History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 22

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011

USA > Nebraska > Hall County > History of Hall County, Nebraska > Part 22

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Cairo has had telephone facilities since 1912

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For the past three or four years, the Gem manager telephone office ; L. L. Fowler, agent theatre has furnished moving pictures to the C. B. & Q. Railway. community.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY - 1907

The business interests in Cairo in 1907 were: S. R. Benton, E. J. Peters, agricultural implements ; J. H. Harrison, cashier Cairo State Bank; O. E. Littler, barber; Fred Erickson, blacksmith; A. L. Barneby, books and stationery ; W. H. Harrison, building ma- terial; Wm. D. Billis, Henry J. Cole, Jos. W. Hancock, Frank W. Keeley, J. Shaugnessy, contractors and carpenters ; Dell Thompson,

BUSINESS DIRECTORY - 1919

Automobiles: E. H. Whitehead (Boodry Motor Car Co. now out), Schlund and Tully, Earl Veeder; agricultural implements : Karl A. Rasmussen ; banks : Cairo State, Geo. W. Wingert, cashier; Farmers' State, G. C. Raven, cashier; Dye & Swan and J. Sorren- son, barbers; The W. H. Harrison Co. and Nelson Lumber & Supply Co., lumber; coal and grain: H. T. Ingalls & Son (for about six years) and S. M. Beadle & Co. until

STREET SCENE IN CAIRO

cement blocks; Hans Runge, cream station ; John H. Pedley, dray line; Wm. Brand, The New Drug Store; Dr. Jas. M. Tische, drugs; Cairo Mercantile Co., Fred W. Goodrich, Wingert Bros., general merchan- dise; John E. Cox and Oscar Wells & Co., grain dealers and elevators ; A. H. Simmons, groceries ; E. W. McAllister and Cairo Mer- cantile Co., hardware; Henry Rathman, harness maker; Cairo Hotel, John Omer, proprietor ; Commercial Hotel, Mrs. Emma Carlson; North & Robinson, horse importers and dealers; J. H. Harrison, law; Chas. D. Bowker, livery stable; W. H. Harrison, lumber; Cairo Opera House, Dell Thompson, manager; Lee Shouse, painter; Drs. M. R. Piersol and Jas. M. Tiesche, physicians ; Philip K. Hile, plasterer; A. L. Barneby, post- master ; Cairo Record, newspaper and printing office; Henry Arff, saloon; A. B. Congrove,

recently, but now Highland Grain Co .; cream- ery interests: formerly Beatrice Creamery : Co. and Farmers Co-operative Co., but now Lincoln Pure Butter Co., F. E. Blauvelt, manager, and Harding Cream Co., Hans Runge; dray lines : A. Boyd and F. M. Alder- man; drug stores: The Cairo Pharmacy, op- erated for the past ten years by J. M. Ruth. Between Thos. Schurtz who established the first drug business in Cairo in 1886 and Mr. Ruth this line was handled at various times by John Boeck, Chauncey North, Dr. Milliken, Harry Wright, and Dr. Tish. The other drug store, the City Drug Store, formerly con- ducted by Opal M. Piersol, is now operated by M. E. Tennant. The stores handling dry goods and clothing are Cairo Mercatnile Co., Thompson Brothers, F. W. Goodrich, and the H. P. Bellows Co., stock being closed out during 1919. Those handling groceries, in

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addition to the stores just named, are A. L. Barneby, and Dove & Son. The flour mill industry is handled at the Ingalls mill. John Orndoff and J. R. Herrick are the recent live stock dealers; Adolph Runge, meat market ; Mrs. Nettie Boyd, millinery ; B. F. Clark and W. S. Veeder, painters ; printing at the Record office; Dr. M. R. Piersol and Dr. Dodd, phy- sicians; Dr. Earl Metheny went into military service and has not returned to Cairo; Frank R. Skupa, tailor.

NORTH & ROBINSON CO.

