USA > Nebraska > Richardson County > History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions > Part 19
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One of the very earliest settlers in this part of the county was J. E. Crowe, who for a number of years carried on farming operations in this
203
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
precinct on an extensive scale. About 1868 Mr. Crowe sold the greater part of his fine tract of three or four thousand acres, and his fine farm, known and famed in the west end of the county as the "Crowe Farm" to Capt. W. T. Wilhite, who occupied it for many years and was ably assisted for a time in its cultivation by his brother, Hon. J. R. Wilhite, afterwards and for many years county judge of the county and now a resident of Falls Citv. About the same time a brother of Mr. Crowe-John Crowe-opened a fine large farm in the same neighborhood.
Barney Mullen, James Cornelius and J. Corwin Fergus and E. C. Hill, Sr., were early and substantial settlers of this precinct and possessed of many hundred of acres of the finest land in the precinct, the two former of whom are still living residents of the county.
The prairie land of this precinct was exceptionally fine and smooth. The attention of farmers in this locality has heretofore been turned largely to the cultivation of wheat, which succeeds well.
The stock both of cattle and hogs of this precinct is of a superior quality, owing to the enterprise and intelligence of the leading farmers in improving breeds.
This locality, being remote from market, its growth was for a time greatly retarded; but this inconvenience was removed by the building of the town of Humboldt, which immediately, by its rapid growth, supplied the facilities for buying and selling so essential to successful farming. The improvements made have been generally of most substantial character and the precinct is amply supplied with school houses and churches.
The postoffice at Monterey in the early days accommodated the people with mail facilities but in these later days the rural mail routes supply each . farmer with the mail he receives.
Porter precinct is now in the forefront of the precincts of the county, having as small a percentage as any of unusable lands and is the home of some of the wealthy and most extensive farmers of the county.
LIBERTY PRECINCT.
Liberty precinct lies immediately north of Salem, and was part of Salem and Muddy precincts until 1869, when the county commissioners in revising precinct boundaries, determined, as far as practicable, to constitute each township of lands within the county a voting precinct. Thus, Liberty came into existence and consists of the territory embraced in township 2 of range No. 15. Each township in the county at this time, 1917, constitutes a voting precinct.
204
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
The precinct occupies the divide between the Muddy and Nemaha. The railroad village of Verdon, located in this precinct with the coming of the Missouri-Pacific railroad in 1882, has grown to be one of the very prettiest of the towns of the county and has a fine business section, well built up, and many beautiful homes.
The lands of the precinct are mostly uplands, and are very well situated for agricultural purposes.
The Muddy creek flows through the northern part of the precinct. Some of the earliest settlements of the county were made in this precinct. Of these were: Mr. Borden, on the Muddy, who came into the precinct in 1855; John and Charles Cornell, who came in 1857: John S. Ewing, William Kinser and Robert Worley, who settled there in 1858.
SALEM PRECINCT.
Salem precinct is composed of township No. 1, range No. 15, and com- prises some of the choicest lands and one of the oldest settlements of the county. The town of Salem is one of the first in the county. In the sum- mer of 1857 there was already quite a village there with stores, postoffice and blacksmith shop. It is said that one son of Vulcan, who presided over a pioneer forge at this place, was often complained of by his customers with having charged exorbitant prices for his work. Upon one occasion one of them remarked that he "ought to make a pretty good living at such prices for his work." With a fine blending of humor and impudence he replied: "I didn't come away out here to make a living, but to make a raise."
Among the early settlers in Salem and pioneers in the mercantile busi- ness in this county were J. Cass Lincoln and John Holt, who built up one of the most extensive businesses in the county and were powerful men in the formative period in this county. The town of Salem is situated in the forks of the Great Nemaha river and possesses many natural advantages. It is the first station west of Falls City located on the main line of the Burlington & Missouri River railroad. The first flouring-mill of the county was located at this point and continued in business until recent years, when, on account of the installation of the drainage system, when the waters were diverted, it dis- continued business.
Many of the earlier settlers of the county resided at Salem or along the Nemaha. Among them were: J. C. Lincoln, John Holt, Mr. Pierce, F. . 1. Tisdel, Sr., D. A. Tisdel, A. J. Currence, Doctor Brooke, Oliver Jennings,
205
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
and of the farmers, A. S. Russell, Washington Whiting, James Billings, Andrew Ogden and Abner Boyd.
