USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Past and present of Adams County, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 34
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"But my father opposed extravagance. Some districts built before there were any children to send to school and used the school houses for dance halls. Mr. A. A. White deeded a plot of land to the Hazel Dell School District on section 31, town 7, range 11, to be theirs as long as it would be used for school purposes. The first pro- posal for bonds was for $2,500, and the bonds failed to carry. Next $2.000 were voted only for it to be found later that they were illegal, only fifteen days' notice having been given while the law called for twenty.
"The matter was voted upon again in April, 1874, and $1,000 was voted to build the schoolhouse and pay the teacher who was to get a salary of twenty dollars per month. I believe that my father built the schoolhouse, and I remember the grasshoppers came and ate all the corners off as the paint was green. Don't laugh, for this is true, and they also ate great holes in the workmen's shirts as they worked one day.
"Miss Pine, of Iowa, was hired as teacher to teach the first three months, beginning September, 1874. There were four boys and one girl enrolled, myself being the girl. The other children in the district were without shoes to attend.
"The first regular school meeting elected F. M. Thompson director, Mr. Bonebrake moderator and Jake Gates treasurer. The schoolhouse served as church and Sunday school building and social meeting place for years, and with a little added on stands today as a schoolhouse for the children and the grandchildren of some of its earliest pupils." Hazel Dell is now district 41.
LIBERTY DISTRICT TRAGEDY
It was near the Liberty schoolhouse, district 36, that a tragedy took place in the winter of 1884 when Harrison Young, a young
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man of the district, was killed. Irvin Faribee. another young man of the district, was paying court to Young's sister, Belle Young, and bad feeling was aroused between the two young men at a charivari held in the neighborhood and Young forbade Faribee to keep company with his sister. All the parties concerned were high spirited Ken- tuckians and young Faribee paid no heed to Young's warning. One evening, a short time after, Faribee escorted Belle home from a social meeting held in the Liberty schoolhouse and upon leaving the school- house encountered Harrison Young.
In the quarrel that followed Young made a movement which Faribee took to be a reaching for a gun or knife, and quickly clenching his fist struck Young upon the jaw. Young fell and did not arise. Others with Faribee then carried him to the nearby homestead of Benjamin Armitage. It was found that Young was dead. Faribee gave himself up and in the ensuing trial was acquitted. Belle Young now lives in Kansas and Faribee in the west.
LODGES
Juniata Lodge, No. 79, 1. O. O. F., was organized by charter from the Grand Lodge of the state February 11, 1880, with the following charter members: George T. Brown, S. L. Brass, Horace Goble, Benjamin F. Smith, Josiah Hodges, Hugh A. Moreland, William Spade, John E. Adams, James F. Kelley and N. H. Manzee. B. F. Smith was the first noble grand and S. L. Brass the first secretary. Officers-elect are E. P. Hubbard, noble grand; George W. Long, vice grand; W. H. DeSanno, treasurer, and Charles L. Ziegler, sec- retary. The present membership is fifty-five.
Rebekah Lodge, No. 43, which was chartered January 1, 1889. gave up its charter in 1913.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Corinthian Lodge No. 71, Knights of Pythias, was transferred by charter from Kenesaw to Juniata, November 28, 1898, and reorgan- ized with the following as charter members by installation :
E. C. Rickel, J. M. Parrott, W. A. Morse, D. E. Flowers, A. H. Langjahr, W. J. Coats, C. H. Partridge, E. G. Angell, W. C. Frew, L. A. Spriggle, George T. Brown, Seth D. Marsh, R. A. Wall, R. A. Cullen, F. C. Lancaster, Ed Willett, W. M. Beebe, L. D. Swiss, W. A. Julian, I. H. Rickel. The last four by card. George W. Bivens is
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the present chancellor commander and I. H. Rickel keeper of records and seals.
