USA > Nebraska > Hall County > History of Hall County, Nebraska > Part 23
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have been the principal pursuit of his life from that day to this.
On this side of the river they appear to be the only family that got involved in actual fights with Indians. On the first occasion, two years after settlement, Wm. Martin and his two sons, Nat and Robert, were returning home with two loads of hay. Mr Martin was driving ahead when a party of Sioux and Cheyennes without any provocation attacked them, apparently with no other purpose that securing their horses. Mr. Martin was shot with arrows in the neck but not severely enough to disable him from getting home with his wagon. The two boys were frightened and left their hay and jumped onto a horse they were leading behind and tried to get away but were both shot, the arrow just tearing the side of Nat under the arm but entering the back of his brother Bob. Falling off the horses, the Indians took the horses and left the boys for dead. Nat was not so severely wounded as his brother who appears to have suffered from his wound the remainder of his life, dying in Kansas from spinal meningitis some years ago.
Mr. Martin's daughters figured in the second attack. Visiting one day at Mr. Jerome's, but a little way from their own place, they had just started home when they were set upon. But Mr. Jerome was but a little way with his gun and in defending the two girls he brought down one of the Indians which put an end to that affair, the Indians turning to look after their comrade and carry him away.
The younger son William who was a herd boy, on two separate occasions lost his pony, which appears to have been the extent of his personal sacrifices in that line.
Game in the shape of deer and occasionally buffalo were abundant in those days, buffalo appearing in sufficient numbers to damage the pasture and then disappearing and not show- ing up again for many months or a year.
But few of the early settlers have had the chance to kill buffalo without going very long journeys after them, at too great a sacrifice. Passing over the ground between Lincoln and Adams counties three times in the month of
May, 1871, not a glimpse of one could be seen. They are shy and quick to forsake the neigh- borhood of human habitations.
Before 1870 quite a few people had taken claims south of the river, many of whom as usual proved to be more or less transient. Some, however remained as permanent fix- tures, stamping the impress of their superior qualities, activities, and character upon the history of both their township and county. Chief among such may be named W. J. Bur- ger, Oscar Foote, Seth Wilson, and other very worthy men too numerous to mention. Elm Island offered to many of these an extra choice lot of the finest farming land which they were not slow to see and acquire, for on the few occasions when the uplands have suffered more or less from a dry season the river settlers have never failed to reap their reward.
The first work of a public nature under- taken west of south Platte township was the organization of school district No. 45 and the building of the school house by the custo- mary bonding of the district. It is hoped that few districts have found this proceeding so heavy a burden as they have proved in this case. The school house was built in '72. The bonds have been subject to litigation, the di- strict suffering for the means to maintain school, the bonds not being finally cancelled for upwards of thirty years.
Bridging the South Platte in 1874 must have been a much more satisfactory and profit- able bit of public business and a credit to all concerned in its promotion.
Favorable indeed were the conditions attend- ing the first settlements along this river. Fort Kearny and the continuous stream of emi- grants to the western mines and territories furnished them a market for all the produce of any kind that they could raise, and at almost any reasonable price. Some others besides Mr. Martin learned how to make hay while the sun shone. But some are not built that way and are often ready to sell out or strike for other fields that always look more green because they are further off.
But as in nature the sun does not always shine, so in human effort misfortune and
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disappointment will sometimes overwhelm the best endeavor.
Shoemaker Island, a large island just east of Elm Island, so named after one of the first settlers in Grand Island, furnishes an example. It was thickly studded with valuable timber, the best of which the U. P. R. R. Co. cut and appropriated for construction purposes furnishing an abundant supply of good timber for building and fuel to the early homestead- ers, and Mr. Shoemaker discovered on it a most excellent cattle range for summer pas- ture and took a claim on it, for several years with good results until 1873. On November 14, 1871, a fearful blizzard of snow and wind came up suddenly which lasted three days without cessation, but his cattle had been taken off and safely housed or the disaster which occurred later might then have hap- pened. But in April, 1873, the weather had been exceptionally warm and the grass early and the cattle were placed on the island when on the 15th another blizzard as severe as that of '71, but continuing for only two days, drove the cattle into the river. Of the exact number that perished I am not sure. Nothing in any way approaching the character of these two storms has since occurred, and the range has continued in use with success and profit.