Many of the earlier settlers of this precinct were from the adjoining state of Missouri, and brought with them their customs of that section, one of which was a weekly shooting match, which usually occurred on Saturday afternoons, when the adult male population assembled in some grove and engaged in the manly sport of shooting at a mark with rifles, the prize usually being a quarter of beef or a plump, fat turkey. These gatherings were invari- ably jolly and sociable, and sometimes under the exhilarating influence of a little "old rye," became decidedly lively. During the summer of 1857 those matters were quite popular; but now, alas, owing to the sad and degenerate times into which we have fallen, they have totally disappeared, and instead the young men play baseball and the older ones talk politics or war, all of which goes to demonstrate that man is a progressive animal.
All along the bluffs of the Nemaha an abundance of building stone is found. The lands north of the Nemaha are very fine, reclining to the south with an undulating surface, a deep, rich soil, and are well improved. On the south side of the Nemaha are several beautiful streams, with very fine valleys; Rock creek is the largest of these and its valleys afford some of the most beautiful situations and richest and most valuable lands in the state.
Contrary creek is another fine stream, with a considerable amount of timber skirting its banks. It was so named by Jesse Crook, a pioneer, who, on coming to it for the first time, was struck with its apparent contrary course in its meandering.
The fair grounds of the old-time Richardson County Agricultural Society, were located near the town of Salem and the fairs which were held at this beautiful place annually from the very earliest times, were the best attended in the state and the meetings were looked forward to each year with the greatest interest. Those annual fairs had an educational value to an agri- cultural community such as ours, that has been wholly lacking in the modern meetings which have sought to take their places. Salem precinct with her manifold natural advantages and intelligent population, has always kept even with the development of our county and her place as one of our best precincts will always be secure.
GRANT PRECINCT.
When the board of county commissioners organized this precinct they conceived the noble and patriotic idea of doing a special honor to the hero
206
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
of Appomatox, and so they called this little territory of thirty-six sections, Grant. The names of individuals, more or less distinguished, have been attached to nine of the fifteen precincts composing the county.
These have been most appropriately arranged in groups or pairs as fol- lows: In the west we find two eminent Germans, Humboldt and Speiser. In the east two distinguished Frenchmen, Rouleau and Arago. In the center two celebrated Americans, Grant and Porter. In the northeast a pair of rare examples of goodness and virtue, St. Stephens and Barada, and in the north- west the philosopher, who chained the lightning and brought the subtle electric fluid from the clouds-Franklin.
Notwithstanding that the subject of this article is honored with the name of the great Ulysses, yet its greatness is not all in its name. It contains an enterprising community of several thousand people, good soil, water, wood, stone, etc. It has the elements of wealth and consequent greatness within itself. The north fork of the Great Nemaha runs through the south part of the precinct, affording wood, water and a splendid mill site.
The Burlington & Missouri River railroad runs through this portion of the precinct along the Nemaha valley. The company located the depot and station about a half mile north of what was known as the Dawson Mills, where one of the best of the smaller towns of the county now stands.
The village is located about half way between Humboldt and Salem. The southwest portion of Grant precinct extends to and includes the south fork of the Nemaha in the vicinity of Miles' ranch. This ranch, or farm, embraces several thousand acres and was founded by Stephen B. Miles, Sr., a wealthy man and one of the older citizens of the county, and is still owned intact by a son. Joseph H. Miles, and his sons, Stephen and Warren. Mr. Miles has erected some of the best buildings of the county upon the ranch. The original owner, S. B. Miles, Sr., made his home on this ranch for years and gave his personal attention to its development. . There was for years in the earlier times a good store building containing an extensive stock of goods in this vicinity, the proprietor of which was Warren Cooper.
This precinct contains a goodly supply of timber situated on the Nemaha also a good proportion of bottom and upland. The general features are much the same as in adjoining townships, with a better quality and a greater quan- tity of building stone.
The land, for the most part, except along the water courses, was occu- pied as homesteads under the act of Congress, and these homesteads, in all instances have been converted into homes of substantial farmers. School
207
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
houses have been built and schools are maintained in all the districts. The first settlements of the precinct were made along the streams, but extended rapidly to the high prairies or divides.
GRANT, A "DIM-MY-CRAT, AV COORSE."