CHURCHES
The following extract from a manuscript left by Rev. O. A. Buzzell sketches the early history of the Baptist Church in Juniata : "On July 26, 1872." Mr. Buzzell wrote, "in the office of the Adams County Gazette, a building which stood on the lot now occupied by J. T. Hill's grocery-the building having some years later been removed. to Hastings, several persons of Juniata with seven others living southeasterly from Juniata, assembled for the purpose of form- ing a Baptist Church, there being then no such church in Adams County.
"Dr. J. N. Webb, state missionary of the Baptist Home Mission Society, was present and acted as moderator of the meeting. After due consideration an organization was effected and officers chosen as follows: Titus Babcock, moderator; Dr. Charles M. Morgan, clerk. Articles of religion and church covenant were adopted. But the brethren from the southeast had not brought their letters with them. Their membership, therefore, was to be perfected by depositing their letters with the clerk, which they failed to do, or even to come any more to the meeting of the church. Over a year passed without any additions, and the failure of those from the southeast left the church with only three members, Dr. C. M. Morgan, and Mr. and Mrs. Titus Babcock.
"During that first year we were occasionally favored with preach- ing by Mr. Weaver, who lived at the Platte river, and others. "On September 7, 1873, Rev. D. H. Babcock and wife united with the church. and on November 2d, following. Caroline Clute became a member by letter from Dundee, Michigan. July 5, 1874, Eliza T. Howland, from Hudson, Michigan, and Addie L. Brown, from Vinton, Iowa, united by letter. So we closed the second year with eight members.
"Rev. D. II. Babcock commenced preaching services with the church at this time each alternate week. November 29, 1874, D. M. Griswold and wife, and Clarence, Lettia and Permelia Griswold, were received by letter from the church in Gardner, Illinois. January 24. 1875, Jessie Vliet united on letter from St. Louis Church, Michigan. J. R. Van Houten and wife united on letter from Crown Point. Indiana. The third year closed with sixteen members. September 5, 1875, the church joined the Grand Island Association at their session at Hastings. Number of members, fifteen.
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"February 27, 1876, A. H. Brown was received into the church by baptism. In the fall of 1875, Rev. D. H. Babcock went to Iowa and the church was without regular preaching until May 1, 1876, when Rev. A. H. Guild came under appointment of the Home Mission Society for one year. On April 12, 1876, Brother Griswold and family, five in number, were dismissed to aid in forming the May- flower Church. The year closed with fifteen members. September 8, 1876, the church was represented at the Grand Island Association at Gibbon. Number of members, fourteen.
"May 16, 1877, Thankful M. Babcock, one of the constituent members of the church, departed this life. June 10, 1877, Isaac W. Stark, Laura Stark and Mrs. Simeon Johnston were received into the church by baptism. Rev. O. A. Buzzell was called to the pastorate of the church to commence October 1, 1877, to preach one-half of the time in Juniata. February 11, 1878, the church decided to build a house of worship with the dimensions 24 by 40 feet, and elected trustees and building committee to carry out the arrangement. This church was dedicated December 15, 1878. October 8, 1878, Rev. O. A. Buzzell was called to the pastorate for another year and November 30, 1878, James C. Van Houten was elected deacon. During Feb- ruary and March, 1879, Rev. Buzzell, assisted by Rev. I. Carson, conducted a revival service.
"Grand Island Association met with the Juniata Church, Septen- ber 12, 1879, and on December 6th, the Rev. Mr. Rockwood was employed as pastor for six months, to serve each alternate Sunday. September 5, 1880, the church selected delegates to attend the associa- tion at Edgar.
"In June, 1881, the Rev. Mr. Bradt of Morgan Park Seminary was engaged as supply during the summer vacation. In November. 1881, the church was represented in a convention at Glenville in which a new association, the South Platte, was formed, and on February 22. 1882, the quarterly meeting of the South Platte Association met with the Juniata Church.
