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Vol. XVIII, 1917. 8vo. clo., 449 pp., $2.00. Editor, Albert Watkins.
In Memoriam-Clarence Sumner Paine; proceedings of the Society, 1908-1916; biography-James B. Kitchen, Jefferson H. Broady, Lorenzo Crounse; historical papers; Acknowledging God in Constitutions, Ne- braska Reminiscences, The Rural Carrier of 1849, Eastern Nebraska as an Archeological Field, Trailing Texas Long-horn Cattle Through Ne. braska. Special historical papers: Neapolis-Near-Capital, Controversy in the Senate Over the Admission of Nebraska, How Nebraska Wat Brought Into the Union.
Vol. XIX. 1919. 8 vo. clo., 357 pp., $2.00. Editor, Albert Watkins.
Incidents of the Indian Outbreak of 1864; The Beginning of Red Willow County; The True Logan Fontenelle; At Bellevue in the Thirties; Swedes in Nebraska; Clan Organization of the Winnebago; Women of Territorial Nebraska; First Settlement of the Scotts Bluff Country; The Omaha Indians Forty Years Ago; Earliest Settlers in Richardson County; Some Indian Place Names in Nebraska; Bohemians in Nebraska; Incident in the Impeachment of Governor Butler; The Mescal Society Among the Omaha Indians; Reminiscences of William Augustus Gwyer; Nebraska in the Fifties; Contested Elections in Nebraska; Proceedings of the Society, 1917.
Vol. XX. (In press) 8 vo. clo., - pp., illustrated, $2.00. Editor, Albert Watkins.
A contemporaneous, continuous history of the Nebraska Region from 1808 to 1862; an original outline of Nebraska events taken from the early newspaper files of St. Louis and other original sources. With many editorial notes. Includes such topics as Fur Trade, Missionaries, Mili- tary, Indians, Oregon Trail, Mormons, Politics, Trade, Agriculture, Social and Industrial Conditions. Very much of this material is new contribution to our knowledge of the period, answering questions hitherto unsatisfied.
PAMPHLETS
Outline of Nebraska History, 1910. 8 vo. paper, 45 pp., Albert Watkins.
A comprehensive bibliography of Nebraska history, and a "Summary of Nebraska History" condensed within 22 pages. 50 cents.
The Exercise of the Veto Power in Nebraska, 1917. 8 vo. paper, 104 pp. Knute Emil Carlson. (Bulletin No. 12 Nebraska History and
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NEBRASKA HISTORY PUBLICATIONS
Political Science Series) contains complete list of Governor's vetoes, a discussion and summary. 50 cents.
Nebraska Constitutions of 1866, 1871 and 1875 and Proposed Amend- ments submitted to the People September 21, 1921. Arranged in parallel columns with critical notes and comparisons with Constitutions of other States, 1920. 8 vo. paper, 214 pp. Addison Erwin Sheldon. 75 cents.
Genealogy of the Mohler-Garber Family. 8 vo. paper, 63 pp. with charts and illustrations. 1921. Published by the author, Cora Garber Dunning, under auspices of Nebraska Historical Society. Contains historical material relating to Silas Garber, Governor of Nebraska (1875-79) and Joseph Garber, Nebraska pioneer and member of Ne- braska Constitutional Convention of 1875; $2.00.
Tuberculosis Among the Nebraska Winnebago. A Social study on an Indian Reservation, 1921. 8 vo. paper, 60 pp. with charts, maps and illustrations. Margaret W. Koenig, M. D. Contains historical sketch of the tribe with valuable information hitherto u. published on social and industrial conditions. 50 cents.
Historical Magazine (illustrated)
"Nebraska History and Record of Pioneer Days"-Addison E. Shel- don, Editor, (Titles of leading articles only.)
Vol. I. 1918.
The First war on the Nebraska Frontier; A Hero of the Nebraska Frontier; The Sources of Nebraska People; Old Fort Kearny; The Union Club in Nemaha County, 1863; The Historical Society in France; Ne- braska in 1864-67; Early French in Nebraska; Holt County's First Safe; Fort Mitchell Cemetery. $1.00.
Vol. II. 1919.
Editor's Visit to European Battlefields; Nebraska's Dead in the World War; Base Hospital 49; Ancient Pawnee Medal Found; The Fort Atkinson Centennial Celebration; First Nebraska University Regents; Three Military Heroes of Nebraska; The Nebraska Food Administration in the World War. $1.00.
Vol. III. 1920.
