Salem Precinct

Salem Precinct

Salem precinct is composed of township No. i, range No. 15, and comprises some of the choicest lands and one of the oldest settlements of the county. The town of Salem is one of the first in the county. In the summer of 1857 there was already quite a village there with stores, postoffice and blacksmith shop. It is said that one son of Vulcan, who presided over a pioneer forge at this place, was often complained of by his customers wu'th having charged exorbitant prices for his work. Upon one occasion one of them remarked that he "ought to make a pretty good living at such prices for his work." With a fine blending of humor and impudence he replied: "I didn't come awa}- out here to make a living, but to make a raise."

-Vmong the early settlers in Salem and pioneers in the mercantile business in this county were J. Cass Lincoln and John Holt, who built up one of the most extensive businesses in the county and were powerful men in the formative period in this county. The town of Salem is situated in the forks ot the Great Xemaha river and possesses many natural advantages. It is the first station west of Falls Cit\- located on the main line of the Burlington & Missouri River railroad. The first flouring-mill of the county was located at this point and continued in l)usiness until recent years, when, on account of the installation of the drainage system, when the waters were diverted, it discontinued l)usiness.

Many of the earlier settlers of the county resided at Salem or along the Xemaha. Among them were: J. C. Lincoln, John Holt, Mr. Pierce. F. A. Tisdel, Sr., U. .\. Tisdel, .\. |. Currence. Doctor Brooke, Oliver Jennings,

Alany of the earlier settlers of this precinct were from the adjoining state of Missouri, and brought with them their customs of that section, one of which was a weekly shooting match, which usually occurred on Saturday afternoons, when the adult male population assembled in some grove and engaged in the manly sport of shooting at a mark with rifles, the prize usually being a quarter of beef or a plump, fat turkey. These gatherings were invariably jolly and sociable, and sometimes under the exhilarating influence of a little "old rye," became decidedly lively. During the summer of 1857 those matters were quite popular; but now, alas, owing to the sad and degenerate times into which we have fallen, they have totally disappeared, and instead the 3-oung men play baseball and the older ones talk politics or war, all of which goes to demonstrate that man is a progressive animal.

All along the bluffs of the Nemaha an abundance of building stone is found. The lands north of the Nemaha are very fine, reclining to the south with an undulating surface, a deep, rich soil, and are well improved. On the south side of the Nemaha are several beautiful streams, with ver}' fine valleys; Rock creek is the largest of these and its valleys afford some of the most beautiful situations and richest and most valuable lands in the state.

Contrary creek is another fiiie stream, with a considerable amount of timber skirting its banks. It was so named by Jesse Crook, a pioneer, who, on coming to it for the .*irst time, was struck with its apparent contrary course in its meandering.

The fair grounds of the old-time Richardson County Agricultural Society, were located near the town of Salem and the fairs which were held at this beautiful place annually from the very earliest times, were the best attended in the state and the meetings were looked forward to each year with the greatest interest. Those annual fairs had an educational value to an agricultural community such as ours, that has been wholly lacking in the modern meetings which have sought to take their places. Salem precinct with her manifold natural advantages and intelligent population, has always kept even with the development of our county and her place as one of our best precincts will always be secure.

Grant Pkecinct

When the lx)ard ui county cunimissioners organized this precinct they conceived the nol)le and patriotic idea of doing a special honor to the b.ero of Appomatox, and so they called this little territory of thirty-six sections, Grant. The names of individuals, more or less distinguished, have been attached to nine of the fifteen precincts composing the covmty.

These have been most appropriately arranged in groups or pairs as follows : In the west we find two eminent Germans, Humboldt and Speiser. In the east two distinguished Frenchmen, Rouleau and Arago. In the center two celebrated Americans, Grant and Porter. In the northeast a pair of rare examples of goodness and virtue. St. Stephens and Barada, and in the northwest the philosopher, who chained the lightning and brought the subtle electric fluid from the clouds - Franklin.