"June 4, 1882, Rev. O. A. Buzzell and wife on their request were granted a letter of dismissal for the purpose of organizing the Baptist Church at Bladen and Rev. E. Carson of Gibbon, preached for the congregation at Juniata during the summer."
The Rev. Mr. Buzzell summarized the growth of membership in the first ten years of the history of the church as follows: First year, three; second, eight; third, sixteen; fourth, fifteen; fifth, twenty-one; sixth, twenty-eight; seventh, forty-two; eighth, thirty-eight; ninth. thirty-eight; tenth, forty.
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In the fall of 1916 the Baptists of Juniata began the erection of a new church house which is one of the best appointed of the smaller churches of the county. In the basement provision is made for cook- ing and attending to the social needs in other respects. Much of the work was done by the congregation. The church will cost, when completed, about $6,000.
In addition to the ministers mentioned in the account of the Rev. Mr. Buzzell the following have served the church: Revs. Tinkham, Hands, W. H. Brodt. Armstrong, T. Hill, I. D. Newell, Amos Shat- tuck. Laslette, Hill, O. W. Davis, McCullough, Snyder, S. Miller, J. A. Leonard, Baker, and the present pastor, Rev. T. O. MeMinn.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Juniata was organized April 14. 1872, by the Rev. R. H. Crane who was a pioneer of Methodism throughout the new western country. The first services were held in the temporary school building erected by Ira G. Dillon and E. M. Allen. A movement looking toward the erection of a church building was inaugurated in the latter part of 1873, but progress was not rapid and the church was not completed until 1875. July. 1875, the church was dedicated, the dedicatory sermon was preached by Profes- sor E. Thompson, afterwards the principal of an educational institu- tion at York.
The church, which has been remodeled and enlarged, is still in use. The original building was one story high and its dimensions were 30 by 60 feet. The cost was $3.000. The auditorium was furnished with comfortable chairs and these with the altar and well designed platform and stained glass windows made a very encouraging begin- ning for Methodism in the new country. An addition was built to the church in 1907, and the church is being remodeled at the present time. 1916. An addition was built to the parsonage in 1913 and it has been again greatly improved since the conference in September, 1916.
Among the charter members were John Grove, M. D. Hammond, William Ring, Francis Chapman, George M. McIntyre, Alice Sluy- ter. Ida Garlick, Orrin Balcom, Phoebe Balcom, A. C. Wright, Maria Wright, Owen Adams, Samuel Saulsbury, Ellen Saulsbury, Frank Hall, with John Musser as exhorter.
Mr. C. Balcom was appointed the first class leader in July, 1873. At the time of organization the membership was about fifty and has grown until it now numbers 148. The Ladies Aid Society has thirty- five members. The Sunday School was instituted in 1877 with fifty
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members. T. J. Adams was the first superintendent. The present trustees of the church property are George Long, Henry Sergeant, C. Newell, H. C. Hoover, C. G. Craven and Fred Lancaster. The stewards are Mrs. C. G. Craven, Mrs. E. Bolton, Mrs. Ida Lancaster, George Long. Charles Craven.
The following pastors have served the church: R. II. Crane. A. H. Summers, J. W. Dobbs, W. J. Barger, George M. Jones, George S. Burbank, 1894 to 1895; E. J. Bird, 1895 to 1897; E. F. Wolff, 1897 to 1900; A. W. Coffman, 1900 to 1901; G. M. Andrews, 1901 to 1903; J. E. Rippetoe, 1903 to 1905; T. M. C. Birmingham, 1905 to 1906; B. L. Story, 1906 to 1907; K. P. Kilbourn, 1907 to 1908: O. C. Carson, 1908 to 1909; J. E. Gains, 1911; J. S. Mercer, 1911 to 1912; John T. Rowen, 1912 to 1913; M. S. Foutch, 1914 to 1916. The present pastor, H. A. Laeger, has served since September. 1916.
