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 27

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 27

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OLD COUNTY JAIL, 1874, IN PROCESS OF DEMOLITION, 1918

commissioners reserving the right to reject all bids, plans and specifications. Whether any bids, or plans and specifications were filed with the county board on the $6,000 basis is un- known to this writer, but, evidently growing weary of putting the cart before the horse, that body, on the 8th day of February, 1873, adopted plans and specifications for a county jail, prepared and submitted to them by Wil- liam Anyan, a well known resident and home- steader of Elm township, a farmer, a practi- cal builder and contractor, a politician, an Eng- lishman of talent and ability. The county clerk was a third time directed to advertise for bids for the erection of a county jail at Beatrice, in the Beatrice Express for three consecutive weeks, and on March 15, 1873, the county board accepted a bid submitted to

sum of $6,364, and at a special session of the county board held May 11, 1873, the pros- pective jail was, by formal order of the board, located on lots 16, 17, and 18, block 11 of Cropsey's Addition to the City of Beatrice.

This old building was constructed wholly of native stone, on the corner of Lincoln and Seventh streets. It was a single story, with basement under the part devoted to the jail- er's residence. The entrance was from the south, and a hall led past the living rooms to a corridor in the rear, where prisoners were allowed to exercise; beyond the corridor were the cells.

The building was completed and turned over to the county board in the early part of 1874, and for forty-four years it served the people as a county prison. It lacked almost

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

every convenience for a modern jail. For years every grand jury was accustomed to condemn it as unsanitary and unsafe. In this old building all the desperate criminals of our county have been held awaiting trial, execution or removal to the penitentiary. In the old jail yard occurred the only legal execution ever had in Gage county, when Jackson Mar- ion paid the penalty on the gallows, in March, 1886, for the brutal murder of John Cameron in 1873. Hundreds of criminals have sighed behind its iron bars, and to some it was the end of hope. If ghosts could walk and all the

awarded to F. L. Robertson, as general con- tractor, the building to be erected pursuant to plans and specifications drawn by Richard W. Grant, of Beatrice. C. W. Werner, of Wy- more, was awarded the plumbing contract, Baker-Hartzell Company, of Beatrice, the contract for electrical wiring and electrical appliances, while the Pauly Jail Building Company, of St. Louis, Missouri, was award- ed the contract for cells and other equipment. The following table exhibits the total cost of the building, exclusive of grounds and grad- ing :

NEW COUNTY JAIL, 1918

past be revealed, strange tales might be told of those incarcerated within its walls. In the spring of 1918, on the completion of the new jail, this old county bastile was demolished, beam by beam, bar by bar, rock by rock. The very place where it had stood so long is plowed, graded and filled, and not a trace of this sad, gloomy structure is left.

As early as 1916 the building of a modern jail was taken under consideration by the county supervisors, and a levy of one and one- fourth mills on the total valuation of the county was levied that year for the purpose of creating a fund to build a new jail. In 1917 also a levy was made for the same pur- pose, one and two one-hundredths mills, and on the 28th day of May, 1917, a contract for the erection of the new building was

Paid Richard W. Grant, Architect.$ 1,220.00 Paid F. L. Robertson, Contractor .. 14,841.36 Paid C. W. Werner, Plumbing Con-

tractor 2,102.00

Paid Baker-Hartzell Co., Electrical Contractors 275.00

Paid The Pauly Jail Building Co .. . 7,700.00

Paid for extras 87.45

Total cost $26,225.81

This fine, commodious jail building, which includes also a residence for the jailor or sheriff, was completed and accepted by the county board November 27, 1917. Few, if any, counties in Nebraska can boast a more handsome, complete, modern jail building than Gage, the great third county of Nes braska.

