History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 48

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 48

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RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASK.1.

Hoppe, William W. Enlisted August 31. 1917; reported September 1, 1917. Howard, Earl F. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Huston, Charlie J. Enlisted August 12. 1917; reported August 14, 1917. Hynek. Lotto. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Kelly, Henry C. Enlisted August 9, 1917; reported August 10, 1917. Kelly, Marvin W, Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 3, 1917. Kent, Jack. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported August 4, 1917. Krause, Otto W. E. Enlisted July 7, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. La Rando, Edgar. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Law, Leo M. Enlisted August 31. 1917; reported September 1. 1917. Lepik. Arnold F. Enlisted August 10, 1917; reported August 10, 1917. Lessel, George D. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported August 3, 1917. Lewis, Dewey. Enlisted June 25. 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Loar, Sollie AA. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 3, 1917. Martin, John A. Enlisted June 25. 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Mitchel, William E. Enlisted August 10, 1917; reported August 10. 1917. Moritz, John W. Enlisted July 21, 1917 : reported August 4. 1917. Morris, George R. Enlisted June 25, 1917 : reported August 3. 1917. Mosiman. Harry C. Enlisted June 25. 1917; reported Angust 3, 1917. Murphy, Paul M. Enlisted July 25, 1917; reported August 3, 1917. McCormick, Ray R. Enlisted June 25. 1917; reported August 3, 1917. MeNeely, James B. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. MeQueen, Elvin L. Enlisted August 1, 1917; reported September 1, 1917. McVey. John R. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Nelson, Joseph R. Enlisted July 17. 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Newby, Rex. Enlisted July 6. 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Niemeyer, Ernest W. A. Enlisted July 7, 1917; reported August 3, 1917. Nissen, John. Enlisted July 2. 1917: reported August 4, 1917. Nixon, Walter W. Enlisted July 2, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Norton, Harry K. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Patton, Murray K. Enlisted August 11, 1917; reported August 11, 1917. Parker, Frank L. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Parker, George II. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Parker, Walter B. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported August 4. 1917. Portrey, David J. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported August 3, 1917. Ramer. Paul. Enlisted August 9. 1917; reported August 10. 1917. Randall, Benjamin F. Enlisted July 24, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Rodgers, Chester L. Eulisted July 1. 1917: reported August 4. 1917. Rowe, Luther W. Enlisted June 25. 1917: reported August 4. 1917. Runhangh, Arthur L. Enlisted August 17, 1917: reported August 22, 1917. Sailors, Ben. Enlisted July 26. 1917: reported August 3. 1917. Sapp, Herman E. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported August 4, 1917. Severns, Heury. 'Enlisted June 25. 1917; reported Angust 4, 1917. Sconce, Willis W. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported August 4. 1917. Scott, George G. Enlisted Angust 31. 1917: reported September 1. 1917. Snavely. Carl W. Enlisted July 2. 1917; reported August 3, 1917. Soderstadt. Ernst A. Enlisted June 25. 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Spencer. Kenneth. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported Angust 3. 1917. Stump. Lee B. Enlisted August 9. 1917; reported August 15, 1917. Thomas, John O. Enlisted Angust 15, 1917: reported August 16. 1917.

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Uffner, Earl E. Enlisted August 10, 1917; reported August 10. 1917. Weathers, Paul. Enlisted August 15, 1917: reported August 16, 1917. Wells, Claud. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Wenstrand, John F. Reported August 25, 1917; transferred from Supply Co. Werner, Henry J. Enlisted June 25, 1917: reported August 4. 1917. West, Lee. Enlisted June 28, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. West, Samuel A. Enlisted August 15, 1917; reported August 15, 1917. Whalen, Francis J. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4, 1917. Whalen, Lawrence V. Enlisted August 27, 1917; reported August 27, 1917. Williams, Albert. Enlisted July 25, 1917: reported August 4, 1917. Williamson, Lloyd. Enlisted July 21, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Windrum, Carl H. Enlisted August 27, 1917; reported August 27. 1917. Winkler, Causia A. Enlisted July 21, 1917: reported August 4. 1917. Young, Charles A. Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4. 1917. Zvolanek, James, Enlisted June 25, 1917; reported August 4. 1917.

