Jefferson County Nebraska History 1800's

1856

The first white settler in what is now Jefferson county was Daniel Patterson, who established a ranch in 1856 where the Overland, or Oregon trail crosses the Big Sandy. Newton Glenn located the same year at the trail crossing on Rock creek. The first government survey of land in this county was made in 1857, and the plat and field notes show the location of "Patterson's Trading Post" on the southeast quarter of section 16, town 3 north, range 1 east.(4)

Station house built by Newton Glenn at Rock Creek.(1)

1859

D.C. Jenkins built a cabin three-quarters of a mile below Big Sandy Station, and opened a small store.

Next year he built a toll-bridge across Big Sandy and did a regular station until 1865.(1)

Early in May, 1859, D. C. Jenkins, disappointed in his search for gold at Pike's Peak, returned on foot pushing a wheelbarrow with all his possessions the entire distance. He stopped at the Big Sandy and established a ranch a short distance below Patterson's place. A few weeks later, on May 25, 1859, Joel Helvey and his family, enroute for Pike's Peak, discouraged by the reports of Mr. Jenkins and other returning gold hunters, settled on the Little Sandy at the crossing of the trail. About the same time came George Weisel, who now lives in Alexandria, James Blair, whose son Grant now lives near Powell, on the land where his father first located, and D. C. McCanles, who bought the Glenn ranch on Rock creek. The Helvey family have made this county their home ever since. One of Joel Helvey's sons, Frank, then a boy of nineteen, is now living in Fairbury.(4)

1859-1861- D.C. Mccanles succeeded Newton Glenn at Rock Creek in the spring.(1)

1867

Oregon Trail closes as an official route.(1)

The town of Jenkin's Mill was founded by D.C. Jenkins when he built a saw mill on the Blue River. (1)

Indian raids of ranches in Jones County. (1)

School District No. 1 was organized at Jenkins Mill. (1) Frame building with three windows on each side. beginning with 8 grade levels.

when Jenkins Mill combined with Steele City the school was moved, burned in 1918.

County Officers:Jasper Helvey, County Clerk ; Thomas Hel vey, County Treasurer; Frank Helvey, Sheriff; Ed. Farrell, County Judge ; D. Alexander, Coroner ; J. D. Powell, County Superintendent ; N. E. Davis, County Surveyor.(1)
County Commissioners: Asa Andrews, F. Ellwood, and R. B. Powell.(1)

The Little Blue was the first newspaper published south of the Steele City limits by D.C. Jenkins.

1869

The town of Freeport is flooded, most of the remaining buildings moved to Jenkin's Mill. (1)

4th of July celebration held in Fairbury.(1)

Dr. A.W. Showalter becomes the first physician in Fairbury. (1)

County Officers: Ives Marks, County Treasurer ; I. N. Thompson, County Clerk ; S. Alexander, Sheriff ; John R. Brown, County Judge ; D. C. Jenkins, County Superintendent ;

Emil Lange, Coroner; A. R. Buttolphs, County Surveyor.(1)

County Commissioners: A. T. Hobbs, D. C. Jenkins, and W. H. Avery.(1)

Fairbury was laid out in August, 1869, by W. G. McDowell and J. B. Mattingly. Immediately after the survey Sidney Mason built the first house upon the townsite of Fairbury, on the corner northwest of the public square, where now stands the U. S. postoffice. Mrs. Mason kept boarders, and advertised that her table was loaded with all the delicacies the market afforded, and I can testify from personal experience that the common food our market did afford was transformed into delicacies by the magic of her cooking. Mrs. Mason has lived in Fairbury ever since the town was staked out, and now (1915), in her ninety-sixth year, is keeping her own house and performing all the duties of the home cheerfully and happily.(4)

1870

A hotel was built in Fairbury by Sidney Mason.

Horace Clark establishes a blacksmith shop in Fairbury.

