Sargent Township

Sargent Township

Sargent, a hustling village of over 800 inhabitants, is situated in the northeastern part of Custer count)', in the midst of a fine agricultural and stock-raising district. It is located on the north side of the Middle Loup river, about one mile from that stream. Sargent is one of the oldest towns in the county, having been laid out in 1883. The first bank in the county is located here. The first building erected was the general store of J. K. Spacht. in the summer of 1883, and the location was the middle of a field of wheat. The town grew rapidly and was particularly lively in the summer of 1888, when the B. & AI. Railroad grade was built, and it was expected that the cars would be running into the town that fall. Owing to a big strike on the system, the road was not completed at that time. The drouth years of the early '90s caused the town to dwindle down to a mere shadow of its former proportions. In the fall of 1899, however, the railroad was built from Arcadia to Sargent, making the latter the terminus, and since that time the town has had a very substantial growth. The Independent Telephone Company, of Broken Bow, extended its line to Sargent in the fall of 1900. The same fall was erected a fine, two-storv frame school building, which now houses one of the best schools in the county, under the charge of three teachers. Sargent has two churches, the Congregational and the ]\Iethodist. It has several fine business blocks, two newspapers, two banks, two grain elevators, and a creamery, with other lines of business well represented. Following is a complete business directory of the town, March 8, 1901 :

Armstrong, D. E., windmills, pumps, and repairs; Austin, J. S., racket store, general merchandise ; Barstow & Perrin, hardware, paints, and harvesting goods ; Bridgiord, Ben, druggist, R. W. Hicks, manager (Mr. Bridgford is an old pioneer and came to IMason City in 1886 with a drug store, which he ran seven vears, and he is now located at Ord, Nebraska) ; Brown, M. F., contractor and builder; Brumbausfh, G. W., Commercial hotel and livery; Brown, E. R., Windsor hotel; Seers, Robert, contractor and builder; Currie Grain Company, grain and coal ; Custer County Bank, James Haggerty president, Charles C. Gardner cashier, does a general banking business; (Charles C. Gardner is also postmaster and local agent for telephone line) ; Cropper, W. T., farm machinery ; creamery, Beatrice Creamery Company proprietor ; *Conhiser & Haggerty, general merchandise and groceries ; Davis & Company, furniture, carpets, and undertaking goods ; Dierks Lumber & Coal Company, lumber, coal, and building material, Frank Phillips manager; Fenstermacher, C. H., physician and surgeon ; Freeman, Charles, liquors and cigars ; Farmers & Alerchants Bank. A. P. Cully, president. Charles Nicolai, cashier, does a general banking business ; Graham, E. J., dentist; Geiser & S\vanson, farm implements and hardware; Groff, Mrs. H., restaurant ; Hendrickson, Charles, billiard hall; Harris, C. L., contractor and builder; Jacques & Barstovv, grain and coal ; Leader, newspaper, A. H. Barks editor and proprietor ; Leininger, P. H., live stock ; Little & Company, Farmers' Meat Market; McGregor Brothers, blacksmiths; IMorris, Miss Gertrude, dressmaker; ]\Iitchell, R. J., groceries, successor to B. W. Sullivan; Nelson. W. H., painter and paperhanger; Olson. T.. restaurant; Perrin hotel, S. L. Perrin proprietor; Parks, C. W., live stock, successor to Parks & Cram ; Pizer, J. B.. New York Store; Savage. E. P.. real estate and insurance, agent Lincoln Land Company ; Savage Brothers, Star livery barn ; Saunders, Walter, shoe and harness shop, general merchandise ; S'pacht & Lakeman, groceries and general merchandise ; Saville, F. N., barber shop; Scriber, L. A., liquors and cigars; Semler. J. D., meat market; Shaw. D. M., brick mason and plasterer ; the Nezv Era, newspaper and job office. J. C. L. Wisely editor and proprietor ; Toliver, John, auctioneer and salesman, restaurant and bakery ; Tobias, A. A., jeweler and optician; Troxell & Johnson, hardware ; Waynick. L W.. druggist, physician and surgeon ; Werber, Rudolph, harness shop; R. H. Monroe, agent for the B. & ^^. Railroad and Adams Express Company;

Rev. Leslie, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church ; Rev. Jones, pastor of the Congregational church; Professor H. H. Hiatt, principal of the Sargent schools, his assistants being Miss Mamie Cooper and Miss Nightengale.

Ansley is an enterprising town of LOOO population, located in the southeastern part of Custer county, on the main line of the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad to the northwest.