Genesis of the Great Seal of Nebraska; Nebraska State Seal and Flag; George Bird Grinnell's Letter on Pawnees; The Founding of Fort Atkinson; The April Blizzard of 1973; Nebraska Society Daughters of American Revolution; The Winnebago Tribe; Walker's Ranch; Historic Spot in Hamilton County. $1.00.
FORTY YEARS OF NEBRASKA
FALSNICHONS AND AF HI"
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AT HOME AND IN COMOREYS
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NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
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STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY .
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Four Title Pages of Nebraska State Historical Society Publications.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF JUDGE GRIMISON
From a letter from Judge James A. Grimison, formerly of Schuyler, now of Lincoln, the following interesting extracts are taken:
Volume XIX of the Historical Society Collections is to me a veritable "Old Settlers' Picnic." Prof. Hrbkova's Chapter on "Bohemians in Nebraska" seems to be a good and full ac- count. I knew all, or nearly all, of the first Bohemian settlers in Colfax county and in Butler county.
I have known James Green, whose story opens the book, and his brother Simeon Green, for nearly fifty years and their homestead near Edholm. Quite a bunch of interesting people settled near the Greens and the south landing of Shinn's ferry in the sixties. Among them William and Reuben Butler (no relation to Gov. David Butler) John France and Judge Matt Miller, now of David City. Reuben Butler was a great lawyer and powerful, an all-around fighter in any court. He moved across the river to Schuyler in 1870, to Fremont in 1875, then back to Ohio. Shinn's ferry was in operation when I arrived
there. It was the only crossing place for a long distance up and down the Platte River. Colfax County built a bridge a little east of it in 1871.
The chapter by David M. Johnson on "Nebraska in the fifties" is a real "hummer,"-especially, of that first session of the territorial legislature as told by one of the performers, who knew how to tell it in an amusing and interesting way. The old Douglas House, which at that time lodged about all the dignitaries of the Territory, with its big cotton wood trees in front, was still standing in all its primitive glory when I reach- ed Nebraska.
May I be pardoned for harboring a suspicion that the con- tested election case between Estabrook and Dailey for delegate in Congress occupies a space out of proportion to its impor- tance. It certainly exhibits a ragged line of morality in its entirety ; but it must be admitted that elections were not in those days very sacred performances. I personally knew a case where an affirmative vote on an $85,000 bond issue was obtained by the simple device of placing the ballot box at an open window-not well guarded, and was not greatly sur- prised at finding out later that the two leading merchants of the town, whom their neighbor could safely trust in a business deal, got $1000 each of those bonds-while several good, honest lawyers got from $1000 to $3000 each.
I have long held that Experience Estabrook was really one of the most intellectual and forcible men among the terri- torial pioneers. He called himself a liberal thinker, but he was more than that. He was big and broad in all directions and a very convincing public speaker when warmed up to the
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WILLIAM DUNN'S DIARY
point of shedding his coat, which was usual. But he was an extreme radical in word and action which frightened so many timid souls that he was never very popular. Of course you know that he compiled the so-called "Revised Statutes of 1867," with which the state began business.
DIARY OF WILLIAM DUNN, FREIGHTER
From Mrs. William Dunn of Syracuse the Society has a valuable manuscript. It is a diary of her husband who was a freighter between Nebraska City and Denver in 1865. The freight he carried on this trip was chiefly pork sausage packed in cans, holding about twenty-five pounds each. This was "home made" sausage-product of Nebraska pigs. The freight train started from Nebraska City, February 18, 1865. Incidents on the trip include a long delay at the Blue River crossing in Seward county caused by high water. At Walnut Creek ranch (three miles east of present Beaver Crossing), one of the drivers got drunk and drew his gun. W. J. Thomp- son, the ranch keeper, took the gun away from him and he was discharged by the train boss. At the crossing of Beaver Creek, in what is now York county, the wagons got stuck in the mud and had to be entirely unloaded. At Millspaugh's ranch on the head of Beaver Creek Mr. Dunn's wagon tipped over on a slippery side hill, a narrow escape for the driver. The train arrived at Fort Kearny March 5, 19 days from Ne- braska City and found part of the First Nebraska and the 11th Kansas regiments there. At Plum Creek station March 14, another company of the First Nebraska was found. At Jules- burg March 28, Indians were making attacks. A dead Indian was found lying in the sage brush near the road. April 12, the train arrived at Denver, 56 days from Nebraska City. On April 17 the news of President Lincoln's death was received.
