History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I, Part 43

Author: Burr, George L., 1859-; Buck, O. O., 1871-; Stough, Dale P., 1888-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 886

USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 43
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 43

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The following named settlers, who were prominently identified with the early history of the county, passed over the river in the late seventies or early eighties, and settled in that country "from whose bourne no traveler ever returns:" John Brown. John Salmon, Phil Hunter, G. C. Boyce. James M. Foster, J. A. Foster, S. K. Butler, Alex Laurie (one of the members of the first board of commis- sioners), S. N. Case (died while serving as commissioner in 1885), R. M. Hunt, William D. Young, William Werth. John II. Helms. James Laurie (died April 18, 1886, while serving as county clerk ).

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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY

COMING OUT WEST

A little booklet printed in 1876 and another printed late in the eighties advertising the advantages of Hamilton County, Nebraska just as towns in Colorado, Montana, Texas or Pacific coast territory in late years have adver- tised to citizens of Nebraska and states farther east to serve to picture the charac- ter of handicaps versus the attractions of settling "out here" then. A few excerpts from these sources, while perhaps to the older settlers of the county will be recognized as at least slightly overestimating some points, will serve to illustrate to the newer residents the portrayal that served to attract their older relatives and neighbors here a generation or two ago. To the older pioneers, they will bring back by-gone memories, somewhat enameled and polished.

STOCKHAM MILLS

This mill is on the Big Blue river and is one of the best flouring mills in this part of the state. It has two run of stone and is fitted with all the late and most improved machinery, and is thereby enabled to turn out the very best quality of flour.

HEALTH

The bright skies, pure water, and clear, life-inspiring atmosphere of North- ern Nebraska give to men and animals the vitality and inspirations of youth. Everybody feels young, elastic and self-commanding in this healthful country, and nothing denotes age save the hills and stately cottonwoods. Men and . animals move with quick, elastic step, and live in the atmosphere of health and content. It is the paradise of invalids. No country in America can show so low a rate of mortality. It is anti-billions, anti-consumptive and anti-dyspep- tic. Not a breath of malaria taints the perfectly pure air. Old men and women grow young with a renewal of vital force in an atmosphere where res- piration has the ease and freedom of healthful sleep. The dryness and purity of the atmosphere arrest incipient consumption; bronchial and asthmatic affee- tions, dyspepsia, general debility and many other common forms of disease, readily yield to the tone and stimulus of the perfect climate. Hundreds of the settlers who came here from the old states on account of ill health, will give a joyous attestation to the curative properties of a climate that gives nearly uni- versal immunity from doctors and physic. If the Gileads of other lands have no balm for there consumptives, dyspepties and asthmaties, their unfortunate subjects of general debility, nervousness and unsatisfied longing, and will send them out here to camp out, ride in the saddle, breathe the pure air, hunt deer, elk and antelope, shoot prairie chickens, plover and water fowl; live upon their broiled flesh, drink sweet milk, grow sunbrowned and strong, the writer will war- rant nine-tenths of them the good health they covet in a hundred days.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

A very common error into which persons preparing to move out west fall is in shipping too many of their goods. This is very expensive, and the goods

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are liable to be delayed upon the road; thereby causing inconvenience to the parties, who arrive first and have to wait weeks in some instances for their things to come being in the meantime compelled to board. It often happens that household furniture, agricultural implements and many other articles frequently shipped for hundreds of miles, can actually be bought here for the amount of freight paid upon them.

