Lincoln City (part 10 of 19)

At the October election of the same year, pending the admission of Nebraska as a state, 199 votes were cast. J. E. Doom of Cass was elected territorial councilor and state senator from Cass and Lancaster; E. K. Clark, of Seward, representative from Lancaster, Seward and Saunders ; E. H. Hardenberg, representative from Lancaster County, to both state and national legislatures. Hardenberg resigned at the close of the session of the territorial legislature in March, 1867, and John Cadman was elected to fill the vacancy in the state legislature which was called shortly afterward. John W. Prey was elected county commissioner.

At the county election on October 8, 1S67, there were 235 votes cast. The officers elected were: Silas Pratt, commissioner; John Cadman. probate judge;

S. B. Galey, county clerk; J. H. Hawke, sheriff; M. Langdon, treasurer; Ezra Tullis, surveyor; F. A. Bidwell, school commissioner; Emil Lange, coroner.

At the election of 1868, held October nth, there were 460 votes polled. David Butler received 320 and J. R. Porter 123 votes for governor. C. H. Gere was elected senator for the district composed of Lancaster, Saline, Gage, Pawnee and Jefferson counties. Ezra Tullis was chosen representative from the county; W. R. Fields was elected county commissioner. Seth Robinson of Lancaster was appointed attorney general by Governor Butler.

The county election of October 10, i8(xj brought forth 562 votes. S. B. Pound was elected probate judge over J. M. Bradford by a vote of 392 to 170. Capt. R. A. Bain was elected clerk ; John Cadnian. treasurer; Sam McClay, sheriff ; Milton Langdon, surveyor; Robert Faulkner and D. H. Sudduth, commissioners; Allen M. Ghost, superintendent of iniblic instruction ; Dr. D. W. Tingley, coroner. At the election of October 11, 1870, 1,116 votes were cast. For governor, David Butler received 798 votes and John H. Croxton received 318. Col. A. J. Cropsey of Lancaster was elected senator for the district, and S. B. Galey representative for the county.

An election was held May 2, 1871, to choose delegates to the constitutional convention which met in June. Seth Robinson and J. N. Cassell were elected to represent the county ; Col. J. E. Philpott, of Lancaster, from the eleventh senatorial district, of Lancaster and Seward ; and W. H. Curtis, of Pawnee, for the fourteenth representative district, composed of Lancaster, Saunders, Johnson, Pawnee and Gage.

At the election on the new constitution, held September 19th of the same year, 1,415 votes were cast - 1,237 for the new constitution and 178 against it. The constitution, however, was not adopted.

There were 1,259 votes cast at the county election of October loth of the same year. The following were elected: J. D. Lottridge, county commissioner; A. L. Palmer, probate judge; R. O. Phillips, clerk; R. A. Bain, treasurer; A. M. Ghost, superintendent of pubHc instruction; J. T. Murphy, surveyor; and Dr. J. G. Fuller, coroner.

There were 1,736 votes polled at the election of October 8, 1872. S. B. Pound, of Lancaster, was elected senator for the eleventh district ; S. G. Owen and A. K. White, representatives for the county ; and M. H. Sessions, of Lancaster, representative for the fourteenth district. Henry Spellman was elected county commissioner. ]. J. Gosper, of Lancaster, was chosen secretary of state.

The election of October 13, 1874, was decided by 2,038 voters. For governor, Silas Garber received 1,382 votes, Albert Tuxbury 287, J. H. Gardner 170 and Tarvis S. Church 139. C. C. Burr was elected senator for the eleventh district; Alfred G. Hastings and Louis Helmer, representatives for the county ; and Thomas P. Chapman, of Saunders, for the fourteenth representative district. Dr. H. D. Gilbert was elected county commissioner and A. G. Scott superintendent of public instruction, the latter to fill a vacancy. On the question of a constitu- tional convention there were 1,069 ayes to 558 noes. At the election for members of the constitutional convention held on April 6, 1875, S. B. Pound and C. H. Gere, of Lincoln. C. W. Pierce, of Waverly, and J. L!. Hawley, of Firth, were elected to represent the county.

At the state election under the proposed new constitution, and the county election, both occurring October 12, 1875, there were 2,360 votes polled. S. B. Pound, of Lancaster, received 1,533 and G. B. Scofield, of Otoe, 727 votes for the office of judge of the .second judicial district. The county officers elected were: W. E. Keys county commissioner; A. G. Scott, county judge; William A. Sharrar, clerk; Charles C. White, treasurer; Sam McClay, sheriff; Dr. A. C. Gibson, coroner ; S. G. Lamb, superintendent public instruction ; J. P. Walton, surveyor. For the new constitution there were 2,119 votes and against it 109.

At the state election November, 1876, 2,911 votes were polled. For the office of governor Silas Garber received 1,947 votes, Paren England 712, and J. F. Gardner 252. The senators elected from the county, which was now entitled to two, were Thomas P. Kennard, of Lincoln, and Cyrus N. Baird, of Oak Creek. The representatives elected were R. O. Phillips and W. C. Griffith, of Lincoln, John Cadman, of Yankee Hill, and Henry Spellman, of Saltillo. J. N. Wilcox was elected commissioner.

For the office of governor in the election of 1878, Albinus Nance received 1,971 votes, W. H. Webster 433, and L. G. Todd 409. There were 2,818 votes cast. M. B. Cheney and E. E. Brown were elected to the senate, and S G. Owen, W. W. Carder, M. H. Sessions and T. R. Burling were elected to the house. John McClay was elected commissioner.

At the election of November, 1879, W. J. Weller was elected county commissioner; J. E. Philpott, judge; L. E. Cropsey, clerk; Louis Helmer, treasurer; Granville Ensign, sherifif; A. D. Burr, clerk of the district court; E. T. Piper, coroner; H. S. Bowers, superintendent of public instruction; and J. P. Walton, surveyor. S. B. Pound was elected judge of the second judicial district for a second term.

At the state election of 1882 there were 4,841 votes cast. The vote for governor was as follows: James W. Dawes, 3,328; J. Sterling Morton, 1,099; E. P. IngersoU, 391. The amendment for sutTrage was defeated by 2,697 to 1,471. For senators to the state for the sixteenth district the vote was: P. H. Walker, 2,708; E. E. Brown, 2,651; A. J. Sawyer, 2,190; the former two were

Election of November 4, 1884 - For governor, James W. Dawes 3.785, J. Sterling Morton 2,340, J. G. Miller 230; for commissioners, H. C. Reller 3,931, William Roggenkamp 2,179, L. C. Humphrey i, J. Roggenkamp 57; for township organization, 2,695, against it, 1,640; representatives, S. W. Burnham, William B. Brandt, H. J. Liesveldt, A. W. Field, J. B. Wright were elected ; Carlos C. Burr and Alva Smith were elected senators.

Election of November 2, 1886 - For governor, John M. Thayer 3.985, James E. North 1,924, H. W. Hardy 925. For judge of the second judicial district, Samuel M. Chapman 3.805, W. W. English i, M. L. Hay ward 80. S. W. Burnham and R. E. Moore were elected state senators. J. L. Caldwell. John W. Dickinson, George Eggleston, H. J. Liesveldt, I. M. Raymond and Jerome Schamp were elected representatives. For county commissioner, H. H. Schaberg received 3,856 votes, P. W. O'Connor 2,047, ^V. E. Bowers 913. For county attorney. R. D. Stearns 4,066, F. W. Lewis 1,675, R- D. Rhea 803, G. A. Bush 145. For township organization, 2,301, against it, 1,867.

Election of May 31, 1887 (Special) - For court house bonds and tax 2.416. against 612. Little Salt Precinct voted 21-3 in favor, also Mill Precinct by 77-0. but Nemaha, North Bluff, Panama, Rock Creek, South Pass, Stockton, and West Oak Precincts voted against the proposition.

Election of November 8, 1887 - For judge of the second judicial district, Allen W. Field 3.158, S. M. Chapman 3,469, A. J. Sawyer 2,375, D. T. Hayden 1,237, Ada C. Bittenbender 638. For treasurer, Jacob Rocke 3,799. Austin Humphrey 116, Louis Helmer 1,004. For clerk of the district court, E. R. Sizer

Election of November 6, 1888 - For governor, John M. Thayer 5,440, John A. McShane 3,610, George E. Bigelow 811. The senators elected were L M. Raymond and S. W. Beardsley. The representatives chosen for the thirtieth district were C. L. Hall, J. L. Caldwell, J. W. Dickinson, F. C. Severin, J. C. McBride. For county attorney, R. D. Stearns 5,692, N. D. Baker 3,399, Clayton M. Osborn 846. For commissioner. Alba Brown 5,373, Ferdinand Schweitzer 3,622, Jacob N. Malone 812. The total vote was 10,039.

For treasurer, Dennis C. Berry 5,550. For county clerk, Walter L. Dawson 5,476. For sheriff. Henry V. Hoagland 4.275, Robert Malone 3,128. For county judge, P. James Cosgrave 5,648. For assessor, D. R. C. Miller 5,372. For commissioner, John R. Bennett 5,399. For county superintendent, O. R. Bowman 5,445. For surveyor, W. S. Scott 5,510. For coroner, V. A. Matthews 4,848, E. L. Troyer 2,395. for police judge, George H. Risser 2,762.

