History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 54

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

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THE HARMONIOUS COMPANIE.

This was a musical organization of which Humboldt was justly very proud in 1897. It was one of the charter members of the State Federation of Woman's Clubs. The object of the club was the study and practice of chorus music by the best composers. Meetings of the club were held on each Tuesday afternoon. The "companie" gave entertainments of its own, and assisted at others and at times appeared at chautauquas in southeast Nebraska. The officers of the club were : Mrs. Belle G. Stemler, president : Mrs. Cora Quackenbush, vice-president ; Mrs. Della Shirley, secretary, and treasurer : Miss Lulu Samuelson, pianist : Mrs. Margaret C. Dinsmore, di- rector. The members of the club were Mesdames Emma Grinstead, Myrtle Marble, Estella Hackett, Eva Gore, Allie Powers, Frankie Tinker, Eva Barnett, Alfretta Tucker, Dora Bacon. Misses Grace Cooper, Laura Norton, Frankie Dewees, Nellie Clift, Vinnie Coleman and Pearl Unkefer.

This organization was kept together for many years and was the fore- runner of those which have followed and have kept Humboldt in first place among the towns of the county in the study of music.

DAWSON IN 1878.

OLD ARCHER CEMETERY, JUST NORTH OF ARCHER. FIRST COUNTY SENT. OF RICHARDSON COUNTY.

THE HARMONIOUS COMPANIE. OF HUMBOLDT.

CHAPTER XXII.

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF DAWSON. By William Fenton.

At the annual old settlers picnic it had long been one of the standard jokes to encourage Uncles Wilson Maddox, Jesse Crook and Wade Whit- ney to assert their respective claims to the distinction of being the first white settlers of Richardson county. The matter was finally compromised on the part of the Old Settlers Association by voting a gold spade to Uncle Wilson Maddox, and when later on the floods on the Nemaha began to make trouble for the farmers, Uncle Wilson was called to explain why he dug the channel of the river so crooked, he explained that Uncle Jesse Crook, as chainman, had been sampling so much hard cider along the route that he was respon- sible for the crooks that are causing a later generation hundreds of thou- sands of dollars to straighten out.

It would be inviting the discussion of as a debatable question as that of the famous one of "16 to I," to assume to say who was the first settler of Grant precinct, but the arrival of the first pre-emptors along the rich Nemala valley was so nearly about the same time that all who settled previous to the breaking out of the Civil War were entitled to the distinction of being considered pioneers. In this class should be included the Rothen- bergers, Honnens, Elys, Schumakers, Kountses, McMahons, Warners, Boyeds, Whitneys and all who settled along the water courses and had secured possession of the timber along the various streams.

Like Robinson Crusoe in his lonely island, the original settlers along the Nemaha were prosperous, happy and contented in their isolation. Witlı plenty of oak rails from their forests they fenced in fields of their rich virgin soil to raise corn for the hogs and cattle that were permitted to roam at will over the wide expanse of plain and woodland. While it is the laudable custom at old settlers reunions to extol the pluck that prompted the original pioneers to blaze their way through what our early school books styled the "Great American Desert"; yet it is a historical truth that, so satisfied were the original pioneers who settled along the valley of the Nemaha with their happy and prosperous surroundings, that they would much prefer to con-

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tinue in their state of happy isolation as cattle and timber barons rather than be curtailed by the presence of venturesome neighbors.

.At the close of the Civil War many a patriotic Union soldier longed to settle down to the peaceful pursuit of farm life, and after the grand muster out in the summer of 1865, not less than fifty of the veterans under Sherman. Grant and Sheridan established themselves in homes in Grant precinct, and it is sad to note the fact that out of a prosperous G. A. R. Post of forty- five members that flourished in Dawson's early history, only half a dozen of frail veterans now survive. Among this group of settlers it is a pleasure mingled with sadness to recall such familiar names as Belden, Crowe, Miles. Lair, Quinlan, Libbee, Page, Clancy, Fletcher, Johnson, Happis, O'Donnell, Ryan, Smertz and Snethen, who are long since "mustered out," as well as the survivors of the old guard-Allen, Barlow, Buser, Clancy, Kelly, Libbee and Scott. With this group of settlers should be included such well rement- bered citizens as Tiehens, Smith, Woods, Williamson, Young, Shockeys, etc.