The first United States postoffice of Be-

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

atrice was the pioneer residence of Albert Towle, commonly called "Pap's Cabin," but in 1866 the postoffice was moved to a single room in the rear of the twenty-five-foot-front, frame hardware store owned by Rainboldt & Company, on the corner of Third and Court streets, where the building of the Blue Valley Mercantile Company (wholesale grocery) now stands. The little room containing the postoffice fronted on Third street. About 1870 Mr. Towle, the postmaster, erected a narrow frame building immediately west of Saunders' two-story brick store building on Court street. The business of the office in- creased so rapidly that more commodious quarters became necessary, and about 1872 the postoffice was moved to the west store- room in the Burwood hotel, where at this writing, H. P. Claussen has his shoe store. In 1886 the office was moved from the hotel building to the east room of the old Masonic Temple Block, on the corner of Sixth and Court streets, which was destroyed by fire in 1902, and on the site of which the Beatrice National Bank building now stands. In 1887 Algernon S. Paddock was elected United States senator from Nebraska, and in 1891 he secured an appropriation from congress, in the sum of $65,000, to be used for the pur- chase of a site and the erection of a postoffice building in the rapidly growing city of Be- atrice. Of this sum, not to exceed $15,000 was to be used in the purchase of a site for the building. The northeast corner of the intersection of Seventh and Ella streets was considered the most eligible site ; one hundred twenty feet of this property was selected for the site of the new postoffice building, and in July, 1891, it was purchased at a cost to the government of $15,041.74. Thereafter the United States proceeded to erect the old part of the present postoffice building on this ground, at a cost of $49,934.37, and in Oc- tober, 1893, it was occupied for postoffice purposes. The material used in this structure is from the great sandstone quarries of War- rensburg, Missouri.

The business of the office increased rapidly, and in 1911 congress appropriated the sum of

$62,000 for the purpose of purchasing addi- tional land and increasing the capacity of the office. The sum of $11,000 was paid for the eighty feet of ground adjoining the original site, and an extension, with other improve- ments, was added to the original building, at a cost of $49,877.50. . The total cost to the government of this building, including site, is the sum of $125,853.61.

The postoffice in every community is to its members the visible sign of the power and beneficence of the government. Its impor- tance cannot be greatly exaggerated. It forms a connecting link between the citizen and the outside world. Until recent years the postal department was the sole representative in the United States of the paternal or social idea of government. It may be that the present period of the great world war will eventuate in government-owned facilities of every de- scription, from postal to transportation and shipping.

The patrons of the Beatrice postoffice have been fortunate in the character of the men who have occupied the important position of postmaster. Since its establishment, July 16, 1857, to the present time, the following named persons have been appointed postmasters at Beatrice, on the dates here given :

Herman M. Reynolds, July 15, 1857; Al- bert Towle, May 27, 1860; Jacob Drum, Sep- tember 1, 1879; Samuel E. Rigg, March 18, 1886; Charles M. Rigg, November 7, 1889; George P. Marvin, September 11, 1893 ; Alex- ander Graham, January 14, 1898; William H. Edgar, January 20, 1902; Albert H. Holling- worth, February 27, 1906; John R. McCann, August 19, 1914.

Some years ago the postoffice department at Washington, pursuant to acts of congress authorizing such action, established in Gage county the system of rural mail delivery, and about the same time the system of city car- riers was inaugurated for Beatrice. The rural routes radiate from the Beatrice office in every direction and are served by seven carriers, while the city of Beatrice gives em- ployment to ten carriers of United States mail within its boundaries.

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

In 1896 the city of Beatrice purchased lot ten in block sixty-four of the original town- site and erected thereon a small, two-story, plain brick city hall. This structure, though undergoing various changes, modifications, and additions, is still too small for public re- quirements. It lacks nearly every appoint- ment of a modern, up-to-date municipal build- ing and is almost offensively wanting in archi- tectural style and beauty.

It supplies a place, however, for a jail, the meetings of the city council, offices for the police magistrate, and chief of police and his subordinates, and several of the elective and appointive officers of the city. The day is not far distant when the growing city of Beatrice will demand a city building which besides af- fording ample room and facilities for the housing of the public records of the city and the transaction of municipal business will add to civic attractiveness.

