Richardson County, Nebraska - Chapter 23, 1917

Chapter 23

Richardson county has had an unusual number of towns, whose sites are now broad acres upon wliich are raised a variety of crops, or upon whose rocky hills are raised magnificent orchards and vineyards, whose projectors confidentially expected that they would become large and important commercial centers. Many of these have passed from the minds of even the oldest inhabitants, or have a place only upon the maps of their day.

\Ve have before us a map made by Mr. McManus, sum-eyor, away back in 1856, that gives many of these now defunct towns. The first of these was a townsite 'Situated below Rulo, at a point on the Missouri river near the south side of the county and close, called Mt. Roy, here also was a ferry by the name of Roy's Ferry; both alike have passed away and their memories are kept green alone upon the face of the old map. Just aliove Rulo and on a line due east of Archer, then the county seat, was Yankton, and two and one-half miles farther north was the townsite of Winnebago. This was two miles below Arago. While old St. Stephens was what we might say a suburban portion of Arago, but it seems that ^Vrago liad absorbed the business soul and enterprise of both these towns. Aragci still remains quite a business center, while both the other towns have passed away with the years in which they were born. Away up towards the north side of the county was laid oiif a town as "Sherman," and alxmt one and one-half niiles northeast of where Barada now is, was a "future great" called Cabana, but all we know of either of these towns is that their names appear upon the ancient map. South of Barada, about eight miles, was Archer, the ancient capital of Richardson county, now desolate and forlorn. Her walls have been torn down, her houses razed to the ground and her children apportioned to strange tribes; of her it was written, "weighed in the balance and found wanting". Where Archer stood, in all her regal pride, "the queen city" of her day, is now heard the bleat of the- lamb, the coo of the kine and the merry whistle of tlie farmer boy as he leisurely drives the cows homeward from the pasture at eventide. From tJiis old map we nia\- learn, too. that some person who had an eye to business, liad laid off a town on the south side of tlie ^Iiiddy, near the old Harkendorff farm, or on the Hitchcock farm, about half-way between where Falls City and Verdon now stand, and called it "Shasta" ; but like the others, the name is all that remains of the town. Farther to the northwest and in the exact geographical center of the county, in the early days, was a town of some little importance, and in the county seat disturbances of 1855 to i860, Geneva was a rival of the other towns of the county, of no mean pretentions, but after the location of the county seat at Falls City, it fell into decay, and now all that marks where the city stood is two small trees and the fast-filling excavations of some old cellars. And then there was Cottage Grove, Flowerdale and Dorrington, as well as the old town oi San Francisco, that have all passed into history as towns that were and are not, "unwept, unhonored and unsung." There may have been others; l)ut if so, the map maker failed to put their location upon it.

Yankton

Yankton could at one time boast of being the one mining town of Richardson county. It was located at a point about three miles north of Rulo, on the banks of the Missouri river, about midway between Rulo and Arago. It had at one time three general stores, three saloons and one blacksmith shop.

A bluff nearby caved into the Missouri river, disclosing quite a vein of coal suitable for all common needs, which was mined until exhausted. Everyone who would have coal from this mine must perforce be his own miner.

Armstrong Brothers conducted the principal general merchandise store in the town and Henry Goulet catered to the wants of those desiring amusement by the operation of one of the first bowling alleys ever brought west of the Big Muddy.

Huston Nuckolls was an enterprising real estate agent and Daniel Brown was the lawyer of the town. He afterwards joined the Confederate army and no word has been heard of him since his departure to join the colors of the South. J. H. Davis, who later figured in the great tragedy resultant from the county-seat fight, in which himself and a man named Meek lost their lives at Falls City, was the resident physician of the town. The town also contained a hotel or boarding house.

The village attained the height of its glory in 1857, when it numbered its population at about two hundred. The Armstrong store building was purchased by Judge Elmer S. Dundy, who removed it to Falls City, where he remodeled it into a dwelling house, which stood on the location nowoccupied by the Cleveland store on Stone street. It was later moved to the lots immediately west, facing Chase street, and stands there at this time, being a tenant house. The inhabitants fearing the encroachments of the river at that time moved to other towns in the county and Yankton was no more. At this time, however, the Missouri river is as much as a mile to the east of the old Yankton townsite.

A Pioneer Relic

C. C. Hollenbaugh handed us one-half of a copy of the Soutlicastcni Nehraskan, printed at Arago, Nebraska, July 2, 1867, by N. O. Price. It is a seven-column folio. Its motto is "Independent in all things and neutral in nothing." A two-column advertisement states that Arago will celebrate the Fourth of July as has never yet been celebrated in Richardson county. Orations will be given in both German and English, the festivities to end in the evening with a grand ball. Its leading editorial is upon the removal of the state capital from Omaha to Lincoln, and in this article we find the following in regard to the other state institutions :

"As near as we can find out that county wanted the whole outfit. For instance, Rulo wanted the penitentiary; Falls City, the deaf and lilind asylum; Salem, the lunatic asylum, and Arago, the State University."

In another article the beautiful mail system of Arago is described thus : "Our mails from the south leave St. Joseph in the morning and arrive (during good roads) at Rulo in the evening of the same day. Rulo is eight or ten miles south of .\rago. Here it lies all night and starts early in the morning for the north and passes within a couple of miles of Arago and stops at Stump's Station, some four miles distant, until the down mail arrives, when it is brought to town from nine to twelve o'clock at night."

Among the professional cards are observed those of Edwin S. Towle. August Schoenheit, Isham Reavis, and J. J. Marvin, as attorneys-at-law at Falls Citv: E. F. Grav. attornev at Rulo; James Cameron, notarv public.

at Falls City; Adam }ilichaelis. county surveyor, Iiis residence being four miles northwest of St. Stephens and his postoffice, Arago: Dr. R. Peery. is physician at Arago ; Dr. C. R. Baker, has his shingle out at Aspinwall ; the City Hotel at Arago is run by Story & Ogden; X. Lippold is proprietor of the Union Hotel at Arago; J. J. Good advertises the Union House at Falls City, and Isaac Minnick is proprietor of the Minnick's Hotel at Falls City, located on t1ie present site of the Richardson County Rank.

Winnebago was located about three miles south of Arago, but a mile or two back from the river. It was laid out on land belonging to Joseph Piquoit, a half-breed Indian. Winnebago at one time had two general stores, one managed by H. J. Vandall, a son-in-law of Piquoit: a saloon that did a thriving business, a blacksmith shop and a hotel and boarding house. This town was settled almost entirely by French, Indians and haltbreeds: Ijut the dwelling houses, of which there were eighteen or twent\ , that were built here, were much better than the average of those of other towns. George ^layfield was tlie principal carpenter and builder of the town.