RICHARDSON COUNTY MEN IN FIFTH REGIMENT.

Following is a list of the Richardson county men, who are serving as members of Company D. Fifth Infantry Regiment, Nebraska National Guard, recruited at Auburn, in Nemaha county, for service in the World War: Sergeant, William P. Schneider; corporal, William E. Knobe; cook. Cecil R. Zeigler ; privates, Worthie H. Blakeney, Merle K. Goble, Rollin L. Spence. Harlan G. Burger, Homer C. Cline, William J. B. Cook, Ottis Elam, John T. Foster, Arthur A. Gebhard, Charles E. Hanson, Clarence R. Hart. Fred .A. Hofer, Clarence I. Houtz, Bryan R. Jones, Albert Mellvain. Merl W. Mettz, Fred W. Norton, Harry E. O'Hern, Clarence S. Peck, Charles A. Ross, Fred Sample, Hugh E. Sconce, Vincent T. Sheehan, Lee J. Vance and Henry J. Werner.

STONE STREET, LOOKING NORTH. FALLS CITY.

FURNISHINGS

STONE STREET, LOOKING SOUTH, FALLS CITY.

CHAPTER XX.

FALLS CITY, THE COUNTY SEAT.

There is no place on the globe more richly endowed by nature than Richardson county, which is one of the best to be found in the state of Nebraska, and over all its wealth reigns Falls City, county seat and its largest and most improved city.

The county possesses an equable and healthful climate, where every cereal, grain, vegetable and fruit adapted to a temperate zone are grown in abundance and where the important industry of stock raising is exten- sively carried on. There are many finely improved farms for the breeding of blooded horses, sheep, cattle, swine and poultry to be found in the vast radius tributary to Falls City. By reason of its location and excellent transportation facilities, afforded by two main lines of railway, the Bur- lington & Missouri railroad and the Missouri Pacific, it is a most favorable and convenient shipping point, north or south or east or west, for the vast amount of grain and stock produced hereabouts and for the proper handling of which there are several large elevators and good stock-yard accominoda- tions. .

BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.

The city is beautifully situated on ground which the Maker must have designed for the seat of the grand little city. This point was not lost sight of by those who first visited this section and it is related that John A. Burbank, coming into this section for the first time, direct from the Atlantic seaboard in quest of a location for a town, for that was his idea in coming West, stopped over night with James L. Stumbo, the proprietor of the mill at the falls of the Nemaha, southwest of the present site of Falls City. During the course of the evening he made known the object of his visit and stated that he was going on south into Kansas on the following day; whereupon Mr. Stumbo interceded for this locality, and on the following morning took his visitor over to the present site of the city and in glowing language pointed out the great advantages of the land as a site for a city. His eloquence moved Mr. Burbank, who was not slow to see that here was

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as good a place as could be found anywhere and decided at once to let this be the site for the town he would project.

Mr. Burbank at once set about to give form in a material way to the dream he had cherished, at the same time interesting others in the proposi- tion, and the result was the banding together of a number of energetic men, who founded Falls City. Many of the founders lived to see much of the earlier growth of the city, but not one has lived to see the Falls City that we of today know. How wisely they chose the location we all know and from traversing the county over it is apparent that no better site might have been found for a city; the natural topography of the townsite makes the drainage practical.

From the court house one can see the country on all sides within a radius of fifteen miles. Falls City's prosperity, progress and future pros- pects are founded principally upon the unsurpassed agricultural wealth on every hand, the country yielding in abundance and at moderate cost, all things necessary to the support of a large and vigorous population. The city enjoys a steady and healthful growth, with every indication that its population will be greatly augmented within the next few years and today presents as fine opportunities for the safe and profitable investment of capital as any point in the West. Many improvements are being projected and carried on, preparatory to meeting the new conditions of growth and development. The churches have large congregations, and are noted for the talent and popularity of their ministers as well as for the Christian zeal of the members. Falls City's educational facilities are far ahead of the average to be found in cities of like population, while in the social circle there is a large degree of culture and refinement that command the highest respect and admiration. The business portions of the city always present a busy and active appearance. The people are hospitable and welcome all who come with worthy and honorable motives.

FALLS CITY IN 1917.

