Hall County, Nebraska - Chapter 25: Chronological Survey of Hall County's Progress, 1920

1857 - May 28 - Party of five loaded teams left Davenport. July 4 - Party of settlers located south of present town of Grand Island; first settlement of white people in Hall County. July 27 - Houses occupied. Mendotte located, four houses built there. September 21 - Four teams started for Omaha for supplies. November 7 - First death in Hall County - Mr. Painter perished in a stonn.

, 1858 - ^ January 25 - -Supplies arrived. Mormons settled in Wood River country. W. G. Eldridge came to Alda region. March 3 - First child bom in county, Nellie Steier, daughter of Wm. Stier. 1500 Pawnees passed through county. November 4 - Act establishing Hall County passed. December 9 - County organized.

1859 - - First officers take office. January ^0 - Prairie fire, settlement lost 8 houses. Moores settle near present Wood River. Post office established for Grand Island. Contract to sell 2,000 bushels of com at Fort Kearny at $2, bushel

1860 - First artificial grove in county set out on Wm. Stolley place. Population of county given at 116. Sept. - Pawnees and Sioux have battle on the Grand Island. Stage line estabhshed, Omaha-Ft. Kearny - first through transportation line for Hall County.

1862 - - February 5, first massacre of whites in county - Smith-Anderson near .Wood River. August - O. K. Store built by Koenig & Wiebe - beginning of commercial history of county. August - First swarm of grasshoppers visits county since settlement. Geo. Martin settles south of Platte river. First

1863 - Mormons moved on to Salt Lake. Platte river dry, for 50 or 100 miles below and above Grand Island. Second saw mill on Wood River - first windmill erected. August 29 - Frost killed corn. November - Snow came and covered ground until next March, very severe winter.

1864 - James Jackson built store and opened stock of goods near old Wood River post office then called White Cloud. Name Wood River then only connected with Wood River Center (now Shelton). Fort Independence built on Stolley farm; O. K. Store fortified and Indian attacks averted in Grand Island settlement. General Indian attacks in Wood River valley and above there, westward. Martin boys south of Platte river attacked by Indians. August 22 - Gen. Curtis with First Cavalry, arrived. July 15 - GrasshopfKrs attacked buckwheat crops - other crops escaped then, but pests reappeared Augustl.

1866 - July 8 - First train pulls into Grand Island on new Union Pacific Railway. July - Grasshoppers re-visit county. July-August. Government survey of land commenced. November - - Postoffice established at Grand Island - new location on railroad. D Schuller appointed postmaster.

1867 - M. S. Hall, railroad contractor, puts in store, Grand Island. O. K. Store moves up to new townsite. Koenig starts State Central Flouring mill (now Glade Mills) and lumber yard, of which Goehring -Sothman yard is successor. July 24 - Indian raid on Campbell family, west end county.

1868 - Wood River laid out - site about two miles and half west of present town. Jackson moves his store in to this site. November 30 - First district court held in Hall County

1869 - Union Pacific railroad finished - joined Central Pacific. James Jackson killed a buffalo on present site of Wood River. June 16 - Frost damaged crops. Grasshoppers destroyed corn fields. December 6 - U. S. Land office opened at Grand Island.

1870 - May 21 - Bonds voted by county to build a bridge over Platte river - issue $15,000. July 5 - H. P. Handy authorized to contract for bridge 1900 ft. across Platte, to be built between Ranges 9 and 10. Platte Valley Independent founded - predecessor of Grand Island Daily Independent. First Masonic lodge organized - first lodge in the county. Building used by Catholics in Grand Island blown down.

1871 - State Central Bank founded by Henry A. Koenig, president, Dorr Heffleman, cashier - first bank in the county. March 22 - Hall County Immigration Board formed

- first agricultural organization in county. Settlement made in Cameron township. May 21 - Bridge across Platte River completed. Fall - -Episcopal church built, Grand Island. Henrj' A. Koenig becomes state treasurer - State Grange met in Grand Island. December 10 - Town of Grand Island incorporated.

