General history of Seward County, Nebraska

Author's Preface

In writing history of Seward County it has been my desire to produce a work of interest to the public and value to the county. All matters of history have been truthfully portrayed so far as 1 have been able to present them. 1 have not aimed to make it a high grade scholarly production, touchmg only the high places in the public attainments and official life of the past, but endeavoured to give an unadorned narration of the real modes of life and progression of the county from its infancy to full growth and maturity. Trusting the worth of the work to stand upon its merits rather than upon its flattery of popular sentiment, no church, society, political party or enterprise has received advertising reading space in it, while all have been fairly and impartially dealt with.

Like other authors 1 feel that my work is not above, but subject to criticism and ask that such be made with an honest purpose alone and that the value of the work be considered above its faults. 1 do not disown my errors in writing and printing — there are many to be found in this history — but 1 am glad to say 1 have endeavored to make everything plain, readable and comprehensible.

Many people expect to find, in a history of any part of the once "W'ild and W ooly West," reading matter in line and spirit with the day and age covered by the narration. And not wishing to disappoint any one 1 will ^ay: do not open this history expecting to find accounts of blood curddling Indian depredations, buffalo chases and other exciting events. There never was any Indian troubles aside from begging and stealing in Seward County and of course there is no story of them in this book. There were a few buffalo, elk, deer and antelope in the county at the date of its earliest settlement, but they were driven out by the freighters and early settlers. However Indian scares were of frequent occurrence during the period from 1860

to 187U, but 1 find it difficult to record scares as history. They are not

^\' tangible although real, unavoidable and discouragingly disagreable to the .^ early settlers.

^ In mentioning the passing away of early settlers it was not my intention

^ to publish obituaries, nor mention the church, lodge or society deceased be-

\^ longed to nor the previous military service of any comrade soldier, but mer-

^ ely to mention that part of their life that is connected with the history of

^ Seward County. And 1 trust there will be no disappointments in regard to

this memorial feature of the history. 1 feel that my neighbors who shared

with one another the trials and hardships of pioneer life in that honest,

honorable and patient endurance which characterized nearly every early

settler of Seward County, has won a brighter crown than can be given by

any lodge or church.

1 wish to thank all who have kindly assisted me in gathering items of historical interest for this book. With my forty-six years residence in Seward County, during which time the pioneer period has passed and modern conditions are speeding well along in years, 1 have many times felt myself unable to bring before the public a collection of the historical events which are worthy of record and rememberance, and in conclusion of this introduction will say my work has been a day and night task which I hope may meet the requirements of the most exacting as a history of Seward County.

Author.

THE PRAIRIES OUT V^EST, OR THE HOME OF MY CHILDHOOD.

Part I

O, who that e'er come from a woodland home- Shut in by dark forests like birds in their nest, Unmoved by the sight, could look upon the bright And boundless prairies spread out in the West?

Where etherial blue ends the far distant view — As though the dim future had ope'd to our sight, And we viewed all the space to the end of our race, The dark Vales of Sorrow and Hills of Delight.

Where light zephers race o'er earth's verdant face, With coolness refreshing, when weary, to feel. Treading waves in the grass and flowers as they pass O'er prairies untamed by a husbandman's zeal.

Where shadows flit by of clouds in the sky — And darken an instant, grove, valley and hill; Like a fugitive thought that's gone ere its caught, — That enters the mind, but escapes from the will.

Part II

O, of all the lands, I ween, that ever 1 have seen, I yet love my native prairies the best; Where I played by the rills, and rode down the hills, In the days of my childhood, afar in the West.

By day or by night, there are scenes of delight. For lovers of Nature, with hearts good and free, — But if darkened within by grief, care or sin, No pleasure in Eden's sweet bowers we'd see.

There are sanctums seclueded, where few have intruded. And cool, waving meadows, of flowers profuse. Deep valleys, bright glades, and beautiful green shades, Where poets might sweetly commune with their Muse.

There are rivers, and rills, and grass carpeted hills, Like billows that roll on a storm troubled sea- Wild nature is there, in forms the most fair; 'Tis a land of delight, 'tis the home of the free.

Chapter I

Introductory. The Vast Plains Area. The Path Finder and his Path the Artery of Civilization on the Immense Prairies W^est of the Missouri River. Finding (jold in California Establishes the Public High-Way Through the \V orld's Richest Agricultural Region. The California Trail.

