USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 18
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 18
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93
PLATTE COUNTY
Platte County lies on the north side of the Platte River and is the fourth county west of the Missouri River. Its early settlement by a hardy, courageous colony in 1856 and the establishment of Columbus and other early towns has heretofore been covered briefly. Its first organization was its separation from Dodge in 1855; Monroe County was created by the Legislature in August, 1857, and elections of officers held in 1858-9, but a petition extensively signed by the residents led the Legislature to consolidate Monroe and Platte counties, so Monroe was short-lived. Jackson, called Duncan, was started in 1821. The early towns along the line from Columbus to Norfolk were Platte Center, Humphrey, with Tarnov a later station, which are in 1920 very thriving towns: Lost Creek, Monroe and Westgood were early railroad stations also. A Northwestern line across the north side of the county supplies railroad facilities to Creston, gives Humphrey a second line: and cares for Cornica and Lindsay. Other early inland points were St. Mary, Nebo, Grant Prairie, Postville. Metz. Okay, Farrall, and Palestine Valley. Oconee has replaced Lost Creek at the point where the Norfolk branch leaves the Union Pacific main line, a few miles west of Columbus. Inland points in the county now are Boheet, Oldenbusch, Neboville, Woodburn, Rosenburg, Looking Glass, Postville, and St. Bernard.
134
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
POLK COUNTY
Polk County is on the south bank of the Platte River, directly south of Platte County. While ereated in 1856, it was not organized until 1820. Its first perma- nent settlement was in Hackberry preeinct in 1867. The early settlers came to the site of Osceola in 1869, it was chosen as the county seat in 1820 and its present location, the geographical center of the county was selected and made a permanent site in October, 1821. Stromsburg was surveyed and laid out in 1892. Pleasant Home, Wayland, Cyclone, Redville, Thornton, Bellville and Conklin were carly inland points, and Arcade, first station east of Osceola on the railroad. At this point, Shelby has built into a good town in later years. When the Union Pacific extended from Stromsburg on to Central City, the towns of Durant and Polk sprang up. The county has an area of 430 square miles, and is an especially prosperous and thrifty county.
RED WILLOW COUNTY
Red Willow County of 720 square miles, is on the southern line of the state. with the Republican River traversing its entire length and Red Willow Creek join- ing about the center of the county. Its settlement began in 1871, and in November of that year a company was formed, with Royal Buck as president and managing spirit to locate a town in this region, on the Republican, and a townsite selected and named Red Willow. Inº 1823 the county was organized and given the same name. A town named Billingsville was started but did not really materialize. In May, 1843, the town of Indianola was laid out, by the Republican Valley Land Association, near Coon Creek. When it came to the location of a county seat the two settlements, one on Coon ('reek and the older one on Red Willow Creek joined in a bitter contest. On election day, the noted locator, D. N. Smith, offered a hundred lots in Indianola for a court house there, and that town won first blood on the election decision, but a contest ensued, with Indianola the early winner. Settlements came fast in the late '70s. and by 1880 the B. & M. Railroad had reached Indianola. In May, 1882, MeCook was laid out by the Burlington people, of Lincoln Townsite Company, and designated as a division point, and plans laid for construction of shops, etc. In later years, MeCook won the county seat away from Indianola, and also became the leading town of that part of the state. Fairview and Willow Grove were other railroad stations in early years. Van Wyck, Danbury, Hamburg, Lebanon, Valley Grange, Tyrone, and Vaillon were early inland points in the southern part of the county. Bartley and Perley have built up along the Burlington in later years. Lebanon, Danbury and Marion are on another line of the Burlington crossing the southeast corner of the county, and going into Kansas.
RICHARDSON COUNTY
This is the southeast corner county of the state, and has an area of 345 square miles. Much of its early settlement and location of its first towns has hereto- fore been covered. It was one of the eight original counties, and its settlement predated the territorial government, Salem, Archer, Falls City, Rulo and Hum- boldt were heretofore discussed. Stella was laid out on land donated by Mr. J. T.
135
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
Clark, in 1881. Saint Stephen, Yankton, Winnebago, Geneva were flourishing villages in very early days of the county and long since abandoned. Arago, Middle- burg, Wells Mills, Miles Ranch, Long Branch, Flowerdale. Highland, Barada, and Williamsville were villages inland from a railroad, having a postoffice, store. ete., some forty years ago. Rulo, Preston, Salem, Dawson and Humboldt were on the Burlington line, and Falls City and Elmore on the Missouri Pacific forty years ago. Verdon and Stella built up early in the '80s along the Missouri Pacific. Verdon is a junction between that line and a Burlington line up the river to Nebraska City, and Shubert is north of Verdon on that line.
