Adams County, Nebraska - Chapter 22: Railroads and Newspapers, 1916

Adams County now lia.s 1.50.97 miles of railroad lines belonging lo the Union Pacific, Chicago & Northwestern, jNIissouri Pacific and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy systems and enjoys the advantages afforded by these great transcontinental trade and j^assenger routes. Not all these roads were built by the systems now owning them, some of them have been acquired by purchase from the original companies.

The Burlington was the first railroad to traverse Adams County. The Burlington & JNIissouri River Railroad in Nebraska was organized in 1869, though it was not completed through Adams Count v until the summer of 1872. It was a part of the main line of the Bvirlington system, but the portion built at this jjarticular period extended from Plattsmouth by way of Lincoln to Kearney Junction. In a comnumication to the iniblisher of "The Book of Hastings," under date of November 12, 1906, PI Bignell, superintendent of the Lincoln division of the Burlington, wrote: "I ran an engine, hauling construction material for the line west of Hastings, before there was a house in Hastings, except one sod house, but I don't remember the date of the first train being put on. I remember my first trip very well I)ecause, on arrival at Juniata, where there Avas a water tank and a station building, I asked the agent if it was Hastings. He replied in the negative, saying Hastings was seven miles east. This was in Jime, 1872." In the letter of jMrs. A. V. Cole, printed in the chapter on Juniata, the date of the ai'rival of the first train in Juniata is given as June 8th. 1872.

In JMay. 1882, tlie Burlington was completed to Denver, building from Kenesaw by way of Holdrege. The completion of this line greatly impi-oved the railway facilities afforded by the Burlington in Adams County and had a general stinudating effect. The connection with the Burlington's main line with its southern system, the Red Cloud branch, was built towards the close of 1878. The last spike in the construction of the Aurora branch of the Burlington was driven at

7 o'clock P. M:, September 7, 1886, and the tirst regular train departed for Auroi-a at ll:Oo A. IM., September 13. Jolly "Pap" Willis was tlie conductor in charge. This was the last line constructed by the Ihnlington in Adams County.

It was the St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad, now with the extension to Grand Island called the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad, that brought Hastings into existence. As has been written previously. Juniata was the official town of the Burlington and Hastings was an incident of the building of the St. Joseph & Denver City to the line of the Burlington at the point where Hastings stands. A fitting monument to the indebtedness of Hastings to the St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad, is the name of the city. A man by the name of Hastings was a member of the firm that had the grading of the last section of the road into the city and the name was given to the town in his honor. Train service did not begin on the St. Joseph & Western until the fall of 1872.

A deficiency of funds frustrated the plans of the St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad Company to extend the line from Hastings to Denver as was the original plan although the road was once graded ff)r a considerable distance toward Kearney, the grade passing near the present location of the Lepin Hotel. About a year after the completing of the road to Hastings a movement was inaugvn-ated in Hastings to complete the road to Grand Island. The prime movers were \y . Ij. Smith, who was connected with the St. Joseph & Denver, and .T. .T. ^Vorswick, an Englishman, who was to finance the project. Associated with these were George H. Pratt, T. E. Farrell, C. K. Lawson and some others. A comj:)any of men were also associated in Grand Island for the same purpose, the plan being for the Grand Island men to look after the building of the road in Hall County and the Hastings men in Adams County. Grading was done north up what is now Burlington Avenue and northwards almost to the countj^ line, while from Grand Island a grade was made almost to the Adams County line. When the project had proceeded thus far INIr. Worswick departed for England and did not return, and the enterprise was abandoned. If no rails were laid upon the grade for some time afterwards it was used as a track upon which to give trotting horses their practice bouts, and thus it was regarded as not having been wholly useless.

Hastings was the terminus of the St. Joseph & Denver City until 1 87n when a connection was formed between the Union Pacific Company and the St. Jose])h & Denver Company. The twenty-five miles of road were constructed that year and soon thereafter the two companies were consolidated and the road was called the St. Joseph &

Grand Island Railroad. Litigation grew out of the joint ownership of this line, minority stockholders complaining that the road was managed in the interest of the Union Pacific regardless of the rights of minority holders. Through a decision of the Supreme Coin-t in 1916 the control of the road jiassed wholly into the control of the Union Pacific.

The ^Missouri Pacific Railroad with its western terminus in Prosser affords connection with the Bui'lington at Superior and the ]Missouri Pacific's connections in Kansas. It was formerly called the Pacific Railroad. It was built into Hastings in the winter of 1887-8 and extended to Prosser the following spring.

Hastings is the western terminus of the Chicago & Northwestern in Adams County. The original purpose was to build the line through to Denver and the idea is still rumored from time to time.

The Northwestern aflFords connection with Omaha by way of Fremont. For many years it was called the Fremont, Elkhorn & ^Missouri Valley Railroad; it has always been, however, a part of the Northwestern.

