USA > Nebraska > Lancaster County > Lincoln > Lincoln, the capital city and Lancaster County, Nebraska, Volume I > Part 43
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Let us go back to the days of dug-outs and consider some of the hardships endured. It must be said that the wives and mothers suffered as many hard- ships and, in many cases, more, than the men. It was only too often that they were, from necessity, left at home alone with the children; their greatest fear in those times was of Indians. About twice a year the men would go to Nebraska City for supplies and the mail, for it was also their postoffice. At those times it seemed the Indians invariably made their appearance, and the fear that was ex- perienced by those left at home is beyond description. About one-half of the male population in the neighborhood would go to the city at the same time. It was not considered safe for one or two men to attempt the trip alone, as any small squad of Indians could have overpowered them. On the other hand, the more that went on those trips, the weaker was the force which was left at home. It was often hard to decide which was better, to take or leave the strongest force.
It was in the latter '6os when the Indians seemed the most hostile; all the white settlers were continually ready to fly for their lives at a moment's notice. The team of our family were not unharnessed at one time for three weeks. No one thought of undressing when going to bed as it would occupy too much time to get ready for flight in case it was necessary.
Next to the Indians, prairie fires were most to be feared. Many were the poor settlers who saw the fruits of several years' hard labor go up in flames in
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a few short hours. One family named Bouten, who had their dug-out near the north line of section 26, had all that they possessed destroyed in this manner. The lady, with her little six-hour-old baby boy, was removed in all haste to a log hut about a mile distant. The child survived the shock but the mother died a week later.
Another great obstacle in the farmer's way in those days was to market his produce. It must either be taken to Nebraska City or sold to freighters. The north line of Centerville Precinct is a portion of the old freight road between Nebraska City and Denver. The freighters were the fellows to sell to, but their coming was a little uncertain. Settlers often took garden stuff, corn, oats, wheat, pork, etc., and hauled them as far as Fort Kearney. The prices received for them were always very satisfactory, but the going and coming required a week's time.
Advancement made rapid stride until the latter 'Gos and early 'zos, when there came a shock from which recovery seemed next to impossible. The grass- hoppers at this time made their appearance, and in the west it looked as if a heavy thunder shower was coming up. The sun was entirely hidden from view and as they came over and fell upon the ground all vegetation disappeared in a few hours. Large and small trees were soon stripped of their leaves. Clothing that happened to be out was devoured by them. They were so thick that a B. and M. train was stopped by them near Hickman. Their crushed bodies were like so much grease on the track, which caused the wheels to slip and the engine unable to do its work. Not only did they destroy the crops at this time, but deposited their eggs, and for the four years that followed it was almost impossible to raise anything. The little hoppers were on hand to take the crop as soon as it peeped through the ground. The spring of the fifth year, 1877, was very wet and the grasshopper was exterminated. Corn was worth at this time 95 cents to $1.50 a bushel. One farmer in Centerville Precinet mortgaged his best team to pay his hired man. The good years that followed placed the people on better foot- ing and the grasshopper years became a matter of history.
Going to mill was a trial to the early settler. For a short time there was a mill at Beatrice, which soon burned down, after which all milling was done either at Ashland, Weeping Water or Milford. Weeping Water seemed to be the favorite place. At these places the grinding was on the principle of "first come, first served," and many are the instances the settlers relate of being obliged to wait from a week to ten days for their grist, oftentimes their lunch baskets running low. Mr. Crozier. Mr. Iler and Mr. Krull had at one time an experience of this kind, and for several days subsisted upon bread that they received from the miller's wife by chopping wood for it, and on the legs of bullfrogs caught out of the stream. During this experience their families at home fared equally poor as provisions were low there also. My mother and the children lived for over a week at that time on nothing but roasting ears.
The first death in Centerville Precinct was a girl from a family named Brown, who lived on the north half of section 22. She was buried a short distance from the house on the banks of a small stream. As there were no cemeteries in those days, nearly all burials were made on private ground. This girl is still resting where she was first placed. On the northeast quarter of section 26 three children were buried in the early 'zos, one of which still remains where it was placed.
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On the southwest quarter of section 13 three bodies are buried, and it is doubtful if there is any one living today who knows the exact location of these graves.
