Kenesaw Township

Location And Settle5Ient

Tlie Kenesaw site was located June 9, 1871, l)y S. P. Howland, now living in Juniata, Milton F. Brown, Charles Colt and J. D. Butler, Jr. The foiu- original settlers preempted the fom* quarters of section 34, town 8, range 12. ^Recalling the circumstances ]Mr. Howland said: "I sent teams to Grand Island for lumber to build the shack and it was built that month, June. The first five nights I spent upon the site of Kenesaw it rained everj- night and I slept imder an inverted wagon box. Our drinking water at first had to be hauled from Lowell, ten miles to the west, b>it a ^^-eII was boi-ed about the third day after we arrived.

"Antelopes and coyotes used to come close to our cabins and we could shoot them from our doors. That fall, two families came to live near our houses. Napoleon Bonaparte Hamp Avas on the farm now occupied by the jNIisses Norton and Jim Sweeting was on a quarter adjoining town. In January, 1 872. all four of us who Avere located on the town site sold to the Burlington Railroad."

In June, 187*2, Kenesaw was surveyed by Anselmo B. Smith for Charles F. ]\Iorse. The system of streets and avenues was designated as follows : The southern boundary is Spruce Street and then paralleling Spruce in order are Pine and Poplar streets, south of South Depot Street; north of North Depot Street are JNIaple, Elm and Ash streets. The avenues run north and south. On the west is Bi'obks Avenue and then comes Forbes, Dennison, Smith, Perkins and Doane avenues. The avennes bear the names of members of the South Platte Land Company, who laid out many towns in this section of the West. The town was platted by J. H. Cummings.

and its most substantial groA\i:h has been made since that time. Ad- (iitions to the town have been made from time to time. Cook's addition was surveyed by T. E. Farrell in JNIarch, 1885. Parmenter's second addition was surveyed by C. A. Heartwell, October 4, 1909, fnr L. W. Parmenter, and Powers' subdivision of block four of Thompson's addition was surveyed by Mr. Heartwell October 13, 1909.

It is fortunate for the annals of Kenesaw that the first actual settler in that vicinity, Dr. A. D. Williams, was a man who wielded a facile pen and also had a penchant for making accurate records. "The i-ailroad was laid out across this section and finished," wrote Doctor A^'^illiams, "in June, 1872, through to Kearney. The Kenesaw townsite was laid out a little before but the depot was not built imtil along in the fall - I believe the latter part of October or the first of November.

"After the preemptors left, the four houses were not occupied and no one lived on the townsite until about the first of December, when Mrs. INI. S. Norton moved into one of them and acted as deputy postmaster, a postoffice having in the meantime been established, and A. D. Williams appointed postmaster. For a brief period before JMrs. Norton moved onto the townsite ]Mr. Williams' house on the southeast quarter of section 26, 8, 12, was designated by the Government as the location of the postoffice." Three of the original houses built upon the townsite were blown down and destroyed in the Easter storm of 1873.

The following quotation from Doctor AVilliams gives a detailed account of the earliest settlers in the vicinity of Kenesaw: "INIr. Fred Einst settled on the Platte River, nearly six miles north of Kenesaw. in the spring of 1872, and he and his sons became not only the oldest but among the most substantial citizens of that section of the country. The first permanent settler anywhere near Kenesaw was A. D. "Williams on the southwest quarter of section 26, 8, 12, August 16. 1872. He came thither in a 'prairie schooner,' and he with Mrs. "Williams, Katie and George lived three weeks in the covered wagon box, setting up the cook stove outside of it. in a kitchen bounded only by tlie liorizon.

"Their first visitors were Pawnee Indians returning from a hunt over on the u])per Republican. Seeing the schooner deployed from I lie trail, wliich was along the sand hills near where INIr. JMoon lives, they came and plied their begging art so successfully tliat a trip had to be made next day to Juniata to replenish tlie larder. They, as well

"Soon after, a ISlr. Chenowith appeared and entered the southeast quarter of section 28, 8, 12, where Bert IMoore later lived, and returned to Iowa for his family. Almost at the same time Ed ]Moore. Captain Knapp (not JNIiles Knapp), William ^Miller and another gentleman arrived and located on section 20 - ]Moore on the south- \vest, Knapp on the southeast, JNIiller on the northeast and the other man on the northwest quarter. INIoore, Knapj) and ^Miller afterward returned and settled. The other never did.