Allied to the City Hall is the fire depart- ment, which includes four volunteer hose com- panies and a salaried force of firemen. This important branch of the public service had its origin with the organization of the volun- teer companies June 8, 1886. From then until a comparatively recent date the non- salaried volunteers valiantly defended against the ravages of fire the property of the citizens of our city, in a most faithful and efficient manner. Notwithstanding the fact that since the creation of the salaried fire department the volunteer companies have been relegated to the position of reserves, they have main- tained their organization intact and hold them- selves in readiness to respond instantly to every call for aid. At present these .com- panies number one hundred and thirty brave and public-spirited citizens of Beatrice.

On the first day of September, 1908, the volunteer hose companies purchased the north forty-six and two-thirds feet of lots 7 and 8, block 63, Beatrice, and, at a cost of more than thirty thousand dollars, erected thereon a fine, two-story, pressed-brick fire station, which forms headquarters for all the firemen of the city.

In this building is housed the fire-fighting

apparatus of the city, at the present time con- sisting of a motor truck, which is a combined hose and chemical engine, a horse-drawn truck of like character, hose reels, and the hook and ladder equipment.

The volunteers also, in 1907, in commemo- ration of their dead, erected a splendid monu- ment, which, fronting its main entrance, over- looks beautiful Evergreen Home Cemetery.

In many other ways this organization has written its own indelible record in the history of Beatrice. The fire chiefs have been Na- thaniel Herron (the first leader of the brave volunteers), John Schiek, John Walker, H. L. Harper, Rudolph Woelke, John Scharton, and Henry Whiteside (the present chief).

In 1912 the authorities of the city of Be- atrice installed in connection with the water- works system a municipal lighting plant, from which the streets and city buildings are now well and beautifully illuminated. Efforts have been made to secure the application of this plant to commercial purposes, but so far the voters have failed to endorse this plan. The future may see a complete revolution of senti- ment with respect to the activity of the city along commercial lines.

Beatrice is also well supplied with storm and sanitary sewers, work which had its be- ginning about 1886, and which has been re- cently extended to cover large areas of the city. Perhaps no city of its size in the west exceeds our city with respect to these public utilities.

No other improvement in the city has added so much to the beauty of the city and the com- fort of living in Beatrice as the street paving. This work was inaugurated in the autumn of 1886, and was largely confined to the business districts of the city. Since 1913 the paving of the streets and alleys of Beatrice has been greatly increased and been extended to in- clude much of the residence portion of the city east of the river. This work has gone steadily forward until at the present moment Beatrice possesses approximately sixteen miles of paved streets and is probably the best

paved city of its class in the state.

The outstanding indebtedness of Beatrice on

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

CARNEGIE LIBRARY.

CITY WATER WORKS.

CITY HALL.

VOLUNTEER FIRE STATION.

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

account of the paving, exclusive of interest and the cost of paving the intersections of the streets, is $101,930, which is assessed against the property comprising the several paving districts.

In 1885 steps were taken by the city council to inaugurate a waterworks system in Be- atrice. That year, on the twenty-first day of December, an ordinance was passed by the mayor and council which provided for holding a special election January 22, 1886, upon a proposition to issue bonds of the city in the sum of eighty thousand dollars, for the pur- pose "of constructing, operating and maintain- ing a system of waterworks for said city of Beatrice." At the election thus provided for, this proposition was carried by a decisive af- firmative vote, and steps were at once taken to put into effect the wishes of the voters. The work went vigorously forward and be- fore the closing of the year 1888 the city water-works were in operation.

The plan adopted was that known as the direct-pressure system, by which, through the agency of powerful force pumps, the water is elevated through main lines and service pipes to the consumer. In 1890 additional bonds were voted to cover the extension of the water mains. The water used by the consumers was taken directly from the Big Blue river, in an unfiltered and impure state. During the greater portion of the year it was utterly unfit for drinking or culinary purposes. In 1891 a serious effort was made to remedy this condi- tion, and at a special election, held in Beatrice on the second day of September of that year, called for the purpose of voting on a proposi- tion to issue additional bonds, the city council was authorized to issue the negotiable bonds of the city "to the amount of thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000), for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating a system of waterworks for said city, to pur- chase land for the site of a water plant, and otherwise improve the waterworks system of the city of Beatrice and appurtenances, in the extension of and connection with the present system of waterworks of the said city."