The branch of the Burlington in the southern part of Adams County, at the building of which Holstein, Roseland, Pauline and I^eroy came into existence, was built in 1887, though not by the Burlington. It was the result of the acquiring of the St. Joseph & Denver City by the Union Pacific interests. The St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad lies rather across the stream of commerce and travel than with it. It was to act as feeder for the St. Josejjh & Grand Island that the line in the south part of Adams County was built by the Union Pacific. Its original name Avas the Kansas City & Omaha, better remembered as the K. C. & O. This line of feeders began to be constructed in 1885, building first from Fairfield to York through Sutton and later extending from York to Stromsburg. The line through Adams County was built from Fairfield to Alma.

The original plan, for this road too was to extend to Denver, but a total of 190 miles was all that was finished. The road was bonded to the amount of $1,000 per mile and its earnings became insufficient to paj' the interest. About 1890 its condition as a business enterprise became so hopeless that it was sold at aviction and bought by the Burlington, of which, since that time, it has been a part.

John M. Ragan of Hastings was at this period general attorney for the St. Joseph & Grand Island and had charge of the ac(]uiring of right of way for the feeders. Pauline was named in honor of Mr. Ragan's wife, Pauline S. Ragan, and Leroy in honor of Leroy Stone, son of C. L. Stone, of Hastings. It was the poor crops inci-

The Hastings & Northwestern is the newest line in Adams County. It constitutes the "Gibbon cutoff," and extends from Hastings to Gibbon. The Hastings & Northwestern is a Union Pacific road. Regular service was established between Hastings and Gibbon during the first few days of June. This cutoff is twenty-eight miles long and was constructed with gTeat rapidity; negotiations for right of way were not begun until the fall of 1912 and the rails were laid by April 1, 1913.

The new station on Third Street is located within 100 feet of the oi'iginal location of the station of the St. Joseph & Denver City. The passenger station of the St. Joseph & Grand Island which was located south of the Burlington tracks, between Denver and Hastings avenues, was removed to East Twelfth Street after the present station came into use and is now used as a freight and yard office. The Third .Street station was erected at a cost of $60,000. The railroad has bought the property lying between JNIinnesota Avenue and their tracks from Second Street to Seventh Street.

The East Side Boulevard was opened on property jjurchased by the City of Hastings in 1912. In granting the right to the Hastings & Northwestern Railroad the city council closed Third, Fourth, Sixth, Tenth and Eleventh streets at their jjoint of intersection with ^Vabash Avenue and the P^ast Side Boulevard was opened to relieve the condition thus produced.

Tiie first station agent of the St. Joseph & Denver City was John .1. Wemple. A. A. Sweet followed, and then came Sam Heacox, who was the jDredecessor of INIr. Conoughy. J. J. Conoughy has been the agent since September 5, 1885.

The Burlington station in Hastings was located on Bellevue Avenue from 1873 to 1902. At the time that the first station was located, in 1873, there was a lively rivalry among the residents. The Hastings Townsite Company exerted all its efforts to have the station located within the boundaries of the original town, while John G. INIoore, whose holding lay immediately Avest, endeavored to influence the railroad to ]}lace the station in the vicinity of his land. To clinch his argument Mr. ]Moore donated thirteen acres of land and some buildinglots to the railroad, with the residt that the station was built in the west end. The first station was destroyed by fire in 1879, and a new one built. For several years a hmch room was maintained near the station.

about .$75,000. ^Vhen the location was changed from Bellevue Avenue to St. Joseph, the west side objected as strenuously as had the east side in 1873. Tliey argued that the location had been determined upon for a consideration and that the railroad had no moral right to change. Julius C. Swartz lias been the station agent at the Burlington continuously since 188J-, returning that year from a period in Denver. Before going to the latter j^lace he was in Hastings for some time.

For the aid of the construction of railroads in Adams Count)' $211,000 in bonds were voted. Of this sum $6,000 were townshij) bonds voted by Ayr and Little Blue for tlie aid of the Kansas City & Omaha. Upon the same date, JNIarch 20, 1887, the Kansas City & Omaha bonds were defeated in Roseland and Cottonwood townships. For the aid of the Pacific Railroad, now the ]\Iissouri Pacific, Adams County voted $12rj,000 and the City of Hastings $20,000. For the aid of the Chicago & Northwestern, Hastings voted $60,000. All these bonds have been j)aid and the county has no bonded indebtedness. The assessed valuation of railroads and car companies in Adams County in 1916 was $1,277,960, making a total valuation of $6,389,800.