"The second actual settler was Reverend Willis, who located southwest of where JNlr. Wolcott later lived. He was accompanied by his wife and sister-in-law, and brought with him carpenters and a donkey fiom Lincoln. His first building, and for a time his home, was what he afterwards used for a granary, and which Bert ]\Ioore used later for a stable. On or about November 25, 1872, "SIjs. INIary S. Norton and her four children arrived from JNIinnesota. James Cline settled on what was in a later period known as the 'Shattuck farm.' Several other entries were made, but so far as I can remember, these were all of the actual settlers during 1872.

"Early in 1873 there was quite an influx of settlers. Among them were E. A. Loomis, Anson Looniis, L. W. Parmenter, Edward Moore, Captain Knajjp. Rockfeller, F. Phillips, Robert and John Harter and two Stonehockers «ho settled on the south half of section 2-i and on the southeast quarter of section 26, on what is now ^Ir. Schlegel's farm, and the two Shattuck brothers. '\V. Z. Parmenter had arrived from Ohio in November, 1871. and located on a homestead on section 20, 7, 11."

First Things Ix Kexesaw

INIrs. M. S. Norton, who occupied one of the four houses first built :i) Kenesaw and who was the deputy postmaster under A. D. AVilliams. died in Kenesaw July 9, 1894. Doctor Williams died in Kenesaw December 31st, of the same year.

Delmar D. Norton, the son of INIrs. M. S. Norton, was the first station agent in Kenesaw. He remained in the position until Kenesaw was made a telegraph station when, not having learned telegraphy, he resigned and afterward became a prominent business man of Kenesaw.

In the winter of 1873-74 IMr. Hodges sold his business to Edward ]Moore, Avho was the next settler in tlie town. The next business to be established was an iiniilement house. This was managed l)y S. S. I3ow, who conducted tlie business for E. Steinau, who lived in Hastings and was one of the first business men of that town. J. G. Hayzlett opened a grocery and hardware store in the spring of 1878 and the following year G. B. Crandall began business with a general stock of goods. G. W. Baldwin opened the first blacksmith shop in 1877. In 1878 Edward INIoore sold his store to A. S. Thompson and later in the fall J. H. Roberts started a general store.

In the summer of 1884 Kenesaw was incorporated as a village. Tlie year before an attempt had been made to incorporate but the county commissioners had refused on the ground that the petition did not contain the names of a majority of the taxpayers.

The first death in the town was that of Jessie Hodges, a child of .Fosiah Hodges, in the winter of 1873. The first adult to die was JMrs. Maria ]Moore, the wife of Edward INIoore, in 1875. The first birth also was in 187-5, when a child was born to JNIr. and Mrs. S. S. Dow.

An inkling of the satisfactory growth which the village of Kenesaw has enjoyed can be gained when the value of the original four shacks erected in 1871 ujion the bare town site is compared with the valuation of the village as it stands upon the record of the county assessoi- in 1910. The record shows that there are in the village 383 im])roved lots with an actual value, with the improvements, of $233,- 440, and 202 unimproved lots with an actual value of $19,28.5. The average actual value of the improved lots is given as $609.50 each, and of the unimproved lots, $94.47. The value of the improvements is iilaced at $180,100.

In January. 1884, among the business men of Kenesaw were E. X. Crane, M. F. White and A. Barton, general merchants; J. G. Hayzlett. proprietor of a then new hotel, the IMetropolitan ; J. A. Lindsey, manager of Sewell & Co.'s grain business; Cook & Cooley. lumber dealers; Barton & Collins, grain dealers; A. S. Thompson, (hugs; H. W. INIitchell and W. F. Manspeaker, hardware dealers; A. S. ]Martin, agricultural implements; R. B. Grounds, furniture; George Bechtelheimer, manager of Neimeyer & Co.'s lumber yard; D. A. Kennedy, restaurant; Smith & Schafer, dealers in meat; John Xickerson, billiard hall; L. C. White, barber; J. Williams, physician; the ]Misses Osier, milliners; Cook Bros., blacksmiths; G. W. Hodges, laundry; B. F. Armitage, insurance agent; Horace Armitage, builder, and George T. Williams, publisher of the Kenesaw Times. In INIay, 1884, Kemp & Hope moved into their new hardware store and the Gillette Bank Building was opened.

