USA > Nebraska > History of Nebraska > Part 44
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The following are the first County Officers elected at the first general election held in the County, in 1862: Commissioners, P. Caldwell, T. Cline, and A. Duval; Clerk, Th. Freeman; Treasurer, - Tucker; Sheriff, W. Remington; Judge, J. S. Hunt; Surveyor, Tobias Castor.
At the same time, SWAN CITY, at the junction of Swan Creek with Turkey Creek, in the southeast corner of the County, was selected as the Seat of justice.
The first birth in the County was that of Victor Emmanuel Vifquain, on October 21, 1859. The first death was Thomas Dun-
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
can's, in 1860. The first marriage was that of Orion Johnson to Isabella West, on the 25th of March, 1861. The first school house was built on Vifqnain's farm, in 1864; Miss Mollie Hess being the first teacher. The first sermon was preached at the same place, by S. Caldwell.
First Representative from Saline County to the Legislature, J. E. Hunt (Democrat), in 1869; first Senator, J. W. Davis (Re- publican), in 1877: Delegate to Constitutional Convention, in 1871, Victor Vifquain.
A County agricultural society was organized in 1873. Fairs were held at Crete in 1873-74-75-77.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS .- The number of school districts is 107; school houses, ninety-eight; children of school age; males, 2,325, females, 2,162, total, 4,487; whole number that attended school during the year, 2,980; qualified teachers employed, males, sixty- nine, females, eighty-seven; value of school houses, $+2,756.65; value of sites, $2,096.75; value of books, and apparatus $1,974.35.
TAXABLE PROPERTY .- Acres of land, 335,192, average value per acre, $3.37; value of town lots, $262,233; money used in mer- chandise, $87,253; money invested in manufactures, $18,322; horses, 5,527, value $139,168; mules and asses, 412, value $11,780; neat cattle, 8,397, value, $73,841; sheep, 2,029, value $1,932; swine, 26,289, value, $25,387; vehicles, 2,119, value, $32,850; moneys and credits, $30,533; mortgages, $15,840; stocks etc., $21,385; furniture, $11,730; libraries, $876; property not enumer- ated, $74,276; railroads, $339,281.68; total valuation for 1879, $2,284,943.68
RAILROADS .- The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad runs from east to west through the northern portion, and from north to south through the eastern portion of the County.
LANDS .- Improved lands range from eight to thirty-five dol- per acre. The B. &. M. Railroad Company own about 40,000 acres in this County at from four to ten dollars per acre.
POPULATION .- The following are the Precincts and population of each in 1879: Crete, 2,022; Dorchester, 673; Lincoln, 616; Johnson Creek, 1,062; Turkey Creek, 607; Monroe, 489; Pleasant Hill, 918; Big Blue, 818; Wilbur, 1,388; Brush Creek, 756;
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
North Fork, 626; Atlanta, 446; Oliver, 234; South Fork, 562; Swan, 487; DeWitt, 713.
Total, 12,417, males, 7,271, females, 5,146. The population of the County in 1878, 10,453; increase in last year, 1,964.
WILBER,
The County Seat, is located in the valley of the Big Blue, and on the B. & M. Railroad, near the center of the County from north to south. It was laid out in 1872 and is growing rapidly, having at present 900 inhabitants. Within a radius of seven miles there are four grist mills, the mills at Wilbur having a capacity of 1,000 bushels daily. There are two newspapers-Record and Opposition, one bank, three grain elevators, five general stores, three hardware, three furniture and three drug stores, two lumber yards, three hotels, two livery stables, four blacksmiths, etc., a good Union school, and five Church societies, viz: Congregational, Methodist, Christian, Catholic and United Brethren.
