History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 30

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 30

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RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

Shortly after the road was incorporated the name was changed to the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company, and under this name subscrip- tions and bonds, and capital stock were made in Atchison and Doniphan counties. Atchison county subscribed $150,000, and in addition to the sub- scription of the county, there were individual subscriptions amounting to $80,000 in the county. Work was commenced on the road in 1869, and it was completed in 1871 to the northern boundary of Doniphan county, three miles north of White Cloud, Kansas. The stockholders of the Atchi- son & Nebraska graded the roadbed to the state line north from Atchison, constructed bridges and furnished the ties, after which the entire property was given to a Boston syndicate in consideration of the completion and operation of the railroad. This railroad was afterwards consolidated with the Atchison, Lincoln & Columbus Railroad Company of Nebraska, which railroad had been authorized to construct a railroad from the northern termi- nal point of the Atchison & Nebraska railroad to Columbus, on the Union Pacific railroad, by way of Lincoln, and the railroad was completed to Lincoln in the fall of 1872. This consolidated road was purchased by the Burlington & Missouri Railroad Company in 1880.

The first railroad built between the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers was the Hannibal & St. Joseph, which was completed to St. Joseph, Mis- souri, February 23. 1859, and the new railroad from Atchison connected with the Hannibal & St. Joseph at the latter point.

RICHARDSON COUNTY PEOPLE ENTERTAINED AT ATCHISON.

Thursday, June 15, 1882, was a day long remembered by those who went to Atchison, Kansas, on an excursion and partook of the hospitality of that generous city, the occasion being the completion of the Missouri Pacific line through to Omaha.

The morning of that memorable day dawned with threatening rain, but despite this. those who held tickets were up early and preparing for the trip. At eight o'clock it began and it looked very much as if the festivi- ties of the day would be marred, but fortune favored us and by noon the clouds had disappeared and the sun came forth with such a blaze and splendor, that those who had taken the precaution to clothe themselves in heavy apparel regretted the deed.

At 9:10 o'clock a. m., the train having on board the excursionists from the towns farther to the north, drew up at the depot in Falls City and our delegation was soon seated in the car set apart for their accom-

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modation. In a few minutes "all aboard" was shouted by the conductor and away we whirled. At Hiawatha the train was stopped long enough to take on board their quota of excursionists and the band and once more the journey was resumed. From Hiawatha to Atchison the train passed over as fine a country as the sun ever shone upon. Those who gazed out upon the country for the first time were so charmed with its appearance that they were mute with astonishment. This road was unlike most of the roads built early in the West, in that it does not run along the creeks and valleys, but passes through one of the loveliest and most fertile sections of the West, along high divides, where the view on either side is almost illimitable.

While the excursionists were in the zenith of their pleasure and pre- paring to make their debut in the city, an accident occurred, which, but for the coolness of the engineer, the excursion might have been turned into a funeral. While rounding a curve, the train running about twenty miles an hour, a cow was discovered standing upon the track. The engineer knew that to stop would only enhance the danger of a wreck and his only hope was to knock the cow clear of the track. He acted on this hypothesis and throwing the valve wide open, the train sprang forward to the accomp- lishment of his designs. The cow was thrown from the track but the bank being so steep at that point she rolled back just in time to throw the front trucks of the tender off the rails. The track was instantly sanded by the cool and nervy engineer, brakes put on and engine reversed and the train stopped at the very edge of the trestle work of a bridge thirty feet above the bed of a stream. To the coolness of the engineer the lives of the excursionists were due, and many, if not all, of the party took time to give verbal expression of their sincere appreciation.

While the work of putting the tender on the track was going on the passengers took occasion to get off and stretch themselves. The band also came on terra firma and discoursed some fine music. After an hour's delay the welcome sound of "all aboard" was heard and the party was en route once more for their destination, where they arrived without further mishap.

VISITORS RECEIVE A WARM WELCOME.

