USA > Nebraska > Platte County > Past and present of Platte County, Nebraska : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 8
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A new State Legislature had been chosen by the people of the territory at the election held in October, 1866, consisting for the most part of the same persons elected to the territorial council and house. On the 14th of February, 1867, Governor Saunders issued his proclamation, calling the members of the Legislature to meet at
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PLATTE COUNTY
the capital on the 20th inst., to take action upon certain conditions proposed by Congress. The Legislature assembled and passed the bill, accepting the fundamental conditions on February 21st. At the time, John E. Kelly represented Platte County in the lower house. On the 4th of April, Governor Butler issued his call for an extra session. President Andrew Johnson having issued, on the 1st of March. his proclamation announcing the admission of Nebraska into the Union. On the 18th of May the Legislature came together and set in motion the machinery of the state. At this session Vincent Kummer represented Platte County in the council, and E. W. Arnold in the House.
The Twelfth session of the Territorial Legislature, really the Second session of the State Legislature, met in Omaha, January 10, 1867. On the council was Vincent Kummer, and Platte was repre- sented in the House by John E. Kelly.
The so-called Third session of the State Legislature (but in real- ity the First session), met at Omaha under proclamation of Gover- nor Butler, May 16, 1867. The state comprised eleven senatorial distriets. F. K. Freeman represented the fifth district, in which Platte had been placed; in the House was John E. Kelly, from Columbus.
The representation for this district in the Fourth assembly was the same as in the third; fifth assembly. Senate, tenth district. Guy C. Barnum; House, C. A. Speice; sixth, convened February 17, 1870; Senate, Guy C. Barnum; House, C. A. Speice. Immediately after the close of the sixth session the seventh was assembled March 4, 1870, on proclamation of the governor, and was in fact but a continuation of the preceding session. Eighth, Senate, Leander Ger- rard. representing the eleventh senatorial district, comprising Mer- rick, Hall, Buffalo, Kearney, Lincoln and Platte Counties; House, H. J. Hudson, for Platte and Colfax Counties; ninth, Senate, rep- resenting the ninth district, Guy C. Barnum; House, Platte and Colfax Counties, A. J. Arnold. The tenth session was an extra one, and the old members held over; eleventh, Senate, Guy C. Barnum; House, Albinns Nance, for York, Polk, Butler, Platte, Hamilton, Clay and Adams Counties; 1876, fourteenth senatorial district, James E. North; House, thirty-eighth district, Guy C. Barnum, Jr .; fifty-first district. Caleb Davis; 1877, thirty-eighth district, H. J. Spoerry; 1878, Senate, Henry C. Wright; House, thirty-eighth dis- trict. Thomas C. Ryan: fifty-first district. Darwin C. Loveland; 1880, Senate, M. L. Turner; House, thirty-eighth district, George
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PLATTE COUNTY
Lehman; fifty-first district, Jonas Welch: 1882, Senate, thirteenth distriet, O. F. Brown; House, twenty-third district, Frank E. North; 1884, Senate, thirteenth district, W. N. Hensley; House, twenty- third district, John A. Kehoe; twenty-fifth district. Adolph Ernst; 1886, Senate, Patrick M. Higgins; House, twenty-third district, John J. Sullivan; twenty-fifth district, John W. Finch; 1888, Senate, twelfth district, Michael Maher: House, twenty-fourth district, J. C. Swartsley; twenty-fifth district. O. E. Green; 1890, Senate, John C. Van Housen; House, twenty-fourth district, William Schelp; twenty- fifth district, Henry Stevens. 1892, Senate, James E. North; House, twenty-fourth district, William Schelp; twenty-fifth district, W. J. Irwin. 1894, Senate, John C. Sprecher; House, twenty-fourth dis- trict, Gus G. Becher; twenty-fifth district, F. H. Penny. 1896, Senate, John M. Gondring; House, twenty-fourth district, O. S. Moran; twenty-fifth district, N. Secor Hyatt. 1898, Senate, James A. Dunn; House, twenty-fourth district, O. S. Moran; twenty-fifth, James W. Tanner. 1900, Senate, Joseph L. Paschal; House, twenty- fourth district, Dirk A. Becher; twenty-fifth district, James W. Tan- ner. 1902, Senate, Warren A. Way; House, twenty-fourth district, Dirk A. Becher; twenty-fifth district, Eugene E. Fellers. 1904, senator, Hugh Hughes; representative twenty-fourth district, John W. Bender; twenty-fifth district, Fred Hoare. 1906. Senate, Thomas A. Saunders; House, twenty-fourth district, James Greig; twenty-fifth district, John Weems. 1908, Senate. F. J. Henry; House, twenty-fourth district, James Greig; twenty-fifth district, John H. Weems. 1910, Senate, J. L. Albert ; representative twenty-fourth district, Charles Schneth: twenty-fifth district. R. C. Regan. 1912, Senate, eleventh district, F. D. Lind; representative twenty-fifth district, John Schneth; twenty-sixth district, R. C. Regan. 1914, Senate, Charles Krumbach; representative twenty- fifth district, Henry Clayburn; twenty-sixth district, R. C. Regan.
