USA > Nebraska > Washington County > History of Washington County, Nebraska; its early settlement and present status, resources, advantages and future prospects > Part 3
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
we thoroughly enjoyed our pleasant surroundings. In due time, a sup- per of black coffee, fat bacon, molasses, and a certain kind of hot bread, peculiar to the plains, was prepared and eaten with a relish. The bread referred to was made of dough, composed of flour, water, salt aud soda, mixed up tough and then dropped into a frying pan half full of hot grease. It requires the stomach of an ostrich, or a very healthy man, to digest it,and it would kill the oldest man in America in three weeks time if he should eat it and follow sedentary pursuits. As it requires a considerable amount of fat to cook bread in this way, it is looked upon as rather a rare treat, something as "duff" is aboard ship. The usual way of preparing bread on the plains is to mix up batter and make "slap-jacks." It is expected that after a man has beeen on the plains for a week, he will be able to "flop" a slap-jack over in a frying pan, when one side is done, without the aid of a knife, and when he has been out a month, he is supposed to be able to take hold of the frying pan handle, throw the half-done slap-jack over a covered wagon, run around to the other side with his frying pan, and catch the descending mass, dough side down. The old hands allow a beginner just a month in which to acquire this accomplishment, and if he is unable to go through with it without doubling the slap-jack up in the pan when he catches it, at the end of that time, he is considered a dis- couraging failure.
As I said before, we were happy. As the sun sank to rest, and the twinkling stars came out one by one, and the moon rose bright and clear, our camp presented a beautiful picture. A chain of sentinels surrounded it, but they were not soanxious or watchful as they necessarily were when upon guard previous to our coming up with the Indians. The song and jest passed around, and the hours slipped pleasantly by until it was time to " turn in." Then blankets were spread under the wagons, and as the moon looked down upon us, lighting up the scene with a mellow haze, we dropped off to sleep with the music of the rippling of waters and the chirp of a thousands of crickets, hidden in the grass, sounding in our ears.
We were roused up at early hour the next morning, and in a short time our cavalcade was on the move. After marching a few miles we reached a high point of ground, from which a magnificent and pictur- esque scene burst upon the view. Far off to the northwest we could trace the windings of the Elkhorn by the timber upon its banks, while here and there could be seen small streanis which found their way from the highlands across the broad river bottoms. At our feet was seen the Indian camp, now a scene of active commotion, for they had just discov. ered our approach, and were rapidly gathering their herds of ponies from the neighboring hills. It was a mutual surprise. We supposed the In dians would remain the night previous at the place where the pow wow was held, and they probably thought we had turned back that morning, intending to go home by the route we had come.
We were in for it now. We wanted to go in a direction which would bring us very near the Indian camp, and if they were disposed to fight us, we would gain nothing by turning aside now. It was decided that
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
we should get everything ready to repel an attack, move along as though the Indians were not there, and trust to fate for the rest Our six prison- ers were tied together and then fastened by a rope to one of the wagons, behind which they walked quietly along, surrounded by a mounted guard. We did not go through the camp, but passed along one side of it. A few ·squaws and pappooses came out to see us as we moved along, but the In- dians generally remained about their tents. Among the squaws who had come out from the camp, was the one before spoken of as having torn her hair and exhibited such great grief at being separated from her brave the day before, and when the wagon behind which the prisoners were tied, come up, this squaw rushed among them and gave her Indian a knife, with which he stabbed himself in the breast, and fell heavily to the ground. Of course the wagon stopped at once, and the attention of the guards was taken up with the wounded Indian, whom they sup- pssed to be bleeding internally, as but little blood was to be seen about the wounds, although a reddish looking matter, similar to blood in appear- ance, oozed from each corner of his mouth. As the guards were doing what they could to assist the Indian who had stabbed himself, his treach- erous squaw secured the knife and cut the ropes which bound the prison- ers together, and away they sprang like a flash, all the guards but one running after them, firing upon them as they ran. Meanwhile, the wounded Indian had stretched out, his eyes sunk into his head, and he gave every indication of being dead, while that squaw of his hung over him, indulg- ing in wild expressions of grief. When she saw that the guards were some distance from the wagon, she gave her buck the signal, and he jumped to his feet as agile as a cat, and started to run. But he did not go far. One guard had remained to keep an eye on the corpse, and when that corpse attempted to run away, contrary to the customs and habits of corpses generally, the guard drew up his rifle and called, "halt!" The Indian halted, and it was then found that the wound which he had in- fleted upon himself was only skin-deep, and that he had red ochre in his mouth, by means of which he had created the impression that blood was oozing from between his lips. He was immediately recaptured, tied be- hind the wagon, and the procession moved on.
