USA > Nebraska > York County > York County, Nebraska and its people : together with a condensed history of the state, Vol. I > Part 57
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The Presbyterian congregation had in 1884 built a church near the cemetery two miles west of the town. This building and the parsonage were moved in the summer of 1889, and the Intheran people erected their church the same year. Rev. B. F. Sharp, of York, was the first Presbyterian pastor, and Reverend Schneur was the first Lutheran pastor. The Methodist people built some years later, with the Rev. D. M. Buckner as their first pastor.
Mr. Vanderveer built a large grain elevator: Mr. Stryker also went into this business, and A. L. Sprague built a fine elevator north of the depot. These three grain firms went out of business, and James & Brother purchased the Vanderveer plant, which is yet in operation under the management of the Hastings Grain Company, N. G. Ensey, manager. The other elevators were taken down and
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STREET SCENE, HENDERSON
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MAIN STREET, LOOKING EAST, BENEDICT
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removed to points in Kansas. The farmers some ten years ago met and organized the Farmers' Grain Association, erecting a large elevator, which has done a good business every year, paying a better price for grain than any of the surrounding towns had been paying, and also paying an eight per cent dividend each year. The elevator has been under the management of A. J. Houston nearly ever since it was completed. R. E. McConahanghy put in a lumber yard here in 1888, which passed into the hands of the Rogers Lumber Company, and which was bought out by the Benedict Lumber & Fuel Association, another organization formed by the farmers. This proved to be a great success financially. In 1907, on the 15th of April, the six buildings on the south half of the block 22, on Sherman Street, were destroyed by fire. A very heavy wind was blowing from the northwest, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the southeast quarter of the town was saved. The postoffice and Miss Lett's queensware stock, the barber shop, drug store. R. B. Brabham's building and stock and the building and hardware stock of C. H. Dovenbarger were destroyed, with some salvage on the stocks. Mr. Dovenbarger built a fine brick store building on his lot, and S. J. Parker built a brick building on the site of the barber shop, which is the home of the village club.
HENDERSON
, The Town of Henderson is situated in the southwest part of York County in the very northwest corner of Henderson Township. It is less than one mile east of the York and Hamilton County line on the Northwestern Railroad line through the county. It was laid out on Will Chapman's land by the town site company when the railroad went through in 1888.
The following article, which was prepared by the staff of the York New Teller and published in the January 23, 1918, number of that paper, gives a very thorough history of this charming community.
When the first German people who left Prussia in the year 1874 and settled here there were but few pioneers on the plain known now as York and Hamilton coun- ties. When our parents settled here they had to haul all of their grain to Sutton or York, which was quite a task. No Henderson was in sight at that time, but in the year 1887 when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was built through here it was at this time the little village of Henderson sprang up, in the midst of this wide prairie. Some of the old pioneers who lived in this vicinity at that time were the following travelers: Cropsey, Westgate, Bray, Triesen, Regier. Epp, Hender- son, Pankrapz, Janzen, Iluebert, Abrahams, and others.
The village was built on section 6 of Henderson Township on land here which was owned by Cornelius Regier, and it was talked that the village should be called Regier, but no, Regier Brothers suggested that it be called Henderson, in honor of the old pioneer. David Henderson (father of Robert Henderson of York).
Thirty years ago, about the time of the great blizzard, the first houses of this town were being built, of which some still exist : the town has been growing ever since, not as fast as many other towns have, but it has kept pace with the average small towns of but a few stores and dwellings and has grown to be a village of four hundred and fifty or five hundred inhabitants. It has about one hundred and fifty dwelling houses, two elevators, one flour and feed store, two implement stores, one harness shop, three hardware stores, two garages, one clothing store, three
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general merchandise stores, one meat market, one hotel, one restaurant, one drug store, one blacksmith shop, town hall, telephone exchange, waterworks system with a stand pipe and tank about one hundred feet and about twenty-five feet of pipe. The town is lighted by electricity. There are about twenty-five farm lines of tele- phone that are being connected to the central office and probably over one hundred phones in the village, and in all there are about four hundred phones that have access to the central otlice. There is a high school building consisting of about ten rooms. It has a basement and two stories. This school has five teachers em- ployed and the grades from first to eleventh are taught, and the enrollment is about one hundred and fifty in all of the different grades.