CRETE
Is a beautiful city situated on the east bank of the Big Blue River, in the northeastern part of the County, and is also on the line of the B. & M. Railroad, a branch from which runs south from here to Beatrice, in Gage County. The town was laid out in 1870 and now has a population of 1,700. All lines of business are well represented, among which are four hotels, six general merchandise stores, five grocery, three drug, three hardware, five agricultural implement, three harness, four boot and shoe, and three furniture stores, three elevators, one grain house, three lumber and coal yards, one bank, two newspapers-the Union and Standard, one grist mill, one brewery, one windmill and pump manufactory, one brick yard, eleven lawyers, eight doctors, five real estate agents and six ministers. There are six Church buildings and three school houses. Doane College, conducted under the auspices of the Congregational- ists, is located here. This institution is now erecting a beautiful brick edifice, costing $10,000, to be called Merrill Hall. A number of other fine brick buildings are about to be erected here, among which are a three story hotel, to cost $6,000, and a bank building, to cost $7,000.
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DEWITT
Is a thriving town of 400 inhabitants, situated on the Beatrice Branch of the B. & M. Railroad, and in the valley of the Big Blue, at the mouth of Turkey Creek. It contains a weekly newspaper, -the Free Press, an excellent water-power flouring mill, grain elevator, and warehouses, several stores, fine school house, etc.
DORCHESTER
Is an enterprising town on the B. & M. Railroad, eight miles west of Crete. It was laid out in 1871 and contains at present about 300 inhabitants. There are here, four general stores, two drug and one grocery store, one coal and lumber yard, one steam elevator, one livery stable, one hotel, etc., a graded school, and two Church buildings, the Christian and Congregationalist.
FRIENDVILLE,
Located on the B. & M. Railroad, in the northwestern part of the County, was laid out in 1871, and now has a population of 500. It contains four general merchandise, three grocery, three hard- ware, two drug, one furnitute, two agricultural implement, two harness, three millinery and one shoe store, one newspaper, the Telegraph, two lumber yards, three grain warehouses, one jeweler, and many other business establishments. It also has three Churches and a large new school house. .
PLEASANT HILL
Is located on Spring Creek, about five miles northeast of the geo- graphical center of the County. It was laid out in 1868 and con- tains at present about 400 inhabitants. In 1870 Pleasant Hill was made the County Seat, which honor it retained until 1878. Busi- ness is generally well represented here. Near the town there are extensive limestone quarries, and large kilns for making lime. On Turkey Creek, within a mile of the town, there is a good grist mill.
EQUALITY, FAIRVIEW, ATLANTIC, GOLDRINSEY, VARNEY, SAXON, GIRARD, RICEVILLE and TABOR, are Postoffices in the County.
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA,
SEWARD COUNTY.
Seward, formerly Green County, was created in 1855 and organized in 1865. Its name was changed by an Act of the Leg- islature in 1862, in honor of Hon. Wm. H. Seward, the distin- guished statesman. It is located in the southeastern part of the State, in the third tier of Counties west of the Missouri River, and is bounded on the north by Butler, east by Lancaster, south by Saline, and west by York County, containing 576 square miles, or 368,640 acres.
WATER COURSES .- The County is finely watered by the Big Blue, and West Blue Rivers and tributaries. The Big Blue flows from northwest to southeast through the central portion of the County, and furnishes excellent mill advantages. The West Blue and tributaries water the southwestern townships; Lincoln Creek and branches, the northwestern townships, and Plum Creek, the northeastern townships of the County, besides which there are numerous smaller creeks and springs.
TIMBER .- Along the banks of the Blues and tributaries there is considerable native timber. The amount of forest timber planted in the County is estimated at 4,000 acres.
FRUIT .- No returns have been made. There are a large num- ber of fine orchards, however. The number of trees planted is estimated at 42,900.
BUILDING STONE of fair quality is found in several localities.
CHARACTER OF THE LAND .- About twelve per cent. of the County is valley, and the remainder rolling prairie and broad tables. Every stream has its wide, fertile bottoms, and from these the land rises gently, and mostly in even slopes, until the high, level tables, or undulating prairie are reached, the highest eleva- tion, however, seldom exceeding sixty feet from the bottoms. The soil throughout the County is a rich black loam, easily tilled, and very productive for all kinds of grain and vegetables.
