USA > Nebraska > Nebraska history and record of pioneer days, Vol. III > Part 5
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Dora Sophia Krantz, a resident of Nebraska since 1866, di 1st at her home near Sterling.
Zenas Stevens, who freighted with ox teams from Omaha Lake City and Denver, a resident of Omaha since 1800, di 3rd.
Mrs. John W. Hazelgrove, who came to Nebraska in 1860, South Sioux City May 3rd. Mrs. Burton H. Shoemaker, resident of Nebraska sine died in Lincoln on May 4th.
Gerrit H. Wehmer, who came with his parents to Nebr: 1862, died near Sterling on May 10th.
Duane Brown, who resided in Washington county fror to 1918, died at the home of his daughter in Bloomfield on Ma Ilenry Martyn Kemp died in Schuyler, Nebraska, May born in England. October 10, 1823; came from Michigan to Ne in a prairie schooner in 185S.
Michael Johnson, a highly respected pioncer citizen of county since 1859, died May 16th.
Jonathan Martin, born near Fall River, Mass., July 21 died at Martinsburg, Nebraska, on May 18th; same to Nebr. 1867; was the founder of the town of Martinsburg.
Mrs. Charles J. Karbach, a resident of Omaha for sixt years, died May 19th; Mr. Karbach came to Omaha in 1855 :
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NEBRASKA AND RECORD OF
HISTORY PIONEER DAYS
NEBRASKA HISTORY AND RECORD OF PIONEER DAYS
Published Quarterly by the Nebraska State Historical Society
Editor, ADDISON E. SHELDON Associate Editors The Staff of the Nebraska State Historical Society
Subscription $2.00 Per Year
q All sustaining members of the Nebraska State Historical Society receive Nebraska History without further payment.
[ Entered as second class mail matter, under act of July 16, 1894, at Lincoln, Nebraska, April 2, 1918.
VOLUME III.
OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1920
NUMBER 4
A recent publication of the Iowa State Historical Society gives the history of the Cardiff Giant, a stone figure manufactured at Fort Dodge, Iowa, and "discovered" at Cardiff, New York, in 1869. Thousands of dollars were made by the exhibition of the stone figure before the hoax was exposed. Which reminds the editor of the "Petrified Man" found buried in the badlands about three miles from Chadron in the nineties. The story of this famons frontier scont will be given in a future issue of this magazine with exact facts and verified dates.
Delay has occurred in the issue of this magazine. For this there is sincere regret. It should promptly appear as dated. Sometimes delay arises for nerd of time to verify and correct manuscript. With mrh eurrend correspondence and Drafted office force It is ditftenlt to meet, null the calls. Our remorse is mitigated only a little by noting that some of the strong state historical societies are farther behind in their period- ical issues than Nebraska. Most of the copy for the next two issues of this magazine is now in hand and they may be looked for at an early datc.
Two articles in one issue of this quarterly by Mr. Bengston, one of our recent research members, is more than is usually accorded. Both articles have been in type for some time and the change in form of the magazine seems to require publication now. And then both are good stories.
"American Catholics in the War" is the title of a new historical vol- ume of 470 pages from the Catholic War Council; edited by Michael Williams, published by MacMillan. The book says it is but the begin- ning of the record. It will be found of great reference valne to stu- dents of religions movements as well as wars. A few direct quotations illustrate this point:
"There were some 20,000 Catholics among approximately 2,700,000 inhabitants of the thirteen colonies in 1776."
"It is estimated that in the United States in 1860 there were about 4,500,000 Catholics out of a total population of 31,500,000."
"In the United States religious census of 1916 the total number of church members in the country is set down at 41,926,854, the number of Catholies as approximately 16,000,000."
'The value of Catholic Church property is given at $374,206,895, which far exceeds that of any other church."
"The Catholic citizens of America furnished for the World War more than 30 per cent of the enlisted fighting men in our army and navy."
"The department of historical records of the National Catholic War Council has on file the names of more than 17.000 Catholie soldiers, sail- ors and marines who were killed or died under the colors, with more than 2.000 parishes still to be heard from. The total number of Amer- ican dead as given by the war department is 126,656."
