USA > Nebraska > Lancaster County > Lincoln > History of the city of Lincoln, Nebraska : with brief historical sketches of the state and of Lancaster County > Part 6
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COMPOSITION OF SOIL.
1.
3.
4.
5.
Insoluble (silicions) matter
81.28
81.32
81.35
81.30
81.32
Ferric oxide
3.86
3.87
3.83
3.85
3.86
Alumina
.75
.75
.74
.73
.74
Lime, carbonate
6.07
6.06
6.03
6.05
6.09
Lime, phosphate
3.58
3.59
3.58
3.57
3,59
Magnesia, carbonate
1.29
1.28
1.31
1.31
1.29
Potassa ..
.27
.29
.35
.34
.33
Soda.
.15
.16
.14
.16
.16
Organie matter
1.07
1.06
1.05
1.06
1.06
Moisture ..
1.09
1.08
1.09
1.08
1.09
Lost in analysis
.59
.54
.53
.55
.47
Totals
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
This analysis was made by Prof. Samuel Aughey, of the Nebraska State University, and is of soil taken from the high prairies and ta- ble lands. It is of the lacustrine or loess deposit, and is unsurpassed for agricultural purposes. Speaking of the foregoing analysis Prof. Aughey says: " From the above it is seen that over eighty per cent of this formation is silicious matter, and so finely comminuted is it that the grains can only be seen under a good microscope. So abun- dant are the carbonates and phosphates of lime, that in many places they form peculiar rounded and oval concretions. Vast numbers of these concretions, from the size of a shot to a walnut, are found al- most everywhere by turning over the sod and in excavations. The analysis shows the presence of a comparatively large amount of iron, besides alumina, soda, and potash.
"As would be expected from its elements, it forms one of the rich- est and most tillable soils in the world. In fact, in its chemical and physical properties, and the mode of its origin, it comes nearest to the loess of the Rhine and the Valley of Egypt. It can never be ex- hausted until every hill and valley which composes it is entirely worn away. Owing to the wonderfully finely comminuted silica, of which the bulk of the deposit consists, it possesses natural drainage in the highest degree. However great the floods of water that fall, it soon
61
NEBRASKA'S RESOURCES.
percolates through this soil, which, in its lowest depths, retains it like a sponge. When drouths come, by capillary attraction the moisture comes up from below, supplying the needs of vegetation in the dry- est season. This is the reason why, all over this region where this deposit prevails, the native vegetation and cultivated crops are seldom either dried or drowned out. This is especially the case on old break- ing and where deep plowing is practiced. This deposit is a paradise for all the fruits of the temperate zone. They luxuriate in a soil like this, which has perfect natural drainage, and is composed of such materials."
About seventy-five per cent of the soil of Nebraska is of this won- derfully perfect kind for the production of grains, fruits, vegetables, and other vegetation. This soil ranges in thickness from five to two hundred feet.
The river valleys generally possess a soil of alluvium deposits, which is rich, like the upland or lacustrine soil, and differs from it in possessing less silica and a greater percentage of organic matter and alumina. This soil varies from two to twenty feet in depth, often has an understratum of sand, and is generally dry and warm, though it at times and in places becomes cold and wet, and is not always good for farming purposes. These valleys produce almost unrivaled crops of vegetables and corn, and, perhaps, not as good wheat, oats, and fruits, as the high rolling lands. Both soils are valued very highly by farmers, and are scarcely surpassed in the world for reliability and abundance of yield.
There are a few alkaline spots in the central portions of the State, and somewhat larger areas in the western part. But all told, there is not enough to merit any special mention.
With such a splendid wealth of soil, it might be expected that Ne- braska's farms would prosper, her population increase rapidly; that railroad mileage would multiply with great activity, and manufac- tories come swiftly into existence.
The facts will justify all these deductions ; and a swiftly-growing State always attracts the best people : and so schools, newspapers, and churches, have multiplied in Nebraska. Located in the center of the temperate region of this continent, it becomes the theater for the high- ways and cross-roads .of the " Belt of Empire" of the world. The city of Lincoln is nearly in the geographical center of the United
.
62
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
States, and the growth of the State and her capital have both been the marvel of the past two decades.
