Sutton City

Sutton City

Luther French native of Ohio settled permanently on the IS!|^ of N W ^ section 2, tOAvu 7, range 5 in 1S70 and WH9 the tirst white settler in the precinct iSoou after, he built a dug-out, logging it upon the inside, covering the rool with bark and shinghng it with dirt. JJis fl^sr. neighborly call was soon arter the house was fiuishtd by Captain Charley White, of Indian fame, and Miss JSellie Henderson, on horse back 8 miles trcm the West Blue atd chased down ancl caught an antelope on the way. Mr. French vsas the first P, M, in Sulfou and the second in the county. He ^aid his homi-stead out as the town of button iSept. 23d and sold it ISov. 1st 1871 lo I. JS. and M.'^Jark who came irom 111, and Chio respectively. H W Gray

1 hat same spring William and Henry Smilh, the Brownells and Hollingviortbs, and J 15 ^chermerhorn, James Vroman and theEui/eras came soon alter Mr. F.

May 10, 1871 Henry Evans and wife catae in and settled; Mrs, Lvans vras the tirst married woman m the precinct. In the summer ot 1871 J It Malt by and W A W'^ay came tif m Crete and after contebting the title right of James C Vioman who came the year belore, extinguishing the title to the two eigbties lying tlirectly south of the original town, ihey laid it out in 1872 as the tfist addition to the town oi buaon.

In Feb 1872 John Yates made ibe tirst se'tlemeut and built a frame house. He was (bllowed by Dennis Layhane, Richard Hiilard, R. M. Mariner a carpenter and Patrick Nagle a railioad" man, and^ T K Elder; all these men were on their 'claims six weeks after Yates' settlement; a school district was organized in Sent, 1872; a house was erected in Dec 1872. Joseph Tout, now American Express ag't at Sutton, taught the first school with 16 scLiolars.

In Feb 1873 a Methodist Eniscopal churcli was organizeil. Rev Penny, pastor with a membership of 15; a union suar'ay school was organized in June 1873 with 25 scholars. The superiutondeiits have been in the order in which they served J M liamsey, S B Moutgomerf, Daniel Michael and John Yates. Tbe tirst birth was t/ohnnie Nasle son of Mr and Mrs P Nagle; Mrs JNagle was the first woman in the precincf, the first death was an infant child of Damei Michael- There is a debating club iu the precinct; Dil worth P. O. is iu tui» town.

Hon J B Weston present slate auditor was the first settler in Clay county and Spring Ranche. He came iu sometime in 1857 and built a log hoase at Pawnee Ranche on section Ifi, town 5, range 8- He was succeeded by Fred and George Roper, who held it until 1864, when they were driven vfi by the Indians, two of George lloper's daughters were captured by the ludians »ud he-d as captives until 1872 cr 73; One Mr Meicaif, brother-in-law of Ja", Bainter, was the first Lo settle and build at Spring Ranche. He j took the first homestead in the county in 1862 on section 8, town 5, range 8, aud run the ranche on the Overland Star route until June 1864.

A Pawnee Indian first brought him the news that the Sioux were coming aud had attacked the otaer raucbe above. He sent his family to Pawnee Ranche, about a mile east, then kept by the Lopeis, and mounting a fast horse, rode up the river to meet them. He found them about nine miles up the river: after shooting at them at long range, he fumed aud ran his horse back, loosed uis stock aud went to Pavvuee Ranche He soon saw the smoKe of his store, house and stable and other unprovnieuts: shortly afterward Pawnee Kauche was attack-

by froTH loO fo 200 Sioux. There were with bim in the ranche (a sod building \vilb pallisades arouud it) three other men Wsides several women aud children. 1 hey fought tor three dayp, keeping the Indians at hay, and were materially as- Bisted by Mrs. Bainier and the other women, who showed great bravery in aa- 8isting io watch the enemy aud in loading: guns for the men as fast as they were d'S'^harged. At las' Mr. Bainter succeeded in killing the Sioux chief, when they withdrew from tli'it immediate vicinity, A large number of Pawnee Indians came up soon afler who were friendly, especially toward Bainter, and with Ureir as^isiauce the Sioux were driv en ofl'for that time.

'J be Sioux soon after attacked all the ranches alMug the LitHe Blue and Bainter and all the settlers were driven off, a large number of set tiers, and nearly all of the sta^e drivers, were killed: Also one waeon train ot nearly sixty persons were slaughtered.

From 1862 to 1869 there were do setileraentB along the Little Blue above Meridian, in Jefferson County, aud no whiter excppt a lew adventurous hunteis at Liberty Farm .

A Portable, circwlar Bteatn saw mill was bntught into the coun'v by J. 5tover and Co in Ihd fall of 1871 and was the firs-t mill in tne county and rcnained till the lall of 1872. It was operated near the old Spiiug Rancbe, alter which this precinct was named.

Peck & Meston, of Har«rard, submitted proposition to build a grist mill at {^priiig Hanche in consideration of $7000 precinct bonds, to be voted under the lutcrual improvement act of the state Ictiislature. It was submitted to the pfople August 3rd 1873, and carried, AHirwards the bonds were adjudged by the United States courts to be illegal, a mill not being within the meaning of the act nndtr which they were voted and issued. Tiie mill was built 28 bj 40 feet, three stories high, with three run of stones, and commenced operation iu August 1874, It is situated on ILp Little Blue river, on nw I oi section 17. town 5, range 5 west: June 1st 1876 it passed into the hands of Alex; Meston oue of the purtners,aud is being successfully operated by him.