USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 19
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 19
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WAYNE COUNTY
Wayne County lies in the northeastern corner, to the south of Cedar and Dixon, border counties. It has an area of 450 square miles. It was organized by proela- mation of Governor Butler in 1870, about two years after its first permanent settle- ment. Mr. B. F. Whitten was the pioneer settler. La Porte was laid out in May, 1874, and was the early county seat of the county. Wayne P. O. or Brookdale, which was laid out by the railroad townsite company in 1881, rapidly grew and soon became the county seat. LaPorte was left as an inland point, and Wayne, Donop, Northside, became railroad stations. The towns of Hoskins, Apex and Winside are now the railroad stations southwest of Wayne in this eounty, and ('arroll and Sholes to the northwest. Altona and Melvin are inland points.
WEBSTER COUNTY
Webster County is in the southern tier of counties, with six counties to each side of it in this tier. It has an area of 518 square miles. The first permanent settlement in the county was in the spring of 1820 by members of the Rankin Colony, they locating at Guide Rock. The same season, Silas Garber, later a governor of the state, pushed on up the Republican River to where Red Cloud now is, and projected a settlement at that point. The county was organized in 1873, and for some months the dugout of Silas Garber was used as a court house. Blue Hill was surveyed and platted in September, 1828, by A. B. Smith, the town surveyor, for the railroad company. Amboy started about 1826. Cowles was laid out in September, 1878. and named in honor of W. D. Cowles, who prior to his death had been general freight agent of the B. & M. Other points in this county some forty years ago were Inavale, on the Burlington line, Stockdale on the I. P., Eckley, Thomasville, Catherton, Wheatland, Wells, Stillwater, and Scott. inland points. Lester, Bladen and Rosemont are towns that sprang up after the railroad lines were well established in this county.
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WHEELER COUNTY
This territory was for years in the great "Unorganized Territory." Wheeler County was authorized by Legislative act and named in 1822, but it was on April 11, 1881, that its formal organization was accomplished. Its first organization was a territory forty-eight miles long, being the entire territory adjacent to the present county of Holt on the south, and twenty-four miles wide. From the west half of this, in 1884, Garfield County was taken. J. F. Cummins was elected as the first county clerk and for some time he kept the records at Cumminsville, on Beaver Creek, which might therefore be termed the first county seat. But this place was too far east to suit the settlers, so a new county seat was projected and a town laid ont, near the middle of the county, on Cedar Creek, or as often designated "River." This new town, Cedar City, with its nineteen blocks to be built around a court house square, also proved to be a "bird of passage" and in 1884, Bartlett was made the county seat, and Cedar City passed entirely out of sight. Bartlett has succeeded in holding the county seat against the onslaughts of a new town, in the southwestern corner of the county. Ericson, that became the terminus of a branch on the Burlington from Greeley. Pibel, Cumminsville, Headquarters, Arden, Newboro, and Francis are inland points, and Deloit is barely across the Holt county line.
YORK COUNTY
This county is 575 square miles in area, situated second county west of Lan- caster and third tier from the south line of the state. Its first permanent settle- ment was made in 1865 by William Anderson and sons, upon the West Blue River. It had in 1863 some five stations along the Mormon trail, and in 1864 Mr. Lush- baugh had established what became known as the Jack Smith ranch. The first settlements were mainly along the valley of the West Blue. Settlements continued rapidly until by 1872 practically all of the government land was taken, and every part of the county had received a start toward permanent settlement. Prior to 1870 the county had been attached to Seward County for judicial, revenue and election purposes, though it received legislative establishment and a name in the Act of 1855. York was started in 1869, and was located as the county seat at the start. This has become one of the enterprising and beautiful small cities of the state. Bradshaw was started in 1849; MeCool Junction, started in 1888; Hender- son was incorporated in 1899; Benedict, in 1890: Lushton was surveyed and platted in 1887: Waco was laid out in 1877 when the Burlington came through; Arborville was laid out in 1824; and other early towns or postoffices in the county were, McFadden, Lisbon, Indian, Cana, Long Hope, Blue Valley, Westifield and Plainfield, railroad stations: the others being mainly inland points, and in the northern part of the county, were Staplehurst, Thayer, Arborville, Palo, and Creswell. Houston and Gresham have built up since the Northwestern came in from David City. Mapps, Knox and Charleston are railroad station points, and Arborville and Bluevale are the principal inland points in the county now.
