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 33

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 33

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

William B. Tyler was county commissioner of Gage county during the years of 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, and in 1864, with Fordyce Roper and F. H. Dobbs as associate commis- sioners, adjusted the affairs of old Clay coun- ty after its partition between Lancaster and Gage. From 1860 until his death, in 1889, he was a judge at every annual election in the county and also the messenger who carried

his father died while yet a young man. In 1856 Mr. Wilson came to Omaha and later he went to Nebraska City, where he met Judge John Fitch Kinney, and, being a practical mill- wright and miller, he was about to engage with Judge Kinney to come to Beatrice and set up and take charge of the steam saw mill owned by the Beatrice Townsite Company. He was deterred from entering into this arrange-

MRS. REBECCA TYLER

WILLIAM B. TYLER

the returns of Blue Springs to the county clerk.

He was a kindly, genial soul, and to the last moment of his life was one of the most public-spirited citizens of Blue Springs. As a youth the writer spent nearly an entire year under the roof of William and Rebecca Tyler as a member of their household, and he de- sires here to testify his appreciation of their uniform kindness and goodness of heart.

Robert A. Wilson was born in Decatur, Indiana, on the 4th day of February, 1833. In 1848 his parents moved to Iowa, where

ment, and probably from becoming a citizen of Beatrice, by the remark of some friend to the effect that the members of the Beatrice Town- site Company were all college-bred men and knew nothing about saw mills. Mr. Wilson and his brother William did, however, about that time accept from the United States gov- ernment service which took them to the Otoe and Missouri Indian Agency, where they erected the government steam saw and grist mill and ran the same until 1860. In the autumn of that year he returned to Iowa and married Miss Amelia Darner. Prior to his

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

leaving the territory he had loaned Joseph Chambers five hundred dollars with which to purchase the tract of land where Blue Springs now stands, and had taken a mortgage upon the prospective townsite to secure this in- debtedness. Learning that Chambers and his partner Noyes had disposed of their inter- ests in Blue Springs and abandoned the pro- jected townsite, Mr. Wilson returned to Ne-

ROBERT A. WILSON Founder and pioneer resident of Blue Springs

braska territory and settled in Blue Springs in 1861. Shortly after his arrival he procured the services of Solon M. Hazen and surveyed and platted the original town of Blue Springs. From 1865 to 1868 he was employed in the mill of Perry Hutchison, at Marysville, Kan- sas. During the latter year he was interest- ed with William Tichnor in building the dam and mill at Blue Springs.

For many years Mr. Wilson led the simple life of a farmer, on a fine tract of land ad- joining the townsite of Blue Springs. Some

years ago he retired from his farm and he is spending the remnant of his life in the beanti- ful little city of which he was the founder nearly three score years ago. He is slowly recovering from the shock of a serious sur- gical operation performed nearly a vear ago, and he and his aged wife are the objects cf the veneration and love of the entire com- munity.

MRS. AMELIA WILSON Wife of Robert A. Wilson

Robert A. Wilson is a man of heroic stat- ure, standing considerably over six feet, and is large of frame. Throughout his long career, until recently, he was a man of great physical strength. He is of a genial, kindly, humorous nature, a good friend, an interest- ing companion, loyal and true-hearted.

Solon M. Hazen was born in Denmark, New York, August 11, 1829. He belonged to that class of patriotic young men who came from the eastern states in the year 1857 as followers of John Brown in his efforts to save Kansas

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

from the curse of human slavery. After spending the winter of 1857-1858 in Brown county, Kansas, he, in 1858, with George W. Stark, another anti-slavery enthusiast, came to the new territory of Nebraska and settled on land in Rockford township, this county. He built a log cabin on his land, broke out several acres of fertile Mud creek bottom, and remained here until after the presidential election of 1860, when he returned to New

SOLON M. HAZEN Pioneer resident of Blue Springs

York and resumed his occupation as a school teacher. He also purchased a newspaper, the Journal-Republican, at Lowville, New York, which he conducted for three years. Later he purchased the Watertown Herald, at Wa- tertown, New York, and he continued as its publisher for several years. On the 24th day of December, 1863, he married Miss Priscilla Ann Vary, and in 1868 he returned to Ne- braska, which was then a state, and settled permanently in Blue Springs. Shortly after his return he opened a general store at the corner of Hazen and Scott streets, and he con- tinued for many years in business in that lo-

cation. In 1861 he surveyed for Robert A. Wilson the original townsite of Blue Springs, and later he was elected one of the county commissioners of Gage county, an office which he held for some years. In 1884 he was elected to represent the people of Gage county in the state legislature, where, as a member of several important committees, he rendered distinguished services to his consti-

tuents and to the people of the state. He served his community as justice of the peace, postmaster, member of the school board, member of the council and in other capacities.

