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 36
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The churches at Cortland are the Congre- gational church, the Methodist Episcopal church, the Catholic church and the Seventh Day Adventist church. The Congregational and the Catholic churches were organized in 1885 and the Methodist Episcopal church was
PUBLIC BENOSL. CERTLAND, NEBRA
time he was succeeded by his son, F. A. Bur- ling. Recently the bank has been sold to R. A. Nickell. About 1912 the Farmers State Bank of Cortland was organized, with C. P. Potts, president, and E. L. Pothast, cashier. Both of these banks are well patronized and doing a lucrative business.
A postoffice was established in Highland township about 1872, with J. P. Clough, post- master. It was located on his farm, six miles southwest of Cortland and was known as Highland Center. On the founding of the village of Cortland this postoffice was discon- tinued. Among those who have served as postmaster at Cortland was A. B. McNickle, now a resident of Ashland, Kansas, who was for many years justice of the peace and post- master in the village, and who was one of the first men to locate there. Mr. McNickle was
recently organized. All these churches have substantial church buildings.
The benevolent and fraternal orders at Cort- land are the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, Modern Woodmen of America, Royal High- landers and Knights and Ladies of Security.
. Since 1884 Cortland has supported a weekly newspaper. Its founders were Conant & Bloom ; it has had numerous editors and pro- prietors. Until quite recently it was known as the Cortland Sun, but it is now called the Cortland News.
The first school in Cortland was an ordi- nary district school, with the school-house lo- cated on the Union Pacific right-of-way. Later this building was moved to a better location, and it served several years as the village school-house. Cortland now possesses a fine two-story, brick school-house, with basement,
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which was erected in 1916 at an approximate cost of $20,000. The district employs seven teachers and there is an enrollment of one hun- dred and twenty-five pupils. It offers a four years' course of study in the high school, which ranks with those of Beatrice and other large cities.
Cortland has two general stores, a grocery store, drug store, three garages, blacksmith shop, meat market, two restaurants, two ele- vators, a lumber yard and a small private electric-lighting plant.
Although without fire protection except a volunteer brigade, the village has never suf- fered any disastrous fire. The federal cen- sus of 1910 gives Cortland a population of three hundred and ninety. Its present popu- lation is somewhat larger, as the village is in a prosperous, growing condition.
Cortalnd was organized as a village under the laws of Nebraska many years ago and has been one of the most efficiently governed municipal corporations in the county. Its present village board consists of K. Slot, Thomas Sargent, C. H. Pfeiffer, F. H. Bear and J. A. Johnson.
FILLEY
The village of Filley is a station thirteen miles out from Beatrice on the Burlington line of railroad. It is situated in the midst of a fine section of the county and since its founding has been the center of a wealthy farming community. It is located on the northwest quarter of section 28, in Filley township. It was founded by Elijah Filley, the owner of this tract of ground, in the spring of 1882 at the time of the Tecumseh-Auburn branch of the Burlington Railroad was con- structed. The plat of the village was filed for record by the incorporators, Elijah and Emma Filley, April 22, 1883.
The first mercantile establishment in Filley was the general merchandise store of Lewel- len & Axtell. This was followed by a hard- ware store belonging to Charles G. Dorsey, of Beatrice, but managed by John W. Wright, who later acquired the stock by purchase from Dorsey. Both these pioneer merchants, Lew-
ellen and Wright, remained in business in Filley for many years and both amassed sung fortunes. Lewellen is now a prominent citi- zen of Thedford, Thomas county, Nebraska, and Mr. Wright died a few years ago, deeply mourned by his entire community. Dr. I. N. Pickett, now of Odell, was the first physician to locate here, though Dr. L. D. Boggs, now of Oklahoma City, who had settled on a farm in that neighborhood in 1874, had practised his profession as a physician continuously from that date and for many years thereafter, in Filley and its vicinity. His son, Dr. Charles S. Boggs, is the present resident phy- sician.
W. A. Waddington was the first postmaster, and later, while a resident of Filley, was elected sheriff of Gage county. At present James F. Boggs is the postmaster. Filley has free rural delivery of the mails, which gives employment to two carriers.