CROPS .- In 1878 the wheat product was 578,588 bushels; rye, 51,320; barley, 166,860; oats, 257,290; flax, 14,050; corn, 1,863,- 360; potatoes, 70,356; broom corn, 62 tons.
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
HISTORICAL .- The first settlements in the County were made in 1859, by a number of persons who were on their way to Pike's Peak, but hearing adverse reports from the new Eldorado, they became discouraged and started across the country from the Platte River, in Butler County, to explore the Valley of the Blue.
Following that stream down to the junction of the West Blue, they located claims upon the beautifully timbered banks of the latter at what is now called West's Mills. In the following year a few more claims were located on the Big Blue, about half way between the present towns of Seward and Milford. This was the beginning of the settlement of what was then called Green County.
In 1861, J. L. Davison, Esq., of Milford, was appointed by the Legislature one of the Commissioners to locate a Territorial road between Nebraska City and Fort Kearney. This road crossed the Big Blue near where Camden now stands, and was a great con- venience to the through travel and heavy freight trains traversing the plains to the western posts.
Very few settlements were made during the years 1862-63. In 1864, the first flouring mill was erected in the County, on the West Blue, by Mr. Thomas West. The Camden Mills were built the same year, by Messrs. Parker & Roper. In 1865, the County settled up rapidly, and in all directions could be seen the breaking plow turning over the virgin soil, where to-day are many of the best improved farms in the State. In 1867, Messrs. Reed & Da- vidson erected flouring mills at Milford; and in 1868, H. L. Boyes began the erection of his mill at Seward.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS .- The number of districts is eighty-three; school houses, seventy-nine; children of school age-males, 1,842, females, 1,622, total, 3,464; whole number of children that attended school during the year, 2,390; qualified teachers employed-males, forty-three, females, eighty; wages paid teachers for the year- males, $4,947.60, females, $6,384.40; total, $10,432; value of school houses, $35,982; value of sites, $2,846; value of books and appa- ratus, $1,657.05.
TAXABLE PROPERTY .- Acres of land, 334,429; average value per aere, $3.20; value of town lots, $94,284; money used in merchandise, $36,435; money used in manufactures, $6,635; horses,
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
4,740, valne $118,101; mules and asses 453, value $12,009; neat cattle 6,648, value $57,212; sheep 1,855, value $1,810; swine 19,611, value $18,357; vehicles 1,557, value $23,802; moneys and credits, $6,101; mortgages, $25,388; stocks, $3,461; furniture, $5,890; libraries, $360; property not enumerated, $36,697; railroads, $107,- 532.69; total valuation for 1879, $1,628,492.99.
RAILROADS .- The Nebraska Railway passes through the County from east to west, a few miles north of the center line. The Lincoln & Northwestern Road, completed in 1879, enters the southeastern part of the County, and runs northerly through the central portion.
LANDS .- Improved lands are held at $7 to $25 per acre. The B. & M. R. R. Company have 40,000 acres for sale here, at $5 to $10 per acre.
POPULATION .- In 1870, the County had a population of 2,953; in 1875, 6,601; in 1878, 7,991; and in 1879, it was estimated at ยท9,389.
SEWARD,
The County Seat, is a prosperous city of 1,500 inhabitants. It is located on a fine plateau in the Valley of the Big Blue River, near the geographical center of the County, and at the intersection of the Nebraska and Lincoln & Northwestern Railways. At this point, Lincoln Creek on the west, and Plum Creek on the east, empty their waters into the Blue. The town site was laid out and surveyed in 1868, by T. Graham, Esq .; and during the summer of that year several buildings were erected, In 1870, the Nebraska Atlas, the pioneer journal of the County, was established here by Hon. O. T. B. Williams. One square of the town was set apart for a Court House, another for a market place, and a third for a high school. In addition to these, a public park, extending over five blocks, was laid out, which is now beautified with shade trees and shrubbery, and surrounded with a thick hedge of Osage orange.