The first election was held in a little log schoolhouse located on the north- east quarter of section 22 in 1866. Prior to that time there were hardly enough men in the precinct to comprise an election board. There were many hard- fought battles in and about that little schoolhouse, the republicans coming out victorious each year until 1890, when the populists gained the day.
The first church organization was made by the German Methodists in 1869. They soon built a small church on the northeast corner of section 21. In the early 'Sos it was taken down and replaced by a more commodious structure. In 1874 the German Lutherans organized with a large membership and built a large and handsome church on the southeast quarter of section 35. In 1891 the Presbyterian denomination built a church on section 28. In 1900 the English Methodist Episcopal organized and used the schoolhouse in District No. 85.
In the early days the education of the youth was sadly neglected. For a number of years there was but one small log schoolhouse in the entire precinct. Today, however, there are five, well equipped and well attended.
The first railroad in the precinct was built in 1888 by the Missouri Pacific, a branch extending from Auburn to Crete.
W. W. RIDDELL
The first settler in what is now Elk Precinct was Chester Crawford, who took a homestead in the northeast portion of the precinct in 1864. That fall Charles Crawford took a claim adjoining on the west branch of Oak Creek. They usually remained on their claims during the summer season, but in the winter would take their teams and go to some point on the Missouri River to secure work and earn money enough to tide them through the next season. This they followed for about three years. In 1872 Charles Crawford sold his claim to Doctor Anderson, who was the first practicing physician. Other early homesteaders were Mr. C. Beason, Wm. Breeden, W. Deagon and F. Payne.
In the early part of 1857 James Riddell and wife, accompanied by three other families, came to Nebraska and located claims about twenty miles south of the salt basins in what is now Centerville Precinct. Here they erected log houses, broke small patches of sod, in which they planted corn and potatoes. That fall a trip was made to Nebraska City, sixty miles distant, to obtain provisions. As there were no roads and the streams were yet unbridged, much time was spent in making this trip. On their return, to their dismay, they found that their corn and potatoes had been appropriated by the Indians, who had also killed and stolen most of the settlers' cattle. Later all of Mr. Riddell's stock was taken but one span of horses and one yoke of oxen. On account of the loss by the Indians and the fact that fever and ague were prevalent, most of the settlers left their claims to go to Missouri River points, traveling by night to avoid the redskins.
In March, 1865, James Riddell and family removed to Nebraska City and for a time was engaged in buying and fitting out freight teams to cross the plains to Fort Kearney. The same year he took a homestead in Lancaster County, four miles south of Lancaster, in what is now Yankee Hill Precinct, on Salt Creek.
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For the harvest of 1867 he went to Nebraska City and purchased a combined McCormick reaper and mower. This machine did all the reaping and mowing in the county that year and was oiled with butter.
Farming in those days was not very lucrative; the grain when threshed was too far from the market; everything must go to the Missouri River, and from there by boat to its destination. On this account very little grain was raised, most of the settlers turning their attention to stock raising.
Wild game was plentiful when they first came to Nebraska. Antelope were numerous, and deer and wild turkey were also to be seen. The coyote and catamount were also in evidence. Mr. Riddell, not enjoying the sport of hunt- ing, allowed his neighbor, Redman, who was a good marksman, to do the shooting while he did the hauling of the game to market, which business at times was quite profitable.
On the northeast quarter of section 2, at an early date, was found a large pile of stone supposed to have been placed there by Indians as a landmark of some kind. Later on the settlers drew the stones away to make use of them for building purposes. The last of the pile was taken by F. Payne, J. Barten and W. W. Riddell. After the stones had been removed they discovered that a hole had been dug and in it were the skeletons of four horses and six white inen1.
C. J. WARNER
Township 12, range 7. otherwise known as Rock Creek Precinct, is one of the most wealthy and populous townships of Lancaster County. It receives its name from the little stream that crosses it from the northwest to the southeast. which in turn received its name because of the stony deposits near its source in Saunders County. The surface of the eastern portion of the precinct is generally undulating, gradually growing more rolling and broken toward the west. The soil throughout is rich and fertile. The population is industrious, thrifty and prosperous. The Irish, Danes and Swedes predominate. These different nation- alities have grouped themselves together into separate settlements and a review of the early days of the precinct most naturally clusters itself among the pioneers of the different groups.
