Richardson County, Nebraska - Chapter 6, 1917

Chapter 6

We have gone to a great deal of pains to examine the official records of the county in tracing the various elections on the .matter of locating the county capital the one eA^ent among all others important in the beginning of county government. The matter of its location in Richardson county differs little, perhaps, from that of other counties from the fact, that of the citizens of a new country, many at the very outset become excited over this one momentous event from other causes than a desire in getting a point most advantageous to all as to geographical location. In all new countries the matter of real-estate values are at once effected and it thus becomes a matter of pecuniary interest to a very great number of the people. So it was in our case, as will be seen by following the history of the various contests. If the historian were confined strictly to the official minutes of the meetings of the commissioners' court in session at th eearly territorial county seat of Archer, or that of the later one at Salem, the story told in the minutes would convey but little information bearing upon the various phases of the elections. The record made by them is here given, however, for the purpose of showing that official notice of the various elections was taken and for the further purpose of showing officially the dates of such elections and the names of those present on the several occasions, who took part in an official sense. This we have believed was important in an historical story, such as this, of what was no doubt the most hotly contested elections ever held in the county and the ones upon which the turning point in the history of a very great area of the county was most largely affected.

The official minutes of the commissioners court go so far as to say in the various instances that "no choice was had between the various contestants," but gave no result in figures throwing light on the result of the canvass of the votes in a definite sense. Nor do they give any idea of the struggles in every precinct of the county in the matter of the work done by the friends and various partisans of the towns entered in the races. This part is left for others to tell and much of it will never be told, as no record of it is now available.

That an election for the purpose of giving the people of the county a chance to make a selection of a town within the county for a seat of government was long expected, and that events had for years been shaping to that end. is more than proven from the fact that more than one townsite had been laid out by speculators with an idea single to its availability for just such a purpose and those sponsoring the same had bended every energy possible at their command in an attempt to win friends for their particular town.

First Election

"Now comes the county commissioners and in pursuance of an act of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Nebraska, entitled an act to establish permanently the county seat of Richardson county, approved October 3, 1858, it is by said board ordered that an election shall be held at the several voting precincts of Richardson county on Monday, the sixth day of December, 1858, for the purpose of determining the choice of a majority of the voters of said county as to the location of said county seat.

"It is also ordered that in pursuance of law an election shall be held "at the same time and places to ascertain the choice of a majority of the voters of said county on the question whether an act passed at the fourth regular session of the Legislature of the Territory of Nebraska to Restrain Sheep and Swine from running at large shall l)e enforced in Richardson County."

Taken from minutes of board of county commissioners held at Salem, Richardson count}-, Nebraska Territory, December 9, 1858, there being present Commissioners F. L. Goldsburv and Arnett Roberts :

"Xow comes the Board of County Commissioners and by them it is ordered that a second election shall Ije held in the several voting precincts of said county on Saturday, the 25th day of December, 1S58, for the purpose of determining the location of the coiuity seat of said county in pursuance of the provisions of an act of the Legislature of said territory, entitled an Act to Locate permanently the County Seat of Richardson County, approved October 3, 1858. there having been no place elected to be the said county seat at the election on the 6th day of December, 1858, and it is further set forth in said order that the town of Rulo, St. Stephens, Falls City, and Salem are to be the four contending points for said county seat, they being the four highest points voted for at said election on the 6th day of December, 1858."

"Special Term of the County Court held at Salem on the 27th day of December, 1858, a petition from the citizens of Archer Precinct praying for the removal of the voting place from Archer to Falls City, presented and si^ed by Phillip Breamer and eighty-nine others, of which said prayer was granted."

A third election on the coiuity seat question was then ordered to be held on the tenth day of January, 1859, for the purpose of permanently locating the county seat of Richardson County.

Reeatiak To Building Court House

"That John A. Burbank. }»Iayor of Falls City, on behalf of the corporate authorities of the Town of Falls City is firmly held and bound to the county of Richardson and Territory of Nebraska in the penal sum of Five Thousand Dollars, lawful money of the United States, for the payment of which I bind myself and successors.