Adams County towns are located as follows, with respect to railroads: On the main line of the Burlington - Hastings, Juniata, Kenesaw. On the St. Joseph & Grand Island - Hastings and Hansen. On the Chicago & Northwestern - Hastings. On the INIissouri Pacific - Prosser, Juniata, Hastings, Pauline. On Red Cloud branch of the Burlingtozi - Ayr. On the Burlington's south county line - Holstein, Roseland, Leroy, Pauline. On the Hastings & Northwestern - Hastings, Newmarch, Hayland. Charles ^Nloritz, of Prosser, operates the elevators at Newmarch and Hayland.

The first newspaper in Adams County was the Adams County Gazette, established at Juniata in January. 1872, by C. C. Babcock and R. D. Babcock. The Babcock brothers published the weekly at Juniata until 1876 and then moved the plant to Hastings. In 1880 it was purchased by J. W. Short and Charles Kelley and that year was purchased by the Wigton brothers, who had establisijed and weri' publishing the Hastings Journal. After the consolidation the Journal was called the Gazette- Journal. The Wigton brothers interested in the business were A. L. Wigton, J. W. Wigton and George A. Wigton. A. L. Wigton resided in Omaha for the last several years of his life and died at Omaha in December. 1914. J. W. Wigton now

The Hastings Journal, which was the first paper to be established in Hastings, was founded by A. L. Wigton and jNI. K. Lewis. The hrst office was oj^ened on Second Street, next to Hastings Avenue. The first paper was issued from the jjress, i\Iay 24, 1873. The initial number was received with great enthusiasm and it was decided to sell it at auction. It was knocked dowii to S. S. Dow, who had ])id five dollars. JMr. Dow thought the paper cheap at the price.

In the fall of 1882 the Gazette-Journal Company was organized as a joint stock company and incorporated, with an authorized capital of $100,000. The erection of a fine two-story brick office at the south- M'est corner of Lincoln Avenue and Second Street was commenced at once and was finished and occupied in the s^Jring of 1883. The jniblication of the Gazette- Journal as a daily was commenced in August. ]H8;5.

In September. 188.5. the company was reorganized. J. O. Fisher succeeded J. W. AVigton in the business management, while A. Lj. Wigton was succeeded as editor in chief by C. F. Royce. Other clianges were made in the executive offices of the company. E. C. AVebster became president, J. B. Heartwell vice president. J. J. Wemple treasurer, J. W. Wigton secretary, J. O. Fisher manager. These constituted the board of directors. In the spring of 1886, an addition double the size of the original building was built adjoiningit on the west. The new building was completed in September of that yeai-. The Gazette-Join-nal conducted, besides the newspaper plant, a large job and lithographing department and carried the largest payroll of am' establishment in town. The paper was jJublished imtil the ])lant was practically destroyed by fire July 29, 1889.

February 8, 1878, A. D. Williams, who had established a weekly ])aper in Kenesaw, the Kenesaw Times, removed the plant to Hastings and changed the name of the paper to the Central Nebraskan. In 1879 INIr. I. D. Evans, now of Kenesaw, was associated with IMr. Williams in the publication of the paper. After the Central Nel)raskan had been jiublished about two years the name Mas changed to the Hastings Central Nebraskan. At about the same time that the name was changed, the weekly was converted into a daily. Following Mr. Williams the paper was owned successively by Bratton & Renner. Professor ^Vebster and 3Ierritt & Creeth. The firm of Bratton v«v: Renner was composed of the present city clerk, A. T. Bratton and Fled Renner. The firm of ]Merritt & Creeth were John A. Creeth and E. E. ^fenitt. ^Fr. Creeth died in Los Angeles in 191.). The detailed ownershii) and sale of the Nebraskan was as follows: Mr. Williams sold to ]\Ir. Bratton, INIr. Bratton to Professor Webster, Mr. Webster to Dr. H. P. Fitch and Doctor Fitch to JNIerritt & Creeth. On the susi^ension of the Nebraskan, the plant w^as absorbed by the Daily Republican.

In November, 1889, the Daily Press was established by J. W. Ivinsella, W. B. Palmer and Walt JNIason. The three were newspapermen from Omaha, where Kinsella and Palmer had been connected with the Omaha Republican. The financial backing and advertising patronage did not prove sustaining and after publishing sixteen issues, the paper suspended. The printing of the Daily Press was done by Mr. Rounds, son of S. P. Rounds, who was one time a government printer. Mr. Rounds had purchased what was left of the Gazette-Journal plant after the fire.

]March 2-i, 1894., John S. Williams began publishing a daily paper, the Hastings News. It was published for about a year as a daily and then was changed into a weekly. After publishing it two years as a weekly JNIr. ^^''illiams again started it as a daily, finally changing it back into a weekly. After running the paper for nine years INIr. Williams sold the Hastings News to William JMadgett, who continued it for a few weeks and then the paper suspended.

During the boom period a fine daily paper was established in Hastings by a so-called Boston syndicate. This was an eight-page papei', carrying telegraphic news. Failing to get advertising patronage, the jjaper suspended publication and type and material was sold to the Omaha Republican.

