Dakota County, Nebraska - Chapter 5: Extinct Towns, 1893

Chapter 5: Extinct Towns

The pioneers had one weakness, at least, and that was a bad one, in other words, to use the modern phrase, "tliey had it bad" - a mania for laying out town sites. At one time ten towns along the river from Blyburg to Fonca, with tlieir additions included, contained over ten thousand acres. Of these towns but two ai-e now existing- - only in the memory of the early settlers, except Ponca, v,hich by a change in the boundary line i« now in Dixon county. The two surviving towns are Dakota City and Covjngrton.

Omatji-- The first of rlie extinct towns to be laid out was Omadi. This town, with Hve additions, was situated on the west bank of the Missouri river, near the line between townships 27 and 28, range 9, about live miles south of Dakota City, on a claim taken by Charles Rouleaux. The first settlers were Geo. T. Woods, Chauiieey A. Ilorraud Moses Kreps, m' ho crossed the river September 1, 1855, and began building a log cabin, which was one of the tirst constructed by wliite men in the county (except jwssibly a cabin built on tlie present site of Covington by Gustave Pecaut,) to live in, while they were building a saw mill. Mr. Woods, foreseeing the coming of fntureevents, reasoned that a human tide wcuild soon roll across the rich and fertile praii'its of ]Vel)i-asl<ti, and that a lai-ge q'^aiitity of lumber woiiKl be reqnii'ed to satii«ly tbe demand. A. H. Balver and Jacob 11. IJalloek soon joined tliem in tbe wo)k, wliicli tbey kept up aU'wimer and tlie saw mill was put into operation April 1, 1850. 'Iliey sold Inmber at $80 per tlionsand ftet, and tlie li.ist piircbased by llie settlers Mas nsed in the construction of the old Gideon Warner'lionse, now standing on bis farm in that vicinity. While the mill was in conrse of construction otheis settled in the town. Cliai-les Rouleaux erected tbe second cabin and John Bay put together a log store building, M'bicli constituted the entii'e village for the winter of '55 and 'Sf), and besides the above n.entioned setters its iidiabitants were: AVm. Cheney, Benjamin Ilicks, Jdhn Gallagher, Eobert Alexander and a few others, all of whom crowded into the three lonely cab-

In the spring of 1850 new settlers began toarrive» the town was properly laid out, AVilliain C. AIcBeath opened Jip a store, Stephen Draper brought in a steam saw mill, and before fall it had grown ti) he considei'able of a town. It flourislied until '57 ^nd '58, when it bad reached the zenith of its glory. A. good frame school bnildiuir was ei-ected, which was afterwards moved down justn(»rth of Thomas ISniitlrs pbice wbei-e it was ui^eCl as a school house for tliat district, and the town contained a population of about i'our hundred inhabitants. Abraham llirsch opened upthefii'st hotel in 1850 and Henry Ilea**) soon afterwards engaged in tlie same business. VVilliam Young also kept a boarding house. Miss Putmun,of Sioux City, taught the first school in Oniadi, commencing abovit the middle of April, '57, which w;is also the first in the county, and Maria Pai-- soiis and Julia jVash wei-e the next teachers. Dr. (t. \V. Wilkinson taught school here in 1858 in what is now Wm. ^'heney's old loi>- barn, which was moved to Dakota (Jity bv C. F. Elkhart. Among bis schoiara were Charley Ford^ Michael Kenuelly, MiU'cellus and

Tlie lirst newspaper, wliicii was also tlie first in the eonnty, called the Oniadi Enterprise, was established here in July, 1857, and was edited Dy George W. Rnst, afteivvards editor of the Stock Jonrnal. at Chicago The paper was sold to Griffin and Taff'e, in 1858, and expired in the same year. A shingle mil) was operated by Shnll & Ilartman.

Omadi pest oftice was established in 1857 with Henry IJeam as postnjaster, succeeded by A. IJ. Baker and Asa Bathhun. It was then turned over to J. W. Davis, on Grnaha creek, and was alterwaids moved to Charles H. Bottei-'s place; was discontinued in 1872 and Homer post otMce establh^hed.

About this time Wm. Ashburn came to the town and began preparations lor the hiiildiirg of a large hotel. Thos. Ashford burned the brick, the cellai- was d'lg while Ashbnrn was bus-ily engagtd colUcting a hiiiie sum of ''bonus money," which he took wilh him as he tied the count I'y, and the hotel echeme was a tailtire. This Mas a forerunner of moie and greater disaster, as the village hegan to decline, the trcacheious Misson i-i washed away a poition of the town, and thus tlie march of decay went on until 1865, when every liotise liad been removed, some to Dakota City and others upon farms, Tlius tliesite of a once prosperous and buoyant town was turned over to the merciless ravage of a relentless river and Omadi sleeps to-dny in the broad bosom of the Missouri river.