Archer

Archer was located on the Muddy al)out two miles north and east of the present court house at Falls Citw was at one time the county seat of the county, but it never had any county Iniildings. or even the foundations for them. The town 'was laid out by J. L. Sharp, Ambrose Shelley, Joe Yount and H. Nuckolls. Abe Kirk built the first store and John Welty, the second. About ten houses were all that were e\er built. A doulile log- house was used as a hotel and kept by John C. Miller, the first county judge of the county, who held court at his residence, and who was also postmaster. Tlic fir.st school taught at Archer was taught by ]\Hss Catherine Samuels, a one-armed lady. It was a subscription school and composed of the following families of children: Catrons. Millers, Crooks, \Viltse Maddox and Trammel. T. (". Sic.afoose taught the school in the winter i^f i860. John John.son was the first doctor who located in the county at Archer in 1850. Mrs. Sally Dodge, wife of Levi Dodge, being an extra good nurse and having a good knowledge of herbs, was employed a good deal as a doctor among the early settlers. Joseph '\'ount ran a saw- and grist-mill. Upon a re-sm-vcv of tlic Hait'-I'reed tract. Archer was found to l)e located on

West Archer was laid out on forty acres of land about three miles southwest of Archer, on land later owned by William Maddox. It wa? platted about the time it was discovered that Archer was on land allotted to the Indians, in what is known as the Half-Breed tract. Il only consiste<l of the lionse owne<l and occupied by "Bi.s^"' Parker. At the downfall of Archer, Falls City spranq- into existence.

Stumps Station, afterwards Williamsville. named in honor of Alf Stump and afterwards in honor of Prof. F. M. Williams, who was one of the brst county superintendents of public instruction, was located one mile north and six miles east of C'ottajje Grove, where the precincts of Barada, Muddy. Liberty and Ohio C(jrner with each other. It was started as a stage station, to change horses on the stage line from St. Joseph, Missouri, Rulo, Aspinwall. Xemaha City and Nebraska City. The first government telegraph across the continent lay along this route. It was a government postoffice. A brick church, of the German Lutheran denomination, was built at this place. It was the only town in the county where a church was one of the first buildings and this church is all that remains of the town today. An unsuccessful effort was once made to hold up and rob the stage between Rulo and W^illiamsville.

Shasta was a traveling poslofiice for the ccjuvenience of the neighborhood, and changed its name with nearly e\ery administration. It began its existence in a claim house on the southwest c<jmer of section JO, townshi]) 2. range 13, on the south side of the .Muddy, near John C. Hasenyager's farm, in the forks of ihc llickorv liranch and the Muddy alxmt a mile east of Isaac Clark's liome on the !-ibert\ precinct line. .V man b\ the name of Squire .\rnett owned this land at that time and was not ad\erse to selling corner lots to any who Avanted them and wotdd pay for them. .\s he found no huvers. no lots were sokl, and no town was laid out. The office was soon removed to the home of L. B. Prouty, on the John Lewis (father of our townsman, I'',. O. Lewis), farm, adjoining the Goolsby school house corners in ()liio precinct, and llie name of Shasta clianged to that of Elmore, in honor of Elmer S. Dundy, later L'nited States judge in this state. It was moved from one house to another, as dififerent persons held the high and honorable position of postmaster, until it finally drifted to Cottage Grove, where its name was again changed. A graxeyard with a few graves still marks the townsite of Shasta.

L. B. Prouty was postmaster at Elmore until 1869; then Isaac C(Joper held the honor until R. M. Zumbrum was appointed, who held the office until 1876. Mr. Zumbrum had a small drug store in connection with the office. The salary of the postmaster at that time was only about five dollars per year. Herman Lutz had the office after Zumbrum. Ben E. Stump, a brother-in-law of Lutz, xxas deputy postmaster and ran a small grocer)- store in connection. Upon the death of Mr. Lutz, Mr. Mayfield was appointed postmaster, who held the office only for one year, when II. L. Merriam was appointed. About this time Doctor Rockwell had high hopes that Cottage Grove would soon become a cit}" and Elmore was discontinued and Cottage Grove established, with Rockwell as postmaster, mail carrier and proprietor of the Cottage Grove grocery store. After \'erdon started. Cottage Grove was abandoned.

L. B. Prouty, speaking about the location of a postofhce at Elmore, years afterward had the following to say : "There were two reasons for the establishment of a postoffice at our place. First - We had been bringing mail from Falls City since i860, for many i^ersons, some living nortii of Verdon, thus saving them a trip of twelve miles going and coming. Second - The Burbanks had a mail route from Leavenworth via Falls City, without touching the river towns until reaching Nemaha City, and we were on that route. We even secured through mail keys, but did not get the locks for the keys. The contractor asked to be relieved from supplying our office and we gladly complied as it was no sport to change two mails daily. We received our commission dated July 3rd. 1862. The business done at this office may be seen from the following reports: For quarter ending December 31st. 1862, $4.68; June 30, 1863, $10.31. We paid the route agent $10.31 for the year 1863. The postoffice department received for the year 1864 the sum of $13.63. Our commission of 60 per cent amounted to $8.17."

Cottage Grove

Cottage Grove required tour precincts in which lo Iniild the future great city, being located on tlie cross roads where Oliio, Barada. Muddy and Liberty precincts corner with each other, and not all the corners were occupied. It was located and founded by Doctor Rockwell who kept a general merchandise and drug store. The city reached high water mark in population and prosperity about 1881, when it contained twenty-five persons and had a postoffice kept in a grange store by Herb Howe, who is now ;i retired merchant, raising lemons in the state of California, for his health and the fun of it. A blacksmith shop was kept by Oathout Brothers, later of Shubert. and a Methodist parsonage and some three or four dwelling houses. When the Missouri-Pacific railroad went through the countv 1 1882 and Verdon was located. Cottage Grove residents moved almost in a body to where they could see the cars and hear the steam whistle of progress.

Authorized To Dam The Nemaha

An act of the Territorial Legislature appro\ed on January 7, 1861, autiiorized M. A. Frank, of Falls City "To erect and keep a mill-dam over and across the Great Nemaha river at the Falls thereof, in the county of Richardson."

Elkton Po.Stoffice

lilkton postoffice was located at the home of G. B. Patterson, four miles northeast of Verdon. The oftice was established, named, and Mr. Patterson appointed postmaster at the same time that L. B. Prouty was appointed at Elmore, Elkton being on the same mail route from Leavenworth, Falls City and* Nemaha. The settlers were so few at that time in the vicinitv of Elkton that no mail was ever left at the postoffice for distribution although Mr. Patterson held the keys for a numl)er of years and was ready to act as ])ostmaster as soon as any mail arrived to be cared for.