The foregoing survey has only attempted to outline the first settlement, loca- tion, naming. area and organization of each county, attempting to give a chrono- logical perspective of the establishment of its various towns, the waning of those that have disappeared or fallen behind, and closing with as complete a roster of
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the present towns as could be secured. In attempting to name so many inland points in the various counties, many of which are hardly towns, but mere settlements with perhaps a school, church, store and garage, or some of those institutions, no doubt numerous inland communities just as worthy of record have been overlooked and missed, but their presence has not been intentionally slighted in any degree.
ORIGIN OF NEBRASKA NAMES
The name "Nebraska" first appeared in print about 1842, the year in which John (. Fremont made his explorations through this region, and in his report spoke of the "Nebraska River." This was the Otoe Indian name for the Platte, derived from the Otoe word, "Ne-brath-ka," meaning "Flat Water." Secretary of War William Wilkins, in his report of November 30, 1844, says "The Platte or Nebraska River being the central stream would very properly furnish a name to the (proposed) territory.
COUNTY NAMES
The origin of the names given to the ninety-three counties of Nebraska is very interesting. It is rather difficult to figure this out with perfect accuracy, for numerous counties derived their names from legislative enactment, with no regis- tration made of the source from which the proposer derived the names selected, and other counties took their names from local sources, even when the name rather intimates being a memorial to some well known public servant, and in still others, the true origin still remains a matter of unsettled contention.
A dozen Nebraska counties received names which commemorate one of the Presidents of the United States; Washington (George Washington, President 1789-1997) ; Adams, for John Adams, 1797-1801 ; Jefferson, for Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809; Madison, for James Madison, 1809-1812; Polk, for James K. Polk, 1845-1849; Fillmore, for James Fillmore, 1850-1853; Pierce, bearing same name as Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857; Lineoln, Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865; Grant, for U. S. Grant, 1869-1822 ; Hayes, for Rutherford B. Hayes, 1877-1881 ; Garfield, for James A. Garfield, 1881; and Arthur, for Chester A. Arthur, 1881-1885. Tbe county now Platte, once bore the name of Monroe, for President James Monroe, 1817-1825. It is often thought that Johnson County may have received its name from President Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869, but it more than likely received it from the memory of Gen. R. M. Johnson, for whose wife the county seat was first named and later changed to Tecumseh, for the famous Indian chief who is supposed to have been killed in battle by General Johnson.
Numerous other counties bear the names of statesmen who left their impress upon American history, even if they did not in some instances attain the coveted goal of the presidency. The names bestowed upon Franklin, Hamilton, Knox and Wayne counties bring to memory the names of Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and their two contemporaries of Revolutionary times. Boone County's name pays tribute to Daniel Boone of Kentucky: C'ass, recalls to mind General Lewis Cass of Michigan; and the names of the great triumvirate of statesmen of the period between 1820 and 1850 were commemorated in this state, though one memorial fell by the wayside. Webster County recalls Daniel Webster; Clay County pays tribute to Henry Clay, and is a name tried twice, once upon a
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county later divided between Gage and Lancaster, and finally upon the present Clay County. The county given the name of Calhoun later became Saunders. Quite fittingly did the name of Douglas befall the lot of the most populous county of the state, for to Stephen A. Douglas was much credit due for the establishment of statehood to Nebraska. Another senator, Augustus C. Dodge of Iowa, who intro- duced a statehood bill, was similarly honored. Three members of President Lincoln's cabinet, Secretary of Treasury Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of State William H. Seward and Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton have had their names preserved to posterity by Nebraska counties. Vice-President Schuyler Colfax was similarly honored. Horace Greeley and James G. Blaine were two statesmen whose names are preserved in Nebraska's County Roll. Dixon and Harlan are two more counties that bear names, probably from other lesser statesmen.
A considerable group of generals of the Civil war period were likewise honored, no doubt largely because of the reverence for their careers carried by legislators who had seen service in their commands. In addition to General (President) Grant, such respect was paid to Generals William T. Sherman, Philip II. Sheridan, O. O. Howard, Hooker, Thomas, Logan, MePherson and the compiler is not sure of the name Wheeler. Custer County plainly bears the suggestion of Gen. George A. C'uster : as does Kearney. the respect shown to Gen. Stephen W. Kearney, and Cherry was named for Lieutenant Cherry. The county of Holt commemorates the Indian period.