EDUCATIONAL

It is of much importance to every person thinking of going to a new state to make a home and bring up his family to ascertain what provision has been made for the educational interests of the people. There is no standard by which the intelligence, the character and the progress of a nation may be so accurately determined as that furnished by the public schools. In this respect Nebraska may fearlessly challenge comparison with any other western state. In no section · is more attention given to educational interests. In none has more rapid pro- gress been made in the efficiency of the schools, or the number and character of the school buildings. The schools are the pride of the people and the glory of the country, and ample means have been provided to place them on a firm enduring basis. A vast landed estate, consisting of two sections, 1,280 acres in each township, or one-eighteenth part of the entire area, has been donated to Nebraska by the general government and set apart as a permanent endowment of the public schools. These lands, it is estimated, will amount to more than 2,500,000 acres. The lowest price at which they can be sold is fixed by the con- stitution at $7 per acre. The school lands sold thus far have, invariably, brought a higher price than could be obtained for other lands adjacent to them yielding, on an average, $7.59 per acre. The principal thus acerning is guarded by con- stitutional guaranty against diminution, and forms an irreducible school fund. The income derived from this source is already considerable, and will soon, it is hoped, be almost sufficient to maintain the public schools, and render taxation for school purposes comparatively light. In this county there are 85 school districts, all of which have buildings and excellent teachers.

INHABITANTS, WEALTH, ETC.

Many of the advertisements sent east in the interests of this country do it great injustice. They describe the country, speak of the elimate, soil ete, but neglect to mention some of the more essential points. People who desire to make the West their future home, at present, are many of them, well-to-do, and do not care much about the price of land. They wish to locate where there is something more than land, they desire to start in where the highest state of civilization exists; where good people reside; where fine farms are opened up; where churches are established, where good schools exist ; where there is some wealth represented: and where taxes are low; where good railroad facilities abound; where in fact, all the modern improvements, and where comfort, pros- perity and thrift are established-such are the places where a majority of eastern men and women want to locate and live. So we say, oftentimes these matters so important and essential are omitted, and the publie left to doubt. It is our

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object to dispel any false ideas that may exist as to the advantages in this direction. With this in view, we herewith append a few facts and figures whichi will no doubt astonish the uninformed. The population, figuring from the returns of last year, which is the latest data to be had, is probably about 8,000. The assessed valuation of the county, which is only one-third of the full amount, was last year $1,220,000. There is no floating debt and warrants are paid upon presentation to the county treasurer. Total tax, county and state, about 21 mills.

SHEEP RAISING

Sheep raising is a very important part of Nebraska husbandry. This State is becoming noted for one of the most favorable locations on the continent for this great remunerative industry. None of the condition of climate, soil, pasture and water necessary to successful sheep husbandry is wanting here. The general elevation of the county is dry, cool and invigorating. There are one or two wool growers in this county who believe sheep are more profitable even than cattle, and taking this county as a whole it is unquestionably a splendid sheep country. In proof of the facts above stated we refer the reader to the flock of Rev. H. M. Giltner, of Aurora this county, in 1879 sheared a sheep whose fleece weighed 23 pounds.

SWINE

This is by no means a doubtful calling in Nebraska. Among the breeds now grown in this county are the Berkshire and Suffolk of model English types, and the best kinds of Poland-China known to American breeding. The long-eared, sharp-nosed, lantern-jawed, slab-sided, half-Indian and half- native hog of the early days of Iowa and Illinois is only a creature of memory. and our swine of this day are of the purest blood known to man. The much despised hog is in his glory here and is a source of much profit to the farmer.

THE GARDEN

Owing to the nature of the soil this county may properly be called the garden spot of Nebraska. There is probably no county in the state where a larger variety of garden products can be so successfully grown. The Nebraska garden, which is here found in perfection, may be universal, for the soil is everywhere admirably suited for that purpose.

FENCING

Among the most frequent questions of persons contemplating moving to a new state, is the cost of fencing. Well may this subject engage their thought- ful attention. On an ordinary farm in the East, the put-up and keeping in repair of fences involves a greater outlay of money and labor than all the necessary buildings, and forms by far the most burdensome tax the farmer has to meet. Here the herd law does away with the necessity of fences. Here cattle are fenced in, instead of out. The principle has worked well and has

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given universal satisfaction. Hedges can be grown here as quick and as cheap as any place in the United States. The soil and climate are well adapted to the osage orange, which makes one of the best of fences for a prairie farm.

