USA > Nebraska > Sherman County > Loup City > The trail of the Loup; being a history of the Loup River region > Part 8
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"Sunday, Oct. 29. A terrible wind came up in the night. As we were in an exposed place we thought best to hitch up and get on the road again. So between two and three o'clock in the morning we were on our way across the sand hills to the Loup River. We reached the river at an early hour and camped on an island, where we cooked breakfast. In crossing over the bluffs between the South Loup and the North Loup we rested for a little while at the home of a Mr. Ward (A. Ward of Mira Creek) and camped for the night at a sod house where dwelt Andrew J. Gillespie (near where Cotesfield now is.) This has been our hardest day's travel yet. Monday, Oct. 30th. After getting a good breakfast we set our faces toward the bluffs (chalk hills below Scotia Junction). Camped for dinner before crossing the bluffs. We boys followed the river while father crossed the hills with the team to the valley above. Went into camp all tired out at some willows on the river near where Mansell Davis's farm now is. Are now near our journey's end; indeed, we feel as though this is "out West" for all settlers are now below us. The day has been fine. Antelope are plentiful but there is no time to hunt them.
Tuesday, Oct. 31. Father and I went down the river and looked at some heavy timber before breakfast. On the way back we went up stream some distance, and then took across the prairie to reach the wagon, but encountered instead a beautiful little creek which I followed for some distance. Here I shot a coon. After breakfast I followed a large herd of antelope but again failed to bag any. About noon I saw some elk and wolves. After some further exploring we returned to the Gillespie home for the night. Wednesday, Nov, 11. This morning we started early to see what the country was like away from the river. Followed a canyon for some distance, and about noon reached a fair sized creek (Davis Creek) on what is now the Scott place south of North Loup. After dinner we followed the
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creek for some distance. Father now doubled on the trail with the team. We missed one another that night, and we boys got neither supper nor bed that night. . . . Friday, Nov. 3. Wanted to go hunting today but were obliged to give it up as we had some surveying to do to find the lines of the boys' (Mansell and John's) claims. Went up Mira Creek this afternoon with Will West, a young man who had been with us for a few days. Again we saw game in plenty but failed to kill any. The boys have settled upon what claims to take at last, so we are now ready to return to Grand Island.
This is as far as we need pursue the reading of Mr. Rood's diary. It should be added that the committee retraced their long journey to Wis- cousin that same fall. Here they spent a busy winter talking up the new enter- prise and making actual preparations to settle the Loup Valley the succeeding spring
From the foregoing narrative it appears that the Wisconsin colony were the first to look over lands of the upper Valley and the first to select claims in what had just been organized under the name of Greeley county; but when it comes to first actual settlement, then the palm must be given to a handful of men coming out of old Denmark .* And the facts in the case are as here set forth : Between 1869 and '71 five enterprising young Danes had arrived in the United George Miller. States, hoping here to win the way for themselves which economic circumstances in the old homeland forbade. In the the spring of 1872 we find them all in Missouri where George Moller (GeorgeMiller) was engaged in the Iron Works of Crawford county, while Niels Andersen (Nels Andersen) toiled in the Warrensburg coal mines. Peter Mortensen, Christian Frey and Jeppe Smith, the other members of the little band, took any work which promised to turn an honest penny. It early dawned upon the friends that Missouri was not the place for them; indeed they longed for a chance to become their own masters, a chance to show their abilities in the line of "nation-building." Thus it came about that they formed a "partnership for weal and woe" and cast their lot with
*Our attention has just been called to the fact that A. M. Stewart, now residing across the line in Greeley county actually settled on a claim in Valley county five months before the Danish colony entered the county. He picked his quarter in September, 1871, and filed on it January 1, 1872. Likewise. A. P. Fish was the very first to move onto a farm in Greeley county. This he did in Sep- tember 1872. He therefore appears to be the very first actual settler_in the entire valley above Howard county.
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the North Loup Valley. This was no sooner said than done. All but Christian Frey immediately took ticket for Grand Island and arrived there April 10, 1872. The former was obliged to await the arrival of a sum of money from Denmark. He is nevertheless to be considered as one of the original five, and as one of them he owned his share in the partnership outfit.