Breckenridge was staked out on the farm just southeast of Isaac Clark's, three miles east and two south of Verdon and three-quarter of a mile east of Liberty precinct line. This would-be city contained one house Inult by Frank Goldsburv, and had one doctor and one Frenchman. The doctor was the Frenclinian and lived in die only residence in the citv. This ambitious Frenchman's name was I'erdin Godfrey. Jim McElrov. a townsitc surveyor of the county at that time, owned a half interest in this town, as fees for surveying. One day Godfrey strayed away from iiome across the Kansas line and was killed hv a cvclone.

Peora was another might-has e-been town. It was located on the farm later owned by James Hanley, one mile north and a half-mile east of Verdon. This city, although duly staked out into city lots and named, never contained but one lone inhabitant, a man b\- the name of Wicks, who started a grist-mill in the shape of an old-fashioned tread-power corn crusher, for the benefit of the settlers in the neighborhood.

Springfield was platted as a townsite, with bright hope for its future greatness, in 1856, on the same land that \'erdon now occupies, by Johnson Sharp and James Trammel. The two proprietors constituted the only inhabitants the town e\er had, except an occasional visit from a wandering red man or a lost traveler. From the decayed remains of Si)ringfield, \'erdon took root and sprouted, after a lapse of twenty-six vears.

Geneva

Gene\a was located at the exact geographical center of the county one mile south and ;i half-mile west of Verdon; three hundred and twenty acres were survexed as the townsite. The demise of this town was the making of a first-class hog pasture, as some of the finest hogs in the state are now roaming over the former .streets, avenues and boulevards of this once great city. Mysteries are the ways of this world. The site for the temple of justice and court house S(|uare raises some of the best corn grown in the county.

In die fall of 1S37. Joseph h:nil>ody, Williani Spurl.ick .K: S.ni and Gh;irles Cornell formed a townsite company and |)re-enipted ;t lialf section of land for a townsite, as ])ro\ide(l by law, and Joseph Seefoo, the count}' surveyor, platted the entire half section into town lots, 'i"he two lone trees that can be seen at a ilistance were jilanted upon the ])roi)ose(l public square.

the re-survey of the Half-Breed tract had left Archer on Indian land and the county seat had to be moved. Salem and the then new town of Falls City were the only rivals of any consequence for county-seat honors. Town lots were given to anyone who would build thereon. Each of the proprietors built a dwelling house and many others began. A Mr. Pelcher built a blacksmith shop and Josepli Embody built a general store and hotel in connection. Embody was also postmaster, but the government never established a route to this place : the mail was brought by private messengers from Salem. Charles Cornell built the first house in 1857, and the next year the town reached the height of its glory when it had about thirty inhabitants, with four complete dwellings, a store, hotel, blacksmith shop, and many foundations for other buildings. The final location of the county seat at Falls City, was the death of Geneva.

When the votes were counted for the county-seat location, the voters liad given this place three names, viz: Geneva, the Center, and Section 22, township 2, range r. The friends of Geneva always believed that if the voters had been better informed and a little more electioneering had been done, this town might have won. thus spoiling a splendid farm for a count\-- seat location.

The supposed scarcity of water at this place was another drawback. The townsite company dug a well fifty feet deep, near the two trees and found no water, and others dug wells from fifty to seventy feet deep, with no better success; but now all the farmers in the neighborhood have good wells only forty feet deep and have ])lenty of \\ater at all seasons of the year.

Flowerdale was a tra\eling pustoi^ce, being located at tlic residence of the farmer who would consent to have the honor of postmaster thrust upon him. Its last location \\as at the home of H. D. Weaver, three miles southeast of Stella. Walt Hopper kept a general store nearb}-. When Stella and Verdon started, the store was moved to \'erdon and the postofiice abandoned.

Dorrington was another traveling postoffice, for tiie benefit of the neighborhood southwest of the present town of Stella. It was named in honor of David Dorrington, one of the first settlers of Falls City. The postotlfice was first located on the northwest quarter of section 14, townsln'p 3, north of range 14, east of the sixth principal meridian, but it was afterwards changed to the southwest quarter of section 11, township 3, range 14. east of the sixth principal meridian. The postoffice was established in 1880; William Day was the postmaster and also ran a small store in connection, Stella laid her foundations for a town. Day moved his store to Stella, and Dorrington was abandoned in 1882.

Xoraville sprang into existence in 1871, as a camp for the Atchison & Nebraska railroad graders, on the land owned by W. F. Draper, who laid out a town adjoining the railroad tract and named the town in honor of his wife, Nora.

In 1868 Joshua Dawson built a mill on the present site of the Dawson mill and soon afterwards he succeeded in getting a government postoffice located at the mill. The postoffice was known as the Dawson Mills, and when the railroad was built the company named the station the same as the postoffice, only dropping the word, mill. The citizens a number of years ago had the town incorporated under the name of Dawson. Now history and the old settlers alone know of the original town of forty-four acres as Noraville.

Monterey

Monterey covered one-half of sections 5 and 6, township 3, range 14, at one time; it is now the farm of S. J. Kleckner. Nathan Meyers laid out the town and built a log house in \\4iich the postoffice was kept. A school house was built nearby, but the population of the town never reached more than three or four inhabitants.

Meonond was at one time a postoffice. established in 1864 at the residence of J. B. Rothenberger ; afterwards moved to the residence of Thomas Lynch, one mile west, about midway between Humboldt and Dawson. This was on the mail route from Falls City to Pawnee city, and the stopping places were Salem, Miles' Ranch, Meonond, Humboldt, Table Rock and Pawnee city. This office was only kept up alxiut two years.

Miles' Rancli was another postoffice located at the home of S. B. Miles, south of Dawson in Nemaha precinct, it being on the mail route from Falls City to Pawnee city. It was kept up for the convenience of the neighborhood for a few years. Upon the location of Dawson on the railroad, this office was abandoned and one at Well's mill established at the grist-mill of that name on the south fork of the Nemaha, near the township line of Nemaha and Salem precincts. This office was finally moved further to the south and w^est and was for many years known as Middleburg. The latter office was looked after by J- E- Frey.

Pleasant Valley

Pleasant Valley was located in Speiser precinct at the home of Christian Bobst, \\ho was the postmaster. It is claimed that this was the first postoffice established in Richardson county, as Mr. Bobst settled on his claim in the fall of 1854 and soon thereafter had the postoffice located at this point. The exact date of its establishment, or its abandonment, has not been ascertained, but it was most likely abandoned about the time the Atchison & Nebraska railroad came up the valley of the Nemaha in 1871.

A period of business depression during the administration of President James Buchanan in 1857, which threw out of employment a large number of working men in Buffalo, New York, was the first cause of the migration to this county of a party of Germans, who were responsible for the building of Arago. one of the earliest towns of consequence on the Missouri river. In those days hundreds of good workmen had been w^alking the streets of Buffalo. New^ York, hunting for work and willing and ready to accept service if only fifty cents per day might be had, or anything, so long as they might continue to hve and support their families.