Because of its distance from any of the railroad lines that first crossed the western prairies, Rock Creek cannot boast of as ancient history as some of its sister precincts, but what it lacks in age is made up in progress and development.
To the Irish undoubtedly belongs the honor of first being on the ground. . 1 little company of the thirfty sons of Erin arrived as early as 1868 and settled in what is now the northwestern portion of the precinct. AAmong them were Michael O'Connor, John Dooly and Michael Davey. Also Robert McCartney. Burris Crawford, J. E. Shotwell, Samuel Kline, James Meyers, James Riddell and William Looch.
During the following years the little company of pioneers was reinforced by William Drinkwater, Warren Hallet, M. L. Trester, Jack Croy. John Wilcox, A. E. Willard. Horace Taylor, John Truell, F. Truell. S. M. Clark and Peter Melick, several of whom are still residents of the precinct.
The Danes came in for second honors. the advance guard of their class
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arriving in 1870, and took up homesteads in the southwest portion of the pre- cinet. Among those were John Johnson, Alexander Knudson, Rasmus John- son, John Olson and Henry Hanson.
The Swedes were the last to arrive, but have steadily increased and spread until now they outnumber any of the other nationalities. The first of these light-haired sons of the North to take up their homes within the boundaries of Rock Creek were the three Warner brothers, John, C. V. and S. G. They shipped from Alton, Ill., to Omaha, by rail and from there overland to their destination, the trip taking three days. They brought with them all their earthly possessions, which consisted of three horses, a cow, one pig and an old wagon, some lumber and a few tools. On the 13th day of March, 1871, they pitched their tent on what is yet known as the S. G. Warner place, and two of them have ever since been residents of the precinet and all of them residents of the county. They set to work at once and in a few days had dug a cellar and erected a shanty 12 by 18. In 1872 this little settlement was added to in the persons of Peter Asplund, C. A. Ruddeen, Carl Anderson and some others who came in a year or two later.
The history of these early settlers, Irish, Danes and Swedes alike, is very much the same as other frontiersmen in different parts of the state. It is the same story of privation, suffering, labor and disappointment on the one hand; pluck, enterprise, hope and success on the other. The nearest towns were Lin- coln, Wahoo, Waverly and Ashland. There were no roads and the streams were yet unbridged. The pioneers, as they went to market, selected their own way across the prairies and forded the streams. Corn sold in Lincoln for fuel and the price fluctutated with the temperature. A load on a bright, warm day often sold for the price of a cheap pair of boots, $1.50.
While we have so far mentioned names of early men, let it not be forgotten that the faithful, loving and loyal wives played their important part in the settlement also. Their industrious hands provided the family with clothing and from the wild fruits gathered on the prairies prepared most appetizing delicacies. Often it fell to their lot to guard alone the little home while the husband and father was far away earning a few dollars wherewith to purchase the necessities of life.
All of the early settlers were not fortunate enough to have the help of a faithful wife. Many were young men who braved it alone. The first of these to bring a young bride into the precinet was J. M. Meyers.
Some of the early births in Rock Creek were Lena Meyers, Hattie and Julia Crawford, Charles Asplund, Allen McCartney, Hulda Warner, Selma Ander- son, Frank D. Eager and S. J. Warner.
The first political meeting in the precinet is recorded as early as 1871. This meeting was held at the house of M. L. Trester. Judge S. B. Pound, M. M. O'Connor and Colonel Philpott appeared as speakers. In preparing for the meeting a flag pole was raised and a messenger dispatched to Lincoln to pur- chase a flag, but none was to be had. He secured some red, white and blue muslin, however, and Mrs. Trester made a flag and the feeling of patriotism was given an opportunity of expression.
The first precinct election was held in 1870, the polling place being the resi- dence of Mr. Denton, one-half mile west of the Cameron School. Eleven votes
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were cast and Michael Davey claims the honor of having cast the first democratic vote.