This is an abridgment of Mr. Dunn's record which de- serves publication in full. It may be added that nearly all the freighters of that early period were steady, sober young men who later settled down in Nebraska and became its most sub- stantial and prosperous citizens.
Editor's Note: The Nebraska City-Fort Kearny cut-off to the Oregon Trail was the principal freighting route to the mountains and beyond after 1861, for the reason that it was shorter and better than the routes from any other Missouri river point .*** W. J. Thompson, located Walnut Creek Ranch in 1862. He was the father of Mrs. Addison E. Sheldon. No liquor was ever sold at Walnut Ranch. * * Isaac N. Millspaugh was one of
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
the "Characters" of the freighting days, tall, gaunt, inveterate whittler and story teller. He moved in the 70's from the head of Beaver Creek to a log house near Beaver Crossing where he whittled and related frontier stories until his death.
FORT ATKINSON PARK
Curator E. E. Blackman visited Fort Calhoun in Novem- ber for the State Historical Society. He found the statue of the Indian on horseback, placed there at the time of the Fort Atkinson centennial celebration filling a prominent place in the village park. This statue is one of remarkable beauty, the
work of one of America's great artists. It is made of staff on a wooden frame and is suffering from exposure to weather. The citizens of Fort Calhoun promised to take steps for its preservation. The panorama picture used in the Fort Atkin- son pageant is kept in the City Hall. It shows the first steam boats coming up the Missouri with the military. It was agreed that this should be transmitted to the Historical Society for safe keeping. Historian W. H. Woods, the guardian and defender of Fort Atkinson site, reports that the row of cellars on the Lewis and Clark Council Bluff are being obliterated by cultivation of the land. Each cellar marks the site of an im-
portant building in Fort Atkinson. In these cellars are still many brick and presumably other relics of a century ago. There remains about nine hundred dollars from the centennial celebration fund of 1919. An association will be incorporated to receive this fund and provide for its expenditure. One of the proposed uses is for the erection of a museum to preserve relics of the old fort. The most important action which can be taken at the present time is that of acquiring a few acres of land on the Council Bluff for a historic park. Citizens of Fort Calhoun would find such a park, with a building to con- tain relics and historical accounts of the old Fort, the best investment that could possibly be made for the prosperity of their village. Hundreds of tourists would visit Old Fort Atkinson if its history were made known and its site preserved.
Rev. Michael A. Shine of the Historical Society executive board has had his research work in western history sadly broken by several months' severe illness. The secretary found him the other day in St. Catherine's hospital at Omaha, sitting up in bed and looking fondly out the window where a long vista of the Missouri river rewarded his gaze. A fine historic setting for an historical scholar. Father Shine is loved by both Protestant and Catholic who pray for his early recovery and many years of labor in the fields which he has illuminated.
THE NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Made a State Institution February 27, 1883.
An act of the Nebraska legislature, recommended by Governor James W. Dawes in his inaugural and signed by him, made the State Historical Society a State institution in the following:
Be it Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Nebraska:
Section 1. That the "Nebraska State Historical Society," an or- ganization now in existence-Robt. W. Furnas, President; James M. Woolworth and Elmer S. Dundy, Vice-Presidents; Samuel Aughey, Secretary, and W. W. Wilson, Treasurer, their associates and successors- be, and the same is hereby recognized as a state institution.
Section 2. That it shall be the duty of the President and Secretary of said institution to make annually reports to the governor, as required by other state institutions. Said report to embrace the transactions and expenditures of the organization, together with all historical addresses, which have been or may hereafter be read before the Society or furnished it as historical matter, data of the state or adjacent western regions of country.
Section 3. That said reports, addresses, and papers shall be pub- lished at the expense of the state, and distributed as other similar official reports, a reasonable number, to be decided by the state and Society, to be furnished said Society for its use and distribution.
Property and Equipment
The present State Historical Society owns in fee simple title as trustee of the State the half block of land opposite and east of the State House with the basement thereon. It occupies for offices and working quarters basement rooms in the University Library building at 11th and R streets. The basement building at 16th and H is crowded with the collections of the Historical Society which it can not exhibit, including some 15,000 volumes of Nebraska newspapers and a large part of its museum. Its rooms in the University Library building are likewise crowded with library and museum material. The annual inventory of its property returned to the State Auditor for the year 1920 is as follows:
Value of Land, 1/2 block 16th and H. $75,000
Value of Buildings and permanent improvements. 35,000
Value of Furniture and Furnishings. 5,000
Value of Special Equipment, including Apparatus,
Machinery and Tools 1,000
Educational Specimens (Art, Museum, or other) 74,800
Library (Books and Publications) 75,000
Newspaper Collection 52,395
Total Resources $318,195
Much of this property is priceless, being the only articles of their kind and impossible to duplicate.
