History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time, Part 17

Author: Dobbs, Hugh Jackson, 1849-
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Publishing and Engraving Company
Number of Pages: 1120

USA > Nebraska > Gage County > History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time > Part 17

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as our heads, gave a wonderful effect of light and shade in their graceful undulations as the light winds passed over them.

As we journeyed we halted to gather the wild flowers, so beautiful and abundant. Here we found the blue and yellow violets, the fra- grant wild roses ranging in color from the deepest tone of pink to the white, their color kissed from them by the sun. We decorated our horses and wagons with the Indian paint- brush, flaming like fire in the grass, and the golden rod, now our national flower. Sun- flowers were everywhere, giving a vivid touch of color to the landscape; we went through avenues of them. Yellow and purple seemed to predominate.

Who of us can forget the first sunset on that vast uninhabited plain? As the sun sank the air was filled with a radiant glow, the hills were touched with red and violet and purple tints. A silence fell upon our little party as we gazed ; the sweet song of a thrush thrilled us as though it were an evening hymn of praise. How small and material seemed our petty lives in so much grandeur! But alas, we were awakened from this poet's dream by the rattling of dishes, the steam of the coffee, the buzz of talk and the care of the horses, and as the sunset faded we ate our supper, for mortals must eat, so "it readeth in the law." Soon our camp in that vast wilderness, with no human beings but ourselves to dese- crate nature's primitive domain, rested in sweet and refreshing sleep.

We were early awakened by the birds. They seemed to fill the air with melody; meadow- larks led the chorus, but over and above them all, poised high in mid-air, a bird hovered, pouring forth the most delicious trills, ca- dences and sparkling scales. The song floated down to us like liquid music. I think it must have been the Missouri skylark, Neocorys Spraguei, described by Audubon and by El- liott Coues.1 "No other bird music heard in our land compares with the wonderful strains of this songster; there is something not of earth in the melody, coming from above, yet from no visible source. The notes are some-

thing indescribable, but once heard they can never beforgotten; their volume and pene- tration are truly wonderful; they are neith- er loud nor strong, yet the whole air seems thrilled with the tender strains, and the de- lightful melody continues long unbroken. It is only uttered when the birds are soar- ing." They make their nests in the prairie grasses, but are very difficult to find. We could do nothing while this heavenly song lasted, and when it ended we turned reluct- antly to our morning tasks. We had an early start, hoping to reach our destination that evening. The wild flowers seemed more and more abundant. The purple vetch, columbine, phlox, coloring great fields with blue. There was blue-eyed grass, and, as if to enhance the delicious blueness, we heard the quiet little song of the blue-bird. Overhead flew great flocks of blackbirds, all varieties, the red- shouldered ones, the yellow-headed, and the bronze variety. Then further on we found great patches of the Prairie Snow, Euphorbia, making the ground white with a very faint tinge of pale green. We did not reach the Blue river as soon as we had hoped, so we had another glowing sunset, another song of birds, and through the night we heard the whippoorwill.

The morning brought us to our goal. The view was entrancing, the valley with its glistening river, the wooded banks, the slop- ing hills. No narrow outlook met our gaze, but far as the eye could reach was the limit- less range of beauty, calm, peaceful with the smile of God resting upon it. All involun- tarily exclaimed "Could a more beautiful spot for a city be found anywhere?"

On the 4th of July we assembled for the formal presentation of the nation's flag given by the ladies of the company. I had the honor of making the presentation. I well remember going down by the river, sitting among the willows and invoking the muse, which resulted in some four short verses of salutation to the town to be. Of course if I had dreamed that the occasion was to be historic I would have preserved them, un- worthy as they were, but after the ceremony

1 See Coues, Birds of the Northwest, pp. 42-45.

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was over they were thrown on the bright. dowing river, which, unlike the traditional "Sweet Afton," bore the song of praise away from its inspirer. Mr. Pike, a cultured young lawyer, replied, somewhat embarrassed I thought ; probably the combination of the Stars and Stripes and a young lady overcame him. Beatrice was christened, and my name for- ever honored. A shaking of hands and con- gratulations followed, and plans of future work were talked over by the company. All these particulars have been told so well in historical sketches of Nebraska that I will not attempt them. Our return was uneventful, but with the little pioneer party we had formed lifelong friendships which I recall to this dis- tant day with pleasure.