History is made chiefly from ideas and events that tend to mould and shape the future, for which reason I ought perhaps to notice somewhat the Farmers' Grain Company of Prosser, an institution capable of indefinite extension and pointing the way of future development, promising to solve some of the perplexing problems of the age. The chief promotor of the organization and its sucess- ful manager until a year ago, (about 1906 that would be), was Charles Mertz, one of the most capable business men ever resident in Martin township. But it is an inter- or bi- county institution and does not belong to the early days. It is located in Adams County, and Mr. Mertz is no longer a resident of this county.
Since the early days here noticed only in one year has the harvest in any degree failed to follow seedtime, and in that year only on the dry uplands.
Early in 1863 George Martin became the owner of a celebrated Buffalo hunting horse properly trained and well used to that business. and was anxiously looking for an opportunity to use the horse for that purpose. June had come when they were informed that there was a large herd of Buffalo some forty miles or more to the southwest. So on June 10 Mr. Martin, taking his two boys, H. N. and Will G. Martin, and a stout and strong man by the name of Nabin, started out on the hunt with two wagons and teams, leading the buffalo horse along. Travelling all day they came in sight of the herd just before night - hundreds - grazing on the side of a hill in the neighborhood of where the town of Min- den is now located on the line of the B. & M. to Denver, here they camped for the night. In the morning they were all there, not more than eighty rods away. "Now," said Nabin "take your prize horse and go shoot that one there," pointing to one somewhat apart from the rest. So Mr. M., jumping on his trained horse bareback and taking his double barrel gun, also a pepper box loaded pistol in his pocket, went after the buffalo which started to run from him a short distance when it suddenly turned about and showed fight, starting rapidly toward him. Mr. M., being a totally green hand at the business, was trying to pull the horse around in a way contrary to the habits and customs of the horse in such cases but the horse would not consent to be thus managed, and in the contest Mr. M. lost his gun and fell to the ground, the animal running over him, treading on and badly bruising one of his legs. Taking his pistol from his pocket he used it with some result. Shooting the buffalo in the head he knocked out one eye, thus causing the animal to turn around a number of times, giving Martin an opportunity to get up and get to the horse which had not attempted to go away. Grasping the horse around its neck the horse fought off the buffalo, whose attentions were concentrated on attacking the man rather than the horse, which continued to turn around following the movements of the buffalo, strik- ing at it and kicking it in the head with its hind hoofs. This contest ended by the horse start- ing for the camp, Mr. Martin hanging from its
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neck and the buffalo following, but only for a short distance, when it swung around and started back toward the herd. Nabin began instantly to jeer and ridicule Martin, calling him a d ---- d fool for falling off and not shoot- ing the animal as he ought to, saying that he could do better than that by going on his own mule. Getting upon his mule with his musket he rides off after the buffalo and shoots, either missing it entirely or having no effect for the buffalo swinging around took. after him and the mule. The buffalo proved faster on foot than the mule, and hooked the mule behind with his horns, the mule braying at each poke. Nabin's bragadocia was clean gone, when, dropping his gun, he took off his hat to whip and urge on his mule, he was so scared. But getting within a few yards of the wagon the buffalo stopped and began paw- ing the ground when the oldest boy Henry un- dertook to challenge the buffalo on foot and with his single barrel shot gun killed the animal on the spot.
William G. Martin says this was as dear a buffalo meal as they ever ate but very sweet, though they shot hundreds after that quite as good.
EARLY LANDHOLDERS SOUTH OF THE RIVER
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Ably as the story of the settlement of the territory south of the Platte River in Hall County has been told by Mr. Burger and Mr. Binfield, there remains the task of giving credit to many of the individuals who came to this scope of territory during the first thirty years of its settlement.