Of the country forming the present central portion of the United States, but Httle was known a half century ago, and going back a century we find its immensity in area and agricultural wealth buried in a gloom of ignorance. The lar^j-e rivers had been discovered and in a manner partially explored. And some idea of the Rocky mountains had been gained, their range vaguely supposed to be impenetrable, flanked to their base by and plains and impassible gulfs. While immense herds of bulTalo and other wild beasts lived and fattened upon the rich grasses of the land, the Indian, regardless of the wealth hidden in the rich soil, trod its surface as lord and king, in search of game. Mountain ranges with their peaks capped with perpetual snow frowning down from their lofty heights, cast their shadows back from the setting sun upon the rich soils covered with luxurant ve^^etation while immaginary deserts hid the grand panarama from the vision of approaching civilization.

To the hrst trip across the continent may be charged the error forming the illusionary opinion that the bric^htest region in America, or the world, amidst which were the great state of Nebraska and its region where bright springs and flowing vv^ells abounded was a baren and impassable desert. What other foundation for this delusive theor}^ taught by the standard geographies and maps of the country, has never been made clear to the mind of humanit}'. It may have been given to the inteUigent world by Indians, but such information would form poor grounds upon which to base the instruction and education of the children of a great nation.

Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark made an exploring trip under the auspices of the United States government, from the eastern settlements to the Pacific coast, in 1803 and as government employees undoubtedly outlined the "Great American Desert." This hazardous trip, accompanied b}' untold suilering and hardshijis, required two years and three months of time. And while the problem of possible continental transit was solved by this test of endurance, it could not be considered an overland trip, as the route was mostly along the large rivers, assending the Missouri to the mountains in the north-west and then decending the large streams to the coast, leaving the interior regions unexplored and unknown.

The Light Alon^ Fremont's Path.

The birth of real knowledge of the agricultural wealth of the western plains came in 1842 when John C. Fremont first penetrated the so called desert in search of a route to and across the Rocky mountains to the Pacific ocean. On this mission the great "Path Finder" made five trips, covering a [)eriod of eleven years, on which he and his companions endured all manner of harships, at one time subsisting upon a diet of horse iiesh for fifty days. But in spite of all difficulties the world renowned path, which was destined to become the greatest wild countr}' highway ever known, was established, and over which, for a peroid of twenty years, many thousands of home and fortune seekers made their way to the new found Canaan.

With the constant extensive increase in population of the United States, and the needs of it and the world together, the opening up of the coming bread fields of the world, on the western phiins, was a mere matter for the work of time. BL]t the discover\' of gold in California in 1848 and the grand rush on the over-land route to the rich fields in 1849 brought forward advanced settlements and new discoveries in regard to the value of the country through which the route passed. And while the "Path Finder" had established a wdy in advance to reach the new gold helds, along that path the traveling public were taug"nL that the myth desert contained the richest and most productive soil upon the face of the earth. Fremont's route through the state of Nebraska was along the vallex' of the Platte river, passing about forty miles north of Seward county. It was reached by inlet routes starting at diherent points along the Missouri river, Nebraska Citv in the freighting time, being one of the larger shipping points. P\om this city the route in general use ran north-west, striking the Platte river about thirty miles above its mouth, then following the California trail up the val!e3\ But this route was found to be unnecessarily a round about way as by it a big bend around the counties of Saunders, Butler and Polk must be followed in traveling the Platte river route. And to avoid this and save many miles of travel a cut-ofi route, running nearly due west from Nebraska City to the West Blue valley, following it in a north-west course and striking the Platte river trail about forty miles east of Fort Kearney was surveyed and established in i860 by enterprising citizens of the aforesaid city. And along this route the fertile valleys, plains and hills of Seward county were first viewed by civilized people, and along this route are the foot-prints of early settlement and the transformation of the wild and desolate plains to progressive civilization.

Chapter II

Nebraska. Territorial Area and Organization. The State. Area, Rivers, Land, Counties Etc. Admission to the Union. Immense Increase in Population. Public School System the Best.