We proceeded about a mile, took up position on a high hill, and then stopped for a consultation. The guards who pursued the escaped prisoners had returned to the command, and reported that they had either killed or wounded all the prisoners except the one which had been recaptnred. This was well enough, but in the exciten. ent of the chase they had popped over an Omaha, (down among whose tents the prisoners ran), and had also killed an Omaha pony. The indications just at that time were that we had cut out more work for ourselves than we could get through with con- veniently. It was reasonable to suppose that the Pawnees had been thorougly roused by the occurrences of the last half hour, and if the Pun - cas and Omahas would join them, it was quite probable that they would " go back" on the agreement of the previous day. The Omahas had acted very fairly thus far, utterly refusing to have anything to do with trouble
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
into which tne Pawnees had brought themselves, as they considered it. "none of their funeral," but it was a difficult matter to decide what they would do now, since one of their braves had been wounded and a pony killed. We were on a high hill, about a mile from the Indian camp, with no chance to get wood or water, and it would be a very easy matter for us to be surrounded and starved to death. The prospects was somewhat gloomy and discouraging.
While we were deliberating over the matter, we saw a procession of Indians leave the Omaha camp and approach us, " with stately step and slow," which procession proved to be composed of fifty of the wise heads among the Omahas. They marched in single file without a sound being heard, and as they slowly approached us, we could see that their minds were filled with serious thoughts. They were decorated in a peculiar manner, their costumes indicating that they were prepared for either war or peace, as circumstances might seem to dictate.
But they didn't fight us, our cheek and our extraordinary conversa- tional powers saved us for the second time. We reasoned with those chiefs ; we talked as we had never talked before. We portrayed in bril - liant and glowing colors the evils which would result to the red skins gen- erally In case the Omahas and the Poncas joined with the Pawnees in de- c'aring war against us. We dwelt especially upon the immense resources possessed by the whites ; of their great facilites for the carrying on of a prolonged and bloody warfare. Wedeprecated the accidental shooting of the Omaha, promising to hang the man who had fired the unfortunate shot. We made mention of the fact that the Omahas had been at peace with us ever since the first settlement of the Territory. We had regular details made to talk to those old chaps who had one side of their villainous looking countenances painted red and the other black, and as soon as one detail of men would be exhausted, another took their place, and we out- winded them. Their desire for war gradually cooled, (nothing could with- stand the avalanche of talk which we hurled at their devoted heads,) and they finally agreed that if we would leave medicines for the wounded In- dians, and pay for the pony we had killed, they would let us off. To this condition we assented cheerfully, and as the Poncas had signified their intention to do as the Omahas decided to do in the matter, the Pawnees concluded that they would not fight us alone. We left a horse for the In - dian whose pony had been killed, and we were allowed to move on. We did not camp very early that night. Every mile that we traveled, put that much distance between us and the Indians, and we were seized with a desire to make that as great as possible before stopping for the night. We were not all afraid toencamp in their immediate vicinity, bat it occurred to us that perhaps in view of all the facts it would be bet. ter if we were some distance from the Indian camp that night. We thought they would like it better.
Soon after leaving the scene of our conference, we struck Beaver Creek, and followed along its course. We traveled late that night, and did not go into camp until near midnight. Keeping along Beaver Creek,
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
we came in due time to its intersection with the Loup Fork, at the Mor- mon settlement of Genoa, before spoken of. Here we were cordially re- ceived by the Mormons, who looked upon us as a band of brave and noble men who had sacrificed home and home comforts for the nonce, going forth with our lives in our hands to do battle in defense of the unprotec- ted settlements, and shield them from the devastating torch of the savage.
