USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 17
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 17
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
as a village in 1829, named after Superintendent Firth of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad, on which line it was located; Roca, "founded on a rock" as its name indicates, was started about that time, on the same railroad line and in its early days developed extensive quarrying interests. Hickman and Saltillo were started early on that same line. Havelock, the location of the largest Burlington shops on the western end of that great system, was started in 1891, though settlements had been made in that vicinity before then, by Charles 1. Holderness, building the first house in the town. It was incorporated on May 6, 1893. The railroad station from Denton had been moved over, and the shops planned here by 1890. University Place started in 1889. synonymous with the location of Nebraska Wesleyan University there. Bethany and Cotner University started together in 1888. These last three towns are suburbs of the City of Lincoln now, all within six miles of the business section of that city. In 1889, the educa- tional institution of the Seventh Day Adventists for a great many states was located at a site that developed into another suburb of Lincoln, so Union College and College View grew up together. This suburb also has a famous sanitarium built up by the same people, and an international branch of the Pacific Press Publishing Association under similar auspices. At the time the Midland Pacifie Railroad came through, a town was laid out in 1871 and named Bennett, in honor of one of the officers of that road, John Bennett. Hickman, heretofore mentioned, was platted in 1822. Cheney was platted in 1824; and other towns which sprang up in this county were platted or started in the following years; Davey, 1886 : Denton, 1871: Hallam, 1892; Holland, about 1886; Kramer, in March, 1888; Malcolm, October 13, 1872: Emerald: Martel, more recently Panama, located in the late '70s; Prairie Home, 1891; Princeton, July 8, 1886; Raymond, laid out by T. P. and Lioina E. Kennard, and plat filed on April 19, 1880; Saltillo, laid out in September, 1872 ; Sprague, plat recorded May 3, 1888; Agnew, 1889 ; Walton, later; Jamaica, in 1885; Woodlawn, plat filed March 29. 1878. Other stations in the county, some of which have no postoffice nor trading center of consequence left any longer, are Arbor, Berks, Burnham, Cobb. Hawthorne, Pella, Rokeby, Carleton, Hanlon. Older points that have practically disappeared from active participation in the county's affairs were: Buda, Olive Branch, Centerville, Loyal Hill, Crounse, Millville, Stevens postoffice, Newton, and Camp Creek. Enough important events in Lancaster County's history have been omitted in this short sketch to fill a separate volume, but as with Douglas, and some other important counties, many of these things will appear in the surveys of other subjects and phases of Nebraska's growth.
LINCOLN COUNTY
Lincoln County is located in the western part of the state, practically 300 miles west of Omaha, and has an area of 2,536 square miles, being excelled in size only by Cherry and Custer. The first building in the county was probably erected by a Frenchman in 1844, but was abandoned in 1848, after four years' use as a trading ranch. In 1852, a man named Brady settled on the south side of the island bearing his name, and he is supposed to have been killed by Indians in the following year. In 1858, the first permanent settlement of the county was inade at Cottonwood Springs, and a building erected that fall by Boyer & Robideay,
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
with I. P. Boyer in charge. Located at a spring, surrounded by big cottonwood trees, it received that name. In the same year, another trading ranch sprang up at ()'Fallon's Bluff, on the south side of the river and some miles above the town of ()'Fallons. Fort McPherson was established in 1863 by the Government at this Cottonwood Springs settlement. And it was placed there none too soon, for the Indian troubles of 1864 came right on. The county was first organized in November, 1860, with Cottonwood Springs as the county seat, and its first name "Shorter" was soon changed to Lincoln. During November, 1866, the Union Pacific Railroad was completed to North Platte, and that town was laid out by Gen. G. M. Dodge for the railroad company. It grew so rapidly, that it was made a military post and a garrison placed there. Machine shops and roundhouses were started there in 1867. In 1872, the Grand Duke Alexis came to North Platte and from there started out on an extensive buffalo hunt, and a very successful venture it was, with Buffalo Bill acting as guide. Other stations laid out along the Union Pacific in the first fifteen years after its arrival in 1867 were: Warren, at the east county Iine; Brady Island; Maxwell, at first McPherson Postoffice; just northwest of old Cottonwood Springs and north across the Platte River from the old Fort MePherson military reservation ; Gannett, and Nichols, with, of course, North Platte and O'Fallons already mentioned. Gasline, Peckham and Fox ('reek were about the only inland points forty years ago. Now the Burlington line through the southern part of the county has developed several stations, Ingham, Wellfleet, Somerset, Dickens, and Wallace. Additional stations built up along the Union Pacific in recent decades are Vroman, ITindrey. Keith, Pallas, Birdwood, Hershey, a very prosperous little town, an active candidate in substantial anticipation of a beet sugar factory within the next few years; Sutherland, Glenburne, and more modern inland points are Denmark, Arna, Kilmer, Myrtle, and Willard.
