Gage County, Nebraska - Chapter 18: Narrative of George Gale, with Biographical Sketch, 1918

Chapter 18: Narrative of George Gale, with Biographical Sketch

George Gale was born in Columbia county, New York, May 17, 1828, and died at his home in Adams township. Gage county, January 9, 1899. He was descended from a well known family of the Empire state, members of which had participated in both the Revolutionary war and the war of 1812. His parents were Alonzo and Phoebe (Peck) Gale, both natives of Dutchess county, New York. His father was of Irish descent, his mother a Hollander. When he was six years of age his parents moved from New York to Connecticut, where he was reared and educated. March 26, 1850, Mr. Gale married Margaret M. Shaw, the daughter of Stephen P. Shaw, himself a well known pioneer immigrant to Gage county.

Shortly after his marriage George Gale moved to the new state, of Michigan, and in 1854 he went still further west, settling in Neosha county, Wisconsin. From Wisconsin, in 1858, with his family and household effects, carried in two ox-drawn wagons, he migrated to Otoe county, in the territory of Nebraska. He remained in that county until 1860, when he came to what is now Adams township. Gage county, but then part of old Clay county. Here he purchased land, and in 1863, under the homestead law, he added to his purchase one hundred twenty acres more. Mr. Gale was a most reliable, conscientious man. He had a keen sense of right and was accustomed to follow the inner light of conscience wherever it led. By occupation he was a farmer, and was content with tliat simple, uneventful life. He was well and favorably known in Gage county and esteemed as a man of strong common sense and sturdy integrity of character. Four children were

Mr. Gale was the second assessor of Gage county, having been elected to that office in 1869. For over twenty years he was a member of the school board of his school district and filled other neighborhood positions. Not only was George Gale himself thus accredited but members of his family also have been useful and esteemed citizens of our county. His sister Carrie was one of the early and successful school teachers of the county. In 1865 she taught the Beatrice summer school and in 1866 she taught both the fall and winter terms in the old Cottonwood, frame school-house in Beatrice, this writer having been much honored in being one of her pupils at the winter term. She. became the wife of Louis T. Griggs, and though long since gathered to the bosom of Mother Earth both she and her husband are represented in the world of work by their children, George, Clifford, Albert, Kirk, and Mollie, all honored and useful members of society. Mr. Gale's son, Charles F., but recently deceased, was for many years prominent in the social and business life of the city of Beatrice.

The following narrative was written by Mr. Gale in 1876, Primarily it was intended as a history of old Clay county, but it is so largely devoted to the various phases of pioneer life as he saw and lived it as to impart to it historic value of a high order. It is first-hand matter and probably stands alone as a contemporary narrative of pioneer conditions in our county. It supplements to some extent other chapters of this volume, and as evidence it has the weight of an eye witness on most of the subjects considered by its author. For all these reasons, as well as from resi>ect which the author of this work bears to the memory of Mr. Gale, his narrative is given place here. The interesting article is reproduced without formal marks of quotation.

By George Gale

settlement under the policy usually known as popular sovereignty, by which the question of freedom or slavery was left to a vote of the people at the time of forming state constitutions.

All this is necessary to be understood in order to understand why Nebraska, with a superior soil, climate and geographical position, was comparatively neglected by settlers, who agreed by common consent to make Kansas the battle-ground between freedom and slavery, and who rushed to that territory comprised within the limits of Clay county and now attached to the counties of Lancaster and Gage, it will be necessary, or at least proper, to go back to the organization of the territorial government, and also to touch somewhat on the history of other and adjoining counties.

As is well known, the act of congress organizing the territories of Kansas and Nebraska was passed in the spring of 1854, thus opening up at once these, two territories to

Very little perrtianent settlement was made in Nebraska this year. Some towns along the Missouri river were located by parties who had been watching the land for years and waiting for it to come under the provisions of the preemption laws. Omaha, Plattsmouth, Nebraska City, Brownville, and perhaps other towns were laid out this year.

braska was held this year, some surveying was done, and some few farm claims were taken near the river, but many of the settlers went back to Iowa or Missouri to winter.

In 1855 some farm claims were taken fifteen or twenty miles from the river, but nothing in the way of provisions was raised in this or the following year.

In 1856 people in search of first-class locations explored the country on the Nemaha, and as far west as upper Salt creek, but few, however, of the claims then taken were ever occupied by them, but were afterward taken up by others.

The first permanent settlement in Clay county was made on Salt creek by the Preys - - father and sons - Mr. Davison, the Wallingfords, and others whose names are not now remembered, all of whom are now gone except the Preys.

These settlers were all driven out by the Indians in the fall of 1857. They wintered at Nebraska City and returned to their claims in the spring of 1858, but the Indians troubled them more or less for several years, as we shall have occasion to relate further on. They laid out the town of Olatha this year.

In 1857 a great many settlements were made in Clay county. On the Nemaha, Mr. John O. Adams settled early in the spring and put in and raised a crop of sod corn. Mr. John Stafford came this spring and also raised a crop. Mr. Golden and sons, Mr. H. Reynolds and brother, Charlie Hickock and, farther down the east branch, Mr. John Watson, Mr. William Freeborn, R. Swallow, B. J. Baker and others.