Among the very earliest 2)ioneers who still reside in the vicinity of Kenesaw, are: Charles, Fred, William and Henry Ernst, sons of Fred Ernst, who settled in the Platte Valley in 1872; Mrs. I. D. Evans and ]Mary H. Williams, daughters of Mr. and jMrs. A. D. Williams; JNIisses ]Marilla and ]Melena Norton, daughters of ]Mr. and Mrs. ^I. S. Norton. W. Z. Parmenter is probably the earliest settler now residing in the township.

The first brick building was erected in Kenesaw in 1902 by F. S. Cary at the corner of Smith Avenue and North Railroad Street. This building was one story in height and was erected at a cost of about $16,000. Since that time there has been a good deal of building with brick and at present Kenesaw has eleven brick buildings and three cement stone business buildings.

The Cottage Hotel Avas erected in 1887 by T. F. Cain and oj^erated by him until it was purchased in 1907 by G. F. Whitesell. The Kenesaw Opera House was erected by Dr. E. J. Latta in 1910 and destroj-ed by fire in 1912. It was not rebuilt. E. E. Ragsdale was a pioneer druggist. His building was destroyed by fire in 1911 after be had quit business.

F. S. Carey was a prominent business man of Kenesaw about six years. He now resides at Long Beach, Cal., having left Kenesaw about 1904. K. J. \Vhite, who left Kenesaw about twenty years ago, after conducting a general store for ten years, is now located in Lincoln.

Kenesaw has two banks. The Kenesaw Exchange Bank, opened in 1883, has been a sound and reliable institution dvu'ing the thirtythree years of its existence. The present officers are: A. L. Clark, president; S. A. Westing, vice president; and H. R. Caplin, cashier. It has a paid-up capital of $20,000.

The First State Bank was started by Herman Redman and associates. It has had a very successful career and a steady growth. It has a fine brick banking house, has $15,000 capital and enjoys the confidence of the community. B. J. Hilsabeck is president and the main factor in its management.

Electric Ijght Axd Water Plants

Kenesaw has had a municipally owned electric light plant since 1910 and nmnicipally owned waterworks since 1911. July 1.5, 1910, bonds for an electric light plant Avere voted in the sum of $4,500, the vote being 89 for the bonds and 58 against. The plant was erected at a cost of about $8,000. Electric street ligliting is maintained and tlie plant has 100 light customers. There is a sliding scale for rates, the price for commercial current being from fifteen cents to six cents per kilowatt hour and for residence lighting from twenty cents to eight cents with a minimum of one dollar per month.

It required two attempts to carry the bonds for waterworks. The first proposition was for $20,000 and the vote was 109 for the bonds and 4-2 against. The bonds were declared by the canvassers to have carried, but later upon a legal techirfcality they were declared lost. The next vote was on February 28, 1911, when 123 votes were cast for the bonds and 42 against. The amount voted was $18,500 and tlie plant was constructed that year. The water plant has 125 customers and the rate is 15 cents per 1,000 gallons, witli a minimum of $2 per quarter.

Kenesaw has two flour nu'lls. The Kenesaw ]Mill & Elevator Company, and the Whiteley IMilling Company's plant. Each of the mills has a capacity of upwards of fifty barrels per day. The Kene- saw ^Nlill & Elevator Company was incorporated February lo, 1916, with a capital stock of $20,000 divided into 200 shares, and the purpose of the corporation is stated to be the buying of grain and the manufacture of flour. The incorporators were J. H. Augustin, L. L. Weaver, Peter Augustin and Charles ]Moritz.

The Whiteley JNIilling Company was incorporated April 21, 1916. the incorporators being Owen Whiteley, William Coulter, Liberty M. Roljinson, John Shurigar, John Cain, Vic Trueman and Frank Harpham. The authorized capital stock is $6,000, divided into 100 shares. New machinery recently bought has doubled the capacity of the mills.

The forming of the Kenesaw Telephone Company was a direct result oi' the Farmers' Institute which was maintained for about fourteen years. One of the lecturers suggested the telephone as an utility that tlie farmers might maintain for themselves. W. Z. Parmenter was struck with the idea and mentioned it to Dr. E. J. I^atta, who conducted a paper in Kenesaw at that time. The editor discussed the subject editorially and a meeting Mas called. In INIarch, 1904, a corporation was formed with eight members, each subscribing for $2.50 worth of stock.

