USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 74
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 74
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
While teaching in Livingston 1 boarded with Dr. Patton, who married my cousin, Mary A. Hlanks, the youngest daughter of Elza and Nancy Hanks. Dr. and Mrs. Patton had two small boys who attended school. During the next summer 1 built a house for mother in Marshall. The Vandalia railroad from St. Louis to Terre Haute was in course of construction, and I worked with a bridge gang until fall. Brother Robert read law in the office of John Schofield and J. W. Wilkin, both of whom subsequently died while on the supreme bench of Illinois. That winter I taught school at West Union, twenty miles south of Marshall, and taught at the same place the next winter. In the spring of 186s brothers George and John drove a team of mules to a wagon from Marshall to Denver and Central City, Colorado, passing through Nebraska City, Lin- eoln, and Fort Kearney. They were engaged in mining while out there. My youngest brother, Joseph L., died October 10, 1868, aged 18 years, 10 months and 4 days. He was buried at Livingston. In 1869 John returned and located at Casey, Ill., in the practice of medicine. George returned in the winter of 1870. In the spring of 1871 we sold the farm, and George and I decided to come to Nebraska. At that time railroad transportation and connections were poor. We left Marshall in the morning, reached East St. Louis in the afternoon. erossed on a ferry to St. Louis; after waiting there several hours we got out on the Northern Missouri and reached Moberly next morning where we changed cars for Ottumwa, where we changed to the B. & M. and finally reached Pacific Junction, where we changed to a stub train that carried us down to the river where we found a ferry boat that took us aeross to Platts- mouth ; there we got a train for Lincoln where we arrived in the evening of April 1. 1871, after being on the road three days and nights. We stopped at the Clifton hotel, which stood on the ground now occupied by the Lindell hotel. Here we met the girl who afterwards married John T. Mollneaux of Sutton ; she was waiting on table in the Clifton.
The weather was fine, wild plum trees in bloom and wheat was beginning to look green, and everything looked encouraging, but on the 3rd of April we had a blizzard ; it was cold with snow and a fierce wind from the north piled up the snow in drifts and the railroad was blocked. It was a new experience for George and I, we did not like it, we talked the matter over with others who told us that such were unusual. I told George that once would do me, that I had seen enough, that we better go east as soon as the railroad was open. George was not so easily discouraged. Ile said to wait and see how it comes out. . The next day the storm was over, the sun came out bright and warm and the snow melted rapidly and things looked more encouraging, and we de- cided to look over the country. At that time Lineoln was little more than a village, the old capitol building stood out on the prairie by itself. not another house near except the old Tichemor hotel west of the capitol. It seemed like nearly everybody was in the real estate business and had lots to sell ; business lots on O street were offered at from $600 to $1.000, and they were a good in- vestment at the price, but we were not looking for lots, but goverment land. and there was where we made a mistake; those who invested in city property made good.
What we could learn the Blue Valley west of Lincoln was a fine section of the state, and we wanted to see it before proceeding further. After look-
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
ing around we found a man who had a good team and spring wagon, and we hired him to take us out into Seward county to look over the country, agree- ing to pay him $3 a day and expenses while in our employ. The next day we drove out to Milford and up the west side of the Blue to Seward; we saw much fine land, but every odd numbered section belonged to the B. & M. railroad, for which they asked from $4 to $6 an acre and well worth the money. We stayed all night at Seward, stopping at the Clough House, run by Warren Clough, who was afterwards convicted and sent to the Nebraska penitentiary for life for the murder of his brother in the hotel. We found that the public land in Seward county had generally been settled or filed upon. So we de- cided to return to Lincoln and procure plats of portions of Fillmore, Hamil- ton and Clay counties and see how they looked, before going further. When we went to the land office the next morning we found a crowd of land seekers from all parts of the country. We fell in with Robert L. Garr and son Thomas, of Indiana, and George Smith, of lowa, who had teams and were going out to Clay county to look for homesteads, and we made arrangements to go along with them. to travel and camp together until we returned to Lin- coln, and to start the next morning or as soon as we could get ready. The first thing to do was to procure provisions and feed for about ten days, which we left to Smith and Garrs. As a preparedness against hostile Indians George bought a second-hand double barrel muzzle loading shotgun and a supply of ammunition, also an assortment of fish hooks and lines for use in case we found water and fish. The next morning found us all ready to start on our exploring expedition to Clay county. The procession headed for Milford and stopped there for dinner. Here we saw our first buffalo, but he was tame and running with other cattle, so we let him go. We followed up the West Bhe and camped for the night on the river near Beaver Crossing. Ilere we saw our first beaver dam on the Blue. George said he believed there was fish in that water; he got out his hooks and lines and with a spade which the Garrs had brought along to examine soil, he soon found plenty of fish worms in the rich black soil. lle put a worm on the hook and threw it into the water and pulled out a cat fish over a foot long, and in a short time he had landed about a dozen more of the same kind. Tom Garr was something of a cook, and while Mr. and Mrs. Smith hunted up wood and made a fire, Tom, George and I had dressed a dozen fine fish ready for the skillet. We had plenty of lard and butter and Tom did the cooking in fine shape and all pronounced it the best fish ever, and decided to have fish for breakfast, and had it not been so warm we probably would have fish for dinner; as plover was plenty we bagged enough toothsome birds for our lunch. Following up the Blue we reached the David Henderson ranch in York county in the afternoon. Here we saw our first antelope ; a herd of about fifteen came down the valley, and when they saw us turned south into the hills. Robert Henderson said ante- lope were plenty, but very wild. From the Henderson place we followed the river up to the James Waddell ranch in Hamilton county about seven miles north of Sutton, where we camped for the night. The Waddells were Scotch people, very cordial and ready to give information and assistance to pros- pective settlers. They informed us that while the government land along the Blue valley was generally taken, that there was plenty of good land subject
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
to entry on the high land north or south of the river. We decided to look at Clay county the next day.