ROCK COUNTY
The early history of this county, which lies directly south of Keya Paha County, is embraced in that of Holt and Brown counties. It is a large county with 1,004 square miles of territory. It was formed as a county in 1888, and theretofore had not been very thiekly settled. H. M. Uttley went up from Wisner to Long Pine with a steam saw and was the first settler there. Dennis Sullivan settled soon thereafter. A. N. Bassett settled on the creek three miles above. These settle- ments were probably a little west of the present Roek County line, but presage the opening of that locality. Bassett, the county seat, and Newport, which bears the reputation of being the largest small sized station in the country for hay shipments, were located and built up before the separate establishment of the county and soon after the railroad, Northwestern line, went through. Menla was the only point in the northern part of the county, forty years ago. Cuba, Mariaville, and Kirk- wood are now in that part of the county, and inland points in the southern seetion of the county are Butka, Duff, Sybrant, Hammond, Seldon, Perch, Shebesta, and Thurman. This county is not given to very intensive cultivation, but is a great hay producing region.
SALINE COUNTY
While created in 1855, Saline County was organized in 1862. It lies directly west of the southern half of Lancaster County, and the Blue River flows through the eastern part of the county. It has an area of 573 square miles. The first permanent settlement was in 1858 when Gen. Victor Vifquain located near the Fork of the Blue. Early settlers following very closely were E. Frink, W. Rem- ington, C. Haynes, T. Stevens, J. Biekle, Tobias Castor, Win. Stanton and James Johnson. Swan City, at the junction of Swan Creek with Turkey Creek, was the early county seat, after the first election in 1862. Wilber, the permanent county seat, was laid out in 1872; Crete, the metropolis of the county, was laid out in 1870, and failed to capture the county seat, though fifty years later, in 1920, it hasn't given up hope entirely. DeWitt began in 1872; Dorchester was laid out in 1871; as was also Friendville, now known as Friend, in the northwestern corner of the county. After the removal of the county seat from Swan City, that town dwindled away. In fact, the necessity of a county seat in the early years was slight, as the pockets of the officials were their office vaults usually. Various postoffices established early in the county's career included, Western, 1872; Pleasant Hill, which was made the county seat in 1871 and held it until 1878 when Wilber took it as a result of an election in 1877 in which it defeated Crete. Albany, Atlanta, Blue
Vol. 1-10
136
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
Island, Danville, Fairview, Girard, Repose, Goldrinsey, Honesdale, Varna, Hornes- dale, LeGrand, Lucieville, Mandana, North Fork, Saxon, Riceville and Tabor. The railroad towns in the county are now: Tobias, Western and Swanton in the southern part; DeWitt, Shestak, and ('rete in the eastern edge; and Dorchester and Friend in the northern part of the county. Plato and Pleasant Hill are the principal inland points.
SARPY COUNTY
This is the smallest county in size in the state, of 240 square miles. and the oldest county in the state in settlement. The story of Bellevue, reaching back to 1810, of the posts, trading centers and Indian locations there have been covered in chapters heretofore. The story of Peter A. Sarpy for whom the county was named was therein touched upon, as was the settlement of its first towns. Papil- lion, the county seat, started in 1869; La Platte on the B. & M., was laid out in 1820; Sarpy Center was surveyed in 1825; Springfield came to life in 1881 ; Fair- view early in the '60s, Xenia postoffice, and Saling's Grove community, not exactly towns, also very early ; and Forest City, Plattford, Nasby were early inland points, and Gilmore an early railroad station. In later years, Chalco, Deerfield, Portal, Gretna, Avery, Fort Crook station, Pappio, and Meadow have built up along the railroad lines honeycombing this small county.