In July of this year came Stephen P. Shaw and sons - ^ William, John, James, and Stephen - and James and William Silvernail. They located on the branch above Mr. Adams at Lacona. Jacob and Leroy Hildebrand also came this year, and settled on the branch known as Jake's creek, near Adams.

About the same time a settlement was made on Indian creek by E. C. Horner, Charley Austin, a gentleman named Phelps, H. W. Parker, besides others who proceeded to lay out the town of Austin, which now exists only on paper, if anywhere. Also, further down in Gage county, the Pethouds - father and son. Beatrice was also located and surveyed this season by what was and still is known as the Beatrice Town Company.

In November the Nemaha settlement was further augmented by the arrival of Egbert Shaw and John Lyons and their families. There was another settlement made this year on the head of the little Nemaha, by Mr. Noble, Mr. Rodencamp, Mr. Meecham and others, and I think they laid out a town near where Bennett now stands.

At the time these settlements were made in Clay county there had been raised in the state nothing of any consequence toward supporting the people. Everything had to be imported from the east. Those who had money could buy at the Missouri river anything they wanted but many had very little money, while some had to sell their best team or cow in order to live until a crop could be grown.

Some few who had their houses built went to the river and worked for those who had work to do and money to pay for it. However, the most of these supposed when they came that they had money enough to keep their families until they could get a crop and then make enough by farming or in some other way to pay for their land, for it must be borne in mind that there was no homestead law then. Their land was taken under the preemption law and they did not expect the land would be brought into market for many years, and that perhaps before that time came congfress would pass a homestead law and save them all further trouble. In this they deceived themselves, as they found to their great disgust a year or two afterward.

Although land could be taken from the first under the preemption law it could not be entered at private sale until it had first been oflfered at public sale to the highest bidder. This being the case, the settlers felt perfectly safe with regard to their claims as long as the land was withheld from market. But in the summer of 1858, to their great astonishment and consternation, the land from the Missouri river to range 8 was advertised to be offered for sale in September. Only a few of the settlers were prepared to pay for their land, while most of them had no recourse but to hire a land warrant at forty per cent, interest, for such were the very moderate terms of the gentlemen who petitioned the President to bring the land into market.

Of course they had the choice "of selling their teams and fighting the battle bare-handed, or letting the matter take its own course and run the risk of their claims being bid on by speculators, and losing their land, and in some cases costly improvements besides. But as nearly every man thought his claim was the center of the universe, the very pivot around which all the rest of the world revolved, and that consequently it offered an irresistible temptation to some speculator to buy it, nearly all were frightened into buying land warrants on time, at forty per cent, interest, and proving up their claims.

After this little game had been successfully played, the land was withdrawn from sale for one year. The next year, however, in 1859, it, was all offered for sale as far west as to include Clay county. This produced very little excitement, people having recovered from their fright, and very little land was sold - perhaps none that was held under the preemption, law. Some proved up and paid before the sale, and some let it run and took their land under the homestead law, in 1863.

We may as well say here that mosi of those who located borrowed land warrants on their claims lost them with all their improvements, and in some cases after paying interest at forty per cent, for several years.

There were no roads at this time except Indian trails, nor bridges on the streams, and when they were obliged to go to the river or anywhere else, three or four would go together, traveling on the divides as fnuch as possible, and when a stream had to be crossed they would take all the teams across except one, then run one of the wagons down the bank into the creek, then hitch on all the teams with chain enough to reach to the top of the bank, then pull the wagon out and then

But this was too much trouble for an everyday business and nearly every settler soon had a good bridge or a ford for his own use, which were always and for many years used by the , public.

The possession of a riding nag was an indication of the wealth of its owner, and the man who owned a horse team was set down at once as a blooded aristocrat.

In making long trips on the road they always carried their own provisions and bedding, and in winter feed for their teams. If the weather was fine they always camped out nights, but if it was cold or stormy they would always be welcome to spread their beds on the floor of some kind-hearted settler - Joe Sanders', the widow McKee's, Solonberger's, Brownell's, or almost any house from here to Nebraska City. But in the winter time Brownell's was the most popular place to stop of any on the road and your historian and nearly all of the Nemaha settlers have many times had experience of the hospitality of this genial, kind-hearted old gentleman. The old settlers of the Nemaha will never forget the nights they have lain on his floor, before the broad, open fireplace piled with blazing logs, and listened to the old gentleman's stories, and told others to match them imtil sometimes they would all fall asleep in the midst of a story, only to resume it at the same place in the morning.

Those were pleasant times to look back upon, but they seemed not so pleasant then, and probably if the same times were offered us now we should decline with many thanks.

These trips to the river, though not strictly pleasure parties, were occasions of considerable fun and enjoyment, provided the weath er was good, but if the weather proved bad and stormy, the situation offered but few attractions, even to an old settler.

well known points each night to camp, and if no accident happened and the roads were good and if the weather was not too hot for the cattle, the points were sure to be made. Some of the most popular camping places with the Nemaha people were Syracuse ford, Brownell's. Rock ford, Delaware City, and afterward at Solenberger, Nursery Hill, Wilson Bridge, etc.