At the time these bonds were voted, a series

of experiments had been conducted by the water commissioner in what was then known as "Paddock's Pasture," a tract of land where the Lang canning factory and the Kilpatrick stock and storage yards are now located. From the test wells put down, the city coun- cil was led to believe that an abundance of pure water could be here obtained at a shallow depth. These bonds were issued, placed upon the market and sold for approximately their face value, and a contract for installing this plant was let to the firm of Godfrey & Means, of Fremont, Nebraska. But these contractors failed to obtain a satisfactory supply of water, though it developed that a considerable quan- tity of pure, wholesome water did in fact ex- ist at that point. The money invested in this movement was wholly lost and the small brick building which was erected as a pumping sta- tion and which still occupies the small tract of ground purchased by the city, is a melancholy reminder to the tax-payers of Beatrice of this failure to secure the necessary supply of pure municipal water.

For several years after this costly experi- ment, the question of an adequate supply of potable water for Beatrice was suffered to rest, though it still remained an ever-present, urgent problem to every lover of his city. About 1910 the city authorities again took up the matter and a short distance east of the Paddock pasture several test wells were put down to water bearing gravel. These, it was thought, indicated the existence of pure water in sufficient quantities, if properly developed, to meet the requirements of the city. Four large wells were put down by the city, electri- cal pumping apparatus was installed in them, and, in 1911, a small reservoir was built, at considerable cost, on the northern boundary of the city. Water from these wells was pumped into this reservoir and conducted by gravity through mains to the pumping station of the city waterworks. It soon became apparent that the water problem of Beatrice had not been solved, the supply from this source being painfully deficient.

At the election in 1912 a change was ef- fected from the old plan of ward representa-

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

tion in the city council to the commission form of government, and the new administration applied itself at once to a solution of this ever- present, perplexing problem of wholesome water for Beatrice. Finally, on the 10th day of August, 1912, the commissioners advertised in the city press for sealed proposals "for the construction of a sufficient number of wells to supply the city of Beatrice with five hundred thousand (500,000) to seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) gallons of water per day of twenty-four hours, also the pumps, electric motors, pipe fittings, and all other ma- terial and equipment, including all labor nec- essary to install same and to deliver the above amount of water into the present water mains." Bidders were to furnish their own plans and specifications and the cost of the work to the city was to be based on the num- ber of gallons of water that the wells and equipment should be capable of pumping into the mains for twenty-four hours.

On the 20th day of August, 1912, the Demp- ster Mill Manufacturing Company, of Be- atrice, submitted a "proposal for wells, pump and motors for the city of Beatrice" accom- panied by plans and specifications and a blue- print illustrative of the proposed wells and their equipment. This proposal was accepted, and the company entered immediately upon the work of putting down wells in the neighbor- hood of the Paddock Pasture, on North Sixth street. The limitations of this volume render it inexpedient to follow the details of this movement further than to say that the com- pany failed to develop a sufficient quantity of water from its wells to meet the requirements of its contract.

Finally it turned to the well known spring located on the farm of John H. Zimmerman, on the west side of the river, a short distance northwest of the city. The existence of this spring had been known since the first settle- ment of Gage county. Without development or artificial aid it sent forth a considerable stream of pure, cold water. To the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company generally, and to its president, Charles B. Dempster, par- ticularly, belongs the entire credit of develop-

ing this fine living spring, which is now almost the sole source of the city water supply.

The history of this venture, with its result, is well set forth in a letter by the company, signed by its president, addressed to the mayor and city commissioners of Beatrice. The gen- eral statements of this letter are pertinent to the object and purpose of this history and for that reason it is here given in full. It reads as follows:

Beatrice, Neb., Aug. 6, 1913. Hon. Mayor & City Commissioners,

Beatrice, Neb. Gentlemen :

Without going into details with refer- ence to our efforts to secure the city of Beatrice a sufficient supply of water, which we have been endeavoring to do since last November, we are now pleased to re- port that we have finally secured what we believe to be not only an ample but a last- ing supply of good, pure, soft water at Zim- merman Springs, joining the city on the north- west.