Of course the habits and customs of many of the early settlers in Gage county, breaking the sod and building their cabins, impressed me as somewhat peculiar ; as all nationalities were represented, this was to be expected. I remember driving with my father far out on the prairie and stopping at a cabin for din- ner. Boiled potatoes in their jackets and fried pork (a good deal cheaper then than now), with saleratus biscuit very yellow with the superfluous amount of soda, made our bill-of- fare. When the good woman of the house asked me if I would take "long shortening or short shortening" in my coffee I deliberated as to what this might mean, but thought the safest way was to say "short" as that would mean less of whatever it might be, and some very coarse looking brown sugar was put into my cup. My father not liking the looks of this, said in his polite, old-school manner, "I will take long shortening, Madam, if you please": whereupon a couple of tablespoons of very black looking molasses were poured into his coffee. The look of consternation on his face and of mirth on mine fortunately were unobserved by the hostess. Useless to say

the coffee was left untasted. Here too I first heard the expression "powerful weak," speaking of a man suffering with ague, then very prevalent in some parts of the country. The phrase struck me as being comically con- tradictory, but physiologically it means I sup-

pose that the weakness holds the man power- fully ; at least it might be so explained. These same people in course of years developed a fine farm by their thrift and industry, and educated their children, who are now doubtless driving their autos and enjoying all the lux- uries of modern life.

In 1861 I did what young ladies have done since the world began,- I married. My hus- band Julian Metcalf was a banker and greatly interested in our growing state.

My first visit to Beatrice was in 1864, I think: it was with my father, who, with a light top-buggy and a pair of mettlesome horses, invited me to accompany him. It was a perfect October day and I was more than delighted to go and see my beautiful namesake again. We made the drive in one day ; the fast livery team seemed as fresh when we reached Beatrice as when we started. I found great changes in these few years, the town developing substantially and rapidly. We spent only a day there, as my father's business required no longer time, and we started early so as to reach Nebraska City before dark. This proved a memorable drive. When we had driven several miles we saw a vast sea of fire sweeping toward us with a terrific roar. We were on a hill which gave us a full view. The grass, dry as tinder, eight and even ten feet high, made rich fuel for the flames. It was a race for life. My father turned the horses and urged them to their utmost speed. The flying, blackened cinders of the burnt grass flew by us and over us, we could hear the rushing of the fire-storm and even feel its heat as it gained upon us. The horses seemed to understand the danger and, maddened by the crackling and roar of the flames, they raced as they had never raced before. In places, burning wisps of grass carried by the fierce wind started fires on eith- er side of us, but fortunately not near the road. With great relief we reached Beatrice in safety, for it was out of the immediate path of the fire; only the little school house was endangered, and as the fire swept over it we watched with fear and trembling for its fate. For a moment it was enveloped by the

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flames, with the roar and speed of a railroad train, and as they passed we saw the little frame school house unharmed; the very fury and swiftness of the fire saved it. We re- sumed our journey, and for twenty miles we traveled through a black, smoking country. In places we saw deer that had been chased by the fire lying by the roadside too exhausted to move as we drove by.

As night fell, one of the traces became un- fastened and hitting the horse frightened him, and they both started on a wild run. They left the road and, dashing over hillocks and rough places, nearly upset the light buggy. My father was thrown out. This left the reins under the horses' feet and they plunged madly on through the darkness. My only thought was to cling to the buggy. In a short time, long to me, they broke away from it and I was left sitting in it, unharmed. At once I started in search of my father, whom I found unconscious ; he had struck on his head and it was bleeding. Rubbing him and calling him, I succeeded at last in rousing him, and,

urging him to walk, we started toward a dis- tant light, which proved to be a farm house. There we were able to find a wagon and driv- er to take us to Nebraska City, only three miles distant.

Thus ended my first and last visit to Beatrice. But I have always kept in touch with its progress and development, and have pictures of its handsome homes and fine busi- ness buildings. If I ever go eastward again I shall certainly visit the beautiful city by the Blue, of which I am naturally proud, as I appre- ciate the honor conferred on me by its name.