The growth of population shows that Nebraska has genuine merits. There were 122,993 people in the State in 1870. In less than nine- teen years 1,100,000 more have been added, an average annual growth of 61.000 for the entire time. Texas, with nearly three and one-half times the area of Nebraska, and twenty-one years the start as a State, only gained at the rate of 98,000 population annually, or but a little over 28,000 per year for the same territory that Nebraska possesses. Minnesota, with nearly nine years the start as a State, and nearly seven thousand more square miles of area, has only made about even figures with Nebraska since 1870. It is probably fair to say that but two States have made such splendid progress in population since 1870 as Nebraska. One is Iowa, probably without an equal in the Union, area and age considered, but with twenty-two years the start of Ne- braska as a State; and Kansas, with much the same natural advan- tages as Nebraska, and with over five thousand more square miles of area, and six years the lead in admission as a State. So Nebraska has made a very creditable race with the best States in the Union in attract- ing home-seekers.
Now, how has the soil of Nebraska supported the high opinion of scientific analysis and the confidence of the armies of people who an- nually cast their lot within the State's borders? In 1880 Illinois produced 326,000,000 bushels of corn. (Round numbers are used in all these illustrations.) Iowa produced 275,000,000 the same year; Kan- sas, 105,000,000 ; Nebraska, 65,000,000. In 1888 Illinois harvested 278,000,000 bushels of corn; Iowa, 278,000,000 bushels; Kansas, 158,000,000 ; and Nebraska, 144,000,000. Here it will be seen that Illinois did not maintain her record, Iowa gained a very small per- centage, Kansas improved her record by a little over fifty per cent, and Nebraska leaped forward at the rate of one hundred and twenty- one per cent. Here Nebraska soil meets and overmatches the giants in her rate of progress. It will be found that the percentage of sue- cesses of the corn crop in Nebraska will be equally as favorable as her growth in number of bushels.
The year 1888 was not generally favorable to a wheat erop in the States named above, but the remarkable power of Nebraska soil to endure unfavorable seasons was manifested, though there was really
63
NEBRASKA'S RESOURCES.
nothing approaching a drouth here, as known in other States. The striking superiority of Nebraska soil and climate is shown in the sub- joined table comparing the wheat crops of 1880 and 1888 in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Nebraska was the only one of these cereal-producing States that made progress on the record of 1880. Here is the exhibit of that fact, taken from the tenth census and report of the Washington Bureau of Agriculture for 1888 :
STATES.
1880. Bushels.
1888. Bushels.
Per cent of gain or loss.
Illinois
51,000,000
34,000,000
Loss, 331.
Iowa.
31,000,000
24,000,000
Loss, 223.
Kansas
17,325,000
16,000,000
Loss, 73.
Nebraska
13,850,000
14,500,000
Gain, 43-5.
In a similar way it can be shown that Nebraska is in the front rank of the world's most progressive States in the production of oats, hay, potatoes, and other farm grains and vegetables. It can also be de- monstrated that the numbers, grade, and value of her horses, hogs, and cattle, are going forward with the very best States of the Union. In fact, the climate of this State is very favorable to the health and growth of domestic animals.
And it will be found by the census of 1880 that the manufacturing interests of Nebraska have increased several hundred per cent in mag- nitude; in fact, are moving forward with her other and diversified interests.
On the first of January, 1865, there was not a mile of railroad in Nebraska. At this time, July, 1889, twenty-three and one-half years later, there are about 5,000 miles in operation in the State. There has been an increase in mileage of over eighty-one per cent in four years. The gross earnings of Nebraska roads in 1887 were $23,- 446,343, and the net earnings were $10,571,858.
Popular intelligence and enlightenment generally follow rich soil combined with favorable climate. Hence the many schools and nu- merous fine churches of Nebraska are one proof of her great natural resources. By the census of 1880 Nebraska had the lowest percentage of illiteracy of any State in the Union, and Wyoming Territory alone had a better record in all the United States. The following table will show this, the States and Territories there exhibited having the low-
64
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
est rate of illiteracy in this Nation, and being, probably, unequaled in the world :
STATES, ETC.
Per cent unable to ' unable to arrite.
Average illiteracy.
Wyoming Territory.
2.6
3.
3.00
Nebraska.
2.5
3.6
3.05
lowa.
2.4
3.9
3.15
Dakota.
