USA > Nebraska > Richardson County > History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions > Part 59
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"JAYHAWKERS."
As I said before some of Lane's men came here and remained until the beginning of the war and the call of the gun was too much for them and they all went. A funny thing happened to one of them -- Harry Gilmore-he was one of Lane's best fighting men-fighting for Free Soil, yet was colonel in a Rebel army from Baltimore, and another, William Buchanan, organized a company and went to Brownville on a call from there to protect the land office. After the ones organized to rob the land office found them well protected, they
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skipped-Buchanan finding nothing else to do, decided to come home via Rush Bottom to see what they could find. Some of the boys not being well mounted, decided to exchange horses and in some cases forgot to leave their horses, so they were named "jayhawkers," and they sure made a lot of good Union men out of some radical sympathizers-on coming back home. They found a few days after that that the folks over the river and some on this side, had organized a big crowd to come and make them disgorge; and they succeeded in getting some soldiers to come with them and when they arrived at Falls City, and no jayhawkers in sight, they lined up in front of our house and asked father as to the whereabouts of those whom they were seeking. He told them the men had gone South, so they started after them and went down crossing the Nemaha at Bremen's ford. most of them going on to Padonia, while a few of them went up Pony creek to get the Marcum boys. The ones going to Padonia put up there for the night and while eating break- fast in an old store building, the jayhawks came up to the door and windows and told them to file out and leave their guns behind them. On coming out the officers seeing the Stars and Stripes said he could not fight the flag. Buchanan told the soldiers they were fighting for the same cause and for them to get their guns and horses and that they could go whenever they wanted to, or that they could stay with them, but that the others could get back the best way they could find and ordered them to do that quick. They were glad to go, but they had a hard time getting home because the Nemaha had got past fording on account of the heavy rains upstream.
The captain of the jayhawkers sent most of the horses to Ft. Leaven- worth and the balance of the company came back to live off the folks, whose sympathies were favorable to the South. After staying here long enough to make this part of the country enthusiastically loyal, they went South to become a part of the Army of the North. I last saw Buchanan in Chicago, where he was employed in the secret service of the government early in the spring of 1865. His was a dangerous position and one that took a man of nerve to fill. A brother of our late townsman, D. P. Brannin, was killed in that service.
FIRST PUBLIC HOUSE OR HOTEL ..
The first public house or hotel was run by Mr. and Mrs. Rickards on the corner of Sixteenth and Stone streets, on lot 13, of block No. 70, at present occupied by the Harry M. Jenne shoe store, and later was run by . laron Kin- sey and wife, and uncle of 1 .. L. Kinsey, who still resides in the county. An- hotel was then built by Jesse Crook, the father of W. H. Crook and Mrs.
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J. R. Wilhite. Mr. Crook at that time owned and was living on a farm over on the Muddy creek, a part of which is now owned by Napoleon DeMeres. Following this was the Union House, built by Jacob G. Good, and is still doing business under the excellent management of our friend, Adam Vogel.
Following this was the Grable House now known as the National Hotel. Next in order came the Eating House at the Burlington & Missouri railroad, in late years owned and run by Ross Goolsby.
THE FIRST SCHOOL.
The first school was run by Miss Barnum, where the Gehling Opera House now stands, in a building twelve by fourteen, afterward used as a saloon.
The next was a house on lot No. I, of block No. 70, where the Frederick garage now stands.
The third was a house now owned and occupied by Caroline L. Hurling, on lots 11 and 12 of block 153, at the corner of Eleventh and Chase streets.
The fourth. We had a school on the site now occupied by the World Picture Show, lot 23, of block 102.
The fifth. We now had a school on lot 17, of block 91, and in this room was held the first meeting called for the purpose of considering measures for the building of a public school house.
This first building was built on lots 3 and 4, of block No. 101. This was followed by a two-story frame building in the same place. The building was afterwards used as a business college by Professor Barrett on another site to which it had been removed.
This was followed by the large brick building known unto this day as the central school building.
FIRST MINISTER IN FALLS CITY.