LOGAN COUNTY
Logan County took separate shape out of the great unorganized portion of the southern sandhills, attached for all commercial and practical purposes to Lincoln County for many years, along abont 1885. Arnold, an inland village in the very western edge of Custer County was the only settlement in that region for many years. Not until 1911, did Logan County get a railroad, and then its most metropolitan town, Stapleton, promoted by the railroad, sprang up like a mushroom. But an inland town, about two miles away, and left a mile or mile and half off the railroad, Gandy, had developed many years before and captured the county seat upon the real organization of the county, and has so far held it against the strenuous efforts of Stapleton. Logan is the only other railroad station in the county, though Gandy now has a depot and busses meet the trains. Kirsch, Ford and Wagner are inland points. The county is typically a sandhill county. It has 573 square miles in area.
LOUP COUNTY
This county lies north of Custer County, and is in the "Sandhill" region, and a typically sandhill county. Loup County was settled in 1874. The first settlers to trail the Loup beyond the neighboring Garfield County settlements were Rodney P. Alger, John R. Goff, D. L. Bowen, B. J. Harvey, A. M. Gurnsey and Wm.
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IHISTORY OF NEBRASKA
Burns and their families. In the spring of 1825 an Indian scare ensued, and a stoekade was erected on the Alger farm and called "Fort Rodney." Fort Hartsuff over in Garfield County soon quieted the settlers through the fear it gave the Indians and the security it gave the settlers. In the winter of 1876-77, A. M. Gurnsey succeeded in getting a postoffice established which was named Kent. Grand Island, about one hundred miles to the south, was in those days the nearest railroad connection. The first general store was opened at Kent in 1880 and everything hauled from St. Paul, then the terminus of the Union Pacific. Up to this time, Loup City was part of the unorganized country, and in 1883 an organiza- tion was effected. Kent, in the very southeast corner of the county, lay too far east to land the county seat. but Taylor postoffice, Almeria and Clark's Point eagerly sought the phuu. None of these places had been platted, but all figured they only needed to land the county seat and the town would spring up. Taylor won out by only two votes over Almeria, and this practically meant the finish of Kent. Taylor was staked off on a farm belonging to and adjoining the homestead of Joseph Rusho. Almeria, where G. W. Sthrol and Fred Hoellworth opened a store managed to hold her own, and is now a small settlement, with nothing much more than a store and garage. Kent dwindled away until it has practically disappeared. The county is not touched by any railroad line and all of the settle- ments are inland points. Cooleyton, Moulton, Ferguson, Calamus, and Gracie are other points in this county in recent years.
M'PHERSON COUNTY
This county like its neighbor to the east, Logan, is a typically sandhill county, and until its organization was provided for in 1887 was a part of a great unor- ganized sandhill country, but for all practical purposes, an annex to Lincoln County. It has an area of 863 square miles, and is an inland county. It lies between the Burlington line, that goes through Mullen, and the Union Pacific through Lincoln County, but the main source of supply is North Platte and other Lincoln County towns. Its county seat is a small town, Tryon, and other points in the county are Mayflower, Valyrang, Lilac, Omega, Ringgold, Nesbit, Brighton, and Ney. Arthur County was separated in 1913 and took away the west end of McPherson County. Its activities are ranching and some small erop raising in the valleys and extensive hay raising.
MADISON COUNTY
This county of 526 square miles in area, is the fourth county west of the Missouri River and third county south of northern boundary of the state. The first settlers. Ilerman Braasch and Frederick Wagner, from Jefferson County, Wisconsin, came on September 15, 1865. Upon their recommendation twenty-four families started from the Wisconsin home, and arrived at the present site of Norfolk in July, 1866. The county was organized in December, 1867. but the initial election was in January, 1868. The pioneer towns of the county. of which the establishment and growth of Norfolk, the metropolis of the county, has elsewhere been treated, in the years of their location or platting were, Norfolk, incorporated in 1881, but its postoffice was first established in 1869. Madison was settled in 1868, established as a postoffice in 1821, and made the county seat in 1875, and still holds that honor,
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
despite the hunger Norfolk has displayed for this plum. Battle Creek was estab- lished in 1884; Blakeley postoffice, in 1880; Warren postoffice is in the northwest part of the county : Emerick postoffice near the head of Battle Creek in the western part of the county was established in 1873; Newman Grove is in the extreme south- western part of the county, and although settled sometime before, was established as a postoffice in 1824; Munson, Clarion, Kalamazoo, Gates, Blakeley, Dry Creek, and Deer Creek were other early points in this county.
