USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 55
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 55
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These companies were incorporated as follows, each company engaging in business some time after its incorporation: Hordville, November 12, 1906; Aurora, March 30, 1908; Marquette, June 19, 1909; Stockham, March 22, 1910; Phillips, April 11, 1910; Hampton, November 4, 1910; Giltner, March 23, 1915. In the spring of 1910 the Aurora Elevator Company sold additional stock and built the elevator at Murphy, and in 1914 a modern flouring mill was erected at Aurora by the same company, all of which are operated from the Aurora office. Each of these companies has been very fortunate in securing honest, capable men for officers and managers. All are eminently successful and have been in charge practically from organization. The entire list, from the oldest at Hord- ville to the youngest at Giltner, are solid business institutions.
Hamilton is the only county in Nebraska, or probably in any other state, that has a farmers' elevator at every railroad station. Their growth has been steady and substantial and is fairly representative of the growth within the state, which has shown an increase in number from less than 100 in 1904 to 283 at the present time, more than 50 having been added within the past year. These Hamilton county companies collectively form an institution to which every citizen, and especially every farmer, may point with pride, for it saves the farmer more than 10 cents a bushel on his grain and retains in the county more than a quarter of a million dollars every year that would otherwise go outside the county. The institution is one of the most valuable assets of the county, one which it can least afford to lose, and one which will always yield increasing profits for increasing patronage.
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IHISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
THE HAMILTON COUNTY COMPANIES AS EXISTING IN 1915 WERE :
Ilordville-Farmers' Grain & Live Stock Association, II. G. Carpenter, man- ager; incorporated Nov. 12, 1906.
Aurora-Aurora Elevator Company, H. E. Toof, manager; incorporated March 30, 1908.
Marquette-Marquette Elevator Company. II. C. Orbin, manager; incor- porated June 19, 1909.
Stockham-Farmers' Elevator Company, S. H. Riker, manager: incorporated March 22. 1910.
Phillips-Phillips Grain Company, C. E. Coffey, manager; incorporated April 11, 1910.
Hampton-Hampton Elevator Company, Harry Larson, manager; incor- porated November 4, 1910.
Giltner-Farmers' Elevator Company, Frank Bowser, manager; incor- porated March 23, 1915.
THE HAMPTON ELEVATOR COMPANY 1
To the activity of one man is largely due the fact that Hamilton is the most thoroughly organized county in one of the strongest farmers' elevator states in the union. The name of that man is J. W. Shorthill, secretary of the Nebraska Farmers' Co-operative Grain and Live Stock State Association, who makes his home at Hampton. The Hampton Elevator Company was fortunate in having him for its first manager, and it is no less fortunate in his successor. Harry Larsen, son of Hans Larsen, a Hampton boy who grew up in a wheat field and who is making a splendid reputation in the marketing end of the business.
The company was organized in the fall of 1910 with L. Eskildsen president, John Peterson vice president. Paul Holm secretary, E. J. George treasurer and Julius Schall director. With the exception of Mr. George, who is, succeeded by August Zierott as treasurer, and Julius Schall, whose place on the board is now filled by Abe Troester, the same officers are still in charge. Mr. Shorthill had resigned as manager of the Aurora elevator the preceding year and gone to C'rete. An offer was made him by the new company to return to Hamilton county, which he promptly accepted. Ile continued in charge until February. 1913, when increasing work connected with the state organization demanded his full time. Mr. Larsen was thereupon elected manager with John Eskildsen as as- sistant. The business has grown steadily from the first, as the record of grain handled shows :
Wheat
Corn
1911
42,348 113,000 215,240
11,650
Oats None
1913
7,250
4,510
1914
40,000
12,000
The company has gradually extended the scope of its operations until it now handles, in addition to grain, live stock, flour, feed, coal, and binding twine, and conducts an extensive feed grinding business. It is capitalized at $9,675, with 196 farmer stockholders. The annual statement for 1914 showed a plant worth
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
$12,000, personal accounts outstanding of $7,151.58, about $5,000 cash on hand and in bank and other assets aggregating $26,981.18. Included in the liabili- ties were: Unpaid dividends to January 1, 1914, $166.28; grain dividends for 1914, $3,116.11; twine dividend, (?); grain dividends for 1914, $3,116.11; twine dividend, $80; stock dividend, $760; undivided profits, $534.94.