"The conditions vi the above is that if the above named parties shall erect or cause to be erected upon the public square in Falls City a two-story Brick or Concrete Court House, Thirty bv Fifty feet in dimensions and to cost not less than ($3,000.00) Three Thousand Dollars to commence the same on the First Da>- of A'lay next and to donate the same with the Twenty- J''our Lots contained in the Public Square to the County of Richardson.

"Provided the County Seat should be located at Falls City by Vote of the People at coming election and to be held so long as the County seat shall remain at Falls City and no Longer, then this obligation to be void otherwise to remain in full force.

Ordered that there be an election held in the several voting precincts of Richardson County. Nebraska Territory, according to an act of the Legislature approved January, i860, for the jnu-pose of locating the county seat of said county, on the Thirst ^Monday in .\pril, i860.

At an electiim held in Richardson county on the first jMonda}' of April, 1866, for the purixise of locating the county seat of Richardson county. No place getting a majority of all the votes polled, the board ordered that an election be held on the i6th day of April, i860, to decide which of the following named places shall be tlie county seat, viz : Salem, Falls City, Rulo and Arago.

Present, Thomas ]\lclntire and Charles Cornell. At an election held on the i6th day of April, i860, in Richardson county for the purpose of locating the county seat of said county. No one place getting a majority of all the votes polled the board ordered that another election be held on Monday the 4th of June, i860, to decide which of the following named places shall be the county seat viz : Falls City and Rulo. they being the two places which received the highest number of votes at the election held on the i6th of April.

Patk Of Election Changed

"Seven petitions were presented asking to change the time appointed for the County Seat Election be changed from June to an earlier day. The petitions were granted. The time was changed from the first Monday in June to Tuesda}' the 22nd day of May."

"Xow at this day the matter of the contested election for the County Seat of Richardson county being for determination as between Falls City, Contestant, and Salem, Defendant. The same having been hereto before on to wit the 19th day of February A. D. 1859 argued and submitted by counsel for said parties respectively. And having been considered and duly weighed. It is considered, determined and adjudged that the judges of election at the St. Stephens Precinct were not lawfully qualified to hold said election ^^-herefore in canvassing the votes cast at said election. The votes cast at said St. Stephens Precinct were properly and of right should have been rejected. And it is further determined and considered and proved by evidence produced in said contest and by the admission of parties that more votes were cast at the Falls City Precinct at .said election in favor of Salem for Cnunty Seat than were returned by the election Board of said precinct also that at least one illegal vote was at said election and at said Falls City Precinct cast and connted by the election Board of said Precinct in Favor of said Falls City for County Seat wherefore by reason of the premises aforesaid it appears that a majority of the legal votes cast at said election were cast in favor of Salem.

"And it is therefore considered adjudged and determined that at an election held in the county of Richardson and Territory of Nebraska on the loth day of January A. D. 1859 under the provision of an act of the Legislature of the Territory of Nebraska approved on the 3rd day of October A. D. 1858 entitled 'a Bill for an Act to establish permanently the County Seat of Richardson County by a vote of the people' the Town of Salem in said county was Chosen and is hereby under the provisions of said act adjudged and determined to be the County Seat of Said County.

The following is taken from official minutes in county clerk's office: Salem, Richardson County, Nebraska Territory. County Clerk's Office February 4th, 1859.

Personally appeared before me County Clerk of Richardson County, N. T. E. S. Dundy in behalf of the town of Falls City wherein they contest the election for County Seat in Richardson County, Nebraska Territory.

Because the Board of Canvassers refused to count the vote polled at the St. Stephens Precinct - Second because the said Board of Canvassers acted erroneously, illegally and without authority of law in rejecting and refusing to count the votes taken at the St. Stephens Precinct on the loth day of January 1859.

There being no disposition taken and no witnesses present in behalf of Falls City, all they asked was that the poll books of St. Stephens Precinct be taken as evidence in the case which was agreed to and the testimony in behalf of Falls City was closed.

