USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Past and present of Adams County, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 36
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CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
The Kenesaw Cemetery Association was formed April 26, 1880. The first trustees were G. W. Baldwin, W. Z. Parmenter and G. C. Giffin. D. D. Norton was the first secretary and J. G. Hayzlett treasurer.
POSTMASTERS
A. D. Williams was the first postmaster appointed and Mrs. M. S. Norton, the deputy, was the acting postmaster with D. D. Norton, her son, doing the actual handling of the greater part of the mail. The succeeding postmasters have been A. S. Thompson, S. S. Bechtel- heimer. T. A. Templeton. Herman D. Einspahr, Luther B. Part- ridge, Lucy K. Partridge and the present postmaster, John Cain, who was appointed in 1912. Kenesaw has two rural routes that were established at about the time the Juniata routes were begun.
TOWN OFFICERS
At present W. C. Hines is chairman of the board of town trustees. The other members are B. J. Hilsabeck, F. C. Armitage, L. M. Rob- inson. Reuben Bowers and E. C. Dry, who is the clerk. The officials are elected for a term of two years.
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
The west end of the county has furnished as representatives in the Legislature Horace G. Armitage, now deceased, Herman Redman and A. S. Howard, long prominent in business in Kenesaw. I. D. Evans was twice a member of the Legislature and won a prominent place in the House, and through contributions to newspapers has attained a state-wide reputation.
NEWSPAPERS
Kenesaw has seen the rise and fall of a number of publications. First on the list, while Kenesaw was a mere way station, George and Mary Williams started the publication of the Desert Home Times. The office of publication was on their father's farm, just outside the prospective town site. The senior member of the firm was eleven years old. It was one of those juvenile publications that were quite
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a fad at that time. The number for September, 1874, had this item : "Peanuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, bumpkins and various other vegetable commodities are now plenty at the Desert Home; so says Pa." The paper was two columns wide and about eight inches long. The first numbers were written, but later it was printed on their father's army press.
In 1875, A. D. Williams began the publication of the Kenesaw Times, at his home joining the town site. Kenesaw was still only a few scattered houses with no business to speak of, but Mr. Williams continued the publication of the Times until January, 1878, when he transferred his business and began the publication of the Central Nebraskan at Hastings. Thereafter there was no paper at Kenesaw until the boom period of 1883, when the B. & M. Railroad began building the Denver cut-off, starting from Kenesaw. From that event began the real building of the town and business of Kenesaw. It was in that year George T. Williams, the pioneer publisher of Kenesaw as proprietor of the Desert Home Times, started a real newspaper, the Kenesaw Times. In 1888 he sold the Times and removed to Denver, where he has ever since been engaged in news- paper work, as printer, proof reader, reporter, city editor and editorial writer.
For a time there were two papers in Kenesaw, Horace G. Armi- tage starting the Free Press about 1885. In 1889, G. Del. Coleman and H. G. Armitage published the Kenesaw Cyclone.
The successor to the Times had many editors, the name being changed several times. S. II. Smith, lawyer, editor and liveryman, edited the paper for many years. He changed the name to Citizen. Mr. Smith was prominent in the village for many years, being a member of the school board for more than twenty years. He is now a resident of Basin, Wyoming .. Dr. E. J. Latta, prominent as physician and citizen, edited the paper for a time. J. A. Gardner, now of the Holstein Herald, ran the paper about three years, chang- ing the name to Kaleidoscope. In 1913, he sold to the present owner and editor, Mr. W. W. Maltman, who calls it the Kenesaw Sunbeam. The Sunbeam has an equipment that would do credit to a larger town; a linotype, three job presses and everything else necessary to turn out a handsome paper and to do good job work.
CHAPTER XXVI
HOLSTEIN
Holstein, situated in the southeast portion of Cottonwood Town- ship, is the westernmost town of Adams County, and is the local mar- ket accommodating the southwest section of the county. The progress of the community surrounding the town is reflected in its modern store buildings and comfortable residences. The census of 1910 gave Holstein a population of 323. The town was named in honor of Schleswig Holstein, the northern peninsula of the German Empire which was the original home of a large proportion of the earliest settlers in this section of Adams County. Many of the early settlers were Danes and Germans.