3.1
48
3.95
Kansas
3.6
5.6
4.60
Per cent
read.
We believe that leading educators of this State now caleulate that Nebraska has improved her record since 1880, and stands at the very head of all States in the world in freedom from illiteracy.
At the close of 1888 there were 5,187 school houses in Nebraska, or sixty-five (nearly) to each of the eighty organized counties. These were attended by 215,889 children during the year, and this army of children were instructed by 9,886 teachers. The wages paid teachers for the school year ending in 1888 amounted to $1,699,784, or a sum egnal (nearly) to all money paid out for educational purposes in Ala- bama, Florida, and Georgia, put together, for 1886-7. Besides the wages of teachers, the State spent enough on her common schools, for the year ending in the summer of 1888, to make a total cost of $3,238,442, an amount not exceeded by over fourteen States in the Union. The total value of public-school property in the State for the same date was $5,123,180. Besides these public schools, there are now probably ten colleges in Nebraska, two having been added to Lincoln alone since the last report of the United States Commissioner of Education. In these higher schools there were, it is fair to esti- mate, fully 1,500 students during the year which closed in June, 1889, taught by about 100 instructors, and possessing libraries aggregating probably 25,000 volumes. These institutions possess buildings and grounds worth, together, about $1,000,000. Such are some of the evidence- of educational growth in a State which did not possess an academy in 1870, and employed but 536 teachers at that date in her public schools. The churches have grown as rapidly as the schools.
We have given these statistics and estimates to suggest the real wealth and greatness of Nebraska as it is to be in a few years. It has been such a few years since the buffalo and antelope roamed over the
65
NEBRASKA'S RESOURCES.
ground where the State Capitol stands, that even our own people have not come to realize the swift progress our State is making in gath- ering population, wealth, and facilities for mental culture; and States east of the Mississippi are positively incredulous that such almost miraculous results can be realities. But they are, as we have shown, and it is but just that the merits of this noble State shall be properly appreciated now.
When we. see how the State of Nebraska has moved forward, it is easy to explain the wonderful growth of her capital, Lincoln, which is declared a marvel by intelligent people even within the State, and is incomprehensible to men of the Eastern States. The city is merely moving with the farms, the railroads, and the factories. The multi- plication of farms explains it. The wealth of grain, stock, and other products within her trade limits shows why the city grows. Her rail- road system comprises twelve roads, radiating like the spokes of a wheel to every section of Nebraska's noble domain, and also piercing Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Kansas, and, with their connections, supplying Lincoln with a direct territo- rial patronage fully double the area of Nebraska, or 154,000 square miles, equal to nearly 100,000,000 acres, or over 600,000 farms of 160 acres each. Here is a trade of 1,000 towns, representing now fully 2,000,000 people, and the same area will, within ten years, pos- sess 4,000,000 people, or more.
The corn and wheat alone of this territory were worth $44,000,000 last year. The oats, hay, potatoes, horses, cattle, and hogs, were worth twice as much more. So that the buying power of the territory in review was more than $125,000,000 last year, without counting the products of wool, butter, cheese, fruit, timber, vegetables, minerals, and manufactures. Here is a magnificent jobbing trade that must be attended to. Lincoln divides Northeast Nebraska with Omaha, but is on shorter lines to Central Nebraska and all the South Platte country than Omaha. Lincoln divides with St. Joseph and Kansas City in Southeastern Nebraska, and is on shorter lines to South-central Ne- braska, Northern Kansas, and Eastern Colorado, than either. Omaha is cut off on the north by Sioux City, on the south by St. Joseph, and on the southwest and west by Lincoln, which has actually the same in-tariff as Omaha, St. Joseph, and Kansas City. Hence, for jobbing and distributing manufactures, the future of Lincoln is fully equal to
66
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
that of Omaha, and it is a possibility that may yet be realized, that Lincoln will outstrip Omaha, on account of commercial superiority. This is a possibility of the next twenty-five years. To supply this commercial empire, there is a perfectly legitimate reason why Lin- coln's jobbing trade should grow ; and it has grown, there being sixty- eight wholesale houses in the city now, and four hundred traveling men make Lincoln their home. Lincoln's jobbing trade will require her to grow for fifty years to come, at least. For the same reason, Lincoln's manufacturing interests require her to grow. There is call for vast supplies of all ordinary manufactures, and this city must grow to keep up with this demand. In keeping with this demand, seventy factories are now operated in Lincoln. On this account alone there will be a call for a city larger than Lincoln at the hub of the