Nebraska was the name given a vast portion of wild country, organized and admitted as a territory by the United States government in 1854, under the administration of President Franklin Pierce. It comprised the present states of Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. And under the conditions which Uncle Sam assumed the guardian-ship of this great tract of land laid the smoldering embers of the civil war, in as much as the organic act permitted any portion, or all portions of it to be admitted as a slave state or divided into different slave states. It must be remembered that it was not slavery as it existed, but the extension of that un-Godly system that formed the "bone of contention" between the North and the South. . And the bills admitting Kansas and Nebraska territories under the same possible and probable dark prospects, opened and stirred up the strife until it culminated m that great, deadly conflict without a parallel in the histor\^ of the world. History of the territories would be incomplete without giving this unwelcome feature a place, and yet it is not to be considered only as a legislative blunder. We have frequently thought that it would be an act of kindness to the citizens of those two states, "Kansas and Nebraska," to rermve the harrowing memories which the mention of their name suggests to every one famiHar with their record, by an entire and positive change in their names. Kansas was the senior territory, and was settled by more Souhtern people who deemed it a part of their rehgion to preve.it N jrthern emigration into the state by any method of inti nidation and murder, resulting in a border ruffian war, in which John Brown's three sons were wrongfully slain, their bodies mutilated and shipped to their father in the old home in the east.

The state contains 77,510 square miles of territory. Numerous inland and non-navigable rivers flow through it, the larger ones being the Platte, Loupe, Elkhorn, Republican and Blue. These streams water as well as drain the state and add to its agricultural resourses their extensive valleys, in fertility not only unsurpassed, but unequaled by an}^ other vegetable producing land in the world. It has ■ a frontage upon the eastern end, along the Missouri river of over three hundred miles. It contains ninety large counties. Four of which. Lincoln, Custer, Holt aud Sheridan, eath has about as much territory as the state of Deleware or Rhode Island while both of those states might be set down inside of Cherry county and not be crowded for room.

At the lime of its admission as a territory, within the limits of its present borders, Nebraska had, perhaps less ]-)opulation than any one of its counties at the present time. In i860 it had a population of 28,841. It was admitted to full fellow-ship in the union of states in 1867, the civil war having wiped out all possible chance for any further contention over the matter of slavery. The 1910 census shows a population within the state of 1,192,214. which at the rate of its previous increase would undobtedly bring its population up to 1,500,000 at the present date.

Begining with its first settlement, a great interest was taken throughout the entire domain, in the cause of public

O HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

schools, and a general advance has been made all along the line in that direction until the state ranks foremost in education, and the dark days in its history, when the shadows of illiteracy as a well known companion of slavery, hung like a pall over its bright land, have passed to oblivion.

Chapter III

Seward County — Its Boundries, Territory, Population Etc. Bjav>.'r Crossing and Vicinity — Its Name, — From What Derived. The Freight Route. The Historical Steam Wagon Road.

Seward county Nebraska, is located in the third tier of counties west, or about sixty miles west from the Missouri river, and the third tier of counties, or sixty miles north of the Kansas state line. It is bounded on the north by Butler county, on the east by Lancaster county, in which is the state capital, on the south by Saline county and on the west by the county of York. It is the best watered and drained count}^ in the state of Nebraska, or perhaps any other state. The North Blue river, a stream of considerable magnitude, resplendent with abundant pure water, enters the county in C precmct, in the north-west portion, passing entirely through it in a south of eastearly direction, passing the south Hne of the city of S;nvard, through the villages of Milford and Camden. It has several tributaries, of which one only may be termed a living stream of water. Lincoln creek is a mill stream. It passes into the county from the west, in D precinct, or about six miles south of the north-west corner of the county, and Hows south-west, passing through twenty miles of the county's territory and joining the North Blue river just west of Seward. Plum creek and other so-called creeks, reaching the uplands, furnish excellent drainage and carry away surplus water in wet seasons, after which times their mission seems to end and they remain dry. In addi- ' tion to the North Blue river, with its tributary, Lincoln creek, watering and draining the north half of the county, its counterpart, the West Blue river enters the county from the west, at the north-west cornor of M precinct, six miles north of the south-west corner of the county and flowing with but little variation from a due east course, traverses the entire breadth of the county from west to east, joining the North Blue in P precinct in the south-east corner of the county. Like the former mentioned Blue, it has numerous drainage tributaries, one of which, Beaver creek, approaches a tendency of a Hving stream. But the tributaries of the West Blue, like those of the North Blue, furnish excellent drainage for the south half of the county in wet seasons while they do not sap the ground in dry seasons. Taking the two rivers, passing as they do through the county, with their tributaries no better system of water and drainage could be planed for any county.

