Richardson County, Nebraska - Chapter 22, 1917

Chapter 22

At the annual old settlers picnic it had long been one of the standard jokes to encourage Uncles Wilson Maddox, Jesse Crook and Wade Whitney to assert their respective claims to the distinction of being the first white settlers of Richardson county. The matter was finally compromised on the part of the Old Settlers Association by voting a gold spade to Uncle Wilson Maddox, and when later on the floods on the X'eniaha began to make trouble for the farmers. Uncle Wilson was called to explain why he dug the channel of the river so crooked, he explained that Uncle Jesse Crook, as chainman, had been sampling so much hard cider along the route that he was responsible for the crooks that are causing a later generation hundreds of thousands of dollars to straighten out.

It would be inviting the discussion of as a debatable question as that of the famous one of "i6 to i," to assume to say who was the first settler of Grant precinct, but the arrival of the first pre-emptors along the rich Nemaha valley was so nearly about the same time that all who settled previous to the breaking out of the Civil War were entitled to the distinction of being considered pioneers. In this class should be included the Rothenbergers, Honnens, Elys, Schumakers, Kountses, AIcMahons, Warners, Boyeds, Whitneys and all who settled along the water courses and had secured possession of the timber along the various streams.

Like Robinson Crusoe in his lonely island, the original settlers along the Nemaha were prosperous, happy and contented in their isolation. With plenty of oak rails from their forests they fenced in fields of their rich virgin soil to raise corn for the hogs and cattle that were permitted to roam at will over the wide expanse of plain and woodland, ^^^lile it is the laudable custom at old settlers reunions to extol the pluck that prompted the original pioneers to blaze their way tlirough what our early school books styled the "Great American Desert"; yet it is a historical truth that, so satisfied were the original pioneers who .settled along the valley of the Nemaha with tiieir happy and prosperous surroundings, that thev would much prefer to con-

At the close of the Civil War many a patriotic Union soldier longed to settle down to the peaceful pursuit of farm life, and after the grand muster out in the summer of 1865, not less than fifty of the veterans under Sherman. Grant and Sheridan established themselves in homes in Grant precinct, and it is sad to note the fact that oiit of a prosperous G. A. R. Post of fortyfive members that flourished in Dawson's early history, only half a dozen of frail veterans now survive. Among this group of settlers it is a pleasure mingled with sadness to recall such familiar names as Belden, Crowe. Miles. Lair, Ouinlan, Libbee. Page, Clancy. Fletcher. Johnson, Happis, O'Donnell. Ryan, Smertz and Snethen, who are long since "mustered out," as well as the survivors of the old guard - Allen, Barlow, Buser, Clancy, Kelly, Libbee and Scott. \\'ith this group of settlers should be included such well remenil)ered citizens as Tiehens, Smith, W'oods, Williamson, Young. Shockeys, etc.

The next important colony was a group of relatives and neighbors from Connecticut in 1867 and 1868, consisting of the Fentons. Rileys, Rigans. O'Gradys. Keims. Murphys, O'Donnells, Rourkes, Sullivans. Carvers and others. Soon after the completion of the railroad the last, but not the least, industrious colony of Pennsylvania farmers settled north of town - they were the Herms, Uhlmars and other relatives. \\'hile the aggregation of early settlers, constituted a most diversified and cosmoiX)litan population, no community was ever blessed b}- a more tolerant or amicably disposed set of neighl)ors. and the grand spirit of fraternity, charity and loyalty that ever pervaded this band of pioneer ueighbors was never impaired by any lesser power than that of the grim reaper.