Upon the editor's desk lie two volumes of Records of the World War, fresh from the office of the adjutant general at Washington. These are Field Orders of the Fifth Division and of the Second Army Corps with maps and diagrams. They are thin volumes of less than 200 pages each, but packed with' thrilling interest. Their contents cover the period overseas from May 1918 to February 1919. Most of the orders are
marked "Secret." Directions for advance, for signals, for liason with other commands are brief, but full. From these printed volumes of original records historians of the future will obtain their most impor- tant material. Complete sets of these volumes in the Historical Society library will be available for ex-service men and others interested.
The Winnebago Indian triba lives half (nearly) in Nebraska-the other halt in Wisconsin. The Nebraska half is the subject of a 60-page moncgraph written by Dr. Margaret W. Koenig and published by this Society in August. Passing from the old life to the new is a critical period in the life of any primitive people. The survival of the Winne- bago, like that of the Pawnee is still in doubt. Dr. Koenig's contribu- tion has been highly commended in a number of letters received by the Society.
Index of continuous growth of interest in history of the State is the flood of letters coming to the editor's desk. Every day brings numer- ous inquiries in regard to historical sites, events and persons in Nc- braska. Many of these letters call for extended research to answer.
The Daughters of the American Revolution in Nebraska are making a concentrated effort to gather pioneer reminiscences and county data to be placed with the Nebraska Historical Society for reference. Already some valuable miscellaneous mannscripts have been seenred.
All of the records of the Nebraska State Council of Defense and the papers of the Wemens" Council of Defense are in the keeping of the State Historical Society. Photographs and other records showing Nebraska's part in the World War are constantly being added to our collections.
The Historical Society has recently acquired many of the private papers of Dr, L. J. Abbott who was a member of the House of Repre- sentatives in 1867. These papers are full of interesting material rel- ptive Jo the territorial history of Nebraska.
The next issue of Nebraska History will appear in its new magazine form-convenient for reading and for binding into volumes of the same size as bound volumes issued by the Society.
THE WINNEBAGO IN MINNESOTA
Recently the superintendent received a letter from Thomas Hughes, an attorney at Mankato, Minnesota, asking for a copy of a photograph taken in New York City in 1866 showing the principal chiefs of the Winnebago tribe and especially Chiefs Decorah and Little Hill.
This photograph was taken at the instance of Robert W. Furnas, when he was Indian agent for the Omaha and Winnebago. He depos- ited a copy with the Historical Society. It is one of the most valuable pictures of that period, clear and distinct after all the years and show- ing Colonel Furnas surrounded by the group of chiefs who accompanied him on his trip east.
Mr. Hughes' letter gives a glimpse of what is being done at the old home of the Winnebago to preserve their tradition and memory. The Winnebago were the first Indians seen by the editor as a very small boy in Houston county, Minnesota. Mr. Hughes writes:
"The Winnebagos, as you know, had their reservation here in Blue Earth County, from 1855 to 1863, and our local society, as well as our state society, is much interested in their history. During this past winter, I have gathered a large quantity of material pertaining to the tribe. I have several dozen letters from Oliver LaMere and Dr. N, W. Jipson of Chicago, whe is writing a history of the Winnebago tribe. Our local society have had a map made of the old reservation herc, which covered a strip of land twenty-five miles long and thirteen iniles wide and we have been relocating the sites of the various villages, which the Winnebagos occupied while here, with the names of the chiefs of cach. We have also gathered a few pictures and quite a good deal of material pertaining to the history of the tribe while here and ob- taincd biographies, as far as possible, of the most prominent chiefs. I. have found the study very interesting.
Glad to know that your early home was here in southern Minnesota, and also of your interest in Winnebago history. Of course I have also been greatly interested in the Sioux, who were the aborigines, as you know, of the southern half of our state."
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Nebraska History and Record of Pioneer Days
The Adventure of Walker's Ranch
B. E. Bengston, Funk, Nebraska.
About seven miles south of Axtell, Kearney county, Nebraska, are the tumble-down buildings of Walker's Ranch. The decaying struct- ures are all that is left of one of the interesting landmarks of the early days. The walls are gray from exposure to sun and rain and probably have never known paint in any form. 'For many years the ranch has undergone but slight changes and if any of the old timers who once frequented the place should again chance thither he would no doubt find mueh that would remind him of olden times. There is the same house, a low frame affair, the same stable and various other build- ings with a wide street between them running nearly northeast and southwest.
