USA > Nebraska > Platte County > Past and present of Platte County, Nebraska : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 35
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and Maria J. Miles, Mary A. Miles, Eliza M. and W. B. Williams, N. McCandlish, F. McCandlish, Mary and Margaret Steel. The chairman of the meeting was Rev. William McCandlish; A. Miles, secretary.
In answer to call of session, public notice having been given, the congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Creston, 'met at the house of John Drake at 6 o'clock, July 5, 1878. A majority of the members being present, the meeting was organized by calling John Drake to preside. The following named persons were then elected a board of trustees for said church to serve for a term of two years: John Drake, W. B. Williams, R. C. Moran; Arthur Miles was elected clerk of the board.
The first minister of this church was Rev. Joseph M. Wilson, of Madison, who supplied the pulpit about one year. Rev. William E. Kimball began as a supply in December, 1879, and was here a little over three years. Rev. D. K. Pangburn arrived in September, 1882, and was the pastor nearly three years. The church was then shep- herdless nearly four years, when Rev. J. M. Wilson was recalled in 1889, and this time remained about two years.
The church was then supplied by different ministers at irregular intervals. Rev. T. L. Sexton, synodical superintendent of Home Missions; Rev. J. B. Griswall, Rev. John W. Little, Rev. R. N. L. Braden, D. D., Presbyterial missionary for Omaha Presbytery, then Rev. Joel Warner, came to the field and remained with the church nearly four years. He was followed by Rev. R. L. Purdy, who was here nearly two years. Rev. John R. Bennett began his pastorate here in 1906, and stayed until 1908, after which the church was without a regular pastor until the coming of Rev. C. M. Whetzel, who arrived in 1912. During the vacancy, however, between 1909 and 1912, the pulpit was supplied for a period of about one year by Rev. B. F. Fye. The church at this time has about seventy men- bers enrolled.
The little old frame church building just missed being remodeled and was cast aside for a new and more modern structure, a handsome modern temple of worship, erected in 1914. This handsome church was dedicated January 24, 1915, by Rev. A. B. Marshall, D. D., president of Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
BAPTIST CHURCH
The First Baptist Church of Creston was organized in July and incorporated August 7, 1910, at which time Gerhard Huesmann,
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Frederick Settje, William Brunken were elected trustees. Rev. August Transchel; Herman Schulte, secretary. The first members were: G. Huesmann and family, Frederick Settje and wife, Her- man Schulte and wife, Julius Strelow and wife, Leopold Bitter and wife, Fred Huesmann and wife, Henry Huesmann, Rev. August Transchel and wife, Mrs. C. Behrens, Mrs. Martha Reitz, William Brunken and wife.
The society had not long been organized before it bought the small frame building which had been erected by the United Brethren Society. This building had been used by the United Brethren Society and was purchased by the Baptists of two persons who owned it. The present membership of the church is 31, and attendance in the Sab- bath school 50. The organizing pastor, Reverend Transchel, still occupies the pulpit of this church.
As above inferred, the United Brethren had an organization here in earlier years and erected a church, which was dedicated November 13, 1887, by Reverend Bardshare, president of Toledo (Iowa) Col- lege. At that time the society numbered twenty-five members.
FRATERNAL ORDERS
Creston Lodge, No. 271, Ancient Order of United Workmen, was organized January 23, 1893. The first officials were: Otto S. Moran, P. M. W .; James L. Brown, M. W .; William C. Jackson, F .; John T. Morris, recorder; Darwin I. Clark, financier; Ira G. Alyea, receiver; John R. Cookus, C .; Jacob E. Ludwig, I. W .; John N. Hudson, O. W. The society meets twice a month in a hall, which is owned by the A. O. U. W. Hall Company, a frame structure, which is rented to the other lodge societies and for entertainments, etc. The present membership of the lodge is fifty-eight.
Creston Lodge, No. 69, Degree of Honor, an auxiliary to the A. O. U. W. lodge, was chartered October 19, 1893, with the following as its first members and first officers: Mrs. Lois Brown, P. C. of H .; Mrs. W. A. Schmidt, L. of H .; Miss Rena Morris, recorder; Mrs. L. B. Graham, receiver; Mrs. Effa Brown, I. W .; Mrs. M. J. Morris, C. of H .; Mrs. Frances Smith, C. of C .: Mrs. Mary Web- ster, financier; Mrs. J. L. Sharrar, S. U .; Mrs. Ira Smith, O. W. The society meets twice a month.
