History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 21

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742

USA > Nebraska > Richardson County > History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions > Part 21

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

With Judge Miller and Doctor Hutchins, I saw the spreading, vacant prairie again, and the crumbling town they helped to build. The old, van- ished life and surroundings came back to me like ghostly visitations, and so with all the others.

A little to the west on the south side of the creek, is the old camp meeting ground, where the pious Methodists of Archer and surrounding country used to repair every year to worship God in one of His first temples, according to the poet, a beautiful grove of young timber, but that, too, is gone. Without the grove the camping ground could not be located, or at least we could not do it, and so that, with the shadowy congregation that worshipped there in the long ago, have become mere misty and confused memory.

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We finally stood on the spot where the town once was. A plowshare had passed over it and in all the wide expanse about us, there was nothing that even whispered of the times when a bustling and energetic people lived there, except the graves of some of their dead.

But what of the others of the three hundred or more (and that was a considerable population for a town in those days), who inhabited, hoped, and wrought here? Gone, in their several and restless wanderings about the world and out of it, with only the two ladies I have mentioned above, remaining. The story of Archer is both pathetic and tragic.

TOWN OF STELLA.

By Miss Eunice Haskins.

Ancient history of Stella chronicles that the town had its beginning when, in August, 1881, a public meeting was held at the Muddy school house in the Tynan-Vandeventer district, where farmers of this locality and business men from Falls City discussed the proposition of trying to get a railroad and locate a new town at this point. A proposition was submitted to the Missouri Pacific Company and a few weeks later the pre- liminary survey for a road to run from Hiawatha to Omaha was made. Grading was begun September 6, and finished as far as Stella, November 25. The next month the track was laid and a switch put in. On Saturday, January 7, 1882, the station building was raised. From a mere switch Stella began to spread out, and in the fall of the same year there were twenty-five business firms in the new town. One thing necessary to the existence of the place was a postoffice and this was moved bodily to Stella from Dorrington, a star route office which stood on the corners one and a half miles west.

The first house erected in Stella belonged to Doctor Livingston and occupied a prominent position in the middle of what is now Main street. It was first built near the present site of the Lutheran church, but when the streets were laid out it was moved south onto a lot near the Christian church. The house was struck by lightning and burned in April, 1882. Mrs. Livingston was killed by the same bolt.

The pioneer merchants of Stella were Moore & Higgins, Graham & Easley and Hull & Coldren. John Higgins started the creamery and Nutter & Knapp were the first stock buyers, Metzger & Fisher the first millers.

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Nearly all the first stores were located on Second street, which runs southi of the lumber yard, but as the town grew it became evident that Main street, which runs lengthwise of the ridge on which the town is built, was a much better location for business houses, and the first merchants either moved their buildings or built new ones on that street.

The village of Stella was incorporated in 1882 and the first village board consisted of L. G. Ciphers, chairman; A. Graham, Sol. Jameson, John Higgins and G. M. Gates. C. M. Shepherd was clerk and George Smith, marshal, all of whom are dead or moved away long ago. Mr. Gates entered the ministry; he resides at University Place, and the past two years has preached at the Methodist church in Stella, on alternate Sundays.

The school district was organized in October, 1882. H. D. Weller was moderator: T. W. Moore, director; L. F. Quint, treasurer. Like the village officers. all are dead, or moved away. The first settlers in the town sent their children to the country to attend Muddy school in the Tynan- Vandeventer district, but in those days the Muddy school building was nearer town than now-located near the J. L. Hay's home, where D. S. Hinds now lives.

THE FIRST SCHOOL IN STELLA.

The first school in Stella was begun in July, 1884, in the Ferguson & Coldren hall, and continued with but one week's vacation until the next June. This hall was then located on the corner, east of the lumber yard. Later, it was moved to Main street, on the corner north of Martin's store, and there it was burned with several other buildings in the spring of 1908. The wife of the Rev. G. M. Gates was the first teacher.

A school house was built in 1884, on the hill east of town, on the site now occupied by C. M. Harrison's bungalow. This school building burned in the spring of 1889, and the remaining six weeks of the term were taught by the principal and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Lawson, as a private school in the Christian church.

A new building was erected on the site of the burned building, and school opened in it in November, 1889. In 1898, the school became so crowded that more space was necessary, and a school building was erected for the primary department. In 1914 this school building was converted into a residence by Alfred Shellenbarger.

