USA > Nebraska > Lancaster County > Lincoln > History of the city of Lincoln, Nebraska : with brief historical sketches of the state and of Lancaster County > Part 17
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But the work was finally done, in 1888, and everybody agreed that the results were worth the worry. The city was beautified, verily transformed from a raw-looking western town, with sidewalks full of ups and downs, and a general evidence of disorganization and lack of system. The paving was followed by a general leveling down and extending of the walks to conform to the line and grade
173
REMARKABLE GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENTS.
of the curbstone, and now the city is as beautiful as any place of its age in the United States. During 1888 and the present year, Stout & Buckstaff, who have contracted for paving districts three, four, five, six, seven, and eight, have added several miles of paving, so that over eight miles of the streets of the city are now paved, and about fifteen miles are under contract. Much of the paving has been done with cedar blocks, but that now being constructed is being laid with vitrified brick, manufactured for the purpose in this city by Stout & Buckstaff. It is believed that this kind of paving will prove durable and successful.
The sanitary sewerage of the city is an extensive system, now in perfect operation. The storm-water sewers perform the service in- tended, in the heaviest storms. The water service of the city is very complete in all but the supply, and that defect will be fully remedied within a short period.
In brief, Lincoln is in a condition to continue its prosperity, and afford such enjoyment to its inhabitants as only a completely-built city can do, possessed of such ample improvements and acquirements in the way of educational, commercial, social, and religious facilities. With equal progress, relatively, for ten years, such as Lincoln has made in ten years past, it will be one of the most beautiful home cities in the Nation. The real value of the property of Lincoln is now not far from fifty million dollars. Owing to the pernicious system of assessment in vogue, it appears much less; but it is be- lieved that a careful calculation will show that the genuine worth of the property within the city limits is fully equal to the sum stated.
The county is now erecting a court house in the city, to cost about $200,000. It will probably be completed the present year. The Board of Trade announces the material progress of the city during 1888, taken from official sources, as follows :
Public buildings erected ..
$395,000 00
Public improvements made
627,368 00
Semi-public improvements. 88,500 00
Railway improvements. 64,950 00
Business blocks erected 459,000 00
Residences erected 1,014,100 00
Churches erected.
184,500 00
Colleges and School buildings erected.
156,500. 00
Factories built.
297,500 00
Total improvements for 1888
$3,287,418 00
174
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
The State Fair is located at Lincoln, and has been very successful ever since it opened at this point. Funke's Opera House, at the southwest corner of O and Twelfth, is a first-class theatre, and supplies all the leading attractions. It is now under the direct and very skill- ful management of Mr. Robert MeReynolds, who, with Mr. L. M. Crawford, of Topeka, Kansas, organized a large theatrical cirenit in 1888, covering Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and several other States. Companies can be engaged at the Lincoln office for all the theatres in the circuit, which includes all the principal towns, and may be billed through without further trouble to their managers.
In 1888 Mr. E. H. Andrus supplied a great need to the city by improving a well watered and amply shaded traet of land, about three and one-half miles west of the city, with conveniences for outdoor recreation. He has since conducted it as a park where picnics, con- ventions, camp-meetings, games, and all manner of excursions, can resort and find pleasant accommodations at all times. Ontings of an entire week are often held there, and excursions of twelve and fifteen hundred people frequently visit the park, especially on Sunday, when excellent musical and appropriate programmes are carried out by the leading musicians and speakers of the city.
The city possesses a public library, founded in December, 1875, which is supported by taxation. It contains over 5,000 volumes, de- signed for common use, and most of the leading periodicals of the day are in its files. It is open every day in the week.
The State Library, at the capitol building, comprises over 30,000 volumes, mainly on legal subjects. As a law library it is considered very complete.
The State University library includes over 10,000 volumes of mis- cellaneous books. Its list of works on science and special subjects is very elaborate.
The Young Men's Christian Association has also begun to found a library, so that Lincoln is well supplied with scholastic appurtenances for a place but twenty-two years old.