There was a settlement embracing a considerable number of families from the Emerald Isle established in this locality. It was at this settlement that a sơn of Erin was accosted on the day following the presidential election in November, 1868, by a bearer of returns from another precinct with "How did this precinct go?" Pat answered readily, "All right, to be shure." "Yes, but what do you call 'all right' "? "Dim-my-cratic, av coorse." "Well, what majority did you give?" "Ten majority for Grant, be jabers." The inter- rogator, thinking that Patrick was getting political matters "slightly mixed," passed on with his returns and an incident of the election, which he thought would be worth repeating when he reached town.
With the completion of the railroad and the increased facilities for trans- portation, this precinct like all others along the line of railway, received a new impetus in its development.
The citizens looked forward with anxiety for the coming of the iron horse and in due time their desires were realized.
SPEISER TOWNSHIP.
Speiser township is in the extreme corner of the county and is one of the oldest townships of the county. In its earliest period it embraced almost the west third of the present county. The lands are, many of them, very fine; the soil rich and well adapted- to the raising of western staples, and especially wheat and corn, of which large quantities are annually produced.
The south fork of the Nemaha with its tributaries, Easley creek, Four Mile and other small creeks afford an ample supply of water. It, like most of the western portion of the county is well supplied with all kinds of the best building stone. In the earlier years a quantity of good coal was suc- cessfully mined and supplied the farmers and the people at Humboldt and surrounding towns with ample fuel.
Among the early settlers and substantial farmers were: George Gird, at one time county commissioner ; H. Holcombe, Hon. O. P. Dunning, S. M. Duryea, Peter and John Fankhauser, Jacob Hunzer, J. U. Hunzeker, David Speiser, Sr., for whom the township was named, and Thomas F. Brown and
208
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
Christian Bobst. This precinct has more than kept pace with other portions of the county in settlement and general improvement.
A large number of Germans and Swiss settled in this precinct along Four Mile and Dry Branch and the Nemaha, and by their industry and perse- verance have done much to develop this part of the county.
Middleburg, on the south Nemaha, was the postoffice, presided over for many years by Uncle Jacob Frey, a pioneer, and where the citizens of Speiser received their mail. The office was in later years discontinued and the place known as Middleburg is no more, except in name.
The people of this precinct are blessed with a number of the best of country schools, which have always been in the hands of very competent instructors. and where the young idea is taught to "shoot."
Speiser has always been an important section of the county and the people residing there have in all the years, played a leading part in the affairs of the county.
NEMAHA PRECINCT.
It was most fitting that one of the precincts of the county should bear the name of the great river which traverses and drains the county from one end to the other, the Great Nemaha river, mentioned by the first white men to explore the country, as they passed by on the Missouri and known to the Indians for centuries before.
Ne-ma-ha is an Indian name and the word belongs to and is a part of the language of the Omaha Indians of this state. The tribe is now on a reservation north of the city of Omaha in this state and that city was named in their honor.
Henry Fontenelle, a descendant of the early French Indian fur traders and related to the Omaha tribe of Indians, in his writings of the word Nemaha, says: "Ne-ma-ha": Name of Nemaha river, meaning "Omaha's river." From this it would seem that the prefix "Ne" before "maha" indicated the possessive, meaning "river of the Omahas." Whether this tribe of Indians ever had any connection with this part of the state is more than we are able to say, but from a perusal of the earliest maps obtainable, always will be found the name "Nemaha" in reference to the river so well known in Richardson county.
Nemaha is one of the best watered townships in the county. The South Fork of the Nemaha runs through the entire northern part of the precinct, and Honey, Rattlesnake, Easley, and Four Mile creeks all empty into the
BRATTON UNION OR CENTRALIZED PUBLIC SCHOOL, FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.
209
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASK.A.
Nemaha from the south. Portions of the precinct afford very fine farming land, while some parts are rough, but all can be used for grazing. There is an abundance of stone in this vicinity, affording cheap and desirable building material.
In the early days a flouring and grist mill and postoffice at Well's mills, accommodated the community. of that part of the county with the staff of life and mail facilities.
The Wells family of that precinct established the mills about 1860 and were among the first settlers of that locality. David Barrow was a one-time proprietor of the mills. Hon. O. C. Jones was one of the early settlers of that region. There was a population in 1870 of about four hundred within the limits of the precinct, and about sixty improved places or farms.