They generally managed to camp near enough to Nebraska City to go in, and get out again at night to the same place or, at least out of town. While a part of the men, and perhaps some of the women (for they liked to go to town -just as well then as now), were gone, those left in the settlement looked after the families and stock of those who were gone. And when it was time for the absent ones to return, those at home would watch for the teams coming over the hill and would sometimes gather at the first house on the road to meet them and get the first news, receive their letters from friends east, and the children to receive their presents, for, in spite of poverty, something for them was sure to be found in some of the packages that came from the city.

As we have before remarked, there was a little sod corn raised in Clay county in 1857. Nearer to the river there was considerable, and it was sold for a good price to those who had not yet raised any. This served to demonstrate the fact that corn would grow in Nebraska, and to encourage the settlers to plant all they could the next year, when most bountiful crops of corn, potatoes, beans, pumpkins, squashes and all manner of garden vegetables were grown, and this was the last one and only good crop of sod corn grown in this section of country.

This success in farming solved the provision question so far as the raw material was concerned, but mills were needed to grind the corn. Several small mills were established at different places along the river this year or the year before, but the people here who were out of flour and out of money could not wait for the new crop to mature and dry sufficiently to grind. Thus they commenced living on the new corn as soon as it was in roasting ears.

and as soon as they could get it dry enough to grind they hauled it to the river and had it ground, if they could find a mill that was in running order, for they were generally out of repair and sometimes our people would have to wait a week for their grinding; sometimes they would return without it and make another trip for- it ; and in the meantime they would borrow meal or flour of each other until the entire stock of the whole settlement was exhausted - and then all would go to making hominy, grinding in cofifee mills and pounding in mortars or grating on tin pans, sometimes for weeks together until grinding could be had.

When the Austin mill started there was great rejoicing on the Nemaha, for now grinding could be had within from fifteen to twenty-five miles, and the trip could be made in two days. This mill only ran one day in a week and sometimes only one day in two weeks, but it proved a very convenient thing for us until we began to raise wheat, when we were again obliged to go to the city, or some other point on the river, or into Iowa. Your historian and many others have been to Iowa to mill and been gone on the trip ten days. /

The Beatrice mill was built in 1861 and burned in 1862, but it was rebuilt in 1863, and since that time there has been very little trouble about mills.

There are people who think we are not now very well provided with mill facihties, but it was worse during the days of the first settlements. One word more about the Austin mill. If from any cause the mill could not be started on the regular day, or the day had not been appointed, Mr. Austin would either ride over to the Nemaha or send a man to let us know when it would start, so that no one would come to the mill and be disappointed. Such men were millers in those days, but they are all dead, and they died poor.

The settlers commenced farming on a very small scale at first, raising garden vegetables, potatoes, etc., for their own use but nothing for sale for several years except com, for which there was a market at Nebraska City, though after the first good crop prices were low.

In the meantime they had tried wheat to a small extent and it had not proved successful, and people had got the idea that the country was not adapted to wheat.

In the year 1858 news came of the discovery of gold near Pike's Peak, and this greatly raised the hopes of the people with regard to markets for their produce, which would not at this time pay the expense of hauling to an eastern market, but it was two or three years before their hopes were realized and the gold fields afforded a market for anything of consequence. In the meantime many of the settlers had become discouraged and had gone back to the east, to the mountains or to the war, and those who remained looked dubiously at the prospect of making homes here, with the result that there were actually less people in the territory in 1862 than there were in 1859, by about ten thousand, fully one-third of the j>eople having left the territory.

The opening of the war had a very depressing influence on the affairs of Nebraska, especially the financial and business affairs. Coming as it did after a general failure of crops in 1860, on account of drouth, it found our people with little or nothing to sell and no market for that. It seemed as if the world had come to a stand-still. There were times when produce could not be exchanged for goods at Nebraska City, and even toward the close of the war, when confidence had become somewhat restored, it would take two bushels of wheat to buy a pound of coffee or a yard of brown sheeting, and many other things in proportion. Of course we did not put on much style in dress or live very luxuriously in any way. This state of things drove us from the Missouri river as a market and obliged us to look to the westward for the sale of our products.

There was at the opening of the war quite a large increasing population in Colorado that must be fed with produce from the east, and the people of Nebraska were quick to take advantage of this new market.

it was, wheat was worth at Nebraska City, thirty-five cents and salt was eight dollars a barrel. How were the people to get salt? This is the way; they hitched up their teams and went to the salt basin on Salt creek, near where Lincoln now stands, scraped up the salt that rises to the surface and is crystalized by the action of the sun, hauled it home, dissolved it, purified it, boiled it down and made a very fine article of salt.

Not only were the people of this section, but of all South . Platte, a part of Iowa, and the country westward to the mountains, to a great extent supplied with salt from this source. In fact manufactories of salt of considerable extent and capacity were established there, and quite a town was built up, all of which has long since disappeared.