It was further agreed to by both parties that the matter lay over for one week for the purpose of the defense procuring further evidence and Saturday the 19th day of February 1859 being the day appointed for that trial.

From Official Records

Now nth August A. D. i860 the above entitled case after having been continued from day to day for the cNamination of witnesses, taking testimonv ect. came up for argument and final disposition. And after examination of the testimony and the papers in the case, and the law regulating elections ect. and after hearing the arguments of counsel for the parties, Plfifs. and Defendants, the Clerk being fully advised in the premises, it is ascertained, considered and determined, decided and adjudged that Falls City received a Majority of All The Legal Votes polled at the election held in said county on the 22nd May i860, for the location of the county seat of said county, under and by virtue of the provision of the act of the Territorial Legislature, entitled, an Act for the Location of the County Seat of Richardson County by a vote of the People, approved 13th January i860.

It is hereby further determined, decided and adjudged that Falls City, the Plaintiff in this case is the lawful and Permanent County Seat of Richardson County aforesaid, it having received a majority of all the legal votes polled in said county on the 22nd May i860, that being the last election held for the location of the same, and that Rulo the Defendant, has no lawful and valid claim to the same, as appears from the law and the evidence in the case.

The final effort to cliange the county seat in Richardson county was settled by an election held on October 10, 1871, in response to a petition which had been presented to the county board of commissioners by citizens of Salem. In canvassing the county for signers the Salemites represented that thev wanted to make just one more effort, and that this should be the last. The petition was circulated in every nook and corner of the county and the partisans of Salem worked as they had never worked before. When a sufficient number (two-thirds) of the vote, had been obtained, the petition was presented on August 31, 1871. In arranging for the election, the county board had decided to be governed in the registrations made for the election of delegates to the constitutional convention in May, and upon a canvass of the different precmcts it was found that there were 2,421 names registered and that it would require 1,614 signers to the petition to get the election. The Salem committee found that they had only 1,587 names and asked until Saturday morning of that week to procure the remainder of what would be required. The request was granted and Saturday morning they again appeared with a sufficient number of signatures to bring the total to 1,650. The commissioners thereupon ordered that an election be held as requested and designated as the day, October 10, 1871.

On October 12. 1871, the AU^inaha J'allcy Joiinial, published at h'alls City, had the following to say, descriptive of the election just held :

"Last Tuesday, Octol^er loth, 1871, was another eventful da\- in the history of Richardson county. The question for decision was this: 'Shall the Coimty Seat be Removed from Falls City to Salem?" Under the law it requires two-thirds of the vote polled to be given to a certain point before a removal can be effected. In this case Salem was the point, but instead of getting the two-thirds majority, she lacked about seventy-seven votes of getting half the vote polled.

"There was an immense throng of people in town from early on Tuesday morning until late Wednesdav evening - all extremely an.xious as to the results of the election, Ijoth in regard to the county-seat (|uestiiin and tlie election of county officers. Excitement ran very high, I)ut no quarreling, and very little drunkenness was visible. The election board brought their labors to a close about daylight on Wednesday morning and the result showed four hundred and seventy for Falls City and four for Salem in the city on the county-seat question. By this time there was enough precincts heard from to show a majority in favor of Falls City. There was rejoicing among the people, and town property was declared to be worth thirty-three per cent, more than it was before the result was known, and it was resolved by unanimous consent that some store boxes should be .sacrificed on Wednesday evening.

Falls City Celebrates

"On Wednesday evening a large number of the leading citizens, halfgrown boys, etc., congregated in front of the City Hotel at the southwest corner of the court house square (Seventeenth and Stone streets, as it is now known), and determined to have a 'blow out' on a small scale on the prospects of the election and the result of the county-seat vote in particular. So a huge bonfire was built and enjoyed for awhile when the 'village blacksmith' turned out his artillery and fired a national salute of thirty-seven guns in honor of the victory. George Van Deventer, Colonel Burbank and Hon. A. R. Scott were then called for, in the order of their names, and responded with appropriate remarks for the occasion. The crowd then dispersed with deafening cheers for the speakers and for Falls City, the county-seat of Richardson."