Lincoln is at the point of confluence of five or six small streams of different sizes, which together drain a surface of over 700 square miles. During Monday, August 12, 1889, and part of the follow- ing night, the rain poured down over all this territory. The com- bined waters began to gather at the Lincoln basin during Monday,
175
REMARKABLE GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENTS.
and rose rapidly all night, covering much of the low land near the city and along the creek to various depths, depending on the eleva- tion. From one to two thousand families live on this low ground, mostly in little cottages, and before Tuesday morning many of these houses were surrounded by water, and in many cases partly sub- merged, though generally the water only covered the first floor but a few inches. In many cases, however, the water rose to the depth of two or three feet in the buildings, and in a few instances even to greater depths. Hundreds of people were not aware of the rapid rise of the water until it began to penetrate their houses, and then there was a general hurry to escape; but wading to high ground over sub- merged and mirey streets in the dark, was no easy task, and many did not dare attempt it. The waters continued to pile up until Tuesday morning, and then the police, city officers, and many citizens, came to the rescue, and the frightened residents of the valley were gathered on shore, along the hill. Many came to dry land on small rafts, others in boats, and still others waded. The unfortunate people whose homes were flooded were generally poor, and they presented a forlorn spectaele as they huddled along the margins of the advancing floods, and watched the progress of the threatening waters. During the day Mayor Graham and other city officials threw open the Park school- house and other buildings to the refugees, and they were cared for the best that circumstances would permit. All were rescued by Tuesday noon. The water reached its height toward evening on Tuesday, the 13th, and before morning began to recede, and continued to fall slowly until within usual limits, which required most of the week. Fortu- nately the weather was warm and pleasant after Tuesday morning. After the flood the houses were wet, the yards sloppy, and the streets mirey, in the flooded district, and it required several days for the people to get back into their homes. Not much damage was done the houses, though gardens were ruined, furniture partly spoiled, and the atmosphere rendered unhealthful and disagreeable. No lives were lost.
Many factories, lumber-yards, and similar business institutions. were flooded and damaged. The water was over most of the tracks south of O street, and trains were delayed on all lines. The Union Pacific to Beatrice did not use its own track for three or four days, and the Burlington road to Tecumseh was impassable for a longer time,
176
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
Within the city the damage to railroad property was not very severe. A rise of a foot or two more would have proved very disastrous.
The water did not quite cover the crown of the pavement at the crossing at Seventh and N streets. The blocks on that corner were nearly all displaced, and the pavement had to be repaired a little dis- tance north on Seventh and east on N. Boats landed against the bank on the west side of the northwest corner of the park, at F and Sixth streets.
This was not the highest that Salt creek has been since Lincoln was founded, though it was vastly the most damaging flood the city has known, owing to the development of property on the low lands. In faet, big freshets have been frequent, and the waters have piled up in front of Lincoln in a formidable way on several occasions, espe- cially since the stream was blocked by dams below the city. There was a good deal of a flood in 1868, and a deluge in 1869, when a prominent editor of the city went boating, fell in, and was tortured with cramps for hours afterward. The torrent of 1874 was especially memorable, the water being made very high by a gorge of brush and drift below the town. Boats landed at the foot of the hill, Eighth and O streets, and a son of William Hyatt was drowned on the block bounded by Seventh and Eighth and O and P streets. A man named T. W. Taylor was also drowned near the city during this freshet. But Mr. M. G. Bohanan, who had particular reason to observe the rela- tive rise of the creek on account of the location of his slaughter- house, is sure that the flood in April, 1887, following the winter of almost unprecedented snow fall, surpassed all other freshets before or since by a foot or two. Owing to the accumulations of ice, and suc- ceeding cold weather, it was the hardest deluge to contend with, though it affected the city but little, as there was but little settlement and few factories on the low land at that time.
Salt creek has shown a disposition to flood the flat land once or twice since, but there has really been no freshet of the formidable character of that of the present summer for several years past.
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LINCOLN POLITICALLY.
CHAPTER XIV.
LINCOLN POLITICALLY FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE PRESENT-HER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS -PAVING, SEWERAGE, AND WATER-WORKS-SEMI-PUBLIC WORKS-HER FIRE DEPARTMENT-THE POLICE FORCE -THE PRESENT CITY OFFICERS AND OFFICERS OF THIE BOARD OF TRADE.
As has been stated in an earlier chapter, the town of Lincoln was organized in 1869.
In 1870 the Town Trustees elected were C. N. Baird, D. S. Smith, D. A. Sherwood, C. H. Gere, and H. J. Walsh. C. H. Gere was elected Chairman, R. O. Phillips was chosen Clerk, and N. C. Brock was continued as Treasurer of the board.