There are also two churches in the town. One has a membership of over four hundred and the other has about seventy-five to one hundred members. Both churches are of the Mennonite denomination. Those who cannot understand the German language have only the Sunday school and Bible Union which are con- ducted in English. The services are held at the German schoolhouse. The Hen- derson Gesang Verein (Henderson Choral Society) was organized in the year 1913. It has been very successfully managed for the last five years. At present it has a membership of sixty-six voices. Professor Amadon of York College has charge of the work this year. The meetings are held on every Friday evening. The work is generally begun in September and lasts until in April. This last Christmas the cantata "Peace on Earth" was given at Bethsada Church. Fifty-three voices took part. At Easter the cantata "The Conqueror" was given. Those interested in the society have sacrificed their time and their finances, which were the two most important factors to make it a success.
A new town hall of cement blocks was erected last summer, which cost some- thing over two thousand dollars. A hose cart with 500 feet of hose and with other tools to fight fire have been in use for the last ten years. The fire bell is on a tower and a flag is above the bell.
For many years the town had a saloon, but for the last seven or eight years it has been without such a place, and the pool hall has also been done away with for the past three or four years. Since the town site company has bought the land north of the railroad track and laid it out into lots of about an acre cach some very beautiful dwellings have been built on the north side of the town.
Herman Snyder ran one of the first stores on the east side of the town, where the present Peter Ratzlett store is now located. John Harms put in a store in the M. W. A. Building, where J. J. Fast is now in business. J. J. Peters ran an early store, which was sold to D. D. Epp. The Updike Grain Company started the earliest lumber and coal yard and elevator business. The Octavia Lumber Com- pany started a second yard a few years ago, and the J. H. Yost Company took over the old Updike lumber yard. Mr. Cheesman started another early elevator, which a Mr. Anthony later ran; after being closed, the second elevator business in town was replaced by the Farmers' Elevator Company. The first blacksmith shop was run by Pierce Ball, and A. Peters installed the first garage. Russell Vining started a drug store, which also later elosed out.
The town was incorporated on October 4, 1899, with A. E. Newbold, Peter Goosen, D. H. Pessman. D. J. Kroecker, J. B. Funk, and A. France as first trustees.
Among the most recent businesses in town are: Friessen Brothers' general store :
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J. P. Pauley Lumber Company ; G. W. Friessen's store, successor of the Williams Clothing Company branch store here; Janzen Brothers, hardware and grocery ; D. D. Wines, implements, and E. K. Kusch's meat market.
LUSHTON
Lushton is built on section 25, township 9, range 4, in Henderson Township and was surveyed and built in the spring of 1888, when the railroad came through to MeCool Junction from Sutton. The board or village trustees were A. Holmes, chairman; M. W. Straiter, A. Cookus, M. D. Calkins, T. C. Williams, with Ed Allison as clerk and Homer Hager as treasurer. The Kansas City & Omaha was put through here in the spring of 1887. The first general store was built in Lush- ton by Dorsey Brothers, who came down from Arborville. They operated this store but one year, when they sold to Dailey & Farber, who carried on the business for about ten years. In the summer of 1887 Mr. Albert Holmes built a general store building and in connection with his store took charge of the postoffice, which he conducted until a little more than three years ago, when on account of ill health he sold to Howard Dearing, who, in partnership with his mother, Mrs. E. T. Dearing, operated the store for a short while, when they sold out to Jacob Epp & Son. Mr. Holmes had always been identified with the business interests of the village and was greatly missed by the people of the community when he passed away after a short illness. Mr. William Babcock was also in the mercantile busi- ness for several years. In the fall of 1887 the farmers were highly elated over having a grain market at their very doors, the first grain being brought in at that time. In October, 1887, J. J. Burras and C. N. Kineaid of Lincoln organized the first lumber company and were soon ready for business. That business was soon purchased by Mr. M. B. Thompson, who had helped to shovel the first load of grain in Lushton, and it was successfully operated by him for a number of years, and was finally taken over by the Yost Lumber Company. The first hardware store in Lushton was built and operated by C. D. Walters; Edward Moore ran the first drug store. William Cookus put in the first blacksmith shop, but at present has relinquished the pounding of iron for more convenient work. The first hotel was a two-story frame building on the east side of the main store, and was built and operated by Mr. William Walters. The State Bank of Lushton was the first and only bank in Lushton, and was organized in the spring of 1887 by George and Tom Clawson. Although a small town, the ladies knew the magnetism establishment, so Mrs. Susan Daily started a shop and sold millinery for a good many years. In 1888 the first elevator was built and operated by Will R. Vanderburg.