Leaving the Mormon camp-in a manner becoming a band of heroes- we journeyed down the Loup Fork, and reached the German town of Co- lambus that night, at which place we went into camp. We alsoindulged in a high old time-we felt that the Indians were now safe from any mur- derous designs which we may have harbored against them, and we rejoiced to know it. We left one company of our command at Co- lumbus, it having been organized there, and after leaving that village, our force decreased very rapidly. We were formally disbanded at Co- lumbus, the different companies being allowed to return to the various settlements from whence they came by thenearest and most practicable routes. We were told that each company commander would receive the pay due his company, and that the members of the company would be paid by him. It was supposed that the government would enforce the contract we had made with the Indians, keep back enough funds to pay the expenses of the expedition, and that we would receive the money which was due us. But the Government recoiled on us, paid the the In- dians all that was due them, and we were left to whistle for our pay. We are whistling yet.
Thus ended the Pawnee war.
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. HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
MURDERS AND MURDER TRIALS.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE IMPORTANT MURDER TRIALS IN THE COUNTY.
There have been fewer men killed within the boundaries of Wash- ington county since its settlement than one would naturally expect under the circumstances. In 1858 a man named Blackwood, living near De Soto, was arrested on account of a difficulty he had had with a man named Lamb. in which he cut the latter with an axe. He was commit- ted to jail to await trial before the District Court of the Territory, but broke jail, went to his house, and there barricaded himself. He shot at Harvey Estes, who happened to be passing by, whereupon a warrant was issued for his arrest and placed in the hands of Wm. Frazier, Deputy Sheriff, who, in endeavoring to serve it, shot Blackwood. Frazier was tried and acquitted on the ground that the killing was justifiable homi- cide.
In 1859 Henry Seevers, while under the influence of liquor, stabbed an Englishman by the name of Bovee, in a saloon at De Soto, with a butcher knife, killing him. Seevers was arrested and bound over to the next term of court, but the grand jury failed to find an indictment against him and he was released.
In 1861 Hiram Frazier, a boy thirteen years old, shot a German who had said the boy stole a whip, the German dying within a few hours from the effects of the wound. The boy was sentenced to be hung, but the Governor commuted the sentence to imprisonment for life. Young Frazier served three years in the jail at Omaha, when he was pardoned out. The family went west after his release and settled on the Republi- can, where it is reported they were all massacred by Indians.
In the winter of 1869-70, one McAuley, a clerk at the Quimby House, was killed by John Jones, head cook at the hotel. MeAuley was running away from Jones, when the latter threw a butcher's cleaver at him, the weapon passing between McAuley's arm and body, severing the main artery of the arm. The wonnded man ran some distance into a saloon where he bled to death before the startled occupants of the establishment knew what was the matter with him. Jones was tried in June, 1870, be- fore Judge Crounse, now Representative in congress, when the jury dis-
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
agreed, standing eleven to one. After they had been discharged it was found that the one juryman, who had stood out alone, was insane, and he was at once removed to the asylum at Lincoln. At the second trial, Jones was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. He was ably defended by Col. James W. Savage, now Judge of the Third district, and John Carrigan, Esq., of Blair, E. F. Gray, Esq., of Fremont, being the prosecuting attor- ney for the district at that tinie.
February 8th, 1875, Phillip Kleinburg, in company with a neighbor, Herman Brandert, left his home on the Brainard farm, a mile north of Fontenelle, to haul wheat to Nickerson station, three miles distant on the Elkhorn Valley railroad. Returning three hours later, about noon, he found his wife, whom he had left in the morning well and hearty, lying in the snow a few feet north of the house, with three terrible gashes in her throat. The ground where her head had evidently been
were inflicted, was covered with lying when the wounds
blood, and body was then partially cold, indicating ing that death had ensued at least half an hour before. He ran over to his nearest neighbor, Mr. Christy Achilles, informed him of the horrible discovery, aud Mr. Achilles at once went to Fontenelle and summoned help. Tracks in the freshly fallen snow were traced from the body to the house of Chris Hamming, half a mile to the east, and corresponding tracks -apparently made with buffalo overshoes-were discovered leading from Hamming's house, to that of Kleinburg, and a pair of buffalo overshoes on the soles of which were snow and ice, were found in Hamming's house. Willard Randall, a young man nineteen years of age, had occu- pied this house alone for several days, and he was arrested on suspicion of being the murderer. He was tried at Blair, before Judge Samuel Max- well, in November, 1875, District Attorney Connell, prosecuting, and Col. Savage, of Omaha, and John Carrigan, Esq., of Blair, defending. The jury disagreed and a change of venue to Douglas county was obtained. In March, 1876, the case was tried before Judge Griffey, of the Sixth dis- trict-Judge Savage being incapacitated by reason of his former connec- tion with the case-and a verdict of murder in the second degree returned by the jury. The prisoner was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and is now serving out his term. In the second trial Mr. Connell was assist- ed by John C. Cowin, of Omaha, and Mr. Carrigan secured the services of Charles H. Brown, of Omaha, as assistant counsel for the defense.