The absorbing topic that occupied the attention of tliose early settlers was that of a railroad within siome reasonable distance of the settlement; .'it this time the only way to get in or out of the country was by way of steamboat to or from St. Joseph, and across the country from any river landing. The first incident to awaken hope in hearts of the people of a future town or hamlet was the arrival of Joshua Dawson & Son in the summer of 1867 with a complete outfit to commence work on a saw- and grist-mill. A dam and saw-mill were installed early in the fall and massive oak and walnut logs were at once being transformed into lumber for the flour-mill, planned to lie raised in the ensuing spring. Tt is needless to remark that among tlie early inhabitants of Grant township - in fact the entire county - the D;i\\>on "mill raising" was a red-letter event that will

Tlie construction of the grist-mill necessitatetl the services oi a blacksmith, and Dan Tigner was induced by Mr. Dawson to set up in business in a slab-sided shop on brink of the river near the mill. .Vbtjut this time, in the spring of 1868. the question of voting bonds for a railroad commence<l being niildl}- agitated, and the more the subject was discussed among good meaning neighbors, the more settled each became in his own conviction that bcmds were all wrong or all right - and so, like the schoolboys' snowball, the more the question was agitated the more unrelenting the strife between advocates and objectors, and so continued until at the November electicm in 1868 the vote in favor of bonds resulted in an overwhelming majority - and combative neighbors on both sides of the question composed their divergence of opinions by agreeing that an immediate railroad through the county would be worth all the cost and contention.

Railro.Vd Comes

The voting of bonds seemed to have invited a race anicjng capitalists for the rich prize to be awarded the first railroad to enter the county, and while construction was underway on the old Atchison & Nebraska out of .\tchison, the surveyors were rushing the laying out of the line to Lincoln: work progres.sed with such gratifying rapidity that during the summer of 1869 the iron horse had worked his way tt) the county seat and everyone rejoiced that, whether the route led up the north or south forks of the Nemaha, they would not be far removed from civilization.

For a long time after the bond election in 1868, there was much uncertainty as to which fork of the Nemaha would be selected as the route for the railroad, but after passing the south fork at Salem everyone recognized that Dawson's location midway between Humboldt and Salem would entitle it to a depot, and with the idea of being ready to supply the wants of the railroad graders, tW'O young men, Knight & Lappeus, established the first grocery store on the bank of the Nemaha, north of Riley park. With the opening of the road to commercial traiific, V>. S. Chittenden Jiad shipped in the needed material for a store and elevator, and for man\ years he was known and esteemed as Dawson's pioneer merchant.

As there was no suitable ground near the depot for building puri)oses. the early location of a townsite was delayed at a time when modern town promoters would be \n\^y booming its real or fancied resources. Earl\- in

March, 1872, \V. F. Draper was induced to have surveyed into town lots what is termed Soutli Dawson : the newly created town was recorded as iVoraville, and Mr. Draper was very insistent it should be so called - in honor of his wife - but the good old masculine name, "Dawson," liad too strong a hold on the affections of people to be supplanted by "Nora." In the meantime Knight & Lappeus sold their store near the river to William Till, who soon after was united in partnership with Mr. Oakley and in March, 1872, they pulled the building up into the new town, and it was the first business house within the corporate limits of the new village. Dan Tigner's blacksmith shop was also transferred from the mill yard.

The first hotel was erected and conducted by Chris Warner, who made the mistake of neglecting a fine farm for a business of doubtful merit. About the same time M. B. Ryan erecteil a combined residence and store building and entered into business as the first druggist, in which business he continned for a generation, and which was conducted in a successful manner to retain the esteem of his patrons and at the same amass a rich competency.

During 1873 Till & Oakley sold out to John Holt and Ike Mead - with Mr. Mead as manager. Soon after John Holt's interest was purchased by Mr. Riley, and under the firm name of Meade & Riley, the business soon assumed mammoth proportions, and so conducted until a later rearrangement, when Mr. Riley decided to devote his attention to banking interests and Mr. INIeade accepted the appointment of postmaster.

S. C. Barlow erected and operated the first wagon shop in the building now occupied by that hustling merchant. Charlie Cooper. Later, Uncle Steve sold his wagon shop and purchased B. S. Chittenden's stock of goods and engaged in the mercantile trade - in which in one form or other he may justly claim the distinction of being the oldest and best known and - if not the richest - the most highly esteemed business man of Dawson.

John Draper conducted the first lumber yard for W. P. Tinker of Humboldt, from whom it was taken over b\ \\"i\\ J"'asley. and later by B. S. Chittenden.