THE PHILLIPS GRAIN COMPANY
Although the meanderings of the Platte river are such as to restrict the territory which would otherwise be tributary to Phillips, the farmers' elevator at that point compares most favorably with similar institutions located at more advantageous points. The company was organized in the spring of 1910 and when the new crop came on the market in July of that year it was ready for business with 92 stockholders and the following officers: L. E. Otto, president; A. J. Cavett, vice-president; August Bartz, secretary ; John Cooper, treasurer. These gentlemen with T. E. Nordgren constituted the first board of directors.
The T. B. Ilord elevator was bought and Mr. Hord's manager, E. C. Purty, was retained by the new organization. Mr. Purdy remained for a year and a half and then retired to his farm near Phillips, being succeeded by C. E. Coffey, the present manager. Mr. Coffey came to Phillips from Cherokee, Okla., where he had spent seven years with a farmers' elevator. This, together with natural ability, industry and a pleasing personality, has contributed much to the suc- cess of the enterprise. The present officers are (1915) : John Cooper, president ; Henry England, vice-president ; August Bartz, Jr., secretary; W. T. Dearing, treasurer. L. E. Ott is now the fifth man on the board of directors. The mem- bership has remained almost stationary, being now 94 as compared to 92 at the 'beginning.
The business has steadily increased from the beginning, and the elevator now handles approximately 2,000,000 bushels of grain per year. Under the first year of Mr. Coffey's management the company paid an 8 per cent dividend on stock, and each succeeding year 16 per cent. It has never adopted the grain dividend principle and its surplus fund now amounts to $4,902. According to the last annual statement, prepared at the close of business December 31, 1914, it had assets aggregating $13,144.77. Included in these were the elevator plant at $5,500, lumber yard note at $2,000 and a bank balance of $2,583. The liabili- ties consisted principally of $7,125 capital stock and $4,902 undivided profits (surplus).
The Phillips Grain Company was responsible for the organization of the Farmers Lumber Company at Phillips July 10, 1914, with an authorized capital of $25,000. The S. A. Foster Company lumber yard at Phillips was purchased and has just closed a very successful first year under the management of L. A. Langhlin, who succeeded A. S. Gilbert last April. While the lumber yard and elevator are operated separately, the stockholders in both corporations are prac- tically the same. Farmers in the vicinity of Phillips have the distinction of being the first in Hamilton county to engage in the lumber business along lines similar to those which have proven so successful in the marketing of grain, and present indications are that they have no reason to regret the experiment.
Vol. 1-29
444
HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
FARMERS ELEVATOR CO., STOCKHAM
The winter of 1909-10 was a period of agitation among the farmers of Orville and Farmers Valley precincts, culminating in the organization of an independent elevator February 19, 1910. Articles of incorporation were adopted March 22nd of the same year, and when the company was ready to begin operations Angust 1st it had 132 stockholders and paid up capital of $7,075. S. H. Riker was placed in charge as manager and has held that position continuously since.
The first officers of the new organization, who with J. E. Cameron constituted the board of directors, were : President, J. K. Hartnell; vice-president, George Nuss; secretary, M. H. Kirk; treasurer, James Beat, Sr. In the beginning the new company confined its operations exclusively to grain, but the following spring added coal, flour and feed. During the five years of its existence it has handled approximately 560,000 bushels of wheat, 80,000 bushels of corn and 40,000 bushels of oats. Dividends have been paid as follows :
1910, 1911, 1912-8 per cent on stock; 8 mills per bushel on wheat bought from or sold to stockholders: 1 cent per bushel on corn and oats bought from or sold to stockholders; 5 per cent on coal, flour and feed sold to stockholders.
1913-8 per cent on stock ; 11/2 cents per bushel on wheat bought from or sold to stockholders; 1 cent per bushel on corn and oats bought from or sold to stock- holders ; 5 per cent on coal, flour and feed bought from or sold to stockholders.
1914-8 per cent on stock ; 4 cents per bushel on wheat bought from or sold to stockholders; 114 cents per bushel on corn bought from or sold to stockhold- ers; 1 cent per bushel on oats bought from or sold to stockholders; 50 cents per ton on hay bought from or sold to stockholders; 25 cents per sack on bran sold to stockholders; 20 cents per sack on shorts sold to stockholders; 1/2 cent per pound on buckwheat sold to stockholders; 30 cents per sack on oil meal sold to stockholders.