The next important colony was a group of relatives and neighbors from Connecticut in 1867 and 1868, consisting of the Fentons, Rileys, Rigans. O'Gradys, Keims, Murphys, O'Donnells, Rourkes, Sullivans, Carvers and others. Soon after the completion of the railroad the last, but not the least, industrious colony of Pennsylvania farmers settled north of town-they were the Herms, Uhlmars and other relatives. While the aggregation of early settlers, constituted a most diversified and cosmopolitan population, no com- munity was ever blessed by a more tolerant or amicably disposed set of neighbors, and the grand spirit of fraternity, charity and loyalty that ever pervaded this band of pioneer neighbors was never impaired by any lesser power than that of the grim reaper.

The absorbing topic that occupied the attention of those early settlers was that of a railroad within some reasonable distance of the settlement ; at this time the only way to get in or out of the country was by way of steamboat to or from St. Joseph, and across the country from any river landing. The first incident to awaken hope in hearts of the people of a future town or hamlet was the arrival of Joshua Dawson & Son in the summer of 1867 with a complete outfit to commence work on a saw- and grist-mill. "\ dam and saw-mill were installed early in the fall and massive oak and walnut logs were at once being transformed into lumber for the flour-mill, planned to be raised in the ensuing spring. It is needless to remark that among the early inhabitants of Grant township-in fact the entire county-the Dawson "mill raising" was a red-letter event that will

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never be erased from the minds of those who deemed it an honor to be invited to assist at such an important function.

The construction of the grist-mill necessitated the services of a black- smith, and Dan Tigner was induced by Mr. Dawson to set up in business in a slab-sided shop on brink of the river near the mill. . About this time, in the spring of 1868, the question of voting bonds for a railroad commenced being mildly agitated, and the more the subject was discussed among good meaning neighbors, the more settled each became in his own conviction that bonds were all wrong or all right-and so, like the schoolboys' snowball, the more the question was agitated the more unrelenting the strife between advocates and objectors, and so continued until at the November election in 1868 the vote in favor of bonds resulted in an overwhelming majority- and combative neighbors on both sides of the question composed their divergence of opinions by agreeing that an immediate railroad through the county would be worth all the cost and contention.

RAILROAD COMES.

The voting of bonds seemed to have invited a race among capitalists for the rich prize to be awarded the first railroad to enter the county, and while construction was underway on the old Atchison & Nebraska out of Atchison, the surveyors were rushing the laying out of the line to Lincoln : work progressed with such gratifying rapidity that during the summer of 1869 the iron horse had worked his way to the county seat and everyone rejoiced that, whether the route led up the north or south forks of the Nemaha, they would not be far removed from civilization.

For a long time after the bond election in 1868, there was innich uncer- tainty as to which fork of the Nemaha would be selected as the route for the railroad, but after passing the south fork at Salem everyone recognized that Dawson's location midway between Humboldt and Salem would entitle it to a depot, and with the idea of being ready to supply the wants of the railroad graders, two young men, Knight & Lappeus, established the first grocery store on the bank of the Nemaha, north of Riley park. With the opening of the road to commercial traffic, B. S. Chittenden had shipped in the needed material for a store and elevator, and for many years he was known and esteemed as Dawson's pioneer merchant.

As there was no suitable ground near the depot for building purposes. the early location of a townsite was delayed at a time when modern town promoters would be busy booming its real or fancied resources. Early in

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RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

March, 1872, W. F. Draper was induced to have surveyed into town lots what is termed South Dawson; the newly created town was recorded as Noraville, and Mr. Draper was very insistent it should be so called-in honor of his wife-but the good old masculine name, "Dawson," had too strong a hold on the affections of people to be supplanted by "Nora." In the mean- time Knight & Lappeus sold their store near the river to William Till, who soon after was united in partnership with Mr. Oakley and in March, 1872, they pulled the building up into the new town, and it was the first business house within the corporate limits of the new village. Dan Tigner's blacksmith shop was also transferred from the mill yard.

