ; William Rittig, Scribner ; W. O. Haseman, Fre- mont ; R. H. C. O'Brien, Ames; Robert Seymour, North Bend; Frank Diers, Nickerson; F. M. Sumner, North Bend; John Wallace, North Bend; E. R. Hughes, North Bend; Ernest Schmidt Fremont; Emeal Sievers, Scribner ; Hans Paasch, Scribner; J. N. Emanuel, North Bend ; George Hilbers, Hooper; W. H. Farrell, North Bend; H. F. Muller, Scribner ; C. J. Lenneman, Scribner ; Charles Auten, North Bend ; George Jorgensen, Ames; August Klemke, Scribner; O. O. Larson, Hooper ; Elkhard Janecek, Dodge; E. F. Novak, Dodge.
CHAPTER IX HISTORY OF THE DODGE COUNTY BAR
(BY FRANK DOLEZAI.)
This narrative of the lawyers of Dodge County is wholly from per- sonal acquaintance with the men. From the start the bar of Dodge County occupied a high place in the profession, and during the active period of its leading members, practiced in nearly all of the counties of the state north of the Platte River and in the tier of counties south of the Platte River lying along the river. The judicial district in which Dodge County is situated in the early days included a great many coun- ties, and Saunders, Butler and York remained in the district for quite a period of time. So these leading lawyers had a wide field for their operations in the formative period of the state, and by their abilities and characters exerted a strong influence on the law history of the state.
Another such period of forty years cannot come, neither can men of the peculiar character of these leaders of the bar come. They were men whose sentiments and convictions were formed by the ideas and ideals which prevailed among the intelligent classes of American citizens before the Civil war. They were earnest men, and attained their education by sacrifices and they held to those ideals through the great period of com- mercialism's struggle for control of law which started with the Civil war and exerted a fatal influence on the American bar. The spirit of com- mercialism which has changed all business and industry and subverted the real and legitimate influence of legal profession began at about the time that they started in the practice of the profession. These lawyers had the professional ideals that professional skill with integrity and honor should be the measure of professional success, and they viewed with natural misgivings the organization of wealth into corporations and the vast powers conferred upon these organizations. They stood for the criterion of merit and service as against measuring things by the com- mercial outcome of money profit. As a result of this struggle and of the influence exercised by the leading members of the bar of Dodge County during their time, no lawyer here became rich from law practice or even what was then considered well off .. They were genuine Ameri- can individualists.
THE LAWYERS OF 1881
When I came to Dodge County, January 1, 1881, the Dodge County bar then consisted of the following practicing lawyers engaged in the active work of the profession: E. F. Grey, W. H. Munger; N. H. Bell, W. A. Marlowe, W. C. Ghost, James A. Sterrett, William Marshall, George L. Loomis, C. Hollenbeck, and J. E. Frick, all located at Fre- mont, and D. M. Strong located at North Bend. The late Samuel Maxwell was then one of the judges of the Supreme Court. In the latter part of 1881 Mr. Sterrett died, and Mr. Marlowe and Mr. Ghost, along in 1882, moved to Denver, Colorado. At about the same time Z. Shed, a former member of the bar, also moved to Denver, Colorado. Sterrett
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and Marshall had come to the county from Illinois some years before 1881. Mr. Loomis had then been in Fremont a few years, and Mr. Hol- lenbeck had been in Fremont two years, while Mr. Frick came to Fremont in 1880. For a great many years the bar consisted of Grey, Munger, Bell, Marshall, Loomis, Hollenbeck, Frick and myself at Fremont, and D. M. Strong at North Bend. From 1881 on, Grey, Munger and Bell were the leaders in the bar, and their practice extended over many counties of the state. In the first fifteen years following my coming, changes had taken place, so that Loomis, Hollenbeck and Frick gained leading positions in the bar. A short biography of these men will illustrate the character of the bar.
A few words explaining the history of the bar may not be amiss.