Reverting to the local statesmen of Nebraska's early political history, in numer- ous instances, similar tribute was paid to some governor, senator or state official. The following governors, territorial and state, were thus honored; Francis Burt ; Mark W. Izard, by a county that afterwards lost this name; William A. Richardson ; Black and Morton were passed, though Morton was so carried for a time; and finally Saunders, the last territorial governor, whose namesake took away the name Calhoun from that statesman's memory. Secretary and Acting Governor Thomas B. Cuming received an honor that stayed. Secretary Paddock's county, which was to be cut out of Holt, did not hold that name. It has often been thought that Hall County was named in honor of Judge Augustus Hall, then chief justice at the time of its legislative organization, but local tradition attributes the name to a local party, business partner of an early sheriff of that county.
Beginning with David Butler, the first state governor, numerous successors in this office received this tribute. Of the next six governors, all were so honored except Silas Garber, namely Robert W. Furnas, Albinus Nance, James W. Dawes, John M. Thayer and James E. Boyd. The few counties organized during the administrations of the succeeding governors were named from other sources. Secretary of State John J. Gosper, 1873-1875, was the only minor state officer to be so honored, unless it might have been that the prestige of Attorney General Champion S. Chase. rather than Lincoln's cabinet officer of that name, influenced the naming of that county. Several United States senators have been thus honored in Nebraska. The honor accorded to JJohn M. Thayer in naming such a county came rather during his days of prestige from the senatorship than his later regime as governor. Hitchcock County was named for United States Senator Phineas W. Hitchcock, father of Nebraska's present Senator, Gilbert M. Hitchcock. Saunders, of course, served as both governor and senator. Senator Thurston, from 1895-1901. had one of the later counties named in his honor. Keith County may have taken its
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name from Judge Keith; Dundy took its name from United States Judge Elmer S. Dundy ; Morrill County, from Charles H. Morrill, president of State Board of Agriculture for some years; Brown County bears a name attributable to a number of sources; Sarpy County bears honor to the pioneer of early days, long before territorial organization, Peter A. Sarpy ; and a number of counties bear names, the source of which is not readily explainable; Dawson, Nuckolls, Merrick, Phelps. At least three counties were named for prominent railroad officials, Kimball, Deuel and Perkins; Gage was named for Rev. W. D. Gage, chaplain of the legislative session which enacted the county's existence. Lancaster and York were names bestowed by the Legislature of 1855, attributed by many to the towns and families of those names in English history.
This leaves a group of counties which bear names, the significance of which can be surmised from their very meaning: Antelope and Buffalo preserve the memory of two of the great family of animals found by the white man when he arrived in Nebraska; Platte, Loup and Nemaha coincide with the names of nearby rivers ; Frontier, Valley, Banner, Garden, Rock and Saline bear witness to physical qualities of the region ; Scotts Bluff and Box Butte are attributable to noted land- marks within their own borders; Cedar and Red Willow call to mind the names of Nebraska trees; and another group of counties bear mute tribute to Indian tribes that formerly traversed their areas; Cheyenne, Keya Paha, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Sioux, Ponca and Dakota. The greatest inconsistencies perhaps crept into naming Frontier to a county not on the frontier especially: Valley to a county, no more so appropriate than many others; Saline to a county whose neighbors have deposits of that produet rather than itself.
Some names just as worthy as the fortunate one had to be passed by, names of statesmen just as worthy of honor as many who did receive the same. It would seem that Governors Izard, Black, James and Garber made just as creditable record as the other early state executives. Charles Sumner, whose name is not preserved in the state in county or town, gave early currency to, if not actual voining, the phrase that stands forth in Nebraska's motto; "Equality Before the Law."
CHAPTER VI
TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
FORMATIVE STEPS --- AREA-OFFICERS-GOVERNOR CUMING'S ADMINISTRATION --- GOV- ERNOR IZARD'S ADMINISTRATION-GOVERNOR RICHARDSON-GOVERNOR BLACK- GOVERNOR SAUNDERS-NEBRASKA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR-NINTHI TO TWELFTH LEGISLATURES-EVOLUTION INTO STATEHOOD-CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1866-OFFICIAL ROSTER OF THE TERRITORY.