The history of Cairo would not be com- plete without a resume of the growth and operations of the business institution that did a great deal toward spreading the name and fame of Cairo broadcast throughout Ne- braska and neighboring states.

The firm of importers and breeders was started by C. M. North in 1900. Mr. North was born on a farm in DeWitt County, Illinois, in 1860. Associated with horses from his childhood and naturally a lover of live stock, he commenced his active business life at the home farm. He met with many dis- couragements in his career but always man- aged to have something at the end of the halter. In 1889 he moved to the young town of Cairo, Nebraska, bringing with him seven brood mares and a stallion. His work among blooded horses was practically a pioneer ven- ture in Nebraska in that line. He was inter- ested in various enterprises in Cairo, in which he was more or less successful. Later he joined partnership with W. C. Robinson, also of Cairo.

Mr. Robinson is a Nebraska product. He was born just north of Grand Island at St. Paul, in 1875, but at the age of twelve years moved to Cairo where he lived on a farm. He always showed a decided interest in horseflesh.

The business was carried on at Cairo under the name of North & Robinson for several years. Eventually the demand for good horses such as this firm was handling grew so great that they came to Grand Island and chose headquarters. A large barn was erected op- posite the Bradstreet & Clemens Company's

sales stables. In 1910, desiring to have broader quarters, they united with H. T. Dean at Bridgeport, Nebraska, and incorporated under the firm name of North-Robinson-Dean Co., with capital of $200,000. After building up a vast ranch near Bridgeport upon which to handle their hundreds of brood mares, Mr. Dean disposed of his interests to North and Robinson. This firm operated through the heavy war period, but a couple years ago dropped their activities in this line of business, after a singularly successful career. The op- erations of this firm, originating in Cairo, served to advertise their home town through- out the country in a very creditable manner.

ALDA

The prosperous little town of Alda is located eight miles southwest of Grand Island on the main line of the Union Pacific railroad. The first settler in the vicinity of Alda was W. G. Eldridge who settled on the northeast quarter of section 14, township 10, range 11, in May, 1859. In the fall of that year he erected the first dwelling house in this part of the country. Charles and Arthur Lamber- son located in Jackson township in the fall of 1866, having settled in the county the year before. Wood River was being settled up in the meantime, to the west of Alda.

W. W. Mitchell came to Hall County in 1871 and two years later he opened a store in Alda, also bought grain and sold farm machinery there. Mr. Mitchell continued this pioneer mercantile venture of Alda community for a number of years. In 1889 he moved to Wood River and engaged in the general mer- chandise business there. Mr. Mitchell has been one of the active constructive spirits to whom considerable credit is due for the up- building of both Alda and Wood River.

The original name of the community formed here was Pawnee and this name was carried for quite a number of years, when it became necessary to abandon it, upon postal difficult- ies, and the name Alda was chosen.

W. H. Wilson opened a general store here in February, 1881. W. C. Johnson later op- erated a store. James Marsh conducted a

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store in the 'eighties. The Mitchell stock was joined forces, bought the old school house, passed on to Dan O'Kane, then to W. W. and gave a note for $450 for the same. Mr. Modesitt relates that Zachmont Joy came to him and wanted to convert the enterprise into a Unitarian church. Slater, Parker, and Fleisher turned in their stock. They said they would support it, so go ahead. Zachmont Joy had the note taken up, and carried it on awhile. Herbert Mott, a cowboy preacher for the Friends, came in next. Mott got to talking against baptism. McReynolds and Campbell were later pastors. Powers came out from Grand Island. An irritation had been aroused by Mott's talks against baptism, and the Methodists took over the building. Gallup, and finally closed out. At present the town has four important stores. The J. W. Modesitt store is operated in a building which Mr. Modesitt built for it in 1911. The John Mclellan store, recently sold to J. D. Shriner, has a long and varied history. It passed from the hands of Mr. Steubel to Wilson and Andrews, and to Frank Powell, who closed out. Then Frank Hastings started the stock in and passed it to J. W. Modesitt, who not only ran the store, but bought grain, and in 1886 assumed the duties of postmaster. He remained in charge of this store for twenty years and sold it to Mr. Knox, about 1906, who passed it on to John McLellan. After ten years operation of this business, Mr. Mc- Lellan sold the business to Messrs. Osborn and Graham of Gibbon, who did not move to Alda and can hardly be counted as having operated the business, but who sold it to J. D. Shriner, the present owner.