The first minister we had to give us a sermon was the Reverend Taylor of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he used to give us something to think about. He was strong in going after the men for running open saloons and gambling houses on Sunday, smoking, etc. He said the only thing a cigar reminded him of was, "fire at one end and a fool at the other," and the only use he had for a man of that kind was to stand him up in a corner.
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INDIANS TROUBLESOME.
In the fall of 1862 the Indians became very hostile in the northern part of the state, near Decatur, and up through that part of the country. The government having its hands full in the South, there was a call for volunteers from the west to go out and look after the Indians. The second company was called for, so they started to raise a company here, and through the efforts of J. W. Dorrington, Captain Bain and some others the ranks were soon filled and it was known as Company G, Second Nebraska Cavalry. Each man of the company had to furnish his own horse and the government was to pay for the use of them. The company went to Omaha and remained there for some time.
A little later another company was organized and went into service as Company L of the same regiment. When it was found that they were not going out on the campaign until spring, David Dorrington went to Omaha with quite a number of requests to have the two companies stationed here and, after some hard work, the order went forth for each company to go to their own town and take up quarters until ordered out in the spring. Mr. Dorrington had told the captain of the companies that just as soon as the order came to pull for home, there was talk of sending each company to a different place from the one they had come from. The order was obeyed and the companies did not get away any too soon, for, just as they had crossed the Platte river. another order came for them, but the orderly could not get across the river as the boys had left one or two men to hold the boat until the companies could get scattered for home. They certainly scattered, as only about one-half came in as a company ; the remainder got lost and did not find Falls City until several days afterward, and did not find it then until they went home to find the direction to Falls City.
Some of the boys resided several miles south of Falls City. They did not play much soldier that winter. From three to five and six of the boys would go together to the home of a family in Falls City and get leave to stop there by furnishing their rations and a girl to help the lady of the house with the work. There were plenty of girls in town at that time who were glad to play their part, and the reader can rest assured that times were lively enough that winter. We had three or four dances each week and many other kinds of amusement and entertainment. The government was very liberal with the rations for the soldiers. The amount furnished five men, properly han- dled, would make a living for a dozen. Father was quartermaster and for
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this reason I feel that I speak with a first-hand knowledge of the situation in this respect. We bought all the hay, all the beans, and nearly all the fat cattle within fifteen miles and for beans we went as far west as Pawnee City and as far east as St. Joseph; in fact, all our merchandise had to be hauled from St. Joseph, Missouri, that winter, and the same condition obtained most of the summer. Sometimes shipments would be made on the river to Rulo or St. Stephens and the haul was made from those places. In the early winter of 1862 David R. Holt took three teams to St. Joseph for the purpose of bring- ing goods home. When we got to Elwood on this side of the river, near that place, we were informed by the ferryman that no crossing could be made for the reason that the city was in the hands of the Confederates. On look- ing to the opposite side we noted that a large gun was pointed in our direc- tion, so we made no attempt to cross that night, but arranged to stay over in the town. The next morning we beheld a change in the presentment of the picture we had seen the previous evening. The Union men were now in charge and we at once crossed and loaded the wagons, but it took us some two or three days to obtain the supplies we sought .- During this time it had turned cold and the river filled with ice and we could not cross. We then started north on the Missouri side of the river, going through the towns of Savannah, Oregon, and Forest City to White Cloud, but the ice was not strong enough for our teams and the loaded wagons, so we walked over and left the teams on the other side until morning, when David Dorrington gave a man ten dollars to bring them safely to this side. The horses were first led across alone and the goods brought in small portions on sleds, while the empty wagons were brought last. Finally across and reloaded we recom- menced the journey and landed safely in due time at our homes in Fails City. From the foregoing it can be noted that the journey was not like what might happen in these days of the fast-moving trains, when the trip might be made in a couple of hours at most any time of year.
BRICK SCHOOL HOUSE ERECTED.
It was at about this time that Falls City made such a good showing that we had to rent the basement of the St. Thomas Episcopal church (the old church) for school purposes and then built the two-story frame building that_ was hardly completed when the present brick school house, known as the "Central" had to be contracted for to accommodate the ever-increasing num- her of students.