The county around it is adapted to farming and stock-raising and these are the chief occupations of the people. The first settlement was made in the year 1886, in whi:h year the Lincoln Land Company purchased froiu Anthony Wilkinson, a ranchman, the land upon which the town now stands, and platted the town, naming it in honor of a lady by the name of Ansley who had invested considerable money in real estate here. The first frame building erected was occupied by a lawyer by the name of George Snell. The second building was the store building of Edgar Varney, which he moved over from Westerville. These structures were soon followed by others, among them the Van Sant House, later known as the Commercial hotel, the drug store of Sam Royds, two bank buildings, the stores of E. H. Burrows and A. H. Shepard and the Eureka hotel. The private residences of E. H. Gaines and Dan Hagin were erected in 1887 and that of C. J. Stevens in 1888. Among the first citizens of Ansley may be mentioned A. H. Turpen, O. P. Allphin, Mrs. H. Stevenson, C. J. Stevens, Edgar Varney, Dan Hagin, E. H. Gaines, E. H. Burrows, D. A. Van Sant, Sam Royds, Thomas Blowers, A. H. Shepard, C. M. Dorr, James Davis, F. E. Gosselin, and A. L. and E. A. Butler, to whose enterprise and business judgment in those early times are largely due the later progress and prosperity of this community. Mr. E. H. Burrows, one of the old citizens, describes his first visit to Ansley in these words: the future metropolis of the southeastern part of Custer county was to be. I selected my lot for a building site at that time and went back east for a while, to await developments, returning about the 7th of July. On my return, I found more tents and more lumber on the ground, and a few shanties in the course of erection. We were compelled to haul our lumber for building purposes by wagon from Kearney, over si.xty miles, which brought the price of six-dollar-a-thousand knot-holes up to the price of 'B' select. While staying at Ansley this time, I boarded at the West End hotel, a fine structure built of 'B' select, with kitchen, dining room, office, parlor, bathroom, and bedroom combined. Everybody was goodnatured and the landlord expected his guests to 'double up' every night with whoever he saw fit to assign us, and at the first peep o' day the clerk would come and shake us, saying, 'Time to roll off them tables ; the girls want to set the tables for breakfast,' with which request we cheerfully complied, pulling on our shoes as quickly as possible, going out of doors and leaning up against the knot-holes until the bell rang for breakfast, when we sat up to the table. The waiter then called out from the kitchen, 'Tea or coffee, which? you fellows on the north end.' Of course we said 'coffee' because it had more body than tea, which prevented us from seeing what was floating about between the bottom and top of the cup. The waiter brought in a plate of hot biscuits and another with eggs and bacon, set them on the table and said. 'Now, boys, help vourselves.' We waited for some time, wondering if we were expected to use our hands for plates and our fingers for knives and forks. We finally asked the waiter if that was the intention. He replied, 'Come off the dump! Shoo ! Shoo ! Shoo ! There is your tableware.' And sure enough there it was. We had failed to remove the cover of fat. saucy flies that had taken possession of our plates as if they had expected to be waited upon first. S'uch was my first experience with Ansley. When I arrived a third time, after an absence of four or five weeks, I found that a great change had been made - from a brown prairie to a busy village. I found about twenty buildings, in dift'erent stages of erection, my own among them, which was partly inclosed. I scraped a lot of shavings together, spread down my blankets and slept under my own vine and fig tree. But, alas ! not alone. After I fell asleep, I dreamed I was a boy again and went down to the creek to take a swim, and just as I was ready to take a plunge into the water, I fell backwards into a bunch of nettles. I awoke, and as soon as I got myself located, I realized that it was not nettles, but fleas."

The railroad was put through Ansley in the fall of 1886. Mr. Fred Gosselin was the first operator. The putting of the railroad through not only brought Americans, but also folks from across the seas to share in the bounties of this western country. One of these, Mrs. Anna Thessen, in a letter from Mason City addressed to ]\Ir. E. P. Gaines and dated June 16. 1918, tells of her first visit to Ansley:

"As I read the question in your advertisement, I thought that I would send in a few items. It is thirty years ago. the 21st of this month, that I, a young girl of seventeen, fresh from Germany, came to Ansley. As I couldn't talk American, I did the next best thing and got an English-German dictionary, in which I looked up such words as 'hotel,' breakfast,' 'how much,' 'coft'ee,' 'tea,' 'team.' 'livery barn,' and so on. and that way found the hotel, asked for breakfast, paid for it, Ifired a team and was taken to the farm of John Graf. The hotel was called the 'Cottage Hotel' and was kept by either Mrs. \'an Sant or Mrs. Alex Moore : anyhow it was one of the two. The livery barn was kept by Ed. Sloan and was standing west of Harry McNulty's restaurant. I also bought candy at Edgar Varney's store. The bank, I think, was run at that time by C. J. Stevens."

The motto of .\nsley is: "Push, that's .\nsley,'' and the enterprise and thrift of its business men have proved its proper applicability. They are, and have generally been, men of unselfish service, broad vision, and community pride - -men whose aim is, and has been, to serve the community as well as themselves. And whatever this town may become, it will owe much to those sturdy pioneers who, in defiance of hail, hot winds, and drouth, blazed the trail that others have followed to success and opulence.

The first bank in Ansley was established in the year 1888, by C. J. Stevens, F. M. Rublee, and B. F. Ilaeke, and was known as the Ansley Banking Company. In 1902 C. Mackey, Frank Young, and T. T. \'arney bought out the banking company and reorganized it as the First National Bank. It continued as such until 1916, when it was changed to the State Bank of Ansley. Its present officers are : President, C. Mackey; vice-president. B. J. Tierney; cashier, R. A. Studley; assistant cashier, E. O. Morris ; other stockholders and directors, Andrew Sherbeck and Anthony Wilkinson. Its present capital and surplus aggregate $40,000 and its deposits $500,000.

The Farmers' State Bank was organized in 1905. Its first president was Walter E. Newcomb and its first cashier was George E. Ri:litmyer. Mr. Newcomb was succeeded by Frank Baker and he by George E. Ri:htnlyer, who continued as president up to the time of his death. October 1, 1917. The present officers are : President, Frank Baker ; vice-president, Lewis S'. Newcomb ; cashier. Grover A. Holeman ; assistant cashier, A. C. Van Home. In the 1907 panic this bank never refused to cash a check. Its present authorized capital is $25,000 and its deposits amount to over $200,000.

The Security State ISank was organized February 5, 1915. Its first president was A. P. Dobesh and its first cashier was F. N. Austin. Its present captial and surplus amount to $21,000 with deposits of $220,000. Its resources have increased from $57.8-K).97 in August, 1915. to $244,983.89 in August. 1918. Its present officers are: President. William Ihlow : vice-president, Henry Schmid : cashier, E. P. Gaines ; assistant cashier, D. C. Thompson.