The Courthouse

The old Cottonwood Building at Lancaster known as the courthouse, was bought from Dora Hardenberg by S. P. Benadom for $800. He used the building, which was thirty-three feet square, two stories, as a residence for a number of years. The county offices were, during the lirst years of the county's existence, located in various places ; in residences, in office rooms wherever a vacant place could be found. In the record of the commissioners" meeting in this chapter, under the date of August 3, 1869, the county officers are shown to have been assigned rooms in the Sweet & Brock Building. In September, 1871, a large number of the citizens of the county petitioned for the issuing of bonds for the erection of a courthouse and jail, the bonds to be for the sum of $50,000. A special election v.-as ordered for October loth of the. same year, provided that the new constitution of Nebraska should be ratified and adopted on September 19, 1871. and then the election should be held on November jlh. A special election was also ordered for November 7th on the question of conveying by deed certain blocks in the old Lancaster townsite for the courthouse square in Lincoln. This was voted on favorably by the people. In August, 1880, the commissioners ordered that at the first election in November a vote should be taken on the proposition to bond the county for $25,000 in order to construct a courthouse in Lincoln. No further record of this can be found. In October, 1882, the commissioners ordered an election in November on placing a 5-mill levy, in addition to previous levies, on the county for five years in order to make up the sum of $125,000 which was to be used for the construction of the courthouse.

Again, on October 2, 1885, the commissioners ordered that the proposition of bonding the county for $125,000 for the courthouse erection be submitted to the vote of the people at the general election of November 3, 1885. On April 23, 1887, almost two years later, the commissioners once more ordered an election for May 31st of the same year to decide whether or not to issue bonds for $200,000 for the courthouse. On June 3d it was reported that 3,028 votes had been cast at the above election, of which 2,416 were in favor of the proposition and 612 were against it. Accordingly, O. C. Bell, the county clerk, notified the architects that plans and specifications for the courthouse would be received by him until noon on Tuesday, July 5, 1887. The board decided that, in the interests of the county, they should make an extended tour through other states, inspecting various courthouses and deciding on the best style for the particular needs of Lancaster County. They visited the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio. On July 27, 1887, the firm of E. E. Myers & Son, of Detroit, Mich., was announced as the successful bidder among the architects. On November 15, 1887, the bids for the construction of the building were opened and all were flatly rejected as they exceeded the amount appropriated for the purpose. On January 13, 1888, new bids were opened and again all were rejected. Also, the plans made by E. E. Myers & Son suffered the same fate, as it seemed none of the contractors could bring their price down to the appropriated amount and at the same time abide by the plans the architects had supplied. The Myers firm threatened litigation, but on the 19th notice was given to other firms for presentation of plans. On February 21, 1888, the plans which had been submitted were opened and on March ist the work of F. M. Ellis, of Omaha, was approved and accepted. On May 17, 1S88, bids for construction were received and examined and that of W. H. B. Stout, of Lincoln, which named the sum of $167,497.42, was accepted.

The cornerstone of the courthouse was laid on Thursday, November i, 1888. A light rain in the morning preceded a day of sunshine, but notwithstanding there was a very small attendance. At 2 o'clock a parade was started from the Masonic Temple. The marchers consisted of Dalby's K. P. Band, Canton Ford No. 2. 1. O. O. F., the Masonic Lodge, and carriages containing prominent Lincoln citizens. The parade followed this route : south on Eleventh to K, then west one block to courthouse square. A broad stairway led to the floor which had been laid on the northeast corner of the building and here people found seats. The exercises were in charge of Grand Master George B. France, of the grand lodge of Nebraska Masons. A prayer was offered by Grand Chaplain Hood. The placing of the box was in charge of Grand Treasurer Chris Hartman. The following articles were placed in the box: history of Lancaster County by O. C. Bell, history of county bonds by J. H. McClay and O. C. Bell, trial docket, October term, 1871, and May term, 1888, by E. R. Sizer, course of studies, prospectus and blanks from Superintendent McCluskey, political manual of platforms, catalog of Lincoln Business College, revised list map of Lincoln, English coin of 17O4, three arrow points presented by Alba Brown, large number of personal cards, coin of 1888 presented by H. H. Schaberg, minutes of seventh annual meeting of Nebraska State Pharmaceutical Association, copies of State Journal, Lincoln Evening News, Freie Presse, Staats-Anzeiger and Daily Call. Advance sheets from Lincoln city directory for 1888-89 by Cherrier Publishing Company and State Journal Company. The stone was set, the box sealed, placed in cavity, covered with cement, then capped by a second stone. This was put in place by Architect F. M. Ellis, assisted by the superintendent of the building. The grand officer tested the stone, poured out the grain, wine and oil upon it, then H. H. Wilson, grand orator, was called upon for an address. Next came a musical selection, followed by an address by O. P. Mason.

The dimensions of the courthouse are 150 feet north and south and 100 feet east and west. The building is constructed with a high basement and three full stories, fireproof. The rock-faced sandstone outside is from Berea, Ohio. The inside walls are built of hard brick, wood being used only in doors, windows and furniture. Tile floors are used. The girders are of steel and arched between with brick. The roof is of slate, supported by steel rafters, and all the roof ornaments are of iron and copper.

The First Board

Although the first board of county commissioners, consisting of A. J. WalHngford, J. J- Forest and W. T. Donovan, was elected at the first general election in Lancaster County on October lo, 1859, no official record of their proceedings is available until that given under the date of May I, 1862, the same being an adjourned meeting of the board. The brief and rather imperfect record gives the information that on this date the county was divided into two election precincts, by a line running east and west through the center of town 10; also a petition for a road from the southeast corner of section 31, town 9, range 7, and another from the southeast corner of section 36, town 9, range 6, and one from the southeast corner of section 16, town 12, range 6, were received. The one who penned the record had little knowledge of the proper form of transcribing such a record, or else -regartled the matter indifl^erently, for there is not a word stating the direction these roads were to nm or to what point they were to be surveyed ; the county clerk at that time, J. P. Loder, also thought it unnecessary to affix his signature to the document. The board adjourned until July ist, but in all probability did not meet again until after the October election.

Early Meetings

The next record is of a meeting of the board of county commissioners on November 3, 1862. Then the commissioners ordered a special election to be held January 17, 1863, to fill vacancies in the office of county coroner, county surveyor, and justices of the peace and constables. The vacancies occurred because the candidates elected had not been able to qualify according to law. The next meeting was held February 5, 1863, and the officers who were elected at the above special election were sworn in. The commissioners also instructed the county clerk to notify Judge Festus Reed to cease his depredations on the timber in the school section in town 9, range 6. What the judge's depredations consisted of is not detailed in the minutes. Another meeting was held on September 12th of the same year and the county was divided into four precincts, the same to be called Lancaster, Salt Basin, Stevens Creek and Salt Creek. The various places for holding elections in these precincts were also designated.

The county commissioners of Lancaster and Gage counties held a meeting at the house of H. W. Parker of Clay County, near Olathe, on July 19, 1864, and made a final settlement of the affairs of the county. The document setting forth the terms of this settlement was signed by Fordice Roper, F. H. Dobbs and William Tyler, commissioners of Clay County, and John W. Prey of Lancaster, and attested by Oliver Townsend, clerk of Gage County, and duly filed. Copies of the official records of Clay County were made for Gage and Lancaster counties, but the latter were lost in Salt Creek while being carried by one William Mills. The account of this unfortunate happening is given in another paragraph of this chapter.

On November 2, 1864, the commissioners met at the office of the clerk for the purpose of examining and approving the bonds of the county ofiicers. There were present : William Shirley, P. S. Shamp and John S. Gregory, commissioners ; John P. Loder, clerk; M. Langdon, deputy. They approved the bonds of the following officers : Milton Langdon, county clerk and register ; Richard Wallingford, treasurer; Job D. Main, probate judge; Josiah Chambers, sheriff; Dr. John Crim, coroner; Thomas Mozi, constable; W. W. Cox and William Peterman, justices; James R. Dye, assessor of SaU Basin Precinct; P. S. Shamp, assessor of Lancaster Precinct.

At the meeting of January 25, 1864, the report of George Fleischer, a commissioner appointed to survey a road, was received and ordered to be recorded. The county clerk was instructed to prepare assessment rolls for the county precincts; also ordered that Jacob Dawson be appointed to the office of prosecuting attorney of Lancaster County. At the meeting of March 26th, same year, it is recorded that "assessment rolls were prepared for the diliferent precincts with such lists of lands as could be made with the means at hand, having failed to get the list from the land office from want of county credit."

April 4, 1864 - The board received the petition of Jacob Dawson and others for the appointment of a commissioner to view and locate a road commencing at the mouth of Stevens Creek and running up said creek; John Wettencamp was chosen as the commissioner. Jacob Dawson and others also petitioned for a road commencing at the terminus of the steam wagon road and running thence westward ; D. Main was appointed the commissioner to locate this highway. A road was ordered commencing at section 26, town 10, range 6, running thence up Salt Creek; J. T- Forest v.'as made commissioner for this one. The petition of J. D. Main and others for a road commencing on the east side of the county, running west by way of the salt basin to the west line of the county was granted and Jacob Dawson appointed commissioner.