STOCK BREEDING

Stock breeding is soon to be one of the leading industries of the county. There are now a number of choice, thorough-bred bulls and cows but there is room for a number more herds of thoroughbred cattle. As wealth accumu- lates and mixed farming becomes more general, Hamilton county will come to be one of the heaviest breeding and feeding counties in the state, and for those who come here now with a few fine head of thoroughbred cattle and horses the future is brilliant with promises of large profits. Hamilton county is capable of subsisting 25,000 head of cattle and horses as an auxiliary to general farming. Every condition of elimate, soil, water, grasses, and market advan- tages necessary to a royal stock county is here in full measure. No country on the face of the earth is equal to the Platte River valley for stock growing, of which valley Hamilton county has over forty miles besides the valleys of the four rivers that flow through the county from west to east. The business can never be over-done where nature has provided all the conditions of stock grow- ing where millions of bushels of corn may be grown at 10 cents per bushel, (in 1879), within easy reach of market. This county offers hundreds of openings to the ambitious stock grower.

FLAX

The soil of this county is better adapted to the production of flax than many of the soils east, where flax growing is made a speciality. It generally yields from ten to fifteen bushels per acre, and the seed is of excellent quality bring- ing the highest market prices.

POTATOES

Potatoes flourish here in the highest degree and it is doubtful whether any state in the Union can make a better showing in the yield quantity and flavor than in Nebraska. The soil of this county is better adapted to this crop than any of her sister counties, owing to the perfeet drainage of her rolling prairies. The tuber is always large and healthy, and is never troubled with rot as is the case with wet, heavy soils.

TURNIPS

Turnips can be grown to an enormous size on the sod, and are of an excellent quality.

ONIONS

Onions do well here, and frequently large crops have been grown for the market yielding from one to two hundred bushels per acre. They are large per- fect and of uniform size.

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OATS

This is a very valuable crop not for export, but for home feeding and will grow on any of the lands found in this county giving a yield of from 25 to 106 bushels per acre. The aggregate crop (in 1880) will reach 360,000 bushels.

BARLEY

Barley is generally considered a profitable crop both for market and feed- ing. The soil is admirably adapted to its production, and like oats the grain is unusually heavy and the grade good when properly cared for. The average is about 30 bushels per acre.

RYE

Rye is as much at home in Hamilton county as any where in the great west, the yield running from twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre, twenty bushels being frequently harvested after the crop has been closely pastured all the fall. The total products of the county for 1879 was 28,000 bushels, the market price of which was about 60 cents per bushel.

BROOM CORN

Broom corn has been very successfully grown for a number of years. It is of such high quality, and the brush grown in this climate is so superior that it is likely to soon become one of the leading staples of the county. It has been known to do so well in sod that it has been known to pay the purchase price of railroad land the first year.

CORN

Hamilton county is one of the leading counties of the state for its corn products. The average for the year 1879 was 48 bushels per acre, with an aggregate of 1,200,000 bushels. No county in the state can produce more or better corn than this county. Its corn crop for the year 1879 will be worth to its farmers over $100,000. There are a number in the county whose corn crop is from 3,000 to 7,000 bushels and some having still larger erops.

WILD AND TAME GRASSES

It is said that there are 150 varieties, luxuriant in growth, and excellent in quality, which certainly form one of the grandest resources of the county. They are the herdsiuan's stock in trade, and fat steers, mutton, wool and dairy products are the net results. They cover every rod of ground above the water lines, and yield the finest pastures and hay of any county in the state. The question as to whether domestic grasses will thrive here or not is a fixed fact, and to-day the many beautiful farms with meadows of all descriptions of tame grasses only need to be seen to convince anyone that they grow here as luxur-

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iantly as in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, or the state of New York. Wherever a test of raising tame grass has been made no careful observer can fail of the con- clusion that as the prairie grasses disappear before the all-conquering plow, this whole country will become as rich in domestic meadows as any country between the Alleghany and Rocky Mountains.

