USA > Nebraska > Fillmore County > Pioneer stories of the pioneers of Fillmore and adjoining counties > Part 7
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One winter an Indian visited the Ziska home, the snow lay thick on the ground, and the Indian by his motions indicated his desire for a place to lie down. After some hesitation they let him come into the house to stay overnight, giving him some supper and a straw bed on the floor. The Indian who was evidently out hunting carried a rifle, which they thought looked rather suspecious, so Mr. Ziska put his own gun by the side of his bed and his revolver under the pillow so as to be ready for any emergency. Neither Mr. Ziska nor the Indian slept much that night, they were evidently too much afraid of each other, and when the Indian left the house next morn- ing and was about twenty rods away; he fired off his gun which they thought was a signal for something serious, but nothing happened, so the Indian left and the reason for firing off his gun in that way was best known to himself.
In later years he bought half a section of railroad land and divided it between his two sons, Fred M. and Frank, giving them also the grain for the first year, after which they were to "paddle their own canoes.“ It meant hard work for the boys to pay interest and taxes, with corn selling at 7 to 10 cents and wheat 35 to 50 cents a bushel. So Fred farmed for only two years and then entered into the dry-goods business, going to Crete to learn the secretes of the trade during the years 1873-75. He next enterd the Faling Brothers Store in Exeter, invoicing the stock, the business com-
ing into the possession of Peter Faling; the other brother going west to Cambridge. Mr. Fred Ziska married in 1878, and after working in Faling's store for two years, he sold his farm and went into business with Fred Wright a druggist who also had worked in Faling's store. After a sixteen months partnership Mr. Wright sold his interest in the business to Mr. Ziska, and went east to Friendship, N. Y., at the urgent request of his parents. He had a business there for a short time but did not like it, and had already made up his mind to return to Exeter when he unfortunately contracted typhoid fever and died.
Mr. Fred Ziska remembers well the struggles of his parents in those pioneer days, and can appreciate to the full the changed conditions of life in this community. One time the Turkey creek was so high they could not get to the mill, and were out of flour, so they made some kind of a grater out of tin, and made corn meal-"Jonny cake" was a special luxury those days. He was at the organization of the County, then came the making of the School Districts, and the erection of the first school house, the tax as- sessed which was mostly for educational purposes was $80 a quarter section. Mr. William Dyer, a homesteader alongside of the Ziska place was the first school teacher of their district.
PHILIP SCHWAB
Philip Schwab a native of New York State went first to Michigan where he lived about three years, and then came to Nebraska, in 1871.
He was employed for a time at the sawmills near the West Blue; after- wards homesteading two and a half miles west of Exeter, where he built a sod house 16 ft. by 20 ft., to be followed by a frame building, besides many other improvements. Mr. Schwab married Melissa Whitaker, whose grand- mother was the first white woman to take up land in Fillmore County. This Mrs. E. A. Whitaker came in 1868 with her two sons and took the fourth homestead in the County; the land being situated in the West Blue Town- ship. She was for two years the only white woman in the county, and lived an eventful life, her trials, privations and perils during those early days were very great, she was often exposed to the attacks of surrounding Indians. She was however of great courage and determination, and was able to gain the confidence of her Indian neighbors. She declared after having lived in several States that she liked Nebraska best of all.
On one occasion, Mr. Bussard a relation, had a team of oxen tied at the side of the Whitaker dugout, the men had gone somewhere, and Mrs. Whit- aker saw a herd of Buffaloes making towards the cattle. Fearing that something serious would happen to the cattle; she went out with outstretch- ed apron as though she were shooing a brood of chickens, she managed to chase them till they turned their course and ran away. A band of Indians who had been chasing them followed in pursuit.
James and William Whitaker the sons before mentioned, came first to Nebraska in 1866, but had gone East, and returned bringing their mother with them. James was the father of Mrs. Schwab. Willian the uncle had the claim adjoining his mother's so he built a sod house of three rooms; half of which was on each claim, and in that way the mother and son lived out their seperate homestead rights under one roof.