John Hainiali built the Commercial Hotel which, under the popular management of W. A. Albright and his good wife, had acquired such a reputation for solid home-like comfort that traveling men were wont to make Dawson at the end of the week so as to peacefully enjoy the home comforts of the little hotel over Sunday.

The little village was now so securely established tliat the attention of town people and friends in the county turned attention to the importance of a place for public meetings, and lu the order of Odd Fellows is due the donor of erecting the first piiljlic liiiilding that for many \ears served every purpose of a lodge room, town hall, chnrcli, school and everything of a public nature; the noble spirit displayed by the projectors of this early building has never since been excelled by any Christian denomination.

The limited area of the original townsite was soon taken up, and as human nature was about the same then as now, those who got possession of the ch.oice building lots were content to see the business district confined to their own block; as a consequence of this .selfish policy the growth of the town was retarded at a time when, with the application of the spirit of live-andlet-live policy, it should have been enjoying a veritable boom. This "dogin-the-manger" spirit continued until 1881. when J. H. Hagadorn laid out an addition, and during the next few years the village made more progress than in all its previous existence.

D.Vw.Son Spreads

At this time B. S. Chittenden sold his elevator and grain business to T. J. Ryan who, the next year, sold out to the well remembered and revered Morgan ^IcSwiney. Mr. Chittenden then moved his store building from south of track to the corner at present occupied by Pierson's cafe; it was the first building in the Hagadorn addition and was used for years in connection with the lumber yard.

S. C. Barlow, who was ever in the vanguard of each progressive movements, was the first to start the construction of the brick block; his example was at once followed by M. L. Libbee and Ed. Hanna, and soon after Mr. Chittenden and his son-in-law, J. W. Herlocker, erected adjoining, the magnificent store rooms, now occupied by L. L. Kinsey & Son, which was conducted as one of the most extensive hardware stores in the \\'est, until destroyed by fire in 1890.

John W. Blomis was one of the well-to-do early-day farmers, who was a live wire in working for the advancement of the young village; he estalv lished an extensive implement trade that was later taken o\er by J- W. Herlocker.

Maurice O'Brien was a noted carpenter and builder. He built the present blacksmith shop and fitted rooms on the east end for a private residence ; he next erected for a work shop the Innlding now used by M. J. Byrne as a cement store room.

Harry Joeckel, S. L. Umstead, A. R. Smutz, E. E. Duryea and Charles Vander])lus were early-day blacksmiths, while John Klima continued to handle the wagon department until he built his present (jtiarters.

Judd & Strattun about this time erected a horse barn and engaged in the breeding and importation of thoroughbred horses. These were upright and popular young men who conducted an honorable business. Leroy Judd later purchased Mr. Stratton's interest, and the two brothers continued the business until the new barn was built west of the school house, when Leroy went farming and Norm conducted the business until he sold to Pat O'Grady.

With G. L. Wagner, druggist. Joseph Potter and H. J. Shier, harness makers. W. S. Allen, drayman. Tom Ryan, shoemaker, Drs. J. A. Waggener and Harlan resident physicians, E. T. Hanna, pool hall and restaurant and last, but not least, E. W. Buser as. postmaster, merchant, and, later, founder and editor of the Xcii.'sl>oy, the town was now so well represented in ever}- line of business and trade that nothing was lacking but a local bank to facilitate the exchange and handling of the rapidly-growing volume of trade.

To meet this requirement a conference of reliable old friends resulted in the t)rganization of the Dawson Bank, with the following original stockholders: Al. B. Ryan, M. Riley, L. .\. Ryan, Thomas Eenton, Dan Riley and Morgan McSwine\-. M. Riley was elected cashier, which position he continued to fill with hnncr until the hour of his death, and so conscientiously devoted was he to the interests of his pet institution that it was often remarked by observant friends he devoted greater attention to the welfare of the bank than to his health.

At this stage of Dawson's history it enjoyed the enviable reputation of i)ei!ig the most progressive little town in the West, but with the completion of the Union Pacific and Rock Island railroads, fully half its territory was cut ol'f, which necessitated a trimming of sails to conform with changed conilitions.