We also have an option from Mr. John H. Zimmerman for the lease of these springs, to- gether with the right of way over the land adjacent thereto, for a term of ten years, for an annual rental of $300.00 per year, with further option to purchase the springs at any time within ten years at the price of $6,000.00, together with such land as may be required, up to ten acres, at a price of $200.00 per acre. This contract or option is made direct to the Dempster Mill Manu- facturing Company, but can be assigned by them to others. We believe this option is a valuable one to the city of Beatrice.

We further believe that we have secured and can deliver to the city over one and one- half million gallons of water every twenty- four hours, taking the Zimmerman Springs and the wells we put down north of the city together. The wells north of the city were put down under our contract with the city of Beatrice, dated August 20, 1912, with later amendments.

After having put down these four batter- ies of wells north of the city, you will re- member that we were unable to secure the required amount of water to complete our contracts and that, by mutual consent, the contract was suspended until we had an op- portunity to make a test of the supply of water at the Zimmerman Springs.

The test and purchase of the option of the Zimmerman Springs, as you well un-

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

derstand, were made at our expense and our risk, the city taking no chances in our ability to secure the water supply whatso- ever. We stated that we would take the matter up with you again after we had made the tests.

Now, Gentlemen, we have not only made the tests, but have completed a perma- nent well, walling it up with a twelve- inch brick wall, laid in cement. We have been pumping the springs almost continual- ly for two months and the amount of water pumped increased steadily from the time we began pumping until it is now capable of furnishing 1,200,000 gallons of water per day and, at the same time, leaving three to three and a half feet of water still in the bottom of the well.

The well is dug down thirty feet deep. We also drilled five holes in the bottom of the dug well an additional twenty feet. The first two of these holes we drilled in- creased the flow of the water in the well about fifty per cent. It is our opinion, al- so the opinion of Professor E. H. Barbour, Head of the Geological Survey Department of the University of Nebraska, that by blasting and taking out the rock an ad- ditional sixteen or eighteen feet, we can in- crease the supply of water up to at least one and a half million gallons per day.

Professor Barbour made a special trip here at our request, while we were sinking the wells. He made a careful investigation of the formations and all conditions surround- ing the springs, and stated that it was the best prospect for an ample supply of water that he had seen in the state and that it was, in his opinion, a permanent supply. He was also here yesterday, making measurements and taking photographs of the flow of the water and surroundings, and was very much pleased with the amount of water we were getting.

Now, Gentlemen, we have been to a con- siderable expense in our endeavor to secure the city this supply of water and, at last, we have the satisfaction of being able to say to you and to the citizens of Beatrice that we have been successful and that we have se- cured a supply of water sufficient to take care of the city's requirements for many years to come.

We never had figured on making a profit out of securing for the city a sufficient supply of water and we are willing at this time to turn the wells and springs over to the city of Beatrice, which shall include the option for the lease or purchase of the Zimmerman Springs together with the completed well, also the

wells north of the city and the pumping ma- chinery and equipment connected with same, also the cancellation of our contract for the water supply, and all we ask in return is that we be paid just what it has cost us to secure it, charging nothing for the risk which we have taken by virtue of the fact that had we not secured the water, we stood to lose what we had spent or invested.

The total cost amounts to $15,867.26, to which we will have to add six per cent interest from August 1, 1913.

This proposition is made to the city of Beatrice, through you as their representatives, and will hold good until September 15, 1913, which we believe will give you ample time to investigate the matter and decide whether the city wants to accept the proposition or not.

Hoping that this proposition will meet with your approval and that steps may be taken at an early date to close the matter up, in order that the main may be run into the city and the people supplied with this spring water before winter sets in, we are

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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 27

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