Notwithstanding that the subject of this article is honored with the name of the great Ulysses, yet its greatness is not all in its name. It contains an enterprising community of several thousand people, good soil, water, wood, stone, etc. It has the elements of wealth and consequent greatness within itself. The north fork of the Great Nemaha runs through the south part of the precinct, affording wood, water and a splendid mill site.

The Burlington & Missouri River railroad runs through this portion of the precinct along the Nemaha Aalley. The company located the depot and station about a half mile north of what was known as the Dawson Mills, where one of the best of the smaller towns of the county now stands.

The village is located about half way Ijetween Humboldt and Salem. The southwest portion of Grant precinct extends to and includes the south fork of the Nemaha in the vicinity of Miles' ranch. This ranch, or farm, embraces several thousand acres and was founded by Stephen B. Miles, Sr.. a wealthy man and one of the older citizens of the county, and is still owned intact by a .son, Joseph H. Miles, and his sons. Stephen and \\'arren. Mr. Miles has erected some of the best buildings of the county upon the ranch. The original owner, S. B. Miles, Sr., made his home nn this ranch for years and gave his personal attention to its development. There was for years in the earlier times a good store building containing an extensive stock of goods in this vicinity, the proprietor of which was Warren Cooper.

This precinct contains a goodly supply of timber situated on the Nemaha also a good proportion of bottom and upland. The general features are much the same as in adjoining- townships, with a better quality and a greater (juantity of building stone.

The land, for the most part, except along the water courses, was occupied as homesteads under the act of Congress, and these homesteads, in all instances have been converted into homes of substantial farmers. School houses have been built and schools are maintained in all the districts. The first settlements of the precinct were made along the streams, but extended rapidly to the high prairies or divides.

There was a settlement emljracing a considerable number of families from the Emerald Isle established in this locality. It was at this settlement that a son of Erin was accosted on the day following the presidential election in November, 1868, by a bearer of returns from another precinct with "How did this preciiTct go?" Pat answered readily, "All right, to be shure." "Yes, but what do >ou call 'all right' "? "Dim-my-cratic, av coorse." "Well, what majority did you give?" "Ten majority for Grant, be jabers." The interrogator, thinking that Patrick was getting political matters "slightly mixed," passed on with his returns and an jncident of the election, which he thought would be worth repeating when he reached town.

^^ ith the completion of the railroad and the increased facilities for transportation, this precinct like all others along the line of railwa}.-, received a new impetus in its development.

Speiser townshi]i is in the extreme corner of the county and is one of the oldest townships of the county. In its earliest ])eriod it embraced almost the west third of the present county. The lands are, many of them, very fine ; the soil rich and well adapted- to the raising of western staples, and especial!}- wheat and corn, of which large quantities are annually produced.

The south fork of the Nemaha with its tributaries, Easley creek. Four Mile and other small creeks afford an ample supply of water. It, like most of the western portion of the county is well supplied with all kinds of the best building stone. In the earlier years a quantity of good coal was successfully mined and supplied the farmers and the people at Humbohlt and surrounding to\\ns with am])le fuel.

Among the earlv settlers and substantial farmers were: George Gird, at one time county commissioner : H. Holcombe, Hon. O. P. Dunning, S. M. Durvea, Peter and John Fankhauser, Jacob Hunzer. J. U. Hunzeker, David Speiser, Sr., for whom the township was named, and Thomas F. Brown and

A large number of Germans and Swiss settled in this precinct along Four Mile and Dry Branch and the Xemaha, and by their industry and perseverance have done much to develop this part of the county.

Middleburg, on the south Xemaha, was the postoffice, presided over for many years by Uncle Jacob I'^rey, a pioneer, and where the citizens of Speiser received their mail. The office was in later years discontinued and the place known as 2\Iiddleburg is no more, except in name.

The people of this precinct are blessed with a number of the best of country schools, which have always been in the hands of very competent instructors, and where the young idea is taught to ''shoot."

Speiser has always been an important section of the county and the people residing there have in all the years, played a leading part in the affairs of the county.