In addition to the curtailment of trade by the opening of the railroads north and south of town, may be mentioned the destruction by fire in iSSu (if the first mill, that was looked upon by the farmers for many miles as the most useful and popular landmark in the county. The mill had just l^een overhauled and ecpiipped with all modern machinery by Riley & Byrne, and the enterprising proprietors so richly merited the sympathy of the community in their great financial loss, that a joint stock company was at once organized, and a fifteen-thousand-dollar mill con.structed, but unfortunately, no sooner was the new mill completed than it, too, went up in smoke. With just cause for discouragement the mill was rebuilt on a small scale a fourth time, and continued to be operated as a nonpaying investment until finally discontinued witli tile iligging of the new channel and abandonment of water power.

First Effort To Build Church

Until the completion of the Odd Fellows building, already mentioned, religious services were conducted in the Iliff school house a mile east of town, ;md until the erection of the respective churches, the first floor of the building - better kno"\vn as town hall - served for every purpose of union church, public hall, school house and everything of a public nature. In 1879 the Catholic congregation made the first start at the erection of a little church liuilding. John Hanna was the builder, and just as he had it fairly inclosed a storm set in while the congregation was gathering for evening devotion the la.>t of Mav. and with not less than fifty women and children within the frail l)uilding, it was blown down - fortunately without serious injury to anyone. The not year it was rebuilt on a more substantial scale, and was no sooner completed than it burned down. A third time it was again rebuilt and continued to stand until the fall of 1898, when, during the progress of an electric storm, it was destroyed by lightning and made way for the present substantial brick edifice - that in point of cost and artistic grandeur would do credit to a town many times Dawson's population.

A Catholic parochial school was opened last fall, but it is due to state in this review it was not started because of any dissatisfaction with our local ])ublic schools on the parts of Catholic parents, many of whom in early days divided time with pioneer neighbors in the use of a primitive house of Christian worship; and whose children for a generation have mingled in a spirit of fraternal harmony in a common school where the most scrupulous care w as observed to see the rights of the humblest were sacredly respected ; they conscientiously believe a denominational school in Dawson is an excessive and unnecessary burden.

The first union Sunday school was organized and conducted by Uncle Henry Allen in a primitive warehouse near the depot. After the death of Mr. Allen the good work was continued by the popular village blacksmith, .V. R. Smutz, who was succeeded b)' E. W. Buser, who in turn has given way to Joseph S. Hein, who is noted as the most efficient superintendent in the state. About 1883 the present Evangelical congregation was re-organized, and during the jjastorate of Reverend Petitte a new church was built on the liill; the congregation increased in wealth and meml^ers so rapidly, that in a few years later it became necessary to enlarge it. and it was remodeled and transferred into the present imposing edifice.

growth of fraternal orders: the pioneer order was the Odd Fellows, and ever\- early-day member was a leader in everything of a progressive nature. There are also established flourishing local lodges of the Knights and Ladies of Security, ^lodern \\'oodmen, .\ncient Order of United Workmen and the Degree of Honor.

A laudable institution intended to perpetuate the memory and self-sacrifices of the early settlers is that of the Richardson County Old Settlers Association. .V number of social neighbors congregated at the home of John Williamson in the summer of 1886, and after a picnic dinner out in the shaded lawn the pioneer spirit that pervaded the group of old neighbors suggested the idea of making such a social reunion an annual event. The suggestion met a hearty response from all present, and a permanent organization was effected by the election of a board of trustees with instructions to draft constitution and by-laws. John Brockman was elected first president and S. C. Barlow, secretary. The next annual meeting at Mr. Williamson's private lawn was so numerously attended that it was decided to hold all future annual gatherings down in Rothenberger's grove, midway between Humboldt and Dawson ; and for many years after the citizens of Ixith towns united in making the old settlers' picnic one of the most numerously attended and popular.

