Richardson County, Nebraska - Chapter 20, 1917

Chapter 20

There is no place on the globe more richly endowed by nature than Richardson county, which is one of the best to be found in the state of Nebraska, and over all its wealth reigns Falls City, county seat and its largest and most improved city.

The county possesses an equable and healthful climate, where every cereal, grain, vegetable and fruit adapted to a temperate zone are grown in abundance and where the important industry of stock raising is extensively carried on. There are many finely improved farms for the breeding of blooded horses, sheep, cattle, swine and }X)ultry to be found in the vast radius tributar\- to Falls City. By reason of its location and excellent transportation facilities, afiforded by two main lines of railway, the Burlington & Missouri railroad and the Missouri Pacific, it is a most favorable and convenient shipping point, north or south or east or west, for the vast amount of grain and stock produced hereabouts and for the proper handling of which there are several large elevators and good stock-yard accommodations.

Beautiful Location

The city is Ijeauti fully situated on ground which the Maker must have designed for the seat of the grand little city. This point was not lost sight of by those who first visited this section and it is related that John A. Burbank, coming into this section for the first time, direct from the Atlantic seaboard in quest of a location for a town, for that was his idea in coming West, stopped over night with James L. Stumbo, the proprietor of the mill at the falls of the Nemaha, southwest of the present site of Falls City. During the course of the evening he made known the object of his visit and stated that he was going on south into Kansas on the following day: whereupon Mr. Stumbo interceded for this locality, and on the following morning took his visitor over to the present site of the city and in glowing language pointed out the great advantages of the land as a site for a city. His eloquence moved Mr. Burbank, who was not slow to see tliat here was

Air. Burhank at once set about to give f(inn in a material wav tn the dream he had cherished, at the same time interesting others in the proposition, and the result was the banding together of a number of energetic men, who founded Falls City. Many of the founders lived to see much of the earlier growth of the city, ])ut not one has lived to see the Falls Cit\ liiat we of today know-. How wisel\- they chose the location we all know and from traversing the count) over it is apparent that no better site might have been found for a city: the natural topography of the townsite makes the drainage practical.

From the court house one can see the country on all sides within a radius of fifteen miles. Falls City's prosperity, progress and future prospects are founded principally upon the unsurpassed agricultural wealth on e\er\- hand, the country yielding in abundance and at moderate cost, all things necessary to the support of a large and vigorous population. The city enjoys a steady and healthful growth, with every indication that its population will be greatly augmented within the next few years and today presents as fine opportunities for the safe and profitable investment of capital as any point in the West. Many improvements are being projected and carried on, preparatory to meeting the new conditions of growtli and development. The churches have large congregations, and are noted for the talent and popularity of their ministers as well as for the Christian zeal of the members. Falls City's educational facilities are far ahead of the average to be foimd in cities of like population, while in the social circle there is a large degree of culture and refinement that command the highest respect and admiration. The business portions of the city always present a busy and active appearance. The people are hospitable and welcome all who come witli worthy and honorable motives.

Frior to iy]_*. when tiie city was made u division point of the Missouri Pacific railroad, the county seat of Richardson county differed in no wise from the ordinary country town. Its growth was practically at a standstill and things moved along slowly, with little attempt to stimulate growth or improve conditions in the city. For years previous to 1912 there was little of moment indicating that the country town would eventualh- take its place among the live municipalities of Nebraska. .Since that time there has been a wonderful growth, many new additions have been laid out, new streets have been run east and west, and eight miles of paving of the jjest construction possible laid, and a splendid sewer system, thirteen miles in extent, installed. New buildings by the score have been erected and more are going up constantly. The little city on the banks of the Nemaha has taken on the airs of a metropolis and is easily the most important trading center in southeastern Neliraska. Thousands of dollars have been spent on public Iniildings and civic improvements. A new highschool building, costing sixty-five thousand dollars has been erected, a splendid Catholic church has been erected, a magnificent Christian church has been built and practically every church building in the city has undergone extensive remodeling. Several new ward school buildings have been erected and the citizenship has put forth every consistent efTort to keep pace with the rapid growth of the city. Many business blocks have been overhauled or rebuilt and new fronts put in to keep pace with modern ideas of commercialism, until the mercantile establishments of Falls City compare favorably with those of much larger cities. The stocks of goods carried in all stores are complete and advanced styles of goods are usually to be found in the well-equipped and up-to-date stores.

Municipai, Improvement

A splendid city park covering thirty acres has come into possession of the city and has been improved until it is a beauty spot and a general recreation place for the people of the city and a notable place for civic gatherings, chautauquas and the like. Vim and push have characterized the city government and the citizenship since the new era began. The once sleepy town was awakened in reality and is realizing its opportunities to the fullest extent. Enough l)road-gauged citizens were found to take the lead in public enterprise and compel the city to keep pace with its growth.

The electric-light and water plants are owned by the city and are operated for the benefit of the people of the city without waste or extravagance in management. With the advent of the Missouri Pacific shops a demand for new homes sprang up from the necessity of housing the hundreds of railway employees, who needed homes in the city. More than five hundred houses, or residences, ranging in size from modest workingmen's cottages to handsome modern homes have been built within the last few vears, anfl the water mains and sewers have been extended to the several new additions whicli ha\e l)een laid out. New railroad depots, modern in evevy respect, have been built by the Missouri Pacitic and by the Burlington railroads. This year ( 1917) the Missouri Pacific completed one of the finest depots alonjj the line, with an attractive park laid out around the liuildin,!,^ and approaches.

Evidences Of Civic Pkide

As he passes through on the fast railway trains, the traveler is impressed by the appearance of the city sitting upon the hills above the valley of the Nemaha and if, perchance, his business should call him to visit the business section of the city, he is further impressed by the fine appearance of Stone street, which bisects the town north and soutii and contains the banks and store buildings of a modern character which line on both sides of the street and he is likely to marvel at the hustle and bustle which is characteristic of exery day in Falls City. The residence section is likewise very attractive, the many fine homes, the shaded and parked streets, lined with well-kept residences, please the eye and no harping critic can find much to complain about in the general appearance of Falls City. The work of civic improvement is constantly going on and will, no doubt, continue until every street in the city is brought up to a modern standard.

The industrial establishments of Falls City are neither many nor large, the most extensive of these being the Missouri Pacific railroad shops, which were established in 191 2. The thirty acres of ground occupied by the division offices and the shops were donated to the railroad b\- the cit\. Fi\e hundred men are employed by this division directly in the shops, this nunil)er including the trainmen who make their homes in I^'alls City. The monthly payroll of the railway employees who make their homes here exceeds twenty thousand dollars, which is a consideraljle item to add to the resources of the town.

The gradual ytt rapid growth and improvement of our lixely little city for the past ten years (1910-1917) is a source of pride and congratulation upon the part of its oldest inhabitants. In 1856-57 Gen. James H. Lane, of Territorial Kansas fame; John H. Burbank, J. Edward Burbank. Judge Hunt and .Isaac L. Hamby formed themselves into the Falls City Town As.sociation, filed their pre-emption under the act of Congress for town purposes, upon the south half of section 10, and the north half of section 15, township 1, north of range 16, and laid it out in town lots, fifty by one hundred and twenty feet, and divided it into shares for market. After most of the shares had been disposed of, patents were issued In- the government to only one-half of the land originally claimed; that is, to the southeast quarter of section 10, township i, north of range 16, to James H. Lane and to the northeast quarter of section 15, township 1, range 16, to Isaac L. Hamby. The result of this action by the United States government caused a contraction of the lots to a size of but twenty-tive b\ one hundred and twenty feet, in order to fill up the shares.

Falls City In 1860

In the year i860 the city of Falls City consisted of some fifteen or twenty dwelling houses, a blacksmith shop, operated by Lyman Miller, on the same lot afterwards occupied by the Globe-Journal office and at the present time by Peter Riester's furniture store on Stone street in block 91 ; a store, a tin shop, a one-story tavern, then lately purchased bv Isaac Minnick from W. B. M. Carter; the brick law office of Hon. Elmer S. Dundy, occupying the lot in block 71, later occupied by the Keim & Grable Bank and now l^y Peter Kaiser; the printing office of the Falls Citv Broad Axe (newspaper) on a lot in block 71 on Stone street, now occupied by the Falls City State Bank; and a shed, twelve by sixteen feet, occupied by Jim Sperry, for spirituous purposes as a saloon. Courts were hekl in the little school house, a little balloon-shaped frame pine Ijuilding, squatted on the prairie by itself in block 101, just west of the present site of the Central school building. Here before Justice Miller, one of the territorial supreme judges for Nebraska Territory, was heard the eloquence of Hon. O. P. Mason. Elmer S. Dundy and Prince Hudgins. m the Moran and Cbthird murder cases, famous in their day.