SAUNDERS COUNTY
Saunders County, first called Calhoun, until the unpopularity of the Federal Revenue Collector of that name caused its change to the honor of the last territorial Governor and early U. S. Senator, Alvin Saunders. In 1865. it was attached to Cass County for revenue, judicial and election purposes, and in 1866, its own organization was formed. It is located directly north of Lancaster and west . of Donglas counties, and is 756 square miles in area. Joseph Stambaugh, in 1856, was the first settler in the county. Its early towns were started, as fol- lows :- Wahoo, only a village of a few houses when it was made the county seat in 1873; Ashland, the oldest town in the county, held the county seat until 1823, but has grown to be an important town ; Valparaiso, settled ten years prior to that, was incorporated in 1880; Alvin ( Mead), Weston, Clear Creek, Crowder were early railroad stations ; and inland postoffices or trading points in the county, some forty years ago, were Ithaca, Rose Hill, Ceresco, Bradford, Milton, Swedeburgh, Head- land, Isla. Colon, Esteina, Sand Creek, Platteville, Clayton, Cedar Bluffs, Benton, Cedar Hill, Willow Creek, Rescue, Newton, Pilsen, Troy and Chaslaw. Railroad towns in the county are now (1920) on the Northwestern, Ceresco, Swedeburg. Wahoo, Colon, Cedar Blutis and Platte River on one line, and Morsebluff and Lin- wood on another. The Burlington line cares for Rescue, Prague, Malmo, Wahoo, Ithaca and Memphis. The Union Pacific feeds Yutan, Mead, Wahoo, Weston, Touhy. and Valparaiso.
SCOTTS BLUFF COUNTY
Until the election of November 6, 1888, and the establishment thereafter separ- ately of this county, its history is embraced in that of the great mother county, Chey-
137
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
enne. It is the western county in the state, of the North Platte River group. Even though so young, no county in the state approximates Scotts Bluff in its rapid gains in population, development of resources and material wealth. It is 223 square miles in area, the seat of the greatest irrigation activities in the state, and the wonder county of the state in the past decade. Twenty years ago, there was a broad prairie where now stands a city of some seven thousand inhabitants, Scottsbluff. This town did not start until the extension of the Guernsey branch of the Burlington, from Alliance and Bridgeport, and the foregoing sentence flashes the history of its rapid growth. Along this same line of railroad have built up a wonderful group of towns, which are not yet through growing by any means :- Minatare, Mitchell, Morrill and Henry, with Toohey, Covert, Snell and Bradley as smaller stations. Gering, which has been the county seat of the county since its organization and still holds that honor against the jealous and zealous desires of Scottsbluff, was the oldlest town in the North Platte Valley, being a village of some proportions over twenty years ago. It was not until ten years ago that the railroad reached this town, when the Union Pacific branch came up the valley and Haig (ville), Melbeta, Brockhoff and MeGrew also sprang up. Gering now has a beet sugar factory and is a prosper- ing young city of over 2,500 inhabitants, a growth achieved mainly in the past ten years. With sugar factories at both Scottsbluff and Gering, and a factory building at Mitchell, and two proposed for Minatare, it is hard to foretell what another decade will show for this thriving county.
SEWARD COUNTY
Seward County is located in the Blue River Valley, just west of the northern part of Lancaster County, and has an area of 574 square miles. The first settle- ment in the county was made by Daniel Morgan and his three sons, who located a pre-emption claim in the fall of 1858. It was created by the Legislature in 1855, under the name of Greene, but the conduet of the Missouri Senator in the Civil war period brought that name into unpopularity and it was changed to that of the Union Secretary of State in 1862. The county accomplished its organization in 1865. The city of Seward, county seat of this county, was surveyed and platted in 1868; Milford started from a settlement made by J. L. Davison in 1864 and a postoffice established then. A dam and a flouring mill was built in 1866; Camden was started in 1864, and Beaver Crossing, Utica, Pleasant Dale, Tamora and Germantown were early stations on the Burlington line from Lincoln northwest, and Staplehurst and Ruby Center on a north and south line of this system. Wests Mill, Pittsburg, Marysville, Orton, and Oak Grove were very early inland points. Later railroad stations to come into a flourishing condition were Cordova, Grover, Goehner, Leahey, Bee and a few of the early inland points remain.
SHERIDAN COUNTY
Sheridan County, containing 2,469 square miles of territory, prior to its estab- lishment in 1885, was a part of the great Unorganized Territory, and Big Sioux County. It lies immediately west of Cherry County on the northern border of the state. Since the Northwestern line to the Black Hills went through this county, several thriving towns sprang up; of which Rushville, the largest, is the
138
IHISTORY OF NEBRASKA
county seat ; Gordon is a very enterprising town, Hay Springs and Clinton good stations. Along the line of the Burlington, traversing the southern edge of the county, is another line of railroad stations, Bingham, Ellsworth, Lakeside, Antioch and Birdsall. Since the discovery of potash within the last five years mainly in the lakes of southern Sheridan County, several of these towns, and most particularly Antioch and Lakeside, have jumped from small villages to little cities. And if this wonderful potash industry lives up to expectations in the next decade, a very bright future can be predieted for southern Sheridan County. Among the numerous inland points in this county are Ilazleton, Long Lake, Jennings, Lulu. Hamilton, Spade, Strassberger, Schill. Kenomi, Ililton, Moomaw, Grayson, Hunter, Hinchley, and Peters between the two railroad lines, and Adaton, Dullaghan, Whiteclay, Billing, Albany, in the northern part of the county. The Sioux Indian, Pine Ridge, reservation near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, laps over into this county.