Mrs. Schwab's sister, "Emma," was the first white girl born in Fill- more County (now Mrs. J. K. Hall living west of town.) This event was not only of interest to the white settlers, but also to the Indians. There were two old squaws; who lived near the Whitaker home and were very sociable; would come over to the house to see the baby, and nothing pleased them
Mrs. E. A. Whitaker, The First White Woman to Take Up Land in Filling County, and the Only White Woman in the County for Two Years After Her Arrival in 1868. Mr. Whitaker Died in Illinois.
Mrs. J. K. Hall, Husband, and Family. Mrs. Hall, (Emma Whitaker) was the First White Girl Born in Fillmore County.
more than to be allowed to hold the white "papoose." They gave several of their bead ornaments for the baby's decoration, and in many ways showed their interests in the child.
William O. Bussard a cousin to Mrs. Schwab, was a native of Aerman- town, Ohio, and at the age of ten years was taken by his parents to Marshall County, Illinois. In 1866 he came to Nebraska and made the first homestead entry in Fillmore County, living on the homestead till 1887 ,when he moved to Lushton, York County, where he died on February 11, 1911. He was described as a man of conscientious principles, and respected through- out the district.
John Brubaker Kauffman was born in Lancaster County, Penn., and moved with his parents to Miamisburg, Ohio. He was married to Malissa Carman Whitaker, a daughter of the first lady pioneer, and aunt to Mrs. Schwab. The Kauffman's came with their family to Nebraska in April 1870, taking a homestead in the West Blue Township. Mr. Kauffman was the twelfth man to settle in Fillmore County. He was described as a man of great industry and sterling honesty, many there were who spoke in high terms of his life, he died on March 14, 1904. His wife also was held in great esteem throughout the district.
Mrs. Schwab died on February 10, 1893, leaving a family of young children, she was described as a good mother and a true Christian, it being a pelasure for her to do good especially among the sick and afflicted. . Mr. Schwab lives in retirement in Exeter. The homestead is now in charge of his two sons.
Jacob Pflug, a cousin to Philip Schwab, came from New York State to Nebraska City in 1865, where he lived until 1869, he then moved to Lincoln, and in 1870 he went to Seward, afterwards coming to work on the West Blue. He homesteaded west of town in the year 1872. Ize remembers the first Revival Services held in the "Horton" School house, a sod building; with seats made of rough slabs secured at the Blue River Sawmill. The preacher was the Rev. D. S. Warner from Ohio, representing the "Church of God." The meetings were decidedly successful, about fifty people pro- fessed conversion, many of them joining the new society which was formed as a result of the mission, and some of which remain to this day loyal and faithful Christians. Mr. and Mrs. Pflug were actively engaged in this or- ganization as long as it lasted, afterwards joining the M. E. Church.
Mr. Pflug worker for five or six years in the Smith and Dolan store, this give him a close relationship with the early development of the town. There were many interests in Exeter's first store to keep him busy, for be- sides carrying on the business of General Merchandise. They were Agents for the Town Site Company, and the Burlington and Missouri Railroad lands, the Express Company, and had the Post Office, Dr. Smith being Post Master. Among the many and varied experiences of the early days, was the building of a "Russian" heating stove. Dr. Smith nad seen one such stove at Sutton and thought it would be the very thing to meet the re- quirements of the store. The stove was made of brick, and bid fair to give the desired service had it not been for the drafts being wrong. This of course was a very serious fault, instead of the stove being a source of com- fort on cold days, it made the place just as habitable for a white man as the inside of an Indian wigwam. The smoke persisted in coming into the store instead of going up the chimney, so that the "Russian" stove was no better in that regard than the Indian's open fire.
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MRS. ROPER
Mrs. M. L. Rogers, known in the earlier days as Mrs. Roper, came with her husband to this neighborhood in 1873, locating on what is now the McGhie farm; they built a sod house with a roof through which the rain made its way; this roof fell in one night, much to the discomfort of the family. In their district the people used open wells these were from seven to ten feet deep, on one occasion a horse fell backward into a well, and as a result of the great strain necessary to pull it out, it died.