Falls City In 1865

In 1865 Falls City had enlarged its borders, and the then new Union House (hotel), a story-and-a-half frame, at the extreme north limit of the city, had commenced, under Jacob G. Good, to claim and recei\e the patronage of the traveling public, as one of the l)est hutels in Nebraska; which reputation it has since well sustained, though the little frame has liccn raised to three stories and enlarged in everv direction, until the trav-

There were hut fnur two-story buildings in the city - the new court house, now referred to as the "old" court house; the dwelling house of Hon. Elmer S. Dundy, later known as the Prescott house, which stood directly west and a little to the north of the court house, fronting to the east on Stone street, and now (1917) used as a dwelling house and moved back west to a friMitage on I'hase street: the home of John A. Burbank, since destroyed by fire, and the Isaac Scuyler house, now the residence of Hon. Edwin S. Towle. Reavis & Cameron had opened a store in the old Scuyler tin shop located on Stone street in block 90, now occupied by the Anderson millinery store just north of the Jenne building. David R. Holt and Chauncy Xorris were merchandising in the old store of Joseph A. Burbank until January of 1866, when it was destroyed by fire. It was located just south of the Richardson Coimty Bank building on Stone street, in block 70. J. J. Marvin had resuscitated the old Broad A.vc, on his return home from the Civil War. under the name of the Soiithcni NcbraskaH, and transferred it to X. O. Pierce, who was soon afterward appointed postmaster to su]iersede William W;itts, who held his office as justice of the peace and postmaster in a little sixteen liy twenty-four feet one-story house located on lots 21 and 22 in block 68. on Lane street, immediately south of the present residence of H. C. Davis. The postoffice was al.so used as the home of Mr. Watts, the postmaster and his family.

Stone street extended north from the home of E. S. Towle on lots . 0, 10. II and 12 in lilock 103 to the section comers at Twenty-first and Stone streets, or three blocks north of the court house, and with scattered houses, consisting of not more than thirty dwelling houses, while outside of Stone street there were not to exceed fifteen buildings. Where Morton street now is, from the then site of the soap factory, where the Burchard store is now located, north to the location of lilock 30 in the ravine of the Rhine, was a s])lendid straw1)errv patch, where the good citizens who did not feel disposed to listen to the spiritual teachings of Rev. R. C. Johnson, of the Methodist church, and Rev. \. D I'vamsex . of the Presbyterian church, who were the only divines resident in the city, could spend their Sundays in refreshing the outer man. S(juire Dorrington was the only magistrate in the city and Hon. I'llmer S. Dundy and Hon. Isham Reavis, then simply "estiuires." were for a number of years the only resident lawyers. There was no cliurch in tiie cit\-. where there are now manv.

The City In 1870

It was not until 1870 that Falls City began to show the promise of a rapid and permanent development and prosperity. Before that time the city had only constituted one ward, with seventy-five or eighty voters. The city was divided into two wards l)y the city authorities, consisting of J. J. Marvin, mayor; Jacob G. Good, J. Robert Cain, John Schuyler and Thomas L. Moss, councilmen, and S. A. I^'ulton. clerk. T'!ither of tlie two wards now poll many times the total number of votes polled in those days.

In 1865 we could number two dry-goods stores, one saloon, two hotels, one hardware store, no drug store, no clothing store, no saddler's shop, one shoemaker, no restaurant, no livery stable (and we have none now in the old sense, as automobiles have taken their place), but in the interim between the coming of the first livery stable and the last we had as good a convenience in that line as found in the West; one blacksmith shop, no wagonmaker; no provision store, no agricultural store; no banks, no opera house, no photograph galleries.

The land which afterwards became the townsite for the present town of Falls City was first settled upon in 1856 by a company composed of Col. J. E. Burbank, a paymaster in the regular army; James H. Lane, of Kansas notoriety, Isaac L. Hamby, and others. The city built very slowly until i860, when the county seat was removed to this place from Salem, after a very spirited county-seat fight, which is described elsewhere. Building was lively from that time untih the breaking out of the Civil War, and then, like all other Western towns. Falls City suffered from a period of stagnation, from which it did not recover until 1870, since which time it has gone ahead steadily.

The city is built on rolling prairie ground about a mile north of the Great Nemaha river. The court house square being the highest point of land on the original townsite. the city slopes in every direction from that center.

The Col-Rt House Square

The first court house «as a frame structure erected after the location of the county seat at Falls City was finally determined. It was built at the expense of the then residents of Falls City and was afterwards, in 187.2, displaced by the present brick structure. The wooden structure was removed to the northeast corner of the block immediateh south, where it served the wants of the county as a court house during the construction of the then new brick court house, which was the pride of the people of the county for many years, but lately there are heard rumors that it too should give way to a new and modem building with more suitable conveniences for the public. Besides the court h(5use is a large stone building, at the northeast corner of the block, which is the county jail. The grounds occupied by the court house are some three to five feet higher in elevation than the land adjacent and until recent \ears the square was enclosed by an ornamental iron fence, which has gi\en way to a stone supportingwall, which adds greatly to the appearance of the grounds. Having been built on this prominence and because of its height and the character of the country the dome or cupola of the building serves as a landmark and can be seen for a distance of ten miles or more from any direction.

The building is of brick, original size forty-seven by eightv-ti\ e feet, first story fourteen feet high, and the second twenty-two feet high. The basement is eight feet in the clear and was arranged with the view to heating the building by steam, which system of heating was not adopted until 191 5, it having first been heated by stoves and later by furnaces. The first floor is divided into rooms and vaults to accommodate the various county officers. The second floor is designed for a court room and offices for the sheriff, county superintendent and clerk of the district court, the offices of register of deeds, county judge, county clerk, county treasurer and county assessor being on the first floor.

Speaking of the court house, the Ncinaha J'allcv Journal, published at Falls City, under date of Thursday, January i, 1872, had the following to say:

The New Coukt House

The wnlls of the new building are now up anil imiler t-over. and we lielicve tbiil wlicii the cupola is added to tbe roof, the house will, iu point of beauty, rival an.v t-ourt house in the state, and for economy in construction it challenges the Western states.

As the building now stands, it has cost .$13..560.26 and it will require from .$15,000 to $20,000 to fini.sh and furnish it, depending upon the style. * * * If Tails City precinct has not done her sh.ne toward providiii- her share toward a counly .(imt bouse, no locality ever did.

The first dflicers tn occupy the now Iniilding were: District judge, Daniel Oant: district attorney. .\. J. \\'eaver ; probate judge. S. .\. Fulton: county treasurer. P. V>. Miller: deputy county treasurer. Fred \\". Miller:

First Falls City Fire Dkpaktment

What was known as the Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company Xo. i of Falls City was organized with fitting ceremony on June 30, 1873. The "lire laddies" held a parade wearing their new uniforms, and were addressed hy the mayor, August Schoenheit. The following officers and members tiien appears on the rolls :

President, George \'an Deventer; vice-president, Charles H. Rickards ; recording secretary, Oliver W. Brown; secretary, J. P. Holt; treasurer, J. R. Cain; George E. Powell, foreman; first, assistant, L. C. Gore; second assistant, George H. Geduldig; honorary members, J- H. Burbank, D. R. Holt, J. H. Good, Howard Leland and John Hinton. Active members, \V. J. Ralston, A. C. Jennings, B. Simanton, Bennet Sperry, T. C. Coleman. J. A. Whitmore, W. M. Maddox, William Gossett, A. C. McPherson, C. Sheehan, J. H. Franklin, N. McNulty, T. M. Tallman, A. W. Southard, G. R. Summers, George A. Merrill, Robert Clegg, L. A. Ryan, J. M. Robertson, Alex Minnick, A. L. Hofer, William Casey, W^illiam Casey, Jr.. George A. Bell, A. Lovett and Chris Hershey.

The company moved down the street (Stone street) and assembled in front of William Giese's art gallery, where they were photographed. Their uniforms were black caps, red shirts, with white figure "No. i" on breast, lilack trousers, leather l)elt (black) with "P. H. & L. Co. No. i," printed thereon. The notable part of the affair was that the equipment used, ladder cart, ladders, etc., were manufactured almost wholly in Falls City and rendered efficient service for many years.