The first merchant in Ansley was Edgar \'arney, who moved his store over from Westerville and put it in charge of his son, T. T. Varney, in the early part of the year 1886. The same year, Thomas H. Blowers also moved from Westerville. About the same time, W. D. Fritz opened up the first hardware store, in the building with Edgar Varney. The following year saw the advent of E. H. Burrows, A. H. Shepard, Gaines & Hagin, and the Butler Brothers. Burrows continued in business up to the year 1912. when he disposed of his interests to E. L. Kellc}- and removed to Los Angeles, California. A. H. Shepard was in business up to 1916, when he disposed of his stock of goods to his son, Archie H., and his daughter, Myrtle C, and entered the post office. Gaines & Hagin ran their business until 1909, when they dissolved partnersliip, Hagin disposing of his interests to Gaines and. later, starting a new store, which he continued to run until 1913. Gaines continued at the old stand up to the time of his death, January 2, 1915, when his sons disposed of his stock of goods. Thomas H. Blowers, in the early part of the '90s, traded his mercantile business for the milling interests of A. W. Hawk, who operated it with C. J. Stevens and I. Clark about ten years. Of the present merchants, C. J. Stevens started his present store in 1895, J. H. Kerr in 1899, F. P. Hawk in 1903, L. F. Landmesser in 1907, J. H. \'arney in 1914, and Shepard & Shepard in 1916.

The first furniture and undertaking establishment in An.sley was run by Fred Gosselin, who opened it in 188') or 18')0. The R. G. Applcgarth Furniture and Undertaking Company have been in businesss since 1906. Mr. Applegarth died in the year 1916, since which time the manager, H. D. Reed, who has been with the company from the fir.st. has had sole charge. Mattley & Hoover and C. J. Stevens both carry a line of furniture, while the former also do an undertaking business.

The first hardware dealer was W. D. Fritz, but the Butler Brothers and Gaines & Hagin also carried a full line of hardware and farm machinery. In 1902 W. S. Mattley began sell- ing hardware and farm machinery, disposing of his business to his brother, Charles E., in May, 1914. In April, 1916, the firm became Mattley & Hoover, through the. admission of C. B. Hoover. U. W. Thompson sold farm machinery from 1903 to 1913. The present dealers in farm machinery are J. D. Knapp and Hiser & Detwiler. Mr. Knapp has been in his present business since 1906 and Messrs. Hiser and Detwiler since 1914.

From the start, all of the general mercantile stores carried lines of clothing. (Jur present clothier is Roscoe G. Secord, who keeps a full line of men's furnishing goods - hats, boots, shoes, rubbers, neckties, and collars. Our tailor. Otto Winter, who came in September. 1916, also takes orders for suits, besides doing a cleaning and pressing business.

The first milliner in Ansley was Miss \\'\\- helmina Alengel (now Mrs. M. C. Warrington, of Mason City), who opened a shop the year that the village was started. Then came Miss Nettie Worden (now Mrs. R. M. Hayslip). She was followed by Mrs. Mary Wakelin, and she by ]\Iiss Augusta Worden. Later the Worden sisters, then Mrs. Hoover and Mrs. Holman, entered the millinery business and conducted it for several years. The present milliner is Miss Mary Geeseman, who has been in the business since 1914. Others who have carried a line of millinery since the beginning of the town have been E. H. Burrows, A. H. Shepard, and C. J. S'tevens.

The first blacksmith was C. M. Dorr, who came at the founding of the town, or soon after. A few months later. William Davis entered into business with him. This partnership continued for several years, when Davis sold out his interest to Dorr, who continued to run it for a few months longer, when he finally dsposed of it to Joel F. Lannum. Later William Burdett went into the carriage and wagon business in the same building, hiring a blacksmith to do his iron work. Shortly after the location of Dorr, Charles Gessright opened up a wagon shop on the lot where the home of T. N. Southard now stands.

Dana AI. Saville was also a blacksmith here, removing from Westerville in May, 1904, and continuing in business until October, 1914, when he was forced to quit, by reason of ill health. The present blacksmith is George Gravley, who came to this place in 1914.

In the fall of 1886, A. W. Hawk and his son, C. W.. bought from the Martin Brothers the Algernon flouring mill, which, in 1890, they moved to Ansley. This mill they later traded to Blowers & Clark. It finally came into the hands of C. J. Stevens, and it was burned in the year 1906.

Ansley's first carpenters were O. ]\I. Geeseman, Sid. Harris, Ed. Harris, Racine \\'iget, Henry Klick, Jack Storey, Henry Hogg, and Al. Hoover. The first baker was J. A. Alauler. He came in 1903 or 1904. He was followed in 1909 by J. F. Russell, who has been in the business ever since.

Joe Moore opened the first garage, in 1908. In 1915 Templin & Wozney built their large garage, at a cost of $6,500. This garage is now run by the Marsh Auto Company, composed of H. Guy Marsh, G. H. Holeman, and A. C. \'an Home. The garage of E. A. Butler & Son w^as erected in the fall of 1916, and, including stock and fixtures, represents the value of $20,000. E. A. Butler and his son, Harry, are salesmen for the Ford automobile company, of Detroit. The Hollenbeck garage, which makes a specialty of repairing cars, is run by the manager, C. R. Woolley. E. H. Xorden runs a machine shop and makes a specialty of automobile repairing.

The first shoe repairer was Henry Abbey. Next came E. Clark, who sold his shop to Frank Mills, who in turn, in 1905, disposed of it to its present owner. Perry Foster. Mr. Foster also carries a full line of footwear.

A. J. Hookum has just installed a new Sano mill, with the capacity of fifty barrels of flour per day. The first meat market was run by Anthony Wilkinson. Others who have engaged in the meat business are John Davis. William Zimmerman, Clerk Hanna, O. H.

Mooniey, W'es. iNloomey, Jake Paine, Norton Amsberry, Fred Simpson, E. B. Hyatt, George Hatfield, Will Garten, and Al. Govier. The present markets are the Ansley market, conducted by Perry Lanum, and the Sanitary market, conducted by Fred Maulick.

The first to engage in the well business was George Haines, about 1889. Henry Wakelin and Al. Harvell also were engaged in this business in the early years of Ansley. E. A. Butler sold windmills and well material from the commencement of the town. Hiram Curtis has been in the business since 1897, moving into his new building in 1917.

In 1887, Joe Rambo opened the first livery barn, where Butler's garage now stands. This building was later removed to the Lanum lots and is now one of the buildings belonging to Grand and John Lanum, who use it for a feed and sale stable. Others who have been engaged in the livery business are Alex. Moore, At. Sloan, James McMannus. Wallace Busic, F. P. and C. W. Hawk, Russell & Lanum, W. O. Phillips, and E. F. Hollenbeck.