Formative Steps. There are a vast number of details, historically important and very interesting. concerning the formation and growth of the territory of Nebraska, and its evolution into statehood, and its development into one of the banner states of this great Union, now composed of a sisterhood of forty-eight states. It will be possible in this restricted view to only grasp the structural points of this evolution, and this probably can be best accomplished through another chronological survey.
1844. This being the year of the first practically permanent settlements. is a good starting point. As the first projection of the old Fort Kearney and the Mor- mon arrivals at Florence took place in this year, they touched the eastern border of a vast region extending from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains, known vaguely and indefinitely as the "Platte Country." It might as well be mentioned right here, that the dominant political issue of the next decade, intervening between this point and Nebraska's final erection as a territory was slavery. It was inter- jected not only into political affairs, but economie, business, social, church and civie activities as well as state affairs. The fierce struggle over the admission of Missouri had ended without an open disruption of the Union but had left its mark of con- tention so rapidly gaining a grip upon the affairs of the country that the very sug- gestion of farther territory to the west, available for territories or states, opened the matter for bitter struggle at once. In this year, 1844, two events forerunning the erection of the new territory occurred. November 30, the first official use of the name "Nebraska" was made by Secretary of War William Wilkins, who suggested the "Platte" or "Nebraska" river country as a good area for another state and December 17, Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, introduced his first Nebraska bill in the House of Representatives at Washington, an effort which came to naught in immediate results, but far reaching in its foundation effects.
1848. Stephen A. Douglas made another futile attempt, by his introduction of the second Nebraska bill.
1851. Another attempt to project a territory west of Iowa and Missouri, even failed to reach a vote, in the session of 1851-2.
1853. This year marks the beginning of the real and final efforts. Willard P. Hall of Missouri, offered a measure, on December 13, 1852, attempting to organize the Territory of "Platte," but from the Committee on Territories, William A.
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Richardson, of Illinois, secured the reporting of a bill organizing the Territory of Nebraska, but despite the very warm opposition of the southern members. this bill went to the Senate accompanied by pro-slavery blasts of warning. Stephen A. Douglas got it out of the committee in the Senate, but too late to secure its adoption in that session. In the fall of 1853, a number of men assembled at Bellevue, and delegated Hadley D. Johnson, a prominent citizen of Council Bluffs, Iowa, to repre- sent them in this matter. On December 14, 1853, Senator Augustus C. Dodge, of Iowa, introduced another Nebraska bill. Senator Douglas, on January 23, 1854, offered a bill so amending Senator Dodge's offering that it left little but the title, and proposing instead of one territory, Nebraska, set forth two, the other to be called "Kansas." This bill, with some further amendments, was passed on March +, in the Senate and in the House in May, and signed by President Pierce on May 30, 1854.
.Irea. The territory as then formed contained 351,558 square miles, extending from the 40th parallel of north latitude to the British Possessions, and from the Missouri River to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. On February 28, 1861, 16.035 square miles were set off to the Territory of Colorado; and on March 2d, 228,907 square miles to Dakota. A triangular tract of 15,378 square miles received later from Washington and Utah territories was included in a 45,999 square miles area taken from Nebraska and given to Idaho, March 3, 1863, which later step virtually reduced Nebraska to its present limits.
Officers. The first corps of territorial officers appointed by President Pierce were as follows :- governor, Francis Burt of Carolina : his secretary, Thomas B. ('uming, of Iowa ; chief justice of the courts, Fenner Ferguson, of Michigan; associate justices James Bradley of Indiana, and Edward R. Hardin, of Georgia; marshal, Mark W. Ezard, of Arkansas, and attorney, Experience Estabrook, of Wis- consin. Governor Burt reached the Territory in ill-health, on the 6th day of October, 1854, and proceeded to Bellevue, where he was the guest of Rev. Wm. J. Hamilton. at the old Mission House. His illness proved of a fatal character, and he died on October 18, 1854. Thus ended most tragically and shortly the first gubernatorial administration in Nebraska, before it could shape any official record.
From this point, it will be necessary to review the territorial government, giving brief outline of the important events of each administration, and a brief record of the important accomplishments of each territorial legislature.