Filley possesses two general stores, a gro- cery store, a restaurant, two elevators, three garages, a drug store, lumber yard, and other business enterprises usually to be found in a village of its population in this section of the country.
The fraternal and benevolent orders of Fil- ley are the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, Ancient Order of United Workmen and Royal Highlanders.
In 1885 the Methodist Episcopal church building was erected, and this denomination has maintained an organization at Filley ever since. Early in the history of the village the Baptist church also was organized and a church edifice erected. This building, about 1902, was destroyed by fire and was never re- built, and the organization disbanded. In 1888 the Christian denomination erected a church in Filley and has since maintained its organization.
Filley school district was organized May 2, 1868, the first meeting of the voters being held at the home of Elijah Filley. The first school-teacher in the district was Matthew Weaverling, who taught several very success- ful schools here. He afterward taught in the
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city schools of Beatrice and was for six years county superintendent of schools in Gage county. The present school building in Filley is a substantial three-room, frame structure. The district employs three teachers and the school has an enrollment of sixty-five pupils. The course of study at present includes two years' high-school work. June 8, 1918, on proper notices, Filley school district No. 9, ef- fected a consolidation with districts Nos. 43, 93 and 120. The consolidated district will hereafter be known as district No. 166. This consolidated district is about to vote on a prop- osition to issue its bonds in the sum of $50,- 000, to be used in the erection and equip- ment of a new school building. The school population of the district is approximately one hundred and seventy-five pupils. Under the new arrangement the district will give em- ployment to seven or eight teachers and, with the usual grades, there will be a four years' high-school course.
In addition to its other interests, Filley boasts a substantial bank, the State Bank of Filley, of which Earl Norcross is cashier and the manager in charge.
To the present world war Filley has contri- buted eight of its young men, namely: Ray H. Noakes, now in the aviation service in France ; C. W. Hazelton, William Thomas, C. J. Saum, Milo Laflin, Elmer Hansen, now at Camp Cody ; Claude Saum, at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station ; Delbert Edgerton, at Camp Logan.
Filley has had several disastrous fires, but, with great tenacity, has endeavored to over- come these calamities, and the village is now substantially built up with attractive brick business houses.
At the last census the village had a popula- tion of two hundred. It probably exceeds that number now. Filley was organized into a village under the laws of Nebraska many years ago and has maintained its organization until the present time. The village board at present consists of the following well known gentlemen : 'T'. C. Hagerman, Hans Anderson, Christ Christianson, Charles Parker, and John V. Clark.
Among those who have contributed to the growth and prosperity of the village since its founding are Elijah and Emma Filley (now of Des Moines, Iowa), Charles S. and James F. Boggs, P. T. Lewellen, John W. Wright, Hans Anderson, Daniel F. Kees, W. A. Wad- dington, T. C. Hagerman, P. M. Anderson, A. C. Tilton, Christ Christiansen, H. M. Miller, Charles Parker, Dr. L. B. Boggs, John V. Clark, J. F. Burbank, Earl Norcross, Dr. I. N. Pickett, and Erastus W. Starlin.
LIBERTY
The village of Liberty is located on the main line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road between Chicago and Denver, by way of St. Joseph. The townsite comprises a part of the southeast quarter of section 35, a part of the southwest quarter of section 36, in Island Grove township, besides a part of the northwest quarter of section 1 and part of the northeast quarter of section 2 in Liberty township ; it lies within a mile of the east line of Gage county. It is the trade center of quite a scope of rich farming land in both Gage and Pawnee counties. The original townsite was owned by Nathaniel Cain, Frank Muchmore, and Allen B. Jimmerson. It was deeded by them to the Lincoln Land Company and the plat of the town was filed in the office of the register of deeds in Gage county on the 19th day of June, 1881. The railroad was built through the county in 1881 and trains began running in the fall of that year.
In the early '70s Cornelius S. Wymore had been appointed postmaster for this community and the office was called Liberty. It was on his farm, half a mile west of the present town. In 1879 he opened a drug store in connection with the postoffice. At that time the mails were carried twice a week between Pawnee City and Blue Springs. When the village was laid out, its founders adopted the name of Mr. Wymore's postoffice as a suitable cogno- men for the prospective town.