Dogtown lying to the southwest of Exeter was inhabited at that time, the Ropers had to come that way to church, and Mrs. Roper thought that often it looked as though the prairie dogs were having a service of their own; it was interesting to see them squatted around with one of their num- ber sitting on a hillock as though having a confab with the others;
no doubt the dogs were good listeners.
In March 1877 Mr. Roper had gone to the unhappy task of digging a grave for a young theological student who had died of pneumonia. Mrs. Roper heard their dog bark and on looking out of the window saw about twenty Indians coming into their yard; many were dressed in scarlet blank- ets and carried gleaming rifles, a sight quite startling to a lonely woman. She fastened the doors and ran into the stairway from whence she could see them, but they could not see her. They looked through the windows and tried the doors then concluding there was no one at home, they went away; their absence being the best company. It was eivdent that these Indians were traveling from the Turkey Creek to the river Blue.
Another interesting event of those early days was a trip taken by Mrs. Roper with Mrs. T. B. Farmer in a lumber wagon to the town of Crete to have their babies photographed; they sat on sacks of grain to Pleasant Hill where the grain was delivered, and then they passed on to Crete with the usual comforts of pioneers. The pictures of the baby boys were duly taken to the delight of the fond mothers, and are no doubt precious posses- sions in these days. The Roper boy is now in Lincoln and has a large un- dertaking business. The Farmer boy is the well known singer of Denver, Colorado; their callings in life are very dissimilar, but they have made good; each in his own way serving the general public.
DR. AND MRS. GOODALL 0
Dr. and Mrs. Goodall came to Saline county in 1871 from Iowa and settled a few miles from the Fillmore county line. In those early days the Doctor had often to travel for miles over the open prairie in all kinds of weather, not even a blizzard deterred him from the duty of attending the sick. Probably no class of men in any profession is called upon to run greater risks to health and life than the doctors, and when to the common incidents of their calling there is added the hard experiences of the pioneer, no men deserve to my mind greater recognition. Doctor Goodall being an enterprising man, he like our own Dr. Smith, was anxious to have the new country opened up to settlement, so he ventured in where others feared to tread; he opened a smithy and hired a blacksmith so that the farmers might not fail through their not being able to have their implements of peaceful warfare in working order; he commenced a store, and managed the Post Office for his community, any of which he gladly put into other hands when suitable persons were forthcoming. His one desire was the success of his community. Dr. and Mrs. Goodall are the parents of Mrs .. Jennings so well known in connection with our High School Work.
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The "Blue" Near Crete, Nebraska
LEONARD BRADLEY SAGE
Leonard Bradley Sage left his family safe in Waukisha, Wisconsin, and before Thanksgiving Day, November 1871, was on his way to the South West. He traveled by rail to Lincoln, where he bought a little mule, and on this mule he rode over a large portion of south eastern Nebraska, continu- ing his traveling throughout December and January, occasionally making his way back to Lincoln for Divine Worship. He left the Nebraska prairies in February, being at that time well covered with a deep snow, and returned to Wisconsin. When the long Wisconsin winter was over and the roads were clear he prepared for his second trip to Nebraska. Having gathered to- pether various farm implements and carpenters tools, he packed them in the bottom of the wagon, the kitchen utensils, bedding, etc., were placed rext, then his wife and three small children were seated among these, and having a good strong cover over all he started out about the middle of May 1872.
Mr. Heath of Fall River, Wis., mapped out the route for him, which lay mostly along the old military or government road. He drove a team of mares, and had a boy on horse back to drive his two cows along behind. The weather was beautiful and the load heavy so they journeyed slowly along making between twenty and twenty-five miles a day, but resting on Sundays. The journey was quite uneventful until they were well on their way through Iowa, when they came to a deep swift stream and stopped there for dinner. Mrs. Sage went down the steep bank to the stream for water, and the oldest child intending to go with her ran down the bank go- ing faster and faster until unable to stop, she fell right into the stream, and was being carried swiftly away by the water when her mother who was just below grabbed the child just in time to save her.