D. A. Van Sant opened the first hotel in Ansley, the Commercial House, in August, 1886. It was afterward sold to Mrs. Eggleston, who ran it for a number of years. It is the building now occupied by Pat's Cafe. The Central hotel was opened by Fritz & Michael, on the lot that lies just east of the postoffice. The Cottage hotel stood where Harry Mc- Nulty's restaurant now stands and was conducted for a number of years by Mrs. Alex. Moore. Harry McNulty and ^Irs. Edna Gaylord now conduct the two restaurants of the place, while our large rooming house is owned by Mrs. R. M. Hayslip.

J. W. Comstock has been in the harness business continuously since the beginning of the town, in 1886 - first with a partner. Henry Abbey, and latterly, in 1907. with Fred Mills, since which the firm has been known as Comstock & Mills.

The jewelry business in Ansley was first represented by Henry Kirk, who came either in 1886 or 1887 and occupied a building near where the postoffice now stands. After three or four years, he disposed of his stock and left the town. He was followed by Elsa Harsin, who had his shop with Walter Theobald, druggist. When Charles Hare bought the Theobald drug store he also purchased Harsin's jewelrjf equipment, and he continued to mend watches up to the time of his death. In the meantime a jeweler by the name of Snook opened a shop in the little building formerly occupied by S. P. Vamey as a barber shop. He must have been a very good man, for, although we have consulted a score of tlie old citizens, we have been able to obtain but three facts in regard to his life : he was a jeweler, a Seventh-day Adventist, and his name was Snook. When Charles Hare died, in 1905, A. L. Butler purchased the jewelry business, which he has conducted ever since.

D. A. \'an Sant was the first drayman and the first to make a business of moving buildings. He moved the flouring mill of Hawk & Son from Algernon to Ansley, in 1890. The present draymen are Clyde Pinckley and .Vndy Case.

There are at present seven creamery agencies in Ansley. The David Cole Company, of Omaha, is represented by A. W. Kimball ; the Lincoln Pure Butter Company by Norton .\msberry ; the Beatrice Creamery Company by J. D. Knapp; the Kirschbaum & Sons Creamery Companj', of Omaha, by Fred Maulick : and the Farmers' Shipping .\ssociation, and the Fairmont Creamery Company by A. J. Hookom and William Mannen.

The first lumber company to do business in Ansley was the Chicago Lumber Company, which entered the field in June. 1886. Its representative was a young man by the name of Cox, and he. with a small pile of lumber, landed here i)efore any buildings were erected. In the fall of 188') the Stevenson Lumber Company was established. Its manager was Brome Stevenson. The father of the manager was the first man to die in Ansley - from the efifects of injuries received in being thrown from a buggy. In this same year E. A. "and A. L. Butler went into the coal business, remaining in the same until 1894, when E. A. went to work for the International Harvester Company and A. L. engaged in the restaurant business, removing the fixtures from Seward. The Dierks Lumber Company, which has been on the ground for a number of years, is represented in this place by its genial manager, O. D. Dean. Its investment here is $60,000. The J. H. Melville Lumber Company, successor of the Turner Lumber Company, represents an investment of $27,000. Its manager is Percy Reed. Both yards deal in coal and lumber. The Farmers' Shipping Association also deals in coal.'

Anslev'S Shipping Association

B. |. Tierne}- began in the grain and livestock business in Ansley in the year 1887 and has been engaged in this line continuously ever since. In 1917, alone, he transacted business to the value of $100,000. The Farmers' Grain & Livestock Shipping Association was organized in 1909. Its organic capital is $10,000. Its stockholders number 125 and it has paid-up capital of $21,000. Its president is A. P. Dobesh; secretary, James Allen; and manager, Sam. P. Negley.

Axslev'S Drug Stores

The first druggist was Sam Royds, who was also postmaster. He came in 1886 and, upon his death, in 1888. his wife (now Mrs. B. J. Tierney), succeeded him. She conducted the business until it was sold to Charles H. F. Steinmeir, in 1906. Mr. Steinmeir now conducts a Rexall store and the value of his enterprise is estimated at $40,000. The second drug store in Ansley was that of Rev. Walter Theobald, a Baptist minister, and it was opened shortly after that of Royds. This store was later disposed of to Charles B. Hare and was run by him for a number of years - until his death, in September, 1905, when the stock was sold to C. H. F. Steinmeir. Shortly after the death of Royds, his clerk, O. P. Allphin. opened a drug store, and he continued in business imtil 1912, when the stock was disposed of to Dr. E. A. Hanna. Hanna, in turn, disposed of it, October, 1917, to Charles Chandler, who now conducts one of the best pharmacies in the state. The value of his investment is $15,000.

The first lawyer on the ground was George Snell. Shortly afterward J. A. Armour moved over from Westerville ; he later served two terms as county judge. In the spring of 1888. came Hugh McConelly. Judson C. Porter became an inhabitant of the village in 1898 but died in 1903. J. R. Rhodes hung out his shingle October 1, 1893, and has practiced his profession here ever since, with the exception of four years (1894-8) which he spent in Broken Bow, as county judge. F. M. Bentley began the practice of law in Alarch, 1904, but died two years later, in December, 1906. N. Dwight Ford, the present county judge, was also a resident of Ansley for some time. Ansley's first physician was Dr. C. H. 'Slovris, who practiced here from 1886 to 1893. Part of the time contemporaneously with Dr. Alorris was Dr. Hawes, who left the town in 1894. Other physicians who have practiced in Ansley are Drs. Thomas, Anderson, AIullins, Imah, and Jennings. Dr. Grace M. Lewis, a sister of ]\Irs. J. H. Kerr, also practiced medicine here, from 1898 to 1902. Of the present physicians. Dr. E. A. Hanna came here from Elmo, Alissouri, in 1895; Dr. W. R. Young came in 1897; Dr. C. L. Housel, in 1907; Dr. R. P. Higgins, in 1913; and Dr. H. C. Stadden in 1916. Dr. Hanna is a graduate of the Ensworth Medical College, at St. Joseph, Missouri ; Dr. Young, of the State University' of Iowa ; Dr. Housel, of the Lincoln Aledical College ; Dr. Higgins of the University of Nebraska, and Dr. Stadden of the Creighton College of Medicine. Dr. House! and Dr. Higgins have been serving their country in the medical corps, in connection with the world war.