David B. Ball, the present owner, has in one way or another been connected with the place ever since the beginning. In 1870 Ball held a contract to carry the U. S. mail from an adobe town on the Platte River to the Republican Valley. Carrying the mail about a year he sur- rendered his contract and it was let to Charles Walker who put up buildings and established a station near the west side of Kearney county. This location has ever since been known as Walker's Ranch.
In the beginning of the year 1873 Walker became ill and went to Omaha for treatment. Instead of recovering his health he became worse and died in the latter part of February. A few days afterwards when it became known that Walker had died a man by the name of Smith with a companion nicknamed Polly arrived at the ranch They put up a building and established themselves claiming they had bought. Walker's relinquishment. This they had not done. They had come with the avowed purpose of "jumping the claim" and stealing the property.
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How two such statements in sense diametrically opposed to each other could be recenciled, we at this time cannot comprehend. But this is beside the story: the standard of conduct in the "wild and wooly West" was different from that in the more conventional east. With Indians still at large on the prairies, tho occasional visit of the James gang of train and bank robbers, the individual road agent, the cattle rustler and the horse thief this portion of the prairie was still within the bounds of the wild west. To this the old graveyard south of Lowell, where those who "died with their boots on" in Val- ley City on the Platte, is sufficient evidence.
After Smith's advent the place became the rendezvous of border ruffians and toughs of all degrees. Gambling, the curse of the world, was the pastime most indulged in, and one night during a drunken brawl pandemonium turned itself loose; bowie knives and revolvers suddenly flashed over the card table. Shots rang out, deafening within the four walls, and curses filled the air. When the disturbance ended and the noise had quieted down it was found that Polly lay on the floor dead, struek down, by a bullet from Smith's gun, Fagan and others had received wounds from pistol bullets or knives, but none other was killed.
The next day a number of freighters who had stopped at the ranch drove into Lowell, the county seat of Kearney county, with the news of the killing. The deputy sheriff, on getting the particulars of the crime, organized a posse for the purpose of bringing the murderers in. It was evident that he expected to get a fight out of it as he took with him two surgeons and four or five other men. There was deep snow on the ground, the air was crisp and the wagon wheels creaked in their tracks as the posse drove out and disappeared over the sand- hills to the south. They were "armed to the teeth" and no one in Lowell doubted their ability to bring their man in dead or alive.
Shortly, after their departure David B. Ball arrived in town. He had recently been appointed deputy U. S. marshal, and as soon as he had been enlightened in the matter he swore out a warrant for the arrest of Smith and his partner at the card table for interfering with the U. S. mail. Armed with this and accompanied by only one man, T. S. Butler of Riverton, he took the trail after the deputy sheriff. Coming to ar point about eight miles northeast of the ranch he met the posse. They were coming back for reenforcements not being willing to attack the place they had been told was now prepared for a siege. Furthermore, Smith had sent word that he would not be taken alive.
ยท Ball urged the posse to return, saying that their man would cer- tainly make an attempt to escape in the night. No amount of urg- ing however was of any avail and the sheriff said, "Ball, I'll turn this job over to you." "I'll take it," instantly replied Ball, "and I appoint you and your posse my deputies."
"Oh, that will never do," was the reply. "If wo go it will be as a separate posse."
"Very well," said Ball, "but I need your help and if you come with me I'il guarantee to bring you through with whole skins." He then made known his plan and when they heard it they declared it a cap- ital plan and that it would succeed.
When the team started again they both traveled in the same dire tion -- southwest towards Walker's Rauch.
Ball's plan was to get in from the south ahead of the others.' do this he left the trail and struck out across the prairie in a wester direction, leaving the others to follow about a half mile behind. few miles to the west he struck the "Franklin Trail" which crossed t' mail trail in a hollow south of Walker's Ranch. Here Ball turned al drove into the station from the south.
As soon as he pulled up he jumped out in an unconcerned mann and began unhitching his horses as if he intended to stay over nig! Smith saw him and sent his partner out to reconnoiter. Ball engag him in conversation, inquiring about everyday matters, such as fe for his horses, accomodation for himself and companion, etc.