May 10, 1864 - The proclamation of the governor was received concerning the election of delegates to a constitutional convention. John S. Gregory was called to testify relative to acts passed by the last Legislature in regard to representative districts. He said that Lancaster County had one representative and that Lancaster, Clay, Seward and Saunders counties had one. The election for said delegate was ordered to be held on June 6th. The commissioners at this meeting proceeded to divide the county into election precincts as follows: Lancaster Precinct consisted of towns 10, 11 and 12, of ranges 5 and 6; Stevens Creek Precinct consisted of towns 10, 11 and 12, of ranges 7 and 8; Salt Creek

May 28, 1864 - The commissioners pursuant to special call for the purpose of considering the law relative to the election of county officers and locating the county seat, approved February 13, 1864; ^Iso for the districting of the county for the commissioners. There were present : William Shirley, P. S. Shamp and John Crim, commissioners. The county was districted as follows: Number One consisted 01 towns 9, 10, 11 and 12, of ranges 5 and 6; Number Two consisted of towns 9. 10, II and 12, of ranges 7 and 8; Number Three consisted of towns 7 and 8, of ranges 5, 6, 7 and 8. It was ordered that the election of county officers and for the county seat be held on the first Monday of June, 1864.

Tax Levy

July 4, 1S64 - The commissioners proceeded to levy a tax on the county. For the general fund $300 was levied ; for territorial tax 2jX mills on the dollar was levied; for school tax 13^4 mills on the dollar; for road tax 5 mills on the dollar; for the poor tax the sum of $50. It was ordered that each voting precinct should constitute a road district.

Lot Donations

August I, 1866 - The account of Josiah Chambers, amounting to $34, for the care of John Hunt, was allowed; the bill of Dr. John Crim for professional services in the case of John Hunt, amounting to $15, was also allowed. Proposition of I. M. Young in regard to donation of lots and blocks in the Town of Lancaster for the county seat was taken up and Jacob Dawson was appointed agent to select said land for the county and procure deeds for the same. The precincts of the county were reorganized to correspond with the commissioners' districts, except the east line at the end.

August 19, 1866 - Jacob Dawson selected lots according to order of commissioners, commencing with block No. 2, then No. 6, 10, etc., taking every fourth block and selecting block No. 6 for the county buildings.

Offer To Burlington

January 2, 1865 - The commissioners ordered that the county clerk be authorized to propose to donate one-half of the county interest in the Town of Lancaster to the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, provided they ran their road through the said town and established a permanent depot therein.

Territorial Bridge

April 3, 1865 - The board relocated the territorial bridge which was erected at the mouth of Oak Creek, but washed off by high water, at the section line between sections 23 and 26, town 10 north, range 6 east, where said line crosses Salt Creek. Petition of P. S. Shamp and others, twelve in number, for a road to commence at or near the northeast corner of town 8, range 8, running thence to Saltillo postoffice granted and Henry Simmons appointed commissioner. Petition of Thomas B. Prey and thirteen others for an alteration of the territorial road from Nebraska City to Fort Kearney granted and L. W. Haskin appointed commissioner.

Jidy 3, 1S65 - Resolved that one lot in Lancaster be donated to Joseph Bennett, provided he builds a business house in Lancaster Townsite and keeps up a mercantile establishment.

More Lot Donations

April 16, 1S66 - The commissioners ordered that donations of lots in Lancaster be made from the county lots to persons who would build respectable houses on the same. No lots in block 6, which was for courthouse, were to be included in this arrangement. Oak Creek Precinct was set off from Lancaster Precinct.

Price Of Lots

June 18, 1867 - It was ordered that W. T. Donovan be allowed to build on lots 3 and 4, in block 22, in Lancaster. It was ordered that all town lots not reserved for county purposes be sold for the prices and under the conditions following: inside lots for not less than twenty-five dollars each; corner lots for not less than fifty dollars ; each or none to be sold unless 25 per cent of purchase price was paid immediately and the balance in six months.

State Capital Inducement

August I, 1867 - The commissioners proceeded to consider the question of donating the interest of the county in the Town of Lancaster to the state. Upon due consideration it was ordered that the interest of Lancaster County in the Town of Lancaster be quit-claimed to the State of Nebraska in consideration of the permanent location of the capitol and other state buildings thereat adjoining, also that one block of lots in Lincoln, of the new survey, be reserved for the county courthouse, also suitable grounds for the county jail. Richard Walh'ngford was authorized to execute and acknowledge the deed to said land.

April 6, 1868 - It was ordered that a license be granted to Phillip Moll for the sale of malt, spirituous and vinous liquors and that he pay $100 for the same. (This is the first liquor license recorded in the commissioners' records.)

Incorporation Of Lincoln

At this same meeting it was ordered that the Town of I^incoln be declared a body corporate and that the powers and privileges be granted as by the statute in such case made and provided. The following persons were appointed trustees for the said corporation: L. A. Scoggins, B. F. Cozad, Doctor Porter. \\ . W. Carder and A. L. Palmer.

July z-j, 1S68 - It was ordered that Lancaster County be redistricted into commissioners' districts as follows : the first district to include the first two tiers of townships in ihe south part of the county running east and west ; the second district to include the second two tiers of townships lying east and west; and the third district to include the third two tiers of townships lying east and west in the north part of the county. C. H. Gere was appointed attorney for Lancaster County. It was ordered that one tier of sections be set off from the north side of Antelope Precinct and added to Buffalo Precinct.

Offer To Railro.Ad Companies

September 14, 1868 - It was ordered that 500 propositions for ballots be printed, containing - first, proposition of giving $100,000 to the first railway company to come to Lincoln ; second, proposition of using bonds for building bridges in the county; and third, the use of bonds for courthouse and jail. The propositions as printed were as follows :

"Shall the county commissioners of Lancaster County issue bonds to the amount of $100,000, payable on or before the expiration of twenty years from date and bearing interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, payable annually, to be used in the construction of the first railroad that shall be completed to Lincoln, the county seat, prior to the ist day of December, 1869; forming a connection by rail with the Missouri River?

"Shall the county commissioners in case the said railroad shall lie completed according to the above conditions, as soon after such completion as may be, levy an annual ta.x of $15,000. or so much thereof as may be necessary, to pay the interest on the said railroad bonds, and to redeem and cancel one-twentieth part of said bonds, provided such tax does not exceed the amount allowed by law to be levied in such cases upon the county valuation in one year ; or in the case it does e.xceed such amount, so much thereof as may be lawfully levied?

"Shall the county commissioners issue bond to the amount of $10,000, payable on or before the expiration of ten years from date, and bearing interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, payable annually, to be used to build a courthouse and jail for the county?

Early Scenes Ix Lincoln

[From Clement 's Colleotion of Early Nebraska Photographs. Property of and used by permission of Nebraska History Seminar, State UniversityJ

"Shall the county commissioners levy an annual tax of $2,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to pay the interest on said courthouse and jail bonds, and to redeem and cancel one-tenth part thereof.

"Shall the county commissioners issue bonds to the amount of $10,000, payable on or before the expiration of ten years from date, and bearing interest at the rate of 10 ])cr cent per annum, payable annually, to be used in the construction of bridges ujjon the public roads in the county?

"Shall the county commissioners levy an annual tax of $2,000, or so much thefeof as may be necessary, to pay the interest on said bridge bonds and to redeem and cancel one-tenth part thereof?"

October 5, 1868 - The railroad proposition was changed so that the depot should come within a mile of the courthouse square. The election was also postponed until Novembed 3d.

November 17, 1868 - The commissioners met to consider submitting to popular vote the proposition made by the C)maha & Southwestern Railroad Company to build a railroad to Lincoln by the ist of September, 1S70, provided Lancaster County would donate $100,000 in county bonds.

January 4, 1869 - It was ordered that the sheritif of Lancaster County be authorized and empowered to secure a suitable place for the confinement of prisoners provided it could be done without extra expense to the county.

April 6, 1869 - Petition of Alfred Canfield and twenty-two others that town 9, range 8, and the east half of town 9, range 7 east, be set ofif from Stevens Creek Precinct as a voting precinct to be known as Stockton Precinct was granted by the commissioners.

April 7, 1869 - James R. Deland, of Lincoln, came before the board and presented the petition of A. J. Cropsey and 182 others, all residents of Lincoln, asking that section 26, the west half of section 25, the southwest quarter of section 24 and the south half of section 23, all in town 10 north, range 6 east be incorporated as a town under the name of Lincoln. The petition was granted and H. S. Jennings, S. B. Linderman, H. D. Gilbert, J. L. McConnell and D. W. Tingley were appointed trustees.

Burlington Bonds

A special election was ordered for May 24. 1869, for the purpose of voting on the proposition to issue $50,000 in bonds in aid of the Burlington &- Missouri River Railroad Company, provided the railroad commenced work on or before June 3, 1869.

Other Railroad Bonds

A Special election was ordered for July 19, 1869, on the question of issuing bonds to the extent of $50,000 to the Midland Pacific Railway Company, provided that the railroad commenced work on or before July 25, 1869, between Nebraska City and Lincoln and that the work would be continued until regular trains were running over the railroad between Lincoln and the Missouri River.

Also, for the same special election, the proposition of giving $50,000, for which bonds were to be issued, to the Bellevue, Ashland & Lincoln Railroad Company, if the railroad should commence work on or before July 25, 1869, and have trains running between Lincoln and Bellevue on the Missouri River, was placed on the ballot.

County Office Rooms

August 3, 1869 - It was ordered that the rooms rented by the county commissioners for the use of the county officers of James Sweet & Brock be assigned to the following officers in this manner : The east two rooms should be occupied by the county clerk and the county attorney; the room formerly occupied by Pound & Robinson should be used by the county treasurer; the west two rooms should be assigned to the probate judge and the county sheriff.