The railroad stations in 1920 in this county are: Chicago & Northwestern branch from Norfolk north, Norfolk and Norfolk Junction; Union Pacific from Columbus to Norfolk ; Madison, Enola, Warnerville and Norfolk; Newman Grove on a Northwestern branch; on the Northwestern main line, Norfolk, Norfolk Junetion, Kent Siding, Battle Creek, Meadow Grove and Tilden. Emeriek and Kalamazoo are the principal inland points left in this county.
MERRICK COUNTY
This county lies on the Platte River, the fifth tier west of the Missouri River, and has 463 square miles in area. A stage station was established at Lone Tree station by the Western Stage Company in 1858. The lone tree from which this name was derived was a large cottonwood tree, a lone patriarch on the prairie and a welcome sight to tourist, trapper or traveler, but in 1865 in a wind storm one day it fell to the ground. James Vieregg made the first settlement in the county on September 15, 1869. The first building in Chapman was erected by Reed and Leake in 1871. The postoffice was opened soon after the railroad passed through. Clarks, named in honor of S. H. H. Clark, superintendent of the Union Pacific, was platted in 1866. Silver Creek was also platted in 1866, and the first building after the seetion house built in 1870. In 1875, the name of Central City was prefixed to what had been known as Lone Tree station. Cherry Hill and Lockwood were other early railroad stations. Early inland points were Conrad, Prairie Creek, Farmersville, Bethel, Merrick, Burlingame, Mentzel, and Bryant's Grove. Paddoek, Thummel and Havens are more modern stations on the Union Pacific main line. Archer and the thriving town of Palmer are on the Burlington branch north from C'entral City to St. Paul and Greeley. Palmer being the junction point at which this branch forks into two others. Sunrise is an inland point on northern edge of the county.
MORRILL COUNTY
This county with some 1,417 square miles in area, was cut off from Cheyenne County in 1908. Its earlier history is mainly a part of the big mother county's story. It was named for Charles H. Morrill, who had contributed so much to the support of agricultural growth of this state. The main town for many years and county seat, Bridgeport, started in 1899, when the Burlington line from Alliance to Sidney and Denver went through. It rapidly developed into a town of importance. The town of Bayard first flourished on the old location, settled by W. P. Devault, who laid it out with E. M. Stearns of Loup City and a neighbor. Wmn. Peters. A small community grew up, even though it was fifty miles from the nearest rail- road. In 1898, Gering, Bayard and Oshkosh were the only places claiming the distinction of being towns in the whole North Platte Valley. When the Alliance-
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
Guernsey branch, turning westward at Northport, came up the valley in 1900, the town was moved bodily over to a new location on the railroad line. The incorpora- tion of the new town was had in November, 1900. The county was formed separately in 1909, after the authorizing election in 1908. Other towns, stations and postoffices which have sprung up in this county are, on the Union Pacific line, Kuhn, Finley, Broadwater. Kelly, Northport, and on the Burlington-Guernsey branch from Bridge- port west : Atkins, Yockey, and of course, Bayard, heretofore mentioned. Chimney Rock is the only station on the Union Pacific branch west from Bridgeport to Haig. On the Burlington line north and south through the county, are Bonner, Angora, Vance, Alden, Simla. Inland points in this county are Redington in the southwest corner; Collyer and Silverhorn in the southeast corner; Eastwood and Hickory in the east part. ('lemano, Lightner, Lynn, and Goodstreak in the north part.