During the evening we were camped on the Blue near Waddells. A young man named Ab Wrager visited us. He said there was plenty of good vacant land in Clay county between the Blue and School creek, that he had a home- stead in Clay on Section 10-8-5 and that the rest of the section was vacant. He agreed to accompany us as guide the next day. Next morning we were up early, Wrager on hand ready to go with us. We drove south to the county line and visited John Kennedy, who lived in a dugout on the northeast quar- ter section 28-5, the rest of the section being vacant and good land. Mr. Garr and son Tom were pleased with this section. Next we visited Wrager's home- stead and sod house on N. one-half N. E. one-quarter 10-8-5. The rest of this section was vacant and good land. We drove south to School Creek and vis- ited A. A. Corey and A. K. Marsh on their homesteads on the creek, and also ealled on Luther 'French, who lived in a dugout on the south bank of the creek on an 80-acre farm, on which the original town of Sutton was after- ward loeated. The B. & M. railroad had two surveys through this part of Clay county, one on which the road was subsequently built, and one about three miles north, crossing section 15-8-5. After looking around all day we returned to the Blue to camp well pleased with Clay county. George and 1 decided to locate on section 10-8-5; the Garrs chose section 2-8-5, and Smith northwest of section 14-8-5, all close together. We had also taken the pre- cantion of making second and third choices of locations. The next thing to do was to return to Lincoln, make our filings at the government land office and prepare to settle on our claims as soon as possible. The next day we drove down to Beaver Crossing, where we camped and had a catfish for din- ner. We reached Lincoln next day too late to do any business at the land office, which closed at 4 o'clock. We were on hand the next morning when the land office opened at 8 o'clock and made our filings, all on our first choice locations. Mr. Smith and the Garrs having teams, had only to procure what they would need most on their homesteads, and were able to haul such as pro- visions, feed, stoves, plows, lumber, tools, etc., and return to their land for further operations. George and I having no teams, and good horses being scarce and high in Lincoln, we decided that I should return to Illinois and buy teams and wagons, harness and such other things as we might need on our homesteads, and return as soon as possible, while George would return with the Garrs, get some breaking done on our claims and plant corn and pota- toes and build some kind of a place for us to live in during the summer. I left Lincoln the next morning for Marshall, Ill., got to Monmonth, Ill., in the evening, stayed there all night, got out the next morning, reached St. Louis that evening, stayed there all night and reached home the next evening after being two nights and three days on the way. Train service and connections were miserable in the west at that time. I found mother and the family well and surprised to see me back. I at once began to look around for teams to buy, and purchased a fine team of four-year-old horses for $250. I went to Paris with this team, bought a new set of harness and a new wagon, and the first time I hitched them up they ran away, turned the wagon over, threw me
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
out and dislocated my shoulder; brother Bob took care of the team for me while I was laid up.
That runaway was a serious accident, as it crippled me for life in iny shoulder and left knee. Brother Bob decided to accompany me back to Ne- braska, and as soon as I was able to hobble around we began to get ready for the trip. I broke the runaway team and bought a pair of heavy mules, and such other things as we would need on the road and after we reached Ne- braska, I loaded up the covered wagon with a toolchest, messchest, trunk, bedding, clothing, provisions and feed for the teams, put the mules on the wagon and tied the horses behind, and we were ready to start, bidding mother and the girls good-bye, and then we were off for Nebraska. We reached Casey at noon and took dinner with brother John at the hotel. After visiting with John a couple of hours we bid him good-bye and proceeded on our way. That was the last time we ever saw John.