Ansley's first located dentist was Dr. Kramer, now of Hyannis, Nebraska. Dr. W. A. Housel opened his office in Ansley upon his graduation from the Lincoln Dental College,

Ansley was the first village of the state, west of Grand Island, to have both city water and electric lights. The Ansley Electric Light & Power Company's plant was built and owned by C. J. Stevens and was enfranchised by the village, September 20, 1892. The waterworks company was organized and the plant completed in 1893. For this purpose, four thousand dollars' worth of bonds were voted and issued in 1892. The light plant, however, was destroyed by fire in the fall of 1904. Peter W. McTaggart & Company succeeded the Electric Light & Power Company, October 1, 1906. This plant, in turn, was also destroyed by fire, April 13, 1910. It was succeeded by the Municipal Light & Power System. June (>. 1910. This latter plant was completed the following year, at the approximate cost of $21,000.

The first telephone company in .\nsley was known as the Central Telephone Company and the plant was installed in the year 1903. The first manager was A. L. liutler ami the first operator was Miss Grace Butler, now Mrs. Fred Maulick. The first 'phones in town were those of A. L. Butler, E. A. Butler, and J. H. Hiser. The present telephone company, known as the Ansley Telephone Company, had its origin in the year 1909, through the purchase of the plant of the Central Telephone Company. Its present officers are: C. J. Stevens, president : John McCullough. vice-president ; Roy Patterson, secretary; R. A. Studley, treasurer. It has local and long-distance connections and 682 subscribers.

The following facts relative to the ncwspap)ers of Ansley have been furnished liy Mr. C. N. Harris, himself at one time a publisher in the village. .\ short time after .Vnsley was founded, James W'estervelt purchased the Jl'cstcni Echo of W'esterville and, removing it to Ansley, published it here. This name was later changed to the Ansley Chronicle, with two brothers. Will and Harve Chapman, as joint editors. In 1895 the plant was sold to Thomas Wright, who was its sole editor until about 1902. Alxiut the year 1900 A. H. Barks started the Citizen which, aljout 1902, was combined with the Chronicle and called the Chronicle-Cilicen, Wright and Barks being joint editors and publishers. About two years later Barks sold his interest in the paper to Wright, who continued to publish it until

1907, Barks starting a new paper, the Xebraskan, which was discontinued after a few issues. Then, in 1905, Barks purchased the An^osy of Dr. McArthur, of \\'esterville, moved it to Ansley and published it fierce In 1907 he purchased tlu' Clironicle-Citizen of Wright and combined the two papers under the name of the Argosy and Chronicle-Citizen. June 1,

1908, this plant was sold to C. N. Harris, who continued to publish the paper as the Argosy until July 11. 1914. when the establishment was destroyed by fire. Thereafter the town was without a paper until the beginning of l')15, when Wright ])urchased the Beacon plant at Broken Bow, moved it to Ansley and began the publication of the Ansley Herald which he continued until June, 1918, when he sold it to J. A. Wallace, of Gilby, North Dakota, its present editor and publisher. During the years 1894-6 James Amsberry published in .Vnsley a Populist paper, which was called the Adi'ocatc.

The first postmaster was Sam Royds, appointed. He died before his term expired and his wife, now Mrs. B. J. Tierncy, filled out the term. In their order the postmasters, since Royds, have been Major E. S. Ellison, .-\. H. Turpen, T. T. Varney, Thomas Wright, E. P. Gaines, and .\. H. Shepard. The first rural route was established in 1904, with Joe Hyatt as the carrier. There are at present three regular and two Star routes.

fought in the first were E. A. Miller, C. C. Cooper, H. L. Kerr, C. V. Pinkley, William Lawson, Oliver Winch. Seymour Burton, Nat. S. Sims, F. C. Rucker, Lemuel Clay, Alvin Coxan, Parlie Busic, Fred Peterson, and Walter Ashworth, the last named having- died of disease, in the Philippines.

Up to August 15, 1918, Ansley had made the following contributions to the financial support of the government. She has purchased bonds to the amount of over $151,000; she has bought war savings stamps to the amount of $53,000 ; she has contributed to the Red Cross $4,441.75; to the Young Men's Christian Association, $1,100; and to the Knights of Columbus, seventy-five dollars. The town has stood ready to do all that was demanded of it in the giving of its sons and the contributing of its wealth to the cause of liberty.

Ansley! Fairest city of the prairie ! May no portentous cloud arise to darken thy horizon ! May thy sons ever be strong and thy daughters fair. And may the coming years behold naught but thy unfolding glory and increasing strength.

The Ansley public library was first started by the Woman's Federated Club, in the fall of 1916, with books donated by the members and with a small purchase of new books. In 1917 the township elected a library board, consisting of Dr. W. R. Young, Mrs. D. W. Thomson, B. J. Tierney, F. B. Housel, and Lewis Newcomb. They also put a three-mill levy on the township for library purposes. At present we have on our shelves about 500 books and have made quite an extensive purchase besides. A large number of masrazines have also been donated. The books are free to all residents of the township, but nonresidents are assessed twenty-five cents per quarter. The board has an application in with the Carnegie library people and is awaiting their decision. If the decision is not favorable, a move will be made to build a building ourselves. The library is open Saturday afternoons and evenings. The weekly output of books is from thirty to fifty. ?\rrs. H. L. Fowler is the librarian.

The Story Of .Xnselmo

When he arrived on the ground where the town was to be platted, he was so impressed by the beautiful surrounding country, that he suggested this site would bear his given name, and to harmonize with this he named the streets and avenues after the men who settled on the land in the early '80s, namely, ~\[. R. Foster, Harvey Said, and Walter Scott.