The election places in the dii?erent precincts for the year 1869 were as follows : Lancaster Precinct, county treasurer's office ; Saltillo Precinct, house of John W. Prey; Stevens Creek Precinct, house of Jonathan Ball; Buffalo Precinct, Brunton's schoolhouse ; Antelope Precinct, house of James Piatt; Stockton Precinct, house of Aaron Woods ; Camp Creek Precinct, the Camp Creek schoolhouse ; Oak Creek Precinct, house of Silas Pratt; Upper Salt Creek Precinct, house of Robert Falkner.

Aprif 6, 1870 - The petition of Amos Lippincott and others that town 10, range 5, be formed into a new precinct to be known as Middle Creek Precinct granted. The same was to be taken from Lancaster Precinct.

]\Iay 4, 1870 - It was ordered by the county commissioners that a new precinct be formed to contain town 9, range 7, and to be known as Pleasant Hill Precinct.

More Railroad Bonds

August 9, 1870 - A special election was ordered by the commissioners on the proposition of issuing county bonds for $150,000 to the Midland Pacific Railroad Company as soon as the railroad should tie and iron ten miles of their road in Lancaster County, also part of the fund when trains should run from Nebraska City to J Street in Lincoln. To this proposition the railroad filed a remonstrance, claiming that the commissioners had changed the original proposition. The commissioners met on August 25th and denied this allegation.

Also, by a vote of 535 to 456, $125,000 was given in aid of the Omaha & Southwestern Railroad Cornpany, from Lincoln to the south line of the county.

New Precinct Division

December 9, 1870 - On motion it was ordered that from this date the several congressional townships of the County of Lancaster each should constitute a precinct for election and other purposes. The same were divided and set off and were known and designated as follows : Town 7, range 5, was set off as Olive Branch Precinct; town 7, range 6, as Buda Precinct; town 7, range 7, as South Pass Precinct; town 7, range 8, as Panama Precinct; town 8, range 5, as Highland Precinct ; town 8, range 6, as Ceiitreville Precinct ; town 8, range 7, as Saltillo Precinct ; town 8, range 8, as Nemaha Precinct ; town 9, range 5, as Denton Precinct ; town 9. range 6, as Yankee Hill Precinct ; town 9, range 7, as Pleasant Hill Precinct ; town 9, range 8, as Stockton Precinct ; town 10, range 5, as Middle Creek Precinct; town 10, range 6, as Lincoln Precinct; town 10, range 7, as Lancaster Precinct; town 10, range 8, as Stevens Creek Precinct; town 11, range 5, as Elk Precinct; Town 11, range 6, as Oak Precinct; town 11, range 7, as North Bluff Precinct; town 11, range 8, as Waverly Precinct; town 12, range 5, as West Oak Precinct; town 12, range 6, as Little Salt Precinct; town 12. range 7, as Rock Creek Precinct; and town 12, range 8, as Mill Precinct.

First Courthouse And Jail Action

September 5, 1871 - The lease of the east rooms over the State Bank of Nebraska for the county clerk's office for year ending July 12, 1872, was accepted.

The petition of a large number of the citizens of the county was presented, asking for the issuing of bonds for the erection of a courthouse and jail. It was ordered submitted to the people at the next general election, October 10, 1871, provided that the new constitution of Nebraska be ratified and adopted on September 19, 1871, and then election should be held on November 7th. The bonds were to be for the sum of $50,000.

Railroad Aid

October 4, 1871 - P. T. Abell, president of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company, under date of August 29, 1871, accepted the proposition of the $120,- 000 in county bonds, the railroad to be completed in two years, the depot grounds in Lincoln to be granted to the road, and that the right of way should not cost the company over five thousand dollars. It was also stipulated that the county board should make order rescinding the former vote made to the Nemaha Valley Road. The commissioners ordered a special election to be held on November 7, 1871, to learn the will of the people on this qrestion. The vote resulted in a count of 767 to 367 in favor of the proposition.

Courthouse Square Exchange

A special election was ordered for November 7th on the following proposition : Shall the county commissioners be authorized to convey by deed blocks No. 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58 and 62 in the old Lancaster Townsite to the state in exchange for courthouse square in the City of Lincoln and suitable grounds for a jail? The people voted 871 to 249 in favor of this transaction.

October 30 1871 - A special election was ordered held on November 28, 1871, on the issuing of bonds for $100,000 in aid of the Midland Pacific Railroad Company, for the extension and completion of their road from Lincoln to the Union Pacific Railroad.

April 2, 1872 - The following is recorded upon the official record: "Whereas, There has been built and completed by the county commissioners for the benefit of our said county, a commodious and comfortable building situated upon the north half of section 33 in town 11, north of range 6 east, which said house and tract of land are to be hereafter devoted to the care and comfort of the paupers necessarily falling to the care of our said county and is to be known as the Lancaster County Poor House and Poor Farm. Now, therefore, it is ordered and notice is hereby given, in accordance with section 21 of chapter 40, revised statutes, State of Nebraska, that said house is now ready for the reception of such paupers and that the ex-officio authorities and duties of justices of the peace as overseers of the poor shall cease from this date."

State Fair Proposition

June 4, 1872 - A special election was ordered for July 6, 1872, to vote on the proposition to bond the county for $15,000, for improvements to the Lancaster County Fair Grounds, also for holding the State Fair here commencing on September 3, 1872.

September i, 1873 - The board of commissioners accepted the second bid of W. H. B. Stout to build the jail complete according to plans and specifications, with six cells, for $17,500. L. W. Foster was the architect.

September 13, 1875 - Special election ordered for October 16, 1875, to bond the county for $20,000 in aid of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company.

September 16, 1875 - A special election was ordered for October 16, 1875, in the precincts of Lincoln, Elk, Midland, Capitol, Little Salt, Oak, North BlufT, Rock Creek and West Oak for bonds in aid of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company. All these precincts voted in favor of the bonds except West Oak, North Bluiif and Elk.

Aid For L. B. & R. V. R. R. Co

May 9, 1876 - A special election was ordered to be held on June 17, 1876, on the question of issuing the county bonds for $100,000 in aid of the Lincoln, Beatrice & Republican Valley Railroad Company. However, at a meeting of the board of commissioners on May 31, 1876, the above election order was revoked for several reasons.

Firth

January 28, 1879 - ^ petition to incorporate the Town of Firth was granted, the boundaries to be the northwest quarter of section 35, town 7, range 7. W. H. Moore, Owen Evans, George MelHnger, C. M. Bailey, G. G. Beams were appointed first trustees. Thirty-five signed the petition and eighteen signed a remonstrance against the incorporation.

Tuly 10, 1879 - It is recorded that the precincts of Lincoln, Midland and Capitol voted bonds in favor of the Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad Company by the respective votes of 208 to 154, 299 to 104, 342 to 94.

Tuly 22, 1879 - The freeholders of Little Salt Precinct petitioned for an election for precinct bonds for $3,000 in aid of the Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad and their line from Valparaiso, in Saunders County, into Lincoln, the road to be completed in 1880. The commissioners called the election for August 20, 1879, ^"d tli^ result was thirty to fourteen in favor of the bonds.

The freeholders of Lincoln Precinct asked for a bond election to give $7,000 to the Lincoln & Northwestern Railroad Company for their line from Lincoln to the north line of the county. The commissioners ordered the election for August 20, 1879, the bonds were voted by 192 to 140.

At the same time and under the same procedure Midland Precinct voted $11,500 in bonds by 296 to 94, Capital Precinct voted $9,500 in bonds by 318 to 114, Rock Creek Precinct voted $7,000 in bonds by 61 to 2, to the same road; but North Bluff Precinct voted against a bond issue by 28 to 19.

August 31, 1880 - It was ordered by the commissioners that at the first election in November a vote should be taken on the proposition to bond the county for $25,000 in order to construct a courthouse on the square reserved for that purpose in Lincoln. No further record of this order was made.

August 15, 1881 - The petition of John P. Pratt, et al., for the incorporation of Bennett as a village, w-as rejected for the reason that it was not signed by a majority of the stockholders.

Court House Lew

October 6, 1882 - The commissioners on this date ordered an election in November on placing a 5-mill levy in addition to previous levies on the county for five years in order to make up the sum of $125,000. which was to be used in the construction of a courthouse.

Precinct Formation

July 15, 1884 - The $100,000 in bonds gi\-en to the Midland Pacific Railroad Company, bearing the date of January I, 1S73, were declared illegal and repudiated.

June 23. 1885 - The petition signed by H. Atkinson and thirty-two others asking that Waverly be incorporated as a village was granted. Charles Cook, James Schofield, J. N. Case. Harry Wells and Harrison Rose were appointed trustees.

September 22, 1885 - The petition for the incorporation of Roca as a village, signed by John Harrup, Fred Schwake and others was granted. A remonstrance had been filed by H. C. Demaree, George Cleveland and others August I2th.

Courthouse Bond Elections

October 2, 1885 - The commissioners ordered that the proposition of bonding the county for $125,000 for the erection of a courthouse be submitted to the vote of the people at the next general election on November 3, 1885.

April 23, 1887 - The commissioners ordered an election for May 31, 1887, to vote on the proposition to issue bonds to the amount of $200,000 for the construction of a county court house.

June 3, 1887 - It was reported that 3,028 votes had been cast at the above election on May 31st - 2,416 in favor of the bond issue and 612 against it. O. C. Bell, county clerk, notified the architects that plans and specifications to build a courthouse would be received by him until noon on Tuesday, July 5, 1887.