The little village built up rapidly. The first merchant was E. W. Lane, who, as early as 1882, had a general merchandise store. Mr. Lane's venture was soon followed by others,
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and in a short time Liberty was a town of several hundred people, in which every class of business was represented, - general stores, restaurants, drug store, hardware stores, lum- ber yard, elevators, barber shops, meat mark- ets and the like.
The first bank was organized in 1882 by Frank Stewart and E. E. Harden. With varying fortunes, as Harden & Stewart's Bank, Bank of Liberty, First National Bank of Lib- erty, it has had a continuous existence since its founding. It is now known as the State Bank of Liberty and is affiliated with the First National Bank of Beatrice. It is still the lead- ing banking institution in the village. In the year 1917 the Farmers State Bank of Liberty was organized, and this bank also is in a flour- ishing condition.
The orders now in existence at Liberty are the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, with their auxiliaries, and the Royal Highlanders.
For many years the Missionary Baptists have maintained an organization in Liberty township. This church was one of the pio- neer churches of the county and known among Baptists throughout the state of Nebraska. After Liberty was founded, the organization built a church building in the village, and it is still a live and active member of the Bap- tist denomination in Gage county. The Christian denomination also have maintained an organization in Liberty and own a substan- tial, well built church. At one time there were a Methodist and two Presbyterian churches in Liberty, but a few years ago these were con- solidated into a Congregational church. The history of this consolidation is interestingly set forth in a statement by the Rev. N. L. Packard, which, on account of its general in- terest in showing what may be done in such cases, is here given in full.
"One of the most interesting attempts at church union ever known in the state was that of Liberty, Gage county. Liberty, a village of four hundred people and a well settled country adjacent, had for years tried to sup- port five Protestent American churches. There
were five church buildings and sometimes five half-starved preachers. It seemed a poor use of home-missionary funds to keep these churches running.
"Three of these churches, Presbyterian, United Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal, felt that a union must in some way be effected. But as the three were of about equal strength, the problem which seemed impossible to solve was which one should survive and which two must be swallowed up. The matter ran on for several years, when a happy suggestion was made by a layman in the United Presby- terian church. That was for all three churches to disband and organize a Congregational church, as there was no church of this name in the place and its polity made it generally ac- ceptable to people of all evangelical faiths.
"It was finally agreed that when eighty per cent. of the membership agreed to the plan the move should be made. When the paper was circulated, almost one hundred per cent. of each church signed, as well as some who were not members of any of the three. Some hoped that all five churches might combine, but the Baptists and the Disciples decided to continue their organizations.
"A committee of nine, three from each of the consolidating churches, was chosen to man- age affairs until the new organization could be effected. After the local people had de- cided to form a Congregational church, the committee asked State Superintendent S. I. Hanford to send them a minister who could shepherd the flock and help them to organize. Rev. N. L. Packard, of Lincoln, the state gen- eral missionary, was called to the important task. He found a very delightful people to work with, and by December, 1911, property interests were arranged and a church organi- zation effected under the name of the First Congregational Church of Liberty, Nebraska.
"The old Presbyterian church building and parsonage were turned over to the new or- ganization, on the simple condition of their meeting some small indebtedness. The United Presbyterian church building was bought at a small figure, and both were in use for a time. At length, however, the last named building
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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
was enlarged and a basement placed under it, and the other building sold. The parsonage continued in use for the new pastor.
"The three Sunday schools were running with an average attendance of about thirty, but the new school started out with a mem- bership of nearly two hundred, and an aver- age attendance for the following six years of more than one hundred and thirty. The church membership was not over forty each before the union, but the new church was or- ganized with one hundred and sixty members and has increased in numbers each succeeding year. Rev. N. L. Packard became so inter- ested in the field that he resigned his state work and accepted a unanimous call to be- come pastor. He filled out six very pleasant years, and the Rev. Calvin Holbrook is at the present writing leading the church in a very successful pastorate.
"No sectarian divisions have arisen during the years and a spirit of general harmony has been maintained. Letters have come from many states in the Union, asking 'How was it done?' Just such a consolidation of church interests is demanded in many towns.