Seward is surrounded with a splendid and thickly-settled farm- ing region, and is one of the best grain markets and commercial centers in the Valley of the Blue. It has many commodious briek business blocks, and nearly all branches of trade are represented.
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
The State Bank building is an elegantly finished structure. The High School building, constructed of brick and stone, is a model of beauty and elegance. Walker's Opera Hall, one of the best arranged places of amusement in the State, has a seating capacity of 1,000. The Church Societies represented are the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, Catholic, and United Breth- ren. Four newspapers are published here, the Reporter, Advocate, Blade, and Atlas.
MILFORD,
Situated in the Valley of the Big Blue, about ten miles south of Seward, contains several hundred inhabitants. It was the recog- nized County Seat from 1865 until 1871, when the offices and records were removed to Seward. A substantial iron bridge, cost- ing $10,000, spans the river at this point. For a distance of one mile above and four miles below Milford, the waters of the Blue roll over a bed of solid rock, and afford the finest advantages for manufacturing enterprises. A large flouring mill is already in operation here. An excellent white and blue limestone, easily worked and susceptible of a high polish, is quarried near the town, on the south. The religious organizations are the Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists and Presbyterians. The Lincoln and Northwestern Railroad was built to Milford in the fall of 1879, and grain elevators, depots and many other substantial improve- ments are now under way.
BEAVER CROSSING
Is a promising village, situated on the West Blue, near the mouth of Beaver Creek, in the southwestern part of the County. A good flouring mill is located here.
CAMDEN
Is a small village located on the Big Blue in the southeastern part of the County. It was settled in 1864. A good flouring mill is in operation here.
UTICA,
Located on the Nebraska Railway, in the western part of the County, has 300 population, and is a rapidly growing town.
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
WEST'S MILL, GERMANTOWN, GLENDALE, STAPLEHURST, ORTON, MARYSVILLE, BATESVILLE, and OAK GROVES, are Postoffices in the County.
There are eight flouring mills in the County and ten Churches.
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SHERMAN COUNTY.
Sherman County was organized by proclamation of Governor Furnas, January 13, 1873. It is located in the central part of the State, in the seventh tier of Counties west of the Missouri River, and is bounded on the north by Valley, east by Howard, south by Buffalo, and west by Custer County, containing 576 square miles, or 368,648 acres.
WATER COURSES .- The Middle Loup River, from four to five hundred feet wide, flows through the central portion of the County, from northwest to southeast. Its tributaries are Brown, Cobb, Moon, Coal, Chapman, Wiggle, Cook, Hays, Dead Horse, Davis, Oak and Turkey Creeks. The Sweetwater and tributaries, Dry, Clear and Red Run Creeks, water the southern portion of the County. Mill privileges are numerous.
TIMBER .-- Small quantities of native timber are found along the streams and in the ravines and gulches. 183 acres, or 106,300 forest trees are reported under cultivation.
FRUIT .- Various wild fruits grow in profusion along the streams. During the present year a large number of fruit trees have been planted.
CHARACTER OF THE LAND .- Twenty-five per cent. of the County is Valley and bottom; forty-five per cent. is made up of tables, parks, and undulating prairie; and the balance is consider- ably broken, but admirably adapted to grazing. The Valley of the Loup averages about three miles in width. The tables are from three to ten miles in extent, and are as level as a plain. The broken districts are coursed by hundreds of gulches and canons, affording perfect winter shelter for herds. The buffalo and mes- quite grasses cover the hills and plains. The soil on the uplands is a vegetable mould, and ranges from fifteen to thirty inches in depth.