In June, 1913, bonds were voted for a new building, and early in 1914. it was ready for occupancy, and "the bell on the hill" called for the last time. The new school building is modern, and with equipment and

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campus, has an approximate valuation of $20,000. The location is at the north end of Main street. Seven teachers are employed for the twelve grades. R. A. Clark is president of the school board; Mrs. I. L. Callison, secretary, and E. C. Roberts, treasurer. The other members are Mrs. Fred Gilbert, J. F. Folly and J. F. Weddle. Graduates of the school have reorgan- ized the alumni, and are endeavoring to build a strong society.

THE FIRST CHURCH IN STELLA.

The Baptist church at Prairie Union was the first religious organiza- tion in this part of the county. It was organized March 3, 1867. Within the corporation of Stella the Methodists are the oldest organization and they began the erection of their church in October, 1882. The edifice was dedicated on Sunday, August 26, 1883, and the first pastor was Rev. G. W. Southwell. The next denomination to establish a church in Stella was the Christian, whose building was dedicated November 25, 1883. The church was organized by Rev. R. C. Barrow, state evangelist. The Lutherans organized their church here in March, 1884, and the first minister was Rev. J. W. Kimmel. The Baptist church of Stella, was organized on March 19, 1891. This church is modern in its construction, and on July 15, 1917, held dedicatory services for the completion of a new modern basement under the entire building. The Lutheran and Methodist churches each have par- sonages.

The first flouring-mills were built in 1882 and were owned and operated by Metzger & Fisher. In 1887 the Metzger & Clark mill burned, a loss that was a great blow not only to the owners but to the community. . \ new mill was built, however, with the finest of improved machinery and in 1896 this, too, was burned. Jameson Brothers and the Clarks were among those interested in this mill.

The first elevator in Stella was erected by Jameson Brothers in 1882, and for five years they merely bought and sold grain. In 1888 they enlarged their plant by adding machinery for making corn meal. On April 30, 1889, their plant was destroyed by fire, but they rebuilt immediately on the same site and moved into their new quarters in July, 1889. Three years later this mill was sold to the Stella Grain Company and was run as a Farmers Mutual Elevator for two years.

Then, Jameson Brothers went into a stock company known as the Stella Corn Meal Mills, and a six-hundred-barrel mill was built at a cost of $11,000. This mill (burned in 1896), was closed on account of the

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depression of business in 1894, and Jameson Brothers leased their former building from the Stella Grain Company, and operated it until they built a flour and corn meal mill in 1899. This new mill had a capacity of three hundred barrels, and cost $8,000. About 1902, Jameson Brothers dissolved partnership. The mill was dismantled about 1905, and part of the ma- chinery shipped away. Henry Brenner is now the owner of the building, which he uses for a grain elevator, and which also houses the electric light plant. John A. Mayer owns and manages the other grain elevator in Stella.

In 1887, Stella boasted a waterworks. A reservoir was built on Main street, where now stands the Baptist church. Pipes were laid and water was served to patrons of the works. The old creamery building on the hill east of town, once did a flourishing business here. It finally passed out of usefulness for lack of an active manager.

DISASTROUS FIRES.

Fire, at different times, has wrought great destruction in the business part of Stella. In 1888, several buildings were burned on the corner where The Press office now stands. Ten years afterward several buildings on the solid business blocks on the west side of Main street were burned, and in 1903 almost all the east side went up in one smoke.

Stella has a good opera house, erected in 1898 by a stock company- now owned by R. A. Clark and managed by A. E. Camblin. The Stella Telephone Company was organized in 1899, and serves both Stella and Shubert, with a central station at each town. The lines of the company extend east as far as the Missouri river. In all, about seven hundred patrons are served.

About 1899, an electric light, heat and power company was granted a franchise. In 1907, John H. Brenner obtained this franchise, installed a plant, and in the spring of 1908 Stella was electric lighted. In a few years transmission lines were built and Shubert supplied with current from Stella. In March, 1916, an accident happened to some of the machinery at the light plant, and the Brenners did not care to go to the expense of replacing it. In the fall, they disposed of their plant to the Nebraska Gas and Electric Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, with Western headquarters at Omaha. By January, 1917, the new owners had rehabilitated the plant and again Stella and Shubert became electric lighted.