They could not pay two dollars per pound for tobacco so they raised their own tobacco. They did not use coffee or tea every day. Sorghum syrup took the place of sugar, which was at one time two and a half pounds for a dollar.

Some farmers who had heavy teams hauled their produce to Denver or went into a regular freighting business ; others moved on to the lines of travel, and established ranches for the accommodation of the travel, while others staid on their farms and raised produce and hauled to the ranches and sold it, the produce being mostly corn, potatoes, pork, eggs and butter. At this time hundreds of farms were abandoned and left uncultivated in all parts of the territory.

The west was our principal market until the building of the Union Pacific Railroad, which destroyed the market for corn and drove the people of this county to raising wheat, for which we had now a pretty good market eastward.

The early settlers had the idea that wheat would not do well here until, in 1862 or 1863, some astonishingly large and good crops were raised, but for the want of a paying market very little was raised for sale until about 1866. Since that time wheat has been the principal crop grown for sale, and it was for many years

The war found our people almost unanimous for sustaining the government. Some few secessionists were found along the river, but they speedily left Nebraska for more congenial climes. In this county a few opposed the coercion of the states, but they were generally very mild in the expression of their views.

During the winter of 1860-1861 the legislature passed a law for organizing the militia of the territory into companies, regiments, brigades and divisions, for purposes of defence in case of danger. Accordingly an election was called by proclamation, and those persons liable to military duty were required to meet at their respective county seats and organize one or more companies, according to population, by electing officers. In Clay county the ablebodied men met at Austin some day in June, 1861, and organized a company by electing' for captain, Delos Mills, of Salt Creek; first Heutenant, James Silvernail, of the Nemaha; second lieutenant, H. W. Parker, of Austin; and a full set of non-commissioned officers.

Clay county had, at this time, a population of about one hundred and fifty or perhaps a trifle more, of whom about forty were voters. At the first election after the organization of the county, Nemaha precinct, composed of about one-fourth of the territory of the county, cast seven votes, being the full vote of the precinct, and as late as the division of the county the highest number of votes polled was thirteen ; most of the other precincts had more.

We do not know the number or the names of all those who enlisted in the army at the different times under the different calls of the president for volunteers, but Clay county, although a frontier county, furnished a large number of soldiers, and the territory kept her quota full under all calls, without .resorting to the draft. Among those who enhsted under the first call for three hundred thousand, were John Hilman, Jr., William Shaw, Egbert Shaw, James I. Shaw, William Hand, Charlie Austin (who went east and enlisted in an Ohio regiment), William Rudruff, and two young men on the Blue whose names are forgotten. These all, with the exception of Charlie Austin, enlisted in the Nebraska regiment and went to the front. None of them was killed in the service except William Shaw, who was killed by an accident, at St. Louis, in 1863.

Many others served for the defense of the frontier for different terms and at different times, among whom were Thaddeus Hillman, John Stafford, Nelson Adams, two young men named Etherton, on Salt creek, James Her and several others whose names are not now known, as they were new comers and did not return to the country after their term of service expired. One son of John Hilman enlisted in an Iowa regiment and was killed in the first battle he was engaged in.

A history of this section would not be complete without an account of the division of Clay county and the distribution of its territory between the counties of Lancaster and Gage. All history has for its object the instruction of the present and future by the lessons and experiences of the past, and for this reason the history of the division of Clay county must be written.

As early as the fall of 1863, rumors of a plan for dividing Clay county began to reach the people of the several settlements of the county, but this did not arouse much interest, from the fact that no one seemed to know anything definite about it, or where the rumors came from, and further it was well known that scarcely any one in Clay county favored such division. But soon men in Beatrice would drop a hint now and then to feel the pulse of our people in this matter, but they found them all against any such scheme and for some time we heard nothing more about it, and we supposed the thing was dead. But in the fall of 1864 the matter took such shape that there could be no mistaking the fact that there were only two or three in the extreme southern and about the same number in the extreme northern part who favored the plan or assisted in carrying it out; and they were all interested in town-site speculations which the scheme was supposed to favor.

At this time Clay, Gage, and Johnson counties formed one representative district, and John Cadman managed to get the nomination for representative from this district. All this was apparent, still but few knew that this was a part of the plan to defraud the people of their rights. The plan was soon discovered, but too late to do anything of any consequence toward defeating Cadman's election. In fact, nothing could have been done under any circumstances.

This man Cadman lived on Salt creek at Saltillo, on the extreme north side of the county. He owned a town-site further down the creek, where the insane asylum has since been built, and this, if Clay county was divided, would be very near the center of Lancaster and of course would be likely with shrewd management to become the county seat of Lancaster, which was not yet located.

On the south the proprietors and people of Beatrice, never felt quite sure that they could hold the county seat of Gage county at that place, because it was within six miles of the north line of the county and considerably to the west of the center of the county, while the geographical center lay on the Big Blue river and was in every way as good a place to build a town as at Beatrice. Consequently the people of that town took an active interest in the conspiracy and worked for Cadman's nomination and election.