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
CROPS .- Area under cultivation reported for 1879, 6,535 acres. Winter wheat, forty acres, 423 bushels; spring wheat, 2,422 acres, 34,643 bushels; rye, 318 acres, 3,356 bushels; corn, 1,633 acres, 34,781 bushels; barley, 195 acres, 4,812 bushels; sorghum, eleven acres, 803 gallons; potatoes, sixty-four acres, 8,091 bushels; to- bacco, one-fourth acre, 220 pounds.
HISTORICAL .- The first permanent settlements in the County were made on the Middle Loup, near the County Seat, in 1872. Among the first to take claims were O. S. Brown, Ed. Neilson, M. W. Benschoter, H. W. Humes, T. N. Johnson, P. Carlton, C. E. Webster, and Wm. Young, who nearly all arrived early in 1872, and taking their choice of lands in the fertile Valley of the Lonp, at once began the erection of houses for themselves and shelter for their stock. Before the close of the year, many additional settlers had arrived, some taking claims lower down on the Loup, others on Oak Creek, while a few pushed still further west, to the fertile bottoms of the Beaver, in the southwestern part of the County. By the following spring the settlements were numerous.
The first election for the organization of the County was held on April 1st, 1873, and resulted in the selection of Loup City as the County Seat, and the election of the following Board of County Officers: Commissioners, M. W. Benschoter, Ed. Neilson, Matt. Coleman; Probate Judge, R. W. Russell; County Clerk, W. Walt; Sheriff, M. A. Hartley; Treasurer, C. E. Rosseter; Super- intendent of Public Instruction, T. N. Johnston; Coroner, Peter Keitges.
Good school houses were among the first improvements made in the County. Wherever the settlements came closely together, a comfortable school house was erected for the education of the children; and the educational interests of the County have since kept pace with its growth. At present, the number of school dis- tricts is twenty-one; number of school buildings, eleven; number of children of school age, 438. Total value of school property, $3,965.
Religious services have been regularly held in the County since its organization. Various Church Societies have been organ- ized, representing the several denominations, the majority of which hold regular weekly meetings and Sunday schools in the different 36
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
school houses. There are at present six flourishing Sunday schools in the County, and two Church buildings-the Methodist Episco- pal and United Brethren.
Indians from the Agencies in the northwestern and northern parts of the State, were in the habit of roaming through this country in bands, and about the time of the first settlement of the County, committing depredations and annoying the settlers greatly, but seldom doing any serious mischief. In 1872, E. Neilson was shot in the face, and seriously, though not fatally injured, by some Indians on the Loup River, near the present location of Loup City.
The first death in the County was the infant son of William Davis, in July, 1873.
The first birth was Alexander Dewooddy, son of Nelson De- wooddy, in November, 1873.
The first marriage was Mr. Frank Ingram to Miss Fannie I. Taylor, December 18, 1873.
The first term of the District Court held in the County, was commenced on March 3d, 1876.
TAXABLE PROPERTY .- Acres of land, 151,865; average value per acre, $2.96. Value of town lots, $9,159. Money invested in merchandise, $5,840; money used in manufactures, $100; horses, 382, value $17,082; mules, sixty five, value, $3,957; neat cattle, 1,283, value $16,282; sheep 169, value $253; swine 658, valne $1,127; vehicles 181, value $4,883; moneys and credits, $2,708; mortgages, $430; furniture, $3,431.50; libraries, $37; property not enumerated, $4,819.50; total valuation for 1879, $156,903.75.
LANDS .- There is still a large amount of good Government land in this County. The Burlington and Missouri Railroad Com- pany owns 80,000 acres here, for which they ask from $1 to $5 per acre.
POPULATION .- The following are the Precincts and population of each in 1879: Upper Loup, 456; Lower Loup, 187; Oak Creek, 129; Hayestown, 145; Clear Creek, 203.
Total, 1,120,-males, 652, females, 468.