W.H. Weeks starts the first lumberyard in Fairbury. Diagonally from the Northeast corner of the square. Now 5th and E.(1)

Baptist Church organized by Rev. Mark Noble. Dedicated in 1873. (1)

County Officers: M. Ross, County Treasurer ; I. N. Thompson, County Clerk ; S. Alexander, Sheriff ; John R. Brown, County Judge ; D. C. Jenkins, County Superintendent ;

Emil Lange, Coroner ; A. R. Buttolphs, County Sur veyor.(1)

County Commissioners: A. T. Hobbs, D. C. Jenkins, and George Weisel.(1)

On the second floor of Thomas & Champlin's store I (George W. Hansen) found George Cross and my brother, Harry Hansen, running off the Fairbury Gazette, alternating in inking the types with the old-fashioned roller and yanking the lever of the old-fashioned hand press. This was about the first issue of the Gazette entirely printed at home. The first issues were set up at home, hauled to Beatrice in a lumber wagon, and printed in the office of the Beatrice Express, until the press arrived in Fairbury.(4)

When subscriptions were mostly paid in wood, butter, squash, and turnips, you can imagine what a time Mr. Cross had in skirmishing around for cash to pay for paper and ink, and the wages of a printer; so he decided if the paper was to survive and build up the country, he must have a printer for a partner, and he sold a half interest in the Gazette to my brother and me. The principal source of our revenue was from printing the commissioners' proceedings and the delinquent tax list, taking our pay in county warrants. These warrants drew ten per cent interest, were paid in a year, and we sold them to Editor Cramb's grandfather for seventy-five cents on the dollar. On that basis they yielded him forty per cent per annum—too low a rate, we thought, to justify holding.(4)

Fairbury Overview as seen by George W. Hansen:

Prairie grass grew luxuriantly in the streets. There were not enough buildings around the public square to mark it. On the west side were three one-story buildings, the best one still standing, now owned by Wm. Christian and used as a confectionery; it was then the office of the county clerk and board of county commissioners. The second was the pioneer store of John Brown, his office as justice of the peace, and his home; the third was a shanty covered with tarred paper, the office and home of Dr. Showalter, physician, surgeon, politician, and sometimes exhorter; and a past master he was in them all.

On the north side were two of the same class of buildings, one occupied by Mr. McCaffery, whose principal business was selling a vile brand of whiskey labeled Hostetter's Bitters, and the other was Wesley Bailey's drug store and postoffice. George Cross had the honor of being postmaster, but Wes drew the entire salary of four dollars and sixteen cents per month, for services as deputy and rent for the office. On the east side there was but one building,

Thomas & Champlin's Farmers' store. On the south side there was nothing. On the south half of the square was our ball ground. Men were at work on the foundation of the Methodist church, the first church in Fairbury. We were short on church buildings but long on religious discussions.

Where the city hall now stands were the ruins of the dugout in which Judge Boyle and family had lived the previous winter. He had built a more stately mansion of native cottonwood lumber—his home, law and real-estate office. M. H. Weeks had for sale a few loads of lumber in his yard on the corner northeast of the square, hauled from Waterville by team, a distance of forty-five miles. All supplies were hauled from Waterville, the nearest railroad station, and it took nearly a week to make the round trip. Judge Mattingly was running a sawmill near the river, cutting the native cottonwoods into dimension lumber and common boards.(4)

The Otoe Indians, whose reservation was on the east line of the county, camped on the public square going out on their annual buffalo hunts. The boys spent the evenings with them in their tents playing seven-up, penny a game, always letting the Indians win. They went out on their last hunt in the fall of 1874, and traveled four hundred miles before finding any buffalo. The animals were scarce by reason of their indiscriminate slaughter by hunters, and the Otoes returned in February, 1875, with the "jerked" meat and hides

of only fifteen buffalo.

The Western Stage Company ran daily to and from Beatrice, connecting there by stage with Brownville and Nebraska City. The arrival of the stage was the great and exciting event of each day; it brought our mail and daily newspaper, an exchange to the Gazette; and occasionally it brought a passenger.(4)

1871

June 27th, the first election took place for Jones County.(1)

First Post Office established in Meridian. (1)

First frame house built by D.W. Montgomery.(1)

Steele City, Ne. to become a railroad stop for St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad. (1)

Most of Jenkin's Mill residents move to Steele City. (1)

Farmer's Store opens on the east side of the square in Fairbury owned by Thomas and Champlin. (1)

1871- 1872?- W.W. Allen opens a bake shop on south side of Fairbury Square. (1)
The first term of Fairbury school began January 9, 1871, with P. L. Chapman for teacher.(4)
In December, 1871, George W. Hansen was employed to teach the winter and spring terms of school at a salary of fifty dollars a month, and taught in one room all the pupils of Fairbury and surrounding country.