Stella has splendid sidewalks of brick or cement. From the new school building, or the home of R. A. Clark, in the extreme north part of the

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town, to the Stella cemetery gate, a mile away, there is a continuous walk of brick or cement. The cement walk from town to the Stella cemetery, with a bridge of cement and iron across the little stream in the east part of town, is one of the big achievements of the community within the past few years, at a cost of considerably more than a thousand dollars.

At the time this history is written, July, 1917, Stella and vicinity are actively engaged in Red Cross work, and nearly two thousand dollars in money has been subscribed. The officers of the Stella Red Cross auxiliary are R. A. Clark, president ; Dick Curtis, vice-president ; Miss Lucile Harris, secretary, and J. M. Wright, treasurer.

THE RESEARCH CLUB.

The Ladies' Research Club, organized March 13, 1896, has taken a leading part and has been a tremendous force for good in the community for more than twenty years. This club has far outgrown the original pur- pose of organization, which was to study history and literature. The club has earned money in various ways to be used for public purposes, such as the improvement of the city park. Mrs. A. W. Montgomery is president.

The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Stella Cemetery Association has done nobly during the ten years of its existence. During that time the Stella cemetery has been changed from an unkept place to a thing of beauty; various improvements and conveniences added to the cemetery ; strong, attractive front entrance gates built, and the cement walk with bridge, made between town and cemetery. Mrs. Angeline Raper is president. Each of the four churches has strong, active women's societies, each doing a good work. Various lodges and other societies flourish in the town. The Stella orchestra gives its services free to play whenever the occasion demands.

Stella has been a good business town, from the very beginning. The town and railroad were badly needed by the farmers, and that gave the place a good start. J. W. Clark, of Covington, Kentucky, was the father of Stella. The town is named for a daughter, Stella, who is dead; and the Florence hotel, which he built here when the town first started, was named for another daughter, also dead.

In 1857, treaties were concluded with the Indians which enabled the government to sell the land, and by attending these sales Mr. Clark obtained titles to numerous tracts in this vicinity. He himself never lived here, but after the town started he sent his son, H. E. Clark, to Stella to look after his interests. H. E. Clark moved to Kansas City in 1904, and since then his

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brother, R. A. Clark, is the only member of the family residing in Stella. J. W. Clark passed away eighteen years ago.

The original townsite of Stella comprised forty acres. It was four blocks square, extending from the street south of the Christian church to the street north of the Lutheran church. The boundaries on the east and west were the same then as now.

TWO STRONG BANKS.

Stella has two strong banks, The Bank of Stella, owned by Hull and Ferguson, and the State Bank of Stella, at that time owned by Sweet Brothers, were purchased by J. R. Cain for a corporation, and both merged into the present State Bank of Stella in January, 1886. The incorporators were Sol Jameson, J. L. Slocum, George W. Holland, B. R. Williams, J. R. Cain and Charles Metz. Mr. Cain is still connected with the bank. He is the president, and is assisted by E. C. Roberts, as cashier and H. V. Davis, as assistant cashier.

The Farmers State Bank was organized with fourteen stockholders in the fall of 1915, and opened for business in January, 1916. I. L. Plasters is president; George W. Lambert, vice-president, and J. M. Wright, cashier. The directors are I. L. Plasters, G. W. Lambert, C. . \. Larimore, John Sayer and J F. Shubert.

The Stella Press was started by Gird Brothers in August, 1882. The paper changed names a time or two, and had eleven different editors during the first twenty years of its existence. For fifteen years the Stella Press has been owned and edited and published by Clyde G. Haskins and Miss Eunice Haskins. The Press had strenuous times until about twenty years ago, and for a while had to battle for existence with other papers in the field.

PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS MEN.

Three physicians are located at Stella at the present time: Dr. G. M. Andrews, Dr. A. W. Montgomery and Dr. George Egermayer. Dr. I. L. Callison and Dr. E. W. James are the dentists. Dr. J. H. Brey is the veterin- arian. A. J. Baldwin and L. R. Chaney are engaged in the real-estate and in- surance business. E. E. Marr is agent for the Missouri Pacific, and H. T. Wilson is postmaster. Miss Mabel James has the millinery store, and W. K. Knight, of Falls City, keeps his Stella photographer's studio open on Monday.

WATER MILL AND DAM, SALEM.

HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, STELLA.

RESIDENCE STREET. STELLA.