At the depot awaiting their arrival was a large crowd, who had began to grow impatient at the non-arrival of the train, when it came into view. As the train drew up at the station there was such a shout as must have awakened the isolated "rush bottomer" from his noon-day nap. According

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to instructions of the committee, who had accompanied the train from Falls City to Atchison, the party was formed in line, each town in a body, and headed by Col. John A. Martin and Henry Clay Park, with bands playing, the procession moved to Apollo Hall, where a banquet awaited them.

The whole city of Atchison was gaily decorated with bunting, ever- green and other attractive material and presented a very beautiful appear- ance, which was conclusive evidence that the hosts had spared neither pains nor money to make the occasion one long to be remembered.

Apollo Hall, at which place the ladies presided, was transformed into a beautiful banquet room by the tasteful arrangement of decorative mate- rial: festoons of red and white bunting were gracefully hung along the walls, the chandeliers were wrapped in evergreens, and long loops of leaves and flowers crossed each other in every direction and added greatly to the artistic merit of the arrangement. In the center of the floor a magnificent pyramid of fruits and flowers was arranged, and from this center piece the tables were arranged to form a Maltese, cross-and each table bore quantities of tempting viands of the most appetizing description. Beautiful bouquets enhanced the beauty of the spread, and at each plate a charming button-hole bouquet was placed. In the windows were potted flowers in bloom and all sorts of foliage plants. The room was full of fragrance and beauty, and made a banquet hall fit for a king.

Covers had been laid for three hundred guests, and as the party filed in they were seated at the tables by the ladies in attendance, and were surprised and delighted with the magnificent dinner provided. There were a number who were not seated at the first tables, because of lack of space, and these and the Hiawatha band occupied the gallery, at intervals the band playing beautiful selections to enliven the feast. The service could not have been better. A number of ladies were stationed at each table who quietly, gracefully and hospitably served everything the guests desired. Room was soon made for the waiting guests and the band in the gallery. and when all had been seated and provided for, Henry Clay Park, who acted as toastmaster, or master of ceremonies, introduced Mayor King, who said that in his official capacity it became his pleasant duty to thank the guests for their acceptance of their invitations and to extend to them a hearty welcome. In behalf of the citizens of Atchison, he extended a warm and hospitable welcome and greeting.

On behalf of the visiting party, A. H. Gilmore, of Auburn, Nebraska. returned the thanks of the visitors to the mayor and people of .Atchison

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for their magnificent reception, and stated that the meeting would undoubtedly redound to the material advantage of both sections now connected with the new railroad.

POSTPRANDIAL PROCEEDINGS.

After the banquet came toasts and responses by Col. A. S. Everst. of Atchison, Judge August Schoenheit, of Falls City, Rev. Dr. Krohn, of Atchison, and Webster Wilder of the Hiawatha World, in the order named. The responses were short and appropriate and greatly enjoyed by those present.

At this point a dispatch was read from the Board of Trade at St. Joseph, Missouri, inviting the excursionists to that place. It was moved that the thanks of the excursionists be extended to the people of St. Joseph for their kind invitation, but as they were in good hands it behooved them to remain, but at some future time a proposition of this kind would be entertained. The motion was carried unanimously.

Recognizing the fact that it was a day to entertain and not a day to transact business, the business men of Atchison threw all care aside and devoted themselves exclusively to making their guests comfortable and happy. The exercises in the evening consisted of a display of the fire de- partment, Knights of Pythias drill, flambeau parade and fireworks, concert at Turner Garden Hall and a ball at Apollo Hall, all of which was wit- nessed and highly enjoyed by the visitors. The only part of the program that was omitted was the failure of the balloon to ascend, which was due to an accident overtaking it just at the time it was expected to have gone up. But there were so many other attractions that the failure of this event to happen caused but little comment. At 11:30 p. m. the guests took leave of Atchison and returned by a train which was made up and awaiting them at the depot.

ST. LOUIS AND NEBRASKA TRUNK RAILROAD.

A proposition to vote bonds for the building of this road was sub- mitted to the voters of Richardson county in the summer of 1872. This called for the issuance of $22,300 by Rulo precinct: Arago, $25.500, and $13,000 from St. Stephens precinct. The bonds were to be issued by September 1, 1872, to run twenty years and bear eight per cent. interest. When issued they were to be placed in the hands of three trustees and by them held until the completion of the contract by the railroad company.