COLONIZED BY SWISS IMMIGRANTS.
The many hills, winding streams and sequestered valleys of Nemaha and Speiser precincts proved an incentive to the rugged and honest moun- taineers of Switzerland in the pioneer days, and many of them with their characteristic love of freedom and industry, settled among the hills and breaks of a wilderness between the Nemahas, where few of the native born would have cared to undertake the task of making homes. Most of the dauntless pioneers who first settled along the state line in these precincts have long since passed to their reward, leaving behind to the younger gen- eration the legacy of rich homes, nestling in sheltered valleys that would be the envy of an old world prince.
Among the early settlers of this precinct were the Wittwer brothers, John and Gottlieb, soon to be followed by their other brothers, Frederick, David and Christian, and William Wrighton, who came in the late fifties. The farm homes at that time were few and far between. Middleburg (in the edge of Speiser) was in full bloom as a town, with a sawmill owned by Peter Emeigh and a store run by a Mr. Tindale. The sawmill and store moved away and left nothing but a postoffice, which, with a town hall used for dancing and social entertainments, remained for years. The early set- tlers thought that they would always have all the range for cattle that they would need, but in a few years the range was fenced into well-improved farms. Salem was the nearest town, but two or three trips each year had to be made to St. Joseph for clothing and implements. During the year 1868 the first school district of the precinct as organized three miles square, known
(14)
210
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
as district No. 70, or the "Rattlesnake District." This district has always remained as originally laid out. The residents of this district made a "bee" and built a log school house near its center.
A subscription was taken up for the floor, doors and windows. The seats and desks were home-made. Charles Nelson taught the first school for twenty dollars per month and "board around." Twenty pupils were all that were enrolled. The first school board was composed of John Wittwer, Mr. Rodgers and William Wrighton. In 1879 the present house was built and furnished with all modern conveniences. The school population has grown until there has been as many as eighty in attendance and the teacher's wages have kept apace until fifty dollars is paid.
In 1873 a church was organized in the old log school house, that has been well attended ever since, and during the summer of 1895 a new church, twenty-eight by forty-five feet, was built, which is known as the Reformed church.
It is impossible at this time to give a complete and accurate list of the early Swiss pioneers of this precinct, but among those prominent and whom we now call to mind were, besides those enumerated: M. VonBergen, Julius Schmitt, Gottlieb, John and Fred Marmott, S. C. Duryea, John O. Stalder, Charles Dankmeyer and Frederick Feldman.
PORTER PRECINCT.
The story of the organization of Porter precinct is briefly told in the following minutes copied from the record of the commissioners court :
June Ist, 1861. Present : Thos. McIntyre, C. S. Cornell and Levi Forbes, commissioners.
The following petition was presented :
Petition.
Petition to organize and establish a Voting Precinct in Township Three range Fourteen signed by Twenty-six voters was presented to the Board of Commissioners, said voting place to be at the house of T. Workman and known as "Porter Precinct," all of which was granted by the Board .- From page 27 of Minute Book No. I of the records of the county clerk's office of Richardson county.
21I
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
PRECINCT POPULATION AT DIFFERENT DATES.
1870
1880
Arago precinct, including Arago village (a)
1,245
888
Arago village
364
154
Barada precinct, including Barada village
886
1,207
Barada village
70
Falls City precinct, including Falls City village (b) Falls City village
607
1,583
Franklin precinct
225
677
Grant precinct
515
739
605
1,627
Humboldt precinct, including Humboldt city Humboldt city
917
Liberty precinct
506
685
Muddy precinct
408
728
Nemaha precinct
404
566
Ohio precinct
622
921
Porter precinct
219
546
Rulo precinct, including Rulo village (b)
1,326
1,418
Rulo village
611
673
Saint Stephens precinct
601
484
Salem precinct, including Salem village
681
1,035
Salem village
304
473
Speiser precinct
3,38
691
Note .-- (a) Since 1870, parts to Falls City and Rulo.
(b) Since 1870,
from part of Arago.
RICHARDSON COUNTY POPULATION AT DIFFERENT DATES.
1855
1856
1860
1870
1874
1875
1876
299
532
2,385
9.780
15,000
15,000
11,327
1877
1878
1879
1880
1890
1900
1910
12,223
12,509
13,433
15,031
16,700
19,774
17,774
1
1
1
I
I
1
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
I
MUNICIPALITIES.