At Grand Island all preparations were made for the proposed settle-
Peter Mortensen.
ment. There was the outfit to be procured and the thousand and one things so essential in a new country, miles from nearest trading depot. Peter Mortensen says that "jointly we purchased two ox teams for which we paid nearly $400.00, one wagon which cost us an even $100.00, two breaking plows and some few other farm and household utensils, for which we paid proportionately high prices." When all was ready for the start the cattle were "inspanned" and our four adventurers faced north for the conquest of the Loup. George Miller, by right of seniority and be- cause of much experience gained in Australian wilds and mining camps, was recognized as "lead trecker" and headed the train.
Behold them then good reader, honest men as you know them today -Hon. Peter Mortensen, State Treasurer of our great Commonwealth,
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Nebraska, and the others, thrifty men all, gee-ing and haw-ing, perspiring and "cussing," as they endeavored to keep the stubborn oxen in the trail of those tiresome sandhills sonth of the Middle Loup! Little did they then realize what the future had in store for them, either of hardship and tribulation or of wealth and honor! The Middle Loup was forded between Dannebrog and St. Paul. The latter town was then just one year old and boasted four houses all told. On up the valley the journey continued. At Cotesfield our travellers found a handful of settlers and a company of
soldiers on scouting duty. "Happy Jack's" quarters were next reached and passed. They were now on the frontier-the very outpost of civiliza- tion. The many hues of early springtime were beginning to tint hill and vale as the two creaking ox-carts crossed the southern line to the confines of Valley county. And there was springtime in the pioneers' hearts too; for here at last was their land of prom- ise; of these beautiful river bottoms, of these gently rolling hills-the very pick was theirs. The first camp was pitched on Raccoon Creek, now known as Myra or Mira Creek, near the site of the pres- ent day North Loup. Claims were lo- cated and all preparations made for permanent settlement. It soon became apparent, however, that the quarters chosen would logically belong to the Seventhi-Day Baptist Colony already projected. Accordingly stakes were again pulled and our little band con- tinued up the valley and for a second time camp was pitched, but now imme- diately above Dane Creek and not far Jeppe Smith. from its confluence with the river.
The farm lands in the river valley at this point are not excelled for beauty of location or fertility of soil by any in our section of the state. Here, then, in the very heart of the valley, our pioneers selected for permanent settlement, section eight of the present Ord Township. The very first thing done was to plow a furrow around the entire section- this, by the way, was done by Nels Andersen, who on this account, and justly, claims to have been the first to turn the virgin glebe in the Valley -- and then to cast lots for choice of quarters. These fell out as follows: Jeppe Smith, N. W. |: Peter Mortensen, N. E. +: George Miller, S. E. }; and Nels Andersen, S. W. 4. When Christian Frey, the fifth member, arrived a few weeks later, he selected the S. E. } of Section six, cornering with the other section on the northwest.
For economy's sake the newcomers deemed it advisable to spend the first year in a "joint habitation," as Mr. Mortensen puts it. This was a part dugout and part log-house, set in the sunny bank of a low sink in the
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latter's claim. Not alone did this bumble abode answer as a home for the owners, but it became also a sort of hostelry-no pay being taken, let it be known-from later comers. Its hospitable roof sheltered many a weary wayfarer in the early days. Furthermore, in these unpretentious quarters ยท was tried the first criminal suit in the annals of the new county ; here was held the first school for the upper half of the county ; and here for several years, was the county treasurer's office located. We cannot but regret that this modest, though historic landmark should have been demolished, not even a photograph remaining. The cut here inserted is drawn as faithfully as possible from memory and is, at least, in main features, true ' to the original.