Along about sundown we found a good place to camp on a creek in the woods. By the time we had taken care of our teams, made coffee, ate supper and done the dishes it was dark and time to retire; we spread our bed on the ground and turned in, but the whippoorwills were having a concert that night, and their music disturbed our rest in the early part of the night. But we were up at daylight next morning, fed our horses, got breakfast, put things in the wagon, hooked up and pulled out again. The Ambraw river bottoms, which were almost impassable on account of recent overflow, presented a prob- lem, but we had good teams and light loads and pulled through all right. The roads were pretty good now until we reached the Mississippi bottom east of St. Louis, where for several miles the road was terrible, the main streets of East St. Louis being hub-deep with soft, slushy mud as black as coal could make them. We crossed the river on a ferry boat to St. Louis. To save time and reach Nebraska as soon as possible, we decided to ship our outfit to Ne- braska City on a boat. Looking along the levee we found a Missouri river boat loading for Omaha. The captain said he would carry us to Nebraska City for $55, which we paid and put the teams on board. The captain said he would pull out next day and that we would be in Nebraska City in eight days, that is, the boat was able to make 100 miles a day. We laid in provisions and feed accordingly-1,000 pounds of hay and twenty bushels of corn and oats and provisions for ourselves. We soon found out we could place no reliance on the captain's word. After we had been on the boat three days, and the boat was loaded down, a barge loaded with dressed pine lumber from Chicago, came alongside and tied up to our boat and about thirty niggers commenced to transfer 150,000 feet of lumber to our boat, which filled every foot of space between decks from the boilers back to the wheelhouse. The niggers stole every bit of food we had provided for the occasion; they also eut the new leather halter straps off our horses to make belts for their worthless bodies. When there was no more room for a pound of freight, the boat pulled out for Omaha. Instead of taking any more chances of having our provisions stolen, we arranged to take our meals up in the cabin at fifty cents each. The boat stopped at every wood yard for fuel and at every town to put off freight. It put off fifty hogsheads of sugar at Kansas City and 800 kegs of nails at St. Joseph. The boat was stuck on sand bars about half the time, but we finally
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
reached Nebraska at Rulo, where the lumber was taken off, which lightened the boat considerably, and it was able to make better time, The next stop was Nebraska City, which we reached after being on the boat twenty-one days, mighty glad to get off. Our horses and mules were in bad shape, as they had not laid down while on the boat, because they were located back of the wheel which throwed water under them. As soon as the horses and mules were on the ground, they dropped down to roll in the dirt, and seemed glad to get off the boat, where they had been on short feed for three days. After we had procured some grain and provisions we drove out and camped near the Mor- ton place and pieketed our horses on the prairie and picked wild strawberries for supper.
We liked Arbor Lodge very much, but it was not for sale. A night's rest on the grass helped our horses and mules wonderfully, the swelling in their legs being greatly reduced. We decided to proceed toward Lincoln. After breakfast we hitched up and drove slowly until noon, when we stopped for rest and refreshment. At one o'clock we hitched up and were on the road again, and at six o'clock we were twenty-five miles west of Nebraska City and thirty miles from Lincoln. We camped for the night on the bank of a small creek, where we found good grass for our teams and fuel to make a fire to cook our supper and breakfast. We got an early start next morning and made good time, about eighteen miles by noon, when we halted for rest and dinner. We reached East Lincoln about sunset and camped on the creek for the night. The next morning we drove into town and put our teams in a barn while we did some trading. We had prepared a list of things needed on the homestead, such as a breaking plow, cook stove and utensils, water barrel, tub and washboard, soap, ammunition for muzzle-loading gun, lumber for a small table and some nails, flour, provisions and feed. When we got all this stuff on the wagon, we had a full load and were ready to pull out for Clay county. We drove out on the Milford road about six miles and camped for the night. The next night we camped on the Blue west of Beaver Crossing, and the next evening we arrived at the R. L. Garr homestead on the north- west quarter section of 2-8-5, School Creek township, where we found brother George and the Garr family, including Mr. and Mrs. Garr, two sons and six daughters, three of them young ladies, who gave us a cordial greeting and invitation to supper. It looked encouraging. We accepted the invitation as it was getting late, and also decided to stay over night and go to the Brown's ranch two miles south next morning. While we were at breakfast someone noticed a mother elk with a young one by her side going west slowly. Some of the boys suggested to Ben Garr that he might catch the little elk. Ben struck out on foot after the elk, but was unable to overtake it. The mother elk ran off and left the little one ; seeing there was a possibility of getting the young elk, I mounted a horse and went after it, soon running it down. When the little thing could go no further, he sereamed for help and dived into a bunch of tall grass and laid there until Ben eame up and eaptured him and carried him to the house. The Garrs had two fresh cows, and the young elk soon learned to drink milk and thrived until it was a big elk with horns and a little dangeron- to have the place. They sold him to Simon Kelly of Lin-
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
coln for fifty dollars. Kelley had a match for him and broke them to harness to drive on a buggy.