During the summer C. F. Steele built a two-story building on the lot now occupied by the First National bank, the first floor for a furniture store, the second floor for a home. When nearly completed a hurricane demolished it and scattered the lumber over the prairie for two miles south. It was a hard blow on Mr. Steele. He gathered together the wind-swept boards and, undismayed, began again the building of his store and business.(4)

In the fall William Allen and George W. Hannsen built the Star hotel, a two-story building, on the east side, with accommodations for ten transient guests

—large enough, as thought, for all time.(4)

(4)

A celebration was held on July 4, 1871, at Mattingly's sawmill, and enthusiasm and patriotism were greatly stimulated by the blowing of a steam whistle which had recently been installed in the mill. Colonel Thomas Harbine, vice-president of the St. Joseph & Denver City R. R. Co., now the St. Joseph & Grand Island railroad, made the principal address, his subject being "The railroad, the modern civilizer, may we hail its advent." The Otoe Indian, Jim Whitewater, got drunk at this celebration, and on his way to the reservation murdered two white men who were encamped near Rock creek. He was arrested by the Indians, brought to Fairbury, and delivered to the authorities, after which chief Pipe Stem and chief Little Pipe visited the Gazette office and watched the setting of type and printing on the press with many a grunt of satisfaction. I was present at the trial of Whitewater the following spring. After the verdict of guilty was brought in, Judge O. P. Mason asked him if he had anything to say why judgment should not be pronounced. Whitewater proceeded to make a lengthy speech, ridiculed the former sheriff, S. J. Alexander, and commenced criticizing the judge. The judge ordered him to sit down.

A look of livid rage came over Whitewater's face, and he stooped slightly as though to spring.

Then the judge turned pale, and in that rasping voice which all who knew him remember well, commanded the sheriff to seat the prisoner, which was done.(4)

1872

Fairbury's first meeting to incorporate held on April 28th. (1)

Price Brothers open the first hardware store on the east side of the Fairbury Square. (1)

First railroad enters the county, St. Joseph & Western Railroad.(1)

Calvin A. Pease and George Hinkle start a drug store in Fairbury. (1)

Deckendorf and Switzer lumberyard established, Fairbury, south-side. -Burned the 1903 fire.(2)

The spring of 1872 marked a new era in the life of Fairbury. On March 13th of that year the St. Joseph and Denver City railroad built into and through our city. From the time the track layers struck Jenkin's Mills, a crowd of us went down every day to see the locomotive and watch the progress of the work. One of our fondest dreams had come true.(4)
Steele City Methodist Church organized.

1873

In May, the first court of the county was held. (1)

May 13th, The Baptist Church of Fairbury is organized by Rev. J.N. Webb, a missionary. (1)

C.F. Stull opens a hardware store on the north side of the square, now the location of First National Bank. (1)

In the fall of 1873 Col. Thomas Harbine began the erection of the first bank building, a one-story frame structure on the east side of the square. George Cross was the bank's first customer, and purchased draft No. 1. Upon the death of Col. Harbine's son John, in August, 1875, I became cashier, bookkeeper, teller, and janitor of the "Banking House of Thomas Harbine." In 1882 this bank incorporated under the state banking law as the "Harbine Bank of Fairbury," and I have been connected with it in various capacities ever since.(4)

The first house was built in Steele City by Abby Baker and used as a hotel, Steele City House. East of the track, across from the depot.