Last May Henry King, a German, was killed by Minor Milton, under the following circumstances: There had been some feeling of unfriendli- ness existing between Milton and two Swedes, named respectively John Christian and Jans Jenson, on the one side, and Henry and Edward King on the other. The parties all lived in the sanie neighborhood, some two miles south of Blair, and were in Blair the day of the killing, attending court. The King brothers left town in the evening in their wagon to go home, and a short time afterwards Milton, Christian, and Jensen left in the wagon of the latter. It was not proven that they knew the Kings were ahead of them, but it was shown that after getting a few miles out
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
they came within sight of the Kings and at once whipped up their horses in pursuit. The Kings gave rein to their horses, and finally drove into a farm house, about seven miles south west of Blair, for protection. Milton's team was close behind them. The Kings jumped out of their wagon and started to run. Henry King was pursued by Milton, who struck him over the head with a heavy club, breaking his skull, and knocking him senseless to the ground. Edward King was also knocked down by either Milton or Christian, while Jensen held the team. Henry King died from the effect of his injuries, but his brother recovered. The as- saulting party were arrested, Milton found guilty of murder in the first degree, at a special term of court, held by Judge Savage in the latter part of May, and was sentenced to be hung September 22d, 1876. Christian was tried and acquitted. and a nolle was entered by the State in the case of Jensen. John Carrigan, assisted by his law partner. L. W. Osborn, conducted the defense, and appealed the case of Milton to the Supreme Court, which does not meet nntil the second Monday in September. District Attorney W. J. Connell conducted the prosecution.
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
RAILROADS.
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THE SIOUX CITY & PACIFIC, OMAHA & NORTHWESTERN, AND ELK- HORN VALLEY RAILROADS.
In 1864 was organized the Northern Nebraska Air Line Railroad Company, but nothing was done in the way of constructing a road. In 1867, the company was re-organized, consisting of John S. Bowen, John A. Unthank, Dean C. Slader, Jessie T. Davis and T. P. Kennard, the ob- ject being to build a railroad from DeSoto to Fremont. A land grant of seventy-five sections of land was donated the company by the State, in aid of the enterprise, and a temporary line was built from De Soto to the pres- ent site of Blair. In 1868, the company disposed of its franchise to John I. Blair and associates, who, the following year, completed the Sioux City & Pacific road from the Missouri immediately east of Blair to Fremont, there forming a junction with the Union Pacific and Elkhorn Valley roads. A year or two afterwards the De Soto branch, or " plug " as it was called in derision, was taken up, having never been operated. Consider- able bad feeling was gotten up among the residents of the county in con- sequence of this abandonment of the original design to make De Soto the eastern terminus of the road, in Washington County, but that soon passed off. County aid to the amount of $75,000 was voted the Sioux City & Pa- cific road, in 1869. This road has been successfully operated ever sinceits completion. Mr. Scott Bryan is agent for the company at Blair.
Evidently satisfied with the result of aiding in the construction of railroads, the people of the county, in 1870, voted in favor of issuing bonds to the amount of $125,000 in favor of the Omaha & Northwestern, and in 1872, this line was completed as far as Herman, along the eastern line of the county. This summer it is being built to Tekamah, the county seat of Burt County, and will eventually be pushed many miles farther to the Northwest. Mr. Charles Willard is the company's agent at Blair.
The Elkhorn Valley road does not run through Washington county, but is built in the valley of the Elkhorn river, on the west side of that stream, from Fremont to Wisner, affording railroad transportation to the- western portion of the county, the river being bridged.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
ROCKPORT.
WHAT IT WAS IN ITS PALMY DAYS-A TOWN OF THE PAST.