Five per cent has been set aside each year for depreciation on plant, this fund now amounting to $1,113.92. The total net profit on business transacted approximates $18,600. The surplus fund exceeds $4,500. The plant is now valued at $7,652.37, with real estate worth $501.52. The capital stock has been increased to $8,952 and the number of stockholders to 159. Undivided profits for the year 1914 amounted to $8,267.31. The present officers and board of directors are: President, William Tucker; vice-president, James Beat, Sr .; secretary-treasurer, M. H. Kirk ; directors, J. K. Hartnell and George Nuss.
THE AURORA ELEVATOR COMPANY
Twenty-five Hamilton county farmers got together in the spring of 1908 and organized a co-operative grain association known as the Aurora Elevator Company. The venture proved very popular and the number of stockholders has continued to increase until at the present time there are 360 men in the company.
August 15th, 1908, the farmers' elevator was opened for business. J. W. Shorthill, now secretary of the state farmers' grain companies, and now residing at Hampton, was the first manager of the Aurora farmers' elevator. From the start the company enjoyed all the business they could handle and additions and
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
improvements have been continually made in order to take care of the fast grow- ing business.
The company's Aurora elevator at Seventh street is of 30,000 bushel capacity of crib construction and is sheeted with galvanized iron.
In 1910 this company extended the business to Murphy by putting up a 30,- 000 bushel elevator. Later the company purchased the site for their mill west of Twelfth street along the railroad right-of-way. Last year the building of the company's new mill was started and this week sees the beginning of operations at the big plant of which Aurora is so proud. The new mill is built and equipped in the most modern way to turn the various Hamilton county grains into flour and the various by-products.
The mill as completed has a capacity of seventy-five barrels daily and is so planned that it can be converted into one hundred barrel capacity at any time should it become necessary. The storage capacity of the mill elevator will be about three thousand bushels. The mill is equipped throughont with the most modern machinery and will be operated by electrical power. The estimated cost at this time is in the neighborhood of $16,000.00-a larger amount than was at first estimated.
To illustrate the spirit of co-operation which has made this big company's business so strong we learn that close to two hundred of the stockholders have donated fifty bushels of choice wheat to the mill for the first few months' grind- ing. With the present grand crop prospects it looks as though the mill could be run to capacity this entire year.
The officers in 1916 of the Aurora Elevator Company were: R. L. Mabon, president ; S. B. Otto, vice president; D. M. Walker, secretary; T. M. Scott, treasurer.
In 1921 S. B. Otto is president and D. M. Walker secretary-treasurer.
CHAPTER VI
THE CITY OF AURORA
HAMILTON COUNTY'S PRIDE, THE CITY OF AURORA-HISTORY OF AURORA BY MRS. ROBERT MILLER-CITY GOVERNMENT-POSTMASTERS-MATERIAL PROGRESS OF CITY-THE BANKS-INDUSTRIES-AURORA BRICK YARDS-AURORA'S STORES-PET- ERSON STORE-DAVIDSON STORE-BUSINESS HOUSES 1905-1920 AND IN 1920.
HAMILTON COUNTY'S PRIDE-THE CITY OF AURORA
Aurora is handsomely located near the geographieal eenter of the county, and is an important station of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in Ne- braska. It is tastily and regularly laid out, with a fine public square in the center, planted with rapidly growing forest trees, in the center of which stands the court house, and around it on all sides are the various business houses, compactly and substantially built. The original site of the town, situated upon the northeast quarter of Section 4, Township 10, Range 6, was pre-empted by Darius Wileox in the summer of 1871.
In March, 1871, a town company was formed at Chariton, Iowa, who proposed to go to Hamilton County, Nebraska, and locate a town which should become the county seat. They entered into the following agreement with each other :
This agreement, made and entered into this 9th day of Mareh, 1871, by and between David Stone, Darius Wilcox, Robert Miller, James Doremus, J. Ray, N. II. Thorpe, S. P. Lewis, of Lucas County, Iowa, for the purpose of securing a title to Section 4, Township 10, Range 6, west.
First-The parties hereto agree by these presents do hereby form themselves together and organize a company for the purpose of laying out and organizing and locating county seat, town or village in the county of Hamilton and State of Nebraska, upon the following express conditions:
It is agreed that David Stone be selected as a suitable person to visit Hamilton County, Nebraska, for the purpose of seeuring land for the location of said county seat, town or village.