Many of these men and women, to whose heroism was possible the splendid develop- ment of that part of our county, have long since passed away. With the few remaining pioneers are the posterity and near relatives of their departed associates. For the purpose of preserving some record of the various families who carried on this early develop- ment, a roster of some of the landowners prior to 1890 will be given :
DONIPHAN TOWNSHIP - H. C. Denman, W. J. Burger, Chas. Dufford, S. H. Lakins, Al Thorne, Geo. Burger, S. S. Shultz, S.
Beidelman, Tom Robb, John Creason, Sr., Olthoff Brothers, Clearnce Lowery, Anthony Goetsch, D. J. Boring, Solomon White, Wm. H. Marsh, G. W. Snearley, Kate A. Cook, Sarah E. Somers, J. H. Scudder, B. F. Scud- der, Geo. H. Lamonte, Chas. J. Humphrey, M. V. Marsh, Frank Virgil, Wm. Harrod, George Lowell, Alfred Elwick, R. L. Caldwell, Wm. Harrod, Chas. Harrod, Wm. S. Shultz, E. L. Harrell, D. C. Gideon, C. L. Gideon, James Leach, J. H. Quigle, Emery Quigle, Dix Ryan, F. J. Ryan, Henry N. Martin, 'Wm. Rapp, J. C. Gregg, R. T. Varrah, Wm. Neal, A. H. Orcutt, Jacon Bernhard, Geo. B. Loucks, A. A. Stone, G. Grantham, R. Bellis, G. E. Magee, C. M. Richmond, John Galla -- cher, Edward Hooper, L. Lasher, Wm. Whyte, G. W. Lowell, B. A. Marsh, J. R. McIntosh, W. B. Guild, B. M. Orcutt, P. L. Prime, H. J. Ring, Eliza Westfall, G. M. Taggart, J. M. Fisher, Jas. F. McCumber, M. B. Holly, Wm. L. Sheaf, Benj. Page, John Coleman, C. D. Houck, E. B. Canada, Jas. A. Cochran, D. A. Beale, G. A. Lowe, M. V. Hossler, H. W. Hossler, W. H. Welch, A. R. Hemenover.
DONIPHAN TOWNSHIP, North end - Fred Roby, W. H. Denman, A. C. Denman, H. W. Beers, Wm. Moorefield, T. Heitz, F. Cole, Peter Herlien, .Jacob Winternute, Alex. Graham, H. C. Metcalf, Morris Madison, A. Hebel, H. Bruner, E. D. Stout, C. M. Lowery, L. A. Harvey, J. V. Hilton, F. Haines, L. Wulf, T. Heitz, Matt Ley, Geo. Valerius, Chas. Happold, W. Parks, A. Deisel, A. Vol- ner, Wm. H. Hendrich, L. R. Ennis, H. Littler, R. M. Bennett, Wm. Graf, Alonzo Koch, H. D. Koch, John Sullivan, A. F. Bloomer, Solan Strawn, G. A. Lyon, Robert Brown, Wm. P. Taggart, M. Brown, E. E. Whittecar, W. M. Jones, August Woulffe.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, South of Platte river - H. Rief, Martin Schimmer, G. Ober- miller, F. Mathiesen, J. Rief, H. Lipke, H. C. Denman, J. W. Denman, John Seier, F. C. Hanaford, Peter Weis, Claus Obermiller, Julius Peters, C. A. Shultz, C. Stoltenberg, Henry Pieper, H. Stuhr, J. Neubert, J. Clausen, Claus Clausen.
SOUTH PLATTE TOWNSHIP - Robert Brown,
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Wm. H. Foote, N. O. Durkee, O. B. Shafer, John Vaughn, Wm. H. Price, A. Miller, Carl Schumann, A. J. Kindig, W. D. Devereaux, W. B. Cox, P. H. Rhodes, G. T. Bates, Claus Rowerts, Carl Poeth, M. E. Gardes, Harvey D. Williams, Geo. C. Humphrey, A. C. Parrot, Joe Parrott, C. Parrott, Ann Quigley, E. E. Deming, A. Richter, C. T. Phillips, H. N. Martin, W. E. Martin, Michael Burke, Henry Craig, J. J. Kindig, John Schwynn, T. B. Coulter, Sam Fox, M. F. Jamieson, Jas. Thompson, Michael Donlon, D. Mc Afee, Edw. Lennen, A. L. Harshfield, T. J. Craw- ford, Patrick Mohan, Charles L. Stone, Thomas McArdle, R. Stephenson, R. S. Bruce, Martin Compton, Joel N. Moore, Jac Barbee, Wm. A. Coon, Henry Siekman, Lucas Henry, Christian Beekman, Chas. How, M. H. Sage, John M. Uhden, Wm. O. Tyler, John Walkers, John R. Britt, J. F. Button, Mary Strange, J. Olthoff, John Eastman, C. R. Thatcher, G. L. Brown, John Campbell, W. J. Burger.