In the early days Beaver Crossing and vicinity comprised the four precincts in the south-west quarter of the county, K, L, M and N, with a considerable portion of east York county. The name, "Beaver Crossing," was the first name given to any point or locality in Seward county a name derived from a natural cause, or matter of fact, forming next to the freight route, the second historical object in the county. Beaver creek was undoubtedly named by Indians and trappers long before there were any settlements of white people near its banks. It rises north-west of the city of York in York county and flowing south-east enters Seward county in L precmct, about two and a half miles north of the south line of that precinct and there taking a more southerly course joines the West Blue river near the line of L and M precincts about two and one-half miles east of the York county line. The next important feature in connection with the naming of Beaver Crossing is the previously mentioned cut-ofT freight route from Nebraska City to its junction with the California trail. This route had a due west course from Nebraska City to the North Blue river just east of Camden where the first bridge in Seward county was made across the North Blue. And here the valleys of the North and West Blue rivers unite, the latter valley forming the road-bed for one of the greatest wild country highways ever known, over which thousands of home and fortune seekers were destined to pass, a few to success and man}'' to bitter disappoinment. After following this valley a short distance the route was forced to make a detour to the north on account of the impassable condition of Walnut creek on the bottom lands. This creek is one of the wet weather tributaries of the West Blue river, and although it is dry during dry seasons, its value to the sections it traverses is beyond estimation. It rises in L precinct and joines the river m N. A crossing of this creek was found about three miles above its mouth, on the line between Iv and N precincts, from which point the route continued west along the divide in L, re-entering the West Blue valley one mile east of Beaver creek. In direct line with this trail an excellent fording place for this stream was found, where the banks were as naturally adapted to the passage of heavily loaded freight wagons, or prairie echooners as they could have been made. The water was shallow and the bottom, composed of coarse gravel, was as solid as rock and this was Beaver Crossing.

The historical '"Steam Wagon Road" was established in 1864. It was roughly worked and prepared for the passage of the "steam wagon" which was to cross the great plains, conveying a forty horse load of merchandise. But misfortune seemed pre-eminent in the career of this first iron horse for Nebraska and on its trial trip it was wrecked in the ditch by the side of the road a short distance west of Nebraska City, its starting point, where it was abandoned, being later desected for the metal there was in it. And although the said iron horse, which had caused the building of so many groundless hopes and expectations "sleeps the sleep that knows no waking," the road that bore his name lives and will continue to live in history as long" as historians write and people read history, as one of the great highway's across the western plains. But in reality the steam wagon road was not an independent and distinct route or road. With the exception of a very few miles through Seward county it cannot be called b}^ an}^ other name than the original freight route or road. It followed the i860 freight route west from Nebraska city to near the Seward county line where it left the route and made a cut-ofi of a few miles by crossing the North Blue river where the city of Milford was shortly after located, instead of continuing south to the bridge at Camden. It forded the river at this place, continuing west ten miles to the Walnat creek crossing where it again united with the freight route, continuing as a part of the same, or as might properly be said, lost its name. It has never been known as the "steam wagon road" west of the Walnut creek crossing in Seward county.

Chapter IV

Seward County s Name. Its Climate. Homestead Law — General Homesteads, Soldiers' Homesteads and Railroad Land — Amos Reed's Tract. The W'ater — Springs and P'lowing Wells.

From an examination of geographies and maps of the territory of Nebraska, published about i860, and about the tirne of the clearing away of the myths of superstition which had previously given the whole area a place upon the mapsof the world as a baren desert, we hnd that the territorial legislature had given that part of the territory now known as Seward county the name of Greene count3\ It has been stated that the county was named Cxreene after the name of one of its earl}^ settlers, but this is undoubtedly a mistake as the county was named previous to any settlement within its borders. In his histor\' W. W. Cox says that the county was named (jreene in honor of a Missouri statesman by that name who proved to be a "rebel," and that as an unorganized county it was under the controle of the legislature, which decided to prohibit the naming of any of the "sacred soil under jts controle after the name of a rebel," and the name Greene was deliberatly dropped and the honored name of Seward, the grand war secretary of state, who as the great assistant and adviser of the martyred Lincoln, helped to stear the ship of state through the dark days of the rebellion, was bestwed upon the county. While the acts of territorial legislatures like the acts of all legislatures are open to criticism, the act that gave this county the name of, and errected thereby an everlasting monument to the memory of one of the nation's most able and worthy statesmen was one for which the citizens of the county should feel thankful, whatever may have been the cause for changing the name.