Said Stone hereby expressly agrees to homestead in the name of the eight indi- vidual members of the company, if title can be procured in that manner, if not, locate in the name of each individual member of this company. It is further agreed that after said Stone secures the land described, being section four (4) ; township ten (10) ; range six (6) west, in Hamilton County, Nebraska, each of the above members, named parties, is to execute to each other, a bond for the in- dividual conveyance of the undivided eighth part of the entire section, or eon- veyance of the lots to each other in any manner they may select to divide the same as soon as title to the same can be obtained ; that the entire section shall be
446
T
HAMILTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, AURORA
LOOKING NORTH AND WEST FROM THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, AURORA
449
HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
owned in common by all the parties named to this contract, eight in number, and each shall share and share alike in all the profits and losses, and each be entitled to the one-eighth part in virtue of the section.
It is agreed and understood by all the parties that individuals shall be and reside upon said land by the 1st day of June, 1871, in person or agent to assist in building up said town ; a failure to comply with this stipulation shall work as a forfeiture of all his rights under this contract.
The said Stone agrees that during this trip to Nebraska he will keep a true account of all moneys expended by him, and the expenses of said Stone shall be equally borne by all parties to this contract.
It is further agreed that each party to this contract will, at the signing of the same, pay to said Stone the sum of thirty dollars, to be used by him in the secur- ing the title to said land by pre-emption or homestead, subject to the laws of the United States in such case made and provided.
Witness our hands and seal this 7th day of March, 1871.
(Signed)
David Stone, Darius Wilcox, Robert Miller, James O. Doremus, Justinian Ray, Nathaniel H. Thorpe, Stillman P. Lewis.
Previous to this time S. P. Lewis, one of the party, had visited Hamilton County, and reported favorably of it, as will be seen by a glance at the terms of the original agreement. Mr. D. Stone was commissioned by the company to proceed to Hamilton County, and make claim to a site, for the prospective town.
He arrived at S. W. Spafford's place on Lincoln Creek, and after an examina- tion of the county returned to Iowa. Disunion, however, arose in the organiza- tion and the plans of the town company came to naught. Robert Miller and N. H. Thorpe came out for the purpose of locating the town site, and were followed June 10 by Messrs. David Stone, Darius Wilcox and S. P. Lewis. The party camped on Lincoln Creek, on the northeast corner of Section 4. Shortly after D. Stone platted a town site on the northeast quarter of Section 4, Township 10, Range 6, and on the night of June 19, 1871, the new town was named Aurora. After the collapse of the town company Mr. Wilcox pre-empted the northeast quarter of Section 4; D. Stone homesteaded eighty acres on the west half of Section 34, Township 11, Range 6, and E. D. Preston took a "claim" on the southeast quarter, Section 4, and Robert Miller made claim on the northwest quarter of the same section.
The original town site was surveyed and platted by Darius Wilcox and Mary A. E. Stone, aud entered for record December 20, 1872.
It comprised the south half of the northeast quarter, and the south half of the north half of the northeast quarter of Section 4, Township 10, Range 6 west. a tract of 120 acres. The south addition includes the north half of the southeast quarter of Section 4, Township 10, Range 6 west as pre-empted by Edgar D. Preston August 15, 1872, and entered as a town site, May 25, 1874, by Edgar D. Preston, Darius Wilcox, F. M. Ellsworth, Rebecca E. MePherson and Mary A. E. Stone. The next addition made was the Ellsworth Addition, a tract of about
450
HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
sixty acres, the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, and the south half of the northwest quarter of Section 4. Township 10, Range 6 west. It was pre- empted by Robert Miller in June, 1871, who transferred it to F. M. Ellsworth, and was entered for record as a town by Ellsworth and Darius Wilcox, November 3, 1878. Enterprise Addition was homesteaded by W. A. Johnson, in August, 1872, and comprises the northeast half of the southwest quarter, Section 4, Town- ship 10, Range 6 west. It was entered as a town by Mr. Johnson, March 10, 1880.
In June, 1871. the town company erected the first house upon Section 4, a "dug-out," on the site now oceupied by Chapman's agricultural implement store-the southwest corner, Block 12, original town.