When they had left the old military road and almost finished the jour- vey through Iowa, they were overtaken by the first severe storm. Hail fell and rain poured down in torrents, then the wind capsized the wagon in a little ravine. Mr. Sage sprang from the front of the wagon over the horses seizing them by the bits to prevent a runaway. Water ran down the ravine in a good sized stream and poured right through the cover of the wagon. Just before this they were joined by other immigrants traveling to the south and these women helped to pull Mrs. Sage and the babies from among the pillows under the load. Mrs. Sage's left arm was broken, this happened on Wednesday and they had to travel until Saturday before they came to a place where it could be properly attended to. On the Friday they came to the home of kind Mrs. Yerga who wrapped the broken arm, cared for the babies and fed all the hungry travelers. The next day at Red Oak a doctor gave the arm proper attendance. Mrs. Sage will never forget the grating bones of that arm as she carried it over the top of her head as the wagon jarred along over the rough roads.
After they had crossed the Missouri the other people turned south towards Peru, while they kept on to the west towards Lincoln. They stopped some fifteen or twenty miles the other side of Lincoln, where Mr. Sage did a good big washing, and the next day they arrived in Lincoln and stopped for a short time in the street when her father put his head in the front end of the wagon cover, when they were all very glad to see him.
Mrs. Sage stayed in Lincoln for a few weeks while Mr. Sage came out to the claim, it being the South East quarter of Section 12 in Liberty Town- ship. There were six acres broke on the claim, so he planted beans, potatoes and cucumbers, the beans turned out very well, they sold a good many bushels at seven cents a pound, besides putting up pickles enough for a year. The babies were all sick while in Lincoln, so Mrs. Sage came out to the
claim while her arm was still useless, things were not very cozy, but they lived only one moment at a time, and matters soon improved.
A little later Mr. Sage went to Crete and secured a big load of lumber and before long a tiny house went up on the claim with a floor on which as someone remarked, "The neighbors will hear you walk for miles around." They had brought several things with them such as a barrel of pork, a good many pounds of sugar, etc., so they were quite comfortable that first winter. It was during that winter that they had their first glimpse of their new neighbors, and in the spring when the ladies visited them they were very pleased indeed. Even now after the old home is broken up and Mrs. Sage has left the district, she sometimes thinks of the old times and says, "O for my dear old neighbors!"
She also remembers the visits from the Indians, and how "The pipe of peace" was passed around, and how the "big Indian" tripped his toe and fell headlong over a squash vine as he was chasing down a chicken; much to the amusement of the children.
They were all glad to attend the Sunday school at the J. K. Barber's sod house, and later the preaching in a sod house not far from the north east corner of his place.
One morning in the early spring as Mr. Sage was looking over the place he came across a nest containing what looked like nine little kittens; every one exactly alike, and thinking to please the children he brought them home, but O! what a disappointment there was when they understood just what they were. These were evidently skunks, sometimes mistakenly called polecats.
One morning he was starting to the field and the children were playing outside when they heard a great commotion and on looking out they saw the little boy's heels (then nearly two years old) sticking out of a box of lime which lay already prepared for plastering, it was thick and heavy for the hair and sand were mixed in it. He pulled the little fellow out and took him to the tank and had his clothes removed immediately. The blood oozed through what little skin was left on his face, and for a week or two they despaired of his ever seeing again, but he finally same out all right no doubt with the help of the clear air and the bright sunshine of the prairie country.
Mr. Sage has passed to his reward and Mrs. Sage spends her time among her family, and in looking back over the years she remembers that in spite of difficulties and the newness of it all, as long as they were well they were happy.
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MR. AND MRS. JAMES ALEXANDER
Mr. and Mrs. James Alexander left Aberdeen, Scotland, for Exeter, Ne- braska, on June 22, 1872, after passing through the vicissitudes of a long sea voyage, and the initiations of the immigrant entering a strange country; they made their way westward, and ultimately arrived at the Pacific Junct- ion in Iowa. Here they were left on the open platform without a home or shelter, but having with them some beds and rugs, and the weather being fine, these were unpacked, spread very carefully on the platform, and there with the starry heavens for a covering they passed the night. They next made their way to Lincoln, a small town in those days, and were pro- vided for a while with accomodation in the Burlington Immigration House. In due course they came out to Exeter, and on arriving at the getting off place (there being no depot) they were put off the train with their boxes and trunks and again left to make the best of a new situation. The party
consisted of six persons: Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, two small boys, a grand- mother, and a girl who looked after the children. Mr. J. K. Barber hap- pened to be on the ground at the time, and offered to take them to their destination, the place being three miles east near the railroad. This offer of help was gladly accepted, and they made their way to where many years of their life would be spent.