Time was when Rockport, situated on the Missouri River, about a dozen miles above Omaha, was one of the best known and most flourish- ing little towns in Nebraska. It was first settled in 1657, Wm. H. Rus- sell, still a prominent citizen of the county, and President of the Old Settlers Association, now residing near De Soto, being one of its founders. J. P. Burkett, Hawley Bros .. David and Stephen Neal, and Dr. Lewis were also among the early settlers of Rockport. David Neal still lives there. Mr. Burkett lives at Yankton, and was at one time agent for the Yankton Sioux.
Rockport boasted at one time, a fine, large hotel building, but for some reason it was never furnished, and was finally moved down to Flor- ence. It was built by the Town Company. A splendid body of hard- wood timber surrounded the town, and extensive stone quarries were opened and successfully worked, in the vicinity. But the timber was cut down by the Union Pacific railroad company, who also bought the quarries, I believe, and as there was no agricultural country surrounding the town" near enough to be tributary to it, the settlement to a considerable extent, rapidly dwindled away after the stone and timber interest passed out of the hands of private parties, until now its glory is a thing entirely of the oldien time, having passed into the keeping of tradition. Its lumber and shingle mills, which did a flourishing business, have been removed, and silence aud solitude now reign where once were beautiful homes and the busy hum of industry. In the long ago, the heavy timber and deep ravines surrounding the settlement, afforded excellent facilities for the hanging of horse thieves, which facilities were frequently utilized. until finally an extensive and enterprising band of lawless horse- fanciers who made their headquarters near De Soto, were effectually bro- ken up. It is a significant fact that the county lost a number of its most prominent and enterprising citizens in consequence of the disorganiza- tion of this band of horse thieves.
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COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
FORT CALHOUN.
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THD FOUNDERS OF THE TOWN - " JUMPING " THE TOWN SITE-THE FIRST COURT - DOINGS OF THE CLAIM CLUB - LIST OF THE "OLD TMERS."
The town site of Fort Calhoun was claimed early in the summer of 1854, by John Goss, Senior; who lived and owned a farm just opposite on the Iowa side of the Missouri river, and was soon after donated by him, (except two shares, one for himself and one for his son John Goss, Jr.,) to a company consisting of Casady & Test, Addison Cochran and H. C. Purple, of Council Bluffs, and Mark W. Izard, Governor of the Territory. Andrew J. Poppleton and Hadley D. Johnson, prospective residents of Omaha.
This company built a cabin upon the site of the old Fort, near the magazine, (which was a solid stone structure; 10x12 feet in size, and with walls two feet thick,) had the boundaries of the townsurveyed and a plat drawn, and divided among themselves. About this time, Maj. Ansel Ar- nold, (father of Rrice Arnold, the present sheriff of Washington county,) took a claim one quarter of a mile south, and moved his family from where the present town of Florence now is-which was then in Washington couuty-on to it, bringing with him, a Mr. George W. Nevell and family, who were engaged by the Town Company to occupy their cabin and hold the claim. In January of that year, the boundaries of the county were by act of the Legislature, then in session, changed, and the County Seat le- cated at Fort Calhoun, and the county fully organized by the appointment of Stephen Cass, Probate Judge; George W. Nevell, Recorder, and Thos. J. Allen, Sheriff. The county was included in the First Judicial District of the Territory, over which Chief Justice Fenner Furgeson was appoin - ted to preside.
In March 1855, Mr. E. H. Clark, now a resident of Blair, was employed by the Town Company to survey off the town into lots and blocks, and plat the same, which he did, and had one hundred lithographs printed, which were divided up by the company, and sent to their friends to advertise the town, as was customary in those days.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
In June 1355, the first court was opened in the county in the claim cabin of the Town Company. It was presided over by the Hon. Fenner Furgeson, with Maj. J. W. Paddock, now of Omaha, as clerk, Gen. E. Estabrook, U. S. Prosecuting Attorney, and Thos. J. Allen, sheriff. The attorneys present were E. Estabrook, Andrew J. Poppleton, E. H. Clark, and J. McNeal Latham. The first case tried was that of Elias Wilcox vs. James M. Taggart, for claim jumping. The case was prosecuted by E. H. Clark, and defended by J. McNeal Latham, and was decided in favor of the plaintiff. It was for the land afterwards pre-empted and now owned by Wicox, being a valuable piece of timber five miles west of Fort Calhoun.
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