The first summer was a busy one for the newcomers. Prairie had to be broken for a first crop of sod corn; trees must be felled on the river islands and logs hauled out for buildings to be erected. Then there was the all important culinary department. This was George Miller's forte. He had, as remarked above, spent some years in the gold fields of Australia,
A Poor Reproduction of Hon. Peter Mortensen's First Dugout.
and there proved himself much more successful as a plain cook than as a prospector after the delusive gold. Such early experiences stood him well in stead now. His "boarders" never grew weary boasting of "Uncle" George's culinary skill and of his warm-hearted hospitality to the hungry wayfarer. Mr. Mortensen avers that "Uncle George" in addition to being a good cook, had considerable luck with his hooks and lines, and often surprised his boarders with a fine mess of well baked cattish-a rare change from the usual meal of fat bacon." As a single instance of the open-handed hospitality common to all settlers of the early years, let us relate the first experiences of Melville Goodenow in the county. "Mell" Goodenow, as will be shown elsewhere in these pages, first beheld the valley from the hilltops east of the river. In scanning the beautiful, peaceful landscape lying immediately below him, where he had scarcely expected to find trace of white men, he was, to again quote Mr. Mortensen,
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"happily surprised in finding evidence of civilization, and was not slow in wading the river. In a weak and nearly starved condition he arrived at our dugout. Mr. Miller received him in true Danish hospitality, and while he was sipping a cup of George's extra strong coffee, the latter soon had a catfish and a pan of hot biscuit ready, and soon our friend sat down to his first-and probably the best relished meal eaten in the Loup Valley." But let us leave the dugout hostelry and trace out the fortunes of Chris- tian Frey.
When the long awaited money from Denmark finally made its appear- 'ance, Mr. Frey lost no time in shaking the dust of old Missouri from his feet and setting out for Grand Island. This thriving little burg he reached without any adventures, and was there lucky enough to make the acquaint- ance of a Paul Andersen from Dannebrog, who gave him a lift as far as that place. From Dannebrog the jour- ney was more difficult. It meant a fifty mile tramp across the hills, with knap- sack on back.
"Happy Jack's" cabin was the only oasis on this part of the trip, and there Mr. Frey rested for the night. Bright and early the next morning, he was again upon the road, ever northward along the river. By noon he climbed the hills south of where Ord now stands and had little difficulty to locate the white tent of his comrades, some two or three miles up the valley. Footsore and hungry he reached the camp, which to his disgust he found deserted and the tent closed. However, feeling Christian Frey. morally sure that he was in the right camp and his companions not far away, he made the most of a bad case by foreing his way into the tent, where after some foraging he succeeded in finding cold victuals enough to satisfy a voracious appetite. Then with a sigh of the well filled he threw himself upon a handy bunk, and was all but drifting into dreamland when, hark! muffled hoof beats in the distance! With a Jeap he is on his feet and outside the tent, where a hasty survey of the field lends a vision of several Indian warriors on horseback, dashing furiously toward the tent, arms waving and well burnished rifle-barrels brandished on high. This was a moment to try men at home on the plains, to say nothing of a weary stranger in a strange land, suddenly roused from sweet dreams of home across the sea! But if these were savage red skins on murder intent, our camp defender certainly made ready to sell his life as dearly as possible. His old navy pistol, of 50 bore, could surely be relied on to dispatch at least one of the foe and then the Lord would preserve the just! A handy wagon box made an
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excellent barricade. Back of this protection, then, Mr. Frey crouched, frantically signalling to the oncoming horsemen to halt. Then as bad luck would have it, his ancient weapon exploded, all unpremeditated on his part, and sent its missile whistling dangerously close to the foc.
Here was indeed a predicament! The only weapon of defense suddenly made useless, for we can scarcely count the folding knife which never had seen more serious service than to carve tobacco! And right here the Indians make a diversion. They dash apart to take him on the flanks. They are almost upon him now. The horses' labored breath is audible above the din. The empty pistol may yet make an excellent weapon in a hand-to- hand struggle: so, calmly bracing himself for the final, inevitable crash, when-what means this? Panting horses suddenly reined to their haunches, two astonished pale faces, two pairs of staring, blue eyes, such as are found only close up under the Aurora Borealis of old Scandinavia, and-"Det var da som Pokker!"' from the one, and "Nu har jeg aldrig seet Magen !" from the other. Was he dreaming, or was that the tongue he had learned to lisp across the sea! There could be no doubt about it. Here was a case of mistaken identity-a case of Dane meet Dane! Mutual handshakings and explanations revealed the fact that the horsemen were Danish trappers, Dahl and Andersen, who had for some time made their camp with the colonists. They knew that their hosts were away from camp, not to return till night. It was therefore very natural that they should mistake the lone defender of the barricade as an invader and enemy, especially as he fired the first shot. Some of our early fathers bave claimed that Frey got rattled and lost his nerve. But, tell me, what tenderfoot in a like predicament could have improved upon our little melodrama? But, as the author is no Irving and this is no Knickerbocker History, we must be done. Only, in passing, let it be said that never for one moment should Christian Frey's courage be questioned. A man who is willing and eager to hunt Indians on no better steed than a mule, and who slept week after week all alone in his little ten by twelve log house when many of his neighbors had retired to Cotesfield for fear of Indians is no eraven !