Mr. Hazen was a tall, distinguished-looking man, slow of speech, deliberate in judgment,- and very considerate of the rights and feel- ings of others. There were no better men than Solon M. Hazen. This historian has the kindest of recollections of this good, ben- evolent man. Wlien still a mere child and at a time when there were no schools acces- sible to him the writer got his first lessons in numbers by the flickering light of a chip fire, in the open air, from Solon M. Hazen.

Dr. Levi Anthony was, next to Dr. Herman M. Reynolds, the earliest practising physician of reputation and standing in Gage county. He was born at Washington, Jackson county, Ohio, November 27, 1835, but from October 14, 1846, to the fall of 1849 he lived in Jack- son county, Missouri. He then moved to Mills county, Iowa, and took up the study of medicine under Dr. Barrett, and he entered upon the practice of his profession in Iowa. In 1859 he moved to Peru, Nebraska, and, forming a partnership with Dr. Perry at that western outpost of civilization, he practiced his profession there until 1861. While at Peru he met Robert A. Wilson, of Blue Springs, who pursuaded him to change his location and offered to deed, and did afterward deed, to him forty acres of land in the vicinity of Blue Springs on the condition of his making such change. No time was lost by the Doctor, who was an active, decisive man, in reaching his new location. Here he soon became wide- ly known as a physician of skill and ability. His practice extended over a large portion of Gage county and several of the surround-

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

ing counties. He made his professional calls mostly on horseback, carrying his medicine- chest in large, double, leather saddle-bags, strapped to the back of his saddle. He was a most familiar figure and on account of his

title to this land and made it his home for several years. When the village of Wilber was laid out as a town, in 1872, by Charles D. Wilber and Jacob Mooney, Dr. James Paddock, a young physician, came there seek-

DR. LEVI ANTHONY

genial nature was a welcome visitor in the homes of the early settlers. In 1867 he moved to Beatrice and engaged successfully in the practice of his profession there, but in the latter part of 1869 the Doctor located on a homestead three-quarters of a mile south of the present city of Wilber. He acquired

ing a location. Finding Dr. Anthony already on the field, he sought and was able to form a copartnership with him, and for many years these two pioneer physicians practiced their profession together at Wilber, Dr. Anthony living upon his homestead until age admon- ished him that the period for rest had come.

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

He then purchased a residence in Wilber and lived there till December 4, 1891, when he passed away, at the age of sixty-six years.

In the autumn of 1864, following the Indian outbreak on the Little Blue river, in August of that year, a company of militia was raised, consisting of about one hundred men and composed exclusively of residents of Gage and Pawnee counties. Dr. Anthony was

this marriage twelve children were born, Nancy Elizabeth, Hannah Retta, Mary A., Isaac T., Martha E., Eliza J., Sarah C., Orpha J., Lydia A., John F., George S., and Leon J. His wife and two of these children died be- fore his own death occurred.

In his early life Dr. Anthony was an active member of the Methodist church. He later became affiliated with the Church of Latter

FRANCIS M. GRAHAM

MRS. HANNAH RETTA GRAHAM

active in this movement and was elected sec- ond lieutenant of the company, which went into service in September, 1864. It was sta- tioned at Buffalo ranch, on the Little Blue river, at the foot of Nine Mile Ridge, on the old Oregon Trail, until Feburary, 1865, when it was mustered out of service. The com- pany performed guard duty along the old trail, protecting the overland stage, emigrants and commercial travel each way from its stockade for a distance of forty miles.

When a very young man Dr. Anthony married Meriba Troth, October 4, 1846. To

Day Saints, at Wilber. Dr. Anthony was below average stature, was endowed with an: alert mind, was genial, witty and possessed. other qualities which made him a pleasant. companion and a welcome visitor every -. where.