Of this organization F. S. Carey was the president, W. Z. Parmenter, vice president, and Dr. E. J. Latta, secretary. These, with the following, composed the board of directors: S. A. Westing, A. S. Howard, Stephen Schultz. George Wolcott and D. D. Norton. The first year about twenty miles of line was constructed and at the end of the first year a dividend of 10 per cent was voted through the issuance and sale of stock. The following year the lines were considerably extended. S. A. Westing was the president the second year. A dividend of 8 per cent was declared to again be paid by the issuance of stock. Each year subsequently a dividend of 8 per cent has been paid in cash. Free service is maintained with Prosser, Juniata. Heartwell and Holstein. The monthly rate for residence phone is $1.2.5 per month and $2 for business phones. The company has about five hundred subscribers.

The present officers of the telephone company are A. S. Howard, president: Herman Coplin, secretary, and the remainder of the directors. H. E. Rose, S. A. Westing. E. Wicks, E. E. Weaver. W. Z. Parmenter and Cal Osier.

Kenesam' School District

iiiendable success but because the question of location divided the early settlers sharijly. Dr. A. D. ^Villianis has left a very interesting account of the struggle. "Early in 1873," wrote Doctor Williams, "it was found that there were twenty-seven children of school age in the district, in which there was a large amount of taxable railroad land and property, while the settlers were nearly all homesteaders, and paid very little taxes. So A. D. Williams proposed that $4,000 of lionds be issued, running for only five years, so that the burden would rest largely on the two railroads - most of the land being l^nion Pacific land - before the settlers would pay much taxes.

"Strange to relate there was opposition to the jiroposition, most of it from people who had a good supply of children and next to no taxes. But the bonds were issued, the house built in 187-1, and both tlie railroads and some of the homesteaders kicked. The question of location proved a bone of contention. The settlers north and south of the railroad were about equal in numbers and generally voted according to location. At the first meeting the vote was for a south side location. The railroad refused to deed the site and the question !iad to be reconsidered. At the second meeting the present site, on the north side, was selected, some of those south of the road voting for it. Eut the south siders opposed to the north side site commenced a war ujion the erection of the building. A suit was commenced and an injunction secured. Tlie court, however, dissolved the injunction and dismissed the suit and the work of building the house went on. The only sharp practice - if such it be called - which I as agent of the town site company practiced during the whole matter, was to secure through the county superintendent such a readjustment of the lioundary of the district, by strictly legal process, as left Reverend '\^''illis outside, and before he knew it.

"Then came a struggle to prevent paying the bonds in the five years, led on by the railroads, and favored by some persons having considerable taxable property. The object of the railroads was obvious - to prevent paj'ment until they had disposed of their lands in \\hich they secured manifest advantage to the equally obvious disadvantage of the settlers. But as most of the parties to this arrangement remained in the district until the bonds Avere paid, it is not so easy to see where the benefit to them came in, for relieving the railroads and throwing the amount of their relief upon the old settlers who had proved up on their lands in the meantime, and on the new settlers that liad come in." Connected with the early years of the scliool was a weekly literary society which held the interest not only of tlie pu])ils but of tlie whole community, and freciuently presented fine

The schoolhouse erected in 1874 was a two-story frame building which, with a north extension and other improvements, served as the schoolhouse until the erection of the present brick building in 1912. Bonds for the new schoolhouse in the sum of $25,800 were voted November 11, 1911. The plans and specifications were made by W. F. Germandt of Fairbury and the general contract was let to Philly & JMcHale of Deshler and Fairbury upon their bid of $19,035. The contract for plumbing and the installation of the steam heating plant was let to Peter N. Kjar of Holdrege for $5,255.

The Kenesaw High School is on the accredited list and has twelve grades. The class of 191(3 numbered twenty-three, the largest in the history of the school. Domestic science, normal training, commercial and agricultural dejDartments are maintained as well as playground apparatus. About $1,500 was received in 1915 in tuition from outof-the-district pupils.