While the pioneers of the neighborhool among whom would be . Nicholas Metzer, August Hohlfeld. Michael Hargleroad, Christian P. Hargleroad, Joseph Huckfeldt and many others whose names are well known in Adams County, had filed on their claims at dates rang- ing from 1873 to 1875, the Town of Holstein did not exist until the coming of the Kansas City & Omaha Railroad, now the Burlington, in 1887. Joseph Huckfeldt was the owner of the northeast quarter of section 27 and John Golgert the owner of the northwest corner of section 26, in township 6 north, range 12 west. In order to establish a town at this point the owners of these quarter sections entered into an agreement with John M. Ragan and Morris Alexander of Hast- ings. and Michael A. Hargleroad by which they jointly were to ac- quire title to the land to dispose of for town purposes. The Huckfeldt land was conveyed to John M. Ragan as trustee for himself, Julia Sweet and Joseph Huckfeldt and the Golgert land was conveyed to Morris Alexander as trustee for himself, Michael A. Hargleroad and John M. Ragan. In June, 1915, a decree was granted by the Dis- trict Court upon the petition of the Village of Holstein, Michacl A. Hargleroad, Christ Christensen and Joseph Huckfeldt quitting all claims that might arise through the original ownership agreement save the claims of those named in the petition as indicated.
July 22, 1887, the surveyor, E. G. Groff, acting for the trustees,
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John M. Ragan and Morris Alexander, platted the Town of Hol- stein. The surveyor's description of the area platted shows it to embrace the north sixty acres of the north half of the northeast quar- ter of seetion 27; precisely, 60.15 acres and 40.13 acres, which is the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 26. Avemies were platted north and south and streets east and west. The avenues were named West, Brown, James, Claud, Depot, Helen, Clarence, Maine, Garfield, Cleveland and Lincoln; the streets were designated Adams, Fillmore, Monroe, Jackson, Franklin and Short. Depot avenue soon came to be and so continues the principal business thor- oughfare. The greater number of the streets were platted sixty feet wide but one or more are seventy feet.
Aeting upon the petition of citizens Holstein was incorporated June 6, 1889, two years following its platting. The boundaries of the incorporated area were defined as follows: Commeneing at the north- east corner of section 24, running west to the northwest corner of see- tion 19, then south to the southwest corner of seetion 31, then east to the southeast corner of section 36, then north to the northeast eorner of section 24. This area embraced eighteen sections, one-half of Cot- tonwood Township, a traet six miles long and three miles wide, and containing 11,520 aeres. Holstein became known as the "Six by Three town." Some explain that the village contemplated a vigorous growth that would demand these proportions while others have it that it was necessary to inelude this great area in order to seeure a sufficient num- ber of freeholders to meet the requirement of law in petitioning for liquor lieenses. The population was sparse, henee the necessity of incorporating a large area. The movement for detaching a large por- tion of the original town resulted in the consent of the village board to such detachment July 13, 1913, and on June 14, 1915, the Distriet Court, acting upon the petition of P. C. Larsen and others, declared the corporation to be contained in the northeast quarter of seetion 27, the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 26, the south- west quarter of the southwest quarter of seetion 23 and the south one- half of the south one-half of the southeast quarter of seetion 22. At the time of incorporation in 1889 the board of supervisors granted the petition asking for the appointment of M. A. Hargleroad. W. S. McCauley, William Hope, C. A. Sipple and George A. Bentley as village trustees.
A postoffice was established in Holstein in 1887 with A. S. Thompson as postmaster. Mr. Thompson eame to the new town from Kenesaw and established the first drug store, in which the postoffice was located at the corner of Depot Avenue and Fillmore. He eon-
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tinued to be postmaster until 1889 when he was succeeded by C. P. Hargleroad who served until 1891. Dr. W. T. Carson followed Mr. HIargleroad, serving until 1897 when Louis Schellenberger assumed charge and remained postmaster until 1900. Since then George W. Maxwell, John H. Moehl, John Maxwell and the present incumbent, Henry M. Carson, brother of Doctor Carson, have served in succession.
Early in 1888 a grain elevator was built and C. J. Furer was the first dealer in grain. In the same year J. H. Freeman, of Juniata, established a general merchandise store and Hope Bros. opened a hardware store. William and Andy Hope were the proprietors of this store and continued its operation until 1890 when it was pur- chased by the present owner, M. A. Hargleroad. From time to time Mr. Hargleroad has improved and enlarged the store. Then Hope Bros. came to Holstein from Iowa and upon leaving the town returned to that state.