Galloway Castle, No. 128, Royal Highlanders, was organized with the following charter members: C. F. Buhmann. G. M. Fraser, Frank Parks, C. J. Ely, A. M. Peterson, W. T. Parks. Ernest W.
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Viner, Frank Grabel, C. A. Nash, Frank Palmateer, Arthur Palma- teer, R. E. Nichols, P. L. Buhmann, Sherman Dixon.
The first officers were: C. F. Buhmann, Frank Parks and A. M. Peterson, prudential chiefs; Frank Grabel, examining physician. This society has a strong membership and meets twice a month.
Clipper Lodge, No. 108, Knights of Pythias, was organized Feb- rnary 28, 1901, and was chartered October 9, 1901, with the follow- ing named as first officials: H. P. Buhmann, C. C .; J. Frank Parks, P .; E. E. Eggleston. K. R. & S .; C. F. Buhmann, M. E .: James Riley, I. G .: Curtis J. Ely, V. C .; J. H. Evens. M. W .; William Wenk, M. F .: Perry M. Brown, M. of A .; Fritz Venz, O. G. In addition to the above named were the following charter members: L. S. Baker, F. E. Davis, E. Hake, D. A. Steenis, L. H. Koresky, C. E. Reynolds, F. H. Burgess, G. E. Davis, C. S. Sutton, Oscar J. Inschen, C. J. Luedtke. It has a membership of sixty-two.
Roesacca Post. No. 322, Grand Army of the Republic, was char- tered October 24, 1881, with the following named comrades as charter members: D. G. Clark, C. W. Nyhoff, B. S. Morris. C. H. Statten. J. E. Ludwick, John Mallory, G. Henry, F. M. Calkins, Job Reiss, John Steens, A. Ogan, J. L. Brown, John Wagoner. Shnowden Wernk. W. H. H. Pruitt, Herman G. Luschen, Richard Hart.
Meetings have been discontinued for the past eight years on account of the thinning of the ranks of the members. Their meetings now may be said to be annual affairs and occur on Memorial Day.
CHAPTER XXIX
BUTLER TOWNSHIP
The first minute book of the County Commissioners' Court does not clearly show when Butler Precinct was established, but some reliance may be placed upon the assumption that this subdivision was defined and made a separate organization in 1867, for in the minutes of the clerk regarding the proceedings of the court for the January session of the following year, a notation was made of certain territory being attached to Butler Precinct, and the house of Michael Smith was designated as the polling place. This township has for its south- ern boundary the Platte River, which flows in a southwesterly direc- tion and cuts the sections along its borders into irregular proportions. Parts of sections 7 and 8 left intact and sections 6, 5, 4, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29,28, 21, 20, 19 and a small strip of the southern part of 17 extends from the Platte to the Loup and this part of the township is in town 17, range 1 west. The rest of the township is in town 16, range 2 west, and has for its western boundary line Merrick County. On the north of that part of Butler lying in town 16 is Loup Township, and that part lying in town 17 is bounded on the north and east by the Loup River and Columbus Township. It is not necessary to remark that this part of the county has splendid drainage facilities and is well adapted both for general farming and stock-raising pur- poses. The main line of the Union Pacific enters this domain on section 28, and taking a diagonal course through the township in a southwesterly direction, makes its exit on section 19.
Duncan, situate on section 1, is a station on this trans-continental line. There is a schoolhouse on section 8 and one on section 19.
One of the prominent men who early settled in this county was Guy C. Barnum, who was a Vermonter by birth. He was born in 1825, and at the age of seventeen he came west with his parents, in a covered wagon, from Vermont to Nauvoo, Ill., reaching the latter place in 1844. After three years' residence at Nauvoo the Barnum family crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska, taking up their resi-
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dence at "Winter Quarters," a Mormon settlement. Here young Barnum was employed in breaking prairie and such other work as he could procure from the settlers. After some years spent in Iowa the Barnums took up a permanent residence in Nebraska, Guy C. Barnum coming to Platte County with his family in 1860, where he pre-empted 160 acres of land south of the Loup River and there resided many years. His father died on the farm in 1861 and his mother in 1877. Guy C. Barnum passed through every phase of western life. He was a successful farmer of this county over thirty years, and always identified himself with the best interests of his adopted home. He was an active and enthusiastic member of one of the first Farmers Alliances organized in the county, and was its first president. His home alliance acknowledged his leadership by taking his name. Being a large shipper of live stock, Barnum concluded that the railroads were charging excessive rates on stock from Omaha. So he was the first to make an effort to have freight rates reduced by filing a complaint before the state board of transportation. Mr. Barnum was a member of the Territorial Legislature in 1866 and in the Senate in 1869, being the only democrat in that body. He was county commissioner of Platte County six years, first taking office in 1870.