Falls City, 1 869-7O

What was Falls City twenty months ago? This question can be easily answered. It was a village of about three hundred and fifty inhabitants, with four merchandise firuLs, one harness, one wagon, one I)lacksmith, .'ind one boot-and-shoe shop, two ordinary hotels, i. e.. the houses were of an ordinary character - one- church, one sclmol house, one news|)aper. two i^aloo^s, six lawyers and two ddctnrs. Riisiness at this time was very dull. and the future prospects uf Falls City were indeed gloomy. The Legislature was in .session at Lincohi, and about this time a bill was passed making liberal grants of valuable public land for the construction of railroads within the limits of the state, with a proviso that ten cir more miles distant of each railroad line should he completed within one year to be entitled to the benefit of the act. The news of this wise legislative act aroused our business men - they resolved to put forth e\ery effort to profit by the land grant. There were 2,000 acres of land per mile for building a railroad, but how the road was to be built without money was the great problem to be solved. The time allowed for securing the land was very short and something must be done. They at any rate called a meeting of the citizens for the purpose of having a general talk on the subject. A few speeches were made and ultini;iteh the plan (jf building a railroad from Rulo up the Xemaha \'alley, was conceived, and a companx- was organized under the title of "Xemaha \"alley, Lincoln and Loup P'ork Railroad Companv,'" with Maj. John Loree. father of our townsman, Cliarles Loree, as its president. The necessary papers were immediately filed in the state department and a charter secured. Money was then subscribed and a preliminarv surve\ had. They then circulated a petition for signatures, praying the county commissioners to call an election on the (juestion of appropriating $215,- 000 in county bonds, to the building of this road. On the 3rd day of -May the attention of the board of commissioners was called to the matter and they consented to "put the question."" It was soon apparent that there was strong opposition to the measure, and that the onlv conceivable remedv was a thorough and persistent canvass in e\erv part of the countv. .\ccordingly the forces were mustered and operations commenced on a svstematic scale, each invididual having his particular territory in which to ojierate. The principal actors in this canvass were Colonel Click, of Atchison, Kansas; Judge Kinney, of Nebraska City, Nebraska; \\'. D. Scott, of Rulo; Maj. John Loree, I'alls City; August Schoenbeit. Falls City; Fdwin S. Towle. Falls City; Colonel May, Falls City; S. A. Inilton. 1-alls City; A. J. Weaver, Falls City, and J. D. (lilman. Falls City. Had it not been for the untiring efforts of these gentlemen the proposition would have l)een defeated l>v at least two hundred n;ajorit\, whereas it was barelv carried bv six majoritv. The bond (piestion settled, the Xemaha \'allc\- Cmnpanv found themselves entitled to three thousand five hundred dollars in countv bonds per mile of ro.id, and to twenty thousand acres of st;ite lands when thev h:id completed ten miles and put it in readiness for the rolling stock, I'.ut where was tlie nidiiev to coinnience the work? was still the harrier. Different capitalists were asked to advance money, hut none seemed inclined to invest. September came and the friends of the mad had almost lost all hope of seeing the land grant secured. Some time in this month, however, Hon. Joshua Tracy, of Burlington, Iowa, come through this county prospecting for a line for a road from Burlington, southwest. He accepted the franchises of the Xemaha \'alley Company from Rulo to Humboldt, with a provision that the Nemaha Valley Company might at any time ha\e tlie use of the Burlington & Southwestern railroad for any distance it might occup\- their line, should they wish to build their road to Lincoln.

The Burlington & Southwestern Railroad Company then, as a guarantee of good faith on the part of the people of Richardson county, that the bonds would be issued according to the' proA'isions of the vote, asked Rulo. Falls City and Salem to guarantee to each pay to the company $10,000 and acce])t in lieu the county bonds as soon as sufficient work was done to entitle them to receive that amount, to which each of those towns agreed, and by the middle of Xiixember work was commenced at Rulo, and the ten miles was ready for the rolling stock and were accepted by both the state and county commissioners by the 15th of h'ebruary. This brought the road within two miles of h'alls City, which, though there was no locomotive on it, gave new impetus to the town. The business men of the place began io build, and immigration flowed into the town and countv, till Falls City had more than doubled her population since January, 1869, and now boasted of three dry-goods houses, one hardware, three drug, and two exclusive grocery stores, one merchant-tailor shop, one church and another in the course of construction, two hotels, one three-and-a-half story and ba.sement and the other two-and-a-half story - one school house, one livery stable, two saloons, one harness, one blacksmith, two ])oot-and-shoe, three carpenters and one wagcjn shop, a furniture store and cabinet shop, two ministers, four phvsicians and nine lawyers, one newspaper, one confectionery, one sewingmachine firm, one baker\-, one dealer in agricultural implements, and a banking h<iuse which will be opened the finst of September. Many new houses are now in the course of construction and under contemplation. We had about one hundred mechanics, and seven hundred and fifty of as moral and intellectual i)eople as could be found in this or any other state. A portion of these people lived in first-class houses, while the remainder occupy cottages of a neat, comfortable, commodious and substantial character, antl sufficient in every respect to answer all practical purposes.

Taking in consideration tlie beautiful location, her rapid and substantial improvement with the past eight or nine months, the intelligence and morality of her inhal)itants. her flattering prospects of being the railroad center of Xebraska, Falls City certainly offers the greatest inducements to capital and lab(jr (^f any town in the state - Lincoln not excepted.

The Burlington & Southwestern railroad is now graded from the Missouri river to a point on the north fork of the Nemaha river, eight miles west of Falls City, and will, beyond any probable doubt, be completed to Pawnee, thirty-five miles west of this place, by next June.

The Southern Nebraska & Northern Kansas railroad, from Hiawatha north to Nemaha City, will be built inside of one year, no one we think has any doubt. This precinct has just voted $10,000 in aid to the enterprise, Irxing township ( Kansas ) will give twenty-five thousand and Xemaha will raise the donation about $25,000 - near $2,000 per mile. When these two roads are completed we can go north, south, east and west by rail.

The Nemaha river and its two forks, and the ]\Iuddy furnish all the water power necessary for an indefinite number of merchant flouring-mills and factories of different and extensive character.

Six years ha\c wrought many changes in the appearance of our town as well as the surrciunding country. Six years ago three merchants did the business for our town, in pinched-up houses, handling small stocks, and supplying only a scope of country for a circuit of a few miles round, receiving goods from St. Joseph by river in the .summer and by wagons in the winter; now we have twenty most enterprising merchants, doing business on a large scale, in well-arranged rooms, and receiving goods by the carload.

.Six years ago our citizens hauletl luml)er from l'ro\\n\ille and other places on the river; now Falls City has the largest lunilier tirni outside of Omaha in the state of Nebraska.

Six years ago the railroad was considered far in the tlistance. now the gentle voice of the inm horse is heard as he lirings in manufactures and carries out our surplus of grain and produce, with the assurance of antidier road within six months, and a third within a year, thus making l-'alls C'itv the commercial CL'uter of southern Xebraska.

Six years ago our grain was ground in a little mill at the l""alls of the Xeniaha known as Nemaha Falls, run by the Stumbo boys: now a large and well-appointed mill has taken its place, and two others have been built in this neighborhood, all doing an extensive merchant and custom business.

Six years ago there was a narrow road running up the middle of our street resembling an Indian trail, with grass and weeds growing on either side, and an occasional horse or team hitched to the fence; now our wellpa\-ed streets are scarcely able to contain the teams that throng them daily.

Six years ago we had a small blacksmith shop where "Gib" Shockley \\t)uld shoe your horse, sharpen your plow, mend your wagon or fiddle for vour dance; now we have three shops employing a dozen men and doing work in as good style as can be done in any city in the country. '

Six years ago it was considered nonsense to talk of making brick ; later years have demonstrated the fact that l)rick can be made by experienced hands, and of a quality excelled nowhere.

Six years ago our houses were all frame ; now we have brick and stone buildings, with iron fronts and cornices, that are up to Chicago or St. Louis as to architecture, beauty and convenience.

Six years ago John Hanna and Anderson Miller supplied the people with beef at their doors ; now we have two of as good meat-market houses as any town of double the size.

Six years ago our children went to school in a little frame house eighteen by twenty-four feet, where "Jim"' Rhine wielded the rod; now we have four large rooms well filled, a good substantial frame building, with a twenty-thousand-dollar brick under construction.

Six years ago there was but one church in our city; ntjw we have live edifices and two denominations who hold services in the school house. .\11 are well attended.

Six years ago "Jake" Good fed the hungry in his little shanty ; now Jacob boasts of the largest hotel south of the Platte in Nebrasaka. where tie does his part of the business, while Maj. John Loree, of the Commercial, serves his patrons in a way that insures a second visit by all who try him.

Six years ago glass, paint, oil and drugs were handled on a small scale, l)v our merchant, Cameron ; now Falls City supports three large drug stores, carrving heavv st(X-ks and doing a good business. (33)

There are other changes that these few short years have made, aninii.i; which are: Avers, the tobacconist; Brill, stationer; two jewelry stores, three livery stal)les, two harness shops, three barber shops and a tailor shop, besides many others scarcely thought of six \ears ago, that are doing much to make Falls City one of the best places in the West.

Opening Of Iiinton Park

The citizens of Falls City had much to celebrate on July 4. 1882. as many Richardson county people will still remember. It was at this time that Hinton Park, later to become t>ne of the most noted pleasure resorts in the county was, after being three years in the course of preparation, finally opened in a formal way to the public.

The park, which included a very beautiful artificial lake used for bathing and boating, was the property of John Hinton. It contained thirty acres, thirteen of which contained an elegant grove of walnut trees and w^as well sodded with blue grass. The balance was devoted to a race track, stables, lake, etc. The race track was e.xactly one mile in length and one of the finest in the state. The entire grounds were fenced and comfortal)k' seats were well distributed about the grove. This playground, located as it was directly south of the city and near the Nemaha, was long (for nearly fifteen years') the resort of picnic parties, horse-racing meets, baseball matches, shooting tournaments, agricultural fairs, political gatherings, religious meetings, etc. The Hinton park was widely known over the corners of the four border states and was a highly popular resort. It was a purely private undertaking and a small admission fee was charged for admittance, yet at all times it was largely patronized by Richardson county people.