This condition was not brought about by a strike for higher wages or less hours, as is often the case in these later days among the workmen of the larger cities, but at that time trade was stagnated, money scarce and only trade exchange could be had at the stores in lieu of money.

Henry Sommerlad, and Gits Duerfeldt, Sr., with about one hundred other mechanics and other common workmen employed at Cutler & DeForest's, the largest and finest furniture establishment in the city of Buiifalo at that time, expecting at any time to join the walking street parade, felt in unison the call nf the West, and concluded to organize a German Colonization Society for tlie purpose of buying land on some Western river for a home. To this end a meeting was called to assemble at Lorenc Gilling's hall, on Genesee street, in Buffalo, to perfect plans for such a purpose. A company was at once duly organized and officers, pro tem, chosen. Louis .Mlegewahr was named president ; G. T. Xessler, vice-president ; Henr}' Sommerlad. secretary and Gus Duerfeldt, Sr., treasurer, together with a committee, which was instructed to draft the constitution and by-laws. Thus was taken the preliminary step which had to do with joining together the men who were to fashion the little city of Arago in the banks of the ^Missouri in the frontier days.

A week later the society had o\er one hundred menibers and no change in the |iersonnel of its officers. The company sold shares at fifteen dollars each, and promised three building lots or a garden lot of one acre near the new town. Three trustees were elected - Jacob Beyer, George Hollerith and Jacol) Schue. On September, 1857, a convention was called to elect a land commission of three men to Iniy land for the company: Louis Allegwahr. Doctor Dellenbaugh. from Buffalo, and a farmer from Cheektowage town were elected. The commission went some one hundred miles along the lower Mississippi river and then came home without buying any land. They were badly used up by the niosquitos, which were plentiful and very large, not singing the high ''C' like those at home, but more like that of a Inmible bee ; a countrv fit (mly for negroes and not white men, they thought.

Early in March. 1858. another convention was called to elect a new land CDUimission. Louis Allegwahr, Doctt)r Dellenbaugh, of Buffalo, and William Krebes. of Chicago, Illinois, were chosen, and a levy to be made of five dollars im eacli share, was voted.

.Vt this convention the names of many of the largest cities of Germany were suggested as suital)]e as a name for th.e new city in prospect, but all were voted down. At this juncture the name of the great French traveler ;nid explorer, l)omini(|ue l'"rancois r\rago, was agreed to, and is to this day tlu- name of the i)recinct in wliicli this village was located, which, strange to

.say tor some rea.>on when the pustoffice at this point in very recent years was discontinued and nicned to a point a few miles west, the name, Arago. ckiiig- to it. while the older village was caused to be officially known as "l<"aro-o," but it will alvva>s be known as old Arago.

This later commission went north along the Missouri river up to what was then Nebraska Territory and purchased from Stephen Story, Huston Xuckolls, Fred Nuckolls and a :\Ir. Hoak. sixteen hundred acres of land in Si. Stephens precinct (township 3, north range 17. east, Richardson county, Nebraska), with a saw-mill near the river, a few log houses, six yoke of o-\en. and log wagons, paying therefor twentj'-four thousand three hundred dollars. Ten thousand three hundred dollars was paid and a mortgage given on the land for fourteen thousand dollars at ten per cent for one year. Thev engaged a surveyor, Cornelius Shubert, who laid out the town of Arago, with ;i Washington and Jefferson park, also ^n open square as a market place. The first-class lots were thirty by one hundred and thirtv feet, nearly all in tiie beautiful bottom, as level as the fioor, covered with large walnut, oak, elm and basswood trees, about one-half mile wide. The second-class lots were fifty by one hmidretl feet and garden lots on the prairie above and west. Those people, unacquainted with the vagaries of the Missouri ri^'er, had platted the best part of their town where in time to come it would be subjected to overflow and ruin, while that designated as second class was and alwavs has been out of danger's way.

The first twelve settlers from Bufifalo, New ^'ork, Louis Allegwahr, Geo. Safewang, Mike Solomon. C. F. Walther, Henry Sommerlad, Louis Kleber, Henry Sacht, Fred Xitche. August Dorste, William Ziemendorf. Conrad Klingelhoefer. and Bernard Klingelhoefer, landed at Arago on the 4th day of July, 1858. -uid hoisted Old Glory on a high tree standing on the bluflf. 'i"lie\- built a warehouse, a dock for boat landing, cut down the high hill to open a road westward and build homes for themselves.

Nearly every one of these houses was built of native wood, finished later with pine weather !)oards and pine luml:)er inside. Plenty of large rocks and sand were found near St. Stephens. Brick was made by F. Smiley in the town ; other building tnaterial was hauled by steamlj<iat from Brownville, Nebraska, ^tany settlers came from Bntfalo in 1858 and 1859 to Arago. At one time six families were living in the warehouse. The first .settlers came by the ?!annibal & St. Joseph railroad to St. Joseph. Missouri, and thence by steaml)oat to Arago.

On June 15. 1830. at Bufifalo. New ^'ork. a convention was called to elect an agent to go to Arago and pa\- the balance due on the l.'unl and also

\<)te<l a levy of live il(ill;irs on each share of stock. August Duerfeldt. Sr.. was chosen for this errand and arrived at Arago on June 23, 1839. from which place he went on horsei«ck the following day to Salem, the then county seat of Richardson count}-. Nebraska. At Salem he learned to his surprise that the mortgage of fourteen thousand dollars had not been placed on record an<l only three mortgages were on record at that date.

Ste])hen Story, to whom the mortgage had been given, upon Ijeing interrogated in this particular stated that William Mann, the then register of deeds bad asked him to pay one dollar for the recording of the instrument and thinking this sum excessive, had not had the mortgage recorded.

Business Ixtkke.Sts

The timber land on the lownsite was sold for six dollars per acre, and the prairie land for live dollars per acre, ^klany of the five hundred shareholders came to Arago and built houses and started business with the sawmill. .\ dour-mill was started. Mike Gehling and Henry Sommerlad had built a brewery; Xemijeck, from Xemaha county, Nebraska, came and built a whiskey distillery; there were fi\e large stores, one implement house, three blacksmiths' shops, four saloons, wagon and cooper shop; there was one doctor, one watchmaker, etc. L. AUeghawr was shipping all kinds of grain, wnol. etc., and packing hogs, from a few up to ten thousand, in one season. He later sold the business to I'eter l-'rederick, Sr., who continued it in a profitable condition for mariy years. Arago being the only hog market in this county, it required the farmers from Speiser precinct nearly three days to go to .\rago. Among the buildings of Arago was a fine Evangelical Lutheran church, twenty by sixty feet lloor; the Catholic church, a large, twostory school house, where the students were taught in English and German; a newspaper, inililished one-half in German, one-half in English; a large dance hall with a stage, two large hotels, chair factory, owned by P. B, Miller and 1'.. Siilomon; a lirick )ard owned by Mr. Smiley. Arago had a band of tvventx- pieces, also a string band and the Deauche Sangerbund, or singing society. On application. Governor Saunders gave the town thirty-five new muskets, which Col. John C. Fremont had bought in Germany: these muskets were for ])rotection against the Indians.