On March 18, 1871, the town was organized as a city of the second class, under a charter. The election occurred on the third of the fol- lowing April, and the officers then chosen were: W. F. Chapin, Mayor; C. H. Street and R. E. Moore, Police Judges; A. E. Hast- ings, Marshal; T. F. L. Catlin, Clerk; G. W. Ballentine, Treasurer; Councilmen -First ward, L. A. Scoggin and,C. C. Burr; Second ward, D. A. Sherwood and J. M. Creamer; Third ward, J. J. Gosper and J. L. McConnell ; T. T. Murphy, City Engineer. Thereafter, until 1889, the city officers elected were as follows:
1872 .- The city officers of 1872 were : Mayor, E. E. Brown; Coun- cilmen -First ward, J. R. Fairbank (two years) and L. A. Scoggin, {one year ;) Second ward, William MeLaughlin (two years) and D. A. Sherwood, (one year ;) Third ward, G. G. Owen (two years) and J. J. Gosper, (one year;) Clerk, Thomas L. Catlin; Treasurer, William A. Coleman ; Marshal, John McManigal ; City Physician, J. O. Carter ; Police Judge, R. E. Moore; Engineer, Tom I. Atwood.
1873 .- Mayor, Robert D. Silvers; Councilmen-First ward, L. A. Scoggin and J. R. Fairbank ; Second ward, T. P. Quick and William MeLaughlin ; Third ward, N. S. Scott and S. G. Owen; City Clerk, R. N. Vedder, (resigned September 2d, and E. P. Roggen appointed to fill vacancy ;) Treasurer, William Coleman ; Marshal, Brad Ringer ; Engineer, Thomas I. Atwood ; City Physician, S. W. Robinson ; Po-
178
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
Hice Judge, Lewis A. Groff, and C. Green, Police Judge to fill vacancy ; Street Commissioner and Fire Warden, George B. Skinner; and T. P. Quick, Chief of the Fire Department.
1874 .- Mayor, Samuel W. Little; Couneilmen -First ward, L. A. Scoggin and John Eaton ; Second ward, William MeLaughlin and T. P. Quick : Third ward, R. O. Phillips and N. S. Scott ; Clerk, E. P. Roggen; Treasurer, William A. Sharrar; Marshal, P. H. Cooper; City Engineer, A. Roberts; Police Jndge, J. H. Foxworthy ; Street Commissioner and Fire Warden, George B. Skinner; Chief of the Fire Department, T. P. Quick, and Gran. Ensign Assistant.
1875 .- Mayor, Amasa Cobb; City Clerk, R. W. Charter ; Treas- urer, B. F. Fisher; Police Judge, R. W. Taylor; Marshal, P. H. Cooper ; City Engineer, A. Roberts; Cemetery Trustee, Philetus Peck ; Councilmen -First ward, James Ledwith, and J. R. Fairbank to fill vacancy ; Second ward, Fred. W. Krone; Third ward, O. Kingman ; T. P. Quick, Chief of Fire Department.
1876 .- Mayor, R. D. Silver; City Clerk, George V. Kent ; City Treasurer, James McConnell; Marshal, P. H. Cooper; Police Judge, John McLean ; City Engineer, J. P. Walton; Cemetery Trustee, Israel Putnam; Councilmen -First ward, John Monteith ; Second ward, L. W. Billingsley ; Third ward, C. M. Leighton and E. W. Morgan ; T. P. Quick, Chief of the Fire Department.
1877 .- Mayor, H. W. Hardy ; Clerk, R. C. Manley; Treasurer, James McConnell; Police Judge, J. S. Dales; Marshal, Thomas Carr; Engineer, J. P. Walton ; Cemetery Trustee, J. J. Turner; Council- men -First ward, James Ledwith ; Second ward, Rufus Yard and J. B. Wright, (elected in September to fill vacancy ;) Third ward, J. K. Honeywell; T. P. Quick, Chief of the Fire Department.