Unfortunately, however, its location was its undoing, because of great overflows and floods in the valley of the Nemaha, which alone, as time has proven, would have ruined it ; luit its complete destruction was brought about by a flood and cyclone which so thoroughly damaged the trees, lake, buildings, etc.. that it was never rebuilt.

On the occasion of its opening, July 4, 1882, more than five thousand people were present. The day dawned cool and clear and the city along Stone street was gaily decorated with the stars and stripes and other patriotic emblems, showing that American deliverance from England's tvranny had not been forgotten in the one hundred and si.x years intervening.

menced entering Falls City. The Burlington & Alissouri railway brought hundreds of holiday visitors from White Cloud, Kansas, and intermediate points on the line. In a monster procession paraded about the city, fully one thousand wagons, buggies and carriages participated, including one hundred mounted Iowa and Sioux Indians. At the grounds in the park where the celebration took place the Declaration of Independence was read l)y Hon. Francis Martin, after which the speaker of the day, the Hon. John L. Webster, of Omaha, was introduced by Hon. Lsham Reavis, of Falls City.

The amusements of the day included horse racing, a shooting tournament and a grand parade by a ilambeau clul) in the exening, which latter was one of the finest exhibitions ever given in the city. This club was organized under the leadership of William E. Dorrington and was composed of about forty members. They marched north and south on Stone street from the Jenne Opera House to the Union Hotel, back and forth amid a shower of golden and crimson fire, flying rockets and glistening stars, to the music of the Falls City Cornet Band until the last rocket had floated heavenward, and lost its fiery tail in the depths beyond.

This was more than was expected of a town of this size at that time, and brought forth storms of applause from the delighted spectators. This exhibition alone was worth coming miles to see. The fireworks used in so brief a time cost more than five hundred dollars. The night was spent by the young people in dancing at the ojiera house. The success of the entire program was very largely due to the untiring efforts of Thomas Mc- Lane. who for more than four weeks had labored incessantly that it might be a success. Thus ended the one hundred and sixth anniversary of the nation's independence, as celebrated by the people of Richardson county, who had very largely journeyed thither.

Early Fire Record

Falls City has been singularly and to a marked degree free from the ravages of fire. In the early town built largely, or almost entirely of wood, as were all the towns of the then new West, such exemption had been exceedingly rare. Nearly every to\\n in the county had chronicled some "bad fires" which had swept a large part of its business section. On the night of April 12, 1877, flames were discovered shortly after 11 p. m. issuing from the rear of a frame building owned by ^Irs. .Anna Reavis and occupied, on the ground floor, as a flour-and-feed store by Frank Muir and above, for private purposes. In a very short time, the combustible

As the town possessed no fire apparaus other than a suppl\ of ladders and buckets, the main efforts of the crowd that had gathered were devoted to saving goods, while they looked at the doomed buildings, powerless to save them. Many buildings at various points were set blazing by flying embers, and with difficulty saved, and the office of the Falls City Press was only saved by the use of ladders and the bravery of the bucket brigade.

Within an hour from the breaking out of the fire the seven buildings were level with the ground. The losses by the fire aggregated $15,000, distributed as follows: Mrs. Anna Reavis, $900; F. Muir..$300: Richard Smith, $600; John King, $200; T. C. Coleman, $600; F. C. Fisher, $200. and George Ivaiser, $300. L. A. l^yan was the owner of a frame buildinglocated on the northeast corner of the block facing Stone street, on the site now used by the V. G. Lyford store. The frame building had been occupied by James Ralston for a saloon and was destroyed in this fire. On the following morning Mr. Ryan had lumber on the street, near the smouldering fire, ready for the erection of a new building, but the citv council took the matter in hand and passed an ordinance prohibiting the further erection of frame buildings in the business section of the city, and from that dav until now this ixjlicy has l^een strictly adhered to. The aggregate amount of the loss is trivial in the light of present-day fires, fmm the same cause, of from fifty thousand to ten times that amount. Yet the citizens, with the pluck that was characteristic of the people of those times, set themselves at work at once to rebuild that part of town in a more substantial wa\'.

Falls City Hotels

The first h(jtel erected in Falls City was built from parts of an old iiouse that had stood near the banks of the Missouri at Yankton, an obsolete village about a mile north of Rulo. This was the property of Jesse Crook and was put up in the winter of 1857-58. It stood on lots 23 and 24 of block 70, facing the west, on the present site of the Richardson County Bank, just south of the court house. Three rooms downstairs and two above furnished accommodation for the traveling public. In 1859, before the house was fairly completed, John Minnick purchased it and soon added to it a house he had moved from Doniphan, Ivansas. Minnick's opening of the hotel was jiractically the first, although it had been conducted for a few months in the preceding summer by Henry Warneke. The buildiny enlarged and t)ther\vise remodeled stood for }-ear.s and was known as ihc City Hotel. During the long feud incident to the location of the county seat of justice in Falls City it was the scene of many broils and fights, and in i860 was the scene of the tragedy which ended in the death of Meeks and Davis, mentioned elsewhere in these pages.

The Union Hotel, the first of that name, was built in 1861 on the site occupied by the present structure. Uke most of the taverns of its day it was an insignificant structure, one-and-a-half stories in height and twenty-four bv twenty-four feet on the ground. It had also an L devoted to the kitchen work. The building used was removed from Winnebago. The new Union Hotel was built by the same person, Jacob G. Good, in 1870, on the site of the old hotel. Strictly speaking tlie new hotel was erected around the old one, and the last work done was the removal of the old part. The house stantls on the corner diagonally across the street from the northwest corner of the court house square. It is four stories high and Has had additions in later \ears. It was originallx' liuilt at a cost of twehtthousand dcjilars. It continued under the management of Air. Good until March, 1882. but since that time has lieen in charge of a number of different landlords. It is now owned liy Morehead, Weaver & Miles.

The oldest and most centrally-located of the first hotels in -Falls City was the "Xational" located on the corner of Seventeenth and Stone streets, the present site of the Richardson County Bank building. The history of this hotel dates back to the foundation of the town. It was in size liftv bv sixtv feet, two stories-and-a-half high. It was built in 1859 and was called the Cit_\- Hotel ])y Jesse Crook, who, in 1868. sold it to Isaac -Minnick. In 1870 Minnick & Collins became proprietors and in the same year T. J. Collins succeeded Minnick & Collins. In 1872 Isaac Minnick & Son assumed the management, and the year following leased it to Charles H. Rickards, who changed its name to the National Hotel, and again the same year leased it to J. W. Minnick, who conducted it for some time.

The Empire House occupied the site now utilized by the H. M. Jenne shoe store at the corner of Sixteenth and Stone streets on lot 13 of i)lock 70. It was two-stories-and-a-half high, with ground plan of thirty 1)\ fift\- feet, containing nineteen rocMiis and a liasement, kitchen and dining rooms, twenty by twenty-eight feet, and was built in the winter of 1870-71 by its proprietor, S. W. Harden, at a cost of four thousand five hundred dollars. It continued for many years as one of the popular hostelries of the city.

First Undertaker At Falls City

Ill 1857 David Dorrington, who was then direct from England, opened up the first undertaking estalihshment in Falls City, a one-room affair with barely enough room for one man to turn around in. This served as the manufacturing establishment and sales roonu "Uncle Dave." as he was known to the old-timers, made the -first coftin out of hand-sawed native wood, obtained from the timber nearby, in which one of our pioneer citizens, Philip Bremer, was buried. This was in 1857. ^^ ^^''^ the first Ijurial in the old Falls Cit}- cemetery, just west of the city limits and south of the present Steele cemetery. Uncle David Dorrington continued uninterrupted in the business imtil after the coming of the railroad in 1871- J2, when he sold the business to his son, William E. Dorrington, who became associated with \\'. H. Stowe. It was this year when the first factory-made caskets came to Falls City. At that time freight was two dollars per hundred from Cincinnati to Atchison and six dollars per hundred froniAtclMson to Falls City. In 1875 Stowe sold his interest in the business to William ]\I. Wilson and the firm, long known to Falls City, of Dorrington & \\'ilson came into being. Keeping abreast of the rapid advancement of the town this firm erected a brick building on Stone street, which establishment was then considered long in advance of any such place between St. Joseph and Denver. In 1887 David D. Reavis, named for and a grandson of David Dorrington, the founder of the business, accepted service witli the firm of Dorrington & Wilson at the rate of five dollars per week. In time he became the owner of the business, in which he is still interested as the senior member of the firm of Reavis & Son. Thus the business has l)een kept in one family since the laying out of the town in 1857.

Secret Societies Of Falls City

Falls City Lodge Xo. 13, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Falls Citv, was organized under a dispensation issued on September 28, 1869, to George P. Uhl, David Dorrington, George Faulkner, L. Van Duesen, John Loree and Bennett Sperry. The officers appointed at this time were: John Loree. noble grand: Bennett Sperry, vice-grand: George Faulkner, treasurer: L. Van Dusen. secretary: George P. L^hl, watchman; Nelson Snvder, conductor: David Dorrington, inside guard. On December 9. 1869, dirirter was received and the lodge was regularly organized, with nine charter members. Up to February, 1882, one hundred and forty-one members had been enrolled on the record books of the lodge. Some time later another lodge of Odd Fellows, made up of members from the older lodge, was organized and is known to this day as Nemaha Valley Lodge No. 36, while the older lodge disbanded and was merged into the latter organization.

