Milburn, Nebraska

"During 1884 and 1885 schools were organized on the South Loup at Burr Oak and Eudell : on Clear creek near Myrtle and Lee Park; on the Muddy near Algernon and Mason City ; on the Middle Loup at Sargent, West Union, Oxford schoolhouse near Milburn ; in 1885 on Wood river near Lodi, at Stop Table, Roten \'alley. Sand Creek, Cliff, Alaple Grove, Berwyn, and Keota. many of which have continued to flourish both summer and winter, wielding a most healthful influence for good in the respective localities ; while others did 'run well for a season' and then, when the dark days of drouth and jianic came, succumbed. Up to 1886 the work was carried on in the county locally. Then, as my memory serves me, a movement was made toward organizing a county association, for more perfect work and for the purpose of organizing schools in every settlement, which had by this time spread over nearly the entire county. Among those who were prominent in this movement were Rev. E. A. Russell, a Baptist state Sunday-school missionary, located at Ord : Rev. English, of Arnold ; I. N. Atkisson, D. AI. Amsberry, Willis Cadwell, W. A. Gilmore, and Dr, J. J- Pickett, of Broken Bow ; J. H. Blair and D. S. Weimer. of Ortello. A call was made for a meeting of Sunday-school workers at Broken Bow, a program was prepared and a date fixed for holding a county convention. .A. temporary organization was efifected by electing as president, I, N. Atkisson, and as secretary, Willis Cadwell. \\'hen the convention met. a permanent organization was made by adopting a constitution and bylaws. The county was divided into four districts, each part of the county to be under the supervision of a vice-president of the county association, elected by that body. It was the intention of the association to divide each of the districts into minor districts, to be known as township associations, with a vice-president for each of them, under whose supervision a Sunday-school would be organized in every comnnmitv. This outline of work succeeded admirably in the southeast and northwest quarters especially, to such an extent that in every settlement a school was organized, but in the northeast and southwest quarters there was not such perfect organization - in fact, the southwest district was practically unreoresented in the county association until ten years later. In the years following, this association held annual conventions until the year 1891, when, for some unexplained reason, there was no call niade by the president for the executive committee to meet and prepare a program, so in 1892-3-4 the president, D. S'. Weimer, having removed from the county, leaving the association without a head, it ceased to exist. JMany schools in the county died, partly from lack of the fostering care of county and district associations, but perhaps more because of the discouragements incident to the excessive drouth of 1892-3-4, coupled with the panic which followed - many families removing from the county, leaving homes and all that had been gathered about them since their settlement. This languishing condition of the cause led some of the more zealous workers to take the initiative .steps in the resurrection of the county association, or the formation of a new one. Accordingly, in the fall of 1895. a call was made for those interested to meet in Broken Bow, for the purpose of taking action in the matter. The response thereto met fully the expectations of those who had taken the leading steps, the different parts of the county being represented. The records of the former association not being obtainable, it was voted to form a new county organization. This was done by electing L. W. F. Cole, of Sargent, as president, and Mr. Herring as secretary, and by appointing Airs. Herring, W. C- Elliott, of Mason City, and J- M. Fodge, of Ortello, as a committee on constitution. The county was again divided into districts, each with a vicepresident, selected by the district association. Among those prominent in this organization were T. J. Strickler, W. H. Hornday, George Bailey, H. Lomax, E. J. Pittaway. Mrs. Daniel Hagin, W. C. Elliott, and others, whose names I do not recall. By means of this association new enersfv w-as sfiven to the schools over the county, new schools were organized, annual conventions were held, and a pledge of fifty dollars made by the old association to the state association was paid, followed by a more hopeful outlook for the future. The officers of the county association were : E. J. Pittaway, president; Rev. Mr. Burns, secretary; and David McGugin, P. Wymore, R. E. Allen, and W. C. Elliott, executive committee.

Passage source: History of Custer County, Nebraska; a Narrative of the Past, with Special Emphasis Upon the Pioneer Period of the County's History, Its Social, Commercial, Educational, Religous, and Civic Developement from the Early Days to the Present Time, published 1919.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Milburn Township - it names this place 1 more 1 time.