Other settlers of note coming here in an early day were Willian Brown, Robert McPherson, James Haney, Charles Rickly, John Eisemann, John Schmocker, Christ Wuertherich.
It was the habit of M. K. Turner, while young and enthusiastic over the accomplishments of the Journal, to visit the different sec- tions of the county and give the deserving settler "a jolly" in his paper. Mr. Turner was a close observer, had a splendid nose for news, wielded a facile and trenchant pen and withal, was apparently impartial in his "write-ups" of the places he visited and the owners thereof. Once in a while, however, a disgruntled subscriber, who was very apt to become a correspondent on occasions, would bob up and take the editor to task for certain sins of omission or commission, charged to his account. The following is a specimen, selected from the school items of district No. 3. published in the Journal of issue January 13, 1875:
"We notice in the last issue of your paper a brief description of the comfortable home and outbuildings of our friend Jacob Ernst, who lives north of Columbus, and the only objection we can make to it is that you did not enter more into detail. We have seen Mr. Ernst's home and know that he is fixed very comfortably. We hope you will continue to visit the farms of this and adjoining counties
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and to note their improvements, to offer suggestions as to the best methods of rearing and feeding stock, the kinds that pay best, the best time to plant trees, the varieties suited to this climate, methods of planting cereals, and in fact everything pertaining to farming.
"Henry C. Bean is the owner of about two hundred acres, ninety under cultivation, forty of which is enclosed by five rows of trees, of five years' growth. His residence is a frame. The main building is a two-story, 32 by 18, and contains a parlor, dining room and hall downstairs; a family bedroom, two smaller bedrooms and hall upstairs. The kitchen is an addition to the main building and is 16 by 12 in size. The main building is well plastered and is quite com- fortable. Cost $1,300.
"The barn is 30 by 24 in size and has a mow that will contain ten tons of hay. In the north end below is a granary for small grains. In the south end is the stable, which will accommodate six horses, cost $600. North of the barn and adjoining it is his shed for farm imple- ments. South of the barn and adjoining it is a shed for young calves, which is very warm in winter and cool and pleasant in summer. On the north side of his corral is the main shed for cattle, which far excels Mr. Ernst's or any other that I have seen in the county."
Another item appearing in the same paper on March 23, 1881, may be of interest to the people of this locality of the present day. It was in the following words: "The flood of the last few days has been quite inconvenient to many of our citizens living on the lowlands. At Schuyler a fleet was improvised and Mr. Clarkson was elected admiral, but not having any experience on the water, he was super- seded by William Brown. Coming westward, Robert McPherson's house was found under three feet of water and several small farms in the neighborhood were entirely submerged. Jacob Maple, although living within a quarter of a mile of plenty of submerged hay, offered $100 for four tons of hay for his stock. James Haney had at his place 150 head of stock driven into his barnyard by endangered neigh- bors. Charles Rickly has a cattle ranch between the Loup and Platte, near their confluence. On Thursday evening something came against his door and it was found that his wagon had floated. The bottom between the Loup and the Platte River wagon bridge was covered Monday with three to four feet of slush ice. Mr. Barnum's family moved out, as did others, at 2 o'clock in the morning, coming to Jackson."
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DUNCAN
The Town of Jackson was laid out October 24, 1871, by Elisha Atkins, vice president, and E. H. Rollins, secretary, of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Later the name was changed to Duncan.
Duncan is located on the Union Pacific Railroad, 100 miles west of Omaha, in the fertile valley of the Platte River. It is six miles west of Columbus and is quite a stirring little business center. The farms between Columbus and Jackson are all highly improved, with first class dwellings and barns. In 1878 John Ernst had a grove of trees containing ten acres on his farm, which had been planted in 1868, furnishing more wood than he could use. Mr. Ehler, Henry C. Bean's, the North brothers, Charles Morse, A. J. Arnold and Guy Barnum's places were in this section of the country and showed thrift and business enterprise on the part of the proprietors.
A local to the Journal, dated November 20, 1878, says: "Twelve horses were recently stolen from the ranch of North Brothers on the Loup, supposed to be the work of Sioux Indians. The Indians passed the camp of some neighboring ranchmen on the Dismal, the follow- ing morning, three of whose horses they had stolen and had with them. But they were armed to the teeth and were not attacked. In fact, no attempt was made to recover the horses." Here is another item, published in the Journal December 4, 1878, from the Prairie Creek correspondent : "P. Deafenbach, who purchased land here last spring, coming from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is building a new dwelling house. A. Benson is also building a dwelling. Tasker Brothers have made numerous improvements on their farm north of Prairie Creek. It is talked that a flour mill will be erected on Prairie Creek, where it empties into the Platte River. This is something greatly needed and would prove a success."