Commenting on the result of the election insofar as it affected the ]5rincipal contestants and the people of the county as a whole, W. S. Stretch had the following to say in his paper, the Xciiialia Valley Journal, under date of October 19th, 1871 :

"Our most sanguine hopes and ardent wishes in respect to the countyseat question are being realized with far greater rapidity than an\- one could reasonably anticipate ten days ago.

"Salem and Falls City have fought their liattle nobly, bravelw persistently, and the verdict has Ijeen rendered in favor of the latter. The defeated army accepts the situation and is now willing to let bygones be li>gones and all join hands and work togetlier for the best interests of the county.

workers for ten years past - men who had thousands of dollars depending upon the issue, and who gave unsparingly of their money, time and energies, not hesitating to sacrifice personal friendships where they conflicted with their purpose, we are told, have buried the hatchet forever. There are a few, however, who are unwilling to let the fire be quenched, but, fortunately, they are very few in numbers and are to be pitied rather than feared.

"AH honor to Holt, Lincoln, Brooke and others, who have shown the wisdom and manliness to drop the vexatious and harmful question. They have come to the conclusion that it cannot benefit Salem, and realize that it has been a great injury to themselves and the county at large. \Vhen we realize that these men have been the life and soul of the contest from its commencement, and that the)' have now alxindoned it and withdrawn their material support and influence, it will be conceded to be a dead issue by all.

"Falls City holds no grudge against Salem for bringing all her force and influence to bear upon the vote for county seat, neither should the latter feel aggrieved at Falls City for equal vigilance and energy in maintaining what she legally possessed, for to sum up the whole thing, it was only a matter of dollars and cents between the two towns. We regret, however, that much was said and done by both parties, which is calculated to irritate and do great injustice and harm to all concerned. But we are glad to know that Falls City, while she cannot help rejoicing over the victor}', has no desire to detract one iota from the merits of Salem, but manifests a disjiosition to heal the wounds of the late conflict, and lay aside all of those local dissensions which have proven so disastrous to the development of our county for years past. She recognizes in the leading citizens of Salem a noble and manly spirit, and we can assure them and the people of the county generally that she will in the future, as she has tried to do heretofore, work for the best interests of the county, and do all in her power to elevate it to that standard of wealth, prosperity and population, where it should already stand, and ultimately will attain - the first in the state.

"But. however essential it is for us to dwell together in harmony, this alone will not develop, build up and beautify our country and enrich our people. We must have mo^e substantial improvements, for without them no })eople ever have or ever will prosper. We want factories, railroads, county buildings, improved highways, etc.. and to obtain all of these it require.^- money and manual labor. We Jlre opposed to the people voting further count}- aids to railroads, but are very much in favor of ])recinct aid to railroads or any other public improvement or convenience. I'or instance, if a railroad should be proposed to run via Falls City north through this county, we do not think it just to tax Humboldt or Speiser precinct in the west end to build it : but we think it would be right and proper and highly remunerative for Falls City, Muddy, Ohio and Barada precincts to render liberal aid to the project. And we confidently expect that those precincts will be asked to aid a narrow gauge railroad from Grasshopper Falls northward through this county before two years elapse.

"W'e believe, too. that the people of Richardson county will be called before many months to vote a tax for the building of a court house, and when they are asked to do so. we think it will be for the best interests of every property-holder and voter of the county to support the measure. The counties all around us l:ave good court houses, and they look upon us as penurious and miserly for not providing ourselves with proper public buildings. Let us not be sneered at any longer, for we are amply able to afford as good buildings as any county in Nebraska. We have now as gdod a jail as can be found in the state, and for thirty or forty thou- .sand dollars on twenty-}ear eight per cent, bonds, we can have as good a court house. When we have, this county will soon be thickly populated, and in a few years we can take our stand as the banner county in the state in point of wealth and population."