A nomination by the Republican party was at that time nearly equivalent to an election, but Cadman did not feel safe to keep still, so he made a canvass of the three counties, telling the people of Clay and Johnson counties that if elected he would do nothing in the legislature looking to a division of the county unless he had a petition (which he felt doubtful of getting) to present, from at least two-thirds of the legal voters of the county, asking such division. The people of these counties knowing that there were not, altogether, a dozen people who would sign such a petition, he was elected.

what was going on in the legislature until the session was over. So it was this time. Some time in March, 1865, we learned that the legislature had adjourned and one of the acts passed was an act to divide Clay county, giving the territory to Gage and Lancaster counties. The people of Clay county were thunderstruck. They had not expected such a thing. There had been no petition circulated or signed and the people were unable to conceive of such infamy and political rascality as this act revealed. It seems that the legislature had obliterated this county from the map of Nebraska at the demand of a small ring of speculators, without the consent or even knowledge of the people of the county, thus adding insult to the other wrongs consummated by this outrage.

In justice to the senators and representatives from other parts of the state, it should be stated that, in answer to our reproaches, they said that there was a petition presented properly signed and which appeared to be perfectly regular, asking them to pass such an act and they supposed that they were doing a favor to the whole people of Clay county - which proves that a forgery was committed.

The people of the county did not propose to submit to such treatment as this, but supposed that on a true representation of all the facts to the next legislature, supported by a petition of nearly the whole of the legal voters of the county, that the act would be repealed and the old county restored. Acting upon this supposition and in this belief, in the winter of 1866-1867 some of our people started out and secured the signature of very nearly every legal voter in the old county, but the work was hindered by the inclemency of the weather, by high water in the streams and by lack of facilities for traveling over the country, so that by the time the work was done and the petition was ready to send off, the legislature was adjourned and we were disappointed.

This so discouraged some that, though they most earnestly wished the old county restored, they could not be induced to take any trouble upon themselves for this purpose on the chances presented. Others never gave up their

Another effort to obtain justice was made in the winter of 1868-1869, when our petition was denied, at the demand of Lancaster and Gage county delegations. Still another effort was made in 1871, when a petition signed by over four hundred legal voters was presented by Colonel H. Rhodes, representative from Johnson county, while the measure was supported by members from other counties; but, although the justice of our cause was unquestioned, we could not offer the inducement to members for votes for our measure, that Beatrice and Lincoln could for votes against it, and they refused to grant our petition. From that time all hope seemed to have died out until the session of 1875, when another effort was made for the lost cause, but with no better success than before.

In giving a history of the county division and efforts for restoration, through a period of ten years or more, we haVe neglected many topics of interest, which we will now proceed to take up under separate and appropriate heads.

As before stated, the cause of education in Clay county looked very discouraging in the early days. The people were poor; there was no public-school fund to draw from then and very little taxable property, the land being nearly all in the hands of Uncle Sam.

The subject was taken up by the several settlements and treated according to the means and ability of the people. The first step was to form and organize school districts. The first school districts were composed of precints of from three to five government townships, each with a township board of education whose duty it was to form sub-districts, the law not permitting the formation of a subdistrict with less than ten children of school age.

There was no fund for building school houses, but the people subscribed according to their means and built log school houses, made caves or sod houses in which to teach the young idea how to shoot. Teachers' wages were low and were paid by subscription or rate bill. There were three districts laid off in Clay county in 1862 - one on the Nemaha, one on Salt creek, and one on Indian creek and the Blue river - which were organized. The one on the Nemaha was divided into three sub-districts in the course of the years, but for various reasons they did not get schools running in any of them until 1864.

The first school taught on the Nemaha was taught, in the old log school house, until lately standing near James Silvernail's, by Miss Carrie Gale, now Mrs. L. T. Griggs, of Beatrice. School cost something in those days when the expense was wholly borne by three or four in each sub-district. . Since that time schools have been taught regularly in nearly all the districts, both before and since the county division.

Since 1865 and 1866 the country has settled up more rapidly than before, and schools and school houses have been multiplied accordingly, and people coming to this state now need have no fears that their children need go without instruction, as our public schools will compare favorably with those of any state.

The settlement of this state was very slow during the war; from 1861 to 1864 a few came, mostly from Missouri, being run out by bushwackers or leaving to escape the draft. A few of these stopped in this county but most of them stayed near the Missouri river. They are nearly all gone now, some to one place and some to another. Mr. Isaac Mayo is the only one left on the Nemaha. There are a few yet on Salt creek and near Firth, of whom we may mention the Grims, Jacksons, Montgomerys and a few others. Also about this time or a little before, came from Indiana Mr. William McLane and brothers and other relatives. Further down Salt creek, Mr. Delos Mills, Mrs. Boydston, Mrs. Warner, Mr. Keyes, D. S. Brown, Fred and Carl Knil, Mr. Huskin and others. On the Nemaha, George Drown, William Curtis, H. C. Barmole, and a little later the Moore Brothers, J. H.