CHAPTER V PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Meeting of the board of county commissioners, held on the 28th day of December, 1857; present, Messrs. Becher, Spaulding and Sarvis.
Moved and seconded that a chairman be elected to serve for the first nine months.
On motion, Mr. Sarvis was elected said chairman.
The clerk was authorized to buy a record book "as soon as the county funds will admit."
A territorial tax of ten mills on the dollar was levied on all real and personal estate.
A county tax of six mills on the dollar was levied on all real and personal estate, also a poll tax of fifty cents.
The school tax of one and one-half mills on the dollar was levied on all real and personal estate.
A road tax of one mill on the dollar was levied on all real and personal estate.
The meeting adjourned until one o'clock P. M. In the after- noon Mr. Sarvis was in the chair and the following resolution sub- mitted by Mr. Spaulding was adopted:
Resolved. That this county be divided into three districts, each district to be represented by one commissioner and that the boundaries of said districts be as follows:
1st district-Commencing at the southeast corner of Platte County, thence running north 24 miles, thence west 8 miles, thence south 24 miles, thence east to the place of beginning.
2d district-Commencing at the southwest corner of district No. 1, thence running north 24 miles, thence west 8 miles, thence south 24 miles, thence east to the place of beginning.
3d district-All that part of Platte County lying west of dis- trict No. 2.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PLATTE COUNTY
Thomas Sarvis was appointed to represent district No. 1; George Spaulding, district No. 2; Gustavus Becher, district No. 3.
Thomas Sarvis was allowed the sum of $2 for notifying George Spaulding of the special meeting.
On motion, the meeting adjourned.
John Siebert,
Clerk.
Thomas Sarvis, Chairman.
It would appear by what follows that the meeting of the 28th of December, 1857, was merely preliminary to the organization of the board. If by this session it was intended that the organization would be perfected, then that consummation was not realized, for there was nothing in the clerk's minutes to show that any official of the county had qualified for the duties he was about to assume.
The board next met in January, as the following abstract from the minutes of the commissioners show:
First regular meeting of the board of county commissioners, held Monday, January 4, 1858.
Present, Messrs. Becher, Spaulding and Sarvis.
Mr. Becher presented a memorial from C. B. Stillman, John Siebert, J. P. Becker and nineteen others, praying for the location of a road from the north end of Washington avenue in the Town of Columbus, to Shell Creek, together with the bridging of said streanı.
Other preliminaries were observed in this relation, such as the appointment of viewers for the road.
The next meeting of the board was held on March 1, 1858, at which time C. B. Stillman was ordered to proceed "as the law directs to draw lots for twelve grand and twelve petit jurors to be selected from suitable persons from Columbus and Buchanan precincts." At this meeting Thomas Sarvis was in the chair and Francis G. Becher acted as clerk.
At the adjourned meeting, held March 2, 1858, but two of the commissioners, Francis G. Becher and Thomas Sarvis, were present. After the minutes of the last meeting had been approved, Mr. Becher presented a petition from John Reck, John Miller, C. B. Stillman and thirteen other citizens of Columbus, praying for the incorpora- tion of the Town of Columbus. On motion, prayer of the petitioners was adopted.
The sheriff of Platte County was ordered to make an assessment of all property, real and personal, in said county and make return
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PLATTE COUNTY
of same to the county clerk within thirty days. The county was ordered divided into two equal road districts by drawing a line directly through the center of said county from north to south; that on the west to be called road district No. 1; that on the east road district No. 2, and a road supervisor to be appointed for each district. Jacob Guter and Daniel Hashberger were appointed such supervisors, the said supervisors to be held in bonds of $50 each for the faithful per- formance of their respective duties.