The Hastings Daily Republican was published from January 12, 1889. to September 4, 191.5, when it was purchased by Adam Breede, publisher of the Hastings Daily Tribune. The Republican was founded by Charles L. Watkins and Frank A. Watkins. For the first two years the Daily Republican was published as a morning paper with an eight-page Sunday edition. After absorbing the Daily Nebraskan the Republican was changed into an evening paper and so continued to the time of its sale.

F. A. AVatkins bought the interest of his brother, Charles, and associated with himself his younger brother, Ed. Watkins, who for a nuniber of years before had been engaged in the job printing and bookbindery business. Several years later Frank Watkins bought the bookbindery and job ])rinting departments and assumed the sole directi(m of the plant. On January 1, 1912. Sidney G. Evans, son of G. J.

Evans, purchased a half interest in the entire plant and was associated with ]Mr. Watkins until a few days before the newspaper was sold to Adam Breede. Mr. Watkins retained the job department and bookbindery.

The first linotype machine to be used in Hastings was installed in the office of the Republican by Charles H. Palmer in ]May, 1904. The machine belonged to JNIr. Palmer and his association with the Republican was bj' contract.

The Hastings Evening Record was established in Hastings early in 1899 by Harry ]Mock and Ed. JNIock, who came from Alma, where they had sold the Alma Record to E. H. Batty. The Record was puldislied for about two years by the Mock brothers and then sold to J. S. Ramsey, wlio published it for a short time before the paper .suspended.

Oui- Own Opinion was a paper established by George Lynn during the time of populism. About the same time George E. Brown establislied tlie Peojjles' Joiu-nal. also a i)opulist weekly, which later absorbed Our Own Opinion. The Peoples' Journal was discontinued in 1907.

The Nebraska A'olksfreund was a German weekly newspaper Avhich was established in 1883 in Hastings and continued j^ublication under various ownerships imtil 1890, when it suspended. It was edited by William Breede and P. N. Carson.

The Adams County Democrat, supporting the democratic ])arty, was founded July 10, 1880, by Richard (Dick) Thompson and Durley Dent. It was purchased by the present owners, R. B. Walilquist and C. B. Wahlquist. ]March 1, 1888.

'J'he Hastings Daily Tribune is the outgrowth of two newspapers and the absorption of a third. The Hastings Indei^endent was established as a weekly ncAvspaper, July 3, 1886. by Frank D. Taggart. Mv. Taggart was a republican and establislied the paper mainly as a political organ. Isaac I^eDioyt was the managing editor of the Independent. At about the same time another weekly newspaper, the Tribune, was established by A. P. Brown and Dick Thompson.

Tlie Independent was purchased by A. L. Wigton and his son, Will Wigton. A. L. Wigton did not act as editor very long, but turned the management over to his son. A. H. Brown ])urchased the Inde]iendent and later the Tribune. The name was then changed to the Hastings Independent-Tribune. Adam Breede purchased the Indej^endent-Tribune from A. H. Brown in 1894- and changed tlie name to the Hastings Tribune. ]Mr. Breede published the Hastings Tribune as a weekly until October 2, 190.5, when the Hastings Daily Tribune was established. The weekly Tribune has been continued.

The Hastings Daily Tribune was set by hand composition until 1907, since which time linotypes have been in use. A perfecting press was installed in 1910. August 1.3, 1914, the Daily Tribune began using full United Press telegraphic news service received by leased wire. Henry G. Smith has been associated with the Tribune since the founding of the daily. The subscription list of the Hastings Daily Republican was purchased by Adam Breede, the owner and editor of the Tribune. September' 4, 1915. When the Independent-Tribune was purchased by ]Mr. Breede the paper had no printing plant, not even a proof jiress. For many years the paper was printed by the Adams County Democrat.

The first paper published by the students of Hastings College was the Vidette. which was iirst issued in 188.5. The present college paper was first issued in 189.5.

The Juniata Herald was first issued October 2.5, 1870, by the Citizens Comiiany; A. H. Brown was the editor. September 1.5, 1877, it was piu'chased bj' G. S. Guild, and then was owned successively by William Knickerbocker, J. W. Liveringhouse and F. W. Francis. Upon the death of JNIr. Francis in JMarch, 1884, the Herald was purchased by the present editor and owner. I. H. Rickel, who has issued the paper continuously.

Following the removal of the Kenesaw Times from Kenesaw in 1878 a paper has been issued in the town by various publishers. The Kenesaw Citizen was published for a time. Dr. E. J. Latta was the editor of this paper for a period. The Kenesaw Sunbeam is the ])aper published at this time; it was ])urchased by W. W. ]Malman. the jn-esent owner and editor, November 1, 1913, from J. A. Gardner, who now publishes the Holstein Herald. jNIr. Malman installed a linotype in the office of the Sunbeam in 191.5.