In time the great molj became too imwieldy to properly handle, and as such annual gatherings began to attract the usual number of undesirable characters, Mr. Rothenberger decided it was time to select a location near some town that would afford the necessary police supervision. A popular vote on removal resulted in Dawson's selection as the future headquarters, and Dan Riley tendered the association the use of his magnificent grove, popularly known as Riley Park, for future picnics. The progressive young business men of town at once constructed a cable foot bridge crossing the old Nemaha channel, this enabling people to enter the beautiful grove a few rods soutli of the depot. .\ spirited discussion was conducted in the local press last year as to the manner of conducting present-day picnics ; whether or not the censure of unfriendly critics was well founded, the incident should serve to remind 1>oth town officers and Old Settlers Association that nothing in tlic future should be tolerated within the grounds to afford the least room foiany unfriendly critici.sm; this can be done otily by adhering to the simple rules of the honest earh--day founders by making the annual reunions an occasion for renewing old-time friendships and a revival of pioneer reminiscences of a time when all occupied the same plane of equality.

a town of commercial supremacy; but its churches and schools, in connection with neat cottage homes nestling in well-kept lawns, embowered in clean, shaded avenues, lends to it the air and comfort of a metropolitan suburb that tend to make it a haven of quiet contentment and peaceful repose that can never be experienced in the roar and grind of a commercial metropolis. Many in youthful ambition have been lured to the cities in quest of fame or fortune, but with the disappearance of the gilded veneer their minds and hearts longingly revert to the honest, old-fashioned home scenes of innocent youth. In these inspiring home scenes and tender memories Dawson will ever have more sentimental attraction for the scattered pioneers than any commercial metropolis.

Reputation Of Schools

A noted writer remarked that "sweet, indeed, are the uses of adversity" ; and if adversities are conducive to the calling forth of the latent energies of a people or community, then the patrons of school district No. 95 have much cause to be thankful for the "touch of nature that tended to make them all akin.'' Since the formation of the district in 1878 Dawson schools have enjoyed a most enviable reputation because of the unanimity of the spirit of fraternal unity prevading the school patrons, and which happy condition is party to be accounted for from the fact that it required a united pull on the part of friends of the school to establish a town district at all, and it demanded that united and ceaseless energies of the early friends to surmount the many adversities that beset the little district.

The present-day graduate of our flourishing high school whose "commencement" pathway is bedecked with roses, could not conceive anything so inspiring or ennobling for the subject of an "oration" as that of the selfsacrifices made on the part of honest parents to give their children an opportunity to acquire an education that they were deprived of in their early youth. The same ties of brotherly love that cemeirts the fraternal bonds between the comrades of the Civil War, weld in ties of enduring friendship the friends and founders of our Dawson public schools, that were intended more for the formation of manly and womanly character than the acquirement of the frivolous fads and frills of institutions depending on the benefactions of a Carnegie or a Rockefeller.

The progress of the little boys and girls who entered the primary department of the first town school, later on called for a transformation from a county to a graded sdiool, and during the efficient supervision of Prof. R. L. Hofif the original Ijuilding was remodeled at considerable expense to conform to the requirements of an up-to-date, regularly graded high school, which, from the start, took a prominent place among the high schools of the state for general efificiency. With a high school under the supervision of a most upright and conscientious educator, the patrons and friends of the schools congratulated one another that at last every obstacle was surmounted, and that for the future clear sailing was in store for the devoted friends who incessantly labored to get the schools on a firm basis.

But unfortunately for their aspirations, with the installment of -a new heating plant the building through some defect caught fire, just previous to the Christmas vacation in the winter of 1900, and in a few hours it was a smouldering ruin. Although the pecuniary loss to the citizens of the district was no small matter, yet the loss most keenly felt and regretted by all was the temporary disarrangement to the schools that were a source of pride to the communit}-. It was a pathetic spectacle, the morning after the fire, to witness groups of sorrowful children searching the blackened debris for some little souvenir to serve as a reminder of happy school-day comradeship.

Without one word of censure or repining, an impromptu school meeting was called at the scene of the fire, and by the light of the burning embers it was unanimously voted to authorize the school lx)ard to proceed at once and devise the necessary facilities for opening school as soon as possible after the regular Christmas vacation. At this time the board of education consisted of X. B. Judd, Dr. J. A. Waggener, William Fenton. Joseph and Henry Heim. and in compliance with the vote of instruction the schools were temporarily installed in the opera house and city hall until the completion of the present substantial edifice.