NEBRASKA AND RECORD OF
HISTORY PIONEER DAYS
Vol. IV July-September, 1921
No. III
CONTENTS
Editorial Notes 33
Early Days in Sioux County. 34-37
Ancient Nebraska House Sites 37-39
Women Editors of Nebraska
39-40
World War Records 40-41
"Trails of Yesterday" 42-43
Judge Gaslin Stories 43-45
Old Time "Carrier's Address" 46-47
How Long Ago Were Men in Nebraska
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PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY LINCOLN
Entered as second class matter February 4, 1918, at the Post Office, Lincoln, Nebraska, under Act August 24, 1912.
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THE NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Founded September 25, 1878
The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded Sep- tember 25, 1878, at a public meeting held in the Commercial Hotel at Lincoln. About thirty well known citizens of the State were present. Robert W. Furnas was chosen president and Professor Samuel Aughey, secretary. Previous to this date, on August 26, 1867, the State Historical Society and Library Association was incorporated in order to receive from the State the gift of the block of ground, now known as Haymarket Square. This original Historical Association held no meet- ings. It was superseded by the present State Historical Society.
Present Governing Board
Executive Board-Officers and Elected Members
President, Robert Harvey, Lincoln
1st V-President, Hamilton B. Lowry, Lincoln
2nd V-President, Nathan P. Dodge Jr., Omaha
Secretary, Addison E. Sheldon, Lincoln
Treasurer, Philip L. Hall, Lincoln
Rev. Machael A. Shine, Plattsmouth Don L. Love, Lincoln
Samuel C. Bassett, Gibbon
John F. Cordeal, McCook
Novia Z. Snell, Lincoln
William E. Hardy, Lincoln
Ex Officio Members
Samuel R. McKelvie, Governor of Nebraska
Samuel Avery, Chancellor of University of Nebraska
George C. Snow, Chadron, President of Nebraska Press Association Howard W. Caldwell, Professor of American History, University of Nebraska
Andrew M. Morrissey, Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Nebraska Clarence A. Davis, Attorney General of Nebraska
NEBRASKA AND RECORD OF
HISTORY PIONEER DAYS
Published Quarterly by the Nebraska State Historical Soceity
Addison E. Sheldon, Editor
Subscription, $2.00 per year
All sustaining members of the Nebraska State Historical Society receive Nebraska History and other publications without further payment.
Vol. IV
July-September, 1921 No. III
Miss Rose Rosicky of Omaha visited the Historical Society rooms, recently bringing with her a most valuable contribution to the historical manuscripts of this society. It is a series of translations made by Miss Rosicky from the Bohemian week- ly newspaper, Osveta Amerika, published by her company at Omaha. Reading these manuscripts has been a fascination. They are first hand accounts by a number of the earliest Bo- hemian settlers in the State, including Mr. Joseph P. Sedivy of Verdigre, Mrs. Frank Jelinek of Crete, Frank Karnik of Dodge and many others. These stories are among the best of the pioneer stories written in Nebraska. They tell in a simple direct way the most extraordinary experiences which came to the settlers in a new land far from the countries of their birth in the formation period of Nebraska settlement. They de- serve a wide reading not only as records of the Bohemian people in Nebraska, but as real contributions to the social history of the early decades. We hope soon to publish selec- tions from them.
A good many Women's Clubs and similar societies are making the history of Nebraska their leading subject in the programs of the coming year. The State Historical Society is glad to help with loan material.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
EARLY DAYS IN SIOUX COUNTY
Among the strong characters remembered by the editor from his eight years' residence at Chadron (1888-96) is Mrs. S. C. D. Bassett of Harrison. At the beginning of that time the conflict between the free range cattlemen, whose herds had run on the splendid open range for a decade, and the "Grangers," as the homesteading settlers were called, was at its height. In vain the experienced ranchers told the land-hungry home- steaders that Sioux County was "no farming country." There stretched the splendid smooth sections of gramma grass. There was the Pine Ridge covered with pine trees for log cabins. There were the canyons and valleys with gushing springs and clear flowing streams. And there was Uncle Sam offering a free homestead for five years' residence.