N. L. PACKARD, Wahoo, Nebraska."
Liberty was organized as a village in 1883, under the statutes of the state of Nebraska, and it has maintained its village organization up to the present time. The present village board consists of W. D. Huntington (chair- man), L. E. Baldwin, (clerk), William Har- mon, Jacob Jimmerson, James Bloom, and H. H. Kirschner.
One of the first school districts organized in the county was the Plum Creek district, now Liberty district. In a reorganization in 1868, for the purpose of numbering the districts of the county, this district was given number 27. a number that it still retains. The Liberty public school, into which the old Plum Creek district has grown, is one of the highly rated schools of the county. The district owns a fine, two-story, brick school building, employs six teachers and has an enrollment of approxi- mately one hundred and fifty pupils.
Liberty has suffered several disastrous fires,
but phoenix-like, has risen from its ashes, and to-day, with a population of over four hun- dred, is one of the interesting and pretty vil- lages of our county.
The Liberty Journal was established by a member of the well known Olmstead family, in 1882, shortly after the founding of the vil- lage. It had had a continuous unbroken ex- istence from that day to this and is now owned and edited by J. Franklin Spence.
Some of the early settlers of Liberty town- ship and vicinity were :
Nathaniel P. Cain, deceased, a native of Tennessee, born in 1823, homesteaded in Lib- erty township in 1865. Stephen Evans, de- ceased, a native of Ohio, born in 1823, set- tled in Liberty township in 1866. Sylvester Fisher, a native of Ohio, born in 1833, came to Nebraska in 1859, locating in Pawnee county, just over the line from Liberty, moved to Liberty township in 1868. James Gay, a native of England, born in 1844, immigrated to America in 1869. He located in Beatrice in 1879, and in 1880 in Liberty, where he is "The Village Blacksmith." A. P. McMains, a native of Indiana, born in 1831, came to Ne- braska in 1858 and to Liberty township in March, 1860. F. M. Muchmore, deceased, a native of Ohio, born in 1832, located on Tur- key creek, in Johnson county, in 1866, and in Liberty township in 1868. Cornelius S. Wy- more, a native of Indiana, born in 1841, lo- cated in Pawnee county in 1861, served in Company D, Second Kansas Cavalry from 1861 to 1865, and he was first postmaster of Liberty. Peter Bollinger, native of Claibourne county, Tennessee, born in 1840, came to Lib- erty township in 1867. He became known as a Baptist minister, farmer, school-teacher, was a man of sterling character, able and useful, and he now resides in Graham county, Kan- sas. Allen B. Jimmerson, native of Clai- bourne county; Tennessee, settled on the south- east quarter of section 35, township 2, range 8, Gage county, in 1874, a part of his old farm being included in village of Liberty. A man of fine character, generous, friendly, honest and able, he died in 1916, leaving many des- cendants. Jonathan Sharp, a native of Clai-
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bourne county, Tennessee, was born June 23, 1826. He came to Liberty township in 1864 and settled across Plum creek, just south of the village of Liberty. He died about twenty years ago, a man of fine character, honest, able, active in county and local affairs, and much esteemed by all who ever knew him, for kindness of heart and generous hospitality.
Most of the men here mentioned were from the state of Tennessee. Nearly all have passed away, leaving behind them nothing but the most kindly remembrances. They would have graced any community in the world as honest, worthy, independent citizens. Such as these have given the village of Liberty high standing in Gage county.
ODELL
This neat and compact Gage county village is an important station on the main line of the Burlington Railroad system between Chicago and Denver, via St. Joseph, Missouri, and is a junction point where originates the branch line to Concordia, Kansas, via Lanham, Ne- braska, and Hanover, Washington and other Kansas towns. It was the first village founded on the old Otoe and Missouri Indian reserva- tion. Prior to the founding of Odell, William B. LaGorgue had surveyed and platted a town- site on his farm, on the south side of Big Indian creek, a mile or so from Odell, and christened it Charleston. A start had been made toward establishing a town there when, in 1880, the railroad was surveyed north of the creek and the village of Odell was founded. All who had cast in their lot with Charleston moved to Odell and were instrumental in giv- ing that prospective village its first start on what has proved a prosperous and happy ex- istence.