The first court house erected for that sole use was built in 1863, at a cost of three thousand dollars. It occupied the center of the public square in block Xo. 59. the site of the present court house and was built as per agreement I>y the citizens of Falls City made prior to the elections held to determine a location for the county seat at the time the same was removed from Salem. It was a frame structure and gave way in the days of the early seventies to tilt tiieii new and now present building;

On .\pril JO, 1872, a proposition for the issuing of twenty-five thousand (Inllars in coupon bonds, to be used in the building of a new court house, was sul)niitted to the county com.missioners in due form. The provisions of the proposal were that a building of brick and stone, two stories high, and not less than thirty-six by sixty-six feet on the ground floor and containing two fireproof vaults, should l)e erected. The bonds issued were to bear ten per cent interest, which was to be met by an annual special tax. The principal wa> to be paid in ten years time, the county retaining the right to make payment at an earlier date if it seemed preferable. In accordance with this proposition, the commissioners authorized an election to take place on May 13, iS/2, in the several precincts. At this election the measure failed to secure a majority, and was lost.

On February 14, 1873, the Legislature passed an act enabling the precinct of Falls City to issue bonds for the building of a court house of stone and brick, not less than forty-seven by eighty-five feet, and containing fireproof vaults for the safe keeping of the county records.

In accordance with this act, a proposition was submitted to the county commissioners, who by the provisions of the act were duly authorized, and I)v them an election was ordered for May 13, 1873. These bonds were to be in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, to be payable on ®r before the expiration of ten years, and to draw ten per cent interest, which was to be paid 1)y a special tax, to be levied on the first of May, each year. The precinct decided on the issuing of the bonds by a vote of two hundred and eighty to one hundred and fourteen. Shorth- after the election, the work of removing the old court house and erecting the new court house was commenced under the charge of H. E. Moritz, of Speiser township, president of the board of county commissioners, and pushed to completion.

The fifteen thousand dollars in bonds were sold for Ijetween eigiUy and ninety cents on the dollar, and the proceeds used for the new building. The sale of the bonds did not, however, supply sufficient means to meet the cost of completion and furnishing of the court house and as much as fifteen thousand dollars were raised for this purpose. Maddox had the contract for the excavation of the cellar and employed some of the county prisoners on the job while it lasted. The brick used in the construction were of home manufacture, the same coming from the kilns of Mr. Beagle on the banks of the Nemaha. Rock for the foundation was procured, at what at that time was known as the Dundy quarries, and now owned by Doctor Minor, south of the city. These rocks were first class and the quarries still furnish an abundance of building material to this day. The sand used was furnished by Chris. Hershey and was procured at the Maddox and Brannin farms. Charles Loree, clerk of the district court at the present time, says that he was busy in those days hauling wood from his father's timber to the Beagle brick kilns, where it was used in burning the brick.

In 1882 further improvement was made b\- enlargement and the building of additional rooms in wings on both the north and .south side of the main building.

The count}- jail is the most substantial structure owned by the county, being constructed entirely of stone and is located on the northeast corner of the court house square. It is arranged with the cell houses on the first floor, while the jailer and family have rooms on the second floor. It was erected in 1871 at a cost of three thousand five hundred dollars, by J. H. Burbank.

Naming Of Falls City

It is saitl that many of those who had to do with the laying out and building of Falls City desired that it be named Lanesville in honor of one of its founders, a man by the name of Jim Lane. Falls City, however, was later decided upon from the fact that on account of a flood which washed away many of the homes of those then residing at a village on the banks of the Nemaha named Nemaha Falls, had come up on the higher ground and they insisted that the vt'ord falls l^e retained because of the name of their town and from the fact that it had been so named on account of the falls of the Xeniaha river at that point. Accordingly, Falls City was chosen and has so remained as the name of the city to this day.

W. T. Stout sold the land on which the town of Falls City is now located for the sum of fifty dollars. Jim Lane, of the Town Company, was the buyer.

The first reception to Nebraska's first governor, Hon. David Butler, who was a resident of Pawnee City, was given by the citizens of Falls City, soon after he was inaugurated governor and at a time when he was a guest of Hon. E. S. Dundy, of this city, who was later a United States district judge at Omaha. Hon. Isham Reavis gave an address of welcome and Doctor Messier was leader of the band that furnished the music.