In Angust of the same year David Stone erected the first frame building in the town, a store and residence, in which he opened the first stock of general merchandise brought to the new place. This was the old frame building later occupied by Chapman as a livery stable, on the southeast corner of Block 11, and was torn down in March, 1890, to make room for a more pretentious structure. The building later occupied by A. L. Bishop for an agricultural implement store, on the northwest corner of Block 17, was the third in the infant city, and was ereeted by Darius Wilcox. It was occupied by him about a year, and was then turned into a store and occupied by Messrs. Bromstedte & Kleinschmidt, with a stock of general merchandise. Soon after Mr. Thorpe had an office built just south of the Wileox building, which was afterward removed. In 1872, the school- house (the building later used as a Catholic Church ) was built, also the Aurora House, the part afterwards used as a sample room, and the sod blacksmith shop of John Schultz, which stood back from the street about where Peterson's store is located, and two or three other small buildings.
In 1873 fifteen or eighteen buildings were erected, and from this time on the growth of the village continued, each year adding more than the preceding.
The removal of the county seat in 1876 gave the town quite an impetus, which was much exceeded by that given it by the advent of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, in 1879.
It was incorporated as a village on July 3, 1877, John Helms, General Delevan Bates, W. H. Streeter, John Raben and Ilarry W. Kemper being appointed trus- tees. The first meeting of the board was held July 5, 1877, and John H. Helms was elected president, and W. L. Whittemore appointed elerk. For two years more the town struggled along, enduring all the inconveniences of lack of rail- road and telegraph communication, until the fall of 1879, when it had attained a population of searcely Four Hundred.
With the advent of the Republican Valley Railroad, a branch of the Burling- ton & Missouri River in Nebraska, which ran its first regular train into the town October 14, 1879, a great forward stride was made, and a period of activity ensued which rapidly carried the town into rank with her neighbors in surround- ing counties which had had the advantage of railroad facilities at an earlier date.
From this time on the growth of the city has been steady and continuous, and while there has never been what is commonly ealled a boom-the advantages of which, to a city, are of a very doubtful character-substantial improvements have constantly been going on, made and paid for, by the permanent residents, as the needs of the growing city have demanded them.
F 01 41
HAMILTON COUNTY TELEPHONE CO., AURORA
ROYAL HIGHLANDER BUILDING, AURORA
BURLINGTON RAILROAD STATION, AURORA
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
HISTORY OF AURORA
(The following short historical sketch of Aurora was prepared by Mrs. Robert Miller)
On April 6th, 1871, Nathan Thorpe and Robert Miller sighted the landmarks in this county. They were the twin cottonwood trees on the south bank of Lincoln creek and north of the business section of Aurora. These two trees were the only objects to be seen on these broad acres save numerous buffalo and ante- lope roaming at will.
These two men settled in northeast and northwest quarter of section four, town ten, range six, which is now a part of Aurora. In June of that year the town was laid out, David Stone being surveyor, Nathan Thorpe and Robert Miller, chairmen. The town was named by Mr. Stone for Aurora, Illinois, and not from the Aurora borealis, which was very luminous at that time, as some suppose.
Following this the first building was erected by R. Miller, on the corner where now stands the magnificent Highlander building, and was used by Mr. Stone for a general merchandise store, with a stock of goods valued at five hundred dollars. The family lived in the back part of this store. Soon one of their chil- dren died, having no cemetery laid out the body was buried near the bridge on the road which now leads to our cemetery. A few years ago this body was removed and placed beside that of the father.
In 1873 Aurora could boast of having twelve buildings, the foundations, how- ever, were not of rock or stone but no floods came nor did winds blow, so the houses did not fall.
The same year began the county seat fight. This was for its removal from Orville to Aurora. In the first election Aurora received over two-thirds of the votes cast, which was the necessary majority at that time, but the commissioners would not order the removal. In 1874 another vote was taken; this time Aurora lacked one vote of the required number. Darins Wilcox went to Lincoln during the next winter to lobby during the legislature and was instrumental in having the law changed to read three-fifths of the votes cast would relocate the county seat. In May the commissioners called a special election but another difficulty arose that had to be surmounted. The village of Hamilton was started and entered into competition with Aurora; consequently the special election was called in Aurora having thirty majority over Hamilton; another election was called the following month and the majority was the same but in favor of Hamilton. In the fall election, 1875, the victory was won by Aurora. Now all rejoiced, for although their houses were not on solid foundations the town was, and buildings could be changed for better ones as thirty-seven years has proven.
The building on the corner east of F. C. Mather's residence was the first court house in Aurora. The building was moved from Orville and placed in the south- west part of the court yard, where it remained until the two story frame building in the center of the square was completed. The new building was used not only for county purposes but religious services, church socials and literary societies, as long as lack of a more suitable place made it necessary. It was destroyed by
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