Anselmo Smith, being a man of vision, in looking through his field glass, probably foresaw the future of the village that was to bear his name. Looking north and west, before him lay the virgin soil, which few thought it necessary to cultivate, and the great, dry, sandy plains which up until this time had been left to the hunter and his prey.

To the south and east the engineer saw the beautiful agricultural valleys of Eureka, Ortello. Dale, Victoria, and New Helena, overshadowed by vast table land, together with Victoria creek, rising in the plains to the west, passing underground through Anselmo and coming to the surface again, in the form of mineral springs, in the New Helena valley.

A pioneer with vision, once looked beyond what had been done and saw what might be done, then did it. H. B. Andrews, one of the pioneers of the early '70s, saw in these vast prairies an opportunity to make a fortune out of the cattle business, and how w-ell he succeeded, would be a history in itself. For the next quarter of a century, Mr. Andrews was a familiar figure in the saddle, looking after his vast interests. C. R. IMathews, another pioneer of the early 70s, who blazed the trail across the tortuous west, found ample compensation for the travail he endured, in the superb fruitfulness of his labors - coming as he did from far away Virginia. Only the pioneer can appreciate his early struggles.

The common remark, that the world is now in the engineering age, is well borne out by the history of the years now under consideration, namely the spring and fall of 1886. It was signally manifest, in that it marked the entrance of the first train over the Chicago,

Burlington & Ouincy Railroad into Anselmo - a line of railway having been surveyed from Grand Island to the Black Hills - and Anselmo was platted in the fall of 1886 (November 20).

Henry Kelley erected the first building in the village, to be used as a drug store ; C. F. Graves followed with a building to be used as a grocery store. Dorr Heffleman was already on the ground, located in a tent, in which, while his building was in the course of construction, he conducted a bank, afterward known as the First Bank of Anselmo.

While the town was being built, Harvey Said conducted a hotel in a sod house onehalf mile from town. The first restaurant and short-order house was built liy Thomas Flood, followed by what were then called modern hotels - the Bowman House, built by Crate Bowman ; the Poor House, erected by Charles Poor ; and later the Ong House, which is now known as the City hotel. The Bowman House was transferred to a new location by Moore Brothers, in 19n, and named the Commercial hotel. The present owner of the property is Al. Willet. The Poor House has long since gone out of existence. Weander Brothers conducted the first general store, after these came E. C. Gibbs, C. D. Pelham, 1 lumphrey Smith, T. R. Brayton, T. P. Riley, lames Phillips, William Fishroff, Fairchilds & Bodine, J. H. Brandenburg, Joe Michele, Hugh McKee, Pierce Cain, C. L. Tupper, Kelley Sisters, Doctors Stack, Hamilton, Kelley, and Gilligan, Thomas Russell, Otis Scovill, John Jessen, Kloman and Arnold, James Zane, William Stater, James McDermott, William Boyd, and others.

These were the merchants and business men of Anselmo from its infancy until 1895, and all did a thriving business. Then Anselmo met with reverses, on account of the drouth of 1894, and time passed slowly for the next two or three years, when business revived again, with G. M. Williams, store and postoffice; Lee Gordon, general store; H. K. Atkisson, general store ; Wilson Brothers, elevator; W. E. Warren, elevator; Dierks Bro-

The old corporation was revived, after a slumber of four years. A village election was held and gave to the village board the following personnel : F. C. Wilson, chairman ; H. K. Atkisson, clerk; W. E. Warren, Henry Kelley, and Crate Bowman as village trustees. The little town once more began to show signs of life, and so went Anselmo until 1903, when come J. J. Tooley, with the Anselmo State Bank; jNIoore Brothers, general merchandise: B. C. Empfield, hardware, (succeeded by W. H. Danielson i ; Frank Taylor, meat market ; \\'illiams & Johnson, general merchandise.

Among the prominent business firms and corporations now in the city are Moore Brothers, wholesale automobile dealers ; Anselmo State Bank, with Charles Sanders president and Dave Christen cashier; People's State Bank, with Henry Kelley president and R. E. Thompson cashier; Farmers' Mercantile Company, Aloin Daily manager; ^loulton & Bass, general merchants ; Williams & Taylor, general merchants; W. W. Bass & Company, and Moore Brothers, hardware ; J. W. Crist, Frank Taylor, meat markets; Kelley & Wills, H. S. Mittonberger. drug stores; John Runner, jeweler; Mrs. Barr, hotel: Jay Barton, restaurant ; Henry Doty, T. P. Alaroney, pool halls ; Harrington Brothers and George Tap- ])an. dray lines; Henry Morrisey, Roy Parsons, barbers : Jack Wells, blacksmith : H. L. Day, Frank Willson. wells and windmills; Dierks Lumber Company. Melville Lumber Company, Central Granaries Company, Farmers' Elevator company ; J. R. Kalar. doctor ; Moore Brothers, Dennis & Mc^lurtry. William Knight, Thomas Mahar. garages; M. C. T^conard, R. H. Miller, real estate; C. G. Empfielfl, J. E. Fodge. contractors; Anselmo Enterprise. R. H. Miller editor: Mrs. ^lay Gibson, millinery.

Postoffice History

The first postoffice in the vicinity of Anselmo was named Wirt, with W. E. Ross postmaster; it was located two miles north of Anselmo. In the spring of 1886 Joe Michele was appointed postmaster at Anselmo and the Wirt postoffice was discontinued.

With the different administrations of the government Anselmo's postmasters changed, and in the following order the local postal service was efficiently looked after by Hugh Mc- Kee, Harvey Said. Henr\' Kelley. Granville Adkins, George Williams, Henry Kelley, Roy Atkisson, B. C. Empfield. Fred Brechbuhl, and Patrick Leonard, the present postmaster.

Tow.X I.Mprovemexts

From the early beginning of Anselmo the people of the community were optimistic and determined, as was well represented by men who made life a success. The buildings in the beginning were of frame construction, neatly planned and well taken care of.