The board serving when the new schoolhouse was built were: T. C. Branson, chairman; F. C. Armitage, B. F. Schlegel, I. D. Evans, S. A. Westing and C. H. Combs. The present board are B. J. Hilsabeck, F. C. Armitage, B. F. Schlegel, JMrs. Lucy K. Partridge, T. C. Branson and Dr. Walter E. Nowers. B. F. Schlegel has served continuously on the board for thirty-five years. The superintendent of the Kenesaw schools at present is Reuben G. Dunlap; principal of the high school, Edna C. Baker; other teachers, Marie Hollister, Harriet Oxer. L. M. Lattin. Alta Bentz. Katherine Smith and Ruth JNIohler.

Kenesaw is not lacking in religious and worshii^ing facilities. There are in the village at present seven church organizations. The INfethodist Episcopal was the first organized church in Kenesaw, but after the downfall of the Rev. Royal H. Crane and the moving away of some of its members there was no Methodist preaching for awhile.

Largely through the efforts of J. G. Hayzlett and the Joneses, Presbyterian preaching and eventually a Presbyterian Church was established. Until 1883 all denominations worshiped in the schoolhouse, dividing the time between them, although tliis arrangement led to considerable friction.

Methodist Church

by Rev. R. A. Crane the denomination did not have a pastor of their own until 1884.. The Free Will Baptists erected a house of worship in June^of that year and the Methodists worshiped in this church. After the erection of the Presbyterian Church they sometimes met in that church alternating with the use of the Baptist house. Sometimes, service was held in Crane's Hall.

In the spring of 1893 the denomination erected their own church huihling. In the early fall of that year the building was destroyed by lightning. Services were conducted by the pastor, Rev. F. A. Colony, and a subscription started for a new church. The present edifice was completed that fall at a cost of $3,500. A parsonage was subsequently built which the church records show to be valued at $900 in 1900, $1,550 in 1910 and $1,800 in 1916. At about the time that the church was built in Kenesaw the ^Nlount Zion Cliurch, midway betueen Juniata and Kenesaw was erected, but in 1915 this church was moved into Kenesaw where it is now used as a hall by the Epworth Ijeague and the Ladies' Aid Society. When tlie Kenesaw church was first organized it was on the Juniata circuit of the Beatrice district of which Rev. J. B. JNIaxfield was the presiding elder. In 1880 it came within the Hastings district. Among the early members were E. B. ^Nloore. L. B. Partridge, E. N. Crane, Mr. and Mrs. George Kidd and H. E. Rose. The membership of the church at ]iresent is 135. The following pastors have served the churcli: J. G. Walker, 1884; T. J. Fink, 1885; Isaac New, 1886; K.M. Hardman, 1887 to 1889, inchisive; M. DeMott, 1890 to 1892. inclusive; F. A. Colony, 1893 to 1897, inclusive; J. P. Badgeley. 1898: :\I. A. Wimberly, 1899; E. D. Gideon, 1900, served year and a half: S. W. Gamble, three months in 1901; Howard P. Young, last tliree months of 1901 to 1904. inclusive; A. V. Grossman, 1905 and 1906; E. M. Reed, 1907 and 1908; Paul B. Wright, 1909 to 191), inclusive; R. B. E. Hill, 1912 and 1913; M. S. Foutch, 1914; R. B. Barr. 1915 to September, 1916. The present pastor, T. H. Worley. has served since September. 1916.

Free Aviij, Baptist Church

This chin-ch was organized November 13. 1883. The cliarter members were Rev. A. D. Williams, D. D., and wife, Sarah Harn Williams, James R. Currier, Lewis Currier, Lydia Currier, Kate Boley, Sarah J. Needham, Perry Hodges and Annie Currier. The church was dedicated July 13, 1884, by Prof. Ransom Dunn. Dr. A. D. ^Villiams, tlie clerk of tlie church, superintended the building, and raised the money to pay for the church with the exception of $200 which was appropriated for the purpose of assistance by the general conference at iSIinneapohs. This jjhase of co-operation in the Baptist denomination Doctor Williams took great interest in promoting, and he wrote a history of the movement in a volume entitled, "Four Years of Co-oi^eration." This was the first church to be erected in Kenesaw.