June 30, 1S87 - The board agreed that they should make a tour through some of the eastern states and examine different courthouses, to better enable them to receive plans and specifications of the Lancaster County building.

July 14, 1887 - The board met again, after a tour through the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio. They fixed dates for the various architects to explain their plans as follows: E. E. Myers & Son, Detroit, July 15, 1887, by telegraph to Omaha; G. W. Bunting, Indianapolis, July 15th, in P. M. ; O. E. Placey, Lincoln, July i6th ; Schwage & Nichols, Kansas City, July 19th ; F. M. Ellis, Omaha, July 20th ; J. Hodgson, Omaha, July 21st.

West Lincoln Courthouse Contr.Vcts

November 15, 1887 - At three o'clock the bids for the construction of the county courthouse were opened and found to be as follows: Eugene Woerner, $269,763.30; Fitzgerald & Brennan, $277,389.80; R. K. Allen, $165,000 (partial) ; James H. O'Neill, plumbing, gas, sewerage. $4,560; W. H. B. Stout. $313,389.10; O. J. King & Company $329,172. All of these bids were flatly rejected by the commissioners.

Second Bids

January 13, 1888 - All of the bids were again rejected. Also the plans of E. E. Myers & Son, architects, of Detroit, were rejected because none of the bids came within the amount appropriated for the Lancaster County courthouse.

January 17, 1888 - Myers & Son replied that they would not consider the "assumption that contract had been forfeited" and that if board recognized the binding character of the contract they would make proper changes. They drew a sight draft for $4,500 on Lancaster County, pending forfeiture of the contract.

January 19, 1888 - Alyers & Son asked to modify plans pending advertisement for new bids and new contract with them. It was ordered that the plans and specifications made be placed suliject to the order of Myers & Son. At the same time notice was given to architects, indiscriminately, for presentation of new plans.

May 17, 1S88 - Bids by Rice & Bassett, Chicago; W. H. B. Stout, Lincoln; D. B. Howard, Lincoln ; Eugene Woerner, Lincoln ; Brennan & Lanham, Omaha, were opened and examined. The commissioners finally decided to accept the bid of W. H. B. Stout, of Lincoln, which named the sum of $167,497.42.

Jail Bonds

January 28, 1895 - An election was ordered to be held on April 2, 1895, for the purpose of voting on the proposition to vote $90,000 in bonds for the erection of a jail building. This jail proposition was defeated at the polls on April 2d.

August 24, 1900 - The sum of $1,500 was appropriated for the purpose of repairing the courthouse roof, part of which had been carried away by a storm.

Panama Flood Sufferers

September 25, 191 3 - The petition to incorporate the Town of Sprague was granted by the commissioners and the following were appointed trustees: Frank Miles, William W. Krull, A. J. McClain, W. E. Lamb and R. \V. Haus.

November 12, 1913 - Denton incorporation petition was granted by the board. Walter Hocking, J. R. C. Miller, C. M. Rowland, Rev. R. Moran and M. H. Ouinn were constituted the first trustees. A remonstrance was filed to this

March 20, 1914 - Davey was ordered incorporated in answer to a petition asking for the same. Peter Nelson, J. M. Hanson, C. A. Neff, C. W. Christiansen and H. P. Christiansen were made trustees.

The Legend

One of the earliest descriptions of the salt basin near Lincoln is that written by John T. Irving, Jr., and published by Carey, Lea & Blanchard, of Philadelphia, in the year 1835, over eighty years ago. The small two-volume work is comprised of Indian sketches taken during an expedition to the Pawnee tribes.

The Pawnees and Otoes laid claim to all the land between the Platte and Kansas rivers and in this claim they were fiercely opposed by the Delawares, a rival tribe. Constant war existed on this account between the first two on the one side and the latter on the other. The Government, growing weary of this strife, appointed commissioners to visit the migratory tribes, purchase the Pawnee lands and induce this tribe of redskins to move north of the Platte. Accordingly, in the summer of 1833 Mr. Ellsworth traveled from Washington, D. C, to Fort Leavenworth, which was then a frontier post, there to await his fellow commissioners, and to begin the expedition northward. John T. Irving, Jr., accompanied this band of men and kept a diary of the days' happenings while in the Indian country. He writes : "It was intended first to strike up in a northerly direction until we reached the village of the Otoe or Missouria Indians, situated upon the I'latte River about twenty miles northwest of its junction with the Missouri. Thence the Platte was to be our guide until we came upon the Pawnee towns."

Mr. Irving devotes several paragraphs to the first few days of their journey, which were replete with new experiences and strange sights, then continues : "We at last reached the Platte River about forty miles distant from the Otoe village, then striking off to the west, we followed the course of this povvcrful tributary of the Missouri.

"On the first night our little camp was placed upon a high bank of the Saline River, which flows through the prairie until it empties into the Platte. During the spring of every year moisture exudes from the soil near its source, covering the prairie for the distance of many miles. This is dried up by the heat of summer and leaves in its place a thick incrustation of salt. This is in turn dissolved by every successive rain and carried off into the Saline River, giving to its water the brackish taste, from which it has derived its name. There is a barrenness around the stream, contrasting strongly with the other rivers that grace the prairie. Around them is always a rich forest of the deepest, rankest green. Everything marks the luxuriance of the soil, and the nourishment yielded by the streams, to the lofty trees, which hang like guardians over their waters.

Here and there the huge, grey forms of a few dead trees may be seen leaning with a melancholy grandeur over its surface, or lying prostrate in the river, while its waters gurgle with a mournful sound around the branches of these fallen giants. There is a cheerless look about it. It winds its way through the prairie with a withering influence, blighting every green shrub ; and seems to bear an ill will to all the bright beauties of creation.

"I strayed some distance down the stream, pattering my rifle bullets on the water, to the great annoyance of several ducks who were quietly dozing upon its surface, and some sprawling old terrapins who were floating down the stream, enjoying an evening sail.

"A loud hail from the camp, and the voice of Mordecai announcing that supper was ready, recalled me to the spot. The roasted shoulder and ribs of a large buck were impaled upon a stake of dogwood, planted in the ground in front of the mess. They had already commenced their meal, with knives of all sizes and descriptions, and the mass of meat disappeared like magic before their reiterated attacks. Though at all times very well qualified to act a conspicuous part in a warfare of that description, they were now more than usually fitted for the task, owing to their eating only two meals a day - one at sunrise and one at sunset - the rest of the time being occupied in journeying over the prairie. By the time that \ve had finished the sun had sunk in the West and the stars were glimmering in the sky. Our party collected around the large fire of blazing logs and our guide, having lighted his Indian pipe, related to us an Indian tale, of which the following is the purport :

" 'About forty miles above the spot where we are now encamped lie the great salt plains, which cause the brackish taste of the Saline River. In one part of these plains is a large rock of pure salt, of dazzling whiteness, which is highly prized by the Indians and to which is attached the following story:

" 'Many years since, long before the whites had extended their march beyond the banks of the Mississippi River, a tribe of Indians resided upon the Platte, near its junction with the Saline. Among these was one, the chief warrior of the nation, celebrated throughout all the neighboring country for his fierce and unsparing disposition. Not a hostile village within several hundred miles but wailed for those who had fallen beneath his arm ; not a brook but had run red with the blood of his victims. He was forever engaged in plotting destruction to his enemies. He led his warriors from one village to another, carrying death to the inhabitants and desolation to their homes. He was a terror to old and young.

" 'Often alone and unattended, would he steal ofl^, to bathe his hands in blood and add new victims to the countless number of those whom he had already slain. But fearful as he was to the hostile tribes, he was equally dreaded by his own people. They gloried in him as their leader, but shrank from all fellowship with him. His lodge was deserted, and even in the midst of his own nation he was alone. Yet there was one thing that clung to him, and loved him. in defiance of the sternness of his rugged nature. It was the daughter of the chief of the village; a beautiful girl, and graceful as one of the fawns of her own prairie.

" 'Though she had many admirers, yet when the warrior declared his intention of asking her of her father, none dared come in competition with so formidable a rival. She became his wife and he loved her with all the fierce energy of his nature. It was a new feeling to him. It stole like a sunbeam over the dark passions of his heart. His feelings gushed forth to meet the warm affection of the only being that had ever loved him. Her sway over him was unbounded. He was as a tiger tamed. But this did not last long. She djcd ; he buried her; he uttered no wail, he shed no tear. He returned to his lonely lodge and forbade all entrance. No sound of grief was heard from it - all was silent as the tomb. The morning came and with its earliest dawn he left the lodge. Mis body was covered with war paint and he was fully armed as if for some expedition. His eye was the same ; there was the same sullen fire that had ever shot from its deep sunk socket. There was no wavering of a single feature; there was not the shrinking of a single muscle. He took no notice of those around him, but walked gloomily to the spot where his wife was buried. He paused for a moment over the grave, plucked a wild flower from among the grass and cast it upon the upturned sod. Then turning upon his heel, strode across the prairie.

" 'After the lapse of a month he returned to his village, laden with the scalps of men, women and children, which he hung in the smoke of his lodge. He tarried but a day among the tribe, and again set off, lonely as ever^ A week elapsed and he returned bringing with him a large lum]i of white salt. In a fewwords he told his tale. He had traveled many miles over the prairie. The sun had set in the west and the moon was just rising above the verge of the horizon. The Indian was weary and threw himself on the grass. He had not slept long when he was awakened by the low wailing of a female. He started up and at a little distance, by the light of the moon, beheld an old, decrepit hag, brandishing a tomahawk over the head of a young female, who was kneeling, imploring mercy.