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The contract was let to John H. Burbank and the rock work was put up by John Gehling, of St. Joseph. He did all the carving on the door and window caps. This building was only partly finished until 1877-78.
In the days near the close of the war we began to make many improve- ments. We began to farm as they did in Missouri. Our old friend, Robert Harlow, father of Ferd M., of this city; Bob and Rice and three girls, Uncle Thomas Moss and Jim and Will, and William L. Paxton and family, the latter having a large family of boys, James, William, Thomas, Samuel, Galen C., Charles, and a number of daughters, were all here. We all put in sonie wheat, oats, etc. When it came time for cutting they all joined together and dug up from somewhere an old reaper and "she" was a good one, the frame work for the reel was made of timber and oak, about six inches square. I know it took one blind horse, two blind mules, and one mule with only one good eye to pull it at that time. Horses and mules with good eyes were not to be had in the country and we did not think of having a sound horse at the time. Such an equipment would hardly be used by the poorest of Richardson county farmers today, but we managed well with it and saved the crop and were very thankful to be thus well equipped, as what we had was much bet- ter than many others could boast of at that time.
Our old friend Harkendorf, the father of Fritz Harkendorf, residing north of Falls City, built a house that season of lumber, which was sawed out by hand. They dug a pit-one man below and one above-and used a whip- saw. At this time many people began to arrive in the country, including Judge Van Dusen, Mr. Messler, father of Adolph; Jake, Doctor and Mrs. Albert Norris. Their brother. Chauncy, later of Table Rock, had been here for some time as he was merchant here in the early days and also an officer in Company L, Second Nebraska Cavalry.
At the election relating to the choice of a county seat for Richardson county the following judges and clerks were appointed for the district :
No. 1 .- Archer : Ambrose Shelly. Archibald McWilliams and Win- gate King.
No. 2 .-- Salem : Charles Cornell, John W. Brinegar and Richard M. DeLong.
No. 3 .- Speiser : John Luginbill, Elijah G. Davenport and James Allen. No. 4 .- Rulo: Charles Martin, John Stone and B. F. Cunningham.
No. 5 .- St. Stephens: William R. Cain, Jacob Wagner and Louis Phillips.
No. 6 .- Franklin: John Corlett. H. B. Porter and William Furrow.
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The road to Archer in those days did not follow section lines as now. but started from the old hotel at the Richardson County Bank corner on Stone street, at the southwest corner of the court house square, and run northeasterly across the court house grounds and passed the First ward water works plant and down the hollow through block No. I and the Joseph Portrey place to the east and on over to the Jesse Crook farm, now owned by William Nutter in the east half of the northeast one-quarter of section 2, township I, north of range 16, east of the sixth principal meridian, and across the Muddy to Archer. We used to go there to attend the Good Templars' lodge and the dancing and "bussing" bees. We used to have many parties at Jesse Crooks and at the home of his brother, Isaac Crooks.
By an act of the county commissioners at their meeting held at Salem the 27th day of December, 1858, the voting place was moved from Archer to Falls City. The third election on the county seat was held on the Ioth of January, 1859. The following were named judges :
No. I .- Archer: W. M. Maddox, Isaac Crook and Wingate King.
No. 2 .- Salem: J. Coffman, R. M. DeLong and J. Greenup.
No. 3 .- Speiser: J. Luginbill, J. Shellhorn and J. E. Davenport. No. 4 .- Rulo: Charles Martin, B. F. Cunningham and J. W. Stone. No. 5 .- St. Stephens: A. D. S. Ayers, J. Scott and J. Corlett.
On June 21st, 1860, the board of county commissioners met. Present : Charles Cornell, Thomas McIntyre. By an act of the Legislature approved in 1860, to locate the county seat at Falls City. the commissioners declared Salem no longer the county seat and instructed that the books and papers belonging to the county be moved to Falls City. And then began the tug of war to settle permanently the location of the county seat, a more extended account of which is told in another part of this volume.