George, Bob and I took dinner on my homestead on the 2nd day of June. During my absence George had hired Bob Waddell to break ten acres for thirty dollars, which he put in corn, which now was up and growing nicely ; he had also planted some potatoes, had built a shed by digging into the hill- side about sixteen feet square, putting np six forks and ridge poles on which were placed pole rafters, brush and hay for the roof, and under this shed we lived until we got our dugout ready to move into. The water question was one that troubled us a good deal, as we had to go to the Blue for every drop we used, and our horses and mules drank therefrom until we could get a well dug. Mr. Garr and family were in the same fix for water, except that they had only two miles to go while we had four to go with only one barrel and a tub to hold water. Mr. Garr had been trying for six weeks to find somebody to dig him a well, but had failed. But we must have water or quit business ; we decided that Mr. Garr should take his team, go to Lincoln and buy a well auger and bring it back with him Our daily program was to keep the mule team breaking sod, one of us to take a plow lay to Charley White's black- smith shop on the Blue, four miles east. In order to reach the shop early, get the lay sharpened and get back before noon it was necessary to start at four o'clock on foot, as the horses were needed for other purposes. After dinner George and I worked on the sod house until four o'clock, when we drove to the Blue river for water and fuel. This with the cooking and washing kept us busy.
After Mr. Garr had been gone about a week he returned from Lincoln with a well-boring outfit and tubing for a 100-foot well. He and his boys began work on his well the next day, and as soon as his well was completed. we were to have the rigging. It was necessary to make a trip to Lincoln for tubing for the well, sash and Inmber for our dugout and furniture, and provi- sions. When we got back from Lincoln Mr. Garr had his well completed and plenty of good water. We got the well-boring outfit home and went to work as soon as possible, and in about a week we had our well down eighty-five feet and with plenty of good water and a great improvement on hauling from the river. We soon got our dugout completed and moved into it and were more comfortably fixed. On our last trip to Lincoln we brought a dozen hens and some eggs; it was impossible to get eggs at home. We bought butter from Mrs. John Kennedy who owned two cows, and she gave us sour milk, which we used in making cakes and dutch cheese.
We kept the breaking plow going until the ground was dry and hard, and when we stopped we had ninety acres broke. There was a celebration July 4th in Wescott's grove on the Blue. George, Bob and I went and took the Garr girls. There was a good crowd and all enjoyed the picnic dinner. They had martial music, singing, speaking and dancing. Refreshment stands sold liquor, but I saw no one intoxicated.
We raised no garden, except potatoes, which were fine. We bought a dozen young chickens from Mrs. Hunter, but they proved to be all roosters, so we killed them and ate them all but one which we kept to crow, as it gave the place a homelike appearance. We needed a good milk cow and decided
ยท
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
to buy one at the first opportunity. We heard that Unele Johnny Brown on the Blue had a fresh cow for sale, and I went to see her. She was a very large, fine cow, and I bought her for fifty dollars and led her home. She gave a lot of milk, but we were poorly fixed for handling milk in warm weather. But we had plenty of fresh milk and made what butter and dutch cheese we could use, which was a great help to us when meat was scarce and hard to get.
The B. & M. railroad was being constructed west of Crete, the grading was being done on the line on the land on which Sutton was subsequently lo- cated. The people in this vicinity expected that a station would be located in School Creek valley, but the town site company located a station four miles east and called it Grafton. After the track had been laid through his home- stead, Luther French surveyed and laid ont the original town of Sutton and people began to locate and do business.