The small Danish colony had hardly more than broken ground on their claims before the advance guard of the above-mentioned Seventh- Day & Baptists reached the deserted first camp on Raccoon Creek. The story of their advent is well told by Walter Rood in the North Loup Loyalist which runs as follows:
"Inspired by the glowing accounts of Nebraska as given by the second party that had gone to spy out the land, a number decided to emigrate in the spring to this land-the west. On April 1, 1872, the first party con- sisting of John Sheldon and wife, Mrs. S. M. Janes and family, Mansell Davis and wife, and Mrs. Bartow, started on their long overland journey. Mrs. Bartow did not reach the place for which she started as she met and loved a man in Iowa; they were married and went to Kansas. On April 3 of the same year Charlie Wellman and wife, George Rood and wife and Charlie Rood took their departure. It was expected that the latter party
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would overtake the former but for some reason failed to do so, tho' Mansell was overtaken before the end of the journey was reached. The journey at that season of the year was not an easy one to make or ' -is full of incidents and mishaps which are laughable now, but which au at time were rather serious. At a place where a stop was made one night in the Platte Valley they first met and became acquainted with a family that soon followed them up into the Loup country-the family was that of Alonzo Shepard. When Grand Island was reached George and Charlie Rood waited a day or two for Elder Oscar Babcock who was coming by rail and who was to join them there and to go up with them. Thus they did not reach their journey's end till the 13th of May.
"Thru letters written to the Sabbath Recorder, the denominational organ of the Seventh Day Baptists, others of like faith in Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, and at Humbolt, Nebraska, had learned of the new country and many had decided to cast their lotin the new land, so the parties from Dakota found others had preceded them. There had come from Humbolt, L. S. Davis, A. H. Terry, John Furrow, A. H. Davis and others; from other places H. A. Babcock, George Larkin, G. H. Johnson, N. W. Bab- cock and others whose names are familiar. Those coming first had camped near the river on Will Negley's place opposite "Shepard's Grove;" the other party camped near the river and across the creek opposite where N. W. Babcock now lives. The days of the first week were spent in getting acquainted and in looking over the country; and when the Sabbath came, May 18, all gathered at the upper camp where religions services, the first ever held in all this Loup Country, were conducted by Elder Babcock, who had been ordained to the ministry but a few years before this time. The services were conducted in the open air, not even a tent being available for shelter. In lieu of a better thing for a pulpit, or something behind which he might stand, the Elder used an old rocking chair. The singing was led by Charley Rood who was at that time a beardless boy. Thus the beginning of their life here, and the foundation upon which they hoped to build their homes, was a recognition of God's power and an acknowledgment of their faith and trust in Him.
"The week following this service was spent by the men in locating claims and by the women in discussing those questions which are dear to every woman's heart-babies, dress, cooking and their neighbors. The first one to take out homestead papers was Garrett Maxson who filed on the farm now owned and occupied by A. S. Cleary. The original dugout built by Mr. Maxson is still in existance, and is used by Mr. Cleary as a summer kitchen. It, with the house on what is known as the Billins farm, built by John Sheldon, is the only original house that is in use at this time. It is part dug out and part cottonwood logs cut from what used to be an island in the river south of the R. R. bridge at Scotia.