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A provision was stipulated therein, however, that upon the completion of five miles of grading and bridging, Rulo precinct should give $2,500 per mile for that portion of the line running through said precinct, and $500 and $1,000, respectively, for the portion of the line in the north precincts of Arago and St. Stephens. Arago was to give $2,000 and St. Stephens $1,500 per mile, at the same time, and under the conditions as above cited for Rulo precinct. The road was to be completed by September 1, 1873, and the election at which the above was submitted was held on July 6, 1872. The bonds did not carry.

KANSAS AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

A railroad under the above title was projected to run from the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, along the Missouri, north to Rulo and thence to Arago and St. Stephens. It had been arranged to have a branch line go west up the valley of the Muddy and on north to Lincoln. This line never got farther than the most of the paper railroads of those days, but was a subject for much comment and of great concern to the people of the east end precincts.

In the fall of 1875, the Midland Pacific railroad, the line now owned and a part of the Burlington System, from Nebraska City to Lincoln, graded a roadbed from Nemaha City to Falls City, a distance of twenty-two miles. For this extension, i. e., from Nemaha City to Falls City, Falls City voted $70,000 in bonds, on which seventy per cent. was to be paid on the com- pletion of the grading. Pending the completion of the work, it was decided by the courts that the precinct could not legally issue bonds, and if they should issue them, could not be held liable for the payment of either principal or interest. This resulted in the non-completion of the road. The only bonds issued were the first installment of those due from Muddy precinct, amounting to $12,000.

A meeting of the stockholders of the Nemaha Valley, Lincoln & Loup Fork Railway was held on February 27, 1869, and John Loree, August Schoenheit, Daniel Reavis, Edwin S. Towle, F. A. Tisdell, David T. Brine- gar and W. G. Sergent were chosen directors for the ensuing year. The officers of the road were John Loree, president; F. A. Tisdell, treasurer ; J. F. Gardner, secretary; Isham Reavis, attorney. About March Ist of the same year, John Loree and August Schoenheit, of this road, met with the directors of the Atchison & Nebraska railway, and a consolidation was

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. agreed upon, after which the Nemaha Valley, Lincoln & Loup Fork rail- way disappeared from the records. It was not built.

The Southern Nebraska & Northern Kansas. This railway was proj- ected in 1870, and was to receive $10,000 in bonds from the county, but never graded more than one hundred feet of road bed and passed out of practical existence.

The Kansas & Nebraska Narrow Gauge. This was another of the list of paper railroads which never amounted to anything but talk.

The Missouri Pacific. On April 26, 1876, the directors of the Mis- souri Pacific considered a proposition submitted by citizens along the towns of the proposed line to build a road from Falls City to Plattsmouth, at a distance of about ten miles from the Missouri river, taking the present route from Atchison, Kansas, to Falls City, and between Plattsmouth and Omaha, using the Burlington & Missouri River railroad tracks. A delegation from Nebraska was present at this meeting and consisted of D. H. Wheeler, J. A. Horback, T. P. Kennard, J. T. Hoile, S. S. Caldwell, J. G. Klopper and R. W. Furnace. The report of the road was delivered by Mayor Brown. and was a rejection of the offer made, accompanied by the reasons for such action too numerous to mention in detail.

In 1881, the Missouri Pacific entered the county at a point a few miles southwest of Falls City and the road was completed through the county during the following year.

The Burlington & Southwestern. This road, sometimes called the "Joy" road, was begun in December, 1869, and built ten miles from Rulo in order to secure the bonds voted for it, which were due on the completion of that amount of work. These bonds amounted to $3,500 per mile, and were exclusive of the land grant to the railroad company. In the spring of 1870, grading was continued up the Nemaha bottoms and in June of that year the road was sold to the Atchison & Nebraska railroad, of which I'. T. Abel was president. Joshua Tracy was vice-president and J. K. Hornish, superintendent of the Burlington & Southwestern.