In 1888 a Mr. MePeak came from Fairfield and established a drug store. Scarcely, however, was the proprietor located when the place was destroyed by fire and the business discontinued. It was in 1895 that the general merchandise store of C. F. Keutzer, who had been in business for several years, was destroyed by fire. Another fire in 1905 destroyed a restaurant. These losses embrace the fire damage to Holstein up to the present time.
The first hotel in Holstein was conducted by Elijah Minnix. This was an ordinary dwelling house and opened for business in about 1889. The first meat market was conducted by Herman Feis who opened his shop in 1903.
Shortly after the establishing of the town a general merchandise store was opened by Will and John Young on the southeast corner of Depot Avenue and Fillmore Street. The firm name was Young Bros. John Fisher purchased this store in 1901, and the firm later became Fisher & Son. This business was conducted in a frame store building until 1911 when the brick establishment in which Fisher & Son are now located was built.
In 1893 Louis Schellenberger opened a general merchandise store. This business was later sold to Gilbert Maxwell who in turn sold it to Wilber Coffman. Mr. Coffman after operating the store a short time removed the stock to Kenesaw in 1900.
Thomas Mullady opened a general store in about 1891, a new frame store building being erected for him. This business was pur- chased in 1899 by William Westering and George H. Van Antwerp. The following year Mr. Westering built a store building opposite the present location of the Holstein State Bank. This was the first brick
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building to be erected in the town and cost about $4,000. The firm moved into this building and used it for the conduct of their business. In 1904 Mr. Westering purchased the interest of his partner who removed to California where he still resides. Mr. Westering dis- posed of the store in 1911 to Hargleroad & Nelson who two years later sold to C. K. Giddings & Son. Since then it has been purchased by Laird & MeCauley and the firm name is the Holstein Mercantile Company. The store has a frontage of seventy-five feet. Mr. Mul- lady who established the business is a partner in the firm of Reed & Mullady that conducts a general merchandise business in Trumbull in Clay County. Mr. Westering is in the real estate business at Hastings.
Two flour mills were established in Holstein. The earlier was operated by Schellenberger & Clark and the later by Nicholas Metzer. Mr. Metzer's mill stood about 200 yards west of the railway station. It was a steam roller mill with a capacity of about forty barrels of flour per day. This enterprise was abandoned in 1892 and the plant was removed to Alma.
In 1900 Holstein got its first telephone serviee when a line was built conneeting the town with Bladen. Those instrumental in secur- ing this service were George Broll, Dr. W. T. Carson, W. B. Hargle- road, Dan Essinger, John Fisher, John Moehl, M. A. Hargleroad and George L. Fisher. A line already existed running north from Bladen so that it was only necessary to build six miles more to connect with Holstein. Two-by-four seantlings were spiked to fence posts and over these the wire was strung. In the course of a few years more than a dozen of these "Two-by-four" lines came into use in the locality.
Mayflower was the name given a postoffice that was established on the farm of John Burling, six miles northwest of Holstein. Henry Trier carried the mail to and from Holstein, making the trip three times each week. This was ealled the Star route and was abandoned when the rural route was established in 1900. The rural route is thirty-two miles in length and Frank Lukow is the present carrier.
W. S. McCauley established the second newspaper in Holstein. This was the Holstein Record. It was discontinued in 1890, a year after its establishment. In 1890 a joint stock company was formed and the Holstein Nonpareil was founded. Doetor Carson was presi- dent of the company and was the editor during the paper's career of three years. Both of these papers were four-page weeklies. The first paper was established in 1897 by H. G. Woods, who removed his plant from Ragan and established the Adams County Independent. After publishing the paper about a year, the editor removed to Omaha. This was the only printing plant to be established in Holstein. The
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Nonpareil was printed by the Watkins Publishing House in Hastings and the Record was printed in Minden.
In 1893 a hardware store was established by P. N. Carson. This business was carried on for about three years and was then discon- tinned. In an early day F. C. Van Veghten established a furniture and undertaking store which is still carried on by the same proprietor. For a time Mr. Van Veghten was the manager of the lumber yard which he operated for the Cooley Lumber Company of Kenesaw.
In 1915 W. B. G. Hargleroad erected on Depot Avenue a modern, two-story brick business building at a cost of $15,000. The upper story is furnished as a hall and here the lodges have their headquarters and public assemblages are held. The lower floor is occupied by a modern drug store of which II. M. Carson is the proprietor, and a moving picture theater. This building is thoroughly modern in the matter of equipment. Another modern brick building is that occupied by the First State Bank of Holstein. This was completed in 1914 and cost $5,000.