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
'The Church Of The Brethren of Juniata was organized under the general name of The German Baptist Brethren. But the name was changed to the present designation a few years ago at one of the international conferences. A church house of the denomination was built at a cost of $1,200 early in the summer of 1893 and dedicated that season.
The Juniata church was organized December 17, 1892, with David Bechtelheimer as first elder, and William A. Gish, J. D. Lemon and Robert Ashmore as trustees. William A. Gish was the first treasurer and Belle Lemon the first clerk.
The charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. David Bechtelheimer, Polly Bechtelheimer, Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Kindig. Mary Kindig. Michael Liveringhouse, Lydia Liveringhouse, Susan Smith, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Lemon, S. Belle Lemon, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ashmore, Dora Ashmore, Sarah McFerrin, Emma Liveringhouse. Thomas Liveringhouse, Cora Liveringhouse, Jacob Dague, Ella Dague, William A. Gish, Sarah Gish, Lillie Panzer, Ida N. Gish, Francis Gish, Bertie Gish, John Gish and Charles Statler.
The following have been the elders in charge of the church: David Bechtelheimer, 1892-93: G. W. Stambaugh, 1893-97; J. J. Kindig. 1897-98; Charles Smith, 1898-1900; J. B. Moore, 1900-08; George Mishler, 1908-09; C. Hargleroad, 1909-12; P. F. Grabill, 1912-13: C. Hargleroad, 1913-14; J. J. Panzer, 1914-16.
During these years the ministerial work has fallen to others as pastors a part of the time, even while some of the foregoing have been
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elder or bishop of the church. The ministers who have been pastors in such instances have been: J. D. Lemon, A. J. Nickey, C. E. Lemon, Noah Fisher, C. Fager. H. D. Michael is the present pastor and has served the church since June, 1915.
The present trustees are Louie MeFerrin, J. D. Lemon and George Blankenbiller; Louie McFerrin, treasurer; Belle Lemon, clerk. The present membership is thirty.
During the latter part of 1916, the church was moved to a more convenient location, and was repaired and remodeled at an approxi- mate cost of $500.
CHAPTER XXV
KENESAW
LOCATION AND SETTLEMENT
The Kenesaw site was located JJune 9, 1871, by S. P. How- land, now living in Juniata, Milton F. Brown, Charles Colt and J. D. Butler, Jr. The four original settlers preempted the four quarters of section 34. town 8, range 12. Recalling the circumstances Mr. Howland said: "I sent teams to Grand Island for lumber to build the shack and it was built that month, June. The first five nights I spent upon the site of Kenesaw it rained every night and I slept under an inverted wagon box. Our drinking water at first had to be hauled from Lowell, ten miles to the west, but a well was bored about the third day after we arrived.
"Antelopes and coyotes used to come close to our cabins and we could shoot them from our doors. That fall, two families came to live near our houses. Napoleon Bonaparte Hamp was on the farm now occupied by the Misses Norton and Jim Sweeting was on a quar- ter adjoining town. In January, 1872, all four of us who were located on the town site sold to the Burlington Railroad."
In June. 1872, Kenesaw was surveyed by Anselmo B. Smith for Charles F. Morse. The system of streets and avenues was designated as follows: The southern boundary is Spruce Street and then parallel- ing Spruce in order are Pine and Poplar streets, south of South Depot Street: north of North Depot Street are Maple, Elm and Ash streets. The avenues run north and south. On the west is Brooks Avenue and then comes Forbes, Dennison, Smith, Perkins and Doane avenues. The avenues bear the names of members of the South Platte Land Company, who laid out many towns in this section of the West. The town was platted by J. II. Cummings.
The greater part of the plat south of the railroad was subse- quently vacated and the extremes of the north side also. Following the building of the railroad from Kenesaw to Denver along the present route Kenesaw took on something of the nature of a boom
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and its most substantial growth has been made since that time. Ad- ditions to the town have been made from time to time. Cook's addition was surveyed by T. E. Farrell in March, 1885. Parmenter's second addition was surveyed by C. A. Heartwell, October 4, 1909. for L. W. Parmenter, and Powers' subdivision of block four of Thompson's addition was surveyed by Mr. Heartwell October 13, 1909.