The St. Joseph & Nemaha. The St. Joseph & Nemaha Railroad Com- pany once made a survey of a route of a railroad from the mouth of the Great Nemaha to Tecumseh, in Johnson county, nearly the present route of the Atchison & Nebraska division of the Burlington, but beyond the survey, under Ex .- Gov. Robert Stewart, of Missouri, nothing was ever done.

Other lines talked of in recent years, and for a time considered some- what seriously, have been rail connection with the Sycamore Springs in

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the south central part of the county; but the one most referred to is rail connection with the northeast section of the county, where the immense apple production has attracted so much attention in the last decade.

NOTES ON THE BUILDING OF THE MISSOURI PACIFIC.

The new station located in Porter precinct has been named "Stella," after the daughter of Mr. Clarke, the founder of the town and the owner of the land upon which the town is to be located. Already, preparations are going on to build soon as the spring opens. The depot grounds and stock yards are being laid out, and arrangements for the building of a large elevator. Stella is beautifully located and promises to become quite a place. Of course the Porterites are happy .- Falls City News, January 5, 1882.

January 5, 1882-The Missouri Pacific is now built within six miles of Carson City, in Nemaha county.

Engineer Wright, who has charge of the first nineteen miles of road of the Missouri Pacific out of Atchison, spent last Sunday in the city. He informs us that regular trains will run between Atchison and Omaha by the 15th of March .- Falls City News, January 5, 1882.

The Hall Station boom has petered out. The owner of the lands wanted to get rich too fast. For instance, corner lots, in his estimation, are worth $300 and resident lots from $50 to $100. The company did not see it in this light and moved on to Porter precinct. Lots at this place can be had at from $5 to $10 each .- Falls City News, January 5, 1882.

August 3. 1882-On Saturday, last, we made a flying visit to the thriving little village of Stella, situated about twenty miles northwest of Falls City on the line of the Missouri Pacific railroad. There is in the village about fifty houses all told, including four general stores, two drug stores, two hardware stores, two lumber yards, two restaurants, one bil- liard hall, one harness shop, one barber shop, two blacksmith shops, one grocery store, two meat markets, one photograph gallery, one livery stable, two physicians, one millinery and dressmaking establishment, and a fine hotel building just finished. The Gird Brothers have the material on hand, and will soon issue the first number of a paper to be called The Stella Tribunc. The new station is kept by Mr. J. S. Mason, formerly of Missouri. Mr. Mason is well liked by the business men of Stella, being pleasant and ac- commodating. Stella in time will be one of the most important shipping stations between Falls City and Omaha .- Falls City News.

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THE COMING OF THE AUTOMOBILE.

The automobile as a means of transportation came but slowly into use in Richardson county and until the last year or two has remained princi- pally as a vehicle of pleasure.

The first automobile to make its appearance in the west end of the county was at Humboldt and appeared in 1898 or 1899 and was owned by Louis Slama, a Bohemian jeweler, who at the time had a shop in the city and gave his principal attention to the sale and repair of watches. He was one of the first to adopt the "safety" bicycle and being of an inventive turn became at once interested in power vehicles or "horseless carriages" as they were some- times called in those days.

Slama built the engine which he used in his first automobile, using steam as a driving power, and made the entire equipment for his machine with the exception of the wheels and tires, which he ordered from an Eastern firm. He worked at spare moments for some months in assembling and perfecting the entire machine, but when completed it was found to be practical and he was able to go about the country and negotiated some of the steepest hills and grades. As compared to some of the gas machines which made their appear- ance at about the same period his machine was really superior, as the gas engine at the time had not been so far perfected as now and was not so generally understood when applied as a power for driving an autmobile. It is needless to say that his machine, which in general appearance was very much like the single-seated gas cars common in those days, made a commotion in the community. Whenever and wherever he appeared he was the cynosure of all eyes and he never lacked for company on his rides about the countryside.