.Anselmo has always been blessed with real "boosters" - men who had enough faith in the town to put their money back of their ideas - ^ such men as Dorr Heffleman, William Moore, David Christen, Fred Brechbuhl.

Confident progressiveness has been manifested by the organizations of the Workmen and Masonic orders. Moore Brothers, F. C. Wilson, the community (in building the Community Hall) and others who had seen the bright side of an optimistic life.

A municipal water system was established and a voluntary fire department was organized in 1911. On April 21, 1913, Anselmo had its first electric lights installed, by Christen & Brechbuhl.

It may not come amiss here to mention the beginning of the Ford motor car in Custer county. On May 17, 1910. the firm of Moore Brothers made a contract with the Ford Motor Company and estimated forty cars for the Custer county territory. On May 26, 1910, they received their first shipment, and on the following Sunday they delivered the first car. to E. Knoell. of New Helena, .\nselmo was also the beginning of the Dodge Brothers' production in Custer county, by Moore Brothers. This firm received the first Dodge car

Anselnio very early in its existence had a newspaper, called the Sun, which illuminated the darkness that then prevailed. The first issue was from a tent, with S. I. MeserauU as its editor. J. H. Zerung, Ben Sanders, J. J. Tooley, and others tried their hands at making the Sun shine, liut it eventually lost its luminary power, in 1890, causing a total eclipse, and was finally gathered into the bosom of whomsoever represents Abraham in the newsjiaper heaven.

The Enterprise was founded by B. C. Empfield and H. G. Campbell, and the first number made its appearance May 11, 1906. A few months after the establishment of the paper Mr. Empfield sold his interest to his partner, Mr. Campbell, who conducted its affairs until within otie week of the close of the first volume, when he sold it to O. C. Anderson, who had been in the business of painting and paper-hanging in Anselmo for some time. He assumed charge with the issue of No. 52, volume 1, and conducted it for a little over two years, when he disposed of the plant and good will to Sherman Bly, of Hastings. Mr. Bly assumed charge with the issue of No. 10, volume 2, published July 10, 1908.

During this year the paper was increased to its present size, and with No. 50, volume 3, E. E. Philpot became the editor. He continued in charge of the paper until the first number of volume 7 was issued, when the paper was purchased by K. K .Smith, who issued his first paper under No. 2, volume 7, on ]\Iay 10. 1912. After two and one-half years, C. ^I. Anderson became the owner and publisher. He remained in charge until August 1, 1917, when the business was sold to R. H. Miller, the present publisher.

In its initial number the editors announced the politics of the Enterprise as non-partisan, which, however, is not interpreted as being owned by a non-partisan league. The Enterprise has filled its niche as a paper for Anselmo

The American soldier and sailor of to-day stand in the public view as do no other individuals. Anselmo has contributed her share to the conflict. All honor to them ! Men die for no better cause than theirs.

Those who have responded to the call of their country from Anselmo and vicinity are : Adlai and Elwyn Johnson, Ed. Baird, Walter Smith, Ervin Miller, Hubert Wilson, Harry Frye. Albert Campfield, Harold Kepler, Oak Kepler, Ora Dennis, Joe Wanischke, Walter Spooner, Ray Ross, Ralph Lewis, Fred Carr, Scott Winchester, Ray Adams, Nay Dishman, Russell Lehmanowski, Frank Crist, Davis Crist, Henry Cain, Dr. C. L. Wills, Lawrence Ray, George Spelts, ^lartin Gallington, Willard Mayfield, Talmage Smith, Ivan Province, Fred Hodapp, Shirley Parkison, and Peter Muys.

Few events in the history of Anselmo have been more inspiring than the zealous response to the appeal of the war fund, Red Cross, Young Men's Christian Association, and Knights of Columbus.

Anselmo has risen to the occasion magnanimously, gloriously. She has given sterling evidence not only of her patriotism, but also of power of organization, power of pushing a big thing through.

Anselmo Churches

Religion, the great bulwark of our ideal democracy, providing ever for the betterment of the masses, is represented by three denominations, namely : Methodist, Catholic, and Christian.

The ]\Iethodist church- building was located in 1887, on a little knoll overlooking the town, with James Eads as pastor. The little building in a few years outgrew its usefulness, and in 1902 a modern structure was erected, on the corner of Dorr street and Foster avenue.

Long cherished hopes and ambitions were realized by the Catholic people of Anselmo and vicinity when, in 1905, St. Anselm's church was dedicated. Previously to this date the mission was attended, from Dale, by Father Flanagan. Rev. M. L. Daley succeeded Father Flanagan, and was successful in raising the money to build the church. Then came Rev. Father Donnelly, and during his administration the parsonage was built. He was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Minogue, the present pastor, who has built up the parish to one of the choicest in the Grand Island diocese and who enjoys the good will and esteem not only of his own congregation but also of the public at large.

Social and fraternal orders had their beginning in Anselmo in the year 1895, when the Ancient Order of United Workmen was organized, on March 23, with Arthur P. Smith as master workman. Then followed Cedar Lodge, No. 185, Degree of Honor. The camp of Modem Woodmen of America was organized February 20, 1900, with Frank Britton, venerable counsel. The Modem Brotherhood of America was organized March 5, 1900. The Odd Fellows were organized on March 20, 1904, with M. J. Johnson as noble grand. The Masonic lodge was instituted June 7, 1905, with J. T- Tooley. master, and Chal Empfield. secretary. The Eastern Star was instituted May 8, 1907, Nettie Tooley, worthy matron. The Royal Neighbors was organized February 8, 1909. Woodmen of the World was organized June 27, 1913, Joseph C. IMoore, counsel commander.

The Story Of Oconto

Oconto is located on the Kearney & Black Hills branch of the Union Pacific Railroad, fifty-two miles from either end, thus making it the exact center of one of the most prosperous and be.st paying branches of the Union Pacific system. It is situated in the Wood River valley, known over the central United States as one of the most prosperous and fertile valleys to be found.