Koselius. in Missouri, furnished the first settlers with pro\isions. The town c<in)i)any owed him in 1S59 over $800. Flour was from $3 to $4 per iiarrel; live hugs from S.2 to S3: beef from $1.75 to $2 per' hundred pounds: ci>rn fn.m 20 to 25 cents: jiotatoc; fr<im 25 to 30 cents per bushel: butter. 10 cents; coffee, 15 cents; sugar, 10 cents per pound; eggs, 5 cents per dozen. Corn, rye, wheat, barley and potatoes were sent in two-bushel sacks; oats, in bushel sacks. I'ork and all kinds of provisions were sent by steamboats. There were no banks in Arago.

The banks at Buli'alo, New York, paid four per cent interest on deposit and the people of x\rago paid ten per cent on what they borrowed. By agreement, the people of Arago sent drafts payable at the First National Bank of Xew York, as fast as they received the money ; the balance of the $6,300 was paid, $1,000 in gold, the rest in currency.

To the iirst settlers was sent money from Buft'alo by express to St. Joseph, Missouri, from there the Arago treasurer, H. Sacht, was obliged to get the same. Later. L. AUegwahr and Peter Frederick, Sr., furnished money to farmers and citizens. The saw-mill was donated to a man from Brownville, on condition that he would erect a flour-mill at Arago, and he Ijecame the owner of and operated both the saw-mill and flour-mill at Arago. .\rago was growing fast and all business flourishing, some dreaming to get ahead of Chicago, or at least of the county seat, Salem.

Exodus From Ar.Vgo

As soon as the St. Joseph & Council Bluff's railroad on the east side of the river was Imilt and the company bought the steamboats for ferries, all business on the Missouri river was at an end, or practically so, and all the cities and towns along the river went down, as did Arago, and very rapidly. Some of the business men removed to Falls City, which had now become more important, to resume their former occupations. Among them were Michael Gehling, with his brewery; Fred Stock, with his bakery, which he located at his residence just south of the present location of the Falls City Xck's office, in block 69 on Harlan street, between Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets; Otto Wirth, with his jewelry business; Mr. Lange; Mr. Nettlebeck, with his shoe business; Henry Ruegge, upholstery; Dr. C. T. Burchard, and August Neitzel, with his monument business. A few to return to their old homes in the F,ast at Buffalo, were Louis Allegewahr, George Seyfang, Michael Solomon, Louis Kleber, Antoine Hipshen, and others to scatter over tlie country; while many of the citizens of that former thriving village wisely engaged in a "back to the soil movement" and became farmers and, incidentally, if living, are the wealthy members of our farming community, or at least laid the foundation for the fortunes now enjoyed by their sons and daughters of todav.

The .\tchison & Nebraska railroad being completed to Falls City in 1871, took off a large part of the trade of Arago, which up to that time was the only real good market in the county. Here the farmer could sell almost anything he could raise; nowhere else did they pretend to slaughter hogs on so large a scale. In fifteen years this business had grown to be a big thing and brought a large trade to the town.

As fast as the railroad cut off the business in Arago, the river did its part in taking the whole bottom from bluff to bluff, nearly all the first-class lots having left by river for St. Louis, the gulf, or to make bars to clog the stream and further impede travel by steamboats.

The distillery, the brewery, the flour- and saw-mill, stores and other tine liuildings went up in smoke: while some houses were moved to farms or brought to Falls City. So .Vrago went down faster than it was built up and onh' one of the old settlers, Mrs. Bajie Saal, remaining, while Mrs. Christ Strecker. anotlier of the first settlers, resided there until her death a siiort time since.

Louis Allegewahr was the first cily mayor of Arago and C. F. Wallher was tlie last one. The population of .\rago in its palmiest days aggregated tlie grand total of from one thousand to seventeen hundred souls. Today. but si.K families claim a residence on the townsite. In other years the ferry there made it an important gateway into this county from Missouri and Iowa; now that has disappeared and the traveler must go either to Rulo or Brownsville to reach the Xel^raska shore. The beautiful bottom on which the principal part of Arago was built and grew, has at different times been entirels- wiped out, only to be later restored by the treacherous waters of the r.ig Aiiuldx. At this present time the river bank is nearly a mile east of the hiufl' on which the remaining portions of .\rago stand and the village, tenantless, presents onlv a sjiectre of its former self. L^p to very recently an effort lias been made lo keep some kind of a trading point there; this even has disappeared and not one single place remains open for public business.

.\rago was backed from the very first by plent\- of money and emigrants: its growth was ra]>id, but the growth of Arago was the downfall of St. Ste])hens, which was one mile north of it. During the years 1870-71, Arago reached the pirmade of its fame and glory, when it became somewhat larger than St. Stephens had been ten years before and more important in many wavs. The founders of Arago had great hopes for its future greatness.

Arago was the first town in tlie county to be incorporated as a cit}-, requiring a special act of the Territorial Legislature to accomplish this fact. The act was passed and approved on January lo, i860, and the following territory was included within its limits :

"The whole fractional section No. 12; the southeast quarter of section No. II and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section No. 13. all in township No. 2. north of range No. 18, east of the sixth principal meridian, and situated in the county of Richardson and state of Nebra.ska, together with all additions that may be made hereafter thereto, according to law, is hereby declared to be a corporation by the name of Arago, and the east line of said c\t\ shall extend to the middle of the main channel of the ^Missouri river."

The above citv limits included two hundred and forty acres besides the whole of the fractional sections. The officers of the would-be city, according to the act of incorjxiration. were to consist of a mayor and a l)oard of six aldermen, an assessor, treasurer, marshal, three inspectors of elections, clerk, collector of taxes, street commissioner, clerk of markets, cit\- supervi.sor, health officer, and other such officers as it may deem advisable. At the present time the entire population would not be enough to fill the offices of the ancient village as there are jierhaps less than a dozen all told.

Section No. 41 of the act of incorporation gave the council full control or" the streets, alleys, wharves, jniblic grounds, square, parks and commons of the cit\-, and may cause sidewalks to be paved. It required forty-eight sections of the act to incorporate Arago, while Falls City was incorporated three (lavs later, January 13, i860, with onlv sixteen sections to its act of incorporation.

\\'e have dwelt at length on .\rago as typical of thousands of young western towns that started with bright pros]>ects, but the fates were against them and their downfall \\as as low as their prospects were bright.

About seven thousand dollars was expended by the citizens of Arago during the heyday of its prosperity to make a cut twenty-five to thirty feet deep on a wagon road through the hill to the west just as Arago is reached.