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The Hays lumber yard is managed by Neil Duncan. J. W. Curtis, Jr., does the town draying, and Amil Moritz keeps the livery stable. John S. Mann runs the harness shop, as he did in the beginning of things at Stella. H. C. Frankell sells implements and automobiles, and J. M. Goodloe, in his garage, and Stine & Freed, in their blacksmith shop, do repair work. D. C. Allen keeps busy making walks and doing other cement work.

Dishman & Tomlinson dispense drugs at the Rexall store; J. F. Weddle sells hardware, furniture and implements; C. M. Byrd manages the Farmers Union Store; J. S. Kimsey is owner of the city meat market and sells ice; H. W. Wolf still keeps his carpenter shop open; Marion C. Marts does a big business at his poultry station; W. K. Frankel stays at his jewelry store when he is not papering and painting: J. M. Loney and E. B. McCann run the restaurants; E. C. Verhune and Guy Dodson are the barbers; G. E. Hansen sells dry goods and groceries; Joe Wagner is the live stock dealer. Esburn Wheeler and Ira H. Martin have the big general stores in Stella. Mr. Wheeler's store is a department business, with a balcony for furniture and undertaking. Mr. Martin is conducting the business founded by his uncle, the late W. H. Hogrefe, soon after the town started.

Stella has a splendid modern hotel, centrally located on Main street- "The Overman," built in 1904, by J. H. Overman, the proprietor.

Stella is an ideal small town-clean, well kept and pretty; a good place in which to live, and to trade; a good market for live stock and grain ; near to the big markets of the west-Kansas City, St. Joseph and Omaha; on the main line of the Missouri Pacific railway, with good shipping facilities and good passenger service. It has good schools and good churches; a healthy place, with good water, situated on a hill rising from the valley of Muddy creek, where the boys go swimming in summer, and where they skate and ice is cut in winter. On the route covered by three great automo- bile highways-the Scenic, between Omaha and Kansas City; the George Washington, between Savannah, Georgia, and Seattle, Washington, and the King of Trails between Galveston, Texas and Winnipeg, Canada. Truly, the people of Stella live in a community that is wonderfully blessed.

VILLAGE OF SALEM.

The site for the village was chosen by J. C. Lincoln, Thomas Hare and J. W. Roberts on the 30th day of January, 1855, and a plat of the original town may still be found in the first record kept by the county commissioners,

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where it was recorded. West Salem, which was an addition to the original town, was laid out to the west on May 14th, 1857, and is now well built up. The latter addition was surveyed by Joseph B. Nickle and was the property of Charles McDonald and J. C. Lincoln. In an effort to get the county seat a large portion of the lots in what is known as West Salen was deeded to Richardson county.

The first village trustees were appointed by territorial authorities as follows: P. W. Birkhauser, H. Price, J. Vandervortt and Anson Rising, with Samuel H. Roberts as mayor.

The first to visit the site of the town were Joseph and Thomas Hare, John Roberts and John A. Singleton, who, with Jesse Crook, came upon the scene in 1854 from Missouri, while on a trip of inspection of the new coun- try with an idea of locating here permanently. These men were at once pleased with the place from the fact that they found the waters of the river available to furnish power for mill sites, while the banks of the streams were at that time heavily wooded with a growth of heavy timber which could be used for building purposes. The Hare brothers conceived the idea of estab- lishing a saw-mill to provide lumber for early settlers and soon had machin- ery on the ground and set up a lumber mill.

The same year J. C. Lincoln, a relative of President Abraham Lincoln, who greatly resembled the martyred president, arrived and opened up the first trading post, selling to the Indians and white settlers who came in. John W. Holt, who was later to play an important part in the business liis- tory of the county, was an early arrival and became associated in the business with Mr. Lincoln, which firm continued as one of the leading business con- cerns for more than a quarter of a century.

Salem became early an important factor in county affairs from the fact that the county seat of government was removed to it from Archer. This incident attracted many of the early settlers to that vicinity and materially assisted in making it one of the permanent towns of the county.

J. C. Lincoln was the first to serve the people as postmaster and was succeeded by John W. Holt, who resigned the office in March, 1869. The office was first located in the store building of Mr. Lincoln, while he served.

D. A. Tisdell was the pioneer hotel man at Salem and remained in the business for many years and owned a number of the hotels at that place. The first was built in 1859 and stood on the brow of the hill. It was destroyed by fire in 1878.