PRODUCTS

The products of Hamilton county are wheat, oats, rye, barley, flax, hemp, corn, broom corn, buckwheat, millet, hungarian, sorghum, peas, beans, Irish and sweet potatoes, peanuts, onions, turnips and all vegetables of the field. The area embraced in this latitude (between 36 degrees and 56 minutes and 42 degrees) is the favored spot of the United States: and here industry obtains the most certain and highest reward. It is temperate in climate, the land is fruitful and yields in great abundance those products which are the necessaries of the world accordingly. Here agriculture can be more diversified than anywhere else. Our farmers are not dependent on any one single staple of farm, or garden for they are all at home on this soil. The farmer here may plant a vineyard or an orchard and therein will flourish the finest fruits of the middle latitudes, for they are equally at home here. He may grow wool and mutton, cattle and swine and may add to his long list a dairy and poultry yard, for the best condition of any of those callings are sure of success here. This is the belt in this state in which industry obtains the most certain and highest reward. The climate is temperate, the land is fruitful, and bears in great abundance those products which are the necessaries of life, and which have the greatest value in the markets of the world. Here agriculture can be more diversified than anywhere else and the farmer need not depend on any one single staple but raise crops so various that a season not suitable for one is profitable to some other. The new settler though, finds more immediate profit in wheat growing than anything else, and that is his specialty until he acquires capital and his farm wears off the newness of the soil. Wheat makes a better crop upon the newly broken prairie than any other grain, and indeed reaches its maximum yield on new ground, which has frequently been known to reach 36 bushels per acre. Nebraska is a wheat growing country by virtue of soil, climate and altitude. It is one of the few regions of the continent whose soil has the essential elements for permanent wheat growing; whose climate too is sufficiently dry and stimulating to prevent rust, give a bright stem and a hard, plump, heavy berry. Altitude has much to do with successful wheat growing, and here it is no uncommon thing to find fields where the grain weighs from sixty-two to sixty-five pounds per bushel. Hamilton county never fails of a wheat erop. Even in 1874, the wheat crop was a full one. The average number of bushels per acre for 1879 was rather below that of previous years, while the aggregate is much larger, being over 500,000.

TIMBER CULTURE

Hamilton county is, properly speaking, a prairie county. There are no large tracts of wild, native woodland here. To Eastern people, born and reared

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in a densely wooded country, this will be a matter of great solicitude, as they will naturally conclude that a liberal per cent of native forest is actually neces- sary to their general prosperity. Not so, however with the prairie farmer. He soon finds by experience that timber can be grown much cheaper than it can be cleared off the land, and that thirty, forty or sixty acres of well cultivated land pays better in annual crops of such wheat and corn as will grow in this county than a large investment in perpetual forest. The history of counties reclaimed from their timber and made inhabitable, is the toil and labor of a generation before the land could be brought into a grain-growing and stock-raising, con- dition, capable of furnishing a place that could, with any degree of comfort, be called a home. On the other hand, the prairie, covered with its carpet of rieh sneculent grasses, free from stumps, stones, or other obstructions is ready for the plow on the arrival of the settler, and the first or second year at the farthest will reward his industry with bountiful erops. It has been fully demonstrated many times it is better, far easier, and much sooner accomplished to open prairie farm and raise the needed timber than it is to clear land timber and bring it into a tillable state. Nobody in Hamilton county worries over the timber question, for they are planting trees by the thousand and will soon have domestic forests that will command the admiration and wonder of the world. There is a real strife going on among all classes of our people for tree planting, the number annually planted running far up into the hundreds of thousands, and five years hence, Hamilton county will be as characteristic for her forests as she now is for her matchless streams, valleys and prairies.

FRUIT

Ten or twelve years ago fruit growing in Nebraska was looked upon with a great deal of distrust, and was engaged in by those whom it seemed had more money than brains. Now, however there are orchards in all of the older coun- ties, from ten to forty and fifty acres in extent that return their owners a yearly revenue equal to many farms in the east of 160 acres. The freedom from severe frost during the months of May and September, in connection with the dry winters and warm, quick soil, proves beyond a doubt that this is one of the best fruit growing counties in the State. Peaches, plums, cherries, grapes, currants and berries of all kinds have been sufficiently tested to prove that they can be produced here in this county with ease and profit. There are a few as fine apple orchards in this county as we ever saw in any country in our life. The trees are bright, thrifty and promise to bear in abundance in a short time, Nebraska has taken three first premiums on fruit-one at the annual meeting of the American Pomological Society, which convened at Richmond, Virginia, in 1871; and one at the annual meeting of the same society at Boston, in Sept. 1873, and one at Chicago in 1875. Wild fruits, plums, grapes, blaek- berries, gooseberries and wild currants grow Inxuriantly in the grasses along the streams. And although fruit growing is yet in its infancy in this county, enough is known to inspire our people with perfect confidence in its ultimate success to that degree that thousands of acres will be planted to fruit this season.