" "The warrior wondered how two females could be at this spot, alone, and at that hour of the night, for there was no village within forty miles of the place. There could be no hunting party near them or he would have discovered it. He approached them, but they seemed unconscious of his presence. The young female, finding her prayers unheeded, sprang up and made a desperate attempt to get possession of the tomahawk. A furious struggle ensued, but the old woman was victorious. Twisting one hand in the long black hair of her victim, she raised the weapon in the other and prepared to strike. The face of the young female was turned to the light and the warrior beheld with horror the features of his deceased wife. In an instant he sprang forward and his tomahawk was buried in the skull of the old squaw. But ere he had time to clasp the form of his wife the ground opened, both sank from his sight, and on the spot appeared a rock of white salt. He had broken a piece from it and brought it to his tribe.

" 'This tradition is still current among the different tribes of huli.-ms frequenting that portion of the country. They also imagine that the rock is still under custody of the old squaw, and that the only v.-ay to obtain a portion of it is to attack her. For this reason, before attempting to collect salt, they beat the ground with clubs and tomahawks, and each blow is considered as inflicted upon the person of the hag. The ceremony is continued until they imagine .'^he has been sufficiently belabored to resign her treasure without opposition. The superstition, though privately ridiculed by the chiefs of the different tribes, is still practised by them and most devoutly credited by the rabble.' "

Early Expectations

Li the early '60s the sah springs near the present site of Lincohi attracted attention over the entire country and the estimated wealth and productiveness of the salt fields were given fabulous descriptions in the papers. This natural mineral was placed as the incentive for great cities to appear in the neighborhood; immeasurable wealth to be gained by any who cared to take advantage of the deposits ; and the growth of the Nebraska salt industry until it reached the importance of the other salt manufacturing centers- of the United States. These items influenced settlers to come to the territory and, when the commissioners appointed for the location of a state capital in 1867 scotired this part of the state for a suitable site for the capital city, the salt basin west of Lincoln's present site was one of the principal factors in determining their selection.

The Morton History of Nebraska states : "We find merchants of Nebraska City advertising in the News of April 21, i860, that they had for sale 'the best and finest article of table salt, gathered from the banks of Salt Creek, forty miles directly west of this city. Nature is the only evaporator used in the manufacture of this salt.' The News of April 28th relates that a sample of some thirty bushels of the very neatest and best of table salt had been brought for its inspection, and it had been 'scraped up from the banks of Salt Creek with a shovel. The probability is that the salt, as well as gold, silver, and coal mines of Nebraska are inexhaustible.' The News of May 25, 1861 notes that a train of three wagons passed through Nebraska City to engage in the manufacture of salt at the springs fifty miles west. The same paper says that, 'A gentleman the other day brought in from Salt Creek 1,800 pounds of as fine salt as we have ever seen. It met with ready sale. There is a mine of wealtli out there.' The News of September 14, 1861, reports that there are 'four salt basins of a thousand acres each - except one small one - filled with small springs that during the night ooze out their briny waters and cover the plateaus with a thick scum of salt. They ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean, during the night time covering the entire surface to the extent of thousands of acres and to a depth of several inches. By nine o'clock of an ordinarily dry day, with sunshine, the waters have sunk away, or rather evaporated, leaving a crust of salt. There are at present ten furnaces.' "

These various newspaper accounts are presented for the purpose of showing the enlarged conception of the salt springs. .So it is in any pioneer country : the presence of mineral wealth is a greater incentive than the known existence of tillable lands and rich soil, although the mineral advantages generally lure rather than satisfy, in very few cases have they proved an actuality, at least, a profitable one. People in Nebraska dreamed great dreams of the enormous salt industry to be established here, but the coming of years and the railroads and more settlers overshadowed the importance of the salt fever and now the greatly prized acres are covered with a lake and the salt water used for bathing purposes in connection with an amusement park.

Salt Creek Settlers

The first settlers of the Salt Creek Valley were the Preys, headed by the father John D. Prey. The latter is known as the first permanent white settler in what now comprises Lancaster County. He was a native of Scotland, having been borti there, in Glasgow, on the 4th of December, 1798. He was the son of Jolin and Martha (Little) Prey. Immediately after his marriage in i(S2i to Margaret Giljson he sailed for America, to make a new home for his family. Mrs. Prey was a native of Ireland and was born in 1802 : her parents, however, were Scottish. After forty-five days spent in passage the Preys landed in New Brunswick and from there proceeded to the city of Boston, where they resided for some time. Their next home was in New York State, where they stayed until 1843. Then they moved to the State of Wisconsin and from this place Mr. Prey, in company with his son, John W., started upon their journey to Nebraska to search for suitable claims. This was in 1856. On June 15, 1856 they stopped on Salt Creek, about three miles from the present site of Lincoln, but shortly afterwards went farther up this stream. Here they took claims for themselves and three other sons. Further information concerning the family history of the Preys may be found in the chapter on early settlement.

The following article by John Stanford Gregory was prepared for the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1904 and is reminiscent of the early days in the vicinity of the salt basin. Mr. Gregory, the son of John S. and Charlotte (Eaton) Gregory, was born at Brattleboro, \''ermont, in 1834. After a high school education he engaged for several years as a mail agent, and then studied law and was admitted to the bar in Michigan in i860. In August, 1862, he located in the vicinity of the present city of Lincoln and at the salt basin constructed the first salt works, at the cost of about $8,000.00. He worked these until the coming of the railroad to Lincoln. He next entered the real estate and insurance business and in 1874 went into business partnership with Mr. J. H. McMurtry. In 1891 he removed to the State of Texas and there practiced law. In 1864 Mr. Gregory was a representative from Lancaster County in the Territorial Legislature, being the first to serve in this capacity. He was chairman of the first board of county commissioners of Lancaster County and was also the first postmaster. Mr. Gregory's narration of the early days at the salt basin is replete with vivid detail and is authoritative.

Early Days At The Salt Basin

I first made my home in what is now Lincoln in the summer of 1862, being the first permanent settler of this city's site. Neighbors in the county were few and far between, but for music we had nightly serenades from hundreds of coyotes and wolves, who also loved chicken better than traveling ministers or downsouth darkies ; therefore war was declared against the wolves. Every evening in the winter months we would mount a horse, fasten a piece of fresh meat to a lariat, and draw it over the ground in a circuit of a mile or so, occasionally dropping a small pellet of lard encasing a flake of strychnine. The wolves would take the trail, and sometimes we would gather a dozen of them in the morning. Their pelts paid the cost, and their carcasses were drawn away to the banks of Salt Creek, where we expected them to rot in the spring. But a band of Pawnee Indians found them, and never broke camp until the last carcass went into the soup, which we were informed was "heap good for Injun."

In 1863 there was quite an influx of temporary citizens from the State of Missouri who came, as they stated, to "get out of the draft" (this was war time, you know) and settled around Salt Basin. Of this number I remember the families of Owens, Harmon, Eveland, Bird, Billows, Tinnell, Thatcher, Pemberton. Church and a few others. It was said that some of these had been bushwhackers in Missouri, and had in fact come up to the Salt Basin "for the benefit of their health" ; but they were as peaceful as doves while here, and all went back to Missouri after the war was over.

During that year Doctor Crimm and "Jim" Dye, of Brownville, came to the Basin, and built a bench of salt boilers and became my friendly rivals in the salt manufacture.

At an election late in the fall we elected Alf Eveland justice of the peace, and Peter Billows constable, and this was the first attempt to call in the aid of the law, in that county. Prior to that date every man was his own law-giver, and a brace of revolvers enforced it. "Alf" was a small, freckled-faced, red-haired chap, very self-important, and ambitious to be called Squire Eveland. He had opened a saloon in his sod dwelling, his stock in trade being a keg of whiskey and a caddy of tobacco. His wife, Elizabeth, was of massive proportions, at least four times the size of her husband, and strong as she was big - could easily hold her lord at arm's length over her head, with her right arm alone. It was said that after Eveland's stock in trade had been paid for, he had ten cents left, with which he purchased a drink at his bar, while his wife kept the saloon, and then she in turn used it for the same purpose while Alf was bartender, and by alternating this process quite a trade was established.

When Alf became justice of the peace he went to Nebraska City and provided himself with a justice docket book and a full set of law blanks, and returned, fully equipped to "dispense with justice," as he put it, to all who should require his services, but as it is difficult to make radical changes in forms of law, more than six months passed without a single case for Eveland's adjudication. The nearest to a case that I remember was from this Peter Billows, who, by the way, was originally a Pennsylvania Dutchman. Peter came over to my office one morning and said, "Gregory, John Owens' hogs broke into my garden last night and destroyed more than fifteen dollars' worth of damage. What can I do about it?" I advised him to go and see John, and if he would not fix it, he would have a case for Eveland, but as he and John fixed it the justice case was a failure.