We used to have some very enterprising merchants at about this time. Being in one of the stores one day, a lady came in and asked for some calico. The merchant without getting off the counter reached over on the shelf and took down the only piece he had. She asked the price: it was twenty-five cents per yard : she told him it was too much. He immediately put it back with the remark: "She can lay thar and rot before I will sell it for less." His little son came in a little later and said : "Pop, marm wants two pounds of sugar." He replied : "Tote yourself home, sonny, and tell yer ma I hain't only one-half pound in the store."
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FRANCIS M. STUMBO TELLS A STORY.
Francis M. Stumbo, who was born in Cass county, Iowa, 1842, and who came to this county with his parents when but fourteen years of age, in 1856, was as well posted as any now living on the history of the Sac and Fox Indians, who occupied lands near Falls City. His parents settled at the Falls Mills, or Nemaha Falls, an obsolete village on the banks of the Nemaha, just southwest of the present site of Falls City. At the time of their arrival here they found the Indians and had them as their nearest and only neighbors. Mr. Stumbo grew to manhood among these very Indians and acquired a conversational knowledge of their language. Having Indian boys as his only companions, he spent much of his tine in their lodges and learned their mode of life. Speak- ing of their ceremonies he says :
I was on such friendly terms with the Chief Mas-sau-quit as a boy that he always addressed me as "son"; though not formally adopted as a member of the tribe, I practically made my home with them, sleeping in the teepees with the Indian boys, and was not excluded from any of the many ceremonies, which were generally of a religious nature and, in fact, I seemed a favorite with the people.
Among the rites practiced by those of the Sauk people residing at the reservation here, I remember their "green corn dance," which was indulged in supplication to the Great Spirit, invoking a good result for the crops, and the "buffalo dance," which preceded the big hunt ; but the greatest dance was the "scalp dance," in celebration of victory in battle. Some times this dance might cover a week's duration.
Here at Sauktown, as it was called, near Nemaha Falls, the tribe's head- quarters, they had a council house, large enough to accommodate several fires ; and, upon one occasion, in making ready to receive a visit from their friends the "Otoes," who were located at that time further west and on the Blue river, near Wymore-I was present. The members of the tribe had gathered in the council house in the form of a circle and were addressed by Mas-sau-quit, the chief, who inquired as to what each might volunteer to contribute as a token or present to the visitors. Each was supposed to make some sort of a donation, both in the way of provisions for the feast, which was to be held in their honor, and something, besides, as a token of esteem for the visitors. The donor was allowed to designate later which of the visitors was to receive the presents. A committee of three was appointed to take charge of whatever was given.
The chief commenced at the head of the circle and interrogated each in
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turn as to what they might want to give, finally addressing me thus: "Son, what will you give?" I answered, stating that, I was only a boy and did not have very much, but would give two half-grown dogs, a sack of flour and a hog. At this Mas-sau-quit stopped me, saying "that's enough." The gifts, which could be, were brought to the council house and stored therein. The feast was held in the council house and participated in by the Sauks and their visitors, at which the best feeling prevailed.
SAUKS RETURN VISIT TO OTOES.
One evening at a date somewhat later in the fall, Mas-sau-quit sent an Indian boy for me and upon my appearance before him he said, "Son, we are to visit the Otoes ; do you wish to go with us?" I readily assented, knowing it would be great sport, and he inquired as to whether I had a mount. I told him that I had one at home, but that it was out on the range and that I would go at once and get it. To this he objected, saying that it were better for me to remain with them during the night, as they would start before dawn and that a horse would be provided. He called a Mexican, then living with the tribe, and ordered some ponies brought up and told me to make a choice. I indicated a beautiful spotted pony which had not been broken, and he ordered the Mexican to try it out. This was done and I rode the pony with the band on the trip.
We arrived in due time at the lodges of the Otoes and enjoyed ourselves very much and were feasted as we had feasted them. They had provided pres- ents for us and the same were distributed as we stood in the form of a hollow square on the prairie.