Oconto was located in the fall of 1887, by the Lincoln Townsite Company, which bought 160 acres of land, of Wallace Highbee, for that purpose. R. G. Crossett and a ]\Ir. Johnson built the first general store, hauling the material from Plum Creek, now the town of Lexington, and the same building is now occupied by the Jones Drug Company. The next store building was moved from Lodi, being the pioneer building used as a store in this portion of Custer county, and having been built by John Moran, now postmaster of Callaway. This building was occupied by W. D. Cox as a general store. H. Bockman built the first hotel and Lewis Wambsgan built the first livery stable, which was run by Gottlieb Bensler. Mr. Crossett, at the same time, acted as first postmaster.

On April 25, 1905, Oconto was honored with the first edition of the Oconto Register, a paper started and edited here by Bryner Brothers, Fred and Walter, who conducted the paper for a few years, when Fred bought the interest of his brother Walter, who moved to Eddyville, purchasing the paper there. Fred edited the Ijaper, and also acted as postmaster, until 1913, when he sold the newspaper plant and business to F. J. Dunn, of Callaway. Mr. Dunn manipulated the type for a couple of years, when he sold the paper to F. C. Ferguson, who was editor in chief until the fall' of 1917, when he sold to Ashton Henderson, of Callaway. Mr. Henderson conducted the paper but a short time, when it was again sold, to the Queen Publishing Company, making it one of a line of papers owned by this company, along the Kearney & Black Hills branch of the Union Pacific Railroad. U. A. Brown was temporarily placed in charge as manager, but at the present time Fred Bryner, the original editor, is conducting the news-gathering.

Oconto has been given state-wide prominence by Orel Jones, of the Jones Drug Company, who has just closed a five years' term of service for the state, as a member of the state examining board in pharmacy, and this past year he was state delegate to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as well as to the national meeting of the .\merican Pharmaceutical Association, whose meetings were held at Indianapolis, Indiana.

stamp, bond. Red Cross, and other war activities it was to be found near the head of the column. It has been well represented in the flighting' part, by about fifty of its best young men, and more were awaiting their call at the time when the historic armistice came. There has been maintained also a home guard organization of seventy-seven members, wiih G. Campau as captain.

Educationally, Oconto had one of the first schools in this part of Custer county. In 1909 a nice, four-room building was erected, only three of the rooms being occupied until 1913, when the fourth teacher was added. At the present time there is an accredited eleventhgrade high school, with Miss Georgina Tolbert as principal ; Miss Helen Paine, grammar teacher; Miss Nellis O'Nele, intermediate; and ^liss Allegra O'Nele, primary teacher.

Oconto has three churches. The Catholic church was the first to be established, in 1889, and Rev. Father Pedlock, of Kearney, officiated. At the present time Rev. Father Moynihan is pastor. The Episcopal church was organized in 1890, being supplied from Kearney. In April. 1901. a clnirch building was completed and dedicated by the United Evangelical church, with Rev. V>. Hillier, now presiding elder for this district, as one of the first pastors. The following pastors have served since then : Rev. J. H. Williams, four years : J. F. Hendricks, one year ; H. S. Tool, four years : J. A. Lemming, one year : Frank Majors, one year; J. X. ]\Ielton, three years: and W. H. Carries is completing his first year. At the present time Oconto is considered one of the best business towns in this part of the state, all classes of business being well represented by hustlers in their respective lines. Oconto has a doctor, a weekly paper, two well stocked drug stores, two restaurants, two banks, two lumber yards (which also handle coal ) , three garages, three well stocked general stores, two cream stations, two blacksmith shops, two implement dealers, a harness shop, two barber shops, electric lights, two elevators, and one of the most up-to-the-minute opera houses to be found.

S'argent not only has a very progressive people, with enthusiasm for the education of the youth of the community, but also one of the most beautiful, convenient, and expensive school equipments in Custer county. The district was organized in 1884, with Mrs. A. R. Humphrey as teacher. Twenty-five pupils engaged her attention.

In 1897 a second teacher was found to be necessary, and from that time the school has increased in enrollment and grown in importance. In 1914 the school site was changed and a new house was erected, at a cost, including furnishings, of about $30,000.

The school carries twelve grades and is fully accredited to the State University. It is also accredited for high-school purposes. The school requires. and employs ten teachers.

The Oconto district was one of the last graded schools to be established. Originally the territory of this district was a part of district No. 34, but in 1896 the people from the country turned out at the school meeting in a body and voted to move the schoolhouse out of the village and to locate it more than a mile in the country. This so much displeased the villagers that they immediately petitioned the county superintendent to detach a part of the territory and form the present district No. 256.

One teacher was employed until 1908, when a second teacher was engaged. During the year 1909 the present building was erected and a third teacher was added to the corps of instructors. The school now employs four teachers, gives eleven grades of training and enrolls 120 pupils.

The Alerna district seems to have been named after a previously discontinued district. In the early days cattlemen had a custom of organizing large tracts of land into school districts. They invariably chose territory on which very few, if any, settlers lived, so that a school would not be needed. Two purposes were accomplished by this plan. First, it avoided the school tax and, second, it prevented the annexation of unorganized territory to other organized districts for school taxation. In the course of time the county superintendent would discover that the district existed only in name and he would give some new district that number. This, it seems was the case with district No. 15. However, in 1884, there being a school population of more than twenty pupils within the community, the county superintendent granted the petition that added the Merna district to the list of schools. Miss Affie Gordon was the first teacher and twenty-five pupils were enrolled.

In 1905, a high-school, with f(nir teachers, was supported. Three years later the present building was put up, at an expense of $25,000. Nine teachers are employed and 193 pupils are attending school.

District No. 33 has been constantly in the lime light since the year 1914, and has been written and talked about a great deal. ]\Iany magazines, including the Ladies' Home Journal and practically every farm paper in the United States, have written articles about this school. The picture of the building and a depicture of its floor plans have been printed in many publications. The plant was erected in 1915, at a cost of about $4,500. It has a teacherage, a barn, and a complete equipment. Two teachers are employed and ten grades are taught.