The climate of Seward county, in common with that of the south half of Nebraska is mild. It is 1,500 feet above sea level. This altitude gives it a light, dry atmosphere. There is a gradual ascent from the Missouri river to the Rocky mountains and the nearer approach to them the less there is of rain-fall, which is quite discernible in Seward county although only about sixty miles west from the river. And while this is true in regard to rain-fall it is the same in regard to the snow-fall. Many winters have come and gone in the past forty-five years during which scarcely enough snow has fallen to cover the ground at any one time which has disappeared as quickly in sub-shine as it came. Snow is not a natural element in Seward count3\ The snow of the county's most severe snow winters was not a native production, but was driven in by strong winds, generally from the snow fields of the north-west. And from this quarter comes the greater portion of the county's cold weather. The mild winters are those of mild winds, more equally divided in the course of direction, the least from the north or northwest. The generally light, dry air affords relief many times to those suffering with lung troubles, cases of consumption coming from the lower and more damp atmosphere of the east being entirely cured by a residence in Seward county. One case of this kind well known to the writer, was that of J. J. Ainsworth who came from Ohio in 1870 and settled on a homestead in N precinct. Mr. Ainsworth was suffering with, and supposed to be in the last stage of hereditary consumption when he left his native home in Ohio with his wife and several small children, bound for Nebraska by the "prairie schooner" mode of travel. He arrived in Seward county in thirty-three days and from the date of his arrival until the end of a long life in Nebraska he was free from his former affliction. As a matter of comparison we will mention a case closely connected with the preceding one, being that of J. J. Ainsvvorth's N^ounger brolher who was suffering with the same dread disease when his older brother induced him to try the treatment of Nebraska atmosphere. He did so and during his stay in Seward county seemed to be on the road to recovery, but becoming discouraged and homesick he returned to Ohio where he succumed to his affliction in less than one year. Here is the evidence of two as reliable men as ever came to Nebraska, one on his death bed, lamenting the fact to his brother who visited him that he had not taken that brother's advice and remained in Nebraska, while the older one declares: "I wou'd not go back to Ohio to reside for the whole state of (Jhio, " HOMESTEAD LAY^Z AND HOMESTEADS.

The homestead law enacted by the United States government in 1862 permitted any person 21 years of age, the head of a family or single to enter 160 acres of government land as a homestead, and at the end of five years continued residence upon said land it should become the real estate property of the person making such entry. And it was generally understood that government land could not be secured under any other condition or consideration than by actual settlement and improvement upon it. That these requirements were for a protection of the land from speculators and a reserve of it for equal distributaion among present and future settlers. But this understanding was undoubtedly a delusion as the government, after the law was enacted, granted the C. B. & Q. rail road company every odd section, or one-half of the land in a strip forty miles wide through the unsettled portion of Nebraska, which grant took in the entire county of Seward. And as a further evidence of the "delusion," Amos Reed, a prominent lawyer of the city of Washington, secured a grant from the government of 2,000 acres of Seward and York cuunty government land. This tract laid along the West Blue river, commencing about three miles east of Beaver creek in Seward county and extending west into York county. While this grant was small compared to the one to the railroad company, it detracted more form the homestead privileges, as far as it extended than the latter, as it was an unconditional grant, covering the said number of acres of some of the best land in Nebraska, taking in the timber along the river the entire length of the tract, and not one foot of it being reserved for homesteads.

In the matter of the railway grant it was made on condition that the company construct a railroad through the grant, and every other section was reserved for homesteads. It is supposed that this deal was made to better the living conditions of the homesteaders by providing them with markets and transportation advantages, but the government did the dealing and then robbed the settlers of one-half of their homestead right to pay for it, leaving them only 80 instead of 160 acre homesteads. However this did not effect the privileges of soldiers of the war of the rebellion who were permitted to enter a homestead of 160 acres. And in this we see another half honest and half dishonest deal of the government with its private citizens. The right made to the soldiers to enter a homestead of 160 acres was no more than a blind to cover up the government's failure to do with them as it had agreed. We very well remember the flaming posters that were stuck up all over our city of Warren, Ohio, offering inducements to get men to enlist to go in defense of their country, and one of those inducements standing out in very large red letters which could be read at a distance said: "One-Hundred and Sixty Acres of Land will be Given by The United States Government, to every able bodied man, eighteen years of age or over, who will enlist in the military service of the United States for three years or during the war. " And we also remember that one of those posters decorated the east wall of the room in which we placed our name upon the roll of