main railroad system of this splendid territory. Then, the railroad in- terests of Lincoln require a city at this place, and those who think Lincoln will stop growing should remember one fact, namely : the rail- way system of Nebraska is cast for all time in favor of Lincoln; and instead of the city failing, there is reason to believe that on this ac- count alone reliance may be placed for long-continued advancement. The roads have reason to push the city, and they will do so. Here are three great universities, calling in many who desire to educate, and who spend large sums, in the aggregate, to the inspiration of trade. Here is the capitol and three State institutions, amalgamating the in- terests of the State with those of this city. Here is a center for beef and pork packing, and we find two large packing houses with grow- ing businesses, and a town springing up on their account alone. In brief, there are all the diversified commercial demands for a supply and distributing metropolis here that the swift development of a ter- ritory of almost unlimited resources could require. With her intelli- gent, enterprising, and persistently energetie people, the wonder is not that Lincoln grows with phenomenal momentum, but whether the city could stop growing if it so desired. It must grow; it will grow. The buildings erected during 1888, with permanent improvements, amounted to $3,287,418. From raw prairie in 1867, the progress of Lincoln for twenty-two years has been about 2,500 population on an average for every year of that period. Last year her growth was 7,000 people. At the rate the city is now advancing, and has gone forward for several years, it will contain 125,000 inhabitants before the close of the next decade.
67
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
CHAPTER V.
LANCASTER COUNTY-ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT AND GROWTH-INCIDENTS OF THE EARLY TIMES -THE PROMINENT MEN WHO BRAVED THE DAN- GERS OF THE WILDERNESS.
To write the history of Lincoln comprehensively, Lancaster county, of which Lincoln is the seat of government, must be touched upon more or less extensively. It is a fundamental, a preparatory step, absolutely necessary to be taken. Hence the preceding pages, touch- ing briefly upon the history of the whole State of Nebraska, are log- ically followed by a résumé of the history of the county, to be followed in turn by the history of the city proper.
It is agreed by all that the first white man to take up his residence in Lancaster county came here in the spring of 1856-thirty-three years ago. John Dee, who lives near Waverly, disputes with John W. Prey, of Lincoln, the honor of being the first white settler in the county. These two men arrived at nearly the same time, and settled in different parts of the county, Mr. Prey settling on Salt creek. The authors of this work held a long and very interesting talk with Mr. Prey, one evening during the early part of June, 1889, and from him gained many of the points given hereafter.
Being one of the earliest, if not the earliest settler, to make his per- manent home in Lancaster county, a few words regarding Mr. Prey will be of interest to the readers of this book. John W. Prey was born in New York City, May 11, 1828, his father, John D. Prey, being in business in the city at that time. When John W. was only four or five years of age his father moved from New York City to the western part of the State, where he resided until John jr. was fourteen years of age. In the year 1842 the Prey family left New York for the West, stopping one winter in Illinois, and from there going to Wisconsin, where they resided until the spring of 1856, the family residence being a farm seventeen miles north of Milwaukee. During the residence of the Preys in Western New York and in Wis-
68
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN.
consin, John W., with his brothers, worked at farming, and built up a constitution which enabled him to pass through the hardships of pioneer life in two States, and still retain almost the vigor and strength of youth.
In the spring of 1856, John D. Prey and his son John W., left the homestead in Wisconsin intending to take up a new home in Iowa, but on reaching that State decided to push on and see what Nebraska had in store for them. They crossed the Missouri at Council Bluff's, on the ferry, and found Omaha a little hamlet of probably twenty or twenty-five houses. Continuing their journey, they reached Platts- mouth, and learning of the fine country on the "salt basins," deter- mined to see for themselves what it looked like. So pushing on, they reached Salt creek on June 15, 1856. Here they determined to set- tle, and while John W. remained in the State and county, his father went back to Wisconsin to dispose of his property, and to bring the rest of the family to the new land of promise. While coming across the country from Plattsmouth, and when nearly to the Salt Basin, the Preys met three men who were returning from Salt creek, where they had staked out claims for speculation, not intending to settle on them. These men were from Plattsmouth, and their names were Whitmore, Cardwell, and Thorpe. These three men were, in all probability, the first to take up claims in Lancaster county, so that the history of the county really dates from the latter part of May or the early days of June, 1856.