Falls City Lodge No. 18. Knights of Pythias, was organized in June, 1874. .\t that time the lodge had twelve members, among whom were Judge A. J. Weaver, D. R. Holt, G. R. Summers, George E. Powell, John F. Lyon, T. C. Cunningham, George A. Merrill and F. W. Miller. After continuing in good standing for several years, the society gradually fell apart and, failing to keep up its report of dues to the grand lodge of the state, was formally disbanded in 1877.

Die Deauche Gelsellschaft was organized by the Germans of Falls City on December 17, 1877, with a membership of forty persons - all Germans. The announced objects of the association were to cultivate, develop and propagate the pure German language, philosophy and character, conducive to making themselves and their countrymen firm patriots of their adopted country, and to know and uphold justice and Iibert\-. The society still remains. It owns its own club house and the rooms liaxe ever lieen scenes of pleasure and profit to the ever-increasing membership.

Veteran Post No. 84, Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Nel)raska, was organized on January 19, 1882. and own its own (|uarters, which are used jointly by the Woman's Relief Corps.

\V. S. Sargent, master of the second veil; John Loree, master of the first \eil : George W. Morris, treasurer. The society was organized under the charter, October 24, 1 869, with sixty-nine members and the f ollowings officers : H. O. Hanna, high priest; J. F. Gardner, king; W. R. Cain, scril)e: J. R. Cain, captain of the host: George Faulkner, royal arch captain: John W. Holt, master of the third veil: John Loree. master of the secmid veil: M. Maddux, master of the first veil: C. B. Scott, treasurer: W. II. Mann, secretary: B. Hani, guard. The lodge is still in a nidst llourishing condition.

The Masonic l)o(lies own their own hall in the Richardson Count\- I'.ank block, are energetic, prosperous bodies and have an ever increasing membership. The Ortler of tlie {-".astern Star, a woman'- branch of the order, was organized on March it, 1874, with sixty-se\en memljers. It is one of the prosperous lodges of the city at the present time.

Christian Ciiurcu. Falls Citt I'Ke.Sbytioiuan Church. Falls City

The dedication of the tirst lodge room of the Independent Order oi Odd Fellows at Falls City took place on Thnrsday, Xovember 4, 1873, and the event had been widely advertised in the towns to the West. Agreeable to arrangements the Odd Fellows of this place formed a procession and marched to the depot, headed bv the cornet band, where they met the eastbonnd train, with an extra coach loaded with the brotherhood, which was sidetracked and unloaded. The procession was reformed and with the addition of the new brothers marched to the new hall located on the west side of Stone street, Ijetween Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, where a social houi was indulged in. with music and speaking, when the train from the south was announced, and after some little greeting, all went to the feast w liich had been prepared. There was an abundance of everything and jilenly of lielj) to serve it. The ladies seemed to spare no pains in making the \ isinn's enjoy themselves. After dinner Grand Master Zimerer, with tlie assistance of Doctor Copperthwait, W. S. Stretch. S. A. Inilt(in, W. E. Dorrington. (ieorge Gedultig and George P. Marvin, ])roceeded to dedicate the temple. The dedication ceremonies were impressive and instructive, after which the procession was again formed and marched to the depot, where they met the Atchison (Kansas) Encampment and m,anv others, with whom they proceeded to the Methodist Episcopal church where Doctor Copperthwait delivered a lecture on "The Order, Its Divine Origin and History." The docti>r ably, and in most beautiful language, showed the true ])rinciples of the order and their adaptation to every-day walks of life. He dwelt at length on the lo\e and friendship existing between Jonathan and l)a\itl and portrayed in golden color': the happiness of the present day, if such friendship existed now.

The ceremonies of the day were closed in the evening by a large dance, which was given at the new court house, in the court room. At this place Charles Loree and \\'illiam Custer were employed throughout the evening .-celling tickets at two dollars and half each to those attending. It is .said that sixteen set occupied the floor at once, and the music for the occasion was furnished by the Atchison String Band, which had been imported for the ex])ress ])urpose. At midnight a supper was gixen b\- Major Loree, which w;is without a doubt the grandest ban(|uet of the season.

Falls City Library As.Sociation

named in the act were C. H. Xurris, David Dorrington, H. O. Hanna, George Van Deventer, J. H. Burljank. J. Edward Burljank. S. H. Schuyler, E. S. Dundy and Jacob Good.

An early effort in the way of a library or reading r()om was made in 1885. This movement was for the purpose of providing a public reading room, where young people might finds books and magazines. This movement, as were many others, was brought to the fore by the good women of the city and a meeting of those interested was held at the home of Rebecca Wilson on Harlan street, in the afternoon of October 16, 1885, for the purpose of devising ways and means of accomplishing the desired object. After mature deliberation it was decided to organize a reading-room associatiiin for this purpose: and to effect an organization, a constitution and l)ylaws were formed and a set of rules formulated. The officers elected at this meeting were: Mrs. A. J. Weaver, president; Mrs. J. L. Dalbey, vicel)resident: Mrs. W. W. \\'ilson, treasurer, and ^Irs. C. W. Earrington, secretary. Rooms were procured in the second story of the Dorrington block, and it accomplished a wonderful amount of good during more than ten }c:ars of its existence. It was open for guests e^'ery evening of the week and on Saturday afternoons, under the supervision of a librarian. The shelves contained some six or seven hundred volumes of good books and the reading tables were full of all the latest magazines and newspapers, and weekly and monthly periotlicals. Miss Ora Lutz was librarian.

Lydia Brucn Woods Memorial Library

The history of the ])ublic librar\' moxement in h'alls L'ity is almost a repetition of that history in many small towns. The work was undertaken by a band of public-spirited women, who had known the advantages of such an institution and who believed it was a necessary educational factor in every (.ommunity. An impetus was given to the movement b\- a series of tem])erance lectures delivered by John B. Einch, which resulted in a desire on the part of our citizens to provide an attractive room downtown, where the young people could spend their evenings. A meeting for the organization of the first library association was held about 1885. at the home of Rebecca Wilson, 1 5 13 Harlan street. About twelve ladies were present and Mrs. Martha Weaver was elected president. Committees were appointed to solicit funds, books and magazines and to secure a room. In ;i few weeks time about four hundred ])ooks were collected, mosth' gifts from our townspeople, ;ind a room was secured in a building belonging to Robert Clegg on the east

.side of Stone street, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets. This building bad been used as a station in the days of the "underground railway."

The room was kept open evenings and some afternoons during the week, and Sunday afternoon and evening till church time. The ladies interested shared in caring for the library and took turn in acting as librarian. The reading room was free to all, but an annual fee of one dollar was charged for the privilege of taking books from the building. Gifts of books and money were always thankfully received and an occasional "tea" or "social" was given to increase the library fund. In the course of time it was deemed wise to have the work in charge of one woman, and JNIrs. C. \V. h'arington was chosen first paid librarian, with a salary of two dollars a week, the amount being raised by voluntary contribution and collected by the librarian. Mrs. I'arington served a few years and was succeeded by Mrs. Elizabeth h'o.x, w ho made her home with her daughter, Mrs. T. L. Himmelrich.

,\fter a time a room over Mr. Clegg's drug store was used, 1607 Stone street, an interior room that was lig-hted only by skylight. Still later a move was made to a smith room over the Richardson County Bank, 1622 Stone street, and its last home as a public lil^rary was in the Dorrington building, 1601 Stone street, adjacent U> the telephone (jffice. While there the books were in charge of the telephone girls. B)- this time the books had l)ecome old and many lost and the remaining ones were given to the high school. At one time a committee of ladies waited upon tlie city council, asking for a library levy or appropriation. -\ gift of one Imndred dollars was voted for library purposes, but was never paid.

The knowledge that Falls City was at last to ha\e a permanent library building was indeed good news t<> its citizens, when, in 1900, the sum of ten thousand dollars was wi'led to the city for that purpose by Mrs. Lydia i'ruun Woods, who had been a resident of this county for some time, making her home at Humboldt. During her lifetime Mrs. Woods had generously given libraries to Humboldt and York. While the endowment of the present li])rarv was given by Mrs. Woods, certain re(|uireinents had to l>e met by the people of Falls Citv. The site was given by Mr. J. H. Miles and many other citizens contributed l:)efore the building and sidewalk were completed. The women's clubs helped by gifts of a clock, pictures and one jiiece of statuarv, and books and periodicals that have been given each year.