SIOUX COUNTY
Sioux is the corner northwest county of the state, and has an area of 2,055 square miles. Prior to 1883, this county embraced all of that vast extent of conntry north of Cheyenne, and west of Holt. Though unorganized, and officially, for years, called the "Unorganized Territory" it went by the unofficial name of Sioux, long before it received that name officially. Camp Robinson Military Ageney was located in the final territory of Sioux County proper, Camp Sheridan Military Reservation was in the territory finally assigned to Sheridan County. When the Northwestern Railroad line came through this county, stations were built up at Fort Robinson, serving the present Fort Robinson Military Reservation, Glen, Andrews, and Harrison, the county seat. The county has a large number of inland points, among which are, Malinda, Mud Springs, Kelley, Townsend, Empire, Curly, Canton, Ashbrook, Aldine, Dome, Dowling and Agate, south of the Niobrara River which traverses the county east and west. North of the river and railroad are Cross, Story, Montrose, and Unit, and between the river and railroad, Colville, while Orella, Joder and Mansfield are on a Burlington line to Edgemont that crosses the northeast corner of the county.
SHERMAN COUNTY
This county borders on the east of Custer County. and north of Buffalo, so is very near the center of the state. It has an area of 5:3 square miles. It was settled in 1872-3 by the impetus of efforts by a party of Grand Island men. It was organized by proclamation of Governor Furnas, January 13, 1873. and the first cleetion in April. 1823, resulted in the selection of Loup City as county seat. Lonp ('ity started up in 1823, before it had any railroad facilities. Other towns that also started up while in the inland stage were, Rockville, Hayestown, Balsora. Buffton, Cedarville. Fitzalon, and Austin. When the branches of the Union Pacific and Burlington came over from St. Paul, they placed the following towns, as they sprang up or developed as railroad stations, Rockville, Austin and Loup C'ity, and the Burlington branch continuing to Sargent, fed Me Alpine ; Schaupps and Ashton were on the branch from St. Paul, coming through Farwell in Howard Connty.
139
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
The Billings line of the Burlington cuts across the southwest corner of the county, and there are located Hazard and the very thriving town of Litchfield.
STANTON COUNTY
Stanton County is in the northeastern part of the state, so situated that two counties are east of it between the Missouri River and this county; and two to north before the northern boundary of the state is reached. It has an area of 431 square miles. Up until 1867, when it was named after Edwin M. Stanton, of Lincoln's cabinet, it was called Izard County, and contained one tier of town- ships now belonging to Cuming County. It had been created since 1861, but its first permanent settlements did not come until 1865, when a group of homesteads were located on Humbug Creek, near the present town of Stanton. Stanton was located as the county seat at the first election, in 1866. Nothing was done for some three years toward building a town, or establishing county buildings until Densmore & Kendall moved their store from Clinton, three miles east. The fol- lowing year they secured the Pleasant Run postoffice, a half mile west, but they had desired the Clinton postoffice. Canton postoffice which became the town of Pilger, was the next permanent town in the county, laid out in 1880 by the Elkhorn Valley Land and Town Lot Company. Clinton, Kingsberry, Canton, just men- tioned, Donap. Orion, Schwedt, Craig City, and Bega were the other early towns or postoffice points in the county. Pilger and Stanton are the only two railroad towns in the county in 1920. Haymow and Bega still survive as inland points.