Early E.Xperiences At Auago

I came to the Territory of Nebraska with my parents in .\pril, 1S64, from the state of Kansas, where m\- father, Samuel AV. M'Kesson, had been sent by the conference of the Evangelical church for the state of Iowa. My father was an itinerant preacher, and our moving anywhere was not specially for the purposes of settlement, but for the purpose of Ijeing as near and con- \ enient to such religious charges and missionary work as might be laid out for him. During the two years previous to moving into the territory, the lield of his labor was largely marked out for him by a missionary department of the conference, and in this case was not confined to county or statewide Ijoundaries. And so, prior to our moving into the territory, father had made frequent circuits within its boundaries.

We moved to Arago, in Richardson county, on the banks of the Missouri river. It is not now an organized town, having been abandoned and its place taken by the town of Fargo. Although the town is situated on the Ijanks of the Missouri river, it had no ferry boat connection with the Mis- >ouri side of the river. The manufacturing industries were a brickyard, a shingle saw-mill and a brewery. The town was quite prosperous and progressive. The bluff had been dug down half for tlie cutting through of streets, and the ravines were filled and leveled. Besides the manufacturies and residences, many of them quite respectable wooden structures, the town supp(5rted a public school, and an Evangelical church, a Catholic church and school, and several saloons. Not nuich of interest occurs to me during the first year of my residence at Arago. I remember seeing boats paddle up and down the Missouri river and stop to load and unload their cargoes of merchandise and to let off and take on passengers. The names of some of these river boats were the "Denver", "St. Mary's", "St. Joseph", "West Wind", and "St. Louis". They were of various sizes, some side wheelers, some stem wheelers, some with single smoke stacks and some with double smoke stacks, l)ut with all with fog horns whose noise was anything but musical.

It was in this year also that I saw and tasted my first cherries. I accomjianied father on a missionary tour into Pawnee county, immediately west.

where we stopped at a house in the country for a noonday lunch. An elderly man was shaving shingles on a shaving horse under the shade of a cottonwood tree. While father was talking with him I was standing close by, and I pulled his coat-tail and asked him what those little red things were, pointing to the cherries. He smilingly called the man's attention to my inquiry, and he stated that they were cherries and good to eat, and for me to climb up and help myself, which I did.

In the spring of 1865 the news of the termination of the war and the victory of the Union army had scarcely reached the territory, until the news of the assassination of Lincoln was also received. I remember the sorrowful day when men and women congregated in little groups, many of them with tears streaming down their faces, exclaiming, "President Lincoln is killed."' His death appeared to be a personal grievance to the people. Shortly after this, I remember seeing the soldier boys returning. The}' were met by their parents, relatives and sweethearts with open arms and cheers. Public receptions were also given them and on one occasion, I remember that a barbecue was held in honor of their return, at which roast ox was sen'ed, prepared over a pit improvised for the occasion, of cobble stones, over which slats of iron picked up from the rear of the blacksmith shop were laid. Anvils were fired and a general holiday held. The march to the front of the soldier and his return seemed to create like feelings in the breasts of men.

First Circus At Arago

It was in this year also that I saw the first circus come to town. Of course, this was special interest, and I note it here that we may know that the early settlers were not without this feature of amusement. The menagerie was not so complete as now, but the performances were of similar character ti) those in vogue now and were more enjoyed I)y the early settlers, because in his ordinary life on the frontier, lie had probably seen mountain lions, wild cats, deer and antelope.

On the day of the circus in a runaway accident, father's leg was broken. On account of poor surgical treatment in the setting of the bone he was confined to the house, most of the time in bed, during the summer, which was a \ cry hot one. It was late in the fall before he got to visit, still on crutches, some of the nearl>\' cliarges.

The following winter we were visited by my father's brother, John M. iVrKesson, wiiom he had not seen for twelve years, a physician and homesteader, adjacent to the tovvnsite of Lancaster, Lancaster county, Nebraska I now Lincoln). I remember the glowing accounts given bv my uncle of a prosperous settlement out at Salt creek. This was the first we had heard of such a place in what, to us living on the Missouri river, was the far interior, inhabited by the Indian, the buffalo and the coyote. In addition to a pleasant visit the Doctor held several semi-public meetings - to acquaint the people with the great promise of the new colony, which had been estabHshed at the salt basin and the great work which the Lancaster Seminary, which had also been founded, was doing for the education of the young ladies of the territor\'. This was offered as an inducement to all those who heard it to flock t(i the new settlement. Among others this appealed to a widow with a little girl living in the neighborhood, who a year or more later had an opportunity to come with us to this new colony, where she found a place to educate her child and where she also found a home by marrying John Giles, one of the homesteaders, on the southwest quarter of section No. 26. afterward a part of the original townsite of Lincoln.

In the spring of 1S66 an earthquake shock was felt at Arago. The sjiock was very perceptible, but of short duration. Afy mother and I were raking up the rubl)ish in the back } ard when we heard a dull sound like the lieginning of wind or the rushing of waters. We stopped our work and looking about us and noticed that the board division fence between our lot and the neighbor's, was wabbling, and then that the house, which was a oneanti-a-half story building with the gable fronting us, seemed to vibrate about a foot at the top. The ground beneath our feet, too, seemed to wave, almost unbalancing us. A woman and two children were engaged in a like occupation in an adjacent lot to the south. Gathering her children in her arms the woman started for the house, screaming as she went, "Earthquake! earth- (|uake!" Xo serious damage came from the shock, practically the only e\iilence of it we could find were the disarranged and nicked dishes in the oldfashioned, high cupboard.

Something mi.re fatal and disastrous occurred later in the summer in iSriO. the dreadful scourge of cholera lireaking out in the little town of

Arago and neaxly depopulating it. The first death was that of a child five or six years of age. of the shingle-maker, who died suddenly on Wednesday and was biiried on I'^riday. On Friday night the infant child of the shinglemaker died, also suddenly, and was buried on the following Sunday. The two deaths occurring in the same family and so closely together, aroused suspicion on the part of the people that they had been poisoned and the father and mother were arrested. The stomach of the infant was removed and before its interment on Sunday the body of the other child was exhumed and the stomach also removed at the cemetery in the presence of the people gathered there for the biuMal. Both stomachs were to be sent to St. Joseph for analysis. One of the grounds for suspicion was the fact that the mother of the infant was the shingle-maker's second wife. On the following Wednesday the man died suddenly and on the same night or the next day several other citizens died in like manner. This changed public sentiment and aroused the people of the town to the fart that a scourge w^as upon diem. One very pathetic incident occurred. .V woman, the wife of a Kansas homesteader, and her two little children were stopping at our house at the time, and being fearful, father sent a courier to notify her husband to come and get her. lie came several days afterward, but the night before they intended to go home the wife and those children died and were buried here. Father had charge of the services at most of these funerals and mother and I invariably accompanied him. Many opinions were advanced by the people as to the cause of the malady, among them that the disease was brought there by someone who got off of a boat.