While the plain, old-fashioned founders of our town school had no other aim in view than to pro\ide the facilities for a sound, common-school education for their children, that would tend to making of useful and upright citizens, those who compute everything from the standpoint of dollars and cents can figure for themselves the gain to a home community of a three-years couist of high school attendance for one hundred and fifty-six students - the number graduated from the Dawson high school ; not to mention the incalculable blessings of home environments during the important habit-forming stage of young people's lives.

Nothing hitherto had stirred up such heated contention among the early .settlers as did the effort to create a town school district; the village being located in the center of the townshiii - Grant - the formation of a town district meant a general rearrangement of the boundary lines of lialf a dozen .«chool districts, and it required the utmost diplomacy to get many to concede the needed territory for the contemplated new (hstrict. After a summer of all manner of conferences and compromises with the outlying districts, tlie present school district No. 59, was at la.st established, and in the fall 1878, with William Fenton, S. C. Barlow and E. D. Webb, members of first school hoard, and hall, and in the year 1880 a commodious two-story four-room Ijuiiding was occupied for the first time, and it is to the credit of the citizens that ever since then they were a unit in generously providing every' necessary e(|uipment, and as a result of such whole-hearted support, the Dawson high scliool has long enjoved such an enviable reputation among leading educators tiiat it has come to be considered an iionorable distinction to be one nf its graduates.

About three-quarters of a mile south of town stands the mill from which Dawson received its name. The building was erected by Joshua Dawson in 1868, who soon after its erection obtained a postal service :uid this postoffice was naturally known as Dawson's Mill postoffice.

The townsite was surveyed on the 26th and 27th of b'ebruary. i(^/2, and the plat filed for record in the office of the county clerk on March 4th, 1872, at II o'clock a. m. The surveying of the site for the village was done by

1. W. Beckwith, a surveyor well known in the county at that time and who.se ser\ices were also used at Huml^oldt. Tiie site for the city was dedicated by William F. Draper, who owned the farm in section Xo. 15. t(r\vnship No.

2. north, of range Xo. 14, Iiast. of the sixtii ])rincipal meridian. Dawson \>as originally named X'^oraville in honor of a daughter of the owner of the townsite. The name was never legally changed, but the change seems to have been made first at the time tlie mail was being received as abcwe stated.

The first building, which was erected on the townsite, was used as a store and was built for \\^illiam Till, and the postoffice was soon moved to that place. Mr. Till was postmaster for some time and was succeeded liy T'.. S. Chittenden, who w^as later .succeeded by S. C. Barlow.

until 1878, wiien J- H. Haniia built the "Commercial." which was a more expensive place. The "Commercial" was later purchased by W. A. Albright. In 1873 Ed P. Tinker, a resident of Humboldt, started a lumber yard at Dawson. After the yard had changed hands several times, it passed to B. S. Chittenden, who operated it for many years.

In the spring of 1888 Dawson was enjoying a marked degree of prosperity and was making rapid strides in progi'ess, and the village then was well represented with all lines of business usually found in a town in Nebraska at that time, excepting a newspaper. E. W. Buser was at that time engaged in business and was wideawake to the best interest and advancement of the thriving village. He purchased the necessary equipment with which to publish a newspaper and founded the Da7t.'soii Kczi'sboy, which he conducted successfully and satisfactorily for a year, when he sold the plant to Arthur Gird, who directed the destinies of the paper but a short time, when the plant, together with a number of other business houses, disappeared in smoke. Nothing whatever of the Dawson Nezvsboy plant was saved, and as little or no insurance was carried, and as Mr. Gird, unfortunately, had no reserve fund, he was unable to replace the outfit, consequently for several months Dawson was without a newspaper when ^Ir. Buser purchased another newspaper outfit and re-established another paper and in a few months he again sold out to Henry Scheidegger, who coutlucted the same for a time. William I'enton then purchased the plant and together with his daughter, Mamie, published the Xcwsboy for a period of nine years, during which time they established a reputation for their publication as being one of the neatest, best and newsiest little papers in this part of the state. After the marriage of his daughter, ]\Ir. Eenton decided that his age and lack of knowledge of the typographical work in connection with the paper were against him and therefore sold the plant to a ^Ir. McCoy, who conducted the same for a couple of years, when it passed out of exi.stence. Mr. McCoy sold the plant to the Morehouse i)rothers, who were unable to successfully pursue their methods of doing business in Dawson, and tlieir sojourn was for but a short time.