1854. GOVERNOR C'UMING. The first act of Acting Governor Thomas B. Cuming was the official proclamation of the death of Governor Burt. Chief Justice Fer- guson of the Courts had arrived in the state on October 11, and Justice Bradley on October 14, but Justice Hardin did not arrive until December 1st. Marshal Izard arrived on the 20th of October, the day after Governor Burt's funeral. Governor ('uming's administration, as acting governor, lasted until February, 1855. Impor- tant events transpiring in these four months were :- Capital location. For the seat of government, a fierce competition ensued between Bellevue, Florence, Omaha, Nebraska City and Plattsmouth, and Acting Governor ('uming decided upon Omaha, although his official place of residence remained at Bellevue, until January, 1855. First census. An enumeration was ordered taken on October 24, 1854, which showed a total of 2.732 inhabitants. Considerable diserepancies were later shown to have developed in this task and it bears no material worth as a reliable historieal record. The territory was divided into the eight original counties ; Burt, Washington, Douglas,
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Dodge, Cass, Pierce, Forney and Richardson. The first general election was held on December 12, 1854, and on December 20, 1854, a proclamation was issued calling on the First Territorial Legislature to meet at Omaha, on January 16, 1855.
First Legislature. Convened in a two-story brick building at Omaha, at 10 o'clock A. M., January 16, 1855. Temporary officers were Hiram P. Bennett, of Pierce County, president pro tem. The Committee on Credentials were Joseph L. Sharp, Richardson, who became president of the council, J. C. Mitchell of Washington County and Luke Nuckolls, of Cass County. In the Representatives the temporary organization was John M. Latham, of Cass County, speaker, and J. W. Paddock, as chief clerk pro tem., and later permanently. The permanent speaker was A. J. Hanscom, of Douglas. The important part of the governor's message, after his allusions to the loss of Governor Burt, was that pertaining to the Paeifie Railway. Local machinery of government was provided for and county officers created. The criminal code of Iowa, with some slight, necessary alterations, was adopted for the regulation of the new territory. Three institutions of learning were incorporated. Simpson University at Omaha, the Nebraska University at Omaha, and the Col- Jegiate and Preparatory Institute at Nebraska City. The favorable report of the committee, of which M. II. Clark of Dodge County was chairman, upon the bill chartering the Platte Valley and Pacific Railroad Company was the far reaching act of this Legislature.
Other Erents of This Period. Other events transpiring in the territory, prior to February, 1855. which were foundation stones in the various lines of activity of the commonwealth, were :- December 23, Acting-Governor Cuming called for two volunteer regiments for defense against the Indians ; December 30th-a convention at Nebraska City adopted resolutions asking that General Bela Hughes of Missouri, be appointed governor and Dr. P. J. McMahon, of Iowa for secretary. January 26. 1855. The territorial capital was definitely located at Omaha.
GOVERNOR IZARD'S ADMINISTRATION. On February 20, 1855, Gov. Mark W. Izard, delivered his inaugural address, as the second official governor of the territory, and he resigned on October 25, 1857. In his administration considerable progress was made. The postoffice at Bellevue was established in March, 1855, with Daniel E. Reed as postmaster. In the same month, the first session of district court was held at Bellevue. Several churches were organized that year, in Omaha, Brown- ville, and Nebraska City. In January, 1856, Mrs. Amelia Bloomer delivered an ad- dress on votes for women in Omaha in the Second Legislature's Ilall. The boundary lines of many counties were fixed by the Legislature, in 1856. A road was surveyed and its construction began, from Omaha to Fort Kearney. The real and personal property was assessed and another census taken, which revealed the presence of 10,716 inhabitants. The foregoing facts mentioned, cover mainly the activities of the Second Territorial Legislature which convened at Omaha, on December 18, 1855. Hon. A. D. Jones, of Douglas, was an important figure in this session, and it was he who mainly handled the matter of designating names to the various counties provided for by this session. B. R. Folsom, president of Council and P. C. Sullivan, speaker of the House.
Third Session of Legislature. Convened at Omaha, January 5, 1857. L. L. Bowen, president of the Council, and O. F. Lake chief clerk; I. L. Gibbs was speaker of the House, and J. II. Brown chief elerk. In this session, the first attempt was made to remove the capital from Omaha. Governor Izard
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