The county clerk was "ordered to furnish the supervisor of dis- triet No. 1 with the names of persons from whom labor is due and the supervisor was empowered to give notice to all persons from whom road labor is due to work on the road between Columbus and Shell Creek."
On motion, it was "resolved that all persons, through whose lands the Shell Creek road passes, be requested to give quit claim deeds to the county and its successors thereafter for all lands over and above 60 feet and 100 feet to be used for said road." The minutes of this meeting were signed by John Siebert, deputy clerk.
The next regular meeting of the board was held on the 3d day of April, 1858, at which time the two commissioners, Becher and Spaulding, were present. Mr. Becher was appointed chairman and John Siebert, deputy clerk of the meeting. No business was pre- sented at this meeting and adjournment soon followed.
The board next met on the 15th day of May. 1858, Sarvis in the chair. It was ordered that the following ordinance be adopted:
Section 1. Be it ordained by the commissioners of Platte County that said county be and is hereby divided into five road districts, the boundaries of said districts to be as hereafter described, and the road supervisors to be appointed for each district.
Section 2. District No. I shall embrace all that part of said county lying within range 2 east and town 17 north, the supervisor to be Jacob Guter.
Section 3. Distriet No. 2 shall embrace all that part of said county lying within range 2 east and town 17 north. Supervisor, Joseph Skinner.
Section 4. District No. 3 shall embrace all that part of said county lying within range 3 town 17 north. Supervisor, James Jeffries.
Section 5. District No. 4 shall embrace all that part of said county lying within range 4 east and town 17 north. Supervisor, Alex. Albertson.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PLATTE COUNTY
Section 6. District No. 5 shall embrace all that part of said county lying within ranges 1, 2, 3 and 4 east and town 18 north. Supervisor, Charles Reinke.
All acts or parts of acts conflicting with this act are hereby repealed.
Be it ordained by the supervisor of Platte County that the road supervisors of said county shall hold their offices until the first Monday in April, 1859, or until their successors are elected and qualified.
It was ordered that the road "viewed and located from the north end of Washington avenue in the Town of Columbus, to Shell Creek north of said town be and is hereby established a county road."
Mr. Sarvis presented a memorial from John Reck, John Miller, V. Kummer and fifteen others, praying for the location of a road from Columbus to Buchanan in Platte County, and the bridging of sloughs on the same. The commissioners resolved to meet at the store of F. G. Becher in Columbus, June 21, 1858, at 7 o'clock A. M., preparatory to viewing and locating said road.
The board adjourned to meet in the evening, at which time it was ordered that "the county clerk be authorized to send to N. W. Mills & Company, of Fort Des Moines, lowa, for all books and stationery necessary for the use of the county officers of Platte County, Nebraska Territory." At this meeting Thomas Sarvis was in the chair and George W. Hewitt signed his name as county clerk.
The board again met June 15, 1858, at which time Sarvis and Spaulding were present, the former in the chair. It was ordered that the bill of Gustavus Becher be allowed with the exception of the item of March 22, 1858, making the amount $21, said bill being for serv- ices rendered as commissioner of Platte County from December 28, 1857, to May 15, 1858, inclusive.
The bill of C. B. Stillman was allowed for services rendered as judge of election and that of F. G. Becher as clerk of election, on December 19, 1857.
The bill of G. W. Hewitt was allowed, with the exception of the items of May 4th, making the amount $52.50, the said bill being for services rendered as clerk of Platte County from October 11, 1857, to May 15, 1858, inclusive. The bill of Charles Bremer for . services as judge of election, August 3, 1857, was not allowed. The bill of John Reck for "administering to officers of election," August 3, 1857, 'met the same fate as that of Bremer's.
It was ordered that C. B. Stillman be appointed to fill the vacancy in the office of trustee in the Town of Columbus, occasioned by the resignation of John Reck.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PLATTE COUNTY
The following ordinance was passed :
Section 1. Be it ordained by the commissioners of Platte County that an election precinct be and is hereby established at Grand Island, to be known and designated as Grand Island precinct.
Section 2. Said precinct is to include all that territory lying north of the Platte ten miles and east of Wood River twenty miles.
Section 3. The following persons are hereby appointed judges of election in said precinct: Herman Bassel, Frederick Langman, - Seymour.
Section 4. William P. Potts and William Haga are hereby appointed justices of the peace, and George Schoultz constable in said precinct, to hold their offices until the next general election.