1872 - Feb. 15, bonds voted for building Hall County court house, erection started soon thereafter. Settlements in Mayfield and Prairie Creek townships. Apr. - - Grange six organized, S. P. Mobley, master.

1873 - April 13 (Easter) worst storm in history of central Nebraska. June 28 - Court House completed. February 3 - Name of "Wood River Center" changed to Shelton - Hall County has clear title to name Wood River, except for the stream, running over into Buffalo County. W. W. Mitchell starts store at Pawnee - town starts in there - name later changed to Alda. October 25 - St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad incorporated. December 4 - Bonds for St. J. & G. I. R. R. carried.

1874 - Townsite laid out, present site of Wood River. James Jackson moves store over to new location - builds house there also. A. T. McAllister, postmaster of new postofifice established. May 2 - Work began on St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad. June 27 - First teachers institute organized in county. Hall County Agricultural society organized. M. E. Church erected, Grand Island.

1875 - Grasshoppers destroyed crops, nothing left to exhibit at a county fair. County represented in Constitutional convention by O. A. Abbott. One brick dwelling in Grand Island, then home of R. C. Jordon at Second and Locust.

1876 - February - Expedition organized Grand Island and Wood River to colonize in Black Hills. Maj. Foote returned in March. Fall - Fair ground located on a ten acre tract. O. A. Abbott of Hall County elected first lieut.-gov. of state.

1877 - County divided into townships in November - this later failed because law found unconstitutional - but the division then made formed basis of ultimate township division of the county.

1878 - May - 3 houses near Wood River 1 damaged by lightning. Rupert Schweiger- Ellis Broody killed by lightning on way to town. July 8 - Hail storm originating in Sherwin County - frame of Lutheran church and old Dunphy building in Grand Island leveled, insurance loss about $20,000, uninsured, about $30,000. South side school "Dodge building" built. Town established at "Spencer" in this county and one at "Runelsburg."

1880 - Population of county given at 8,572 ; Grand Island 2,963. Doniphan at 85. Grand Island Banking Co. incorporated - Banking house of C. P. Bentley established, among three banks in Grand Island. Bentley banking house predecessor of First National Bank. Union Pacific machine shops built at Grand Island. Branch of Union Pacific, Grand Island, St. Paul in operation. John WalHchs of Hall County became State Auditor.

1882 - January - Grand Island Building & Loan Assn. organized (predecessor of present Equitable Bldg. & Loan Assn.) Fall - Prof. R. J. Barr became Supt. of Grand Island City Schools, still serving 37 years later. Bartenbach Opera House erected. Union Pacific branch extended St. Paul to North Loup. September - ^ First National Bank chartered - oldest national bank in county. October 14 - Town of Wood River incorporated.

1884 - Big hail storm, east wall of U. P. car shops blown in. June 9 - Town of Doniphan incorporated. September - First meeting held to secure Soldiers Home here. Burlington Railroad came into Grand Island.

1885 - First alfalfa planted in Hall County, near present Midway. May - State Medical Ass'n met in Grand Island, Dr. M. J. Gahan presiding. Charles Hofman shoed what was probably last team of oxen and last Indian pony shoed in Hall County. January - Village of Underwood established. June - $1,500 damage to window panes in storm - mainly to windows in Schaupp's mill and new agricultural hall, county fair grounds. August - St. Francis Hospital started.

1886 - June 3 - Schaupp's three story mill and five story elevator burned down. Town of Cairo started in. Burlington that far then. September - Union Pacific passenger train wrecked at Grand Island. November - Most severe blizzard since storm of 1873. General John M. Thayer of Hall County elected governor. A. O. U. W. Grand Lodge (Nebraska) organized Grand Island.

1887 - January 15 - Election for street railway franchise. 428 for it out of 497 votes cast. June 29 - St. Francis Hospital dedicated. Sugar beet growing commenced in this county. October 20 - Cornerstone laid for Soldiers Home, Gov. Thayer present. November 26 - Fire destroyed number of buildings at Doniphan.