A daily stage passed through this section from Fremont to Lincoln in 1869, and in July, 1871, the first postoffice in the precinct was established on the south- west quarter of section 18, and was named Enterprise. M. L. Trester was the postmaster; J. G. Nesbit, assistant. A salary of about one dollar per month was paid. An average of from two to three letters per day constituted the mail.
Religious matters have not been neglected in Rock Creek. Its seven churches are indicative of the devotional character of its people. Public services were held in the precinct as early as 1871. The first church was St. Patrick's in 1876. The charter members were Edward llealy, John and Timothy Finnegan, John Mara, Michael O'Connor, Patrick McGeer, Patrick Dorr, Michael Brady and John Enright. Father Byrne was the first priest.
The English Methodists erected a church in 1888, which, in 1891, was sold to the Catholics and known as St. Mary's. Michael Davey was one of the main pillars of that organization. The Danish Lutherans began work in the fall of 1875. Rev. T. F. Heilman preached his first sermon at the house of John Olson, on section 20. From that time on regular services were held in the schoolhouse in District No. 81. In 1891 a church was erected at a cost of $1,100. The organizers and chief workers of this church were Hans Louis, Andrew Hanson, Louis Christerson, and F. G. Everson. The latter served as chairman of the building committee. In the fall of 1890 another Danish Lutheran Church was erected at the Village of Davey and is known as the Danish Lutheran Mission. The charter members were Alexander Knudson, Peter Jacobson, Hans Larson, Henry Hansen, Andrew Hansen, James Larson and Gilbert Knudson.
The first Swedish church services were conducted by Rev. S. G. Larsen at the home of Warner brothers in 1872. From that time on Swedish pastors of various denominations visited the settlement, preaching in the different sod schoolhouses and at residences, but not until 1882 was there any church organ- ization perfected. The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mission Church was then organized, with C. A. Ruddeen, John Hohnquist, John Warner, John M. Samuelson, S. G. Warner, E. Greld, E. V. Noren, C. A. Johnson, J. A. John- son and C. G. Gustafson as charter members. Andrew Halmer was the first pastor of the church, which was erected in 1882 at a cost of $1.100. In 1888 a parsonage was erected and N. A. Blomstrand served as the first resident pastor. He was followed by F. A. Slaberg, who served eight years. In 1901 Rev. E. Wallis took charge and the same year a $5,000 church was erected.
The North Free Mission Church was organized in 1885 with Peter Asplund, C. W. Johnson, S. W. Warner, Peter Erlandson, E. Grell, and John Sandstrom as charter members. A church building was completed the same year on a lot donated by Peter Asplund.
The Swedish Methodist Church was built in 1894 at a cost of $3,000. The first pastor was A. R. Melin. Charter members were S. G. Warner, Peter Peter- son, Fred Anderson, August Anderson, E. Grell, H. Miller, C. W. Johnson and Peter Swanstrom.
In 1887 the Elkhorn Railroad was built through this precinct, and the Town of Davey located within its borders, named in honor of Michael Davey, on whose
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land it was laid out. The first house in the new town was built by Henry Hark- son. The first postmaster was Patrick O'Donnell.
S. A. QUINCY
Township 12, north range S east, now called Mill Precinct, was formerly a part of Camp Creek, which was composed of what is now Mill, the east half of Rock Creek and the north half of Waverly. Camp Creek was formed by an act of the board of supervisors April 14, 1864, and so remained until after Nebraska was admitted as a state in 1867.
In 1865 a man named Atkinson, with his sons, located on the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 35, in what is now Mill Precinct and erected a sawmill on the east side of Rock Creek. This little mill supplied the early pioneers with lumber to erect shanties on their claims and proved a boon to them. The At- kinsons soon after erected a grist mill on the west side of the creek, with one set of burrs. This was a very primitive affair but was capable of grinding all the grain the early settler could raise. This mill also proved a great benefit and was patronized for miles around.
The old Pike's Peak Trail passed through Mill Precinct. It came into the township at the southeast corner of section 1, and ran diagonally through the sec- tion, intersecting the trail from Rocky Ford, just over the north line of the section in Saunders County. The trail was traceable for several years through the growing crops, the last trace being obliterated in 1902.