The library is ideally located in the center of the town, but had it lieen .set back from the street on a larger plot of ground better ventilation and lighting woukh have been secured. At the time of its erection there were vacant lots on the west side, but in 1914 a business liouse was iHiilt tliere whicli necessitated a cliange in the interior arrangement of the library. The iil)rar\ was opened in 1902 with 1.800 vohimes on the shelves. This number was steadily increased by the addition of fmm 400 t(i 500 each }ear until there are ncjw 7.500 vulumes. besides 342 bound periudical.- and 480 puljlic documents. The reading room is well provided with current literature. The will of Mrs. Woods stipulated that at least seventy-live dollars be spent annuall\- for this purpose. There are now four daily, twenty-one weekly, and thirty-eight monthly periodicals in the reading room. Some periodicals are put in by friends of the library. Gifts of books and periodicals are gladl\- accepted and all bcjoks, wiietlier gifts or ])urchases. must lie approved l)y the book committee nr the librarian.

The annual fee charged in the beginning was one dollar. Later provision was made for tift\-cent juvenile readers and, in 1904. the change to a free library was effected. The l^oard estimated the annual expense antl asked the cit\ council to make a levy to cover it. The running expenses of the library are generally met l^y a levy of one and a half mills. The l)oard has asked for a larger levy several times to meet the additional expenses, such as paving or remodeling the liuilding. At present the n(3minal fee of five cents is paid annuall\- li\- those who live within the city limits and one dollar annually by the country patrons. An exceptiini is made for the children attending our pul)lic schools, who live outside the city. For this class tlie annual fee is twenty-five cents. There are at present about fortv country patrons. One rule that affected the circulation greatl\- was the granting of the special n(in-fiction cards in 1904. Prior to this time each borrower could draw only one b<iok at a time. Now any reader who cares for the same may have two books, provided one is fiction. The privilege of usinii; all a\ailable material by anyone doing special work is granted as full\' as possible without interfering with other readers wishing tlie same material.

It ma\' ntit be generally known that the county lioartl or the directors of any >chool district ma\- contract with the library board for the privilege of the library for the jieople of such district, upon such terms as ma\- be agreed by said boards.

The library board, consisting of nine members, is elected by tlie city coinicil. three being elected each year for a term of tiiree years. .Many of our public-spirited people ha\e ser\ed and have given of their time and energy to make the library what it now is. The present board is J. !-",. Leyda, jiresident : Andrew Cameron, secretary: Mrs. Lillis Abbey. .Mrs. T. J. Gist. .Mrs. G. X. Holland, !-:. S. Towle. J. H. Ilutdiings, John Lichtv

The office of lil)rarian was filled by Mrs. .\. Ci. \\'anner frnni its opening until she resigned in 1903. She was succeeded by Miss Frances Morton, who resigned in 1906. Miss Lois Spencer was the third librarian, filling the position for three years, resigning in 1909, and the present librarian. Miss Mary Hutchings, was her successor. Misses Edna and Vera Brown had been able assistants for a number of years. Miss Rosa Trezer is tlie assistant at present.

The growth oi the library is exidenced by the increase in the circulation, in the attendance and in the amount of reference work done. The children's department may be called its special feature. One of the attractions of the library is the display of oil paintings by our local artist. Miss .Mice Cleaver. The pictures are changed from time to time, but there is always an interesting exhibit of her still-life, portrait and landscape work. Some of the subjects are familiar sights, our own landscai)es and people, while others ha\c been done in Paris. Wisconsin and Kentucky.

The librar}- is open from 2 to 6 and from 7 to 9 on week days, and from 10 to 12 on Saturday morning. I'oUowing are a few items frtun the secretarvs annual report for 191 7. which bay be of interest: borrowers. 1. 000; attendance, 39.420; annual circulation. 3.350; circulation per day, 1 10; whole amount. $1,840; periodicals. St 10; librarian and assistant. $650; fuel, $145: binding. $100.

Rural Mail Service

l'"or the country adjacent to h'alls Cit\- rural free delivery routes Xos. I. 2 and 3, were estal)lished on Jul\' i, 1902, with three carriers at a salary of six hundred dollars a year. Route No. i is twenty and three-quarter miles in length. A. E. Stunibo was installed as the first carrier and has made his daily trips from the .start until the present time ( 1917). Route No. 2 is tweiit)-five and one-quarter miles in length. Charles Stinebrink was installed as the first carrier. Route Xo. 3 is twenty-two and a half miles in length. Mr. Harkins was installed as the first carrier. (])n routes Xos. 2 and 3 the first carriers served for a few years, since which time others have been in charge.

In the year 1905 the rural mail service was extended to cover the entire county and the postoffices in other towns in the county were given rural carriers, whose lines, in conjuncti<in with those of Falls City, serve neari\- everv farm house in the county daily with mail. On X'ovember 16, 1903.

two more carriers were added to those already esta1)lishe<l at l-'alls Chy ami with their service two new routes were estahlished. These routes are known as Xos. 4 and 5. These, like the former, started at a salary ni six hundred dollars a year.

Route No. 4 is twenty-six miles in length. Willis Voder was installed as the first carrier. This route likewise has since gone into the hands of other carriers. Route No. 5 is twenty-eight miles long and Ed Metzger was installed as carrier, which position he still holds.

Mail Delivery E.Stablished In Falls City

Owing to the increase of population in Falls Cit\', city mail deliver} was established in this place November 15, 1912, with three carriers. Route No. I is carried by Dallas Voder, route No. 2 by Sam AlcCrear}- and No. 3 by Herbert Alarr. Since that date Sam McCreary has been promoted to a position in the postoffice and his place as a carrier substituted by Cleveland Stump. The city carriers in Falls City began with a salary of six hundred dollars a year and the same has lately been increased to one thousand one hundred dollars.

The postoffice at Falls City is in charge of Postmaster Charles C. Davis, wlu) received his appointment under President Wilson and assumed his duties aljout a vear and a half after the President took his office. He succeeded .\aron Loucks, who had held the office temporarily after the resignation of J. G. Crook, the former postmaster. Mr. Davis has as assistant or deput> postmaster, Fouis Meinzer; Sam McCreary and Gus Flam, assistants, and Miss Clara Tanner, money-order clerk. Miss Tanner has held her position for more than ten years.

New Postoffice Building

The new government postoffice building at Falls City, which was but recently completed, was begun on April 25, 19 16, by Charles ^\"eitz & Sons of Des Moines, Iowa, to whom the contract had been let by the national government. The erection of the liuilding from first to last was under the direct supervision of A. T. Montgomery, of Des Moines, Iowa, representing the contractors, and whose able and efficient personal supervision of every detail of the work accounts in great measure for the superiority of the completed edifice. E. A. Steece and William H. Horstman were on the ground as inspectors for the government, the former remaining here until March 15, 1917, when he was transferred to Nashville, Tennessee, and the latter remaining until July 25, 1917, the date of the completion of the buikhng. The building is substantial and modern in every particular.

The new postoffice building is situated on the southeast corner of Sixteenth and Harlan streets. It is built of Caledonian gre}-, rough-texture brick with Bedford (Indiana) stone cornice and trimmings. It is one story in height, has massive walls eighteen inches thick, and is thoroughly dampproof. The building has a west frontage of eighty feet on Harlan street, by a depth of fifty-five feet, and is located near the heart of the business district on a spacious lot, having a frontage of one hundred and twentyfive feet, by a depth of one hundred and twenty feet, thus giving ample light and ventilation.

The facade has three-feet semi-circular arched openings of equal size; the center one being the main entrance, the other two, windows. The main entrance has bronze lamp-standards of classic designs on either side. The three openings mentioned light the lobby. The position and size of the lobby is further expressed on the facade by a slight projection of the l)rick wall. The postmaster's office is on the left and the money-order and registry window on the right hand side of the lobby axis, as one enters.

The lobby, which is seventeen feet in height, has the usual money-order, general-delivery and postal savings windows and the lock boxes. The parcelpost window is located in the alcove entering on the main axis or lobb\-. The interior of the lobby is embellished by pilasters and cornice of plaster of the Doric order of architecture, resting on a grey Tennessee marble wainscote. The woodwork is painted a flat greenish-grey, contrasting well with the white plaster surrounding it. The floor is polished terrazzo, with white marble chips and grey Tennessee marble borders and is laid off in blocks. Two elegant hardwood desks, with glass tops constitute the only furniture in the lobby.

The postma.ster's room is furnished in quarter-sawed oak. Opening into this room is a concrete vault, with steel floors, in which is located a large safe for the surplus stock of stamps, money-order blanks, etc. The moneyorder and registry division occupies about the same space as the postmaster's office, and balances the same on the opposite side of the principal axis of the building. The work room is located in the rear of the building and is for the exclusive use of carriers and clerks, routing and dispatching mails ill the cit}- and distant points. This room contains the latest furnitm-e and equipment to carry on the work of the postal service and is remarkably well ventilated and lighted. In the basements arc located the boiler room, culd storage, civil-service examining room, and the carriers' recreation room. In close proximity to the latter are elegantly .'iiipointed shower Ijaths. lavatories, with marble wainscot and terrazzo Hoors. and fitted with the latest nickelplated plumbing.