MARTIN TOWNSHIP - Geo. Martin, Chas. Jerome, - Maben, Chas. Montz, John T. Mott, Fred Donner, John Wettstein, Chris Petersen, John Whitehouse, George Weavers, Stephen B. Binfield, Stephen Findley, Oscar Foote, F. Wescott, F. C. Dodge, Geo. Bur- mood, P. E. Burmood, S. L. Tracy, H. Bin- field, F. Buckmyer, Jos. English, M. Abbott, R. A. Binfield, Seth Wilson, Geo. Kindig, A. H. Stuart, Wm. D. Floyd, L. A. Stecher, Benj. Speith, Geo. Weavers, Wm. J. Bilslend, J. Williams, I. N. Mead, Z. Avery, John C. McConnell, Peter McMakin, W. B. Ingraham, Wm. M. Lowman, B. F. Taylor, H. J. Mad- sen, Geo. H. Madsen, James Madsen, Henry Bonson, W. E. Lorenzen, C. Reintanz, Dav. Schauck, F. M. Putt, Rudolph Wenger, John Eggman, A. L. Richards, Henrietta Mintz, Jos. C. Philbrick, J. Bohnett, Sam W. Smith, J. P. Mckinney, M .. Ellington, Geo. H. Light.
JACKSON - WOOD RIVER TOWNSHIPS
The story of the first settlement of the territory now comprised in Jackson and Wood River townships has already been told in the story of "The Early History of the Wood
River Valley.". Most of the men and women who made possible the settlement of the south- western corner of the county, as is true of all other parts for that matter, have long since passed away. Something further than the mention of their names should be accorded to a few of these first arrivals whose activities led to the settlement of the community. Two of the first settlers of the present town, Pap Lamb and William Eldridge, belong east of the present town, over in the Alda township territory. But the first arrivals in Wood River and Jackson territory were Patrick and Richard Moore in 1859, and James Jackson and Anthony Moore in 1860.
PATRICK MOORE
came to Omaha, Nebraska, in the spring of 1858. He clerked in a hotel for a year, and in the spring of 1859 came to Hall County and settled in what is now Jackson precinct, about two and a half miles west of the present Wood River, on section 23, town 10, range 12, a homestead of 160 acres of land, and after- wards acquired other land in that vicinity. When he located there were no settlers in that vicinity, the nearest being about ten miles away. Buffalo, antelope and deer roamed over the boundless prairies with no one to molest them except roving redskins. Mr. Moore spent his first decade in that vicinity under circumstances that required every farmer to keep armed with necessary firearms to pro- tect himself at an instant's notice. Mr. Moore was born in County Cork, Ireland, March 21, 1835, and raised on a farm. He came to America in 1847, lived in New York until 1851, then to Joliet, Illinois, where he taught school, clerked in stores, etc., until he came to Nebraska.
His brother Richard came also in 1859, but his brother Anthony Moore did not come until January, 1860. Anthony located on section 27-10-12 and farmed there until 1872, then located over on section 22. Anthony was born in County Cork, also, on March 4, 1826. He came to America also in 1847; was married at Joliet, Illinois, in 1854 to Miss Mary Collins,
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a native of the same county. They had eight Meisner, Jasper F. Walker, L. C. Batterson, children, John, William, Dennis, Anthony A., S. J. Miller. Peter, Mark H., James, and Annie.
JOHN MAHER
came to Jackson Precinct, Hall County, June 28, 1862, and settled on section 23. He was born in Ireland, March 2, 1822; came to America in 1847; he was married in 1852 to Elizabeth Collins, who was born in Ireland January 26, 1826. They had six children, Honora E., Patrick, William, Dennis A., John I., and James M.