The first hotel was erected and conducted by Chris Warner, who made the mistake of neglecting a fine farm for a business of doubtful merit. About the same time M. B. Ryan erected a combined residence and store building and entered into business as the first druggist, in which business he con- tinned for a generation, and which was conducted in a successful manner to retain the esteem of his patrons and at the same amass a rich competency.

During 1873 Till & Oakley sold out to Jolin Holt and Ike Mead-with Mr. Mead as manager. Soon after John Holt's interest was purchased by Mr. Riley, and under the firm name of Meade & Riley, the business soon assumed mammoth proportions, and so conducted until a later rearrange- ment, when Mr. Riley decided to devote his attention to banking interests and Mr. Meade accepted the appointment of postmaster.

S. C. Barlow erected and operated the first wagon shop in the building now occupied by that hustling merchant, Charlie Cooper. Later, Uncle Steve sold his wagon shop and purchased B. S. Chittenden's stock of goods and engaged in the mercantile trade-in which in one form or other he may justly claim the distinction of being the oldest and best known and-if not the richest-the most highly esteemed business man of Dawson.

John Draper conducted the first lumber yard for W. P. Tinker of Humboldt, from whom it was taken over by Will Easley, and later by B. S. Chittenden.

John Hannah built the Commercial Hotel which, under the popular management of W. A. Albright and his good wife, had acquired such a reputation for solid home-like comfort that traveling men were wont to make Dawson at the end of the week so as to peacefully enjoy the home comforts of the little hotel over Sunday.

The little village was now so securely established that the attention of town people and friends in the county turned attention to the importance of a place for public meetings, and to the order of Odd Fellows is due the

"IOOHOS IIDIHI NOSANYO

]

INTERIOR OF CATHOLIC CHURCH, DAWSON.

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honor of erecting the first public building that for many years served every purpose of a lodge room, town hall, church, school and everything of a public nature; the noble spirit displayed by the projectors of this early building has never since been excelled by any Christian denomination.

The limited area of the original townsite was soon taken up, and as human nature was about the same then as now, those who got possession of the choice building lots were content to see the business district confined to their own block; as a consequence of this selfish policy the growth of the town was retarded at a time when, with the application of the spirit of live-and- let-live policy, it should have been enjoying a veritable boom. This "dog- in-the-manger" spirit continued until 1881, when J. H. Hagadorn laid out an addition, and during the next few years the village made more progress than in all its previous existence.

DAWSON SPREADS.

At this time B. S. Chittenden sold his elevator and grain business to T. J. Ryan who, the next year, sold out to the well remembered and revered Morgan McSwiney. Mr. Chittenden then moved his store building from south of track to the corner at present occupied by Pierson's cafe; it was the first building in the Hagadorn addition and was used for years in connec- tion with the lumber yard.

S. C. Barlow, who was ever in the vanguard of each progressive move- ments, was the first to start the construction of the brick block; his example was at once followed by M. L. Libbee and Ed. Hanna, and sooit after Mr. Chit- tenden and his son-in-law, J. W. Herlocker, erected adjoining, the magnificent store rooms, now occupied hy L. L. Kinsey & Son, which was conducted as one of the most extensive hardware stores in the West, until destroyed by fire in 1890.

John W. Blomis was one of the well-to-do early-day farmers, who was a live wire in working for the advancement of the young village; he estab- lished an extensive implement trade that was later taken over by J. W. Her- locker.

Maurice O'Brien was a noted carpenter and builder. He built the pres- ent blacksmith shop and fitted rooms on the east end for a private residence ; he next erected for a work shop the building now used by M. J. Byrne as a cement store room.

Harry Joeckel, S. L. Umstead, A. R. Smutz, E. E. Duryea and Charles Vanderplus were early-day blacksmiths, while John Klima continued to handle the wagon department until he built his present quarters.

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Judd & Stratton about this time erected a horse barn and engaged in the breeding and importation of thoroughbred horses. These were upright and popular young men who conducted an honorable business. Leroy Judd later purchased Mr. Stratton's interest, and the two brothers continued the busi- ness until the new barn was built west of the school house, when Leroy went farming and Norm conducted the business until he sold to Pat O'Grady.