In 1869 the B. and M. Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad had been . granted every alternate section of land ; with this and the homestead law, which was then in effect, emigration set in in earnest. May 20th, J. L. and R. B. Graham settled on section 21 and commenced the erection of a grist mill, consisting of two runs of burrs. A rock dam was put in, which was the only safe crossing place for teams for several years. R. B. Graham afterward sold out and removed to Lincoln. The mill property was sold to J. E. Bundy.
A. N. Owen settled on the north half of the southwest quarter in pioneer days. Other pioneers were S. Parks, George Sherman, J. H. Sherman, J. W. Stewart, E. E. Lowell, J. R. Noren, N. V. Noren, J. W. Kelley, Mrs. J. Snyder, W. J. Nordstrom. J. F. Reiner, Byron Clark. I. N. Strawder, John Vosler, H. M. Almy and J. R. Long.
The Government land was soon filed upon, then commenced the sale of the railroad land, which was slower to be disposed of.
For several years Graham's Mill was a polling place for the precinct. Later a schoolhouse was erected one-half mile west of the mill, which was used for election purposes.
Vast has been the change in Mill Precinct since the pioneer first located within its borders. Instead of unbridged streams and Indian trails, the town- ship is supplied with many miles of graded roads and good, substantial bridges, great credit for which should be given G. W. Welton. Rural mail routes place the daily mail at nearly every farmer's door in the precinct. Large dwell- ing houses of modern style are dotted over the different farms. The wealth of the county has increased proportionately.
P. H. Walker, residing on section 4, Waverly Precinct, came to Lancaster
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County in the fall of 1865, taking a homestead on section 23. Ile is a native of England and came to America in 1849, and served during the Civil war from October, 1861, to the fall of 1865.
MRS. S. A. JESSUP
On the 11th day of May, 1868, my husband, Henry Jessup, with myself and two small girls, left our native state and started west to establish a home on the great rolling prairies of Nebraska. We left Erie County, Penn., on Monday and arrived over the Northwestern Railroad in Council Bluffs the following Friday at 4 o'clock P. M. The next morning we were ferried across the Mis- souri River at Nebraska City and by noon we had a man engaged with team and wagon to take us to our claim or ranch, as we afterward termed it. I will never forget that ride. I have enjoyed many a one since, but never one equal to that. As far as the eye could see was a great sea of waving grass, sprinkled with wild flowers of nearly every color. We arrived at our destination at I o'clock the following day, which was six miles southeast of Lincoln. My father- in-law, Phileste Jessup, was there waiting for us. The house on the homestead was sod, 16 by 16. There was not a tree in sight ; just the bare prairie, but I don't think that any one could be happier than we were in what we called our home.
Prairie chickens were here in abundance and occasionally antelope could be seen in the distance. It was not long, however, until they disappeared entirely. The coyote, however, was very much in evidence and succeeded many times in making the nights hideous.
Our first crop was twenty acres of corn that yielded twenty-five bushels to the acre and one acre of wheat that yielded thirty bushels. The wheat was taken to the Rock Creek Mill. The miller remained up all night to grind the grist so that an early start might be had for home the following day. This furnished our breadstuffs for one year.
It was over two years after our arrival here before the B. and M. Railroad arrived at Lincoln During these two years Mr. Jessup freighted from Lincoln to Nebraska City. It would take three days each way to make the trip and often during the winter season he would lose his way and wander about for hours before he realized the situation.
One of the things most dreaded by the early settler was the prairie fire. It was always necessary in the early fall to arrange your fire guards and be sure that they were wide enough that the flames could not jump over them. A prai- rie fire at night was a grand sight in a spectacular way, and especially when it was cloudy. It would almost seem that the heavens were on fire. If the wind was blowing hard where there was heavy grass, flames could lap over from forty to fifty feet.
Prior to 1874, for several years, when the wind was in the south in looking toward the sun you could almost invariably see quantities of grasshoppers flying. They never did any great damage, however, until that year. The small grain was nearly all harvested before they came, but corn and vegetables were entirely destroyed. Onions they apparently enjoyed as well as other vegetables. Com- mencing at the top, they would eat them clear down into the ground, leaving
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nothing but the outside skin, and red peppers they would eat like a hungry boy would eat pumpkin pie.
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