Vol. I-23

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RAINFALL

Many of our eastern people have been educated to the belief that Nebraska is seldom if ever visited by a rain storm. This theory has been advaneed by some very eminent writers, not because they have a dislike for Nebraska but because they have a selfish liking for some one of the more eastern states. Horaee Greeley once said "that this country was a dry sandy desert," but the next time he opened his mouth he was constrained to say, "Go west young man." A more erroneous statement than Greeley's first never was uttered by living man, and we are glad this lamented statesman saw and repented of his error before he died. The people who have resided here will testify to the faet that Nebraska receives her share of rain with fewer of those extremes of wet and dry than any other country on the globe. We know that we have had as much rainfall here in the growing seasons, with as little mud at any time of the year for the last ten years, as any other state; and out here snch a proposition as mud and drouth seem ridiculous. This false impression, we are pleased to say is fast disappearing in the east, and they are beginning to realize that we do have a little rain once in a while. They can no longer deny the fact when they behold the enormous crops that we are shipping east every year. The average annual rainfall for the past ten years in this country has been estimated at 32 inches; and this mostly in May, June, and July. From Prof. Baily who has given much attention to the study of Nebraska meteorology, we are informed that the annual rainfall is now increasing very fast, and at no dis- tant day even the extreme western parts of the state will have an abundant rain- fall for all the needs of the agriculturist.

CLIMATE

The climate of this county does not vary much from other portions of the South Platte country. Strangers on coming here at any season of the year do not hesitate to pronounce our climate the most delightful they ever experienced in any country; and those who have lived here any length of time say our climate is the most healthful and pleasant they have ever seen. Mild, dry, open winters with but little snow, and the bright warm sunshine have already given this eounty a name that our people may justly be proud of. Our summers are pleasant the warm rays of the sun being tempered by cool breezes that never forsake ns. The spring brings with it moderate rains that seem to fall at just the right time, while our autumns cannot be surpassed by any country on the globe.

To the settlers of a new country no consideration should be paramount to that of climate. In all countries it is clearly one of the strongest factors in shaping the usefulness of man. The Nebraska summer is a long and genial warm season with delightful, breezy days and cool, refreshing nights. The hottest days of July and August are tempered by the almost constant winds. Our winters, as compared to the rigorons, snow, frost bound winters of some of the eastern states, is a very mild and pleasant season. Occasionally we have a severe storm, but what country is there that doesn't have its storms? The soft blue haze.

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subdued mellow sunshine and gorgeous red sun-sets make this one of the most beautiful scenes one can behold.

Happily he who settles in Hamilton county enters upon the space for a home and a competence under the best possible conditions. He finds here a climate to delight him, water as pure as a mountain brook; and the best soil in the State. If not in the United States, with a climate not even second to its wonderful soil, then can it be a wonder that our settlers in a few years become so deeply inbued with such high courage, mental and physical endurance and culture, and possessed of such a sum of material, social, intellectual and moral development ?

TOPOGRAPHICAL

The most perfect display of prairie in all the great west is to be found in Hamilton county. It is no exaggeration to pronounce this county, as left by nature, one of the most beautiful counties in its landscape upon the face of the earth. And probably no county in the state takes rank in advance of Ham- ilton county in an agricultural point of view.

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History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I, Part 43

Author: Burr, George L., 1859-; Buck, O. O., 1871-; Stough, Dale P., 1888- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 886

Author: Burr, George L., 1859-; Buck, O. O., 1871-; Stough, Dale P., 1888-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 886