On Indian creek and the Blue, the settlers were George Grant and sons, who for some time resided at Austin, and who moved to Turkey creek about this time; and near him Robert Nicholas, James and William Plucknett, and, on Clatonia and the Blue, William Van Cleit, James Krusie, Alfred Snell, and others.

After the war the settlement was rapid, and your historian was unable to keep an account of all who came, much less to name them. For several years after the war a great many soldiers found themselves, to use a vulgar but significant expression, loose-footed, and the attractions of Nebraska as an agricultural state becoming known at the east, Nebraska received a large accession of this honored class of citizens from other states.

Through all this immediate section all the claims on the streams containing bottom land or timber, were taken up in 1866 or before, and the next year prairie claims were taken, in fact early all the homestead land in the county was taken.

One thing that delayed the settlement of the section of country about Firth was the withdrawal of large tracts of land from market by the government, for railroad purposes, but this is now seen to be an advantage to the country in keeping it out of the hands of other speculators who are still holding in Gage county large tracts, above the means of settlers.

Since 1867 the improvement of the country has been very rapid, embracing the building of towns and railroads, which properly comes under another head, to which we will now refer.

As has been already stated, a number of towns were laid out in Clay county at an early dy, but none of them ever amounted to anything. They were generally located without reference to any natural advantages of position except, perhaps, a beautiful site for building purposes, but as such sites could be had

There was not at that time, or for many years afterward, anything in the county to build up towns. There was no water power in the county to encourage manufacturing operations, there was but one route of travel overland through the country, viz ; through the Salt creek settlement from Nebraska City to Denver, Colorado, but the travel was too light and too transient to build up the town Olatha. But the principal trouble was that here were not people or capital enough to give anything a good start.

When Clay county was divided, and for years afterward, there was absolutely no town of any kind in the county. Nebraska City was the only town that could be called a market for the people of this section until about 1868.

John Adams, on the Nemaha, used to do some blacksmithing for the neighbors. He got so that he could do a good job of almost any kind, and was always willing to oblige his neighbors. John W. Prey, of Salt creek, used also to do some blacksmith work, and mend plows and wagons for his neighbors. John Stafford, on the Nemaha, made and mended shoes and boots. George Gale .used to make ropes and twine, Alfred Gale used to make baskets and John B. Shaw used to make brooms. Aside from these mechanical arts practiced at home, all business had to be done a long distance from home.

After the location of the capital at Lincoln there was a market there for some of the lighter kinds of produce, and most kinds of merchandise could be bought there nearly as cheaply as at Nebraska City, but did not afford us a market for grain or other heavy produce, from the fact that there were no railroads to get it away, and up to the time' of the completion of the Midland Pacific Railroad to Lincoln, in 1871, the farmers hauled all their grain to Nebraska City, and bought all or most of their heavy goods, lumber, and building material, salt, hardware, machinery, implements, etc., there. The people of this sec-

The first town within the limits of Clay county that was of any use to the people was Bennett, on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. This town afforded a market for grain and made a fair trading point for the farmers of the northeastern section of the old county.

When the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad was built, a little station and trading point was established on Cheese creek, in the northwestern part of the old county, and called Highland. Other little towns were started on the Beatrice branch of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad just outside of the limits of Clay county, and Crete, Wilber, and DeWitt are a great accommodation to many of the people of the county.

Some years previous to this, a mill was built and a town laid out in Johnson county by W. H. Mann, of Sterling, Illinois, and called Sterling, but the town never made much growth until the building of the railroad. It was and still is of great advantage to some of the people of the southeastern part of the county. None of these roads run through old Clay county except to cut across a corner of it.

In 1869 the legislature offered, as a bounty for the building of railroads in Nebraska, to give twenty thousand acres of land to any company who should, by the first of January, 1871, build and operate ten miles of first-class railroad in Nebraska. About this time a company was formed and incorporated, called the Nemaha Valley Railroad Company, for the purpose of building a railroad from Rulo to Lincoln. This company and several others commenced building railroads and built ten miles of road and claimed the bounty of twenty thousand acres of land.

The legislature being in session at that time, a board of commissioners was appointed to examine and report on the several roads claiming the bounty, and on their report the legislature, while it accepted some of them, rejected the claim of the Nemaha Valley Company on the ground that it could not be rated as a first-class railroad. About this

But is was not long that this rich valley was to languish for want of railroad facilities, for a company having the means to do the work took hold of the matter and the result was the building of the Atchison & Northern Railroad from Atchison, Kansas, to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1871-1872, thus opening up the entire valley of the Big Nemaba to the commerce of the world. Before this time this section had become pretty well settled, large farms had been opened and the want of an outlet by rail for the immense quantities of produce grown was severely felt ; and when the road was completed, its benefits were immediately felt and appreciated by the people of the valley. The effects of the building of this road were to cause new farms to be opened, and old ones to be enlarged and improved, as well as the building of towns and the rise of real estate along the whole line to the distance of many miles.

Among the towns built on this road are Adams, Firth, and Hickman, all in old Clay county and consequently within the limits of this history. These towns were located and surveyed by the company.