With G. L. Wagner, druggist, Joseph Potter and H. J. Shier, harness makers, W. S. Allen, drayman, Tom Ryan, shoemaker, Drs. J. A. Waggener and Harlan resident physicians, E. T. Hanna, pool hall and restaurant and last, but not least, E. W. Buser as, postmaster, merchant, and, later, founder and editor of the Newsboy, the town was now so well represented in every line of business and trade that nothing was lacking but a local bank to facili- . tate the exchange and handling of the rapidly-growing volume of trade.

To meet this requirement a conference of reliable old friends resulted in the organization of the Dawson Bank, with the following original stock- holders: M. B. Ryan, M. Riley, L. A. Ryan, Thomas Fenton, Dan Riley and Morgan MeSwiney. M. Riley was elected cashier, which position he continued to fill with honor until the hour of his death, and so conscientiously devoted was he to the interests of his pet institution that it was often remarked by observant friends he devoted greater attention to the welfare of the bank than to his health.

At this stage of Dawson's history it enjoyed the enviable reputation of being the most progressive little town in the West, but with the completion of the Union Pacific and Rock Island railroads, fully half its territory was cut off, which necessitated a trimming of sails to conform with changed con- ditions.

In addition to the curtailment of trade by the opening of the railroads north and south of town, may be mentioned the destruction by fire in 1889 of the first mill, that was looked upon by the farmers for many miles as the most useful and popular landmark in the county. The mill had just been overhauled and equipped with all modern machinery by Riley & Byrne, and the enterprising proprietors so richly merited the sympathy of the community in their great financial loss, that a joint stock company was at once organ- ized, and a fifteen-thousand-dollar mill constructed, but unfortunately, no sooner was the new mill completed than it, too, went up in smoke. With just cause for discouragement the mill was rebuilt on a small scale a fourth time, and continued to be operated as a nonpaying investment until finally dis- continued with the digging of the new channel and abandonment of water power.

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RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

FIRST EFFORT TO BUILD CHURCH.

Until the completion of the Odd Fellows building, already mentioned, religious services were conducted in the Iliff school house a mile east of town, and until the erection of the respective churches, the first floor of the build- ing-better known as town hall-served for every purpose of union church, public hall, school house and everything of a public nature. In 1879 the Catholic congregation made the first start at the erection of a little church building. John Hanna was the builder, and just as he had it fairly inclosed a storm set in while the congregation was gathering for evening devotion the last of May, and with not less than fifty women and children within the frail building, it was blown down-fortunately without serious injury to anyone. The next year it was rebuilt on a more substantial scale, and was no sooner completed than it burned down. A third time it was again rebuilt and con- tinued to stand until the fall of 1898, when, during the progress of an electric storm, it was destroyed by lightning and made way for the present substan- tial brick edifice-that in point of cost and artistic grandeur would do credit to a town many times Dawson's population.

A Catholic parochial school was opened last fall, but it is due to state in this review it was not started because of any dissatisfaction with our local public schools on the parts of Catholic parents, many of whom in early days divided time with pioneer neighbors in the use of a primitive house of Chris- tian worship; and whose children for a generation have mingled in a spirit of fraternal harmony in a common school where the most scrupulous care was observed to see the rights of the humblest were sacredly respected; they conscientiously believe a denominational school in Dawson is an excessive and unnecessary burden.

The first. union Sunday school was organized and conducted by Uncle Henry Allen in a primitive warehouse near the depot. After the death of Mr. Allen the good work was continued by the popular village blacksmith, A. R. Smutz, who was succeeded by E. W. Buser, who in turn has given way to Joseph S. Hein, who is noted as the most efficient superintendent in the state. About . 1883 the present Evangelical congregation was re-organized, and during the pastorate of Reverend Petitte a new church was built on the hill; the congregation increased in wealth and members so rapidly, that in a few years later it became necessary to enlarge it, and it was remodeled and transferred into the present imposing edifice.

Since Dawson's earliest settlement it has been a fruitful field for the

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growth of fraternal orders; the pioneer order was the Odd Fellows, and every early-day member was a leader in everything of a progressive nature. There are also established flourishing local lodges of the Knights and Ladies of Security, Modern Woodmen, Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Degree of Honor.