NANCE COUNTY
Nance County is in the central part of the state. the fifth county west of the Missouri River. Its first settlement was in 1857 by a band of Mormons, of some one hundred families, and they established Genoa. In 1862, the Government surveyed the territory comprising this county and confirmed it in treaty to the Pawnee Indians for a reservation. In 1825, the Pawnees were removed to Indian Territory, these lands were appraised and sold, and the county opened for settlement in earnest. The organization of the county and its first election took place in 1879. The foundation, platting and incorporation of its town occurred. Randall Fuller brought his herds into the county before the sale of the reserve lands, and recorded the plat for Fullerton in 1879, and it was designated by Governor Nance as the temporary county seat. Fullerton has been a town so fortunate as to secure one of the most beautiful locations in the state. Genoa was maintained as a postoffice during the reservation days, and after the reservation was abandoned rapidly built up as a town, and one of the principal Indian schools of the country is located at this place. Neoma, Tekousha, Red Wing, Westgood were inland points that rapidly appeared after the reservation left. Railroad towns in the county now are Genoa, Kent, Merchiston, Fullerton, and Belgrade.
NEMAHA COUNTY
This county, as Forney County, was one of the original eight counties. In the chapter on the order of organization of the towns, the establishment of early towns in the county, Brownville, Nemaha City, Peru, St. Deroin and Hillsdale was dis- cussed. The modern county seat of this county is Auburn. In fact, Auburn is a sort of "twin city." North Auburn was platted in 1868; and South Auburn was laid out in 1881, first named Calvert in honor of T. E. Calvert, of the railroad corporation, to whom it really owed its foundation. The dates of establishment, or platting of towns in this county, were: Brownville, 1854; Nemaha City, 1854; St. Deroin, 1853: Carson, 1882; London, incorporated 1858; Peru, 185% ; Brock, which since its first settlement in 1854 has had the various names of Dayton, Howard, Clinton, Podunk and Broek, the last since 1882. Aspinwall, first settled by Louis Neal, a half breed in 1853: and postoffice established in 1860; Johnson, started in 1869 ; Clifton where settlement was made in 1864 ; Febing, 1856 : Bedford.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
platted in 1882; Glen Rock, surveyed in 1857; St. Frederick in 1858; Hillsdale, in 1866 ; San Francisco, soon after 1854 but long since abandoned. Grant, Locust Grade, and Bratton were other early points. The towns now thriving in this county, as railroad stations and good trading centers are: Aspinwall, Nemaha, Brownville, Wood Siding, Peru, on the Burlington; Howe, Auburn, Auburn Junction, Glen Rock and Brock on the Missouri Pacific; Bracken, South Auburn, Quarry, Rohrs. Johnson, on the east and west line of the Missouri Pacific through the county, branching off at Nemaha. Eden, St. Deroin, and London are inland points, and North Auburn and Julian are on the B. & M. line from Auburn to Nebraska City.
NUCKOLLS COUNTY
Nuckolls is situated in the southern tier of counties, sixth to the west from the Missouri River, and has an area of 579 square miles. Settlements were attempted in this county in 1858, about the time Jefferson and Thayer first were reached. The Mormons went through in 1858 and blazed a trail through the county. In 1859 the Pony Express started over this road and it became a section of the famous Overland Trail. After the war and the Indian troubles of the late '60s, settlement began in 1870 to come to this county in a permanent manner. Superior, the largest town in the county and an important railroad center, was surveyed in 1875, but village organization was not perfected until 1879. Nelson, on land first owned by C. N. Wheeler and named for him, surveyed in 1872, was chosen in 1873 as the county seat. The county was given legal status by legislative action in 1871. Hardy was laid out in 1880. Elkton, Henrietta, Spring Valley, Beachamville, Ox Bow, Oak, Nora and St. Stephen were early postoffice or trading points in this county.
Now the stations on the B. & M. east and west through the county are Hardy, Mill Spur, Superior Junction, Superior, and Bostwick. On the North- western line from Seward into Superior, they are Oak, Nora and C'adams: on the line from Edgar to Superior through the county are Angus, Nelson, Smyrna, to Superior ; on the Missouri Pacific from the north to Superior are, Lawrence, Mount Clare. Abdal. On cross lines east and west are Ruskin and Sedan.
OTOE COUNTY
Otoe County is located on the Missouri River, in southeastern part of the state with two counties vet to the south, and has an area of 606 square miles. The first settlement and the establishment of the old Fort Kearney, and the begin- nings of Nebraska City, Syracuse in 1869 and 1870; and some of the other early towns in this county have been touched upon heretofore. Dunbar, first started and known as Wilson for about ten years, succeeded the old Wilson ranch stage station. Unadilla was laid out theretofore, but nothing done in the way of building until 1872; Wyoming was laid out and started in 1855. Other carly towns were laid out, platted or started in the following years: Camp Creek, 1857; Talmage, laid off in 1881, and named in honor of a distinguished railroad official ; Solon, in 1873; Hendricks, Minersville, Barney, Deleware, Edgan. Ela, Nursery
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
Hill, Paisley, Summitt. Talbott, most of which were places in name only, North- ville and Burr Oak. Dover and Barney developed later.