Section 5. An election will be held in said precinct at the house of Christian Mink on Monday, August 2, 1858, the returns of said election duly to be made to the county clerk of Platte County within ten days after said election.
On motion, the following ordinance was adopted: "Be it ordained by the commissioners of Platte County that an election precinct be and is hereby established in Platte County, N. T., the boundaries to be as follows, to wit: Commencing at a point on the southern boun- dary of said county 8 miles east of the sixth principal meridian, thence running north 6 miles, thence east 8 miles, thence south to the county line, thence west along said line to the place of beginning, to be known and designated as Center precinct. Joseph Skinner, George Spaulding and Cyrus Tolman were appointed judges of election of said precinct. Joseph Skinner was appointed justice of the peace and H. M. Kemp, constable in said precinct, all to hold their offices until the first general election. The election in Center precinct was ordered to be held at the house of Joseph Skinner."
An election precinct was ordered established "to embrace all that territory lying within ranges 1, 2, 3 and 4 east of the sixth principal meridian and town 18 north, to be known and designated as Shell Creek precinct. William English, A. B. Northrop and Henry Sus- kie were appointed judges of election. William English justice of the peace, and A. B. Northrop constable of said precinct;" all to hold their offices until the next general election, which was ordered to be held at the house of Charles Bremer.
William Davis, Isaac Albertson and James Marshall were appointed judges of election in Buchanan precinct, and the election was ordered to be held at the house of Isaac Albertson.
Charles Speice, George W. Hewitt and G. B. Stillman were
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appointed judges of election for Columbus precinct, said election to be held at the house of F. G. Becher.
On motion, the county clerk was authorized to proclaim that "an election will be held in the several precincts in Platte County and in Grand Island precinct on Monday, August 2, 1858."
Before adjournment the board appointed A. B. Northrop road supervisor for district No. 5.
The third regular meeting of the board of commissioners was convened Monday, July 5, 1858.
A petition from Anthony Bowl, W. W. English, A. B. North- rop and fourteen others, praying for the location of a road from the eastern boundary of Platte County along the north side of Shell Creek to the western boundary of said county was read and on motion the prayer of the petition was granted and the 9th day of August set apart for the location of said road.
Many such petitions appear in the early minutes of the board of county commissioners and while they refer to different parts of the county, still they pertain to the same subject, and to mention them all would be tedious and uninteresting, so that further reference to road petitions by the records will be ignored for matters of more value to the reader.
In the early days, when settlers were few and their homes scattered far and wide, it seems to have been the custom of the business agents of the county to meet at certain places which would be the most con- venient for those having business to transact with the board. This condition is indicated by the following minute by the county clerk : "The clerk is ordered to cause two notices to be posted in the county, giving notice that the commissioners will meet at the house of Charles Bremer, on Shell Creek, on the 9th day of August, at 12 o'clock, and at the house of Isaac Albertson, at 12 o'clock on the following day."
This was the last meeting of the board of county commissioners held in the year 1858. The next session was convened on the 3d day of January, 1859. The board at that time had a new member in the person of William Davis, who succeeded Thomas Sarvis. G. Becher was elected chairman. At this session the time was chiefly taken up in the submission of bills, one of which was that of John Reck for swearing in county officers and judges of election in 1856.
At the February meeting the bill of Charles Reinke was ordered paid "for hauling county book from Omaha."
The next meeting was held April 11, 1859, and it was resolved that "as there was no commissioners' meeting held on the first
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Monday in April, 1859, as prescribed by law, the weather preventing the board from assembling at the regular place of holding court, this shall be the regular meeting of the board of county commis- sioners for that day."
Commissioner Becher presented a petition from George Spauld- ing, John Reck and F. G. Becher, praying that licenses be granted to them to keep a ferry on the Platte River for the term of five years, commencing on the 25th day of April, 1859, at a point oppo- site the residence of Joseph Skinner, or five miles each way from said point, and it was further ordered "that George Spaulding, John Reck and F. G. Becher shall pay into the county treasury the sum of $100 annually, to entitle them to a license to keep and run a ferry across the Platte River at a point opposite the residence of Joseph Skinner."
Jacob Guter was appointed road supervisor for district No. 1; Joseph Skinner, district No. 2; Joseph Russell, district No. 3. William Davis, Joseph Skinner and John Reck were appointed mem- bers of the county board of equalization.