1878 .- Mayor, H. W. Hardy; Clerk, R. W. Jacobs; Treasurer, James McConnell ; Marshal, Thomas Carr; Police Judge, J. S. Dales; Engineer, J. P. Walton; Cemetery Trustee, A. M. Davis; Council- men -First ward, James H. Dailey ; Second ward, R. P. R. Millar, Third ward, Austin Humphrey ; Isaac M. Raymond, Chief of the Fire Department.
1879 .- Mayor, Seth P. Galey; Clerk, M. Nelson ; Treasurer, D. B. Cropsey ; Police Judge, J. S. Dales; Marshal, I. L. Lyman; City Engineer, J. P. Walton ; T. P. Quick, Chief of the Fire Department. Commeilmen-First ward, W. C. Griffith and James Ledwith ; Second
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LINCOLN POLITICALLY.
ward, R. P. R. Millar and John B. Wright; Third ward, Austin Humphrey and H. J. Walsh.
1880 .- Mayor, John B. Wright; Clerk, R. C. Manley ; Treasurer, D. B. Cropsey ; Police Judge, J. S. Dales; Chief of Police, I. L. Lyman. Councilmen-First ward, R. Grimes and J. Ledwith ; Sec- ond ward, J. L. Caldwell and J. Frederick Krone; Third ward, H. J. Walsh and John Doolittle; City Engineer, J. P. Walton; Chief of the Fire Department, T. P. Quick.
1881 .- John B. Wright, Mayor; R. C. Manley, City Clerk ; A. C- Cross, Treasurer; J. S. Dales, Police JJudge; N. S. Scott, City Engin- eer; Cemetery Trustee, L. J. Byer, and to fill vacancy, A. M. Davis. For Councilmen -First ward, C. C. Munson; Second ward, S. B. Linderman ; Third ward, J. H. Harley.
The total vote east at this election was 1,400.
The question of voting the Lincoln City Street Railway Company right-of-way over north and south streets from Seventh to Seventeenth, and on east and west streets from A to R, was carried in favor of the license by a vote of 841 to 405.
188.2 .- At the city election of April 4, 1882, 1,899 votes were cast, with the following result : Mayor, John Doolittle; City Clerk, R. C. Manley ; City Treasurer, A. C. Cass; Police Judge, B. F. Cobb; City Engineer, J. P. Walton; Cemetery Trustee, A. M. Davis. Couneil- men -First ward, H. Shaberg; Second ward, Fred Krone; Third ward, C. L. Baum.
1883 .- At the city election held on April 3, 1883, 1,705 votes were polled. The election resulted in the choice of the following officers: Mayor, R. E. Moore; City Clerk, R. C. Manley; City Treasurer, John T. Jones; Cemetery Trustee, Lewis Gregory; Councilmen - First ward, W. C. Lane, Second ward, S. B. Linderman ; Third ward, Charles West ; Fourth ward, W. J. Cooper long term, and J. H. Har- ley short term.
1884 .- The city election of 1884 was held April 1st, and 1,550 votes were cast. Mayor, R. E. Moore; Clerk, R. C. Manley, and Treasurer, John T. Jones, held over. The elected officers were: Po- lice Judge, M. Montgomery ; Cemetery Trustee, H. J. Walsh. Coun- cilmen -First ward, N. C. Brock; Second ward, H. P. Lau; Third ward, J. W. Winger; Fourth ward, J. R. Webster.
1885 .- At the city election held on April 7, 1885, 2,447 votes were
180
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
cast. The officers elected were-Mayor, C. C. Burr; City Clerk, R. C. Manley ; City Treasurer, John T. Jones; Cemetery Trustee, A. M. Davis. Councilmen -First ward, James Dailey ; Second ward, L. W. Billingsley ; Third ward, A. E. Hargreaves; Fourth ward, W. J. Cooper.
At this election Burr received 1,115 votes, Fitzgerald 1,085 votes, and H. W. Hardy 247 votes. The votes were counted on the 9th of April, and on the evening of the 10th the Council met to consider a notice of contest by John Fitzgerald. The attorneys for Fitzgerald, Whedon, Sawyer & Snell, objected to the jurisdiction of the Council to hear and determine the contest. On motion of Billingsley and Webster, the objection was sustained, and the Mayor and Clerk were ordered to issue certificates to candidates having a majority on the face of the returns. Attorney Whedon gave notice that he would apply to the Supreme Court for a perpetual injunction to restrain those officers from issuing the certificate; but the matter was dropped without further proceedings.