The United Brethren Church was the first church to grace the village of Lushton, and it was moved in from the country.
The store operated by Daily & Farber was later bought by M. W. Strater, who was a successful merchant, full of ambition ; he was one of the liveliest merchants of his time. In February, 1913, he retired from business, having sold out to Franz Bros., who have also been very successful. Early on the morning of March 5, 1913, the people of Lushton were awakened from peaceful slumber by a call of fire. The entire town was in danger, but luckily through the change of wind only one block of the business section was burned to the ground. The buildings
Vol. I-31
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demolished were a restaurant, hardware store, cream station, and millinery store. Several other buildings were damaged. However, the citizens were not to be dis- couraged. On the corner lot a large brick building was erected in 1915 by the firm of Jacob Epp & Son, who are operating a successful mercantile establish- ment. The population of Lushton is about two hundred; it is in the midst of a thriving farming district. Besides its two general mercantile stores it now has two hardware stores, two cream stations, a drug store, a furniture and undertaking establishment, a meat market, a barber shop, central office, confectionery. garage and livery, lumber yard, school house, large, neatly kept hotel, which has just been opened again, a new blacksmith shop, recently erected by Mr. MeNutt. Lushton has had two churches, but for the past year services were held only in the United Brethren Church. These churches are kept up by the Needlecraft Society. Ladies Aid and Missionary Society. Just at present the ladies are very enthusiastic workers in the Red Cross, and this little chapter has done some very good work. The men also have their amusement in the commercial rooms, where they may play checkers, dominoes and chess, and there is also a library in connection with it. The Modern Woodmen also were well represented by many good times. The band gives concerts every Saturday evening during the summer months from the band stand in the center of town. Through the winter the community has usually had a lecture course held in the United Brethren Church.
The business men of Lushton are a live bunch. Mr. E. Le Bar, the druggist, eame to Nebraska from eastern Jowa about forty years ago. Jacob Epp & Son started in business in Lushton in 1915 and have built a fine brick building, 70x30, with modern front.
Lincoln & Tharp have a thoroughly up-to-date hardware and harness establish- ment. Emmitt Lincoln is the son of the veteran merchant of McCool. Clifford Tharp came to Lushton from Chicago. Franz Brothers have been in Lushton for five years. J. M. Sigrist came in 1901. Six years ago he went up to Theadford, Thomas County, and homesteaded, but returned to Lushton and bought the furni- ture and undertaking establishment of Y. R. Miles, the Lushton representative of Metz & Hitchcock of York.
P. K. Moore, who has lived in Nebraska forty-four years, helped organize the Bank of Lushton, with G. W. Post, E. G. Wightman, C. A. McCloud, now presi- dent ; T. L. Robinson, cashier. J. H. Yost Lumber Company owned the only yard in Lushton. Hynes Grain Company have Bud Smith as their resident manager. W. P. Cookus can really claim to be the pioneer of Lushton; he built the first frame house, opened a blacksmith shop on April 18, 1887, and can remember all of the country from Grafton to Lushton as a corn field when he came.
Lushton's business roster in 1920 showed :
Bank of Lushton Dearing, H. P., restaurant. Franz Bros., general merchandise Haynes Grain Co. High School Le Bar, C. R., drug store
Lincoln Tharp Hardware Co.
Prest, Dr. J. E.
Smith, Glenn, Implement Co.
Van Wickle Grain Co.
Walters, Wm., meat market. Yost Lumber Co.
VIEW OF LUSHTON
PUBLIC SCHOOL, LUSHTON
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOA AND BILDEN FOUNDATIONS
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY
OTHER POINTS
Like every other county, York County has abounded in a number of towns or trading points where, at times in the past, perhaps two or three stores, a post- office, livery stable, blacksmith shop, church, school, and even a hall and a number of residences have graced the settlement.