The creamery operations in the commun- ity are carried on by the Omaha Cold Storage Co., which has maintained a station here for some years. The Trans-Mississippi Elevator, with A. J. Fulsinger manager, and Omaha Elevator Co., with Geo. Calnon, manager are now out of business. The Farmer's Elevator Co., formerly managed by W. W. Gallup and now by G. E. Calnon, remain. The newest enterprise is that of the Farmers Cooperative and Educational Union.

In addition to those already named there are the Robert Ellis stock and the Alda Specialty Store, operated by P. J. Balmat.

Alda had a good lumber yard. About 1910 a local company was formed to handle a lumber business. John McLellan became president, P. C. Kelley, vice-president, and Mr. Gallup, secretary-treasurer. This yard has been con- ducted until very recently with John McLellan as president and W. W. Gallup, secretary- treasurer. It was sold during 1919.

In 1886 John Fleishers inaugurated hotel service in Alda with The Traveler's Home. The present hotel is conducted by J. Travis.

Alda has two banks, the Alda State Bank, and the Farmers' State Bank. It had a black- smith shop as early as 1886, Inman's. It now has three shops, those of D. W. Forrest, Alva Phillips, and Dan George.

The church activities are carried on through the Friends' and Methodist's organ- izations. The first services of the Methodist people were held in an old school house. There had been one Specht, a Christian minister, holding meetings. Jeremiah Parker, John Fleisher, Gilbert Slater, and J. W. Modesitt

Alda's first garage was built about 1912 by F. H. Denman. The town now has two garages, that of Knox & Gallup, and Barr & Fitchhorn. F. H. Denman continues to handle aricultural implements. The community has had telephone facilities since 1912, when the Nebraska Telephone Co. came in.

J. W. Modesitt was postmaster from 1886 until 1906, when he was succeeded by John McLellan. Miss Pearl Balmat succeeded him in 1916, and still conducts the office.

ABBOTT

The community of Abbott is a trading center on the Burlington line between Grand Island and Cairo. Sidings have been placed at Taylor's Spur (the Robert Taylor ranch, more fully described in biographical sketch of Robert Taylor in another part of this work), and local passengers stop there. At that place Mr. Taylor maintains a small store and loading facilities for his shipments. But the town of Abbott sprang up shortly west of his ranch.

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For more than twenty years there has been a phan, Cairo, Alda, and Abbott are the only well stocked general merchandise store at Abbott. The proprietor has at most times also been postmaster, and agent for the grain ele- vator.

About 1900 this store was handled by Reed & Vandling; T. J. Vandling conducted the hotel; Reed & Vandling were agents for Wilson Grain Co .; Nellie Vandling, teacher, and J. A. Reed, postmaster. By 1904 Bert E. Watson was conducting the store, the tele- phone office, and the elevator for McCloud Grain Co., and Hera Kroger, the feed and livery stable. A Union Sunday school had been conducted in Reed's Hall and the Royal Neighbors Lodge was flourishing. In 1910 Peter Todsen had the store, hotel, elevator, livery barn, express office, and postoffice. His successor was Frank Hitchler, who has been conducting this group of businesses for some years.