1886 .- The city elcetion of 1886 was held on April 6th. Police Judge, Cemetery Trustee, and Councilmen, were elected, as follows: Po- lice Judge, A. F. Parsons; [removed from office and place filled by appointment of H. J. Whitmore; ] Cemetery Trustee, Lewis Gregory. Councilmen-First ward, N. C. Brock; Second ward, John Fraas; Third ward, H. H. Dean ; Fourth ward, R. B. Graham. The total vote cast was 2,668.
1887 .- The city election of 1887 took place on April 5th, and 3,919 votes were cast. E. P. Roggen was the regular Republican nominee; A. J. Sawyer, the independent reform movement nominee, and A. J. Cropsey, the straight-out Prohibition nominee. This elec- tion was carried on without regard to party affiliation. Roggen re- ceived 1,478 votes; Sawyer, 2,013 votes, and Cropsey, 428 votes. The election resulted as follows: Mayor, A. J. Sawyer; Clerk, R. C. Manley ; Treasurer, J. T. Jones; Cemetery Trustee, L. J. Byer. Councilmen -First ward, J. H. Dailey ; Second ward, L. W. Bil- lingsley ; Third ward, J. M. Burks; Fourth ward, W. J. Cooper; Fifth ward, long term, Gran. Ensign ; short-term, J. Z. Briscoe; Sixth ward, long term, (two years,) L. C. Pace ; short term, (one year,) Fred. A. Hovey. The question of voting right-of-way on the streets to the Rapid Transit Street Railway Company was settled at this election in
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LINCOLN POLITICALLY.
favor of the license by a vote of 2,571 to 43. C. A. Atkinson was appointed City Attorney, and P. H. Cooper Chief of Police, or Mar- shal.
1888 .- The city election of 1888 was held on April 3d, and the total vote was 4,063. The following officers were elected : Police Judge, W. J. Houston; Cemetery Trustee, A. M. Davis. Council- men -First ward, A. Halter ; Second ward, John Fraas; Third ward, H. H. Dean ; Fourth ward, R. B. Graham; Fifth ward, Louie Meyer; Sixth ward, H. M. Rice. G. M. Lambertson was appointed City Attorney.
1889 .- At the city election of April, 1889, R. B. Graham was elected Mayor; D. C. Van Duyn, Clerk; Elmer B. Stephenson, Treasurer; O. N. Gardner, City Engineer; I. L. Lyman, Water Commissioner.
The Legislature of 1889 gave the city a new charter, which pro- vided for an Excise Board, designed to have exclusive control of the liquor licenses of the city, instead of the Council, as theretofore. The first board, elected in April at the city election, were John Doolittle and C. J. Daubach. The Mayor is an ex-officio member of the board, so that Mayor Graham is the third member of the first board. The Councilmen chosen at this election were : First ward, P. Hayden ; Sec- ond ward, J. C. Saulsbury ; Third ward, William McLaughlin; Fourth ward, F. A. Boehmer and W. S. Hamilton ; Fifth ward, H. M. Bush- nell; Sixth ward, L. C. Pace.
Having become a candidate for Mayor, Mr. R. B. Graham resigned his chair in the Council before the election. Mr. W. J. Cooper was nom- inated for the place, and elected. But it afterward seemed that there was some technical invalidity in his election, and it was thought best to go through the formality of an election again. So the Mayor called a special election; and, there seeming to be no opposition to Mr. Cooper, less than half the vote in the ward was polled. But during the day some schemers quietly put W. S. Hamilton in the field against Cooper, and to the surprise of the city he was elected. His friends had completely surprised and taken the camp of the Cooper people. This and other causes led up to the appointment of a committee of Councilmen, by the Council, to investigate allegations of corruption on the part of the Council of 1887 and 1888. The committee con- sisted of W. S. Hamilton, H. M. Bushnell, H. H. Dean, L. C. Pace,
182
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
and William MeLaughlin. After intermittent sittings for several weeks in May and June, during which numerous witnesses were ex- amined, it appeared by the report of the committee that nothing of much consequence could be charged against any one. The city bonds had been fairly well handled, the storm-water sewers had been well constructed, and the charges against Councilmen of having been sub- sidized were not sustained. It appeared that W. J. Cooper had sold material to the city at high prices, while Councilman, under the name of one of his men ; and this was about all that seemed worthy of criti- cism. The atmosphere now cleared up, and no more was heard about the matter.