Railroad towns in the county are now (1920), on the Missouri Pacific in this county : Talmage, Burr and Douglas; Paul and Nebraska City; Lorton, Dunbar and Berlin; this road running both north and south, and east and west in this county ; as does the Burlington lines with the towns of Barney, Minersville, Nebraska City, Wyoming : Etherton, Dunbar, Turlington, Unadilla and Palmyra. This county has a rich fund of important history that cannot be touched upon in this short and inadequate sketch, but many of these points of interest will appear in the survey of the early development of other phases of Nebraska history.
PAWNEE COUNTY
This county is the first neighbor to the west of Richardson, the southeast corner county in the state. It has an area of 431 square miles. Its first settlement and its first towns have been elsewhere treated. Its organization in 1856 so closely followed the proclamation of the first eight counties, that it became one of the first ten counties established in the state. Cincinnati was started in 1857. Pawnee City was chosen as county seat, and laid out in 1857 ; in 1861 Table Rock received a postothee, its settlement having been made in 1855 and its actual beginnings lay about 1852. Burchard was not founded until 1881. Other early towns and postoffices were Mission Creek, Steinauer, West Branch, New Home, Tip's Branch, Wolf Creek. On the Rock Island lines through this county, the towns now are Lewiston, Mayberry, Steinaner, Pawnee City and Dubois ; on the Burlington, Table Rock, Pawnee City, Violet, Burchard, Armour, and on another line of road, Book- walter, Tate; and Appleton on another braneh.
PERKINS COUNTY
This county is in the western edge of Nebraska, and is the northernmost of the three counties that border onto the eastern Colorado state line. It has an area of 886 square miles. Its early history conforms to that of Keith County, from which it was set off shortly after the legislative authorization in 1887. It lies south of the Platte River, which flows through the southern edge of Keith County. Up until the time of its separation it had practically no settlement to speak of, and since then has developed several towns along the line of the Burlington Railroad which traverses the county east to west. These towns are Elsie, Madrid, Grant, the county seat, Brandon and Venango. Pearl and Phebe are about the only inland points.
PHELPS COUNTY
This county is well situated, on the high table-lands and upland prairies on the divide between the Platte River, which forms in northern boundary, and the Republican, which flows through its southern neighbor, Harlan County. Its organization was undertaken in 1823, and the county seat for the first few years located at Williamsburg, up near the Platte River in the northern edge of the county. In 1879 this was moved to Phelps Center. Other early towns in the
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
county that developed into at least the postoffice or trading center stage in its first ten years of separate life were, Rick Falls, Sacramento, Axelson, Hopeville, Osear, Industry, Integrity, Highland, and Westmark. With the advent of the railroads, practically a new set of communities took the stage of operations in this county. The county seat of the county now is Holdrege, not only the leading town in this county, but an important railroad center and one of the most enterprising towns in the state of Nebraska. Funk. Loomis and Bertrand are other Burlington towns, with Sacramento and Atlanta also on this road. Williamsburg. Westmark, Holeomb and Haydon remain as inland points in this county.
PIERCE COUNTY
Pierce County is one tier south of the northern connties of the state. It has an area of 50 square miles. It was legislatively established in 1859, and actually organized in 1820, with the county seat laid out on specified land, that soon became the site of the town of Pieree. Its first settlement was made in 1866, by a portion of the German colony from Wisconsin, that had settled on the North Fork of the Elkhorn, a little above the present Norfolk, Madison County. Settlements started around Plainview in 1871 and the postoffice was established in April, 1822, as Roseville, in honor of Charles Rose, its first postmaster, but the name was changed in 1874 to Plainview. Settlement was made in 1872, but the postoffice of ('olbergen started in 1880. Another early point in this county was Hadar, which with Pierce and Plainview were the stations on the Sioux City and Pacifie line then. Upon a Burlington line, running east and west through the northern part of the county, later sprang up MeLean, Osmond and Breslau, and this line gave Plainview a seeond railroad. Colbergen is still an inland point.
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