SCHAUPPSVILLE

A town was planned some thirty-five or forty years ago, to have been the first station out of Grand Island, westward, on the Union Pacific. To this day the name Schauppsville can be seen, under the paint, on the large barn that stands on that site. Its founder, Schaupp, built a large mill with elevator fa- cilities there and conducted it through the late 'seventies and early 'eighties. He then moved to Grand Island when the hope of a town there was abandoned, and built a five story elevator and three story up-to-date roller patent mills. When this plant burned down in 1886, that fire was about the largest and most disastrous in the city's history.

OTHER TOWNS IN HALL COUNTY

While Grand Island, Wood River, Doni-

towns, at present, in active existence in Hall County, there have been numerous trading communities that have flourished in the past history of the county.

UNDERWOOD

Underwood was the name given to a post- office, established on section 28, town 9, range 10, January 16, 1885. Mrs Cleantha A. Un- derwood was appointed postmistress, and she established the office in the farm-house of B. G. Underwood, six and one-half miles distant from Hansen depot, on the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad. But this did not thrive and grow into an established community and the post office succumbed to the advance and development of the free rural delivery system.

SPENCER-ORCHARD-EASTON

In July, 1878, a postoffice was established at Spencer, with George J. Spencer as master. Orchard post office, upon W. J. Burger's place, was established about the same time, but it dwindled away after Doniphan started Eas- on was another post office that was discontin- ued as it failed to develop into a community.

RUNNELSBURG

This town, established twelve miles from Grand Island, came nearer making a settle- ment than some of the others just mentioned. In 1879 it boasted a flouring-mill, operated by | E. Bussell. At one time it had in the way of business enterprises, Robert Johnson's hard- ware store, V. S. Runel's general store and post-office, J. W. Stone's saloon, Mrs. E. M. Runel's millinery store, J. G. Phelp's harness shop, and H. P. Hulett's law office

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CHAPTER VIII

THE TOWNSHIPS OF HALL COUNTY

THE EARLY HISTORY OF SOUTH SIDE OF PLATTE RIVER, BY W. J. BURGER - ARRIVAL - FIRST VISITS OF INDIANS - THE BUFFALO - EARLY SETTLEMENT AROUND DONIPHAN - STORMS, GRASSHOPPERS, AND TROUBLES - EARLY COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES - TO THE SECOND GENERATION - MARTIN TOWNSHIP, BY STEPHEN B. BINFIELD - EARLY LANDHOLDERS SOUTH OF PLATTE RIVER - DONIPHAN TOWNSHIP - WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - SOUTH PLATTE TOWNSHIP - MARTIN TOWNSHIP - JACKSON-WOOD RIVER TOWNSHIPS - PATRICK MOORE - JOHN MAHER - OTHER FIRST SETTLERS - EARLY LANDHOLDERS IN JACKSON TOWN- SHIP - WOOD RIVER TOWNSHIP - CAMERON TOWNSHIP, BY EDWIN S. LEE - EARLY LAND- HOLDERS - HARRISON TOWNSHIP - MAYFIELD TOWNSHIP, BY R. C. PERKINS - LANDHOLD- ERS OF MAYFIELD AND SOUTH LOUP TOWNSHIPS- PRAIRIE CREEK TOWNSHIP - MAT RAUERT, BY ELI A. BARNES - CENTER TOWNSHIP - EARLY LANDHOLDERS - ALDA TOWNSHIP -CLAUD STOLTENBERG -Z. H. DENMAN - EARLY LANDHOLDERS - WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - EARLY LANDHOLDERS - LAKE TOWNSHIP, BY WM. GUENTHER - EARLY LANDHOLD- ERS - TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT - FIRST DIVISION - FORMATION OF VARIOUS TOWNSHIPS - PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICERS

THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PLATE RIVER ..