"Among those who filed on land at this time we mention Elder Babcock who homesteaded a part of what is now the townsite of North Loup; Amos Burdick, the farm just west of the "42" schoolhouse; Col. Davis, the farm
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occupied by Charley Rich; H. A. Babcock. the farm where Claud Hill lives; Bert Davis, Burgess' place; Charley Wellman, the place the family still owns; A. H. Terry, O. S. Potter's farm where Ed. Brace lives; Dr. Badger, McClellan's farm. Nearly all the land taken was in the valley and near to North Loup. But few of these who homesteaded first now own the land then taken, and Mansell Davis is the only one who still owns his farm intact and who has resided continuously upon his land. "By the time the second sabbath had come several of the new settlers were on their farms, living yet in their wagons, so it was decided to meet at the home-wagon -- of Charley Wellman for worship on the second sab- bath, and again Elder Babcock preached for the little band who gathered at the appointed place. During the week following this second sabbath service the Elder departed for his home in Wisconsin, thus no preaching services were held, yet the colonists con- tinued to meet for worship during the summer though somewhat irregularly.
By the 28th all had broken camp and were located on their claims, and had begun in real earnest the work of developing the country. The sum- mer was spent in breaking prairie, put- ting up hay, trying to raise a little sod corn, building some sort of shelter for the winter and by some of the men in working in the Platte Valley to earn a little money with which to purchase their few necessities. As nearly all who came here were poor and not at all provided with ready cash, not very many luxuries were indulged Hon. Oscar Babcock: First Preacher in the during this period. And the sod house Valley.
and dug-out made were not the finest in the world, nor were they as well furnished as one might wish them to be, yet all were happy and contented with their lot .* Did a plow need sharpening, or were some groceries needed a trip to Grand Island was necessary. In order that letters from home might be received or letters sent to friends, a trin of from thirty to fifty miles must be made. However, as these were to be a part of their daily life the hardy settlers made the best of them and they but little realized the hardships they were passing
*Elder Oscar Babcock in speaking of the dugout says: "It required but little money to build one of these houses and to finish it in all its parts. I herewith produce a duplicate of an itemized ac- count of money actually expended in building one of the structures 14x14 feet on the ground and one story high: 1 window. 8x10 glass $1.25: 18 feet lumber for front door .54: 1 latch and hinge. no lock, .50; 1 joint pipe to go through roof .30; 3 lbs. nails to make door. etc .. . 19. Total $2.78."
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through. During the summer other settlers continued to arrive from vari- ous parts of the country and by fall quite a respectable settlement was formed. "
While the Seventh. Day Baptist colony was thus rapidly getting on its feet, the upper colony was by no means lagging. In June a second con- tingent arrived. These were Fred Dowhower with family, and a brother, John Dowhower, who filed respectively on the northwest quarter and the southwest quarter of section six, Ord townsihp, and Falle Moller with family, who homesteaded the northeast quarter of the same section. In this way it came that by the middle of July the settlement comprised eight farmsteads contiguous to one another. Fred Dowhower was from the first an eccentric and excitable character, but withal a good neighbor, and honest and upright in all his dealings. It is with many regrets that his many friends, yet living, contemplate his sad end in an asylum for the insane, after having weathered all the storms in- cident to the early seventies and laid the foundations to the substantial pros- perity which his family now enjoys. The old homestead settled in '72 has never been allowed to pass out of the family being at the present farmed by a son, Fred Dowhower, Jr. The brother John early tired of the strennous frontier life and abandoned his claim, soon after filed on by "Harve" C. Potter.
Falle Moller arrived with his family direct from Hadersley, Denmark. He reached Grand Island on the 14th of September and there left. the family in Falle Moller. comfortable quarters, while he, with true Danish grit, tramped the entire distance from the "Island" to the Dane Creek settlement, a distance of between 60 and 70 miles, "without feeling, " as he puts it, "one bit the worse for the trip." After selecting his claim Mr. Moller retraced the journey to Grand Island, and purchased there a team of horses, wagon, two cows and all necessary household utensils.
Thus equipped he set out for the Loup Valley, reaching the Morten- sen dugout late in the day of July 28. While buildings were being erected on their homestead the Mollers found shelter under the hospitable roof of our bachelors. Quite an addition indeed was this to the dugout family of five- parents, the son Jorgen, and three daughters, Marie, Elizabeth and Laura. But those were the days when to incommode oneself was a duty and to suffer inconvenience a rule. The Mollers, too, have religi- ously guarded the old homestead and never allowed it to pass out of the family. It now belongs to the son, Jorgen, who through industry and
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