In 1893 we moved to the Pacific coast, where my three children, two daughters and a son, were living, also my parents. We

made San Diego our home, and at times Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. At the latter place my beloved husband passed away in his eighty-third year. Blessed with perfect health and strength, surrounded with loving chil- dren, I am indeed most thankful to the Giver of every good and perfect gift who guides us all in love and wisdom.

CHAPTER XVI

FOUNDERS OF BEATRICE

JOHN FITCH KINNEY - JOHN MCCONIHE - ALBERT TOWLE - JOSEPH RUTHERFORD NEL- SON - OBEDIAH BROWN HEWETT - GILBERT T. LOOMIS - OLIVER TOWNSEND - HAR- RISON F. COOK - DR. BAYARD T. WISE - JOSEPH MILLIGAN - BENNETT PIKE - JEFFERSON B. WESTON - WILLIAM H. BRODHEAD - DR. HERMAN M. REYNOLDS

It was no ordinary body of men who in April, 1857, while passengers on the old riv- er boat "Hannibal," resolved to cut loose from civilization and seek fortune and hap- piness in that region of our country which was even then designated in the school geo- graphies as the "Great American Desert." Al- though there were many other river boats be- side the "Hannibal" plying between St. Louis and the Upper Missouri, we nowhere else have any account of the formation from their passenger lists of any organization similar to the Nebraska Association.

It took courage of no mean order and op- timism of large proportions to hold men of learning and ability, such as for the most part composed the membership of the Beatrice Townsite Company, to what must have ap- peared to a reflecting mind a forlorn hope. As far as we are acquainted with their his- tory, we must accord to them the qualities of the true pioneer, who, scorning the hard, uninviting surroundings of the moment, sees, in the changing years, mighty com- monwealths develop from primeval con- ditions. On the date of the actual found- ing of Beatrice, July 27, 1857, there were not to exceed, besides themselves, twen- ty-five white men in Gage county as original- ly created. There had never been a bushel of wheat, a bushel of corn, a potato, or any sort of product raised from the soil of the county by the hand of man outside of the Otoe and Missouri Indian reservation. The first fur- . 27, 1857, on the townsite of Beatrice, by John

rows had been drawn through the virgin soil in the spring of that year, by John Pethoud. There was not a government mail route or carrier, not a single stage line, not a broken road traveled by white men in the county ; ex- cepting Gideon Bennett's Indian trading post, a mile and a quarter southwest of the present town of Liberty, there was not a single place within the boundaries of Gage county where a man could buy a knife or any other article of common use, or a meal, or a garment.

A number of those who subscribed to the articles of association, or who were afterward added to the membership by the board of di- rectors, never came to Beatrice or attempted to profit by their connection with the com- pany, and under the eighth section of the ar- ticles of association they forfeited their mem- bership. They were Edward Stewart, Jesse Spielman, E. M. Drake, Jacob Zolinger, Wil- liam E. Buffington, Richard Northup, Norman Colson, J. P. Cadman, Alex. McCleary, Phin- eas W. Hitchcock, George W. Robb, John Henn, Jacob Talman, John B. Kellogg, A. Nelson, W. C. Barr, and George W. Dripps. The subsequent history of most of these per- sons is unknown to this historian. John B. Kellogg finally settled at Tabor, Fremont county, Iowa. Phineas W. Hitchcock, who seems never to have acted with the old town- site company after the "Hannibal" tied up to the Missouri river bank at Omaha, was repre- sented at the meeting of the association July