The first schoolhouse in use in Holstein, dated back to about the beginning of the town, was a small frame building standing in the extreme eastern part of the town. Lincoln Ambler was the first teacher. The first school building was used about three years when a two-story building was erected upon a location about two blocks west of the first site. In 1908 the district voted $5,000 for school purposes and the present brick school building was erected. This sehoolhouse has four rooms and four teachers are employed. Work is done through the tenth grade, and playground apparatus was installed in 1915. A kindergarten is also conducted. The old schoolhouse was purchased by William Westering and Andy Lorentzen and moved south of the track where for several years it was used as an opera house on Depot Avenue. Finally it was purchased by Will Hargleroad and torn down.
In 1915 a new town hall, costing $2,000 was erected.
At this time there are in Holstein in addition to the business estab- lishments mentioned two implement houses, one operated by A. E. Mellinger for Stephen Schultz of Hastings and one belonging to L. E. Clark; two garages operated by S. S. Hershep and Dan Essin- ger: a 5. and 10 cent store and restaurant, operated by L. E. Clark & Son; a hotel moved into town in about 1905 and of which H. H. Kennedy is the landlord; meat market of J. M. Nelson, a millinery store, lumber yard, blacksmith shop, billiard and pool hall and a saloon.
There are about fifty residences in the town and fully half of
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these are modern in construction and equipment, having private light- ing plants and water under pressure. Sidewalks in the business sec- tion and a considerable proportion of the residence distriet are of cement. The latter improvement has been made within the last five years.
In January, 1890, the Holstein board of trade was organized with Dr. W. T. Carson, president, C. A. Sipple, vice president, John Har- gleroad, secretary, and William Shellheimer, treasurer. This organi- zation continued active for a number of years and was instrumental in developing the business interests. At about the same time a lyceum was organized and contributed to the literary and debating side of the social life. Among the active members were A. S. Thompson, A. L. Boyd, J. S. Fernow, Jennie Larsen, Versa Larsen, the Mecham brothers. the Holstein band, Mrs. F. J. Hurst, Joe MeCowan, Dr. W. T. Carson, Ruby and Lottie Mecham, Fred Hurst, Anna Larsen, A. E. Troyer and Eva MePeak.
In the early '90s a dramatic elub contributed its quota to the amuse- ment and education of the town. The club presented a number of plays the easts being formed from the local histronic talent. Among these plays were "A Yankee Detective" and "Three Nights in a Bar Room." Dr. W. T. Carson was manager of this club and A. L. Boyd was secretary. Among the members were C. A. Sipple, A. E. Troyer, T. L. Ambler. J. M. Heckler. E. L. Hannaford, Jennie Larsen and Eva MePeak.
The Royal Neighbors Lodge of Holstein was organized March 8. 1908, by Laura Holt, of Omaha, with a charter membership of twenty, as follows: Elizabeth Trier, Octavia Fischer, Maggie Hargleroad, Hannah Kennedy, Anna Richards, Mattie Roeder, Sine Johnson, Jennie E. Carson, Stella Churchill, Ethel Kennedy, Minnie MeCulla, Della Clark, Lena Moehl, Lena Young, Hazel Starkey, Clara Cookus, Anna Wagner, Susie Broll, George Churchill and F. C. Van Veghten. The present officers are: Oracle, Octavia Fischer; Rec- order, Stella Sanford; Receiver, Jennie Carson.
The Holstein Ladies Aid Society of the Evangelical Church was organized August 8, 1915, with the following officers: President, Mrs. Reverend Hewitt; vice president, Mrs. Morse Nelson: secretary, Mrs. W. T. Carson; treasurer, Mrs. Ed. Peterson.
CHAPTER XXVII ADAMS COUNTY TOWNS
INLAND
The grain elevator operated by the Farmers Grain & Supply Com- pany. on the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of section 12 in Blaine Township, is all that remains of the first attempt to build a town in Adams County along the line of the Burlington. The town was called Inland and was laid out by the South Platte Town Com- pany in 1871. Previously, George Sluyter, William Janes, Volney Janes and George Knapp settled upon the townsite.
A number of stores were built at Inland, that of Tom Shea among others. A two story frame schoolhouse was built and other signs of a future town marked the spot. The development of Hastings put an end to the career of Inland, and about 1878 the railroad station was removed three miles east to the present town of Inland in Clay County. In the plan of the Burlington, Inland followed Harvard in alpha- betical order, and until the development of Hastings was assured, the railroad favored Inland while it ignored Hastings. For many years the elevator was operated by Michael Halloran on whose farm it was located, and the place was referred to as either "Old Inland" or "Halloran."