In the fall of r866 a mercliant in the town named .Mlegewahr built a temporar\- plant for packing pork on the river Ijottom, not far from the river During the winter of 1866 and 1867 the hogs were slaughtered here and ihe jiork packed in drv salt. The packing was not as modern as now, though the packer had a sure control as the packer of today. The meat was packed in layers, two men walking around on top, sprinkling a layer of salt and then ;i layer of pork. The intention, of course, was to ship this meat down or up tlie river where markets might 1ie found in the spring before the hot summer months. While the packed meat was to be used for the sustenance of the white men the Indians came in droves and helped themselves by carrying away all of the offal.

In tlie spring of 1867 the Kansas conference of the Evangelical church delegated to father tiie duty of visiting the various outposts of settlement in

We drove with a team of ix)nies and spring wagon with a light riding buggy tied behind and one loose pony following from Arago to Brownville, from there to Nebraska cit}' and then on to Lancaster, over what was then called the "steam wagon-road." This road started at Nebraska city and had Ijeen mapi^ed out and designated through to Palmyra and there forked, one road leading toward Beatrice and other passing through Roca and Saltillo to Yankee hill on Salt creek, and from thence west, touching Middle creek not far from the homestead of James Her, near Pleasantdale. where the road again forked, one branch leading south to Camden on the Blue, the other following west toward Ft. Kearney. Beside the road this side of Nebraska city, not far from the J. Sterling ^lorton homestead, the steam wagon was then standing. It was not a success as a means of transportation and the project was abandoned.

On this road in 1866 a ]\lormon train of about two hundred and fiftylive wagons moved westward to a place then called half-way slough, located two miles south of Emerald and almost a half mile west. While in camp one of the members of the train force died and was buried on the east slope of the long hill just after crossing the slough. This grave is now close to the middle of the east line of the northwest c]uarter of section 34, township 10. range 5, Middle Creek jirecinct. The land is now owned by Harry W. Lee.

The tu\\n was surveyed liy A. L. Coate. Plat dated March 29th, 1858. 'J'own of Franklin located as follows: Beginning at quarter .section ct)rner tjn section line between sections 20 and 21 in township No. 3 north of range No. 13 east, and running east one chain and thirty-six links to the west side of High, thence north, measuring block 4 and First street one chain and twentyone links and all other streets the same width.

The town consists of and is laid off and occupies the east lialt uf ilie northeast quarter of section twenty and the niirthwest ((uarler and the west half of the northeast (|uarter of section twenty-one in township three, north of range No. 13, east of the sixth ])rincipa] meridian, in Nebraska Territorx. containing dn-ee hundred and twenty acres. Dated Marcli 2()th. 1S58.

Yankton is situated cm the Missnuri river in Richardsun county, Xe- ()raska Territcjry, nn the west fractional lialf of section 5 in township' No. f, north of range i8th east and <in the fractional lots east and south thereof. All of the streets are eighty feet wide, exce])t Broadway, which is one hundred feet. The alleys are sixteen feet wide. The lots are all fifty feet by -ihe hundred and fifty, except those on the levee. Lots 7 in each I)lock fronting the le^'ee are thirty-six feet by one hundred and fifty feet, and lots ^', Q. 10 and II, 12 and 13 in those blocks are forty- four feet front.

Located in sections No. 5 and 8, ti;n\nship one north, of range No. 18 east of the 6th P. M. Richardson county, Nel)raska Territory, September 8th, T857.

P. S. : From Articles of Licorporation of the Yankton Town Companv: -'Know all men that Stephen F. Nuckolls, of Nebra.ska City, Heath Nuckolls, Henry Goulet, William Cook, Jr., Houston Nuckolls, Leon Conger, Robert F. Armstrong, A. D. Brown, N. J. Sharp, of the town of Yankton, count}- of Richardson, Territory of Nebraska, antl Henry Douglas, of St, Joseph, John W. .Smith, of Atchison county, Missouri, and their associates have associated and incorporated themselves together under the name and stvle of the "^'ankton Town Company.

Know all men by these presents: That we Joseph Fnibodx', b'ranklin Spurlock, David Spurlock, C. L. Cornell, John Cornell, and A. D. Kirk, Proprietors of the Town of Geneva have caused to be surveyed staked and platted as a Townsite the North West Quarter of Section T\\ ent\-Two and the Southwest Quarter of Section Number (15) Fifteen in Towtiship Two, North Range Fifteen East of the fth Principal Meridian N. T. The streets and alleys srpiares & as abo\e shown by the plat as drawn and certified by Josiah Leebo are set apart for the uses and ])urposes therein mentioned.

Ill an earl} day many towns were started in Richardson county that are no longer more than memory with the oldest inhabitants. The Missouri river was the only open means of communication with the markets of the world, and outside of the stage lines and overland trails there were no certain and permanent lines of travel that called for the existence of towns. Yet many were started hack from the river in the hope of lieing cliosen the c< lunty seat or being on the line of the railroad when it came. Nearly every good location on the west bank of the Missouri river became a prospective town. Rulo alone remains of the river towns in this county. Here follows a brief statement from the Pioneer Record of what became of two of the early day towns.

Stumps Station

Stumps station, afterward Williamsville, named in honor of Alf Stump and afterward in honor of Prof, F. M. Williams, now living near N'erdon and who was one of the first county school superintendents, was located one mile north and six miles east of Cottage Grove, where the precincts of Barada Muddy, Liberty and Ohio corner with each other. It was started as a stage station to change horses on the stage line from St. Joseph, Rulo. Aspinwall. Xemaha Citv and Nebraska City. The first government telegraph across the continent \s.\ along this route, it was a go\ernment postoffice. A brick church of the German Lutheran denomination was built at this place. It is the only town of the county where a church was one of the first buildings and this church is all that remains of the town today. An unsuccessful effort was made to hold up and rob the stage lietween Rulo and Williamsville.

Winebago was located about three miles south of Arago, l)ut a mile or two back from the river. It was laid out on land belonging to Jt)seph Piquoit, a half-breed Indian. Winebago at one time had two general stores, one managed by H. J. \'andall. a son-in-law of Pic[uoit : a saloon that did a thriving business, a lilacksmith shop and a hotel or boarding bouse. This town was settled almost entirely by French. Indians and half-breeds, but the dwelling houses, of which there were eighteen or twenty, that were built here were much better than the average of those of other towns. George Mayfield was the jirinciprd carjjenter and l)uilder of the town.

Old St. Stephens In Iqij

Robert A. Neitzel and L. C. Edwards enjoyed what they say was one of the most interesting trips they have ever made to the country northeast of Falls City on Thursday, August 30, 1917. They were accompanied by Mr. C. F. Cain, the father-in-law of the former, who was at Falls City on a visit from his home in Florida.