THAYER COUNTY
Thayer County was created in 1856, designated as Jefferson. As noted in the account of the present Jefferson County, this name was lost, and the new name of Thayer taken. in 1821. when the 1867 consolidation of the old Jefferson (now Thayer) and Jones (now Jefferson) was undone. The first settlements were made in 1869, though the county. as a part of the famous Overland Trail, had been traversed considerably before then. The final organization of the county ensued in 1821. Ifebron, the county seat, was located in June, 1868, but its real estab- lishment occurred in 1869. Alexandria was located in 1871, and named for S. J. Alexander, afterwards Secretary of State; Hubbell was laid out in 1880 by the Lincoln Land Company, Carleton was laid out in the early "20s; Belvidere was platted in 1872 but really started in 1873; Davenport, a town named after Daven- port, Jowa, was laid out in 1822. Chester was laid out by the Lincoln Land Company in July, 1880; Friedensan, about eight miles northwest of Hebron was a postoffice and Lutheran settlement started in the '70s; Ilarbine was started about 1882 ; Deshler, a very enterprising little town in the southwest part of the county was laid out in 1882. H. J. Struve was the first settler and F. J. Hendershot started the town. Bruning, in the north part of county started about twenty years ago. Suckler Mill, Dryden, Kiowa, Gazelle, Prairie Star were early inland points. Newer towns not heretofore mentioned, in this county, are Byron, Stoddart. Wil- liams, and Gilead.
140
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
THOMAS COUNTY
This is one of the smaller "sandhill" counties along the southern edge of big Cherry County. Its separate organization and permanent settlement accompanied the arrival of the Burlington railroad line in 1887. A division station was set at Seneca, and a town has grown up at this point, practically a railroad town. Virtually in the center, as between cast and west borders, but to the northern part, has been built up the town of Thedford, the county seat. Norway to the west of Thedford, and Natick to the east, and Halsey on the Blaine county line, are the other railroad towns in the county. To the extreme southwest corner lies Summit and north lies Sunflower, inland points. The Thomas county towns receive much trade from southern Cherry County.
THURSTON COUNTY
The early history of this county is entwined in the story of the proposed Black- bird County which became the Omaha Indian Reservation. As the railroad went through this territory, the towns of Bancroft, Athens, station at Middle Creek, and town of Emerson sprang up. . Winnebago was an interior supply station. In 1889, this territory was again given individual recognition and formed into a county, of 387 square miles in area, named for Nebraska's Senator John M. Thurston. This county now contains the remaining Omaha Reservation. and the thriving towns of Rosalie, Walthill and Winnebago on the Burlington line; Pender, Thurston, and Emerson on the C., St. P., M. & O. Macy is an inland settlement in eastern edge, on Blackbird Creek.
VALLEY COUNTY
This county is the second one north of Buffalo and has two counties yet to the north before reaching the northern boundary of the state. It is in the fertile Loup Valley, and has an area of 570 square miles. Its first actual settlement was in May, 1872, when a party of Danes from Wisconsin settled on the west side of the North Loup River, above two miles from the present town of Ord, on what is known as Dane ('reek. Another colony had sent representatives to scout this country in 1871, and its first group, under the leadership of Rev. Oscar Babcock, arrived in 1872, a few days later than the Danish colony. This colony developed the North Loup settlement, and a postoffice was established at North Loup in 1872. The town of Ord was surveyed and platted in 1874, and named for Gen. E. O. C. Ord, then in command of the Department of the Platte. When the county was organized early in 1823, the county seat was located on the site of Ord, though the name was chosen later. The court house was built in 1826, the same year in which Fort Hartsuff, in the northern edge of the county was completed. Arcadia was started soon after this, in the western part of the county, and has developed into a very good town. Vinton, Mira Creek, Yale, Geranium, Sedlor, Ida, Garfield. Adair and Springdale were early postoffices or inland trading points. North Loup, Spelts, Olean, Ord, Elyria, and Arcadia are the railroad points now.
141
HISTORY OF NEBRASKA
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Very much of the early history of Washington County that belongs in this short sketch has been heretofore given, in the discussion of the establishinent of the old Fort Calhoun ( Fort Atkinson in 1819) and the town later; of Fontanelle, 1854; DeSoto, about 1855; Cumming City, 1854; and Blair, the final eounty seat in 1869. The county was one of the eight original counties that eame in with the terri- torial government. Bell Creek was laid out in 1869 and Herman in 1870. Kennard was settled in 1856 by Nathaniel Brewster, who purchased the townsite, but the post- office was established in 1868; Hiland, formerly Mead station, was early, its name changed to Hiland in 1881, but the postoffice located there in 1882 under the name of Giles. Admah, in the northwest corner of the county was named after a Bible town of that name. Nero and Amherst were other early inland points. Arlington, Bowen, Hillside, Tyson and Coffman are later points to develop, and are all rail- road stations.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.