Dakota County, Nebraska - Chapter 3, 1893

For more than thirty-two years after the adiui!>- sioii of Missouii as a state into tlie Union, iSTebraska was practically without a government, although it was incliuled in what was known as the "JSlorth western Territory,"' but as it was "an Indian country,*' there wa;- very little except Indians to be governed. Nebraska Territory was organized by an Act of Congress passed March 4, 1854, and indorsed by the president on the ;}Oth of the following May, and at that time included l»esides the present state of Nebraska, a portion of Colorado, North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyom- . ing, and part of Idaho. Francis Burt was appointed ])y President Pierce as first gov^ernor.

Dakota county was organized by an act of the first territorial legislature, March 7, 1855, in response to a petition presented January 22, 1855, signed by J. D. M. Crockwell and thirty-one others. Its boundaries were as follows: Fro!>i north-east comer of Blackbird county, up main channel of Missouri to line between ranges six and seven east, thence south to north line of Blackbird, thence to place of beginning. Countv seat. Dakota.

in^ to Dixon coinitv one- half of townships 27, 28 aiul 29, and all of townships 30 and 31, making it tliesniallest county in the state except Sarpy. In 1879 its southerii boundary was removed downward to the middle line of township 25, thus including for "elective, judicial and revenue purposes" a portion of the Winnebago and C)maha Reservations.

In 1889 Thurston county was organized, with tiie northern border of the Winnebago Reservation for its north boundary, leaving Dakota county boundaries as follows: Bounded on the north by the ]Vlis?ouri river and Dixon county; on the west by Di'xon county; on the south by Winnebago Reserve or Thurston county; and on the east by Missouri river - containing about two hundred and twenty-five square miles, or nearly one hundred and twenty-nine thousand acres. The county was surveyed by Samuel F. Watts, employed by the government contractor, Dr. John K. Cook, of Sioux City, Iowa, in 1857.

Early in the year of 1855 the advance picket of that remarkable army of pioneers, who invaded this then wild, primeval land and in a few fleeting years transformed it into beautiful homes, dotted here and there with stirring towns and villages, arrived upon the eastern shore of the miglity Missouri, proclaiming to the woods and the prairies, to the hills and vales, and to the beasts and birds thereof, that they had "come to stay.'' Some of them settled on that side of the river, in Sioux City and Woodl^ury, while others casting their adventurous eyes beyond the turbulent waters of the Missouri, beheld the fairy-like land of Dakota county. Among these were Henry Ream, who on the 15th of May, 1855, crossed the river and after penetrating the rank grass and weeds and jungles, stood upon the bluffs near where Col. H. Baird afterward located. Soon after

Father Jerniiah Trecy and his brotlier John J. Trecy arrived from Dubuque, Iowa., June 25, 1855, in search of a location to estal)lisli a colony. After exploring the country tliey selected the land where, the following spring, old St. Johns was founded, by a colony of Irish from near Dubuque, Iowa,

On the first day of July of the same year, George T. Woods, in company with a frenchman (Armell,) and two Blackfeet Indians, crossed the river and went afoot to the Col. H. Baird bluffs, thence south to the Tim Murphy place, and here on the afternoon of July 1, 1855, he drovedown the first claim stake ever driven into Dakota county soil. There were no impressive ceremonies or eloquent "corner stone" speeches on the occasiuii, although it will ever stand out as a very important step in tlie history of Dakota county.

One or two days later a party was made up in Woodbury of the tbllowinij^, as near as can be ascertained: Jacob H. Ilallock, George T. Woods, Charles Rouleaux, Ray Harvey, John Samuels, John Bay and Robert G. Alexander, who crossed the river, going west to where St. John's was located - here they found the Trecys cutting grass^ - then to where Ponca now stands, and back to the Col Baird place. The party took claims at different points along their journey.

On the 4:th of July, 1855, nearly the same party crossed over to tlie subsequent town site of Omadi in the way of celebrating the national holiday. Witliin a few days Chauncey A. Ilorr joined the party.

On the 19th of August of this year Jesse Wigle and party, consisting of Spenaer Moore, Robert and William Pilgriin, and others, crossed over to Dakota county. Mr. Wigle, who was the first white man to settle here with his family, had visited the county prior

During the fall of 1855 a number of settlers arrived, among whom might be mentioned: Harlon Baird, Abraham Hirsch, Benjamin Hicks, Moses Krep.-. Joseph Brannan, A. H. Baker, William Cheney. Florace Dutton, Squire Button, William B. Tayli>i\ Henry Young, Gastave Pecaut and George L. Boals.