Nothing could stop the homesteader. He went for that
land. And to crown his courage kindly Providence in 1889 sent rains the summer long. Such crops of wheat and corn and vegetables were harvested by the homesteaders where the ranch men told them it never rained after the Fourth of July. So the homesteaders captured the county government from the ranchmen and drove the cattle from the free range. And then came the Drouth !
In this period the fame of Mrs. Bassett, the missionary merchant of Harrison, traveled far in the northwest. A letter written to secure certain early papers belonging to her hus- band's freighting experience brings the following letter from 31 East 22nd Street, Portland, Oregon :
I am the daughter of a Baptist minister, Rev. Gershom Buckley Day, who settled in Sturgis, Michigan, in the fall of 1836, doing pioneer missionary work.
Everybody was poor and a great deal of sickness made it impossible for the people to give needed aid to the missionary. My mother was heir according to English law, of Sir Francis Drake through his senior brother Joseph. She with her needle supported the family for 13 years except the pittance contributed by the people. In 1849 gold was discovered in
California. At that time there was no machinery and only placer digging could be engaged in. Father said he could do as much good preaching to the miners as anywhere and could prospect for gold during the week. He decided to go to Cali- fornia in order to make money enough to support his family
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EARLY DAYS IN SIOUX COUNTY
and educate his two daughters. There were no church build- ings and the California Indians saw the congregations who gathered in the open to hear him preach, thought him a white chief talking against them so they planned to watch when they might find him alone and killed him in 1852.
W. H. Bassett and I were married in 1867. In 1884 he contracted tuberculosis and died in 1886. His life was of much interest as he was engaged in freighting for the govern- ment for many years between Nebraska City and Pacific coast points. His diaries were burned with all his effects in Ne- braska City, thus losing the records of an eventful life. Though not converted until after our marriage he was a moral man and in hiring his men required them to sign a contract not to use vulgar language or profanity, nor to abuse their animals under penalty of discharge, which at that time would have been serious on the uninhabited prairie.
Mr. Alexander Majors, of the firm, Majors, Russell and Waddell, with whom he was associated in the freighting busi- ness came to see him just before he died and the meeting was a touching scene like the meeting of a father and son. The streuous physical and nervous strain of his illness of twenty- three months impaired my health so that I was having night sweats and every indication of a permanent decline, when an estimable woman friend, Mrs. E. B. Graham, invited me to come to Nebraska and make my home with them at their ranch.
Nebraska offered good opportunities for loaning money and a friend in Sturgis, Michigan, wished me to loan a thousand dollars for her. I deposited it in the bank at Harrison until a favorable opportunity offered. The bank became involved, so the only way I could save the deposit was to buy the store with which it was connected. I secured two excellent helpers of ability and integrity, Mr. Conrad Lindeman and E. A. Weir, the latter a young man about nineteen.
In this new town when some of the cattlemen would re- turn from having sold their stock in Omaha and have a spree they were determined that every man in town should join them. Those who did not drink were obliged to hide. One hid under the steps of the depot, another ran into my store through the back room, jumped out through the window and escaped through the darkness out on the broad prairie. If discovered they would be dragged to the saloon and compelled to drink.
The store was quite large and had living rooms at the back which I occupied. The clerks slept in the store when all was quiet. But the 4th of July, or any public day, was al- ways an occasion for a spree. My clerks gladly consented on such occasions to my suggestion to sleep in my apartment and
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
I would don a wrapper and sleep under the counter in the store.
Whenever I think of the early Harrison days, two pictures persist in presenting themselves. One 5th of July morning one of the carousers got the hotel dinner bell and came ringing it vigorously to the store for my men. After he had per- sistently rattled the front for some time I got up and went to the door. When he saw me he ran as if an evil demon was trying to catch him. On another occasion some one came to the west door. The store was on a corner and had two en- trances. I was sleeping near the south door. I stepped out to inquire what was wanted. I went to the corner of the building and was surprised to find a man in his night attire. He, too, ran when he heard a woman's voice. The bitter feel- ing of the liquor element expressed itself in threats, so my friends told me never to step out doors after dark alone, that I was in danger of bodily harm on account of my temperance principles. This was in the early days of free range when there were no fences and cattle roamed at will over the public land.
A short time prior to this a young school teacher was married and came to western Nebraska stopping for a little while at Hay Springs before settling in Harrison. Hay Springs if possible was then more wild than Harrison. At Harrison they took a claim and lived in a shack made of lum- ber with cracks that one could stick their fingers through, which was all right in nice weather.
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