Merrick County, Nebraska - Chapter 22: Our Towns, 1898

Chapter 22: Our Towns

yy«HEN the old stage road ran through Merrick County, its M I entrance into the county was marked by a little stage station by the name of Silver Glen. This station was located a little south and east of the place where the town of Silver Creek is situated, and occupies about the same relation to that town as the old stage station of Lone Tree held to the present town of Central City. Eleven miles farther west upon the stage road was Hartwell's ranch, which might be called the genesis of the present village of Clarks. Again, eleven miles west of the old Lone Tree station was Shoemaker's Point, which was finally abandoned that the village of Chapman might supply its place in that portion of the county's history.

With the coming of the Union Pacific railroad, as has already been noted, the stations along the old stage route were gradually deserted, and settlement gradually crystalized about the new towns along the railroad. Largest in size of population and first in point of permanent settlement of these new railroad-built towns was the Lone Tree, whose early history has been described in Chapter XII. The name of this town, as has been dwelt upon in detail in Chapter XIX, was in 1875 changed to - and it is under this name that we will briefly outline its history from the change of name until the year 1895, omitting, however, many of the details connected with its growth, but better associated with the history of the county at large.

enced largely its growth and prosperity, and given it an advantage that accounts for much of its superiority, in size and business influence, over the other towns of the county:

From the year 1875 until the year 1883 the development of Central City was that of any ordinary frontier town - somewhat slow and more or less irregular. But with the years following 1883 came that period of rapid growth known throughout the west as a "boom." From the Courier of April 12th, 1883, we learn that -

From the way the boom starts in, Merrick County is destined to its full share of the large immigration that is now making its way westward. . . .Those whose available assets run up into the thousands and tens of thousands are beginning to get quite numerous, and advise us of a growth and society that is no longer frontier. Quite a large amount of capital - an element we are always glad to encourage - has located in this immediate vicinity within the past few months.

This "boom" period was hopefully inaugurated, and seemed to promise the making of a town which in commercial and social standing should outrival Grand Island. It was during these years that the "Union Block," on the north side of Broad street, were erected; that the Grand Opera House, Academy of Music, Newton Hotel and the college came into existence; that the steam flouring mill and a cracker factory, added to the coming of the Burlington, suddenly increased the importance and influence of the county seat. It was in 1886 that the people tired of facing the railroad and a row of coal sheds and elevators, and created "Stitzer Avenue." It was the period of rapid growth and large hopefulness, when industries and railroad enterprises seemed intent upon raising Central City to a high place in the business world. It may be said that during these years Central City reached a dimen¬ sion from which it has never been able to advance - a point from which, in fact, it fell back and had not yet recovered at the date with which we cease to follow its history.

The boom period of Central City's history saw a few fortunes made and many wrecked. It saw the men who had stood behind the town's development since its infancy raised first to a high position, and then carried back to partial or complete ruin by the reaction.

said that from 1875 to 1895 Central City increased in population from four or five hundred to between twelve and fifteen hundred; in churches, from three to seven; in school buildings, from one to three; in newspapers, from one gradually up to *five, at which point our history ceases; from one business street to three; and from two resi¬ dence streets to nearly a dozen more than equal to the original two.

Following close upon Central City in both population and business importance has been the town of Clarks - a name shortened from the old-time Clarksville which it was christened in honor of the then superintendent of the Union Pacific, Mr. S. H. H. Clark. The early settlement of Clarks and vicinity dates back to April 1, 1865, when C. B. Hartwell located three miles east of the present station and opened a ranch for the accommodation of the stage travelling public. It was called the Junction Ranch.

the history of the Courier as dropped in Chapter XIV, we find that it was edited by H. R. Persinger and R F. Steele, either in partnership or individually, until 1879, when it passed into the hands of A. Fitch and Bro., by whom it was edited until its discontinuation in 1894. Following the Courier, in 1880, the Merrick County Item made its appearance, with R. F. Steele and L. C. McCarn (Steele & McCarn) as editors and publishers. J. H. Dony soon succeeded Mr. Steele in editorial control, and before the end of the year sold out to Mr. G. A. Percival, who, with Mr Steele, edited it until its disappearance in 1881. January 1st, 1882, the Central City Nonpareil made its appearance. It was Republican in politics, with Mr. H. B. Millard as editor, and Millard & Holcomb as publishers. The files of the Nonpareil for the years from 1885 to 1890 not being obtainable by the writer, no statement of the changes in editorial control is attempted, except that at the date with which our history closes the Nonpareil was owned by Messrs. Wolcott & Maxfield. In 1888 the Merrick County Repub¬ lican, with Mr. W. P. Watson as editor, came into existence, and ran until 1893, when it was transformed into the Central City Democrat, with Mr. Geo. Wells as editor, he being still in control at the time our history closes. In 1891 the Independent Press, .with Charles Grosvenor, arose to aid the Populist cause, and was running under the same editor in 1895. The last journalistic venture of which our history includes $ record was the founding of the Central City Republican in 1893 by Judge W. R. Watson, the paper espousing the party politics indicated by its name.