Francis M. Graham has been so long a resident of Blue Springs that few are living now who remember the time when he was not a citizen of that place. Some time prior to. his arrival at Blue Springs, he had made his. home with Rebecca Tyler, at Richmond, Nemaha county, Kansas, and when she sold.

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out there and moved to Blue Springs, in the summer of 1859, he came with her, being then a youth of fifteen summers. They were much attached to each other and the relation of mother and son practically existed between them until her death. Until his marriage, in 1865, her home was his.

Mr. Graham was born November 2, 1844, in Vermillion parish, Louisiana. His foster mother, Rebecca Tyler, was a southern woman. He was the son of Samuel Graham and Martha (Johnson) Graham. When quite small he was taken to Missouri to live, then to Kansas and then to Blue Springs, Ne- braska. In 1865 he married Retta Anthony,

the second daughter of Dr. Levi Anthony, and these worthy people have ever since made Blue Springs their home. Both are highly respected and useful members of society. They have reared a large and interesting family and are spending their declining years with their many friends, amid the surroundings of their early days. With Robert A. Wilson and perhaps one or two members of the James H. Johnson family, they are all that is left of that heroic company that created Blue Springs from a prairie waste.

Mr. and Mrs. Graham are open-hearted, friendly people whose lives are an open book to be read by all.

CHAPTER XXIV

WYMORE

The city of Wymore is located at the con- fluence of Big Indian creek and the Big Blue river, on the main line of the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Railroad Company across southern Nebraska, from Chicago to Denver. Here also the branch line of this company from Omaha to Concordia, Kansas, via Lincoln and Beatrice, intersects the main Denver line, imparting to the city of Wymore the characteristics of a railway center. From its beginning the city has constituted a divi- sion for the Burlington Railroad; here are found the company's roundhouse, machine and repair shops, station building and numerous other structures required at a railway division point. Here also are found the headquarters of the division officials, and the various ac- cessories necessary to the proper operation of the railroad. Wymore is the second largest municipal corporation in Gage county and is the most important and best city of its popu- lation in southeastern Nebraska. It is thirteen miles southeast of Beatrice, joins the city of Blue Springs to the north, and is located in the midst of a wealthy, prosperous farming community.

The founding of Wymore dates from the construction of the main line of the Burling- ton Railroad upon which it is located. At the time of its origin the situation in Ne- braska was such as to invite railroad building on a large scale throughout the eastern two- thirds of the state. The main line of the Union Pacific Railway through central Ne- braska had proved a surprising success as a factor in the settlement and development of all the territory tributary to it. By successive purchases and consolidations with other lines the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad

Company had, by 1870, acquired a line of railway from Chicago, Illinois, to Pacific Junction, opposite Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Com- pany in Nebraska had been incorporated May 12, 1869, and in July of that year began the construction of a line of railway from Platts- mouth to Kearney Junction, Nebraska, on the Union Pacific, near where the city of Kearney is located. Several years after the comple- tion of this route, the company was consoli- dated with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, under date of the 26th day of July, 1880, having at that time 836 miles of trackage in southeastern Nebraska, including a railroad bridge across the Mis- souri river at Plattsmouth and two miles of trackage at Pacific Junction. Amongst its other activities it had constructed, in 1878, a line of railway from Hastings to Red Cloud, and thence up the Republican valley, projected to Denver. In 1871 it had also constructed a line of railway from Crete, on its main line between Plattsmouth and Kearney Junction, to Beatrice. In 1879 the Union Pacific Railway Company, then described as tlie Omaha & Southwestern, had built its present line of railway from Marysville, Kansas, as far as Beatrice, via Blue Springs and the Otoe Indian Agency, which was pro- jected to a junction with its main line at Valley, via Lincoln. Almost the entire state,. and particularly the South Platte country and that portion of central Nebraska which was. then tributary to the Union Pacific Railway lines, was in a ferment of activity. Immigra- tion was rushing in, following the rails, at an unheard of rate; the prairies were disappear- ing under the settlers' plows ; in every direction.

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towns and villages were springing up as if of railway. Unfortunately, and to this day to by magic; and everywhere in the state the railways were taxed to the uttermost to meet the demands of the ever increasing popula- tion.