Doctor Williams was the first pastor and the following named pastors (not, however, in exact order) have served the church: R. N. Bonk, J. D. Fry, George W. KnapjJ, Edward Chace, Howard R. jMurphy, now a missionary to India. Rev. Frank Tilton, Rev. Lockwood, Harry C. Wolsot, W. F. Davis, ]Miss Wilmette JNIarks, Rev. H. M. Burns, who served only a month or two and was succeeded by Rev. Louise Dewey, Rev. N. C. Powers, who became pastor in 1900 and served two years, Rev. M. F. Sturdevant, who took charge in 1911, Mrs. Lizzie JNIcAdams, who was chosen in 1913, and Rev. W. F. Davis, who served the church from 1904 to 1907, and has been serving a second term since 1914. Edward Chace was succeeded by a lady Avhose name has been forgotten. Joseph Westley, W. H. Edger and J. C. Dazey did successful work for the church in its early days as evangelists.

Dr. Alvin D. AVillianis and his wife, Sarah Harn Williams, filled a very large place in the religious and intellectual life of the community. Mrs. Williams was l)orn in ^Maryland in 182.5 and died in Kenesaw February 4, 1900. Before her marriage in 18.50 ]Mrs. Williams was Sarah Harn. She was a woman of wide reading and at a period when it was unusual for girls to acquire more than the rudiments of an education jMiss Harn was a student at Cedar Hill Seminary in Southern Pennsylvania and afterwards a teacher.

Doctor Williams was a graduate of Hamilton College, New ^"ork, and at different times held pastorates with the Free Baptist Church at Carolina Mills, R. I.; Pawtucket, R. I.; Lawrence, INIass. : JMinneapolis and Fairport, JMinn. He served as the head of several schools among others, principal of the Nebraska State Normal at Peru and Oakland City College, Oakland, Ind. Among his literary productions are "History of the Free Baptists in Rhode Island." "History of the Free Communion Baptists," "Four Years of Cooperation in Nebraska." "Tlie Church and Its Institutions" and a biogra])hy of Rev. Benoni Stinson, the originator of tlie General Baptist denomination in the United States.

G. Hayzlett, J. B. Elwood, Mrs. L. M. Ellrod, G. C. Giffin, Mrs. P. N. Giffin, JNIr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Frank, Mrs. Henrietta INIoon and jNIr. and Mrs. Samuel Jones. The first ruling elders were J. G. Hayzlett and Joseph L. Frank. The first new members received were Mr. and JNIrs. T. Bolton Burns, who united with the Kenesaw Church the September following organization. The church Mas organized by Rev. George L. Little, Synodical missionary for Nebraska.

The congregation worshiped in the Kenesaw schoolhouse until the present church was erected in the summer of 1883. It has a seating cajjacity of about one hundred fifty and the present membership is eighty. The parsonage was built about 190G and has a present valuation of about $2,500. The present ruling elders are F. M. Denman, Charles K. Bm-ling, W. U. Nichol and Orville Caldwell. The trustees are ]Mrs. A. Cauffman, Mrs. J. L. Templeton, E. S. Jones, B. J. Hilsabeck, William Coulter and Albert Nelson.

The Christian Church

An effort to organize this denomination in the early '80s did not ])rove successful. The present church was organized Novemlier 22, 1909, by Dr. Charles Reign Scoville, the evangelist. The charter members were Mr. and JNIrs. W. Z. Parmenter, Mr. and JNIrs. E. J. Eatta, JNIrs. Dillon, Ethel Dillon, O. JNIikesell, J. T. Aker, Harley Parmenter, JNIrs. E. E. Alshouse, JNIrs. Thomas Jones. JNIrs. O. JNIikesell, Bess and JNIildred Latta. The congregation worshiped before the erection of the church sometimes in the First State Bank and in Eatta Hall. The erection of the church was begun in the s])ring of

1912 and on November 10th of that year it was dedicated. The building committee was W. Z. Parmenter, Thomas Ramsey, E. J. Latta and A. S. Howard. The present membership is sixty-five.

The following have been the pastors: Charles Cobbey, until 1911 ; R. A. Batie, 1911; Chancellor Oeschager, a short time in 1912; J. H. Bieknell completed 1912; E. H. ^Nlurry, seven months in 1913; Miss Lizzie ]McAdams, three months in 1914; L. A. Bronbaugh, seven or eight months in 1915; Frank INIajors, two months in 1916. At present the church is without a pastor.

The Xazaeexe Church

The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene was organized INIay 23, 1911, by Rev. Q. A. Deck with thirty-one charter members. The first stewards were Nelson Jaco, Harry Peck. Frank Bahlke.