While on this \'isit the governor issued his first proclamation convening the state Legislature. Judge Dundy wrote the proclamation and the governor sign.eil it.

On the (juarter century anni\er>ary of Nebraska's statehood, R. D. Messier recalled to mind the following interesting incident in connection with the reception of the governor in Falls City on a visit made while chief executive. Pie said "1 am reminded of an interesting little circumstance of those early days wlien Falls City was a stage station and "Scotty" would blow his 'orn." ("Scotty" was Scotty Bradford, a driver of one of the stages owned by Squire Dorrington.)

"I was then a boy, when, walking up Stone street at the old "Dorrington corner." so well known to all old settlers and where now stands the Dorrington Ijlock (at corner of Sixteenth and Stone street) I met Hon. E. S. Dundy. He stopped and informed me that that night Falls City was to be honored as a city by the arrival of her hrst governor - the later great and good Governor Butler. I say great and good, for who ever knew Governor Butler intimately, but to love him for his big heart and generous nature.

"What I want," said Judge Dundy, "is to know if you can drum up some music?" I had an old fife and the judge had some drums, so we went to his little old brick law office and fished them out of the back room and by procuring a few feet of rope, fixed them so they could be used. Then the question was, who could beat them. Col. W. A. Presson happening along volunteered to hammer the bass, and I skirmished around and found someone else to beat the snare. We then retired to the suburbs of the city (and by the way it was not far ) and practiced. \Yt\\. the music was not as fine as Gilmore's band or Thomas's orchestra, but it was the best the town afforded.

"Six o'clock came and with it the stage and in the stage, the governor. He was the guest of Judge Dundy. After supper we repaired to the residence and commenced. The late Flon. Judge Marvin introduced the governor and the Hon. Isham Reavis made the speech of welcome. (Here we must make a little statement.) We as a band thought we were giving the occasion a rosewood finish with our music, when Judge Reavis apologized to the governor for ouf poor music on the ground that we were out of practice.

"This was the first reception of the first governor of our great state. Nebraska has had several governors since but none so good nor any with such a checkered career."

Celebrate Railroad S Completion

At the time the .\tcliison & Nebraska railroad (now owned by and a Itart of the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy system), from Atchison to T.incoln was completed through to the latter place, a proper celebration of the event took place at Lincoln. The company ran an excursion from Atchison to Lincoln and prominent citizens from each of the stations along the line were invited to the same. Falls City was honored with al)out forty invitations and the train was scheduled to leave Atchison early in the day and was timed to reach this station I)y 8 o'clock a. m., but failed to arrive although our delegation were present at the station. Many waited about the station during most of the forenoon and still the belated train did not put in its appearance. The delay caused many to forego the pleasure and they returned to their homes. Among the party was a number of young mothers who with their babes h?d intended to go, but among them was Mrs. Sarah Schoenheit (now Mrs. J. R. Wilhite) who changed her mind and decided to stay at home. The excursion train reached Falls City about noon. Returning to her home in the bus. she conversed with the station agent and inquired of him if she might not be able to go on the regular train which would be along about 3 o'clock as she now felt that she must not miss this historic event. The agent advised her that her ticket could be fi.xed so that it would be acceptable and with her baby and a small nurse girl she returned in the afternoon and made the journey, arriving at Lincoln in the evening, but not too late to enjoy most of the program arranged for the occasion. The Falls City party, who had gone on the earlier train were much surprised to see her later, but tliey all joined with the enormous crowd present in Lincoln that evening in making it an event memorable in the history of that city.