The entire list of city officers, including the officers of the Board of Trade, for 1889, are as follows :
CITY ORGANIZATION.
Hon. R. B. Graham, Mayor.
Councilmen .- First ward, A. Halter, P. Hayden ; Second ward, John Fraas, J. C. Saulsbury ; Third ward, H. H. Dean President, William MeLaughlin ; Fourth ward, F. A. Boehmer, W. S. Hamilton; Fifth ward; L. Meyer, H. M. Bushnell; Sixth ward, H. M. Rice, L. C. Pace.
Other City Officers .- D. C. Van Duyn, City Clerk ; R. H. Town- ley, Deputy ; E. B. Stephenson, Treasurer ; R. C. Hazlett, Deputy; G. M. Lambertson, City Attorney ; W. J. Houston, Police Judge; O. N. Gardner, City Civil Engineer; I. L. Lyman, Water Commissioner; L. J. Byers, Street Commissioner; W. W. Carder, Chief Police; W. H. Newbury, Chief Fire Department ; V. H. Dyer, Sewer Inspector ; Joseph MeGraw, Gas Inspector; Wm. Rhode, Inspector Live Stock ; A. H. Bartram, Health Officer.
Board Public Works .- A. Humphrey, Chairman ; R. C. Manley, W. J. Marshall.
Excise Board .- R. B. Graham, President ; D. C. Van Duyn, Clerk ; Jolin Doolittle, C. J. Daubach.
BOARD OF TRADE.
President, R. Il. Oakley ; Secretary, C. A. Atkinson.
Directors .- R. H. Oakley, President ; T. P. Kennard, T. W. Low- rey, J. JJ. Imhoff, Eli Plummer, Joseph Boehmer, C. J. Ernst, A. E.
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LINCOLN POLITICALLY.
Hargreaves, Mason Gregg, M. L. Trester, A. H. Weir, C. W. Mosher, C. T. Brown.
Committees .- A. H. Weir, Chairman Railroads ; Jacob Rocke, Chair- man Live Stock ; J. J. Imhoff, Chairman Miscellaneous; C. W. Mo- sher, Chairman Rules ; M. L. Trester, Chairman Membership; JJoseph Boehmer, Chairman Finance; C. J. Ernst, Chairman Executive; T W. Lowrey, Chairman Transportation; T. P. Kennard, Chairman Manufactories ; Eli Plummer, Chairman Reception; Mason Gregg, Chairman Market Reports; H. D. Hathaway, Chairman Papers and Periodicals; C. T. Brown, Chairman Real Estate; A. E. Hargreaves, Chairman Arbitration ; C. A. Atkinson, Chairman Advertising.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The Fire Department has kept pace with the growth of the city, and to-day is recognized by the Board of Underwriters to be one of ยท the best organized, disciplined, and equipped, departments in the West; in fact, second to none. The first volunteer fire company was organized in 1875, and was named the Phoenix Hook and Ladder Company. In 1872 the growth of the city demanded better protec- tion, and a Silsby steam fire engine was purchased, and named The W. F. Chapin, the Hon. W. F. Chapin being the Mayor of the city in that year. Two hose carts, and 1,000 feet of rubber hose, were pur- chased at the same time, and a company called the Chapin Hose Com- pany was organized, with a roster of fifty men. In 1880 it was found necessary to increase the strength of the department, and a second size Silsby steamer was purchased and added to the equipment. No changes were made in the department until 1882, when the Chapin Hose Com- pany was disbanded, (the Hook and Ladder Company having dis- banded in 1879.) Two new hose companies were organized, known as the Merchants' Hose Company No. 1, and the Fitzgerald Hose Company No. 2. The "Fitzgeralds" have a national reputation, having won the Nebraska State championship belt and cart in the years 1884 and 1885, and the world's championship at the city of New Orleans in 1886. On January 4, 1886, the department was re- organized, Hon. C. C. Burr, Mayor, by Fire Warden Newbury, and five full-paid men appointed and a two-horse, four-wheel hose carriage purchased and put in service. In January, 1887, the Merchants' and Fitzgerald Hose Companies were disbanded, thus ending the life and
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