The first law case of this county appears in "Justice Docket No. i - A. Eveland, Esq., J. P." and is entitled "Crimm & Dye vs. J. S. Gregory, Action for Replevin," and it arose as follows : Both Crimm and myself used a considerable amount of salt barrels, which we made at our salt works, and the man, Church, was -a stave maker, obtaining his bolts from the headwaters of Salt Creek. On the morning Church started back to Missouri, he came to my works, and sold me his stock of staves, amounting in value to about $16.00. I went with him to his dug-out, counted and marked the staves, and took a bill of sale in writing, and paid for them. During the same morning he sold the same staves to Crimm, who also marked them, and took a bill of sale in writing. A few days after I went for them with my wagons, and when Crimm saw me loading them, he came up and wanted to know what I was doing with his staves. Of course it was a short story to explain the situation and we agreed to divide the lot and each stand half the loss. But just at this point, a brilliant idea struck Crimm. lie said, "Say Gregory, what a pretty case this would be for a lawsuit. Here is Squire Eveland, who has spent a whole lot of money for books and blanks and has been a justice of the peace for more than six months without a single case. What do you say to a lawsuit?"

.So it was arranged with Crimni that he should rush down to the saloon, sue out a writ of replevin, and the constable should take the property, and we would give the Squire something to judicially decide. In due time the trial was had, Crimm introduced his bill of sale, proved payment, and delivery to himself by Church, on the day of his departure, and demanded judgment. Whereupon the Squire announced that the plaintiiT had a clear case and as his mind was already made up upon that point, he did not care to hear any evidence from the defendant. Of course defendant insisted that it was not lawful to render a judgment without both sides being heard, and demanded the right to produce his evidence. "Oh, go ahead," said the Squire, "if you insist upon it, but it will do you no good, for I have already formed my opinion of the case." We followed Crimm's presentation exactly, and then pleaded that, as we were in possession of the property, in addition had as good a right as the plaintiff, the plaintit? could not take it away from us without showing some superior right. The Squire, who had been so sure of his opinion, was evidently in a quandary and advised us to try and settle the case between ourselves, to which we each "angrily" objected, and asked him what a justice court was for, if folks could agree without it. Finally, three days were taken in which to announce a decision, at which time about all the men of the settlement were present to hear the result. Court was called to order and the Squire said, "Gentlemen, I have given the case m.y best consideration and the more I have studied it the more difficult it seems to arrive at any conclusion as to which of you rightfully own these staves. I think you should agree to divide them." And announced that this was the only judgment he would enter. To this we each protested, but consented to confer each with the other to see if we could compromise. After a short time we filed back into court and announced that if the Squire would remit his costs and treat the boys who had come to attend his court, we would settle the case between ourselves, to all of which he gladly consented. I don't know how much whiskey was left in that keg, but doubt there being any; for the saloon business closed from that day.

Will Pemberton was another of the characters of Salt Basin. He was the youngest of the colony and had many good traits of character which I admired, but he was quick-tempered and impulsive. I don't suppose he was any more truthful than the ordinary denizens of the colony, but to be called a liar was to him a deadly insult. One day he came over to my place upon his horse, at its fastest run. His face was pale and his eyes were green, and he was trembling with excitement. He said, "Greg, I want to know if I can depend upon you as my friend in trouble?" I answered that he could up to the last hair. He then asked me if there was any law in Nebraska against killing birds. I told him there was not. He said he was awful glad to know it, for he had just killed Jim Bird over at the Basin. Said Jim had called him a liar and he had shot him through the head, was awful sorry now that he had done so, but it couldn't be helped, said it broke him all up, and that he couldn't think what to do. He wanted me to think for him, and advise him ; said he would light out and leave the country, or would stay and face the music, or any other thing I might advise. I told him it was bad business, and that before I could give him any reliable advice I would go over and see if he was not mistaken about Bird being dead. To this he said his revolver never failed to plant a bullet where he aimed it and he saw Bird fall with his shot. I mounted my horse and rode over and the first man I saw was this same Jim Bird, busy cutting wood at the front door of his log cabin. His rifle leaned against the door-janib and as he caught sight of me he called; said he wanted me to see what that coyote Pemberton had done. A hole was through his hat and a red streak on his head where the bullet grazed, and which had temporarily prostrated Jim, and had buried itself in the house logs. "Now," he said, "if Pemberton don't quit the country there will be a funeral tomorrow, for I will shoot him on sight." Well, I got down from my horse and made Bird sit down with me and I argued the case with him in all its bearings, told him what Pemberton thought of it, and finally Bird agreed that if Pemberton would come to him, and pass to him his pistols, as evidence of good faith, and beg his pardon for his rashness, and promise to keep the peace. Bird would let the matter drop. To all these Pemberton gladly complied, and again peace and good will hovered over Salt Basin.

John Cadman was another leading light in ancient history. He was a politician of the foxy kind. He always took a prominent part in every social or political move, both for notoriety and as a source of revenue.

He was ready on all occasions to make an impromptu speech, but always wanted about two weeks' time in advance to prepare it, otherwise he was all at sea. On one occasion I remember he was called upon, but being unprepared, declined. As the audience insisted, a good, strong escort on each arm walked him upon the platform "willy nilly," so John started in, "My friends and fellow citizens, it affords me great pleasure to - to - to come together again.'' The applause that greeted this announcement about closed the remarks of the honorable gentleman, and John took a seat. Cadman died several years ago in California.

On September 12, 1859, Mr. John W. Prey, having military land warrants in his possession, located on land which included many of the salt springs. The location was in sections 21 and 22, township 10 north, range 6 east. These warrants were given to Mr. Prey by J. Sterling Morton, acting as agent for eastern capitalists. There ensued a great amount of litigation and the mix-up was finally tried before the Supreme Court of the United States. An interesting account of this trouble in regard to the lands was written by Mr. John H. Ames and presented to the Nebraska Historical Society in 1905. For many reasons it is well to quote this narrative in its entirety. It is intelligible and correct in substance.

The Lincoln Salt Basin

The Saline Springs in Lincoln were, in early days, supposed to be caused by large deposits of salt in their vicinity, and because of conditions of manufacture and transportation then prevailing here and elsewhere, they were regarded as very valuable. It is well known that these considerations were the principal and determining factor that induced the location of a seat of government at this place in the summer of 1S67, by commissioners appointed by the legislature and vested with authority to select a site therefor.

In the early winter of 1869-70 the writer prepared a series of articles under the title of "A History of Lincoln" which were printed in a weekly newspajjcr then published at Lincoln and called the Nebraska Statesman. They met with so much popular favor that in the following summer the State Journal Company reproduced them in a pamphlet edition of several thousand copies. In the latter form they were distributed by both public officials and private individuals throuo-hout the United States. But notwithstanding that provocation, public lethargy, due, perhaps, to exhaustion consequent upon the then recently ended Civil war, was so profound, and the public mind was so preoccupied and perplexed with the problems of reconstruction following that conflict, that the country remained at peace. Previously thereto Mr. Augustus F. Harvey, then a prominent citizen, and formerly editor and proprietor of the Statesman, and who, as a surveyor and civil engineer, had made the first survey and plat of the townsite of Lincoln, had published a pamphlet entitled "Nebraska As It Is," from which my own publication reproduced the following :

"In Lancaster County, averaging forty-five miles from and west of the Missouri River, lies a great salt basin. Within an area of twelve by twenty-five miles, through which Salt Creek runs in a northeasterly direction, are found innumerable springs of salt water, containing 28.8 per cent of salt by weight, the product itself containing ninety-five to ninety-seven parts of chloride of sodium (l)ure salt) and three to five parts of chlorides and sulphates of magnesium, calcium, lime, etc.

"There is no question of the vast wealth which will some day be derived from this region. The absence of fuel for the purpose of manufacture is more than compensated for by the excessive dryness of the atmosphere and the consequent rapidity of evaporation. From the first of April to the middle of November scarcely a day passes without a warm, dry wind. During the months of June, July, August and September the winds are almost constant."

(Mr. Harvey afterwards demonstrated by actual experiment that the average evaporation during the months last named is at the rate of ten inches of saturated brine in sixty hours, ten inches of fresh water in seventy-two hours.)

"The salt made by boiling or washing the deposits around the spring crvstallizes like the finest table salt. That from solar evaporation, or over slow artificial heat, forms large crystals from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch, and is more translucent and snowy than the Syracuse or Kanawha salt.

"The location of the salt region is an evidence of that wisdom and goodness of the Creator which men are slow to acknowledge, but u])on which all human welfare must rest. It is a curious fact that, as far as we know, all the principal deposits of this one absolute necessity to the preservation of animal life are situated about equal distances apart, and with an apparent forethought of the commercial relations of the territory between them. This will be apparent when one marks upon the map the New York, JMichigan, \'irginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Texas, Nebraska, Dakota, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona salt regions, and notes the nearly uniform spaces between them."

As well to corroborate this testimony as to forestall an inference that might otherwise be drawn therefrom, that so much heat and drought might prove an obstruction to successful agriculture, the "history'' supplemented the quotation from Mr. Harvey by the following commentary :

"Usually during a large portion of the summer but little rain falls in any part of the state, such droughts, however, seldom occurring until after the grain crops are fully developed and beyond the reach of any injury therefrom, the deep and porous soil having a singular power of retaining the moisture received by it in the earlier portion of the season. For this reason vegetation is found to thrive, unaffected by drought, long after the surface of the ground has become so excessively dry that the water on the surfaces of streams or in other exposed situations becomes almost the only considerable source from which the atmosphere is supplied with the aqueous vapor necessary to prevent nocturnal chills," As Mr. Harvey observes in his pamphlet, the atmosphere is so excessively dry that "dead animals upon the prairies do not rot ; they dry up." This accounts for the previous mentioned rapidity of solar evaporation.

