Pleasanton, Nebraska - Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org

Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org

The earliest settlement in the vicinity of Pleasanton was made on the farm now owned by Henry Peters on section No. 2. This land was homesteaded in 1874, and for many years there was a log house on this farm built by the previous owner. The name of Peters gained more than local fame on account of a bridge across the South Loup bearing his name. In the early settlement of the country there was a large amount of travel passing over this bridge by settlers who, arriving at Kearney, were making settlements in the northern part of Buffalo County and in Sherman and Custer counties, Kearney being the nearest railroad point. In the year 1874 Charles B. Oakley, Louis Colburn and H. H. Clark came looking for free land in the vicinity, and located in Pleasant Valley. The original survey was so faulty it was necessary for Mr. Clark to return to Kearney and secure the services of the county surveyor in order to properly locate their claims. Mr. Oakley located on section No. 8, the others on sections No. 7 and No. 22.

At this date the country was wild, there being many antelope, some deer and a small herd of buffalo. Mr. Clark and Mr. Colburn left the country, but Charles B. Oakley still lives here and is still enjoying life, having seen the country grow up from a wild region, passing through the sod-house period to one of the many prosperous settlements of Buffalo County. During the grasshopper year most of the settlers left this part of Buffalo County, so that Mr. Oakley has seen this locality settled twice, so to speak, he remaining through all the trials incident to pioneer life.

Scenes In Pleasantox

The townsite of Pleasanton was surveyed and platted in 1890, and the village incorporated January 12, 1894, and the following board of trustees appointed : E. C. Moffitt, E. W. Noyes, A. V. Hlava, D. Wort, S. E. Smith.

This school district now (1915) has a lO-grade accredited high school, employing three teachers, and has built, at an expense of $5,000, an up-to-date school building, all paid for. The present school district officers are : W. R. Scribner, director; L T. Hart, moderator; R. B. Wort, treasurer.

That the country tributary to Pleasanton is fertile and fruitful, and that the early settlers made good on their homestead claims, is best evidenced by the value of farm products shipped from this point in the year 1915, approximately: Grain, $150,000; hogs and cattle, $120,000; horses and mules, $20,000.

At Pleasanton are two grain elevators with a capacity of about twelve thousand bushels, and the lumber sales for the year 191 5 amount to approximately forty thousand dollars.

The Buffalo County Telephone Company was organized by the people of Pleasanton and vicinity in the year 1903 and incorporated in 1910 with S. B. Carpenter, president ; A. V. Valentine, vice president ; P. S. Holtzinger, manager ; M. S. Booher, secretary; F. L. Grammer, treasurer. The company had 128 telephones in operation.

In the year 1915 the capital, stock of the company was $6,580; surplus, $2,000; phones in operation, 324. Officers: A. H. Valentine, president; Adolph English, vice president; B. S. Wort, manager; M. S. Booher, secretary; F. L. Grammer, treasurer.

The Farmers Grain Company, with four stockholders, was incorporated in January, 1905, under what is known as the "Line" system, Pleasanton being one of the successful branches of the system. In 191 5 the company had a membership of more than one hundred, comprising both business men in the village and farmers of the surrounding community. The company handles grain, coal and lumber. D. Phillips is president of the company; the local board of trustees, Albert Reese, Fred Wise, W. F. Vest.

The Pleasanton State Bank was incorporated July 23. 1892, with a capital of $10,000. The incorporators were D. W. Titus, F. L. Grammer, Joseph Grammer, E. W. Noyes and John Terhune, who were also the board of directors. The officers of the bank: John Terhune, president; E. W. Noyes, vice president: F. L. Grammer, cashier. In 1915 the bank had a capital stock of $25,000; surplus, $10,000; deposits, $150,000. The officers: A. H. Grammer, president; E. W. Noyes, vice president; F. L. Grammer, cashier; W. R. Scribner, assistant cashier.

The Farmers State Bank at Pleasanton was incorporated May 29, 1909. with M. L. Dolan, president; Charles G. Ryan, vice president; J. R. Bonson, cashier. This bank has a capital stock of $12,000; deposits, $62,000. The officers in

In September, 1914, was organized the Pleasanton Commercial Club, with a membership of thirty. The officers : R. O. Stevenson, president ; H. H. Lammers, vice president ; F. A. Mueller, secretary.

United Brethren Church

During the summer of 1892 the people of Pleasanton and vicinity, being eager for church privileges, thought it expedient to organize a Sunday school at the Pleasanton schoolhouse, one-half mile south of town.

Daniel Cluster was elected superintendent, serving for one year, and being followed by C. W. Wood and Marion W. Perkins. During the existence of the Sunday school it was convenient for the West Nebraska Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ to send a preacher each year to conduct services at the Pleasanton schoolhouse. In the year 1895 the Pleasanton church was organized, but the services continued to be held at the schoolhouse until January, 1899, at which time the new United Brethren Church was dedicated. The charter members of this church were : Mr. and Mrs. D. Cluster, Mr. and Mrs. James Pearson, Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Chingrin, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Easley, Mr. and Mrs. Marion W. Perkins, Mrs. E. C. Moffitt, Mrs. J. Van Buskirk, Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Kofifroth. The church has (in 1915) property worth $3,000, and a membership of 100.