The present stewards are Nelson Jaco, jNIrs. Olive Peck, Evert Peck. JMrs. JNIartha Baugh, ]Mrs. Emma JNIcFerren, JNIrs. Lore Dick and ]Mrs. Frank Bahlke; treasurer, Mrs. Lily Anderson; secretary, Eldora Baugh; trustees. Harry Peck, Frank Bahlke and Will Mc- Ferren. The house of worship which was dedicated November 12, 1911. has a seating capacity of 175. There are at present thirty meml)ers.

Rev. Q. A. Deck ministered to the congregation for a time and has been followed by INIiss Louise Dewey, JNIay 1 to July 1, 1912; Theodore and Minnie E. Ludwig, October 1, 1912, to September 14. 1913; Rev. N. D. Essley, September 28, 1913, to September, 1914; A. C. Holland, September 14, 1914. to September 1, 191.3: H. C. Williams, September 1, 191.5, to July 16, 1916. The present pastor Rev. .Tames J. Brady, has been in charge since October 1, 1916.

Evaxgelicai. Church

The Evangelical Cluu'ch was organized in 1878 and has enjoyed a satisfactory growth, being now one of the strong churches of Kenesaw. Among the charter members were Ernest Budy, Green Cullop, Charles Oliver, J. W. Bobbitt, Reuben Budy. IMrs. JNIary Jones. Charles Schlehouf, O. A. Bentz and B. Young.

Kenesaw Lodges

Kenesaw Lodge, No. 144, A. F. & A. M., was organized January 28, 1885. The charter members were Henry E. Norton, John G. Havzlett, George W. Wolcott, John B. Brown, Robert B. Brown.

Luther B. Partridge, Eli N. Crane, Truman P. Booth, John W. Bobbitt and JNIilton Young. The lodge now has sixtj- members. The present officers are Raj^ Fulmer, master; John Ramsey, senior warden; Dr. Walter E. Nowers, junior warden; L, M. Robinson, secretary, and B. F. Schlegel, treasurer.

Kenesaw Lodge, A. O. U. W., No. 188, was organized March -2(i, 1891. The first officers were ^NIcKendrey DeJNIott, past master workman; Harry ]M. Russell, master workman; Eugene B. Moore, foreman; Clarence Powell, overseer; Philander E. Hatch, recorder; John Patterson, overseer; Josephus Williams, receiver. This lodge now has a membership of 100. The present officers are "W. C. Hines, master workman; D. R. jNIikesell, foreman; R. A. Fulmer, overseer; O. A. Armitage, financier; C. L. Schunk, secretary; Dr. W. E. Nowers, receiver; Arthur jMavis, guide.

Degree Of Hoxor

Help Lodge, No. 86, was organized June 8, 1898. The first ofKcers were ]\Iargret Coulter, past chief; Ella Hofi^man, lady of honor: Emma Fonger, chief of honor; Lam'a E. Andrews, chief of ceremony; L. JNI. Robinson, recorder; Lavina Williamson, receiver: Amy Robinson, financier; Mary JNIartin, L. of LT.; John Clark, inside watch; Charles Ramsey, outside watch. The present officers are ]Mrs. Henry Huffman, chief of honor; ]Mrs. Alma Groff, lady of honor; Mrs. Dan Martin, past chief; INIrs. Charles Pritchard, chief of ceiemony; Myh. Grant Ruby, recorder.

Enterprise Lodge, No. 29, Knights of Pythias, was organized INIarch 7, 1912, with the following charter members: J. L. Templeton. W. E. Latta, Frank Bernhard, W. H. Long, B. F. Schlegel.

Ben Aljjine Castle, No. 74, Royal Highlanders, was organized .Tanuarj' 1, 1898. The first officers were A. S. Howard, past illustrious protector; Luther B. Partridge, protector; J. L. Landis, chief counsellor; Nelson Jaco, worthy evangel; Fred P. Piccard, secretary; Fi'ed S. Gary, treasurer.

Ambrose Camp, No. 1818, was organized October 31, 1802. The charter members were Robert J. Boyd, "Winfield S. Evans, William E. Latta. H. L. ]Martin, Clarence Hall, S. H. Smith, Jay Williams and Ricliard J. White.

Suffrage Organ Ization

The first woman suffrage oi-ganization in Adams County was at Kenesaw, the first organization being made June 2, 1882, by ]Mrs. M. A. Brass. D. D. Norton was the first president of this organization, Mrs. J. G. Haj-zlett, vice president; ^Irs. J. H. Cooley, secretary; and Mrs. J. H. Roberts, treasurer.