Smith knew Ball well. He also knew that he was deputy U. S. ma shal, but he did not expect trouble from him. His erime was murd and he was looking for the county authorities.
Smith's partner, evidently satisfied that they had nothing to fe from Ball and his man, went into the house and in a short time cal baek accompanied by Smith. Meanwhile, Ball had numerous erran out to his buggy, getting halters, straps, robes and other artiel But this was merely subterfuge. He was carefully noting how ne the deputy sheriff and his posse were. They had left the trail short distance south of the ranch and being behind the buildin; Smith had not seen them. As they drove in between two of the hous of the ranch, Smith turned in surprise and Ball, who had edged to him suddenly, grasped his arms from behind and held on for "dc life," as he afterwards said. Butler, at the same time, eover Smith's companion with his rifle.
The sheriff's posse on seeing Butler with his gun up sprang f. ward to his side and also leveled their guns at the trembling fello who was too much surprised and frightened to move out of the spot.
Ball on the other hand was having a' desperate struggle with 1 man. "Butler! Butler!" he called. "Come here and put the handcu on this fellow. I can't hold him much longer!" To put handeu on that desperato struggling man who knew it meant his life to captured was no easy matter. The handcuffs were in the inside poel of Ball's coat and it was a hard matter to get them out, so el and hard did he hold his prisoner.
After a while when the three men had pranced around in the sn. and had gotten their clothing more or less torn tho handcuffs wi produced and clasped on the kicking, snarling and biting man w was now more a wild beast than a human being.
The sun was nearly. down and after having had supper, Ball tailed a guard to stay at the ranch for the purpose of looking af the interest of Walker's widow. He then started with his prison for Lowell, where, arriviug late at night, he had them locked up.
The facilities for keeping prisoners not being the best at that til in Lowell, Smith broke jail and has never been heard of since. T other man was brought to trial, but the case against him not bei very good he got off with a sentence of three years in the penitentia
A Small Historic Spot in Hamilton County B. E. Bengston, Funk, Nebraska
For a small spot, sections 9, 10, 15 and 16 in Bluffs precinct, H: ilton county, may well, as historie ground, claim a brief notice. 'I descent of the table-land and over the bluffs into the Platte Ri valley is here short and the river is only a little more than a n away.
This side of the valley consists of a beneli of fertile land terminat at an ancient river bank about eight feet high, and the bottom which flat and sandy, during seasons of heavy rainfall or when the ri is high contains numerous ponds and bayous of stagnant water.
From the highest bluff, which is about 125 feet above the river, view is grand. A wide expanse of level land, reaching the bluffs the other side, stretches out to the cast and west until it meets horizon. In this direction lies the river, Like a broad band of si! it divides and subdivides and again unites as it embraces the numer islands that lie as gems in its course. Beyond the river a seintillat 'gleam of reflected sunlight from a window reveals the location c farmhouse. A railroad train is moving like a snake across the pl It is the Union Pacific express, and the distance makes its movem seem slow. Even this catches the sun's rays and flashes of light tremblingly shot from its sides as it rocks on the rails. On this of the river an automobile darts out from beyond a grove, swi around a hill and disappears as quickly as it came. A farmer is : driving a five-horse team drawing a gang-plow, and the song of a n. ing machine is heard on the hillside. All this betokens life and act bustle and toil. But it is a life covering death; and action that : ersedes inaction; the past sleeps here; traces of a time that has : and a race that has gone, while now only faintly discernible, can be found. Following the ancient river bank across sections 8 an are the tracks of the freighting trail which is here about one hun
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Nebraska History and Record of Pioneer Days
yards wide. Side by side, they lie bearing mute witness of the per- ils of the passage. An Indian village was located here and in fear of ambush or savage treachery the wagons of each train were driven abreast instead of in single file as otherwise was the custom. The site of the Indian village is in the angle formed by the section line on the east side of section 9, and the ancient river bank.