The Roman Catholic Church was organized in March, 1906, by Father Wolfe, and meetings were held in Crammer's Hall until January i, 1910, when the new church building, which cost $3,000, was dedicated. The different priests in charge of the church have been Fathers Cavana, Moser, Link, Kampman, Yorke and Schida. The church trustees are Joseph R. Nickman, Joseph Schuller and Joseph Zwiener.

Pleasanton Lodge No. 282, A. O. U. W., was instituted in April, 1893, with the following charter members : J. Johnson, Walter W. Reese, Joseph Grammer, D. Wort, Vanzle Voseipka, F. L. Grammer, C. B. Oakley, Thomas Bell, William Johnson, Berdine F. Rogers, S. Remington, Charles M. Trott, William Moxley. The officers: D. Wort, M. W. ; W. W. Reese, P. M. W. ; Joseph Grammer, F. ; C. M. Trott, O.; F. L. Grammer, Rec. ; A. V. Hlava, Fin.; C. B. Oakley, G. In 191 5 the officers were: W. R. Jones, P. M. W. ; T. M. Davis, M. W. ; F. L. Grammer, Rec. ; E. W. Noyes, Fin. ; C. B. Oakley, G. ; Dr. A. L. Randall, physician.

Pleasanton Camp No. 2053, M. W. A., was organized July 15, 1893, with the following charter members: E. C. Moffitt, V. C. ; S. E. Smith, W. A.; F. G. Hays, banker; J. H. Hansen, clerk; C. W. Wood, escort; Dr. J. H. Penn, physician; J. H. Booher, sentry. In 191 5 the camp was in a flourishing condition, with the following officers : F. L. Grammer, V. C. ; J. H. Booher, W. A. ; A. H.

Catholic Church, Pleasanton United Beethren Church, Pleasanton

The Village of Poole in Buffalo County had its beginning about the year 1889, a little trading post with one store, a grain elevator, and was known as Poole's Siding. In the year 1905 the Union Pacific Railroad Company completed a depot and installed an agent.

The Pool Ranch

In 1876 W. W. Pool came to Nebraska, taking as a pre-emption claim 160 acres in section 12, township 11, range 15, in what was later known as Cedar Township. In 1883 Mr. Pool and others organized the Nebraska Land and Cattle Company, which engaged in cattle raising, the company having some ten thousand acres of land in Beaver aiid adjoining townships. The officers of the company in the beginning were: B. F. Peck, president; R. L. Downing, vice president ; W. W. Pool, secretary and manager. In addition to stock raising the company cultivated about thirty- five hundred acres in mixed crops, and in 1889 grew 800 acres of wheat.

Registered Devon Cattle

Mr. Pool brought with him from New York a small herd of registered Devon cattle, the first, and so far as the editor knows, the only herd of registered cattle of the Devon breed ever brought into the county.

At a county fair held in Shelton, Mr. Pool exhibited his cattle and they attracted much attention. They were well bred, of a deep red color, long branching horns and active on their feet. The cows of the breed are good milkers and there are no better oxen than those of the Devon breed. Mr. Pool and many others who were acquainted with the breed were of the opinion they would prove a very desirable, valuable breed for this locality. The result was most disappointing. The climate and conditions were not congenial, and the writer is advised the breed made no impress on the cattle of the county. Mr. Pool being engaged extensively in the cattle business, and living some distance from a commercial center, and it being before the days of telephones, he constructed a private telegraph line from his ranch to Ravenna, and himself and two of his daughters became fairly expert operators. At a later date, when the Union Pacific branch was built to Pleasanton, a siding was put in near the Pool ranch and named Pool Siding, and later the name changed to Poole. The first and only agent at Poole has been J. C. Mahoney.

In 19 10 the village was incorporated, the members of the village board being C. E. Clark, J. S. Hanna, J. E. Criffield, Henry Abrams and J. C. Mahoney.

School District No. 60 was organized in 1882, and the first schoolhouse built of sod, and was located on the northwest quarter of section No. 22. The members of the first school district board were Messrs. Swigart, Dodge and John

Anderson. In 1884 a frame schoolhouse was built, and in 1890 this was moved to a grove on John Jergensen's farm, near the Union Pacific track, west of Poole. In 1907 the old schoolhouse was sold and a new one built in the village. The present school board is composed of John Jergensen, Charles Brabham and William Klein.

On July 9, 1907, was organized the First United Presbyterian Church of Poole. The charter members : T. J. McConnell, Mrs. Orie McConnell, Roy McConnell, Ruth McConnell, Vada McConnell, J. Charles Miller, Martin A. Sullivan, Mrs. Nonnie Miller, Mrs. Efiie Sullivan, Ella Watt. The pastors serving the church, in their order: N. A. Whitehill, J. S. Tussey, Earl C. Coleman.

The State Bank of Poole was chartered July 11, 1905, with a capital stock of $10,000; deposits (1915), $100,000. Officers: M. L. Dolan, president; Adam Schneider, vice president ; C. E. Clark, cashier ; E. A. Clark, assistant cashier.

Poole has two grain elevators, with a capacity of 1,500 bushels. During the year 1914 there was shipped of carload lots: Corn, 20; hay, 2; stock, 40; wheat, 160; miscellaneous, 10; total, 232.

The population of the village is 200. The members of the village board (1915)' Joseph Clayton, A. D. Hanna, Francis Reynolds, B. J. Stover, J. C. Mahoney.