LOUP CITY,
The County Seat, is situated on the east bank of the Middle Loup, near the geographical center of the County. It contains about 250
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
inhabitants, has a weekly paper-the Times, an excellent hotel, Court House, school house, two Churches and several business houses. A good bridge crosses the river here.
ROCKVILLE, HAYESTOWN, CEDARVILLE, FITZALON, and AUSTIN are new towns, each having a Postoffice, general store, blacksmith shop and school house.
STANTON COUNTY.
Stanton County was created in 1861 and organized in 1866. It is located in the northeastern part of the State, in the third tier of Counties west of the Missouri River, bounded on the north by Wayne, east by Cuming, south by Colfax and Platte, and west by Madison County, containing 432 square miles, or 276,480 acres.
WATER COURSES .- The Elkhorn River enters the County on its western border, about seven miles from its north line, and flows in a southeasterly direction several miles when it bends to the northeast and passes out of the County, almost due east from where it enters; or in other words, its course through the County resembles in shape the letter V. Tributary to the Elkhorn on the north are Humbug, Indian, Muskatine and Pleasant Run Creeks, while on the south are the Union, Cedar and Butterfly Creeks, having their source from a system of springs mostly within the borders of the County. There are several excellent water-powers.
TIMBER .- Along the Elkhorn and its tributaries there are con- siderable belts of timber embracing the cottonwood, elm, ash, oak, box-elder and hackberry varieties. There are 754 acres, or 1,100,- 500 forest trees, and twelve miles of hedge fence reported under cultivation.
FRUIT .- Very little has been done as yet in the way of fruit culture. 468 apple, three pear, thirty-four peach, twenty-one plum, thirty-five cherry trees, and seven acres of grape vines, are returned.
CHARACTER OF THE LAND .- Thirty per cent. of the County is valley and bottom, and the balance gently rolling prairie, with occasional bluff along the river. The Valley of the Elkhorn at this
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point ranges from three to five miles in width. The larger tribu- taries also have fine bottoms. The south half of the County con- sists chiefly of undulating prairie, possessing a rich soil, well adapted to the growth of the different cereals, vegetables and fruits.
CROPS .- The area under cultivation reported for 1879 was, 14,976 acres. Winter wheat, ten acres, sixty bushels; spring wheat, 7,745 acres, 88,828 bushels; rye, 363 acres, 4,935 bushels; corn, 4,756 acres, 136,730 bushels; barley, 424 acres, 9,747 bushels; oats, 1,571 acres, 13,888 bushels; sorghum, four and three-eighth acres, 437 gallons; potatoes, seventy-nine acres, 6,715 bushels.
HISTORICAL .- Among the first permanent settlers of the County, were C. F. Sharp, M. B. Sharp, F. M. Scott, and Jacob Hoffman, who, in September, 1865, located homesteads on Humbug Creek, near the present town of Stanton. After selecting their claims, the Sharps returned to their former homes, where they re- mained until the spring following, when they returned with their families. Scott and Hoffman remained on their claims, and em- ployed their time, during the winter of 1865-6, in building log houses for their families, and in making other preparations for improving their lands.
At the first election for County Officers, held in the fall of 1866, Paul Heyse was elected Clerk; Jacob Hoffman, Treasurer; Joshua Maltby, Probate Judge; M. B. Sharp, Sheriff; and F. M. Scott, J. R. Layton, and W. D. Whalen, Commissioners; the num- ber of votes cast being seventeen.
From its organization till the close of 1870, Stanton County received its share of the immigration into the State. Since then, there has been very little increase in its population, owing to the fact that a very large portion of the land not being taken at the public land sales prior to 1870, were subject to private sale, and being very desirable, they were rapidly secured by speculators and railway companies, who at the present time own nearly or quite three-fourths of all the land in the County. These lands being held at prices considerably above the views of buyers, served to divert immigration in other directions; and as a result, actual set- tlers turned their attention to the Counties adjoining, where home- steads were secured at more advantageous terms.
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