It is fortunate for the annals of Kenesaw that the first actual settler in that vicinity, Dr. A. D. Williams, was a man who wielded a facile pen and also had a penchant for making accurate records. "The railroad was laid out across this section and finished," wrote Doctor Williams, "in June, 1872, through to Kearney. The Kenesaw town- site was laid out a little before but the depot was not built until along in the fall-I believe the latter part of October or the first of Novem- ber.
"After the preemptors left, the four houses were not occupied and no one lived on the townsite until about the first of December, when Mrs. M. S. Norton moved into one of them and acted as deputy post- master, a postoffice having in the meantime been established, and A. D. Williams appointed postmaster. For a brief period before Mrs. Norton moved onto the townsite Mr. Williams' house on the south- east quarter of section 26, 8, 12. was designated by the Gov- ernment as the location of the postoffice." Three of the original houses built upon the townsite were blown down and destroyed in the Easter storm of 1873.
The following quotation from Doctor Williams gives a detailed account of the earliest settlers in the vicinity of Kenesaw: "Mr. Fred Ernst settled on the Platte River, nearly six miles north of Kenesaw. in the spring of 1872, and he and his sons became not only the oldest but among the most substantial citizens of that section of the country. The first permanent settler anywhere near Kenesaw was A. D. Williams on the southwest quarter of section 26. 8, 12, August 16. 1872. He came thither in a 'prairie schooner,' and he with Mrs. Williams, Katie and George lived three weeks in the covered wagon box, setting up the cook stove outside of it. in a kitchen bounded only by the horizon.
"Their first visitors were Pawnee Indians returning from a hunt over on the upper Republican. Seeing the schooner deployed from the trail, which was along the sand hills near where Mr. Moon lives. they came and plied their begging art so successfully that a trip had to be made next day to Juniata to replenish the larder. They, as well
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as the Omahas, frequently called afterward, but were never again so successful.
"Soon after, a Mr. Chenowith appeared and entered the south- east quarter of section 28, 8, 12, where Bert Moore later lived, and returned to Iowa for his family. Almost at the same time Ed Moore. Captain Knapp (not Miles Knapp), William Miller and another gentleman arrived and located on section 20-Moore on the south- west, Knapp on the southeast, Miller on the northeast and the other man on the northwest quarter. Moore, Knapp and Miller afterward returned and settled. The other never did.
"The second actual settler was Reverend Willis, who located south- west of where Mr. Wolcott later lived. He was accompanied by his wife and sister-in-law, and brought with him carpenters and a donkey from Lincoln. His first building, and for a time his home, was what he afterwards used for a granary, and which Bert Moore used later for a stable. On or about November 25, 1872, Mrs. Mary S. Norton and her four children arrived from Minnesota. James Cline settled on what was in a later period known as the 'Shattuck farm,' Several other entries were made, but so far as I can remember, these were all of the actual settlers during 1872.
"Early in 1873 there was quite an influx of settlers. Among them were E. A. Loomis, Anson Loomis, L. W. Parmenter, Edward Moore, Captain Knapp, Rockfeller, F. Phillips, Robert and John Harter and two Stonehockers who settled on the south half of sec- tion 24 and on the southeast quarter of section 26, on what is now Mr. Schlegel's farm, and the two Shattuck brothers. W. Z. Par- menter had arrived from Ohio in November, 1871, and located on a homestead on section 20, 7, 11."
FIRST THINGS IN KENESAW
Mrs. M. S. Norton, who occupied one of the four houses first built in Kenesaw and who was the deputy postmaster under A. D. Wil- liams, died in Kenesaw July 9, 1894. Doctor Williams died in Kene- saw December 31st, of the same year.