Adams was laid out on the north half of the northeast quarter of section 27 town 6, range 8, in Gage county, in the spring of 1873, John O. Adams giving the company a half-interest in the land. WiUiam Curtis built the first house the same spring and this has been used by B. W. Anderson for a store and dwelling to the present time. After harvest of the same year Messrs. Adams and Curtis built the warehouse which is now used by R. A. Kenyon for shipping grain.

In the fall of 1874 R. A. Kenyon built and opened a store and in the fall of 1875 he enlarged his house and moved his family there, where he still keeps a store and does a good business buying grain.

ened a blacksmith shop there in the spring of 1875. Adams is a good point for business and would do a great deal if the railroad company would improve the facilities for doing it.

Firth was laid out on the northwest quarter of section 35, town 7, range 7, in July 1872, on land belonging to the Burlington & Missouri Railroad Company in Nebraska, which gave the Atchison & Northern a half-interest in the town.

The company commenced making improvements and others commenced building almost immediately. The first building aside from the company's improvements was a small house which was used as a saloon. Then followed the section house and depot, and A, Ellsworth's store, which was the first store in Firth. Then Lyman Wood's dwelling, then Eon Morgan's house and blacksmith shop. Champion's dwelling, Clement & Everest's store, Sweeney's dwelling, and Champion's warehouse. Albert Brown was the first station agent and operator for the railroad company. D. E. Champion commenced buying grain the 30th of September, 1872. Sweeney commenced a few days later and they soon bought together and continued together for about two years, when Champion concluded to retire from business and is not doing anything now except running a livery stable, a land agency, building houses to rent, selling implements and machinery, and running a hardware store.

Improvements from this time were rapid; Dwellings and business houses sprang up as if by magic. First one and then another branch of business was introduced, but these could scarcely keep pace with the wants of the country in their several lines. The Chicago Eumber Company established a lumber yard early in the year 1873. J. B. Hawley was agent, and was succeeded in 1875 by T. B. Barnes.

Dr. Feilds, the station agent, was the first physician to locate in Firth, followed by Dr. Murphy, and later by Dr. Robinson. Dr. Murphy brought on the first stock of drugs and started a drug store in the building now occupied as the postofEce. He sold out the stock to William Phillips, who took the stock to Hickman and sold out there. Murphy and Jewell had previously opened with a larger stock of drugs, oils, paints, etc., in Champion's new building, and sold out to W. H. Moore, who later ran the business in another building.

Clement & Everest opened the second store in. Firth, occupying the stand on the corner of First and May streets east of Ellsworth's store, which was burned in November 1873, with a part of the stock.

Clement & Everest sold out to Bailey & Barnhouse. Bailey sold out to Barnhouse, who for a while ran the business alone, then sold out to Bailey & Flickinger.

The first hardware store in Firth was opened by the Reed Brothers, who sold out to Champion & Hoisington. In the spring of 1874 John and George Brownell opened a new store and after a number and variety of changes they were still found in the business. In 1873 L. R. Horrum started a harness shop. He- ran it for a while, and was succeeded by Charlie Flickinger, and he again by Mr. Horrum.

Spellman commenced business in Firth early in 1874. Henry Golden built and kept the first hotel. Smith & Mellinghouse started the second lumber yard in 1874 but sold out and went into the grain business. Witzig Brothers started the second blacksmith shop and later Mr. William Cook the third. In 1875 Mr. Phinney put up the first and only mill in Firth, then sold out to John Brooks, who still runs it. In the spring of 1875 Clement & Davis started the first furniture store.

Firth since its location has grown very rapidly, partly from the fact that the country was well settled by an energeic and thrifty class of farmers who were greatly in need of business facilities, and partly from the fact that the business men of Firth were an enterprising set of men, who when they set out to build a town meant business. Such men of course will always win.

town, and the known character of its people and everything about the town, its position and surroundings point to a career of prosperity in the future.

The public school house is an honor to the town, and might be pointed to with pride by the citizens of far more pretentious towns than Firth. It cost two thousand dollars. The building of such school houses is an indication of the intelligence, liberality and farsightedness of the citizens. Mr. Beams had the honor of being the first to teach in this house.

T. S. Elsworth may be said to have been the first resident in Firth, as he was the first postmaster and merchant. Henry Golden built and kept the first hotel, D. E. Champion was the first to buy grain. Dr. Fields was the first doctor. E. N. Morgan was the first blacksmith. The first birth and the first death also occured in his family. The oldest man in Firth is Mr. Clement, aged seventy-five years. The largest man is Mr. Champion, weight four hundred pounds. The best looking is Mr. Wood, the postmaster.

Firth has so far been remarkably free from disasters or calamities. The burning of Mr. Elsworth's house is the only fire to record since the foundation of the town. The unprecedented rise of the Great Nemaha in July, 1875, did some damage to the residents of the town, as well as to the farmers along the creek. Such a flood had never been known before since the country has been settled. The water was four or five feet deep on the bottoms.

When Nebraska was first settled there were several tribes of Indians in the territory. These Indians were settled (if Indians can settle) on reservations, supported and under the care of the government agents and missionaries, and were generally supposed to be friendly to the settlers. They were not allowed to leave their reservations without a permit from their agents, but being generally peaceable they were generally permitted to hunt over the country the greater part of the time.