BY W. J. BURGER

W. J. Burger, the writer of this sketch was married to Martha A. Creason on November 24, 1864, at Glenwood, Iowa. They came west in December, 1864, locating on a ranch on the freight road near the junction of the two roads, one coming up the Platte River from Plattsmonth, the other from Nebraska City. At that time there were no settlers except a ranchman once in awhile along the Platte river, on the old freight road. There were hundreds of teams of oxen, mules, and horses continually passing on the roads in those days. A large number of these were hauling provisions to the mining country in the west, with Denver as the central point. Then came the overland stage and mail route, with large stage coaches carrying passengers and mail from Nebraska City to Denver. The Indians were so bad that the government

furnished an escort of soldiers for the stage line from Forf Kearny on westward. There were no settlers on the south side at that time, except on the freight road. The government kept about a thousand soldiers at Fort Kear- ny for the protection of the public.

A STAGE STATION

At this time the writer kept a stage station, where they kept a change of teams. A change of drivers was also stationed there, as they ran the stage line day and night.

THE VISITS OF THE INDIANS

The occasion of the attack on the Martin boys, when two of them were pinned together with one arrow, somewhat disquieted the sit- uation through our vicinity. The Pawnee and Omaha Indians passed through from their respective reservations about three times each year, going to and from their hunts for buffalo. They were a great nuisance to the settlers as they begged and stole everything they could

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get hold of, and when they got a good oppo- tunity they would even kill people. if they could do so and not be caught,. although they were supposed to be friendly tribes.

On the 25th day of July, 1867, the Indians made a raid on the settlers and killed a woman by the name of Warren, and carried away four children, two little boys named Campbell and two young women. The prisoners were with the Indians about two months but were eventually recovered by the white people.

There were frequent raids by hostile Indians from 1867 to 1870. A good many ranchmen abandoned their ranches here and went on further east for safety.

THE BUFFALO

In the fall of 1867 the buffalo came in by the thousands. The whole country was so full of buffaloes that the ranchmen could get all the fresh meat they wanted, and there were a great many people from farther east came in to hunt buffalo and get a winter supply of meat.

On account of the hostility of the Indians at that time the writer of this sketch took his little family and went to Cass County, Ne- braska, in the spring of 1868. We returned in April, 1871, and settled on land four miles west of our old ranch. A few settlers came in during 1871 and more in 1872.

EARLY SETTLEMENT AROUND DONIPHAN

The first settlers I can recall who settled in what is now known as Doniphan township were H. C. Denman, C. M. Lowery, S. H. Lakins, Charles Dufford, Samuel Shultz, A. R. Thorn, T. B. Robb, Sam Beidelman, W. H. Gideon, Jacob Gideon, George A. Burger, Barton L. Easley, and John Creason, Sr. In what is now known as South Platte township, among the first settlers were John Creason, Sr., James Creason, George C. Humphrey, E. M. Burger, John Eastman, Nat Martin, W. E. Martin, Joseph Button, and John Britt. The writer of this sketch marked out the first road to the new town of Hastings in 1872, going south on section lines to corners. We went to Hastings with wagon, as at that time there was no traveled road to that point.

STORMS, GRASSHOPPERS AND TROUBLES

In 1873, on the 13th day of April (Easter Sunday), the early settlers experienced the worst snow storm of our history. It lasted three days. Many of the settlers lost their teams and their milch cows and other stock in the storm.

The grasshoppers were another serious drawback to the early settlers. There was not much corn raised anyway during those early days, on account of the stringency of money through the country. Owing to the money shark's high rate of interest, many a settler had to abandon his claim because he could not get sufficient to live through the panic period of 1873, 1874, and 1875.

EARLY COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

The Methodist church was organized in 1873. A sod church and school-house were built on W. J. Burger's farm. The charter members of the church were George Dempster, E. M. Burger and wife, John Creason and wife, Mrs. Dufford, W. J. Burger and wife. Our first elder was T. B. Lemon. We had a preacher from Grand Island who held service for our first organization; then we had Rev. Woolman. Later we held our meetings in the new school house on the corner west of the present site of Doniphan. In '1884 the first Methodist church was built in the town of Doniphan, and about the same time the Con- gregationalists built.