Moreover the local situation by 1879 was such as to promote the increase of railway trackage in Gage county, and particularly in the southern portion. Since its completion, Beatrice had been the terminus of the Crete branch of the Burlington road. In 1877 the western portion of the Otoe and Missouri Indian lands had been placed upon the market and quickly sold to actual settlers, as by law required. This splendid tract of fertile lands was without railway facilities nearer than Beatrice or, later, than Blue Springs. Under these circumstances, it created no surprise when, in March, 1880, a party of Burlington surveyors arrived in Blue Springs from the west. They had carried a projected line of railway from Red Cloud down the Republican river to Hardy, Nuckolls county ; thence across country to the head waters of Rose creek, in Jefferson county, crossed the Little Blue river at the confluence of these streams ; led up his- toric Rock creek to the head waters of Big Indian creek ; followed down the valley of that stream to its junction with the big Blue river, and, crossing the river, led away eastward to an intersection with the Atchison & Nebraska at Table Rock, and still on down the Big Nemaha to the Missouri, St. Joseph, northern Missouri, western Illinois, Chicago.

This ambitious and most successful plan of railroad building contemplated the exten- sion of the Crete-Beatrice branch to a junction with the east and west main line. When it became evident that these lines of railway were to be pushed to immediate completion the southern half of Gage county seethed with excitement and eager anticipation. The question of greatest concern was the location of the junction, since it was evident that at that point would be developed a city of im- portance. Blue Springs was of course ar- dently hoping to become the center of all this railroad activity and to profit by securing the location of the junction of the two lines

the regret of those who love it, these expec- tations were not to be realized. Over-confi- dence in her position and importance at that particular juncture in her affairs, prevented the consummation of her hopes.

The following narrative of the origin of Wymore and its early history was prepared for this work by Charles M. Murdock, who has been a citizen of that city since its found- ing, and who as a right-of-way agent for the Burlington Railroad Company, and at the time a citizen of Blue Springs, writes from an intimate knowledge of the facts:

"In the fore part of May, 1880, R. O. Phillips, secretary of the Lincoln Land Com- pany, and some of the Burlington & Mis -. souri River Railroad officials came to Blue Springs and made an arrangement with S. M. Hazen, C. W. Hill, and others in Blue Springs, for a half interest in about two hundred acres of land in sections 17 and 18, township 2 north, of range 7 east of the 6th principal meridian, surrounding where the depot at Blue Springs now stands, and to locate a depot, and not lay out or build any conflicting town interest within five miles of the depot at Blue Springs. Several business men in Blue Springs agreed to purchase from five to ten acres of the Hazen and Hill lands and pay them a stated price per acre. Then they would donate (to the Lincoln Land Company) a half-interest in the tracts they had purchased, in order to share the burden with Hazen and Hill. This arrangement was agreed to and seemed to be definitely settled. But within sixty days some of the parties who had agreed to purchase from five to ten acres of the Hazen and Hill lands went back on what they had agreed to do. They claimed the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company would put in the depot at Blue Springs regardless of whether they got a half-interest in the Hazen and Hill lands or not. R. O. Phillips, secretary of the Lincoln Land Company, and A. B. Smith, townsite surveyor, came to Blue Springs and tried to close the deal, but could not do it. They then had options of purchase taken on part

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

of the southeast quarter of section 21, south- west quarter of section 22, northwest quarter of section 27 and northeast quarter of section 28, township 2 north, of range 7 east, where the Burlington surveyed line crossed the Union Pacific tracks,- a move that looked very discouraging to some of the observing people in and around Blue Springs.

"Samuel Wymore then owned the north- east quarter of section 20, Blue Springs town- ship, which joined the section in which the city was located. When he learned that R. O. Phillips, for the Lincoln Land Company, had procured options of purchase. on lands east of the Big Blue river, he offered to donate a half-interest in the west half of his quarter section, which on the north joined the town- site of Blue Springs and which was crossed by the Burlington right-of-way leading east- ward, if the railroad company would erect and maintain a depot on his land or at the junction of the two lines on the southeast quarter of section 20, joining his land on the south, and he signed a contract to that ef- fect. I then went to the southeast part of Marshall county, Kansas, to see Owen R. Jones, who then owned the last-named quarter section of land, together with the north half of the northeast quarter of section 29. I. took his contract for the right-of-way over the southeast of section 20 and any extra right-of-way that might be required in the construction of the railroad across or upon that tract of land. He said the railroad company ought to buy his land; I asked him his price, and he said twenty dollars per acre. He and his wife signed a memorandum contract

agreeing to convey to R. O. Phillips the above described land, 240 acres, for the sum of $4,800. I sent the memorandum contracts of Samuel Wymore and Owen R. Jones to Mr. Phillips at Lincoln, Nebraska, and wrote to A. E. Touzalin what could be done with Wymore and Jones. Touzalin and Phillips were anxious to get the location at Blue Springs adjusted, and to gain time I procur- ed, at their request, an extension of the Wy- more and Jones contracts to September 15, 1880.