The permanent town of Clarks was platted in 1866, during which year Mr. John McLean settled there. He was joined in that year by Mr. F. Coyle, and in 1868 two more were added to the permanent settlement, in the persons of Messrs. A. Kerr and Thomas Tague. The postoffice came to Clarks in 1869, with Mr. Kerr as postmaster, and in 1871 the first school was opened, being held in a sod shanty erected upon Mr. Hartwell's land. During the same year the first store was opened in Clarks, with Mr. L. B. McIntyre as proprietor.

The first religious services in Clarks were held in the winter of 1869-70 at the residence of C. B. Hartwell by Rev. David Marquette of the Methodist persuasion. The meetings were well attended and everybody contributed to the support of the minister. There were also services held at the home of John Higgins, on Section 21, by Father Ryan. In the spring of 1871 the first Sunday school was organized in Clarksville. It was called the Union Sunday school, with A. P. Daniels as superintendent. About this time Rev. John Gunderman, of the Baptist denomination, began holding meetings in the granary of Jesse Turner, and the people appreciated these efforts so that the build¬ ing was filled to overflowing. This early church life has since taken permanent form in the organization of four denominations: The Catholic, Episcopal, Congregational and Methodist.

In newspaper history, the record of Clarks is by no means as extensive as that of Central City. The Messenger was the first paper of the town, being issued first on May 4th, 1878, by Mr. Jas. J. KreideT. On the 10th of April, 1879, Mr. J. C. Hartwell assumed control, Mr. Kreider having suddenly disappeared. The history of the paper there¬ after we have not secured in detail. Suffice it to say that with the exception of the year from 1881 to 1882, when it was suspended, the Messenger has represented Clarks' newspaper enterprise until after 1890, when its name was. changed to the Clarks Leader.

The town of Clarks has gradually risen from a frontier settlement to the dignity of a modern village. In 1866 it had a population of less than a score. During the years since then it has attained to a popula¬ tion of between six and seven huudred, with a proportionate growth of business and residence portions of the town.

one vote of being selected as the state capital, and it was understood that Central City's representatives in the legislature controlled that vote - explaining to quite an extent the undercurrent of hostility which previous chapters have shown controls largely the action of Clarks people in matters wherein Central City is concerned.

Silver Creek

Silver Creek was platted by the Union Pacific in November, 1866. With the exception of the section house, the first building erected at the new station appears to have been built by Mr. B. F. Hobart. In September, 1870, Mr. Cyrus Lee erected a hotel called the "Lee House," which was the first semi-public building of which the little village boasted. Among the earliest settlers in and around Silver Creek were the Shaw brothers, Mr. Lathrop (who kept a ranch two miles below the town), J. and Ed Howland (who located a mile and a half north) and James Brown. During the year 1870, Rev. H. C. Shaw, one of the pioneer Episcopalian ministers, organized the society which still holds its regular sessions there. A district school was organized in 1871. In 1874 the Congregational church was organized and has grown in numbers and strength since that day.

Silver Creek's newspaper history, so far as we are able to learn, is contaired in the record of the life of the Silver Creek Times, originally a Republican paper, but at the present time, under the editorship of the lion. Chas. Wooster, a representative of the Fusionists.

Silver Creek derived its name from the clearness, sparkle and color of the little stream which meanders over the prairie near the town. Its growth in the twenty-one years since it was platted has not yet brought it into serious competition with the other towns of the county, but has none the less made it a substantial little country settlement.

Chapman

When the Union Pacific, in 1866, staked out its towns eleven miles apart along its road, the future station of Chapman had least reason of all the stations along th.e road to claim for itself the name of "town." Shoemaker's Point was abandoned, and yet the truth is hardly told when we say that it was abandoned that the village of Chapman might come into existence. From Central City to Grand Island was practically a townless tract, and even the need of a town between them was at that time unfelt.

But the deciee of the railroad, that there should be a station here, could not long be disobeyed, and in 1871 the first business building of Chapman was erected by Messrs. L. Reed and C. A. Leake and occu¬ pied by them for a general trading store. The first real store was opened in 1873 by Mr. J. I. Walker and sold by him to Mr. W. H. Morris in 1877. The real importance of the town dates from 1878, when the Chapman bridge across the Platte was completed, opening up the trade of the northern part of Hamilton County for the benefit of the new town. During this year the town attained to almost its present size, and would probably be today a fair rival of tb#* county seat had not the coming of the Burlington branch into Hamilton County a short time after taken away a large portion of the new territory after which it was reaching.

Aside from t^e educational line, Chapman has comparatively little history. Two or three diminutive newspapers have flourished for a month or two, but have not found nourishment enough to continue their existence. Religiously, Chapman has grown from no church accommodation to a representation by two denomination - Methodist and Baptist. The educational history of Chapman began with a school taught by Mrs. Aurand at her residence in 1871. I11 1872 a school building was erected, and progress since then has been steady and rapid. Of the four earliest Merrick County towns - Lone Tree, ClaTks, Silver Creek and Chapman - the latter two, at opposite ends of the county, have most nearly retained their old-time dimensions and com¬ mercial importance, although their existence is by no means to be denominated an useless one.