The St. Joseph and Grand Island railroad had been built through in 1879 and the town of Doniphan laid out. I want to say a word about the village of Doniphan. Forty years have come and gone since the birth of this community and there are not many of the old settlers left to tell the story. I think I can modestly say that we can point with pride to the achievements that have been made in that time. I think we will all agree that Doniphan is one of the best towns in the county, outside of Grand Island. It has a population of over 600 people, and the country surrounding Doni- phan is as fine a country as there is in the state, and it is populated and cultivated by as fine a class of people as you will find anywhere.

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Those of us who have lived here during these forty years have seen the land surrounding Doniphan that was worth in those early trying days $3 to $4 an acre develop to a value of $150 to $200 an acre.

TO THE SECOND GENERATION

In fact now a new generation is in the saddle, in the place of the pioneer settlers of 45 or 50 years ago. Well may this new genera- tion of people be proud of the splendid legacy that has been handed down to them by their fathers and predecessors. Instead of the sod house of a half-century ago, we now have splendid farm mansions and fine, magnifi- cent homes. Instead of the ox-team of the 'sixties or 'seventies, we have automobiles and airplanes. Our educational system is second to none, and in the late world conflict our nation has proven that our boys are ready, willing, and able to defend our free institu- tions, and that democracy must and will prevail in this great country of ours.

MARTIN TOWNSHIP

The story of the settlement of Martin town- ship can best be told by the incorporation in this chapter of an historical narrative prepared about twelve years ago by Stephen B. Binfield :

Along south of the Platte through Hall County there had existed a well worn trail of . traffic and travel. Not only the government mail service and transportation to the western forts and stations, but the overland traffic to the western mining camps and the Mormon emigration from Illinois and continued acces- sion of foreign emigrants had made this an established route of travel. But notwithstand- ing all this travel no settlement along this south side appears to have been made until August 2, 1862, when Mr. George Martin, an Englishman by birth, and in England a pro- fessional racing jockey, but who had been living in Illinois and Iowa, crossed the Des Moines River with a party led by W. Stolley Ind came on to section 12, town 9 range 11, ind made there the first homestead with his amily, having selected his location some two 'ears previously. Inquiring how it was that

he passed over all the eastern portion of this state, so large a portion of it being vacant at that time, and came so far west, I was told that it was Mrs. Martin's influence and power that determined that matter. So disgusted had she become with saloons and otherwise vicious influences of frontier life as found in Iowa - Des Moines was then a mere frontier village - and having quite a family to bring up she determined she would get far enough away from all such associations, and at the same time, having a sharp eye to business, secure; what she regarded as an inexhaustable supply of free open land for a cattle ranch. But "the best laid plans of mice and men gang oft awry.

For she soon learned that they had located right in the track of the main travel for the west, and their house was soon made the stop- ping place and hostelry for the daily stream of traffic going through to the mines and terri- tories, and so crowded at times that it could not be kept free from a large share of those objectionable features which Mrs. Martin had hoped to get away from. She certainly was no ordinary woman. A God-fearing woman, with an intense force of character, immense courage and very great business capacity she must have been; for her descendants, representing two' families on the paternal side, are all and each strongly marked with her distinctive features and character. To illustrate her capacity, it was her constant practice summer and winter about every three or four weeks to make the journey to Nebraska City, the nearest trading place, with two teams and wagons for supplies of all kinds with only her youngest son Wil- liam, then a mere boy, to drive the rear wagon.

In other respects the Martin house and family will remain the one distinctive histor- ical feature of the south and west portion of this county. Mrs. Martin's eldest son, George Weaver, was I think the first preacher to proclaim the gospel as he understood it in this part of the county. The first house in Adams County was begun in May, 1871, and in the autumn of that year he was holding religious services and organizing in a newly built house, and missionary enterprise seems to

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 22

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co. Number of Pages: 1011

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011