1889 - Erection started on City Hall and A. O. U. W Bldg. Bartenbach theatre refitted and refurnished. July 7 - St. Mary's Catholic church dedicated. St. Stephens Episcopal church completed. Security State Bank started. Fifth bank in Grand Island.

1890 - ^ January - State Farmers' AlHance meeting here; 800 delegates present from all parts of state. New Security Bank building (present Business College building) and new City Hall of Grand Island, completed. Population of county given at 16,513; Grand Island, 7,536; Doniphan, 437 and Wood River, 481. Sugar Beet factory completed. First sugar beet factory in United States - the one located at Grand Island.

1893 - Panic of 1893 upset business generally. Despite panic, fund raised to secure Grand Island College. December - Citizens State Bank (successor of old State Central Bank) closed its doors.

1894 - Hot, winds - no crops. Burlington railroad reached Billings, giving another connection to Pacific coast. Judge T. O. C. Harrison of Hall County became member of Nebraska Supreme Court.

1897 - Low point reached in March. With three banks closed. Grand Island National reached low point of $69,000 and First National, $191,000 deposits.. After that, steady increase showed returning prosperity.

1901 - Commercial State Bank organized. Grand Island, three banks again. School district No. 80 organized; last district in county except district 101 recently organized from consolidated territory of four counties.

1902 - Contract for new Court house let to Falldorf & Kirshcke fo $94,872 including new jail building. March - -Fire destroyed Barber's frame restaurant building formerly used by Herman Restaurant, originally built by David Schuller and in which first post office was located.

1907 - July 4th - Fiftieth anniversary of settlement of Hall County celebrated. Eight of thirty-five original colony still residing in county then. October 7 - Wood River voted bonds to start waterworks plant.

1909 - Fairmont Creamery plant completed. May 15 - Ex. Gov. Crounse, first Dist. Judge for Hall County, died. August - Nebraska Telephone Co. make Grand Island headquarters for district comprising llarge share of western half of state.

1910 - Automobile business getting good start. Y. M. C. A. start movement for new home. June - Fire destroys home of Nebraska Mercantile Co. Post office at Second and Locust completed. Population of county shown as 20,361 ; Grand Island, 10,326; Doniphan, 399; Wood River, 796; Cairo, 364.

1911 _Wm. Stolley died. May - Paul Trueblood, Grand Island, elected head of Commercial Travellers of state. June - State Sunday School Association met here. September 5 - Aviator Dixon here - Emil Wolbach took a ride with him.

1913 - -January - -State Poultry Association met here. April - W. O. W. of state met here. May - - Claus Stoltenberg died, was first settler on Grand Island, between Wood River and Platte river. August - Old Corkins livery barn burned, Tony Fleisher, Grand Island fireman lost life in fire. October - Coroner Thos. O'Gorman died from fall from automobile.

1914 - -New buildings in Grand Island - 6 story brewery building; 5 story Y. M. C. A. building and Glover building, 3 stories (later remodeled).

1915 - -January 25 - First transcontinental conversation over long-distance telephone. Seedling mile of paved highway constructed east of Grand Island on Lincoln Highway. February - Fire at Cairo destroys McAllister Bros, store. Fall - State conventions of W. C. T. U. and Blacksmiths & Wheelwrights.

1916 - Grand Island horse market has heavy year's business, approximately 60,000 head sold here. February - Farmers Union state convention here, 400 delegates. - February - Burlington purchases ground for side trackage near Fairmont Creamery and other industrial houses.

1917 - Catholic diocese located here - see moved from Kearney. April - U. S. enters the great World War, and practically all. activities in community divert their attention to war work. Nebraska Mercantile five story wholesale building completed.

1918 - Elks dedicate new home, one of finest lodge buildings in the central west. New Union Pacific passenger station opened. Elks and Knights of Columbus entertain state conventions. Hall County Farm Bureau established. September to April 1919 - Terrible influenza epidemic spreads through country - toll of life in Hall county approximately 70. Nevember 11th - Armistice Day Happiest day Hall County ever saw.