The present organization was formed in 1903 by Gail Lauglilin of Elaine. Ellen D. Harn has been the president since the beginning. The other officers are JNIrs. F. L. Haller, vice president; jNIrs. John Osier, recording secretary; Miss JNIary Williams, corresponding secretary ; Mrs. Nels INIikkelsen, treasurer; and JNIrs. L. N. Rowers, auditor. The organization is active and has a membership of twentyone at present - at times the membership has been as high as fifty. Monthly meetings are held and in former years public meetings Avith programs were frequently given. Lecturers have been brought to Kenesaw by the organization and a generous amount of money has been raised for the suffrage cause and delegates have been sent regiilarlv to the county and state conventions.

Cemetery Associatiox

Tlie Kenesaw Cemetery Association was formed April 26, 1880. The first trustees were G. W. Baldwin, ^V. Z. Parmenter and G. C. Gitlin. D. D. Norton was the first secretary and J. G. Hayzlett treasurer.

A. D. Williams was the first postmaster ajipointed and Mrs. M. S. Norton, the deputy, was the acting postmaster with D. D. Norton, her son. doing the actual handling of the greater part of the mail. The succeeding postmasters have been A. S. Thompson, S. S. Bechtelheimer, T. A. Templeton, Herman D. Einspahr, Luther B. Partridge, Lucy K. Partridge and the present postmaster, John Cain, who was appointed in 1912. Kenesaw has two rural routes that were established at about the time the Juniata routes were begun.

Towx Officers State Representatives

The west end of the county has fin-nished as representatives in the I..egislature Horace G. Armitage, now deceased, Herman Redman and A. S. Howard, long prominent in business in Kenesaw. I. D. Evans was twice a member of the Legislatvu'e and won a prominent place in the House, and through contributions to newspapers has attained a state-wide reputation.

Kenesaw has seen the rise and fall of a number of publications. First on the list, while Kenesaw was a mere way station, George and Mary Williams started the publication of the Desert Home Times. The office of publication Avas on their father's farm, just outside the prospective town site. The senior member of the firm was eleven years old. It was one of those juvenile iniblications that were (piite a fad at that time. The number for September, 187J^, had this item: "Peanuts, sweet jDotatoes, limiipkins, bumpkins and various other vegetable conmiodities are now plenty at the Desert Home; so says Pa." The paper was two columns wide and about eight inches long. The first numbers were written, but later it was printed on their father's army press.

In 187.5, A. D. Williams began the publication of the Kenesaw Times, at his home joining the town site. Kenesaw was still only a few scattered houses with no business to speak of, but ]Mr. ^Villiams continued the publication of the Times until January, 1878, when he transferred his business and began the publication of the Central Nebraskan at Hastings. Thereafter there was no paper at Kenesaw until the boom jjeriod of 1883, when the B. & M. Railroad began building the Denver cut-off, starting from Kenesaw. From that event began the real building of the town and business of Kenesaw. It was in that year George T. Williams, the pioneer publisher of Kenesaw as proprietor of the Desert Home Times, started a real newspaper, the Kenesaw Times. In 1888 he sold the Times and 3'emoved to Denver, where he has ever since been engaged in newspaper work, as printer, j)roof reader, reporter, city editor and editorial writer.

For a time there were two papers in Kenesaw, Horace Ct. Armitage starting the Free Press about 188.5. In 1889, G. Del. Coleman and H. G. Armitage published the Kenesaw Cyclone.

The successor to the Times had many editors, the name being changed several times. S. H. Smith, lawyer, editor and liveryman, edited the paper for many years. He changed the name to Citizen. Mr. Smith was prominent in the village for many years, being a member of the school board for more than twenty years. He is now a resident of Basin, Wyoming.. Dr. E. J. Latta, prominent as physician and citizen, edited the paper for a time. J. A. Gardner, now of the Holstein Herald, ran the paper about three years, changing the name to Kaleidoscope. In 1913, he sold to the present owner and editor, Mr. W. W. ISIaltman, who calls it the Kenesaw Sunbeam. The Sunbeam has an equipment that would do credit to a larger town; a linotype, three job presses and everything else necessary to turn out a handsome paper and to do good job work.