When the dry weather came on the last of July, our ten acres of corn which looked fine, began to fail and in August we cut it up to save the fod- der. We hired Bob Waddell to come and cut and rake hay for two days, which we hauled and stacked near the house for our horses and cow during winter, but the buffalo gnats nearly ate us up; only those who have encount- ered them can form any idea of the buffalo gnats. But they soon disap- peared. As we had decided to bring mother and the girls out in the spring, it was necessary that we have more house room. Our dugont was 16x24 in- side, so we decided to build a sod addition 16x16 on the south end. We got to work on it and in about four weeks had it ready to move into. We put the cook stove in the new addition and used it as a dining room. Our summer house we fixed up for a stable for our horses and cow, and were now pretty well fixed for winter. Brother Bob decided to open a law office in Sutton; he built and occupied as an office the room sonth of Figi & Rauscher's store now used as a barber shop. Brother Charley came out from Illinois in the fall and located on the northwest quarter of 10-8-5. John Kennedy on the northeast quarter of 2-8-5 wanted to build a frame honse and I agreed to do the work at $2.50 per day and board. I made out the bill for the house, went to Lincoln and ordered the stuff from Monell & Lashley to be shipped to Sut- ton. About ten days later I received notice that the lumber was in Sutton, and Mr. Kennedy commenced to hanl it home and I commenced to work on his house. Charley and George got busy turning back the sod. broke during the summer to get the ground ready for erops next year.
The country around Sutton was rapidly filling up with settlers, and peo- ple began to talk about organizing and locating the county seat. At that time ('lay county was attached to Saline county for revenue and other pur- poses. The organization of the county and location of the county seat at Sutton would be a help to the town and county. A meeting of the citizens of this corner of the county was held in Sutton and a committee appointed to manage the business. R. G. Brown, J. R. Maltby, J. M. Gray and others whom I do not remember were members of the committee. A petition was circulated requesting Governor James to call an election for the organization and loca- tion of the county seat and election of county officers. The election was called for October 14, 1871, at the home of Alexander Campbell, two miles east of Harvard. Judges and clerks of election were appointed by the
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
governor. Previous to the election a caneus was held in Sutton and candi- dates for county offices nominated as follows: Commissioners, A. K. Marsh, Peter O. Norman and A. A. Corey; County clerk, F. M. Brown; Treasurer, Jos. Hollingsworth; Sheriff, P. T. Kearney; Judge, J. R. Maltby; Superin- tendent, James S. Schermerhorn; Coroner, Jacob Steinmetz. Election day was cold and snow was blowing from the north, keeping a good many voters at home. The official vote was fifty-six for Sutton and forty-three for other locations, and the Sutton candidates were all elected by about the same ma- jority. The returns of the election were sent Governor James, who issued cer- tificates of election to the officers elected. The next thing was for county offi- cers to quality by giving bond and taking the oath of office required by law. All the officers elected qualified except Mr. Hollingsworth, treasurer-elect, who refused and declined the office, cansing a vacancy. The county clerk called a meeting of county commissioners who organized by electing A. K. Marsh as chairman. The board appointed R. G. Brown county treasurer, to fill the vacancy, who qualified, but there was not a cent in the treasury/ The board decided to hold regular meetings once a month and arranged with R. G. Brown for the use of his office in which to hold meetings and transact county business, but there was very little business at that time. The commissioners authorized the county clerk to procure the necessary books and blanks for the use of the county. The order was sent to Des Moines and soon after the books came. Brother Charles was appointed county clerk (deputy) to take care of such business as required immediate attention. While I was at work on Mr. Kennedy's house, which we finished so that the family moved in the first of November, but it was several days before the job was completed. A heavy snow fell Nov. 16, and we did not see the ground again until April. Whenever the weather was fit, we went to the Blue for wood, and got up enough to do us until fall. One of the first official duties I had to perform was to examine, count, destroy and certify a sack full of wolf and wild cat scalps for John W. Langford of Spring Ranche. At that time the state was paying bounties of $1 on wolf and $2 on wild cat scalps. The law required that each scalp should be split between the ears and destroyed and the number of each and the name of the owner certified to the state auditor. This was no pleas- ant duty, the odor of those scalps would kill flies. In a few days after I re- ceived a state warrant for about $100 for Mr. Langford as bounty on scalps. When Langford called for his warrant, he asked how much he owed me. I said $1 for the certificate and $5 for destroynig the scalps. He never kicked, but paid and thanked me for my services. Atser that I counted the scalps and threw them into the fire. It was a cold winter and the country was covered with deep snow from the middle of November until the first of April. There was a good deal of corn, fodder and hay in the country and many deer came in from the west in search of food. We had ten acres of corn in the shock about half a mile from the house, a deer occasionally got a good meal on the corn and fodder. A deer had been living on this fodder for several weeks and could be seen almost any day out on the prairie west of the house. The only gun we had was a small muzzle loading shot gun, not a very reliable gun for long range shooting. One morning George noticed the deer lying on the snow about a quarter of a mile from the house. He decided to try a shot,
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