Delmar D. Norton, the son of Mrs. M. S. Norton, was the first station agent in Kenesaw. He remained in the position until Kene- saw was made a telegraph station when, not having learned teleg- raphy, he resigned and afterward became a prominent business man of Kenesaw.
The first general merchandise store in Kenesaw was built by Josiah Hodges, who had his place open for business by August. 1873.
STREET SCENE IN KENESAW
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LOOKING NORTH ON MAIN STREET, KENESAW
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In the winter of 1873-74 Mr. Hodges sold his business to Edward Moore, who was the next settler in the town. The next business to be established was an implement house. This was managed by S. S. Dow, who conducted the business for E. Steinau, who lived in Has- tings and was one of the first business men of that town. J. G. Hayz- lett opened a grocery and hardware store in the spring of 1878 and the following year G. B. Crandall began business with a general stock of goods. G. W. Baldwin opened the first blacksmith shop in 1877. In 1878 Edward Moore sold his store to A. S. Thompson and later in the fall J. H. Roberts started a general store.
In the summer of 1884 Kenesaw was incorporated as a village. 'The year before an attempt had been made to incorporate but the county commissioners had refused on the ground that the petition did not contain the names of a majority of the taxpayers.
The first death in the town was that of Jessie Hodges, a child of Josiah Hodges, in the winter of 1873. The first adult to die was Mrs. Maria Moore, the wife of Edward Moore, in 1875. The first birth also was in 1875, when a child was born to Mr. and Mrs. S. S. Dow.
An inkling of the satisfactory growth which the village of Kene- saw has enjoyed can be gained when the value of the original four shacks erected in 1871 upon the bare town site is compared with the valuation of the village as it stands upon the record of the county assessor in 1916. The record shows that there are in the village 383 improved lots with an actual value, with the improvements, of $233,- 140. and 202 unimproved lots with an actual value of $19,285. The average actual value of the improved lots is given as $609.50 each, and of the unimproved lots, $94.47. The value of the improvements is placed at $180,100.
In January. 1884, among the business men of Kenesaw were E. N. Crane, M. F. White and A. Barton, general merchants; J. G. Hayzlett, proprietor of a then new hotel, the Metropolitan; J. A. Lindsey, manager of Sewell & Co.'s grain business; Cook & Cooley. lumber dealers: Barton & Collins, grain dealers; A. S. Thompson, drugs; H. W. Mitchell and W. F. Manspeaker, hardware dealers; A. S. Martin, agricultural implements; R. B. Grounds, furniture; George Bechtelheimer, manager of Neimeyer & Co.'s lumber yard; D. A. Kennedy, restaurant; Smith & Schafer, dealers in meat: John Nickerson, billiard hall; L. C. White, barber; J. Williams, physician ; the Misses Osler, milliners: Cook Bros., blacksmiths; G. W. Hodges, laundry; B. F. Armitage, insurance agent; Horace Armitage, builder. and George T. Williams, publisher of the Kenesaw Times. In May, 1884, Kemp & Hope moved into their new hardware store and the Gillette Bank Building was opened.
Vol. 1-24
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Nick Scunk's restaurant is the oldest business in Kenesaw in con- tinnous operation.
Among the very earliest pioneers who still reside in the vicinity of Kenesaw, are: Charles, Fred, William and Henry Ernst, sons of Fred Ernst, who settled in the Platte Valley in 1872; Mrs. I. D. Evans and Mary H. Williams, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Williams; Misses Marilla and Melena Norton, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. M. S. Norton. W. Z. Parmenter is probably the earliest settler now residing in the township.
KENESAW OF TODAY
The first brick building was erected in Kenesaw in 1902 by F. S. Cary at the corner of Smith Avenue and North Railroad Street. This building was one story in height and was erected at a cost of about $16,000. Since that time there has been a good deal of build- ing with brick and at present Kenesaw has eleven brick buildings and three cement stone business buildings.
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