Prior to 1912, when the city was made a division point of the Mis- souri Pacific railroad, the county seat of Richardson county differed in no wise from the ordinary country town. Its growth was practically at a standstill and things moved along slowly, with little attempt to stimulate growth or improve conditions in the city. For years previous to 1912 there was little of moment indicating that the country town would eventually

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take its place among the live municipalities of Nebraska. Since that time there has been a wonderful growth, many new additions have been laid out, new streets have been run east and west, and eight miles of paving of the best construction possible laid, and a splendid sewer system, thirteen miles in extent, installed. New buildings by the score have been erected and more are going up constantly. The little city on the banks of the Nemaha has taken on the airs of a metropolis and is easily the most im- portant trading center in southeastern Nebraska. Thousands of dollars have been spent on public buildings and civic improvements. A new high- school building, costing sixty-five thousand dollars has been erected, a splen- did Catholic church has been erected, a magnificent Christian church has been built and practically every church building in the city has undergone extensive remodeling. Several new ward school buildings have been erected and the citizenship has put forth every consistent effort to keep pace with the rapid growth of the city. Many business blocks have been overhauled or rebuilt and new fronts put in to keep pace with modern ideas of- com- mercialism, until the mercantile establishments of Falls City compare favor- ably with those of much larger cities. The stocks of goods carried in all stores are complete and advanced styles of goods are usually to be found in the well-equipped and up-to-date stores.

MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS.

A splendid city park covering thirty acres has come into possession of the city and has been improved until it is a beauty spot and a general recreation place for the people of the city and a notable place for civic gatherings, chautauquas and the like. Vim and push have characterized the city government and the citizenship since the new era began. The once sleepy town was awakened in reality and is realizing its opportunities to the fullest extent. Enough broad-gauged citizens were found to take the lead in public enterprise and compel the city to keep pace with its growth.

The electric-light and water plants are owned by the city and are operated for the benefit of the people of the city without waste or extrava- gance in management. With the advent of the Missouri Pacific shops a demand for new homes sprang up from the necessity of housing the hun- dreds of railway employees, who needed homes in the city. More than five hundred houses, or residences, ranging in size from modest workingmen's cottages to handsome modern homes have been built within the last few years, and the water mains and sewers have been extended to the several

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new additions which have been laid out. New railroad depots, modern in every respect, have been built by the Missouri Pacific and by the Bur- lington railroads. This year (1917) the Missouri Pacific completed one of the finest depots along the line, with an attractive park laid out around the building and approaches.

EVIDENCES OF CIVIC PRIDE.

As he passes through on the fast railway trains, the traveler is im- pressed by the appearance of the city sitting upon the hills above the valley of the Nemaha and if, perchance, his business should call him to visit the business section of the city, he is further impressed by the fine appearance of Stone street, which bisects the town north and south and contains the banks and store buildings of a modern character which line on both sides of the street and he is likely to marvel at the hustle and bustle which is characteristic of every day in Falls City. The residence section is likewise very attractive, the many fine homes, the shaded and parked streets, lined with well-kept residences, please the eye and no harping critic can find much to complain about in the general appearance of Falls City. The work of civic improvement is constantly going on and will, no doubt, continue until every street in the city is brought up to a modern standard.

The industrial establishments of Falls City are neither many nor large, the most extensive of these being the Missouri Pacific railroad shops, which were established in 1912. The thirty acres of ground occupied by the division offices and the shops were donated to the railroad by the city. Five hun- dred men are employed by this division directly in the shops, this number including the trainmen who make their homes in Falls City. The monthly payroll of the railway employees who make their homes here exceeds twenty thousand dollars, which is a considerable item to add to the resources of the tówn.

FALLS CITY IN RETROSPECT.

The gradual yet rapid growth and improvement of our lively little city for the past ten years ( 1910-1917) is a source of pride and congratu- lation upon the part of its oldest inhabitants. In 1856-57 Gen. James H. Lane, of Territorial Kansas fame; John H. Burbank, J. Edward Burbank, Judge Hunt and .Isaac L. Hamby formed themselves into the Falls City Town Association, filed their pre-emption under the act of Congress for town purposes, upon the south half of section to, and the north half of

(. B. & Q. R. R. STATION. FALLS CITY.