The next machine to make its appearance in Humboldt was owned by F. W. Samuelson, president of the First National Bank, and was a single- seated gas-driven auto (single-cylinder type) of the Olds manufacture. The little machine in appearance looked fine, but gave Mr. Samuelson more trou- Lle than anything he had probably ever tried to operate. . As measured by the more recent types of machines it lacked much that goes to make a practical machine for country roads, but he had lots of sport with it and was able to get about the country to some extent.

Frank Nims and Frank Blakeney, now residents of Falls City, but in former times resident of farms in the west end of the county, were the next to become interested in autos, were pioneer owners of machines and contrib- uted much in the introduction of automobiles in the county. The latter re-

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mained ever a lover of the auto and has sold hundreds of them to the farmers of the county.

Daniel Blakeney, the father of Frank Blakeney mentioned above, was one of the first to conceive the idea of the commercial value of the auto for use on the country roads, established the first auto livery in the county at Falls City and equipped himself with a number of machines. Being faster than horses he thought to use them on the country roads for hauling passen- gers about the county and solicited the trade of the traveling salesmen whose business took them to the smaller towns. The business at that time was not a success for many reasons, among which principally was the imperfection of the early machines and the lack of good roads. After operating for some time under these and other disadvantages the business was discontinued. It must be remembered that this kind of business was undertaken by Mr. Blake- ney in the very early stages of the introduction of the automobile in Richard- son county, and the machines he used were the first to make their appearance here.

The first auto ever to travel the streets of Falls City under its own power was brought here by a circus and was listed as one of the big exhibits of the show. The first machine ever owned in Falls City was, like the one mentioned above, made by a mechanic. M. N. Bair, residing there, and was as successfully used and proved as much of a curiosity as the one above referred to.

The next to own a machine at Falls City was Albert Maust, who had his machine in 1905-06 and was much envied by his friends as he was secn going about the town. Mr. Manst was engaged in the business of buying of grain and live stock from the farmers adjacent to the city and soon incurred the enmity of many of his patrons, from the fact that their. teams took fright as they saw this machine on the country roads. This phase of the matter came to such a pass that there were many who were heard to advocate the passage of some kind of a law barring the autos from the use of the public highways.

Looking backward from the present it seems amusing to remember how greatly wrought up the people of those times became toward the owners of autos. From this feeling expression was given in the passage of laws govern- ing machines on the public highway.

The first machines were hard to sell, as the prices asked for them seemed highly exorbitant to the farmers and citizens who were accustomed to the use of horses and like all new things were regarded seriously as impractical.

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Those who first engaged in the business had trying times in making sales and were obliged to do a great deal of "demonstrating" to the prospective pur- chasers, which process resulted in the use of much "gas" of both the vocal and fluid sort.

The first regular agency for the sale of automobiles in Falls City was opened by Guy Crook and Peter Frederick, Jr., who entered the business in 1908, and remained in the business for a year or two, selling many of the first machines used on the roads in the east part of the county. Their first sale of a touring car was made to Charles Harkendorf, a farmer, residing northeast of Falls City. The next machine was sold to Roy Heacock, resid- ing in Falls City. The physicians of the city who had a large country prac- tice and had been obliged to keep horses for this purpose, were among the first to see the convenience, economy and saving of time that would result if the machines were found able to do their work and each in turn provided himself with one. It is related of one of the leading physicians who had been slow to believe in the practicability of the auto that, upon being inter- viewed by one of the above salesmen, he proposed that a "try-out" be made on one of his worst trips, which took him some twenty-five miles from the city and over the worst roads in the county. If this was done and the machine found to be reasonably satisfactory he could be regarded as a "prospect." The trip was made in record time, with the expectation that on the return to town the sale would be completed, but the Doctor was not yet convinced, or at least not in so far as that machine was concerned. but did soon procure a machine from other parties.

Automobiles are now owned by the hundreds in all parts of the county and principally by the farmers, who have found them more useful than they had dreamed, and their coming and adoption have, as a consequence, awakened a live interest in the good-roads movement and resulted in great betterment of the highways throughout the county. No machine used by man has been so universally accepted in so short a time: where a dozen years ago there were not a half dozen machines in Richardson county, it now ranks third in the state in the number of machines owned per capita.

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 30

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