Logan. - Was situated on the Missouri river, now Crystal lake, the Meridian line between townships 28 and 29, forming its main street. It was surveyed in June, 1856, by ISamuel F. Watts, and filed for record July 16th ot the same year, several additions being made to the town afterwards. Tiie town grew very rapidly and soon became the rival of Omadi and other towns of the county. Among its early settlers were Horace Dutton, John Pierce, Samuel Whitehorn, Leonard Bates, Jan>es Westcott, Jesse F. Wai-ner, Harry Lyons. W. W. Marsh, Robert Carnihan, Jnmes Ashley, G. McFall, (founder of the town), John Joyce, Charles T.Parker, i). B. Dodson, Caleb Leg, Wm. Carnihan, John, Thomas, Daniel aiul Frank Virden and Alfred Elam. Two stores were kept Ly Harry Lyons arul Wm. Carnihan. The Virden Bros, opened up a lai-ge hotel (now known as the old T. L. Grifley house at Dakota City, which was afterwards moved there); James Ashly conducted a blacksmith shop and Dr. M. Saville was physician. L» the sumnier of 1858 a sul)scription school was opened with Ottie Marsh as first teacher, and among hei" scholars were Mrs. E. J. DeBell nee Nellie Warner, Mrs. Clark Ellis nee Mary Willis, Mrs. John McQuilken nee Alice Push, Mrs. Wm, Armour nee Jane Garner, William Push and James Willis. During this year Logan hsid reached jthe height of its prosperity, containing at that time more than twentyfive housi-s, when the Missouri began to gnaw away its northern portion and its inhabitants commenced to iriove their houses to Dakota City and adjacent farms. By 1860 the town was entirely deserted, the Virdens being the last to leave.

St. JoHNS--\Vas also called St. Patrick's colony. located on the Missouri river, about one mile north of rliicks<»n, in tdun^^liip 29, range 8; surveyed and plotted hy John J. Trecy, in Jnne, 1856, and incorporated by the county commissioners in January, 1857

Oil tiie second day of June, 1856, a Catholic coloiiv from near Dubuque, Iowa, arrived on the town site, consisting of eigliteen wagons and abiuit sixty persons, some of whom remained in the village, others selecting claims in what is now St. Johns and Summit townships. This colony was under the charge of father .Jeremiah Trecy and its members were, as near as can be learned: r'ather Trecy's mother and fallier and widowed sister Mrs. C'oyle, Daniel Diiggan, James Kellehan, George Portiss, Michael Mclvivergan, James Jone"> Michael McCormick, Charles J^oyle, John, James , Patrick and Nichohis Ryan, William IlotJjan, Simon Magen, Patrick Twohig, Arthur Short, John Trecy and Edward Jones, all but tiie last four having families. Tliomas Curren and Joseph Ijrannan kept the first stores. Drs. Enright and Matthews were the lirst physicians. In 1857 a steam saw mill was built; a log school house was erected and Miss Rosana Clark taught the iirst school, wliich was the second school in the county, commencing about the third week in April of that year. The year 1858 witnessed the town's palmiest days, when its population numbered nearly tw(» hundred.

At a special town election, the first of which there is any record, held at the house of John J. Tiecy, Februai-y 15, 1858, the fcdlowing otHcers were elected: John .J. Trecy, mayor; Gerald Dillon, recorder; Cornelius O'Connor, assessor; Arthur Short, marshal; Thomas (Jni-ren, John Williamson and Duncan McDonald, alderniLMi. Tiie liallot box used at this election is now in the posbcssion of Mrs. Capt. C. 0'(X)nnor.

The people l)ecame dissatisfied with the location of St. Joiins find its gradual dept)pulation began, until e\'ery resident had moved away. The town site was vacated in accordance with a petition pj-esented- to the county cotnnjissioners by James A. Trecy, owner of the land, December 3, 1806, and thus St. Johns was obliterated from the face of the earth.

Pacific City. - Was surveyed and plotted October 18, 1856, by G. W. F. Sherman, its incorporators being Alonzo Moses, Joseph Ilollman and Andrew i«l. Hunt, with an addition by San ford and Martin. The town was situated about where South Sioux City is now built, in township 29, range 9, east, and was incorporated June 7, 185S, with the following trustees: 11. C. Tili'ey, J. F. Sanborn, D. P. Kent, Charles Kent, and Samuel A. Ayres. In 1857 it contained ab«»ut ten good frame buildino;s, but its inhabitants becomincr discontented with the location, all moved away, Mr. Sanford being the hist to leave;.

Franklin Citv. - Was situated in section 32 and 33, township 29, range 9, east, about two miles north of Dakota City, and incorporated June 7, 1858, wirh tlie following trustees: Alanson Baker, Nathaniel Watts, Henrv Henuiugs, John Hope and Eugene L. Wilbur, who were Mppointed by the county commissioners. The founders of the town were Joseph T. Turner and John Feenan; the plot was filed for record January 30. 1857. It never had the honor of containing a single house, although a number of lots were sold to eastern parties.

Pr.YBUKG. - Was surveyed and founded September 20, 1856, by Col. E. John "Pleyel; situated in the extreme south-eastern part of the county, Iiordei-ing the Indian reservation, but contained only two cabins, and was soon deserted by its proprietors. Its oidy settlers wei-e E. John Pleyel. John Tulo. Uriah Nickorson and Benjamin Trusedale. The country in this vicinity is still called Blyburg.

Vkkona. - I^'ounded by Jos^eph Kerr and W D. Kol)ei-ts, was situated opposite the mouth of the Floyd river, below Covington: incorporated November 20,

Extinct Town P. Oo

IIandolvu. -Was a post office until 1877, and situated about four iniles south-west of Homer, on Wigle creek: so named in honor of its first mail carriei', Jasper ivandolph. The post office was kept at the house of Wm L. Coveil, who was its only postmaster.

LoDi. - Was a post office located at Oak's mill, two miles north of Homer, nnd its postmasters were Sam. A. (\)ml)s, John Oak and John Bridenbaugh. In 1874 Mr. Bridenbaugh moved the office to his farm and the foUowinii^ year it was discontinued.