At a meeting of the board held in Columbus, August 1, 1859. Vincent Kummer, Michael Weber and C. B. Stillman were appointed judges of election for Columbus precinct; Joseph Skinner, II. M. Kemp and Joseph Russell for Center precinct; Michael Erb, Charles Reinke and John Held for Shell Creek precinct; Isaac Albertson. William Davis and Nelson Toncray, Buchanan precinct.
It was decided by the board by resolution that the mayor, alder- men, recorder, marshal, treasurer and assessor of the Town of Columbus give bond respectively in the sum of $500, Michael Weber was appointed justice of the peace and Vincent Kummer constable in Columbus precinct.
FINANCIAL CONDITION OF 1859
At the August meeting of the board, held in 1859, the county clerk was directed to prepare the yearly statement of the receipts and liabilities of the county and to have the same posted in the man- ner required by law. Pursuant to that order the Commissioners' Court, through its acting clerk, C. B. Stillman, made the following report: In pursuance of Section 19 of Chapter 20 of an act entitled, An Act for Preparing, Revising and Consolidating a Code of Laws for the Territory of Nebraska, the undersigned commissioners of Platte County make the following report, setting forth the receipts
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and expenditures of said county for the fiscal year (1859), and also the whole indebtedness of said county.
The whole amount of indebtedness from August 1, 1857, to July 1, 1858, is. $141.66
From July 1, 1858, to July 1, 1859, is as follows:
Election expenses $ 16.49
County books 285.00
Freight on books 15.25
Printing
30.00
Copy of revenue law 25.00
Fees of justice of the peace 3.25
Fees of sheriff
12.00
Attorney's fees
6.60
Surveying
5.00
Salary probate judge 50.00
Salary county treasurer
50.00
Fees of county clerk.
28.75
Fees of county commissioner
33.00
$560.34
At the regular meeting of the board held January 2, 1860, Com- missioner Becher presented a petition of the citizens of Shell Creek precinct praying to abolish the said election precinct and attach the same to Columbus precinct. The prayer was granted.
At the session of the Territorial Legislature, held in the winter of 1859, an act was passed attaching Monroe County to Platte. This measure led the board at its session, held in January, 1860, to divide the county into three new districts as follows: All the territory lying between the eastern boundary of Platte County and twelve miles east of the sixth principal meridian shall constitute and be district No. 1. All the territory from the sixth principal meridian and running thence twelve miles east shall constitute and be district No. 2. All the territory in Platte County lying west of the sixth prin- cipal meridian shall constitute and be district No. 3. Platte County, upon motion of Commissioner Spaulding, was then divided into four new election precincts as follows: Buchanan precinct to begin on the east line of Platte County and run west nine miles. The polls in such district to be at the house of William Davis: Center precinct Vol. 1-6
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PLATTE COUNTY
to begin on the west line of Buchanan precinct and run nine miles west, polls to be at the house of Joseph Skinner; Columbus precinct to begin six miles east of the sixth principal meridian and run six miles west of such meridian, election to be held at Columbus Hotel; Monroe precinct to combine all the balance of the county which then lay west of the aforesaid Columbus precinct, the election to be held at the house of Ch. Whaley, in the first two named precincts, the former judges of election to hold their offices until their term expires. In Monroe precinct the board nominated Ch. Whaley, Joseph Gerrard and Joseph Selzer as judges of election. The board nominated James H. Galley, John Reck and V. Kummer, judges of election in Colum- bus precinct the balance of the term. At this time F. G. Becher was county clerk and entered the minutes of the Commissioners' Court.
At the January meeting Commissioner Becher tendered his resig- nation, which was accepted and at a special election held later, G. W. Stevens was elected to fill the vacancy. The board now consisted of George Spaulding, G. W. Stevens and William Davis, with the latter in the chair. At the April session of the board Genoa precinct was established on petition of Henry Hudson, Daniel Welsh and others.
At this term of the court the firm of Leander Gerrard & Company was granted a license to maintain a ferry "at said point on the Loup Fork of the Platte River." The rates of toll were established as follows:
2 horses, or oxen, and wagon $1.00
I horse and wagon. .75
I extra team of oxen, or horses .25
1 horse and rider .25
Live stock (per head) .10
Footman (each) .05
A license fee required of $25 per annum.
FINANCIAL REPORT
The commission, at its July session of 1860, made the following statement showing the receipts and expenditures of Platte County for the fiscal year, and also the whole indebtedness of said county:
The whole indebtedness from July 1, 1858, to July 1, 1859, is $586. From July 1, 1859, to July 1, 1860, is as follows :
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