With the advent of the Lincoln & Black Hills branch of the Bur¬ lington route into Merrick County, there came also a new era of townbuilding. On the south, of course, the Platte, distant less than two miles precluded the possibility' of a new station. But on the north was a large territ9ry which had divided its trade between St. Paul and Central City, although at some distance from both of these. To this territory the extension, in 1887, of the branch road from Central City to St. Paul offered the desired opportunity for establishing intermediate shipping points. It was in this manner that Palmer and Archer came into existence. In the Courier of August, 1887, is found a letter from Mrs. R. K. fierce, in which is contained considerable information con¬ cerning the first-named station. We give below the principal points of interest as found in the letter:

The Lincoln & Black Hills R. R., which is an extension of the B. & M. from Central City, is now completed to Greeley Center, Greeley County. Passenger and freight trains are running regularly to the above named point of completion. The new town refered to [in the introductory portion of the letter] has been christened Palmer, and is located about forty rods east of the junction of the St. Paul branch witli the main line of the L. & B. H. R. R., on a four hundred and eighty acre tract of land, purchased by the R. R. Co of Mr. W. Templin, Robert Lambert and Mrs. Samuel Lambert. It is about sixteen miles northwest of Cen¬ tral, City and fourteen miles northeast of St. Paul _ At the junction several switches, two thousand feet in length, have been surveyed and stakes are set. Also ground is laid out for a round house, fifteen hundred feet in circumference, calculated to make forty stalls. It is to be a brick structure. Car shops are to be erected. The depot will be near the city. Town lots will be surveyed soon and streets laid out. Parties from Kansas City are here waiting to commence build¬ ing as soon as possible. . . .Palmer is as beautiful for situation as the Psalmist said was Mt. Zion. ... .It lies on an elevated plateau, overlooking one of the finest sec¬ tions of country in the world. On the one hand lies the beautiful Loup Valley, with its hundreds of acres of meadow and pasture lands besides acres of oats and corn in their season; and Gage Valley, which has always been noted for its beauty, on the other.

From the foregoing it will be seen that Palmer was not brought into existence without those exaggerated hopes which attended the rise of nearly all of our county towns. And although Palmer has never realized the ambitions of its early citizens, it has not been the least among the settlements of the county. From a score of inhabitants in 1885 it grew in a few years to a population of about 200, which was approximately its size in the closing year of its history as we record it - in 1895.

that the first building erected in Palmer was built in September, 1887, by Mr. Joe A. Hays, and occupied by Hays Bros, as a grocery store. Church and school facilities were a part of the original town, Palmer having been created in the later years when the county was so thoroughly organized in all these lines as to make immediate response easy to the demands of the new town. Palmer's first paper, the Pal¬ mer Sun, was started in October, 1887, by Mr. Chas. E. White, and continued by him until 1892, when it was transformed into the Palmer Prodigal, under editorial control of Mr. Fred G. Shaffer, who ran it for a few months, when it was permanently discontinued.

Archer

In a personal letter to the author, Mr. C. D. Chapman, who has been connected actively with Archer life from its beginning, tells the following interesting story of the extension of the Burlington branch and the subsequent establishment of the town which is situated about half way between Central City and Palmer:

In the winter of 1886 I wrote to Mr. Touzalin, of the B. & M , and suggested an extension of the road from Central City to St. Paul, setting forth in my letter the advantages of drawing to the B. & M. freight traffic for Chicago that then went to the Union Pacific. At the time I received only an acknowledgement of the receipt of the letter, but in about thirty days there came a letter from Mr. Touzalin, thanking me for my suggestion and stating that although they could do nothing on it that year, the plan would be filed for use the following spring. When the spring of 1887 came, I received word from the B. & M. that in about two weeks surveyors and the railroad gang would be along and commence work. I was corresponding for the Courier at that time, and stated in my items that the B. & M. would soon commence the extension of its line from Central City out our way [Midland precinct]. Nearly everyone thought I was joking, but in two weeks more the surveyors had come, and I worked with them a month. Through them, by advice and counsel, I got the town of Archer located where it now is and later secured for it the name of Archer. In the fall of 1887 Mr. E. Hanson moved the Adams Center Creamery and store into the new town, from its former site two miles southwest. In the spring of 1888 I put up the first building - a store 16x32, aud later put up a larger store. Mr. Hanson formed a partnership with Mr. J. B. Templin in the fall of 1888,. and the same still continues. Mr. H. O. Chapman taught the first school in the town.

Central City and Palmer, and as such has not had the opportunity for expansion that the latter two towns have. Yet from two or three buildings in 1887 it has grown to a settlement of about 125 inhabitants, supplied with the usual school, church and mail facilities.