The nine incorporated towns and cities of the county have been treated in detail. There remains at this time trading settlements of importance: Charles- ton, with a railroad station ; Blue Vale, a trading center with a wealth of rich lore. A goodly number of towns have come and gone. Such trading centers, which flourished forty years ago, were : Plainfield, just west of present Bradshaw ; Pleas- ant Home, Danby. preceding Benedict; Creswell, preceding Gresham ; Thayer was long an inland point, Palo was a post-office as early as 1871, Westfield, east of the present Waco; Blue Vale, back in the "Os; McFadden, the oldest postoffice in the county ; Lisbon, clear to southern edge of the county ; Seeley, Dana and Long Hope, in the southwestern corner of the county, and Staplehurst, north of York. Most of these have disappeared from actual participation in affairs long ago, but the reminiscences of the older pioneers bring in references which portray the growth and decay of these points.
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CHAPTER VII
COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT
NAMING OF YORK COUNTY-THIE COURT HOUSE-COUNTY ORGANIZATION-EARLY COUNTY GOVERNMENT - COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - COUNTY CLERKS - COUNTY TREASURERS-SHERIFFS-COUNTY ATTORNEYS-COUNTY JUDGES-COUNTY SUPER- INTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS-ASSESSOR-SURVEYOR AND ENGINEERS-CORONERS-CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT-REGISTRAR OF DEEDS-1920 ELECTION AND 1921 OFFICERS.
NAMING OF YORK COUNTY
In looking up early incidents for the Old Settlers' History to be kept in the county judge's office of this eounty in 1913, the first question was, Why was the county named York? I first wrote to the State Historical Society at Lincoln, but could find no reason from there. I find from A. T. Andreas' history of Nebraska, and from the help of Judge Sedgwick in investigating the journals of the first and second territorial legislatures that met in 1855, that one A. D. Jones, a member of the first territorial Legislature from Douglas County (and, by the way, Omaha was the capital of Nebraska at that date), was chairman of the committee on defining the boundaries and giving names to new counties. Mr. Jones proposed to name the new counties after prominent leaders from each political party: that accounts for the names of Polk, Hamilton, Butler, Fillmore, Clay, and many others. Seward County was first named Green, after a senator who afterwards joined the rebels in 1861, and the good people of Green County petitioned the Legislature and had the name of their county changed to Seward. The journal of the first terri- torial Legislature of 1855 shows that the north line of York County was the Platte River; the boundary was later changed to include its present boundary.
York County was named by the Legislature of 1855, long before any white man settled here.
I next wrote to A. D. Jones, who seemed to have a good deal to do with laying out and naming new counties in the early day, but the letter was returned, and I learned after that Mr. Jones went to heaven ten years ago. I secured from early records the names of members of the first Legislature and wrote to quite a number and some of the letters were returned uncalled for, and others were answered, stating they could remember nothing of the reason for naming York County. A party suggested that if I write the editor of the Bee, Mr. Rosewater, he could tell me everything, so I wrote, enclosing a stamp, and got no reply, and he is a stamp ahead. I recently wrote to the Public Librarian of Omaha, for Omaha was Mr. Jones' home, and he was very prominent in its early history-in fact, he home- steaded the land where the principal part of Omaha now stands. I thought this Mr. Jones, who named York County, might have come from York, Pa. I received
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the following letter, which is the first ray of information as to why this county was named York :
"To M. Sovereign, York, Neb.
"Dear Sir: Your letter regarding information about A. D. Jones has been received, and we find that Alfred D. Jones was born in Philadelphia, January 30, 1814. A Nebraska handbook makes a brief mention that York County was named after York, England, but gives no reason for it. This is all I can find. Am sorry it is so meager.
"Very truly yours, "BLANCHE HAMMOND, "Acting Librarian."