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NEW FEDERAL BUILDING, FALLS CITY.

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section 15, township 1, north of range 16, and laid it out in town lots, fifty by one hundred and twenty feet, and divided it into shares for mar- ket. After most of the shares had been disposed of, patents were issued by the government to only one-half of the land originally claimed; that is, to the southeast quarter of section 10, township I, north of range 16, to James H. Lane and to the northeast quarter of section 15, township I. range 16, to Isaac L. Hamby. The result of this action by the United States government caused a contraction of the lots to a size of but twenty-five by one hundred and twenty feet, in order to fill up the shares.

FALLS CITY IN 1860.

In the year 1860 the city of Falls City consisted of some fifteen or twenty dwelling houses, a blacksmith shop, operated by Lyman Miller, on the same lot afterwards occupied by the Globe-Journal office and at the present time by Peter Riester's furniture store on Stone street in block 91; a store, a tin shop, a one-story tavern, then lately purchased by Isaac Minnick from W. B. M. Carter; the brick law office of Hon. Elmer S. Dundy, occupying the lot in block 71, later occupied by the Keim & Grable Bank and now by Peter Kaiser; the printing office of the Falls City Broad A.re (newspaper) on a lot in block 71 on Stone street, now occupied by the Falls City State Bank; and a shed, twelve by sixteen feet, occupied by Jim Sperry, for spirituous purposes as a saloon. Courts were held in the little school house, a little balloon-shaped frame pine building, squatted on the prairie by itself in block 101, just west of the present site of the Central school building. Here before Justice Miller, one of the territorial supreme judges for Nebraska Territory, was heard the eloquence of Hon. O. P. Mason. Elmer S. Dundy and Prince Hudgins, in the Moran and Clifford murder cases, famous in their day.

FALLS CITY IN 1865.

In 1865 Falls City had enlarged its borders, and the then new Union House (hotel), a story-and-a-half frame, at the extreme north limit of the city, had commenced, under Jacob G. Good, to claim and receive the patronage of the traveling public, as one of the best hotels in Nebraska; which reputation it has since well sustained, though the little frame has been raised to three stories and enlarged in every direction, until the trav-

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eler of 1865 would now have to inquire where the modest little Union House had its being.

There were but four two-story buildings in the city-the new court house, now referred to as the "old" court house: the dwelling house of Hon. Elmer S. Dundy, later known as the Prescott house, which stood di- rectly west and a little to the north of the court house, fronting to the east on Stone street, and now ( 1917) used as a dwelling house and moved back west to a frontage on Chase street: the home of John A. Burbank, since destroyed by fire, and the Isaac Scuyler house, now the residence of Hon. Edwin S. Towle. Reavis & Cameron had opened a store in the old Scuyler tin shop located on Stone street in block 90, now occupied by the Anderson millinery store just north of the Jenne building. David R. Holt and Chauncy Norris were merchandising in the old store of Joseph A. Bur- bank until January of 1866, when it was destroyed by fire. It was located just south of the Richardson County Bank building on Stone street, in block 70. J. J. Marvin had resuscitated the old Broad Are, on his return home from the Civil War, under the name of the Southern Nebraskan, and trans- ferred it to N. O. Pierce, who was soon afterward appointed postmaster to supersede William Watts, who held his office as justice of the peace and postmaster in a little sixteen by twenty-four feet one-story house located on lots 21 and 22 in block 68, on Lane street, immediately south of the pres- ent residence of H. C. Davis. The postoffice was also used as the home of Mr. Watts, the postmaster and his family.

Stone street extended north from the home of E. S. Towle on lots. 9, 10, II and 12 in block 103 to the section corners at Twenty-first and Stone streets, or three blocks north of the court house, and with scattered houses, consisting of not more than thirty dwelling houses, while outside of Stone street there were not to exceed fifteen buildings. Where Morton street now is, from the then site of the soap factory, where the Burchard store is now located, north to the location of block 30 in the ravine of the Rhine, was a splendid strawberry patch, where the good citizens who did not feel disposed to listen to the spiritual teach- ings of Rev. R. C. Johnson, of the Methodist church, and Rev. J. D Ramsey, of the Presbyterian church, who were the only divines resident in the city, could spend their Sundays in refreshing the outer man. Squire Dorrington was the only magistrate in the city and Hon. Elmer S. Dundy and Hon. Isham Reavis, then simply "esquires." were for a number of years the only resident lawyers. There was no church in the city, where there are now many.