"But the Blue Springs location was not definitely settled, and Mr. Touzalin, the gen- eral manager of the Burlington road, and other officials arranged to come to Blue Springs, and on September 17, 1880, Mr. Touzalin ; George W. Holdrege, general sup- erintendent ; Tobias Castor, superintendent of right-of-way; Superintendent T. E. Calvert, and other Burlington Railroad officials came to Blue Springs from Beatrice over the Union Pacific line, in a special car. They arranged for a meeting with the Blue Springs people that evening. At the meeting the subject was fully discussed and the Blue Springs people asked for time to enable them to talk the mat- ter over that night, and at nine o'clock the next morning they reported that they would not accept the proposition.

"Wymore and Jones were both present at the above described meeting. A deal with them was closed September 18, 1880, and it was definitely settled that a depot would be built at the junction on the southeast quarter of secion 20, township 2 north, range 7 east, Gage county, Nebraska. In the latter part of December, 1880, the line was extended from Beatrice to the junction, and General Super- intendent Holdrege and other officials rode down to the junction over their own new line, in a special car, January 5, 1881.

"April 7, 1881, Mr. Phillips, secretary of the Lincoln Land Company, and Anselmo B. Smith, the company's townsite surveyor, be- gan the survey of the townsite at the junction of the two lines of railway. A. E. Touzalin, general manager of the Burlington lines, named the town Wymore, after the late Samuel Wymore."

Mr. Murdock was selected by the Lincoln Land Company, an organization which every old settler will remember as having greatly in- fluenced to its own profit the location and disposal of townsites along the lines of the Burlington Railroad system in the early history of Nebraska, to handle the company's interest at Wymore. The plat of the original town of Wymore was filed for record in the office of the register of deeds at Beatrice, May 21, 1881, by which time Mr. Murdock

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had sold twenty lots in the townsite, upon which buildings were being erected, and with- in sixty days after the recording of the plat there were sixty business houses and resi- dences erected in the new town of Wymore. Among the first to build were David Green- slate, who erected a hotel forty by forty-four feet, and two store buildings; J. Pisar, a business house twenty by thirty feet; J. Wazab, a business house twenty-four by thirty-six feet ; Charles Wachtel, H. M. Leach,

of deeds May 21, 1881. It comprised a part of the east half of section 20; it has been greatly augmented by additions, the most im- portant of which are Ashby's Addition and Wymore's Addition, on the north and west; Summit and Railroad Additions, on the east ; Hoag's, Hinkle's, and Scott's Additions, on the south and west. With these additions the city now occupies a part of sections 19, 20, 29, and 30.

The business district of the city is largely

CLOTHING

NIAGARA AVENUE, WYMORE

R. C. Welch, A. J. McClain, T. E. Cone, W. Shestak, J. Miles, M. H. Gow, L. W. Allgire, A. V. S. Saunders, David McGuire, John Vesley, F. R. Siltz, William Baxendale, P. Sullivan, H. S. Glenn, E. P. Reynolds, Sr., (hotel) ; James A. Myer, E. C. Pusey, H. A. Greenwood, W. H. McClelland, J. Casey, G. W. Rummel, Washburn Brothers (lumber yard) ; H. A. Kingsbury (lumber yard) ; J. S. Johnson, Joseph Grimes, O. J. King, J. D. Gallagher, J. H. Ake, George Noll, S. P. Lester (livery stable) ; F. J. Greer (elevator), and others.

The plat of the original townsite of Wymore was filed for record in the office of the register

confined to the original townsite. Niagara avenue, running north to Blue Springs, is the principal business street. It is a wide, beanti- ful thoroughfare, and most of the business houses upon it are substantial, two-story, brick structures.

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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 33

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