From these and other equally trustworthy data, including indications obtained by lessees of the state by the sinking of a well near the springs to a depth of 340 feet, it was thought to be sufficiently proved that brine of at least 60°, or 20 per cent strength, could be produced in inexhaustible quantities from a thousand wells to be sunk within the surrounding basin, comprising some three hundred square miles and constituting a much larger and more productive territory than could be found elsewhere in the United States. Taking all these matters into consideration and dividing the results to which they pointed by four, so as to eliminate every supposable error of fact or of calculation, it was ascertained, by mathematical demonstration, that the value of the annual output from each of the thousand anticipated wells would be approximately a half million dollars, or five hundred million in all. And the product, upon the assurance of Mr. Harvey was represented to be 97 per cent pure common salt, fit for table use without rectification.

The foregoing shows what can be done by a vivid and vigorous imagination with a little rain water and a moderate quantity of chloride of sodium slightly adulterated with alkaline salts. Upon a fly-leaf of the pamphlet was printed the following certificate:

"We, the undersigned officers and commissioners of public buildings of the State of Nebraska, do hereby certify that we have carefully examined the proof sheets of the following pamphlet, and that we are thoroughly satisfied that the same is a true, correct, and impartial history of the town of Lincoln, and of the several public enterprises and matters therein discussed.

The governor and auditor have gone to their final reward, but the secretary of state is still living in Lincoln and has never recanted. The practice of supjjlying the delinquencies of judicial tribunals by irregular methods has never been adopted in Nebraska.

I have always regretted that these matters were never brought to the attention of Col. Beriah Sellers, as certainly would have been done if the writer had enjoyed the personal acquaintance of his celebrated biographer, Mark Twain. The evidence already cited is, however, by no means all or the most weighty of which the case is susceptible. There is more and better at hand and easily producible, to which attention will be invited in the course of the following narrative.

It has been a policy of the United States ever since the formation of the Government, and one which is evidenced by a series of congressional enactments beginning with the year 1796, to reserve saline springs and deposits upon the public lands from sale or private entry, and to preserve them for the benefit of all the people of the several states formed or to be formed out of the territory in which they are found. In consonance with this policy, an act of Congress of April 19, 1864, authorizing the formation of a state government and providing for the admittance of Nebraska into the Union, contained the following section :

"Sec. II. And be it further enacted. That all salt springs within the said state, not exceeding twelve in number, with six sections of land adjoining, or as contiguous as may be to each, shall be granted to said state for its use, the said land to be selected by the governor thereof, within one year after the admission of the state, and when so selected to be used or disposed of on such terms, conditions, and regulations as the legislature shall direct; provided, that no salt springs or lands, the right whereof is now vested in any individual or individuals, or which hereafter shall be confirmed or adjudged to any individual or individuals, shall, by this act, be granted to said state."

Pursuant to this statute the first governor of the state, the Honorable David Butler, selected twelve salt springs lying within the great salt basin, the largest of them being the one now under discussion. Prior to that time the public lands of the Territory of Nebraska had been surveyed and platted under the authority of an act of Congress, July 22, 1854, and these springs had been noted upon the field books, but the notes had not been transferred to the plats prepared and returned for the use of the land department in making sales of the public domain. It was thought, also, that there were ambiguities in certain previous acts of Congress, the nature of which it is unnecessary and would be tedious to explain here, by reason of which the Nebraska springs had unwittingly been excepted from the rule, which, as above stated, Congress had, from the first, intended to apply to all such properties.

In 1856 Mr. John Prey had removed to this territory from Wisconsin and with his sons, Thomas, William L., and John W., had settled upon public lands lying in what is now Lancaster County. Afterward William L. obtained employment from the late J. Sterling Morton at the residence of the latter, near Nebraska City in Otoe County. The regulations offering the lands for sale at the United States land office at the latter-named place made no reservation for the protection of settlers. The elder Prey had sold his farm in Wisconsin, but had not yet been paid the purchase price, and was therefore without means to secure the possessions of himself and his sons. In this emergency he, as well as some of his neighbors, similarly situated, applied to Mr. Morton for assistance. Morton, as agent for certain eastern parties, had in his possession a considerable number of military bounty land warrants, issued under authority of an act of Congress approved September 28, 1850, and which were selling at some discount and were exchangeable at their face' for public lands at their minimum price. His instructions were to sell them either for cash or to permit them to be located, relying upon the good faith of the locators to secure their payment upon the land as soon as title therefor should be obtained, Morton being responsible to his principal for the consummation of the transaction in good faith. The Preys, besides asking for warrants for the purpose mentioned, which he seems to have furnished without hesitancy, besought him to furnish additional warrants to cover what has been called the Great Salt Spring, representing to him that it was rich with salt which at a day not far distant would be very valuable. He had never seen the land itself, or the surveys or plats in the land office, or talked about them with any United States official, and was skeptical about its containing salt deposits of any considerable value. On the contrary he believed it to be alkaline land untit for agriculture or any other useful purpose and so expressed himself. No one, however, seemed to doubt that it was lawfully subject to entry and sale, and the subject was not discussed or so much as mentioned. With a great deal of reluctance and after much importunity, he finally consented to furnish a part of the warrants asked for, provided the locations should be made in the name of William L. Prey, in whom he had the uttermost confidence and upon whom he mainly relied to carry out the arrangement usual in such cases. But for some unknown reason, probably because of the mistake or inadvertence of the register of the land office, the location was made in the name of John W. Prey. These entries were made on the 12th day of September, 1859. In July, 1868, John W. Prey executed a deed purporting to convey to Morton an undivided one-third of the lands mentioned in the certificate of location, and on the same day similar deeds were made to Andrew Hopkins and Charles A. Manners. Patents were issued by the land department and transmitted to the local office, for delivery to Prey, but the secretary of the interior, upon being informed that the land contained valuable saline deposits, arrested them before delivery, and after having caused an investigation to be made, directed their return to Washington and cancellation, which was done in the year 1862.

The only question affecting the validity of the location or of the patents was whether the springs had been reserved from sale, or "private entry" as it was called. That the land was valueless for agriculture was apparent to all, and no attempt at their actual occupancy by Prey or his grantees was made until after the lapse of more than ten years from their location. The Nebraska Legislature met in regular session on the 7th day of January, 1869. and the governor's message read on the next day submitted the following matters for their consideration :

"Although comparatively little has been accomplished in the actual production of salt, that little has settled beyond question, if indeed further proof was needed, that we have, within sight of this hall, a rich and apparently inexhaustible supply of pure and easily manufactured article. It will be directly and indirectly a source of wealth to the state, whose great value no one can fully estimate.

"Prompted by a sense of the importance of the early development of this interest, I gave to Mr. A. C. Tichenor a lease, conditioned upon the approval of the Legislature, of one section of the salt lands belonging to the state. One-half of his interest in the lease was, by Mr. Tichenor, assigned to the Nebraska Salt Company of Chicago. This company, from want of means or some unknown reason, has failed to fulfill the obligations undertaken in their purchase. So far has it failed that the local demand for salt has not been supplied, and it has been unable at times to supply even a single bushel for home consumption. It is credibly represented that this company has refused to pay the debts which it has contracted among our citizens. While such is the state of things with this company, experienced men declare their readiness to invest in these works any required sums, if the opportunity is presented them.

"The original lessee, in assuming and meeting the liabilities of the company, has a considerable amount invested in buildings and other works adapted to the prosecution of successful manufacture. He, as managing agent for the company, has been faithful, though he has failed to receive the support which it is the duty of the company to render. He could not by any action of the state be made to sufifer. But the public interest is at too great an extent involved in the speedy and full development of the productive capacity of these salt springs to allow them to lie in the hands of those who, from lack of energy or means, shall fail to work them to their full extent. Though the government should not take possession of the works built by Mr. Tichenor, without making full compensation, the general assembly should at least take such action as will soon result in securing the manufacture of salt to the greatest possible extent."

The legislative response to this urgent appeal was an act, approved February 15, 1869, by which the lease mentioned in the message was declared to be void and of "no effect in law," and the governor was "authorized and directed" to enter into a new lease for the same lands with Anson C. Tichenor and Jesse T. Green, covenanting for the construction of certain manufacturing works, to the aggregate cost of one hundred thousand dollars, the commencement of the manufacture of salt within ninety days from the date of the instrument, and the payment to the state of two cents per bushel upon the gross output, and providing for a forfeiture of the lease for failure to make the required improvements or for failure to prosecute the business for so long a period as six months at any one time. The act also authorized the governor to lease any other of the saline lands to any other competent persons upon substantially the same terms, but requiring a greater or lesser expenditure for improvements, as he should see fit. On the same day the session was finally adjourned and on the same day also a lease with Tichenor and Green, as contemplated by the act, was formerly executed, and the lessees went into possession thereunder and proceeded with the erection of vats and pumping apparatus for the purposes of manufacturing salt by means of solar evaporation of the surface brine. It is shown by the official report of the state treasurer, James Sweet, under the date of January 12, 1871, that the total revenues derived from royalties for the manufacture of salt were, up to that time, $53.93, indicating a total production of 2,696^/ bushels. It does not appear that the state ever subsequently received any income from that source.

The governor convened the legislature in special session on the 17th day of January, 1870. and submitted to them a message reciting the objects to accomplish which they had been called together, and contained the following paragraphs :

"To ratify and confirm a certain contract made by the governor for the conveyance of certain lands to Isaac Cahn and John M. Evans, to aid in the development of the saline interests of the state.