Antelope County, Nebraska - Chapter 27, 1909

Chapter 27

The Settlement of the County Continued - The Census, 1874 TO 1883 Inclusive - The Census by Precincts in 1880 - Attempts to Induce Immigration - Conditions Unfavorable to the Settling of the County - Elections 1876 TO 1883 Inclusive

AFTER the county first began to be settled, in the fall of 1868, it continued to fill up rapidly during 1869, 1870, 1871, and the spring and eariy summer of 1872. Then the grasshoppers came in the summer of 1872 in such numbers as greatly to discourage and retard settlement. The trouble with the Indians in the fall of 1870, and their horse-stealing raids in subsequent years, no doubt kept many away who otherwise would have located here.

As before stated, the settlements were chiefly confined to the valleys of the Elkhom River and its tributaries, and the Willow and Bazile creeks. The various branches of the Verdigris creek also began to be settled in the spring of 1873, and by 1876 there were settlers scattered all along the different branches of the Verdigris both in Sherman and Verdigris precincts. South of the Verdigris and the Bazile, however, there were no settlers, excepting on Willow Creek, until the settlements adjacent to the Elkhorn were reached. A similar statement also applies to the southwestern part of the county known as the Clay Ridge country. Crawford township was all vacant land until the year 1878, when the first settlers came in. Garfield, Lincoln, and Stanton were not settled until the summer of 1879 and Ellsworth in 1880. It is true also that the greater part of Custer and Blaine, a large portion of Willow, Clearwater, Eden, Royal, Verdigris, and Sherman were vacant up to about the year 1880. There was also at this last date more or less government land in

Prior to the year 1885 the assessors were required to take a census of the population in their several assessor's districts. It is probable that the assessors did take the census in Antelope County in 1872 and 1873, but if so, the returns were burned at the burning of the court-house in 1875. It is also a fact that very many papers relating to census reports, election returns, and other matters that have occurred since the burning of the court-house and prior to 1883, and that should be on file, cannot now be found. In some way they have been lost. This is to be regretted as in many cases exact figures and dates as to certain matters of interest cannot be given. The writer, however, in the year 1886 examined the census reports then on file in the office of the county clerk, for all years that could be found, from 1874 to 1885 inclusive, to be used in the brief history that was read at the Pioneers' reunion in September, 1886. This was published in the Oakdale "Journal" of October 22, 1886, and is copied herewith, up to and including 1883, as follows:

The year 1880 is taken from the United States census. These show that there was no material increase in population from 1874 until 1878. In 1877 the loss of 267 should be attributed probably wholly to the fact that Holt

County was organized December 26, 1876. The part of Holt County lying west of Antelope County had been attached to Antelope, and prior to 1877 its inhabitants had been enumerated with Antelope County,

In the year 1878 an effort was made to induce immigrants to settle in the county. At a meeting of the board of county commissioners held April 2, 1878, the following resolution was offered by L. A. Boyd and unanimously adopted:

"Whereas, Antelope County being desirous of securing a portion of the immigrants now pouring into Nebraska, and also her just portion of the immigration that may come to our state in the future, we feel such immigration cannot reasonably be expected without some effort on the part of Antelope County through her officers and citizens:

"Be it therefore resolved, that R. Wilson, county clerk, be instructed to contract with the Pen and Plow Co. for one thousand copies of a certain pamphlet written by A. J. Leach for gratuitous distribution, and that said R. Wilson be instructed to prepare one or two folios of statistics showing the number of acres of different kinds of grain raised, the average yield per acre, etc., etc.

"Resolved, that we also agree to furnish a guide free of charge, to land hunters seeking homesteads or preemptions, to assist them in finding suitable locations.

I50 History Of Antelope County

''Be it further resolved, that we appoint three men in different parts of the county, to-wit: One man in Twin Grove precinct, one in the vicinity of Neligh, and one in the vicinity of Frenchtown, to act as guides to those parties seeking homes in Antelope County, to be paid at the rate of $3.00 for each head of a family that they actually locate on government land."

Conditions were such in Antelope County that the flattering representations contained in the pamphlet and the offer of free guides were of no avail. The best of the available lands had already been taken up in the vicinity of the settlements. It was yet too early in the development of the county to induce people to go back away from the streams and away from the settlements already formed, to take claims to any great extent on the tablelands and rolling divides of the interior. They believed they could do better elsewhere. Then besides, Antelope County was handicapped in another way. The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Company had selected in Antelope County 57,526 acres of indemnity lands, and the state authorities had selected 32,800 acres of internal improvement lands, making in all 90,326 acres or enough for 564 homesteads of 160 acres each. These could only be had by purchase and it was yet too early for land to be put upon the market and sold in Antelope County. These lands all lay in that part of the county that was settled first and in general were of good quality, embracing some of the finest farming lands in the county. The discussion of these land grants, and their effect upon the settlement and prosperity of the county will be taken up in another chapter.

B. R. Barnes resigned as county treasurer and on February 3, 1879, S. S. King was appointed to fill vacancy. H. J. Miller resigned as county superintendent in October, 1879, and J. F. Merritt was appointed.