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THE CITY IN 1870.

It was not until 1870 that Falls City began to show the promise of a rapid and permanent development and prosperity. Before that time the city had only constituted one ward, with seventy-five or eighty voters. The city was divided into two wards by the city authorities, consisting of J. J. Marvin, mayor; Jacob G. Good, J. Robert Cain, John Schuyler and Thomas L. Moss, councilmen, and S. A. Fulton, clerk. Either of the two wards now poll many times the total number of votes polled in those days.

In 1865 we could number two dry-goods stores, one saloon, two hotels, one hardware store, no drug store, no clothing store, no saddler's shop, one shoemaker, no restaurant, no livery stable (and we have none now in the old sense, as automobiles have taken their place), but in the interim between the coming of the first livery stable and the last we had as good a convenience in that line as found in the West; one blacksmith shop, no wagonmaker; no provision store, no agricultural store; no banks, no opera house, no photograph galleries.

CREATION OF THE COUNTY SEAT.

The land which afterwards became the townsite for the present town of Falls City was first settled upon in 1856 by a company composed of Col. J. E. Burbank, a paymaster in the regular army; James H. Lane, of Kansas notoriety, Isaac L. Hamby, and others. The city built very slowly until 1860, when the county seat was removed to this place from Salem. after a very spirited county-seat fight, which is described elsewhere. Build- ing was lively from that time until the breaking out of the Civil War, and then, like all other Western towns, Falls City suffered from a period of stagnation, from which it did not recover until 1870, since which time it has gone ahead steadily.

The city is built on rolling prairie ground about a mile north of the Great Nemaha river. The court house square being the highest point of land on the original townsite, the city slopes in every direction from that center.

THE COURT HOUSE SQUARE.

The first court house was a frame structure erected after the location of the county seat at Falls City was finally determined. It was built at the expense of the then residents of Falls City and was afterwards, in 1872,

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displaced by the present brick structure. The wooden structure was re- moved to the northeast corner of the block immediately south, where it served the wants of the county as a court house during the construction of the then new brick court house, which was the pride of the people of the county for many years, but lately there are heard rumors that it too should give way to a new and modern building with more suitable con- veniences for the public. Besides the court house is a large stone building, at the northeast corner of the block, which is the county jail. The grounds occupied by the court house are some three to five feet higher in eleva- tion than the land adjacent and until recent years the square was enclosed by an ornamental iron fence, which has given way to a stone supporting- wall, which adds greatly to the appearance of the grounds. Having been built on this prominence and because of its height and the character of the country the dome or cupola of the building serves as a landmark and can be seen for a distance of ten miles or more from any direction.

The building is of brick, original size forty-seven by eighty-five feet, first story fourteen feet high, and the second twenty-two feet high. The basement is eight feet in the clear and was arranged with the view to heat- ing the building by steam, which system of heating was not adopted until 1915, it having first been heated by stoves and later by furnaces. The first floor is divided into rooms and vaults to accommodate the various county officers. The second floor is designed for a court room and offices for the sheriff, county superintendent and clerk of the district court, the offices of register of deeds, county judge, county clerk, county treasurer and county assessor being on the first floor.

Speaking of the court house, the Nemaha Valley Journal, published at Falls City. under date of Thursday, January 1, 1872, had the following to say :

THE NEW COURT HOUSE.

The walls of the new building are now up and under cover, and we believe that when the enpola is added to the roof, the house will, in point of beauty, rival any court house in the state, and for economy in construction it challenges the Western states.

As the building now stands, it has cost $13,566.26 and it will require from $15,000 10 $20,000 to finish and furnish it, depending upon the style. * * * If Falls City pre- cinet has not done her share toward providing her share toward a county court house. no locality ever did.

The first officers to occupy the new building were: District judge, Daniel Grant : district attorney, A. J. Weaver ; probate judge, S. A. Fulton; county treasurer, P. B. Miller ; deputy county treasurer, Fred W. Miller ;

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 48

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