The building is heated by steam with a down-draft boiler. \'entilation is carried through the roof to ventilating duck. In the rear of the building is a mailing vestibule, which can be shut oi¥ from the rest of the building for receiving and delivering mail without disturbing the main part of the postoffice. The auto-trucks run on a concrete driveway, which extends from front to rear, and has a large open space in the rear for parking automobiles. The total cost of the building, which is fireproof, is $43,195. exclusive of the site, whicli cost $5,600, and is considered the idtimate word in pi >stoffice equipment.

The building is a product of the new policy die i)resent administration lias adopted. Previous to this. Congress appropriated money only for postoffices in the larger cities, leaving the postoffices in the smaller towns to get along as well as thev could by renting a store or some other building not adapted for postal service. The gradual growth and civic importance, however, of Falls City, demanded improved postal facilities and the federal authorities proceeded with the erection of the building, which now meets all the needs of the city and neightorhood.

.\ considerable portion of the city sewer improvement is hid awa\ in the ground in main and lateral sewers that do not make a show or impress the casual visitor. l)Ut it is a splendid investment, just die same, and will return dividends in health and usefulness for generations. There are two main-line sewers, aggregating 35,168 feet, that cost, complete, about $22. 2CX3. There is a lateral sewer for the alley of nearly every block in town. The total length of these being thirteen miles and 1.261 feet. The contract price of this was $45,000.

W^ater mains were laid into some of the newer portions of the town and many dead ends were connected up in all parts of the city, thus giving patrons in all parts of the cit\- the benefit of fresh water. The extensions were into Evergreen Heights. I'.oulevard addition and \\'eaver's two addi- tions, and into tlie southeastern part of the city, where many new residences were built to accommodate the railroads. There were, in all, 17,217 feet of water mains laid at a cost of $8,000. In addition to furnishing water for domestic consumption these extensions brought nearly every building within the corporate limits witliin tlie protection of die fire department, wliich was an item of considerable importance when it is understood that no Ijuilding worth saving has I)een lost that could have Ijeen saved by the fire department.

Four new wells were put down in the old first ward water station. The wells proved to be gdod and are capable of producing 200,000 gallons of water in twenty-four hours. The water is forced out of the wells by compressed air into the large storage reservoir haAnng a capacity of 100,000 gallons. The air compressor is operated by an electric motor, the power being transmitted from the light plant in the city park a mile and a half away. There is, also, at this plant a large pump operated by electricity that transfers the water from the reservoir into the mains having the ability to transfer 30,000 gallons an hour under eighty pounds of standpipe pressure. The cost of rejuvenating the first ward plant was $3,700. The whole equipment there is new. The steam plant there was abandoned, although there was a good boiler there, and one that had been condemned, as it was found that it was cheaper to generate all the power that was needed at the light plant situated near the ilissouri Pacific depot. This rejuvenated plant is an efficient one and is operated with more economy than its predecessor.

The improvement of the streets undertaken for 191 2 was largely permanent work. A contract was let for the paving of three blocks around the court house and six blocks on Stone street, which would make a brick street continuous from Eleventh street to Twenty-first street. This contract was let to P. A. Johnson, of Kansas City, at $1.93 per S(|uare yard and twentyseven cents per lineal foot for curbing. Considerable difficulty was experienced at that time in getting brick that would stand the test. Since the aijove work was done more than eight miles of the best kind of paving has l)een laid on the streets of Falls City, connecting both depots with the city and the business and resident sections of the city. Work during the past year ( 1917), will connect Stone street east with the Sunnyside greenhouses in tlie east ])art of tiie city, this latter extension being deemed necessary as connecting one of the main lines from the east in the direction f)f Rulo with tiie business section.

walks aggregating- 8,524 lineal feet, mostly oi cement and concrete. I'lie city government in order to connect up these new sidewalks built fifty-tdur concrete crossings at a cost of $1,653.

The City F'ark, which is one of the prettiest in southeast Nebraska, was purchased in 1907, and was placed under the supervision of the park commissioners in February, 1909. It cost tlie city originally as follow:

The present value of the property composed of twenty-three acres, grow tli of trees, lawns, etc., may be conservatively estimated at not less than fifteen thousand dollars. The property included in what is now known as the City Park was formerly the home and grounds of Mrs. Thirsa Roy. The property was at first lx)Ught by a company of public-spirited citizens composed of Messrs. AMlliam A. Greenwald, John Lichty, John W. T'owell, W. W. Jenne and T. J. Gist, who held the same until the cit\- could arrange legally to take over die property for park purposes.

Falls City Waterworks

On Saturday, May 7. ib^^y. the citizens of h'alls Chy voted at an election to determine by ballut what system of waterworks should be voted for at a later election. This ctmrse had been determined upon Ijecause the members of the city council did ni>t care to assume the responsibility of following their individual inclination in this particular. Their desire was to voice the will of the majority, rmd the ballot was the only wa\' in which the matter could be clearly expressed. The election was held from tliree o'clock p. ni. to seven p. m., at the James Casey shoe store, two dotns south of the postofHce on Stone street.

On the evening of 'SUiy i_', 1887, the council passed ordinance No. 100. This ordinance submitted to the voters of the city the privilege of deciding by their ballot on the i6th day of June (1887), whether it was their wish to bond the city for the sum of twenty-four thousand dollars for the building and maintenance of a system of waterworks. The bonds carried and work was at once commenced on the construction of the system, which has from time to time been improved and extended until at the present time the city h(5asts of as good water and as ample a suiiply as can be found in any part of southeast Nebraska.

Mayors Of Falls City

The first to have the honor of presiding as chief executive of Falls City was John A. Burbank. He was followed successively l)y Sewell R. Jamison, David Dorrington, \Villiani Bradford, J. J. Alarvin, Edwin S. Towle, August Schoenheit, C. L. Keim, Jacob G. Good, George P. Uhl, Robert Clegg, Thomas Brannin, James L. Slocum, Thomas Brannin, J. C. Yutzy, William E. Dorrington, T. C. Shelley, Robert Clegg, Henry C. Smith, J. J. Horner, Joseph H. Miles, W. 11. Keeling, G. W. Marsh, P. S. Heacock, Frank Clegg, Henry C. Barton, G. W. Barrett, W. S. Leyda, W. H. Keeling, W. S. Leyda, John H. Morehead, W. S. Leyda, Roy Heacock and W. S. Leyda. The latter, Wilber S. Leyda, has served more terms than any of the mayors of Falls City, and as an official has always taken a very keen interest in the strict enforcement of the law and ordinances and has labored unceasingly for the best interests of Falls City.

The settlers who came into this country soon after the Territory of Ne- Ijraska was formed and opened to settlement in 1854, were greatly hampered by the lack of grist-mills. They found this county well supplied with stream.^ and water-power, but it was some time before a miller came along and put a dam in any of the streams. In the meantime the settlers went for flour to the nearest points in Missouri and Kansas, where mills had been established. It is believed that a Mr. Horner was the first white man to harness a stream in this countv for a saw-mill. He built a dam in Muddv creek

.ihout two and one-halt miles northeast of Falls City, alxmt 1858. and operated a saw-mill for a few years by water power. This saw-mill was on land now owned by William R. Holt.

The first flour-mill was at Salem on the north fork of the Nemaha river anil was built by Thomas Hare in 1856, at the same location,' in the southwest (quarter of section 3, township i, north of range 15, as has been used in all the }ears until quite recently - just east of the village of Salem. \Mien the bulir-stones were brought up from the Missouri river to Salem, there was .sijreat rejoicing throughout the county, even though the first mill did not more than crack corn for several years. The second mill established was that' of Merit \\'e!ls on the south fork of the Nemaha, about four miles west of -Salem. In 1864 the Stumbo mill was opened on the Nemaha at tlie falls two and a half miles southwest of Falls City. It was the best natural waterfall for natural waterpower in the county, as a ledge across the stream about four and a half feet high made a fall and furnished a foundation on which to build a dam. By the early settlers this was called the "Cowhide mill,'' as the belts used were made of cowhide with the hair on the same. Mills multiplied with the growth of tlie county until 1880, when there were ten water-power mills distributed along the streams that were built in the \ears. as shown in the following list:

On north fork of Nemaha river - Salem mill. 1856; Dawson mill. 1868: Wells mill, west of Humboldt. 1873; Sopher mill, at Humboldt, 1875; Lutb.y mill, near Pawnee-Richardson county line. 1878.

At the time these mills were established they enjoyed a good trade. Tiicir water-power was sufficient for their needs. After 1870 the county developed rapidly and the lands were placed under culti\ation and largely in corn and crops that required the land to l)e plowed and subjected to the action of the winter frosts and summer rains. The prairie fires disappeared. The timber along the streams was protected and flourished. Some summer seasons the rains were torrential in character and carried much soil from the fields into the streams, which were not open as formerly, but were blocked by mill dams and the sediment was thrown down behind the dams and raised the level of the river beds. .\s \ears rolled by the river beds became more clogged as overhanging trees fell into the streams with caving banks. Drifts were formed which, together with the mill dams, during rainy seasons produced destructive overflows. At last it came about that the Nemaha and the Muddy were useless as water-power sites. In some places the river bed, as it existed before the mill dams were placed in them and the country was farmed, is ten feet below the present level of the Ixjttom of the stream. The rivers became clogged sewers. The farms in the valleys were almost ruined by the overflows that were caused by them and the mills went out of business because their wheels were flooded by backwater and filled with mud. The Salem mill was the last to give up the ghost. There is nu water-power flour-mill in operation in Richardson county today. There are but two flour-mills now in the county, and JDOth are situated on a railroad sidetrack, and are operated by steam. Times change - the water-power mills on streams in this county are gone never to return. The farm lands in the river valleys are Ijeing redeemed and the streams are lieing supplied with new channels free from obstruction.