A laudable institution intended to perpetuate the memory and self-sacri- fices of the early settlers is that of the Richardson County Old Settlers Asso- ciation. A number of social neighbors congregated at the home of John Williamson in the summer of 1886, and after a picnic dinner out in the shaded lawn the pioneer spirit that pervaded the group of old neighbors sug- gested the idea of making such a social reunion an annual event. The sug- gestion met a hearty response from all present, and a permanent organization was effected by the election of a board of trustees with instructions to draft constitution and by-laws. John Brockman was elected first president and S. C. Barlow, secretary. The next annual meeting at Mr. Williamson's pri- vate lawn was so numerously attended that it was decided to hold all future annual gatherings down in Rothenberger's grove, midway between Hum- boldt and Dawson; and for many years after the citizens of both towns united in making the old settlers' picnic one of the most numerously attended and popular.

In time the great mob became too unwieldy to properly handle, and as such annual gatherings began to attract the usual number of undesirable char- acters, Mr. Rothenberger decided it was time to select a location near some town that would afford the necessary police supervision. A popular vote on removal resulted in Dawson's selection as the future headquarters, and Dan Riley tendered the association the use of his magnificent grove, popularly known as Riley Park, for future picnics. The progressive young business men of town at once constructed a cable foot bridge crossing the old Nemaha channel, this enabling people to enter the beautiful grove a few rods south of the depot. . \ spirited discussion was conducted in the local press last year as to the manner of conducting present-day picnics; whether or not the censure of mifriendly critics was well founded, the incident should serve to remind both town officers and Old Settlers Association that nothing in the future should be tolerated within the grounds to afford the least room for any unfriendly criticism; this can be done only by adhering to the simple rules of the honest early-day founders by making the annual reunions an occasion for renewing old-time friendships and a revival of pioneer reminiscences of a time when all occupied the same plane of equality.

Finally, Dawson of the present day has no aspiration to be classed as

MILES RANCH HOUSE, NEAR DAWSON.

---

OLD BARN BUILT OF NATIVE LUMBER, ON THE MILES RANCH, NEAR DAWSON.

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a town of commercial supremacy ; but its churches and schools, in connection with neat cottage homes nestling in well-kept lawns, embowered in clean. shaded avenues, lends to it the air and comfort of a metropolitan suburb that tend to make it a haven of quiet contentment and peaceful repose that can never be experienced in the roar and grind of a commercial metropolis. Many in youthful ambition have been lured to the cities in quest of fame or for- tune, but with the disappearance of the gilded veneer their minds and hearts longingly revert to the honest, old-fashioned home scenes of innocent youth. In these inspiring home scenes and tender memories Dawson will ever have more sentimental attraction for the scattered pioneers than any commercial metropolis.

REPUTATION OF SCHOOLS.

A noted writer remarked that "sweet, indeed, are the uses of adversity"; and if adversities are conducive to the calling forth of the latent energies of a people or community, then the patrons of school district No. 95 have much cause to be thankful for the "touch of nature that tended to make them all akin." Since the formation of the district in 1878 Dawson schools have enjoyed a most enviable reputation because of the unanimity of the spirit of fraternal unity prevading the school patrons, and which happy condition is party to be accounted for from the fact that it required a united pull on the part of friends of the school to establish a town district at all, and it demanded that united and ceaseless energies of the early friends to surmount the many adversities that beset the little district.

The present-day graduate of our flourishing high school whose "com- mencement" pathway is bedecked with roses, could not conceive anything so inspiring or ennobling for the subject of an "oration" as that of the self- sacrifices made on the part of honest parents to give their children an oppor- tunity to acquire an education that they were deprived of in their early youth. The same ties of brotherly love that cements the fraternal bonds between the comrades of the Civil War, weld in ties of enduring friendship the friends and founders of our Dawson public schools, that were intended more for the formation of manly and womanly character than the acquirement of the frivolous fads and frills of institutions depending on the benefactions of a Carnegie or a Rockefeller.

The progress of the little boys and girls who entered the primary depart- ment of the first town school, later on called for a transformation from a county to a graded school, and during the efficient supervision of Prof. R. L. Hoff the original building was remodeled at considerable expense to conform

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 54

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