MEMBERS OF THE BAR BEFORE 1881
Robert Kittle, one of the pioneers concerned in laying out the Town of Fremont, was a lawyer by profession although he did not take any position in the practice of his profession in Dodge County. He owned much of the town property and was more concerned in that than in the practice of law.
Z. Shed was the outstanding lawyer of the early period. He had built up a good practice and was a versatile man, who might be described as a graduate of the university of the world. He left the practice of law to engage in commercial enterprise. He built the Opera House and conducted a large mercantile establishment until he sold out in Fremont about 1883 and moved to Denver. He made a success of law practice and his reasons for leaving it go back to the struggle which I have mentioned in the introductory part. He told me that he noticed the trend of affairs and for that reason determined to quite the law.
E. H. Rogers and George W. E. Dorsey were members of the Dodge County bar in the early days, but devoted their energies to real estate, loans and politics. Mr. Rogers was appointed Consul at Vera Cruz and died there. Mr. Dorsey became a member of Congress and was a public spirited man, and died later at Salt Lake City. Neither of these men practiced law since my coming.
J. W. Perkins, who was a member of the bar in the first years, moved into Knox County, and as I understand it, Mr. Loomis took his place in the practice.
THE LEADING MEMBERS OF THE BAR
Samuel Maxwell had a long career as Judge of the Supreme Court and after leaving the bench, did not actively engage in law practice. He was afterwards elected to Congress. He was a great worker and quite a prolific writer on law matters. He wrote works on legal pro- cedure, both civil and criminal, aside from the writing of opinions of the Supreme Court of which he wrote a great many. Whatever may be said in a critical way of his opinions from the professional stand- point, he always had before his eyes that the object and aim of law is to do justice between the parties, and it will be admitted that he held to that ideal. He was a broad man and man of wide views. His defeat for renomination to the bench was one of the incidents of the struggle, and his nomination and election to Congress was an inci- dent of the same struggle. The struggle against the encroachments of commercialism. He died shortly after finishing his service in Congress and at an advanced age.
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NEW COURTHOUSE, FREMONT
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E. F. Grey, while not born in Nebraska, was really a native Nebras- kan, and came from the southern part of the state to Dodge County. He had previously been at Lewiston, Idaho, and had written the criminal code of that territory. When Judge Crounse became Judge of the district, the position of District Attorney came to Mr. Grey, and he came back from Idaho and moved up to Fremont, where he remained in the active practice of law until his death. There never was a lawyer who worked harder and more faithfully for a client than Mr. Grey. His was the spirit of the true warrior. He was a man of patience and perseverance and method. He was a man of the highest professional honor, whose word was as good as a bond. He did not only stick to an oral agreement he had made even though that agreement turned out unfavorably, but in addition he would not try any of the side stepping, and fairly took the agreement as made and intended. He was an uncomplaining man and aside from his professional work, was a kindly man, and an interesting companion. He was a man of bravery. moral as well as of physical development. And I shall never forget the last interview with him. I had heard of his intending to give up practice and I went to his office to tender him a banquet of the bar as he was the oldest practitioner. On asking him whether it was true that he was going to quit practice he said to me, "Yes, I am going to leave today. I am going to my daughter's to die," and pointing out certain books in his library, he said to me, "I have given these to my son-in-law at Plattsmouth, and these," pointing to others. "go to my son-in-law at Sioux Falls." His declaration was in even tones. It was, not the bragging or defying of a man, but the statement of a fact as a fact. He did not seem cast down, he told me that he had finished his law work. I then made the statement to him that when he got up to his daughter's and rested up from work that we would then expect him to come down for a visit, and in the same even tones he told me that when he came back it would be his dead body. Within a month of the time he laid down his professional work he was buried in the cemetery at Fremont. Mr. Grey occupied no official position after his office of District Attorney in the early days until towards the close of his pro- fessional career when he acted as City Attorney for one term.
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