Local Industrial Concerns

The industrial concerns doing business in Falls City and employing labor are the National Poultry and Egg Company; the F'alls City Bottling Works, established by and operated by the late W. H. Putnam and now operated by his son, John J. Putnam; the Putnam Glove Factory; the Frills Cit}- Roller Mills, operated by P. S. Heacock & Son; the Leo Cider Alill, managed b) Alex Leo ; T. J. Gist ; the Hermes Creamery ; the Southeast Nebraska Telephone Company ; the W'estern Cereal Company, and a poultry concern operated by E. E. James.

The National Poultry and Egg Company was established in 1910, and employs from twenty to sixty-five men, according to the season. The amount of capital invested is fifty-five thousand dolars. The concern is a distributtng center for a number of other stations located in Nebraska, and a vast amount of business is done through the Falls City plant, which is located near the new Missouri Pacific dei)ot. The annual business done will exceed two million dollars.

The Falls City Bottling Works is located near the Burlington depot and is kept con.stantly in operation supplying the outlying towns with soft drinks and extracts. The business has met with a striking success under the management of the late W. H. Putnam and his son, John ]. PutnauL The Putnam glove factory employs a number of hands in the making of cotton gloves and is operated by Miss Putnam.

riciiced ci(ler-\inegar niaiuU'acturer, wIki came liere fruin Alton, Jlliimis. and looked over the tjround with a view to locating- a cider factory. Ikwas so impressed with the extent of the orchard industry in northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska that he conceived the idea of building a vinegar factory and tried to interest local capital. Inasmuch as the project was a new one to local capitalists and something with which diey were not familiar, he had considerable difficulty in securing financial support. After much effort, however, he succeeded in interesting a few men, who invested their money in the venture and have never had cause to regret their action. The judgment of the veteran cider-maker has proven to have been sound in selecting an ideal location from which has grown a very important industry. The first small plant was located along what is known as the Rhine, in block 157, but the business soon outgrew the quarters and a tract of five acres was purchased southeast of the City Park and a larger plant erected, to which several additions have since been built, as the growth of the business has demanded. John Leo, a son of the founder, came to the city and supervised the erection of the new factory and some time later, the present manager, Alex Leo, Jr., took charge. Apple -grinding stations have been established at Hiawatha, Kansas, and Forest City, ^lissouri, and the factor}- takes the output of most of the cider mills in this section of Nebraska and Kansas. The mill serves as a depot for the culls and windfalls of the many orchards within hauling distance of Falls Cit}-, w^hich otherwise would be wasted on the groiuid. Hundreds of carloads of apples are shipped into the plant from northeast Kansas, northern Missouri, southern Iowa and from all points in this section of Nebraska. The output of this concern in the year 1916, exceeded one million gallons of the purest apple-cider vinegar, the quality of which is unsurpassed and is recognized by the government as a pure food article, the manufacture of which was given a decided impetus upon the enactment of the pure food laws, which efifectively classified the various makes of vinegar and placed the grain and spurious imitations of vinegar in their proper class. The founder, A. Leo, managed the factory for a few years, and then established another vinegar factory at Odell. Nebraska. After placing another son in charge of this plant he w-ent West to Pullman. Wasliington, and there built another mill, which he placed in charge of another sdu. and has now retired to a home in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Peerless Stock-Powder Company was establisheil in 10)04. with .Mr. E. O. Lewis as manager. Associated with Mr. Lewis are local capitalists. The capital of this flourishing concern is ten thousand dollars. The number of men employed, including salcsnien. will nuniber ten. The I'eerless Stock-

I'owder Company are manufacturers of high-grade condition powders for Hve stock, stock dip and insecticides, the output of which is sold in Nebraska. Kansas. Iowa and Missouri, and some shipments have been made to Texas points. The output lias l)een increased from the first year to over live hundred per cent, and the total shipments and sales in 191 7 will exceed seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds. It is a very successful, growing concern, which has a live and active manager in charge.

The late Philo S. Heacock was one of the pioneers in. the milling and grain business in Richardson county. He established an elevator at Falls City in 1876 and gradually widened his operations until he had a chain of grain elevators to the numl^er of twenty in southeastern Nebraska. In the spring of 1905 his Falls City elevator was destroyed by fire. In the following September Mr. Heacock purchased the Douglas flouring-mill, which was built in 1902. Since that time the mill has been operated by the Heacocks, father and son, the senior Heacock being joined liy his son. K. .\. Heacock, who is now managing the business. Two elevators, the Falls City and the Preston elevators, are now operated in connection with the Falls City roller mills. The concern handles over three hundred thousand bushels of grain annuallv. The P. S. Heacock & Son's flouring-mill has a capacity of one hundred and twenty-five barrels of flour daily. The mill is operated by steam power and is fitted with modern equipment throughout, its owners having constantlv added to the buildings and equipment until it is now one of the best-equipped flouring-mills in this section of Nebraska. The space covered bv the buildings and grounds exceeds one and one-half acres and is reached directly by the Chicago. Burlington & Ouincy railroad. The payroll of this industry will exceed ten thousand dollars annually and twelve men are employed in the operations of the milling, grain and coal business of the concern. The well-known brand of flour, the "Sunflour" is produced and is consumed almost entirely as a di>mestic product in the kical territory within direct reach of Falls City.

At this writing (August, 1917) a company has l^een organized with Falls City and Richardson coimty citizens as stockholders for the purpose of promoting a company to engage in the manufacture of cereal foods. under the title of the Western Cereal Company, with a capital invested of sixty thousand dollars or more. The formation of the company has ]iassed the initiatory stage and the factory will be installed in the Gehling brewery building, which has been purchased by the new concern, at a cost of thirtyfive thousand dollars. The company is incorporated and actual operation^

The Monarch Engineering Company, contractors and builders, of Falls City and Den\er, is a Falls City institution, begun and pushed to a place of prominence and influence in the industrial world by two young Falls Cilv men who were born and reared in that city, namely, John A. and Guy A. Crook. This important concern does an inmiense amount of bridge construction, paving, irrigation-dam work and erection of public buildings. It was established in 1908 by John A. Crook, who was joined by his brother. Guy A. Crook, in 191 o. bifty men and upwards are constantly employetl by the firm, depending upon the amount nf work under construction by the firm. The construction and building work undertaken by the company is going on in several states. Much bridge work is being done and has been completed by them in Oklahoma and Nebraska. Only recently they have finished three miles of brick paving in Falls City and ha\e done and are doing a great deal ot county work, such as highway bridges in Richardson, Xemaiia, Otoe, Cass and Sarpy counties, Nebraska. One of their notable undertakings was a bridge across the Platte river at Sutherland, Nebraska, costing $30,000. Another was the bridge across the Elkhorn river at Gretna in Sarpy county, Nebraska, costing $25,000. They have construction work going on in Alissouri, South Dakota and Wyoming. The Alonarch Engineering Company is erecting the new court house at Basin, \\'y(3ming, at a cosl of $60,000, and are at present building two dams across the Big Horn river at Moreland, Wyoming. A big go\ernment bridge, costing $26,000 is in process of construction in their charge, also in Wyoming. Another government bridge is being built by them at Salt Fork, Oklahoma, between Noble and Kay counties. Only recently they have finished a government bridge at Wyoming in Otoe county, Nebraska. They are erecting t\\o largs bridges in Calhoun county, Iowa. This concern maintains offices at Flails City, Nebraska, Kansas City, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado. At the latter cit\ they purchased, in February, 1917, the Denver Steel and Iron Works, which are in charge of John A. Crook, the senior member of the firm. This plant is tlie workshop of the Monarch Engineering Company and contains a cnnil)lete structural-steel fabricating plant, machine shop, lilacksmith shop fur heavy forging and culvert shop.

The l-"alls City Exchange Mills was a l)uilding thirty l)y forty feet, four >tories high - with four runs of forty-eight-inch l>uhrs and propelled by a fift\ -two-horse-power turljine wheel. It was built by Levi Thacker in 1870. and was furnished with ail the improvements of that day at a cost of fifteen

Missouki Pacific .Shops, Falls City

The Hawk-Eye Mills, by Downs & Son, were established Ijy Stringheld & Stumbo in the very early days of the county. They had thirty by thirtysix inch buhrs propelled by a thirty-six-horse-power turbine wheel. The mills were located at the Great Nemaha falls, about two and a half miles southwest of Falls City. They enjoyed a good business for many years.