The village is located a little north of Big Indian creek, one of the prettiest and most important streams of southern Gage county. It is a living stream, and in the early days was well timbered; along its course near Odell a good quarry of limestone was found from which several of the buildings of the village were constructed. The village is planted in the midst of a thriving and wealthy farming
community. Nowhere in the county are there better farm buildings, better tilled, better kept farms, better orchards, roads or school build- ings than in the vicinage of Odell
Odell is partly in Glenwood and partly in Paddock township, and is located on land orig- inally bought by Perry Walker, in 1879, from the United States government, as agent and guardian of the Indians. He, in 1880, sold it to J. D. Myers, of Chicago, and by the latter an undivided half-interest in the tract compris- ing the original townsite was sold to Charles E. Perkins, representing the Lincoln Land Company, an organization composed chiefly of the officials and employes of the Burlington Railroad system. Mr. Perkins himself was at that time, or afterward, president of the Bur- lington Railroad Company. The original townsite covered part of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 18, township 1 north, of range 6 east, and part of the east half of the southeast quarter of section 13, town- ship 1 north, range 5 east. It was surveyed and platted by Anselmo B. Smith, September 21, 1880. The plat was filed in the office of the register of deeds of Gage county Novem- ber 11, 1884, with the Lincoln Land Company (by Charles E. Perkins, its president,) and James D. and Elizabeth A. Myers, as incor- porators. It was named after LeGrand Odell, of Chicago, a friend of Myers who had in- duced him to come west from Chicago and lo- cate at Odell, and who on account of his rela- tions with the Burlington officials or some of them, was instrumental in giving his friend a start in this venture.
The first merchant of Odell was Mike Tris- key, who moved his store from Charleston to the new village on the railway line. Things moved very rapidly then. The entire county and state were new and filling with new people. Immigrants flocked to the new towns along the railroad lines, and villages were born over night. Odell soon had a supply of stores, shops and business houses of every kind, and by 1882 it was a prosperous, thriv- ing village.
In its early history James D. Myers built what was called "The Store on the Hill," for a
CHULCH
M. E.Church" Odell.
Birdseye View of Odell
"Odell Public High School"
t
"Catholic Church & Rectory" Odell-
Christian Church Odell.
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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
long time the most sightly and imposing struc- ture in the village. Here he kept a general merchandise store and did a small banking business. But he was not a very good busi- ness man and soon others easily eclipsed him. He died some years ago, a poor man, having let slip the opportunity to make a snug for- ture. His chief competitors were F. R. Joy and his sons Edward and Howard. Edward Joy, for many years the leading merchant of Odell, amassed a fortune and retired and is now living at Havelock. The father and How- ard did a flourishing banking business at Odell.
Several years ago the Hinds State Bank was organized as successor to the Joy Bank. It is owned by Edward B. and Charles H. Hinds and occupies the building formerly oc- cupied by the Joys. This bank has had a suc- cessful career and does an annual business amounting in volume to many thousands of dollars. For some time its deposits have run to nearly a quarter of a million dollars. The banking business of the village and surround- ing country is shared by the Odell State Bank, with deposit accounts aggregating a quarter of a million dollars. Its owners and officers are : Thomas W. Stanosheck, president; Ernest Loeniker, vice-president ; W. T. Stanosheck, cashier.
The first church organized in Odell was the Methodist Episcopal, and the organization held its meetings in a carpenter shop the first year. In 1886 J. D. Myers donated a lot upon which a small frame church building was erected, at an original cost of fifteen hundred dollars. Rev. Mr. Orr was the first pastor. The present minister in charge is Rev. H. S. Burd. The Catholics also have a flourishing organization in Odell. The first frame build- ing erected by the church cost six hundred dollars. The present church was erected many years ago, at a cost of four thousand dollars, and the property includes a rectory or parson- age, built a dozen years ago. At first there were but eight or ten Catholic families ; now there are forty-five. Several priests of great ability and learning have ministered to the parish; among them the first priest, Father
Mosler, who served the parish for ten years, and the present pastor, Father W. J. Mc- Kenna. The Christian church also is one of the well established religious organizations of Odell. Its church edifice was erected in 1888 and the organization has been active in the community ever since. It frequently is without a regular pastor and is then supplied by students from Cotner University, at Lin- coln.
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