In 1877 the writer of this article being attracted to the spot by a patch of wild plum trees saw this site for the first time. A num- ber of earthen rings irregularly distributed indicated the location of the tepees. These rings were open on one side and this opening was probably where the door was located. The rings varied in size from eight fect to about sixteen feet across and the basin-like depressions within them were one foot deep. A careful search in all of the rings disclosed nothing more than the badly rusted blade of a butcher knife and a small potsherd. The handle of the knife was gone and the cutting edge dented almost like the toothed edge of, a saw. In spite of the ruined condition of the relic it could plainly be seen that it was not of savage design. It had no doubt been acquired through barter with the white man. Articles of savage workmanship were found a mile to the southeast on the table-land, west of a deep ravine and near the south side of the northeast quarter of section 15, sev- eral pieces of brown flint were picked up. The fact that they had been chipped at the edges proved them to be implements of some sort. One of these is the point of a spearhead. It has one of its edges chipped to a short bevel indicating that it is of Pawnee manufacture. An- other spear point found is simply a rude wedge of stone. This also has a short bevel chipped on one of its edges. A queer little piece which fits in the crook of the finger proves to be a skinning knife. A larger picce which is curved and fits in the grip of the hand is a scraper used in tanning the hides of tho animals which the Indians killed. This location is designated for convenience as "The Place of Flints." An arrowhead of white flint and which had no short bevel was discovered in the bottom of the long ravine on the west side of this section, proving that other Indians besides Pawnees, had hunted here in ancient times.
The "Place of Flints" showed no signs of having been the location of a village, although it may have been a summer camp. The fact that a prairie fire had recently passed over the ground was respon- sible for the finding of the flints. After the wind had swept away the soot and ashes the stones could plainly be seen, especially as the soil is naturally free of pebbles or stone chips.
On the southwest quarter of this section were a number of grass rings of the same size and arrangement as the earthen rings of the Indian village. They were on the cast side of the ravine which here comes to an end in a short fork. Attention was drawn to these rings by the bluestem grass, of which they consisted, being longer than the grass around them. Noticed during several successive summers, these rings always presented the same appearance. Did they mark the spot where some ancient wigwams had rotted? We do not know. They were destroyed when the ox-team and the breaking plow found them,
On a knoll in the bluffs at the southwest corner of section 10 is an old Indian hurying ground. Before the country was settled and while the bluffs were still unfenced I visited this place. It presented a gruesome appearance; two skulls, sections of vertebrae, and ribs of human beings were scattered promiscuously about. Coyotes had dug into the shallow graves and dragged the bones forth. On picking up one of the crania it was found to have belonged to a compara- tively young person. The "wisdom teeth" were 'still in the embryo stage and had never appcared above the gums. The other skull was that of an older person, as nearly all of the teeth were gone and those that were left were badly worn. The zygomatic arch was larger on the side where the teeth were left, showing that the buffalo meat menu of the Indian had long been chewed on that side of the jaw alone. A number of small ribs and bones of a small hand proved to be the remains of a papoose.
About a quarter of a mile west of this place was another burying ground. This also was located on a high place overlooking the valley. Here were but two graves. They appeared to be older than the others and had not been disturbed by wild animals. The mounds were low and on them were found small beads, white and blue, scraps of leather and a medicine pouch. The latter appeared to have been made of rawhide and in size would have held a watch. Why were these graves separate? The earliest settlers did not even know of their existence until told abont thicir discovery.
In 1919 as I was visiting the places where I spent my youth I also passed the "Old Indian Graveyard." On looking up from the road in the ravine on which I was driven I expected still to see skulls and bones gleam on top of the bluffs, when, lo, there was a farmstead built on the "Old Indian Burying Ground." I turned around to look for the other graveyard and was not a little horrified to find that another
farmplace had been built up where that was located. On coming to the site of the Old Indian village I found a cornfield there and of the plum grove only one solitary tree was left. This was a small one and stood under the wire in the line fence where the cultivator could not reach it.
That this territory had been the feeding ground of the buffalo the countiess number of skeletons of these bovines scattered over the prairie in the early days is ample proof. After a prairie fire they could be seen everywhere -- a crumbling skull here and a pile of broken bones there. But very few good horns were to be found on these skulls in the late seventies and those that could be found were checked from exposure to fire and weather and in most instances were peel- ing and parting in the laminations. Another proof of the buffalo was the path which they had used in going to water. It crossed section 16 near its west side. The buffalo path was a single trail about S inches deer and must have been traveled by great numbers of animals he- fore it had been worn to such depth. The village of Hordville is now located where this path crossed section 21. Main street passes diagonally over the ancient trail.
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