In 1881 the Baptist Church was organized at Duncan, by Rev. Franklin Pierce, pastor of the Columbus Baptist Church. Services first were held in the German Reformed Church by Rev. Franklin Pierce.
St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at Duncan on the 19th day of September, 1883, by John Ernst, John Eisemann, Christ Wuertherich, Julius Rudat and John Schmocker.
St. Stanislaus Church was organized about 1886. Rt. Rev. James O'Connor, bishop of Omaha (being the chief officer of the Roman Catholic Church for the State of Nebraska and having spiritual jurisdiction extending over the whole thereof), on the 21st day of
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July, 1887, convened a meeting in the City of Omaha, consisting of himself, Very Rev. R. A. Shaffel, vicar general; Rev. Anastatius Czeck, then pastor of the church known as St. Stanislaus, located at Duncan, and Martin Borowiak and Stanislaus Thomaszervic, two lay members of St. Stanislaus. Anastatius Czeck was elected secretary of the meeting, the object of which was to prepare articles of incorpora- tion for the church and perfect its organization as a body corporate.
In 1885, the firm of Jaeggi & Schupbach, of Columbus, erected an elevator with a capacity of 30,000 bushels at this place. At this time C. S. Webster was in the general merchandise business and Martin Borowiak had a dry goods and grocery establishment. One Maler was proprietor of the Commercial Hotel. Naylor and Snyder cach had a blacksmith shop and Weissenfluh was the jeweler.
In addition to its public school building, which is a very good one, plans have been perfected by Charles Wurdeman, a Columbus archi- tect, for a parochial school building, to be erected in the spring of 1915, at a cost of $25,000. This building will be of brick construction, with ground dimensions 30 by 100 feet, and will have two stories and a basement. Under the same roof with the school proper will be comfortable dormitory quarters for the boys and girls. All the funds needed for erecting and equipping the institution have been raised by popular subscription among members of the parish. When completed, the new school building will probably be the most sightly institution in Duncan and will compare very favorably with any of the parochial school buildings in other parts of the county.
DUNCAN INCORPORATED
A petition signed by Henry Misek and twenty others was pre- sented to the board of supervisors on March 4, 1913, praying that the town be incorporated as the Village of Duncan, and that W. C. Butts, Fred Cyphers, D. H. Harrington, Frank Schultz and Albert Kurth be appointed as trustees. The petition was acted upon March 7, 1913, and all the requests granted. The territory embraced is as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of the northwest quar- ter of the northeast quarter of section 1, township 16, range 2 west, thence to the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of the north- west quarter of said section; thence south to the southwest corner of the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of said section; thence east to the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of said section; thence north to the point of beginning.
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POSTOFFICE
A postoffice was established here June 17, 1869, and named Cherry Hill. Alonzo Shepard was placed in charge. He was succeeded by the following named persons: John Strasser, February 23, 1872; William Treitschke, March 30, 1874; John Strasser, April 20, 1874; George W. Barnhart, August 29, 1879. On the 2d day of January, 1880, the name was changed to Duncan, and George W. Barnhart appointed postmaster. He was followed by C. S. Webster, July 6, 1883; J. P. Borowiak, November 19, 1886; S. M. Slawinski, January 11, 1888; Peter Kozlowski, August 5, 1890; Mike A. Iwardowski, November 26, 1897.
CHAPTER XXX
BURROWS TOWNSHIP
The first mention of Burrows Township discovered in the min- utes of the county commissioners is of date August 5, 1873, when the polling place for the precinct was ordered to be at the house of John Greisen; Richard Bashel and George W. Lamb, justices of the peace; Peter Bockshaken and John Moriarty, judges of election; Richard Bashel and Joseph Burrows, clerks. Burrows consists of all of congressional township 19, range 2 west. It is bounded on the north by Granville, on the east by Grand Prarie, south by Lost Creek, and-west by Joliet. Shell Creek cuts across its extreme southwestern corner where a tributary stream flowing from the north enters it. Other affluents of Shell Creek form in the central part of the town- ship and flowing toward the east, enter the main stream on section 13, in Lost Creek Township. The Sioux City & Columbus Railroad enters the township on section 36 and leaves it on section 1, having a station called Tarnov on section 13. The topography is a fine level upland, with soil of fertile black loam.