OTHER FIRST SETTLERS
Other first settlers of this locality were Captain Smith, the Anderson family, a man by the name of Story, Ed O'Brien, James Cooke, Joseph Ross, and Roger Hayes. O. D. Montgomery settled in Hall County in 1865. James Jackson, who settled in Jackson pre- cinct and whose name the precinct or town- ship bears, settled there in 1860. Freeman C. Dodge came in 1867. Robert Kerr came to Wood River community in 1869. Pat Brett came to the community in 1867. In 1871 James Ewing came, and John S. Donaldson in 1872.
EARLY LANDHOLDERS IN JACKSON
Among others who came to Jackson town- ship during the first quarter century of its settlement or acquired land within its bounds were the following individuals or families: Wm. A. Maher, Patrick O'Brien, Jas. O'Keefe Peter Nelson, John Moore, Martin Lane ,John W. Fines John Gray, J. J. Mosser, Henry Spohn, Dan Hannan, I. K. Watson, Nickolas Kelley, Williem O'Connor, William Brennan, Ed. O'Brien, M. McNamara, Philip J. Mur- phy, J. F. Ashton, Robert Gillispie, J. T. Ross, Martin Brett, Pat McDermott, John Pounder, Pat Kilkenney, L. Kilkenney, Noel Henderson, Owen Curry, John Callahan, L. J. Schooley, John Meyers, John Fines, Thomas Francis, John Devine, James M. Weldon, Patrick Duggan, John Mullen, Pat Leonard, Thomas Mulllen, Christopher Ber- muth, P. Dodge, G. W. Burmood,. Geo
EARLY LANDHOLDERS OF WOOD RIVER TOWNSHIP
Among others than those named as the first arrivals who either settled at an early time in Wood River township or became landholders during the first quarter century of its develop- ment were :
Patrick Hoye, H. S. Winn, James Cannon, Charles Baugh, E. A. Wedgewood, T. A. Wedgwood, J. H. Trout, E. E. Kile, C. J. S. Trout, John D. Scherer, Henry Starr, Ed Quissenberry, James Stillens, R. F. Moundjoy. Joshua Greenwood, Michael Judy, Frank Strasser, Thomas Campion, Joseph Roach, Norm Reese, Charles Fuller, H. A. Glade. H. P. Chapman, R. Mankin, Frank Corkin, Fred Whitehead, William Whitehead, J. M. Duncan, Tim Roche, Chauncey H. Abbott, John Carey, M. J. Cunningham, Sarah S. Schooley, S. B. Bowen, Frank E. Howe, John H. Diefenderfer, Wm. B. Rounds, E. C. Dodge, J. Cornwall, F. N. Taylor, C. E. Craw- ford, Charles E. Bly, Lucinda Bly, J. S. Chap- man, J. R. Blanke, John Allan, Fountain Hargis, Gilbert Slater, H. S. Kelsey, E. Chris- tensen, P. Schroeder, Christian Opp, Max Opp, John Opp, E. Opp, C. Opp, Julius Krull. H. P. Christensen, Guss Persson, Paul Hansen, Jules Haumont, John G. Drake, Joe Severyns, William Taylor, Theodore Purchert, Charles T. Taylor, John Sprague, Savilla L. Taylor, J. H. Murphy, M. J. Costello, Benja- min L. Colwell, Charles E. Towne, B. F. Tay lor, David Barrick, A. G. Hollister, Jesse ( Burkerd, John C. Boone, Theodore Purcher Hans Weise, Freeman C. Dodge, Carl Schult Opp, Fritz Wiese, J. F. Dibbern, John Bixen man, William Weise, Henry F. Luebs, J. Dib bern, Henry Drews, Paul Hansen, W. E. Lorenzen, N. Johnson, H. J. Madsen, Pete Holling. Nick Burkerd, Owen Mullen, Joh Bulger, Stephen Jones.