In the summer of 1855, a town was surveyed out, about two and onehalf miles northeast of Falls City, which was christened Archer. In the same year, at a point seven miles west of the site of Falls City, the village of Salem was platted. At that time Archer was the county seat, so designated by the Territorial Legislature, and the residents and promoters of the place felt at first secure in the idea that it would remain so, but a dispute arose over the location of the half-breed line to the east, which was a boundary line of land reserved to the Indians. To settle the misunderstanding the government ordered a re-survey for the purpose of making corrections, if the same were found necessary. The new surveyors found an error, w'hich caused the line to take in a goodly portion of the Archer townsite. This condition robbed Archer of any possibility of remaining the county seat at that time. The residents of Salem, therefore, sent a petition to the Territorial Legislature asking that the county seat l>e removed to that place and it was accordingly done.

and John A. Burbank took a section of land for a townsite, and had it platted and recorded as Falls City, and began the erection of improvements thereon : but in 1859 that portion of the townsite lying on the west was vacated by a legislative act, and was taken up by the town company as individual property. Included in the land located originally were the farms of Anderson Miller and George Roy.

In the same year Jesse and Isaac Crook and others removed their families from Archer to Falls City, giving it quite a little boom, and resulted in calling the county commissioners together and they were asked to arrange for the holding of an election for the purpose of again locating the county seat. This was done and the election was held, resulting in a plurality of si.x votes in favor of Falls City. In the contest as aspirants for county scat honors, were Falls City, Rulo, Salem, Geneva and St. Stephens. This election took place in the summer of i860. .\t that time Geneva, which was located in the exact geographical center of the county, was a town of considerable importance, having several business houses and quite a number of residences, but after the county seat question was settled the town went into rapid decline, and all that remains of it are two tall trees and traces of cellars, over which the houses stood.

During the years that preceded the final location of the count)- seat at Falls City, much bitterness between the citizens of the various competing points was engendered, and many was the rough and tumble firstcuffs that took place, but nothing of a serious nature happened until on the day of the election, when Doctor Davis, of Rulo, and a man by the name of Thomas J. Meek, of Falls City, were killed in the old frame hotel, known as the City Hotel, and kept at that time by Isaac Minnick. The hotel building was located on the corner lot on Stone street, now occupied by the three-story brick building owned by the Richardson County Bank, Holland & Slocum and Falls City Lodge No. 9 of the Masonic fraternity. The City Hotel was built by Jesse Crook, who with his wife operated it for a time as a hotel and the same was later in charge of Isaac Minnick.

Traceov Described

The building faced the west on Stone street with a side entrance on the north side. It was a story-and-a-half building, the stairway leading to the upper story going ;directly up from the north entrance. It was in the room at the head of those stairs that Doctor Davis was killed by Meek, and it was on the stairs that Meek was killed by Doctor Dunn, of Salem, under the following circumstances : So great was the anxiety of Rulo, and of Salem, which had joined hands to defeat the location of the county seat of Falls Citv, that Doctor Davis had been sent to Falls City from Rulo and Doctor Dunn from Salem, to watch the polls and see that no illegal votes were polled. Mr. Meek had been selected by the people of Falls City for the same purpose. During the day an altercation ensued between the men, in which Mr. Meek had been worsted and was forced to retire to repair damages. He went across the street to the business house of J. Burbank, where he loaded two re\olvers and prepared to return to the hotel. In the meantime. Davis, who had become hurt in the melee, had laid down on a bed, in the room at the head of the stairs mentioned above. When Meek returned he w ent to the head of the stairs and began firing at Doctor Davis, who w-as King on the bed. In the meantime Doctor Dunn came to the foot of the stairs and perceiving what was going on, drew his gun and began firing at Meek, one ball piercing his heart and he fell dead. Doctor Davis lived for a few days after being shot. Having killed Meek, Doctor Dimn went out and mounted his horse and escaped to Salem. As he went, however, he was fired at by the editor of the Broad Axe, a Mr. Jameson, who had a shotgun in his hand, and by another person who had a rifle, but neither of which hit him. He was never arrested, although he passed through Falls City a few days afterwards, with a wagon-load of ladies, bound for Rulo. He was counted a brave, mad man - dangerous with a gun, and the people "wanted no truck with him.'" Such was the baptism of blood that gave to our citv the countv seat and started it on its course of advancement.