Reverend ]\Ir. Wilder, who made the mistake of expounding his personal \ie\vs through the columns of his paper and ignoring new s features, met with a great deal of dissatisfaction among hi.s subscribers, and he, too, soon found himself in the same embarrassing position as his predecessor, and being unable to secure a buyer he persuaded some of his friends to lend him financial aid and he purccliased the Falls City Tribune and moved the two plants together at Falls City. It was but a matter of a short time until the Tribune, met the same fate as did the Nezvsboy - it passed out of existence and the publisher scon migrated.

For a short time a paper known as the Outlook was printed at Salem and mailed to Dawson, but the publishers, the Ross brothers, found it more of an undertaking than tliey had figured on and the Outlook was a very shortlived paper, and Dawson was without even an excuse for a newspaper for a period of over two years when Willis Manner, of Fillmore, Missouri, moved the Ga:;ette plant to Dawson and founded the Dan'son Reporter. He remained in Dawson less than a year, when he passed on to other fields and the paper passed into the hands of the present owner, J. H. Harrah, who pursues the work of getting out one of the best little papers published in the county and one greatly appreciated by his subscribers and the people generally of Grant township.

The town of Dawson is well known to the people of Richardson county and yet, legally, there is no such a town in the county. But time and custom, together with popular usage, have got in their work and Dawson is as well known as Falls City, or Humboldt or Stella, and yet if a person went to the depot in Falls City and asked for a ticket to Noraville, Richardson county, Nebraska, the agent would tell them that there is no such a town on their lines. But the fact remains that the real name of Dawson is Noraville and it has never been legally changed.

In 1 87 1 when the graders of the Atchison & Nebraska railroad reached that point a town was laid out by W. I. Draper on his farm adjoining the right of way and it was named Noraville. But today the town is known as Dawson, and the reason lies in the fact that in 1868 Joshua Dawson had built a flouring-mill on the Nemaha opposite the present townsite to the south. Shortly afterward and about the time the town was established, Mr. Dawson secured postal service and his office soon became known as Dawson's Mills. When the town was established the postoffice was removed there, but the name still clung to it - in fact it was only in more recent years that the wurd "mills" has been dropped and the town known as Dawson.

The Dawson of today is a thriving and prosperous village, located in the midst of a fine farming country and furnishing a market for a largfe extent of farming country. The growth and improvement of the town liave been remarkable in the last few years.

Tliere are sever;il iwo-story l)rick blocks that are a (leciik<l credit to the town and would be to a much larger place. These lousiness houses funiisli quarters for the merchants who take great pride in keeping their stores models (jf neatness and completeness. All lines of Imsiness are well represented and yet nothing is overdone. That the l)usiness interests of Dawson rest upon a tirm foundation is shown by the fact that there have l)een but very few failures in the town.

Passing into tlie resilience section of the town. man\ substantial and ver\- beautiful homes may be found. These are the dwelling places of the men of Dawson, and here they live contented and happy, and well they may be so.

The people of Dawson take great pride in their public schools, and a commodious two-story school building furni.shes accommodations for teachers and pupils. Statistics .show that the Dawson schools are thortuighly modern in their methods and excellent results are produced by a competent corps of teachers.

Another object to which the iieople point with pride, and justly so, is St. Mary's Catholic church. When the old editice burned, the people of the pai'ish determined to erect a church that would be a credit to the town and furnish them a credita1)le place to worship for years to come. The result <if their labors took the form of a magnificent l)rick church erected at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. Tt would be an <M-nament to cities of much larger si/.e. In the recent past this parish has erected a commodious brick school Inu'ding near the cliurcli ]iroperty, where the younger members receive educational advantages.