CAMERON TOWNSHIP
The following short article by Edwin S. Le one of the very early settlers of this town
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ship, will give a graphic picture of the begin- soil, and they abandoned their claims and nings of Cameron :
Before the advent of the railroads the west was settled, first along the rivers and later on the line of overland trails, the pioneers invari- ably remaining as closely to one or the other of these means of communication as possible. This was true of the settlement along the Platte Valley, and altho several colonies were established between Fort Kearny and Grand Island prior to 1871 no one ventured to locate permanently in what is Cameron township until that year.
A man named William Shelton located in Cameron township in 1871, coming from Missouri, but evidently thought it too remote from the railroad, timber, water, and neigh- bors to ever become valuable and he failed to make any filing or purchase. He, however, was not so considerate of prospective settlers of whom he spoke as "tender feet," but spent most all of his time in locating them upon the land in his vicinity. finding corners and per- forming the services of the modern real estate agent. His location fee was five dollars in each instance and he doubtless thought while placing settlers upon government land which is now worth from sixty to seventy-five dol- lars per acre (in 1919 that would be con- siderably, advanced) that he was getting much the best of the bargain when his fee of five dollars was paid. The first bona fide settlers in this township were John B. Stevens and Samuel Rode, both taking soldiers' home- steads in 1871. In the spring of 1872 Wil- liam Dubbs, Seth Lee, Edwin S. Lee, O. E. Palmer, Lester Houghton, John Peebles, Henry Streator, James Cannon (afterwards sheriff of the county), a Mr. Carlson, S .. Reider, and others whose names are not pre- served, located on government lands in Cam- eron. Of this number only the Messrs, Edwin S. Lee and Samuel Reider are now living in that township (this was written in 1907). Many of the settlers of '71 and '72 Ifterwards became discouraged on account of the failure of crops, drought, grasshoppers, ind the failure of the new settlers to under- stand the methods successfully to till the new
left the country, some moving on west but many returning to their eastern homes.
In the fall of 1872 the new settlers met at the house of William Dubbs and organized school district number 13, of Hall County, which was nine miles square. Seth Lee built the school house and after it was completed an itinerant minister named Allan preached the first sermon in Cameron township. A year later Rev. Mr. Marsh, a Methodist cir- cuit rider, established a class and held reg- ular services in the school house.
The Pawnee Indians wandered across the country from the Loup to the Platte River, frequently camping for considerable time on Prairie Creek. They were not particularly troublesome except that they were great beg- gars and had very little regard for the rights of property, and in particular from begging and stealing corn for their ponies and pro- visions for themselves, caused more or less annoyance.
After the grasshopper period, closing about 1874 or 1875, the settlement of Cameron was very rapid and such of the older settlers who remained and attempted to develop what is now one of the richest and most productive townships in the county lived to reap the re- wards of their early struggles and privations.
In the early day there was considerable game, deer and antelope, but no buffaloes, after the settlement of Cameron township. The coyotes, however, stuck closer than a brother and even yet a few scavengers of the plains remain to remind the settler of his early combat to save his poultry and young pigs from these wolves.
A roster of some of the early landholders in Cameron township, prior to 1890 will fur- nish a more complete list of those who helped to develop this township after it was settled:
Seth Lee, Edwin S. Lee, Haydn Strong, A. W. Benton, J. C. Leach. Louis Ravens, Ervin Whitehead, J. E. Goodrich, Chas. Descoe, Harry C. Chase, A. L. Meith, C. H. Russell, Thos. Hulme, Alex W. Steven, J. B. N. Bryan, O. B. Waddington, Levi Hankson, Charles S. Benton, Jos. Guy, E. S. Crandall,
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L. W. Goss, H. C. Streator, G. E. Crawford, C. P. Miller, D. C. Worts, Fred Miller, Amos Taylor, Jas. Staugh, J. H. Hetherington, Jac. F. Miller, Samuel Waddington, H. A. Bartling, Riley Z. Bates, H. D. Newton, John W. Dean, John M. Johnson, William W. Dubbs, John Gilligan, Miles Lyons, P. J. Grass, J. S. Dyer, Michael Carey, N. W. Afflerbaugh, Charles Schultz. John R. Thompson of Grand Island was landowner in this township.
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