These tribes were the Pawnees, Otoes, and Omahas, and they were friendly to each other (although they would steal each other's ponies) and were much afraid of the Sioux, Arapahoes, Kiowas, Comanches and Cheyennes, who roamed over the country to the north, southwest and west, and who occasionally made a raid on the reservation Indians, scalped a few and ran off their ponies. These were called wild Indians to distinguish them from the reservation Indians, who were supposed to have made some progress in civilization.

The most trouble the settlers had with these Indians was through their frightening the women and children, for they supposed that an Indian was an Indian anyway, and indeed they needed watching whenever they were around, for they would steal anything they could lay hands on, sometimes in the presence of the owners, and whenever they had been unsuccessful in hunting, they would steal cattle and hogs, or anything eatable. They would dig up seed potatoes and eat them, even after they .were up and had made considerable growth. They would scarcely offer any violence to the whites unless they were nearly starved, and they were resisted in their thefts. A man could generally drive off any number of them, and wortien have been known to do it, but generally they were so much frightened at the sight of the Indians that they would give them anything that they demanded. The settlers on Salt creek had more .trouble with them than any others in Clay county, because the Pawnees claimed that they had not had their pay for the land on that. In April, 1857, the Pawnees came on to that settlement and drove the settlers all away and they did not return to their claims until toward the spring of 1858. Again, in May, 1859, they became troublesome and stole some cattle, and the whites killed and scalped one of them and drove the rest away, but the settlers always lived in fear of them.

Soon after this the Arapahoes drove the Pawnees across the Missouri river into Iowa, where they remained some time, not daring to return. They also burned the Pawnee village on the Platte. When the Arapahoes returned, a part of them came through the Salt creek settlement and committed some depredations, stealing stock, burning houses, etc., and tried to carry off Miss Rebecca Prey, now Mrs. Henry Stoops, but were forced to give her up after carrying her about eighty rods.

On the Nemaha, Alfred Gale's house was attacked by Otoes in June or July of the same year, when he was alone in it, forcing the door and overpowering him and a part of them holding him while the others robbed the house of every thing that was eatable, and did not leave him enough for breakfast. The attack was made in the dusk of the evening. He had just lent his revolver and had not the least thing in the house to defend himself with.

The next day they went to John L,yon's place and tried to run off his stock, but he and J. I. Shaw were breaking prairie about a mile from them and saw them driving the cattle. They started after them and saved the stock, but one cow had two arrows shot into her about eighteen inches, but she lived and was a good cow for many years.

In 1860 seven Otoes came to the house of your historian, who would not let them in but loaded his gun with buckshot and drove them away from his stock, when they went to John B. Shaw's and finding his cattle out of sight, ran them off and killed one of them.

In July, 1861, there was a great Indian scare on the Big Blue and the Nemaha. Some way or another a story came that the Cheyennes and Sioux were coming this way, killing and burning everything they met. What the story sprung from this writer does not remember, but it created some excitement on the Nemaha. A meeting was called at John O. Adams' to consult as to what should be done, and it was decided to load up our wagons and go to the river and camp near some town until it was over, and a day was set to start.

Mr. Adams buried his blacksmith tools, and some other things that he could not take were otherwise hidden. George Gale hid his cookstove in the brush, and some other equally foolish things were done, but before the day came to start they all, without consultation, concluded not to go and they soon found there was no occasion for alarm.

There was no more trouble with Indians in this section until the great Indian scare of August, 1864, when the Sioux broke out and killed every man and either killed or carried away every woman and child that they could get at on the Platte and little Blue, for about three hundred miles in one day, and ran off the stock and burned the ranches. Some of the ranches were well armed and defended and they escaped with only a scare.

The news of this massacre reached Beatrice and the Nemaha a day or two after it occurredj with the addition that the Indians were coming on to Beatrice, and meant to burn the towns along the Missouri river.

This news nearly made some people crazy, they loaded a few things into their wagons, gathered up their stock and started for the river. Some, nearly all, I believe, left the north branch of the Nemaha before we on the south branch heard the news. Some of these never came back on the Nemaha again, the others returned in the course of the fall.

None left the south branch at this time. In Beatrice the scare was greater than on the Nemaha. While some prepared for defense and sent out runners and scouts to find out the truth and bury those killed at the ranches, others never waited for anything, but hitched up their teams and started for the east as fast as they could go. One man drove so fast that he spoiled his team. On Salt creek all got ready to leave and some did leave and sold their land and did not return for several years, and others never came back.

Here is a list of the oldest settlers of the territory belonging to old Clay county, by precincts, commencing at the northeastern corner of the county.

Alfred Gale is the longest resident in Nebraska of any person on the Nemaha, and, with the exception of the Preys on Salt creek, ofany in the county. He left Kenosha, Wisconsin, in September 1856, on foot, carrying a knapsack and gun, which he carried on foot all the way to Omaha and to Nebraska City, averaging thirty-three miles per day.