Among the early settlers in this township were John and Joseph Burrows, John Greisen, George and Richard Bashel and George W. Lamb. James Noonan settled here in 1874 and remained until his death in 1912.
Within a year or two after the township was organized a school was in operation. Among the early teachers was Miss M. Rebecca Elliott, daughter of John Elliott. A local item in the Journal in 1877 says: "In district No. 9 a school meeting was held at 7 P. M. on April 11th. All the levy that was made was 2 mills for teachers' fund. There is upwards of $500 in the treasury. The board was instructed to have school seven months, the winter term to begin on the first Monday in December. G. W. Galley, who has been director ever since the organization of the district, was re-elected. Miss Clark has been employed as teacher for the spring term, school to commence April 16th. The district has never before employed a
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lady teacher. The schoolhouse is being removed by Loveland & Ellis, a half mile west of the former site, and a few rods east of John Bur- rows' residence. A. M. Buckley has been employed in this district during portions of four years. The school board is at present made up of, moderator, Jacob Guter; treasurer, Samuel Galley; director, G. W. Galley."
The gold fever was quite intense in this township in 1877, and many venturesome spirits went to the Black Hills in search of the precious metal. Among them was Thomas Taylor, who in May of the year mentioned, with E. A. Brown, of Monroe; William Wilson and Alex Shillitoe, of Stearns' Prairie, started for the Black Hills. Their route was up the Elk Horn to the Niobrara, where they joined a large train of gold seekers.
TARNOV
Tarnov is a little village on the line of the Sioux City & Columbus Railroad, numbering about one hundred and twenty-five souls. It was laid out on section 13, by the Union Land Company, per Thomas L. Kimball, president, July 25, 1889, and called Burrows. The name was afterwards changed to Tarnov.
Tarnov was quite a busy little trading point, with the customary general stores, shops, a good school and church. St. Anthony's was organized soon after the village was founded and incorporated by Bishop Richard Scannell, November 15, 1889, at a meeting held in the City of Omaha, attended by the bishop, Rev. William Choka, vicar general, and two laymen, Peter Ripp and Gerhard Gronenthal.
The Bank of Tarnov was incorporated September 12, 1911, with a capital stock of $15,000, by George P. Bissell, P. J. Ternus, and J. W. Hutchison.
The postoffice was established July 24, 1891, A. C. Leas in charge. His successors in the postmastership and the dates of their commis- sion, were: Henry Marek, December 15, 1893; M. C. Skompa, April 24, 1895; A. C. Leas, February 12, 1898: Frank Schram, September 3, 1902; John F. Weber, April 21, 1903; A. C. Leas, June 24, 1903; J. A. Matya, January 27, 1911; J. W. Liss, May 16, 1914.
St. Michael's Church was organized in the year 1880, and on January 18, 1893, incorporated, by Bishop Richard Scannell, of Omaha; William Choka, vicar general of the Omaha diocese: Anas- tatius Czech, pastor of the church, and two laymen, John Jworski and Stanislaus Szawica. The first pastor was Father Cyrillus Augus-
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tinski, whose successors were Fathers Anastatius Czech, Ladislaus Czech, Rembert Stanowski, Ladislaus Czech, a second time, and Den- nis Czech. The present pastor is Father Canutus Lobinski. In 1886 a parochial school was established by St. Francis Sisters from the mother house in Lafayette, Ind. During the pastorate of Father Dennis Czech a new modern, two-story brick school building was erected on a lot adjoining the church, at a cost of $60,000.
The first church edifice was a small frame structure, erected soon after the congregation was organized, and this was replaced by a handsome brick structure in 1901. The church is attended by 150 Polish families.
St. Anthony's Church is located 21/2 miles south of Tarnov. This society was founded in 1878 by Father Sebastian Zubulla. The church is at the present time in charge of Father Maurus Eberle.
On June 12, 1905, a petition signed by A. Volz and twenty-nine others, was presented to the board of supervisors asking for the incor- poration of Tarnov, the same to include the following territory: Sec- tions 10, 11, 13 and 14, and the west half of section 12, of township 19 north, range 2 west.
On June 16, 1905, the board found that the petition contained the names of a majority of the inhabitants of Tarnov and from the affidavit of K. P. Wettengel, a taxable inhabitant of Tarnov, the territory contained no less than two hundred inhabitants and actual residents. The prayer of the petitioners was granted and A. Volz, D. Czech, John L. Flakus, A. C. Leas and J. E. McDaniel were appointed trustees for the village to serve until the election and qualification of their successors.
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