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McConihe, who held his proxy. He was a After a year spent there, he enrolled himself young lawyer who found in the growing city as a student in the Rensselaer Academy at Os- wego, a famous institution of learning in its day, where he remained two years. Forty years afterward he attended a reunion of its old teachers and pupils on the classic grounds of his alma mater. This proved to be a no- table gathering of several hundred persons, including lawyers, judges, doctors, authors, ministers, lawmakers, and teachers, the occa- sion being the fiftieth anniversary of the found- ing of the academy. At this meeting Judge Kinney was chosen president of the alumni as- sociation. of Omaha a most attractive field for the exer- cise of his talents and calling. He early ob- tained prominence as a politician, and in 1860 he was a delegate to the national Republican convention, at Chicago, which nominated Abra- ham Lincoln for President of the United States. Afterward he was United States mar- shal of Nebraska territory and territorial del- egate to congress. In 1871, he was chosen as a Republican senator from the state of Ne- braska, and served six years in that exalted position. He died of appendicitis, at Omaha, in 1881, in the forty-ninth year of his age. In 1835 Judge Kinney began the study of the law, as a student in the office of Judge Orville Robinson, in the city of Mexico, state of New York. After eighteen months' appli- cation to his studies, in September, 1837, he removed to Marysville, Ohio, where he form- ed the acquaintance of Augustus Hall, a ris- ing young lawyer of that city, with whom he studied law for a year; he was then admitted to the bar in Ohio. On January 29, 1839, he married his preceptor's sister, Miss Hannah D. Hall. For several years he was proprietor of the Omaha Republican, the mouthpiece of the Re- publican party in Nebraska, and one of the leading newspapers in this state. His son, Gilbert M. Hitchcock, is now serving his sec- ond term in the United States senate from Ne- braska. Whether J. P. Cadman, who was one of the original townsite company and dropped out at Omaha or Nebraska City, was the John Cadman who, in 1859, settled in the neigh- borhood of Yankee Hill, in old Clay county, who was a prominent member of the terri- torial legislature in 1864, and who, after the partition of Clay county, became a prominent citizen of Lancaster county, is unknown to this writer. The first president of the Ne- braska Association, John Fitch Kinney, at the time of its formation was a man of mature years, and not only the most experienced in human affairs, but probably, also the most variously endowed of all members of that or- ganization.

JOHN FITCH KINNEY

Born in New Haven, Oswego county, New York, April 7, 1816, Judge Kinney was a trifle past forty-one years of age on the 22d day of 1857, when he was chosen as the president of the Nebraska Association. He obtained his elementary education in the public schools of western New York, and at the age of fifteen entered a private school in New Haven, where he remained six months, after which he en- tered a private school at Hannibal, New York.

In 1842, another brother-in-law, Orville Hall, left Ohio and settled in the territory of Iowa, and in 1854. he was appointed by Frank- lin Pierce, President of the United States, to the office of chief justice of the supreme court of the territory of Nebraska. He died at Bellevue, in January, 1861, leaving two daugh- ters and a son. The latter was the late Rich- ard S. Hall, who for many years was a promi- nent lawyer of the Omaha bar and was at one time a partner in the practice of law of the late John M. Thurston, a former United States senator from Nebraska.

In 1840 Judge Kinney began the practice of his profession at Mount Vernon, Ohio, where his success was immediate. But the lure of the great west descended upon him and in 1844 he too migrated to the territory of Iowa, where he entered at once upon an active professional and political career. The mere enumeration of the professional, civic, and political honors that fell to him would be lengthy and impressive. He was an hon-

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ored member of the national Democratic party, was one of its most trusted advisers, and was frequently its candidate for impor- tant offices. Before he had attained to the age of thirty-three years he had been twice secre- tary of the legislative council of Iowa, prose- cuting attorney of his judicial district and justice of the supreme court. His opinions as a judge are found in Volumes I, II, III and IV of Green's Iowa Supreme Court Re-

JOHN FITCH KINNEY

ports. In 1853 the President of the United States appointed him chief justice of the supreme court of Utah, a position which, though attended with much danger, was ably and conscientiously filled by him for two years. In the spring of 1856 he returned to Iowa, and in April, 1857, as we have already seen, he and his family were passengers on the old river boat "Hannibal," bound for the great new territory of Nebraska.

Judge Kinney's destination was Nebraska City, and on the arrival of the "Hannibal" at that little hamlet, nestled amongst the Miss- ouri river bluffs, in the latter part of April, 1857, they went ashore and took up their

residence amongst the few pioneers that had gathered at that spot since May, 1854. Here for thirty-three years, and until the spring of 1890, he made his home. He engaged in the practice of the law, with other occupations, during the greater portion of his life, and during the formative period of Nebraska's history he was not only active in his profes- sion, but he was also one of the most useful and valued citizens of the entire state. He

HANNAH D. (HALL) KINNEY

was a warm personal friend of the late J. Sterling Morton, and in the early days these two men bore the heat and burden of the Democratic politics in Nebraska. In 1890, he removed with his wife and a portion of his family to San Diego, California, where in 1895, Mrs. Kinney passed away, at the age of seventy-nine years. August 17, 1902, she was followed to the grave by her distinguish- ed husband, ripe with years and clothed with honors worthily achieved and modestly worn.