Villages incorporated by special act of Territorial Legislature from 1855 until the enactment of general incorporation laws in 1864-69 :
1 1,166
2,819
1
1
1
212
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
Archer
Richardson county
January 25. 1856
Salem
Richardson county
February 10, 1857
Rulo
Richardson county
November 1. 1858
St. Stephens
Richardson county
November 3, 1858
Arago
Richardson county January 10, 1860
Falls City
Richardson county
January 13. 1860
Reference to the charters of these cities discloses the fact that authority was generally vested in the city council, consisting of a mayor and three aldermen : a recorder, assessor, marshal and treasurer, all elective officers being chosen for a term of one year, by the voters of the entire village, the powers of these officers being specified in detail. The mayor was ex-officio police judge and the marshal. the officer of the court. The powers conferred were regulation of health. order licensing of various business and entertain- ments by an occupation tax, establishing of streets and alleys, and the fixing of penalties for violation. Funds were raised by selling at public auction by the marshal of lots upon which delinquent taxes were due and deeds for same were executed by the marshal or mayor. Under such charters the city government was allowed to borrow money for any purpose and in any amount, when authorized to do so by a two-thirds majority of the legal voters assembled in a regularly notified town meeting. General incorporation acts passed by the state Legislature in 1864 and 1869 made an end of the special legislation granting municipal charters to Nebraska cities and villages. While succeeding sessions of the Legislature have made many changes in the laws. yet the early plan of reposing authority in the mayor and council has largely remained.
TOWNSITES LOCATED FOR PUBLIC ALLOTMENT AND SALE.
Town.
Date. Acres.
Salem
May 22, 1858
200
Nemaha Falls
June 23.1858.
200.55
Geneva
July 20. 1858
320
Falls City
Aug. 16. 1858 320
Archer
Feb. 25. 1859
255.97
LIST OF TOWNS. CITIES AND VILLAGES IN 1869.
Name.
Section. Township.
Athens
17
2 .N.
Range. East of 6th p. m.
Arago
1 2
2 N.
East of 6th p. m.
213
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
Name.
Section.
Township. Range.
Archer
I
I N.
East of 6th p. m.
Dawson's Mill
22
East of 6th p. m.
Elmore
20
2 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Falls City
IO
I N.
East of 6th p. m.
Humboldt
3
2 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Long Branch
20
3 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Middleburg
25
I N.
East of 6th p. m.
Miles' Ranch
33
2 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Mills
1
IN.
East of 6th p. m.
Monond
19
2 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Monterey
17
3 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Nohart
34
I N.
East of 6th p. m.
St. Stephens
I
2 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Salem
1
3
IN.
East of 6th p. m.
Wells
31
2 N.
East of 6th p. m.
Williamsville
30
3 N.
East of 6th p. m.
POPULATION OF INCORPORATED TOWNS.
Name.
1900
1890
1880
1870
1860
Arago
154
364
193
Barada village
118
I47
70
886*
Dawson village
340
322
153
1,583
607
473
Franklin
Humboldt city
1,176
1,218
1,114
917
605*
Noraville village
93
Preston village
122
I49
786
673
611
440
St. Stephens
Salem
391
533
504
473
304
694
Shubert village
311
303
Speiser
394
Stella village
430
198
399
Verdon village
406
340
353
Falls City
-3.255
3,022
2,102
237
Rulo village
661
877
601*
tot
1
1
1
*Population of precinct or village not separated by census.
214
RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
MUNICIPAL DEBT.
Statement showing bonded indebtedness on Ist day of October, 1912:
City and Village. $126,500.00
School.
Drainage.
$4,508.00
$253,000.00
POPULATION AND INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS.
The total population of Richardson county, according to the 1910 census, is 17,448, of which 81.3 per cent is reported as rural. The density of the population is given as twenty-six per square mile. The rural population is uniformly distributed throughout the county. There has been a slight de- crease in the population since 1900.
Falls City, the county seat, with a reported population of 3,255, is located in the southeastern section at a junction of two railroads, and is a distributing point for farm implements and supplies. Humboldt, Rulo, Stella, Verdon, Salem, Preston, Dawson, and Shubert are other towns of local importance. Straussville is a, railroad point. Barada and Nim City are small inland towns.
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