Mr. Alexander was able to buy the rights of a homestead for $50.00, and sent the necessary filing fee of $14.00 to Lincoln. It was not for some time afterwards that he learned of the $14.00 having been used for some other purpose, which meant, that the land in the Government's eyes was not his, and it became necessary to pay the $14.00 a second time. Such was the character of some people with whom the pioneers had to deal.
They secured the use of an old soddy built on the adjoining land at a rental of one dollar a month; such a charge would appear unusually reason- able in contrast with charges in their native "Granite City," but this house was not of granite, it had but one small room, the roof was of such a char- acter as to necessitate the use of umbrellas in rainy weather, and the floor being dug out made a good receptacle for the water, and was at times more like a duck-pond than ought else, probably the rent charged was suf- ficient for such a house.
During their sojourn in this house they were called upon to celebrate their first "July Fourth." Mr. and Mrs. James Horne having heard of the new arrivals from Scotland, and being themselves of the same hardy stock, they naturally felt led to make a friendly visit to bid the strangers welcome to the new country; making the Fourth of July the occasion of the visit. With their two children they called upon the Alexanders who at the time of this visit were without a stove or chairs, table or bedsteads; but they had brought with them some of the Scotch oatmeal, the real stuff that makes their people muscular, sturdy, and strong; some cheese and tea, which, with the aid of other good things they celebrated their independence of many other things.
A dugout was made on their own land for a home, this also being a house of one room; wherein they had to make the most of little space in this broad land. The capacity and furnishings of this house were at times taxed to their utmost possibility. On one occasion when Mr. Alexander was at- tending prayer meeting in town, seven wayfaring men presented them- selves at this humble home for a night's shelter. Here indeed was a task and the responsibility, yet with that large hearted responsiveness to the call of the hour so often demanded and so often granted in the hospitable west, these men were taken in and sheltered, being made as comfortable as pos- sible on the floor; while the members of the household slept on boxes.
Mrs. Alexander's first trip to Friend was through the kindness of a neighbor; the journey was made over the prairie on a Bob Sled drawn bv an ox team named Buck and Berry. The condition of the trails were such (there were no roads in those days) that the passengers were as often off as on their seats; all the joyful bumps and jumps of a modern automobile ride are not to be compared to the pleasures of that Bob-sled ride over the prairie, for Mrs. Alexander declares she enjoyed that trip to Friend.
They were often brought to church services by an American named Harry Sturtevant; whose name appears as a charter member of our Con- gregational Church; he had a good measure of the old time religion in his soul; in fact it was "pressed down and running over," and so great was the overflow that the journey by wagon was made lively with his singing, his favorite song being, "Jesus Died and Paid it All," so real was his exper- ience of the love of Christ which sought outward expression, that where he failed in voice volume; he made up with his feet on the bottom of the wagon.
The services at that time were held over the Smith and Dolan store, and they presented several unusual features to the Scottish Presbyterians. It seemed odd to find the men and women divided in worship after the fashion of the Jews; the men on one side of the room and the women on the other. a custom still surviving in the services of country school houses. It was equally strange to find the people visiting together in the building immed- iately after service, a custom which does not obtain in the places of wor- ship of older countries, and not even in this country among Episcopalians or Roman Catholics.
The men thought nothing of attending services then in their blue over- alls; often the color of the main garment was washed out, or had faded in the sun, while relief was given to the whole aspect of the garment by the brighter blue of the new cloth patches about the knees, how the original knee parts had been worn out is not told, though we believe many of them were men of prayer, and one thing is certain, the fashions did not count with men and women attending divine service in those days. It was the fashion to go to worship, and as their custom was they went, and He, who looketh not on the outward appearance, but looketh into the heart, gave them their meat in due season.
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