THE COURTIIOUSE
The following account of the county seat, published in 1886, gives a very com- prehensive description of York County's governmental capitol and temple of justice :
The county seat of this county, the City of York, is situated on the B. & M. Railroad at the geographical center of the county, and has a population of 3,000 people, and the county a population of 15.082. York is one of the most thriving little cities west of Lincoln, the capital, and it is said that more refined and edu- cated people reside in this city, according to its size, than any other city in the State of Nebraska. The Board of County Commissioners are erecting a court- house on the public square, of the value of $50,000. There will also be erected in the spring a canning factory, and there is in contemplation a factory for the purpose of manufacturing flax straw into tow yarn and making oil from the seed. The U. P. Railroad also proposes extending its line from Stromsburg, by the way of the City of York to Belvidere, in Thayer County, thus giving this city a competing line of railroads. It would be impossible to speak of all the fine business buildings in this city, but will say in general that the dry goods, grocery, hardware, furniture, harness, and other stores are as fine, and carry as complete stocks of goods as will be found in any eastern city. The City of York has a roller flour mill, with a capacity to grind 600 bushels per day, two national banks, the First National Bank of York, and the York National, besides two private banks. The Methodist College, a noble structure, well and liberally patronized by all persuasions, is one of the permanent institutions of this city. This eity also has a system of public schools unequaled by any city in the West, with three ample school buildings of the value of $25,000, which schools are free to all and issue regular graduate papers. The church buildings of this city are a Congregational, of the value of $15,000; Meth- odist, of the value of $30,000; Baptist, of the value of $10,000; Catholic, of the value of $3,000; Universalist, of the value of $5,000; Presbyterian, of the value of $2,000; Swede Lutheran, of the value of $2,000; Christian, or Campbellite, of the value of $2,000. There are published here three weekly newspapers-The York Democrat, democratic in politics : the York Republican, republican in politics, and the York Times, independent in politics, but strongly favoring legislative control of railroads. York County has a delightful climate, fine roads and fine bridges, with a busy and industrious population, with a soil as rich as the Valley of the Nile. Cattle and hogs are fatted and stall-fed by the tens of thousands, and it is
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said that no finer stallions and mares can be found in the state than in this county. York County is truly a paradise for thrifty and industrious farmers.
The time for the preparation of this article has been short, and the addi- tional labor so great, that we are unable to give more than a general description, both of the County and City of York. In addition to the above facts. however, which we have been permitted to take from a circular recently issued by Attorney Edward Bates, it might be well to add that arrangements are being made for the immediate construction of several brick business buildings and fine residences. Messrs. Nobes and Cowell are at present engaged in vacating the lots on the south side of the square, between the opera house and Union Block, upon which to erect three brick buildings, two stories high. The First National Bank with other par- ties are perfecting arrangements to put in three or four buildings on Lincoln Avenue adjoining the bank on the north. Messrs. Armstrong & Wright are also talking of building two rooms on the south of the City Block Building and E. A. Warner has lately let the contract for a very fine residence on East Hill. Work on the canning factory has already begun and it is not at all improbable that the proposition to bond the city in the sum of $30,000, for a system of water works, will carry at the election next Tuesday. All together. it is evident that our city will experience the largest boom this year ever before witnessed.
The fine courthouse, of which an illustration appears on the opposite page, will soon be under course of construction. The building has four fronts and its size is 70x100 feet. From the ground to the base of the tower is 129 feet, and the tower, including the statue, is 59 feet. Messrs. Placey & Gray of Lincoln are the architects to whom we are placed under obligations for the following more complete description :
The first and basement floors are to be divided by two main corridors, 11 feet wide, extending at right angles from the center out. In the basement, the floor will be level with the grade line, the height of story 10 feet, and arranged as follows: Commencing at south entrance, the county judge's office will be at the left hand, with main office 23 feet ? inches by 24 feet 6 inches. Private office, 16 feet 2 inches by 17 feet 8 inches, with vault 8x14 feet. Each of the two apartments entered from the main office. Across the main corridor mentioned is the county surveyor's, he being provided with a main office 23 feet 2 inches by 24 feet 6 inches, and vault. 8x14 feet. AAdjoining the surveyor's office and accessible from and at the east end of the main east and west corridor, the sheriff is provided with a neat office, 16 feet 2 inches by 12 feet 8 inches, which is directly opposite the jail. The latter is arrangeel with six double steel cells, basket entrance, etc., in the most approved manner. Opposite the jail, and on the northwest corner of the building, is located the boiler and fuel rooms, fresh water, cistern and closets, each of the latter occupy- ing one-fourth of the floor space of the basement. At the south end of the main north and south corridor, there are two stone stairways leading to the main floor. There is also one broad stone stairway on each side of the building, leading to the main floor. The latter floor being occupied in full, by the following offices, viz : County clerk, circuit and district clerks, treasurer and recorder, cach officer occupy- ing one-fourth of the floor space of this floor, being provided for alike, as follows: Main office, 23 feet 4 inches by 21 feet 6 inches ; private office, 16 feet 2 inches by 12 feet 8 inches, with vault attached. Sx11 feet, and any of the last mentioned offices may be entered from either of the main corridors, at pleasure. At the south
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