The First Baptist church was the first to be built at Salem and was

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erected in 1869. At that time they were joined by the Presbyterians. It was located in a prominent site and had a seating capacity of three hundred. The first pastor to serve the congregation was Rev. E. D. Thomas.

The Free Will Baptist church was one of the early churches repre- sented and a church was built in 1868 with Rev. A. Curtis in charge.

The Presbyterian church was organized in 1863 by Rev. John Lilly and twenty others.

The Salem Lodge No. 21, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is one of the oldest and most prosperous of the Odd Fellow lodges of the county and was first established on July 9th, 1870, with the following charter mem- bers: D. H. Hull, N. Snyder, D. C. Simmons, Joseph H. Allen, G. Hard and N. Snider.

Lodge No. 47, Free and Accepted Masons, was organized on June 26th, 1874.

The Salem of today is a town of six or seven hundred inhabitants, situ- ated on the Burlington & Missouri railroad, seven miles west of Falls City. At this point the railroad branches, the branch forming a short line to Nebraska City, in Otoe county, to the north, and intervening points. The depot is located more than half a mile from the business section of the city and the visitor having entered a conveyance, that makes all the trains, is driven past the grain elevator and stockyards and along a beautifully shaded street that leads past the old fair grounds across the iron bridge that spans the Nemaha, near one of the first mill sites of the county, and thence winds up the long hill and on to the main street of the town.

Along this street are the business houses, being for the most part sub- stantial brick structures, the fine native building stone having been largely used in their construction. All lines of business usually found in a thriving. up-to-date city, are to be found represented there and represented by a live bunch of business men.

The people of Salem are progressive and enterprising and in the long years since the town was founded, it has kept pace with the growth of the country that surrounds it. Above the tree tops in the valleys, the church spires ascend to the very summit of the highest hill, two public school buildings accommodate the sons and daughters of Salem, and capable teachers attend to the educational wants of the community. It is from this hill that the mag- nificent view before mentioned is afforded. To the north and northeast the eye can see for miles and miles.

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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF SALEM PRECINCT. By D. A. Tisdell.

In 1854 two men named John A. Singleton and William Roberts, took claims on the south fork of the Nemaha and one Mr. Short took a mill claim at the junction of the north and south Nemahas, where Salem now stands. The first election in Richardson county, which then included what is now Pawnee county, was held in the fall of 1854, and John A. Singleton, from our precinct, was elected to the House of Representatives of the Territorial Legislature, being the first, with D. M. Johnson, to represent our county in the Legislature, which convened in Omaha. January 16, 1855. The next settlers in the precinct were: J. W. Roberts, Thomas and Joseph R. Hare, J. C. Lincoln and Charles McDonald. The two latter located and laid out the town of Salem, in January, 1855, J. Cass Lincoln starting a trading post and Thomas R. Hare erecting a sawmill to supply lumber to the three settlers who preceded him, and afterwards a gristmill to crack the corn that Single- ton and Roberts raised to feed McDonald, who was in the real estate busi- ness and who disposed of corner lots in Salem at fabulous prices to Eastern capitalists.

West Salem was laid out on May 14th, 1857. This addition, now prac- tically included in the town, was surveyed by Joseph B. Nickle, and was the property of Charles McDonald and J. C. Lincoln. (J. C. Lincoln was a second cousin of President Abraham Lincoln.) A part of West Salem was donated to the county as an inducement to retain the county seat.

Among the number who settled in the precinct in 1855 were : John and Weston Ogden, Galliger, Abe Roberts, W. H. Whitney and J. W. Headrick. Those of 1856 were Mr. Oliver and Green. Additions of 1857 were .A. J. Currence, Lara Hoppes, David and Robert Boyd.

Up to that time nothing unusual transpired outside of the usual walks of life incident to the settling of a new country. In the spring of 1859 there was quite an influx into the precinct. Among those who settled in the pre- cinct were: F. A. Tisdell, Sr., and Jr., J. W. Leverett, J. M. Washburn, J. R. Brooks, M. D .: William Slossen Peres, A. Tisdell, John Billings. A. Rising, Levi Wheeler, A. Fritz, Lemmon boys, H. C. Jennings, and S. Van- dervort. The two latter returned to Illinois in the following fall.

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 21

Author: Edwards, Lewis C Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1742

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742