BRICKTON
Brickton, 61/5 miles south of Hastings, on the road forming the western boundary of the city, was never a real town, although at one time there were there a group of about a dozen houses. This period was between 1886 and 1890. Hastings capitalists had started a brick yard in Briekton and had equipped their place with rather elaborate steam-driven machinery for the manufacture of brick. Between thirty and forty men were employed and lived in the group of houses. There was also a store. Parts of the machinery remained
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at the location for several years after the brick plant was abandoned. The finances of the brick plant were involved in the affairs of the City National Bank, and when that institution failed, the brick business failed with it. One of the stirring events recalled in the early days of Brickton is a prize fight between "Lou" Carroll and Billy "Tweester."
In 1906 W. H. Ferguson began operating in sand at Brickton. Mr. Ferguson disposed of the sand business to the E. Stockham Grain Company, who still carry it on. About a carload of sand per day is removed from the pits. A. II. Farrens also operated Brickton sand pits for a time.
LEROY
Leroy is located on the south side of the Blue River on the south- west quarter of section 25 in Hanover Township. It is 31/5 miles northeast of Ayr and nine miles south of Hastings. Before the build- ing of the Kansas City & Omaha Railroad the point was known as Mil- lington, because it was here that Dyer's Mill was located. John Dyer began the erection of the mill in 1872 and by 1874 it was completed and in operation. John Dyer associated with him in this milling business his nephews, Elbridge and True Dyer.
The mill was a large wooden structure operated by water power and having three runs of burrs. For many years it was kept very busy, farmers from miles around bringing their wheat to be made into flour. A store was operated a short time, but in 1880 was moved to Ayr by Kieth and Kress.
When the railroad was built in 1887, the single store that Leroy still has was built by John Marshall and John A. Frank, both of whom now live in Ayr. The postoffice was established in this store and John Marshall was the first postmaster.
Mr. Frank sold his interest in the store to his partner in about six months. Mr. Marshall conducted the store until about 1900 and then sold it to his son, Robert. It came back into the possession of Mr. Mar- shall, who finally sold it to Cal Dreibilbis of Hastings. Mr. Dreibilbis sold it to the present proprietor, Mr. Liesveldt.
Because of its location near the river, which afforded shade trees, Leroy has been quite well known throughout the county as a pleasure resort. The Dyers kept a half dozen boats on the river, and built a dance hall. The place was patronized from Hastings and all sur- rounding points for many years, ending about 1903 or 1904. In the summer of 1898 vaudeville was an attraction offered. The large sta- tion which was first built by the Kansas City & Omaha was removed to Pauline about 1902.
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HANSEN
IIansen is the first station north of Hastings on the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad, and had its origin when the line was built from Hastings to Grand Island. The first house built in the town was the railway station in the fall of 1879. That fall, J. L. Evans erected a store building and put in a stock of general merchandise, and B. F. Ford put up a store and engaged in the grocery and hardware business. S. L. Loueks built a hotel at about the same time, which was called the Hansen House. The next business established was the lumber yard of Paine Brothers, of Wisconsin, which was under the charge of James McGregor.
From the earliest days, Hansen has been a good grain and live- stock shipping station, because it is the market place for a very pro- ductive area of farming land. A grain station was erected by Hansen, Gregg & Company in August, 1879, and another was put in by Oswald Oliver at about the same time. These early stations were not elevators, but were known as "shovel stations." Inclined approaches attaining a height of about twenty-five feet were built, and upon these farmers hauled their wagons filled with grain to the bins at the top, where they were unloaded with scoop shovels.
In 1880, W. L. Baker took the management of the Oliver grain business and some time later became manager of the business of Hansen, Gregg & Company. Mr. Baker conducted a coal business of his own and erected a building in which he opened a hardware store, carrying on the grain business at the same time. The shovel house of Hansen, Gregg & Company was the forebear of the present north ele- vator, Mr. Oliver's of the south. For many years John Wilson was the owner and operator of the north elevator. About 1885, the original lumber yard was combined with the Doniphan yard and removed to that point. The present lumber yard was started by the Barr Lumber Company of Hastings in 1904 and passed to the Yost Lumber Com- pany when the latter bought out the Barr Lumber Company in Hastings.
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