At that time the land in this county was not surveyed, nor was there a land office established until 1857, at Nebraska city. In that year Lancaster county, or at least a part of it, was surveyed, and set- tlers could know just where their land was located. The Prey family took up five claims, John W. Prey's claim being on Salt creek, in Cen- terville, section 24, town 8, range 6, on which land he made continu- ous residence until December, 1888, when he moved with his family to Lincoln.
The Prey family was quite numerous, the names of the boys being John W., Thomas R., James, William, David, and George, some of whom still live in the county. Those were days of hardships, times that tried men's souls, and the pioneers who braved the dangers of storm and cold and starvation and Indian depredations are to be honored. Soon after the Preys located in Lancaster county the salt
69
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
basins began to attract people from everywhere, and the present site of Lincoln was the Mecca for many a settler who came to get the salt wherewith his daily food should be savored, and his horses and cattle salted. From Plattsmouth and Nebraska City, and later from Be- atrice, from near and from far, came the people, with ox-teams and on foot, to get the product of the basin. Some of these visitors would remain a few hours, some several days; some would boil down the water of the basin, and thus get the salt, while others would scrape up the thin deposit and clean it from the dust, and use that. Of the salt basins further will be said in a succeeding chapter.
For some time the Preys were the only people living any where near the salt basins, the Plattsmouth men merely staking off their claims, and coming out semi-occasionally to look after their interests. During the first summer the early settlers could do nothing except break land, they having arrived too late to put in any crops.
The winter of 1856-7 was very severe; the cold was intense, and the snow averaged on the level three to four feet deep. It was about the hardest winter that has been seen in Nebraska, and while it lasted the people were much discouraged, and thought of returning to their Wis- consin home. But the bright, warm, bracing days of early spring-time dispelled this feeling, and the Preys set out to break more land and put in their spring crops. Only a little corn was planted this year-1857 - but in 1858, the third year, a large crop was raised, and prosperity began to dawn upon them.
Soon after the Preys settled here, and before the early settlers num- bered more than eight or ten, occurred the first Indian scare. From the beginning the Indians had been a source of uneasiness to the set- tlers, but not until early corn planting time in 1857 did any outbreak occur. At that time settlers began to drop in and take up land in Saltillo, and among them was a man named Davis. This man had a great desire to add to his experiences that of killing an Indian, and it was not long until he found an opportunity of gratifying this de- sire. He shot his Indian; but the consequences were worse than he anticipated. The Indians were numerous, the Pawnees, Otoes, and Omahas, taking precedence in point of numbers; so when they found that one of their number had been the victim of a white man's bullet, they went on the war path immediately. The settlers became alarmed, and taking with them only those things which to them were the most
70
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN,
valuable, they started as rapidly as possible, and under cover of the darkness, toward Weeping Water falls, where there was quite a settle- ment of whites. The Lancaster settlers remained at Weeping Water about two weeks, but during that time several reconnoitering parties were sent out to view the country and report upon the feasibility of returning. During that time, also, a company of about one hundred men was formed at Nebraska City to quell the Indian uprising, and it marched toward the scene of supposed devastation. This trip re- sulted in the capture of one Indian, a Pawnee, who was brought into camp with a great flourish of trumpets, and consigned to the care of three men -one of whom was JJohn W. Prey - to guard through the night. Early in the night the Indian asked to be allowed to step out of doors, which was granted, but no sooner had he stepped across the door sill than he bounded away into the darkness, leaving his mocca- sins, leggings, and cloak, and was never seen again by the guards. John Prey shot at him as he speeded into the darkness, and he after- ward learned that the bullet from his gun grazed Mr. Lo's head, leaving a little furrow through the hair. It was a narrow escape, for Mr. Prey prided himself upon the accuracy of his aim. However, the reconnoitering parties found that the Indians had quieted down, and in about two weeks the settlers returned to their homes. Most of the settlers found their houses either destroyed or raided, but the Prey house was untouched. This ended the scare of 1857, but it came at such a time that the planting of crops was seriously interfered with, and the harvest that fall was consequently light.
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