An old squaw led a fine sorrel pony into the open space and announced that it was to be a present for the little white boy. Our chief, Mas-sau-quit told me to accept the horse and tie it to a small tree at one side of the gathering. This I did, and returned to my place in the line. Later, an Indian lad brought in another sorrel pony, which was given to me also .. The next, an Indian maiden. came into the square leading a beautiful pony, having a silver colored mane and tail. This she signified should also be mine, but at that moment an old squaw approached her and whispered something which seemed to displease her greatly. She thereupon led the pony a short distance from the company, though in plain view of the council, and jerking a dagger from the folds of her dress slashed the horse across the throat.
This act of the Indian girl was so apparently out of keeping with the spirit of the occasion, that it created no little excitement for the time, but was
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adjusted later when the same maid again appeared with another pony which was given me in lien of the one she had just killed.
Besides the ponies I also received a fine silver-beaded blanket, or buffalo, which I afterward sold for one hundred and fifty dollars; a how and quiver and a pair of fine moccasins.
I brought the presents home with me and on our arrival here, Mas-sau- quit said to me, "Now, son, see what you have; you gave little and have received much. That is our custom, we always try to give more than we receive."
There were about five chiefs here-sub-chiefs or police-but Mas-sau- quit was the head of the tribe. He did not speak English, but was accounted an orator in his way.
MASCOT AGAINST INJURY.
When I left to join the Seventh Kansas Cavalry during the Civil War, Chief Mas-sau-quit presented me with an elaborate belt, which he insisted that I should always wear when in battle, saying that if I did so I would never be injured. The belt, which I treasured very highly, was later stolen from me at Columbus, Kentucky. While on a furlough home, I met my old friend, Mas-sau-quit, and he noticed at once that the belt was gone and when I told him what had become of it. he said that it was too bad the same had been taken, but that it would never do the one taking it from me any good as he would be sure to get killed wearing it.
Quack-a-ho-sa was the medicine man of the Sauks here. He was the prelate and always before eating gave a sacrifice. If he ate meat or bread. he would always take a small portion of each and hurn the same as a sacrifice to the Great Spirit.
The Sauks here moulded their own bullets. I have often seen the squaws go out and be gone for a half a day's trip up the Nemaha and on their return would bring lead or metal. but I never knew from whence they got the same. They would melt it up and there seemed but little dross in it. It appeared as if they had taken tomahawks and cut it out.
. THE OLD TABLE ROCK.
By Frank A. Harrison.
The "Table Rock" was the stone from which the town, Table Rock. (located in what is now Pawnee county, but what was formerly a part of Richardson county, and but about two miles west of the present west bound-
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ary of this county ) derived its name. About a mile and a half east of Table Rock, in a romantic locality on the side of a wooded bluff, stood the old monument, and in the earlier days of the county it was the spot to which all settlers and visitors made pilgrimages, a very "blarney stone," to which all paid tribute-not by kissing, but by carving their initials on its surface, or on the face of some large boulder lying near by. Here old John Brown, "whose soul is marching on," made many visits, and those of us who were here twenty years ago, still saw his name carved on the rock, the date, "1856," being still readable. About the year 1880 some vandal scratched out the name and the date to make room for his own scrawl.
The rock was photographed by a wandering artist about thirteen years ago, and only two copies are known to be in existence. Since the rock is gone, these pictures are highly prized. As seen by the first settler some forty years ago, the rock was shaped like a low-set goblet, flat on top, and measuring about ten feet across its surface. On top was a stone table, standing on four legs, about eighteen inches. How the table came there no one knew, but the old table rock was always thought to have been a religious altar or watch tower of the early Indian tribes. This is quite probable, as in the two holes in the rock near the top were found bits of charred wood and bones-evi- dently the remains of superstitious orgies. About 1861 the table on the top . of the rock disappeared, and in a few years later a stroke of lightning threw down one side of the rock. In 1892 it became top heavy and shaky on its one leg and it now lies scarred and broken on the hillside-a fallen monarch, indeed.
The locality where the table rock stood is still a weird and beautiful one. Strange and giant rocks stand about, hiding their heads among the branches of the oaks, while on the face of each boulder is carved the name of many a curiosity seeker. The place is being fitted up for a park, and is a favorite spot for picnics, where the romantic maidens and lovesick swains wander about the shaded nooks, or while away the time boat riding on the Nemaha, which flows near by.
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