-Mr. Cain was for many years a merchant in Falls City and is a pioneer resident of the county. He came from Platte county, Missouri, with his I)arents, William R. Cain and family, in 1855, and settled at St. Stephens, where he grew to manhood, attending school, farming and later teaching school in that vicinity. He had not been in the city for a number of years and desiring at this time to visit the scenes of his early boyhood days took this occasion to traverse the ground and view the old time places he had not before visited in thirty years.

The old townsite is located on a high bluff overlooking the Missouri ri\er about a mile north of the site of Arago, but in reaching it the party went to die Lee ranch, where they left their auto, being compelled to make the remainder of the journey on foot, going south. After passing up over some high bluffs the old cemetery is first reached and there may be found a number of ancient monuments giving the names of people who had formerly been residents of the old town. Some of these bear dates of 1855, 1856 and 1859. When Mr. Lee came into possession of the ra:nch a few years ago, it is said, lie offered to furnish the material to anyone who might care to fence the cemetery and keep it free from stock pastured there, but no one has appeared interested enough to undertake the work necessary aiid hence tlie stock has free range about the cemetery. Passing on south, from the cemeten,-, some distance the old townsite is reached. With this, Mr. Cain was thoroughly familiar and was able to pilot the others to the site of nearly every cabin and business house which made a part of the old town At every depression which gave evidence of the cellars of these ancient homes were found brick or rock which had l)een used in the cellars as foundations or for chimneys and pieces of window glass and parts of cooking utensils, etc. At some of these places was still standing cedar trees that had been planted by early residents. .\t one place was pointed out the site of Doctor Whitmire's home, he being one of tlie \-ery first physicians to practice in the county, and at another place the site of the home of the Dixon family, who had come as refugees from Missouri during the war. Mr. Cain traced out the old roads and streets, remarking at one place that no brass band was ever seen by him to pass that way but there he had heard many a man "Hurrah for Jeff Davis" during the war ands continuing, observed that many of the boys of those days were in the habit of carrying revolvers with them to school. He found the site of tlie old school house he had attended as a boy and walked about the old time playground, showing where they had played ball and indicated the spot where the oldtime lx)ys were in the habit of meeting their "ladies fair" and would escort them home after school hours. The school house had l>een built by Stephen Story, the founder of the town, and was used for a general meeting house, for school, church, when there was any held, and as a public hall for all gatherings of a public nature.' At another place he found the site of the Crane & Lewis store where as a boy he had purchased coal oil at a price of sixty cents per gallon and at another place jiointed out the site of a store, where for the first time in his life he had seen lemons and said the same had 1)een hrouglit by a steamer and were sold to the pioneers for one dollar ])er dozen. After raml)ling over the townsite seeing every point of interest the part\- went on in southeasterly direction to view the one remaining house on the site of the old time pioneer village.

This house is located in the south part of the old town and has been continuously occupied since it was built in 1855 - sixty-two years ago - and is occupied at this time by Leonard Buckminister and family. It has weathered all the storms that have visited Richardson county since the coming of the first pioneers and was a tenanted house when this country was in its infancy and first known as the Territory of Nebraska, and when the county was but newly organized under a proclamation l)y the first territorial governor and. for diat matter, when Air. Cain was in swaddling clotlies as an infjuit of two nKjntlis. ll was Iniilt liy Alichael McManus, a pioneer deputy surveyor in the emplnv of the government, who as such, assisted in the first surveys made in the county, which preliminary was most useful to the early settlers in the matter <>i determining the locations of corners to the lands they sought to occupy as homes. Mr. AIcManus surveyed .\rago township in 1856, during the month of June.

The h(uise stands on an eminence overlooking the Missouri river antl not a great distance from a large tree on which a culprit of the pioneer days paid the jienalty with his life for stealing horses from the settlers. The house anil

Iiust Coirt House Ix Richaudsox Home

.DEST IIOfSE IX ItlCHAItDSOX COT'XTV. lUII.T IX IS,-,.-,. AT ST. STEl'HEXS. l'.V THOMAS ik-MAXrS. HAS ISKEX (K'rri'IEI> CONTIXrALLY. xow r.Y I.EOXAUI) HrCKMIXISTEU AXI> FAMILY. AND IS KXO\YX AS THE I.ASON HOME, its surroundings were of great interest to the visitors and especially so to Mr. Cain who had known the place intimately from the days of his youth.

Mr. Cain explained that in the old days much of the timber that now abounds did not obscure the beautiful view that might be had from most au}^ point in the village and there was presented a long sweep of the Missouri and the steamboats could be seen for miles up or down the river. The natural scenery in that vicinity is unexcelled in any part of the county and will be greatly enjoyed by anyone going there.

St. Stephens was laid out as a townsite by Gen. Benjamin F. Loan (a brotlier of Mrs. William R. Cain), and Stephen Story, in the spring of 1855. In September of 1855, Mr. Wm. R. Cain first visited the place and found a store kept by S. F. Nuckols & Company, Houston Nuckols Ijeing in charge at the time. A man by the name of Robert Archer kept a hotel, and these two houses constituted the town. While the elder ~SIt. Cain was there he was so charmed with the country that he built a log cabin adjoining the town tract, and in April of the following year, 1856, brought his family and household goods to make a home. Sometime later this cabin was burned to the ground by some Indians in the absence of Mr. Cain and family, who at the time were visiting in Missouri. During that year AVashington Morris built a house and Israel Price built and opened a blacksmith shop. In 1857 J. W. Case of St. Joseph, jNIissouri. started another store and during the following two years the town grew rapidly, reaching its highest growth in 1861, at which time it had two stores, one kept by Crane & Lewis and the other by D. J. Martin; two saloons, one kept by Henry Price and Henry Dunkes and tlie other kept by George Coole}'. Price & Dunkes called their house a grocery store, but a saloon might have been a more appropriate designation. Henry Smith kept a blacksmith sho]i, and Allan Gleason was in charge of the ferry on the jMissouri river. The first sermon ever delivered in the town was given by Father Thomas of the Ba])tist church of Rulo. The first postmaster was T. C. Sicafoos. the first doctor was David Whitmire. Some of the citizens of the place prominent in those early days were Aury Ballard, B. H. Dixon and his sons. Noah and Ballard: Dr. AMiitmire, J- W. Cain. Wm. M. Morrison, D. J. Phillips. Preston Martin, Houston Nuckols, William P. Loan, a lawyer, Price & Dunkes, Stephen Lyons and last, but not least, Mr. Stephen Story, who was the original owner of the townsite, Martin I. Martin, D. J. Martin & Company, Heath Nuckolls, James W. Hutton, George Mayfield. Huston Nuckolls, Joseph C. Lewis, (t. \\'. Cooley, James Kinzer, JNIann i\; Shepard. \Mlliam T. Morris. E. H. Kinzer. George Faulkner. Jasper C