Judge Kinney to the last moment of his life remained a steady friend of the little city of Beatrice. He retained his interest in the townsite till it had passed the experimental

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stage and was a frequent visitor here until he removed to California. The existence of our lovely city is much indebted to his pre- vision, ripe judgment, and persistent energy.

JOHN MCCONIHE

The first secretary of the townsite associa- tion, John McConihe, was a member of an old New York family. He was born in the city of Troy, Rensselaer county, New York, Septem- ber 4, 1834. When sixteen years of age he entered Union College at Schenectady, New York, from which famous institution he graduated in 1853. He studied law with his father at Troy for a few months, and then

GENERAL JOHN MCCONIHE

entered the Albany Law School, from which he graduated in 1855, and immediately opened an office in his native city. He had already established a practice and had been elected a member of the school board of Troy when he became imbued with a desire to try his fortunes in the "Far West." Bidding fare- well to his ancestral home and making his way to St. Louis, we find him on board the old Missouri river boat "Hannibal", in April,

1857, bound for the new territory of Ne- braska. He attended the preliminary meeting of the Nebraska Association, and was chosen its secretary. He participated actively in the meeting and was a member of the committee appointed to prepare the articles of associa- tion. After the organization was perfected he was chosen as a member of its board of di- rectors and the minutes both of the organiza- tion itself and of the official board are in the scholarly handwriting of John McConihe from April 27, to July 28, 1857, these being signed by him as secretary.

Before coming to Beatrice from Omaha with the other members of the association, he had arranged to enter upon the practice of the law there. Although Omaha was at that time little more than a western village, perched on the bank of the Missouri river. it was the capital of the new territory and a most promis- ing location for a young lawyer. After July 28, 1857, his name no longer appears in the records of the proceedings of the Nebraska Association or of its board of directors, but he complied with all the requirements of the organization, received his distributive share of the town lots of Beatrice, and it was only in recent years that his interests in the city were finally disposed of by his relatives.

Having assisted in placing the infant town upon its feet, he returned to Omaha and en- tered upon the practice of his profession. He was a man of many activities. In 1858 he formed a copartnership with some one of the numerous freighters or freighting concerns then to be found at every Missouri river town in eastern Nebraska, and he seems to have participated in the business until the breaking out of the Civil war, in 1861. Politically he was a Democrat, and in 1858 he was appoint- ed private secretary to Governor Richardson ; he afterward held the same position under Governor Black until the end of the latter's term. In 1860 he was an unsuccessful candi- date for mayor of Omaha, and within the same year he was appointed adjutant general of the territory, subsequently leading an ex- pedition against the Pawnee Indians.

On the breaking ont of the Civil war he

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raised a company for the First Nebraska Regiment, and as its captain he participated with the regiment in its Missouri campaign. He was detailed to attend to certain military matters connected with the Department of Missouri at Washington. While there in the discharge of his duty, he became ill, in Feb- ruary, 1862, and immediately left for his home in Troy, where he was critically ill with typhoid fever for several weeks. On recov- ering his health, he rejoined his regiment, the day before the great battle of Shiloh, and participated with it in that terrible conflict. He was severely wounded in the left arm and while at home slowly recovering from his injury, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regi- ment of New York Volunteers. In October, 1862, he went with his regiment to Washing- ton. He later saw service in Florida, North Carolina, Bermuda Hundred, and other places. On the resignation of Colonel Buell he was made colonel of his regiment and later be- came a brigadier general. While leading his brigade in a desperate charge against the "Bloody Angle" at the battle of Cold Harbor, this gallant young officer was shot through the heart. With an involuntary exclamation, he died instantly. His last orders, given in the heat of battle a moment before his death, were "Cease firing. Fix bayonets. Charge. Dress up on the colors. Do not leave the colors."

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History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time, Part 17

Author: Dobbs, Hugh Jackson, 1849- Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Publishing and Engraving Company Number of Pages: 1120

Author: Dobbs, Hugh Jackson, 1849-
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Publishing and Engraving Company
Number of Pages: 1120