1892

Pickering Bank opens in Steele City. (2)

The Ringling Bros. circus parade drew a crowd of 6,000 to it's afternoon performance, 2,000 in the evening reported by the Fairbury Gazette. (2)

Board sidewalks were being replaced by brick in Fairbury. (2)

Endicott's town board levied a tax to build sidewalks to the schoolhouse, the church and places of business. (2)

Mr. Chabbuck of Omaha told the Fairbury City Council he is planning to install an electric system.(2)

Robert Brock preparing to put a brick building on the east side of the Fairbury square to replace a frame building.(2)

Dedication of the new courthouse planned for the 4th of July, was canceled to when a prominate speaker could not be obtained. (2)

O.W. Helvey was the postmaster at the new Helvey postoffice. (2)

Proposed New Baptist church building was to be located at the corner of 6th & F. St. (2)

The Farmers Alliance Part endorsed the Steele City Standard as its official newspaper in Jefferson County. (2)

The Jefferson County Courthouse had four telephones, with total rent of $12.00 a month. (2)

A young man was found laying drunk in a wagon on the public square, Fairbury. Helping the temperance cause. (2)

J.B. McDowell and Dan Baker were circulating a paper in Fairbury to raise money for a county fair.(2)

C.F. Steele bought the lot and foundation from Robert Brock, on the east side of the Fairbury Square to put up a new building.(2)

The Jansen Star was being published by J.P. Jansen, age 12 years old.(2)

Cash M. Taylor bought the Fairbury Enterprise from E.F. Buffington.(2)

J.C. Kroll prepared to put up a building for his implement business.(2)

Wheat reported to be a high of 50 bushels per acre.(2)

W.F. Cramb left for Endicott to become principal of the village school.(2)

Fairbury merchants agreed to move closing hours from 10:00pm to 7:30pm during the week.(2)

Quakers were meeting at the Jones Schoolhouse three miles east of Fairbury.(2)

Tait Bros. sold the Endicott Newspaper, The Calliope to W.O. Stetson of Wisconsin.(2)

Fairbury girls had adopted the suspender fad.(2)

The Congretational Church of Old Plymouth (the original settlement) celebrated its 20th anniversary(2).

Lock & Folkers were putting up a 50X60-foot two-story building in Diller.(2)
Peter King and O.A. Montgomery started a lumberyard in Plymouth.(2)
Officers of the new Occidental Building & Loan Association in Fairbury were H.P. Showalter, L.W. Goodrich and E.H. Hinshaw.(2)
Fairbury’s City Council adopted an ordinance requiring railroads to keep a flagman at street crossings. Last of these was at Fourth and C streets, used by Union Pacific, Rock island (Nelson Line) and Burlington (Fairmont to Endicott).(2)

W.F. Ferris of The Gazette’s editorial staff agreed to teach the “Jones school for three months.(2)
G.O. Buzzard was turning out 12 carloads of clay per week at the Endicott pit.(2)
As yet, there were no sidewalks to the new courthouse’s entrances nor around the block.(2)

Prominent Democrats of Harbine included Dr. Hepperlin, Dell Sloss, and J.M. Wildhaber.(2)
A.M. Gorham and E.N. Gilbert each shipped in nine carloads of sheep to feed on their ranches near Helvey.(2)
Jacob Conrad finished his new house on C Street (southeast corner of Ninth?).(2)
Cash M. Taylor, new publisher of The Enterprise, moved here from Sedgwick, Kan.(2)
Lew Davis was appointed chief of the Fairbury Fire Department.(2)

Steele City Standard newspaper begins, C.L. Fowler editor, closes around 1900.

1893

W.C. Bruning sold an 80 acre farm south of Daykin for $1,400.(2)
Fairbury High School had 70 pupils.(2)
George Cramb sold 65 head of hogs at Omaha for $6.10 a hundred pounds; Fritz Humbeld got a total of $1,400 for 65 head. Hogs were selling locally for $7, corn was bringing 25 cents a bushel.(2)

First picnic held by the Old Settlers in Ed Hawke's grove by Endicott. (1)

Snow and ice hindered travel and business; the ground was frozen down a foot after readings of minus 12 degrees.(2)

K.G. Tackley of Fairbury was to be a guard at the Colombian Exposition of Chicago.(2)

The Fairbury schools were put on the accredited list, and graduates could enter the University of Nebraska.(2)

There were four grain buyers headquartered at Thompson.(2)
Not tire chains, but sharp horseshoes, were a necessity, as roads and streets were snow and ice covered. The street commissioner had a hard time keeping Fairbury crossings clear.(2)
Lew Shelley of Beatrice became shop foreman of The Journal. Later, he was publisher of The News & Gazette, and served as postmaster.(2)
Local subscriptions were to finance a YMCA gymnasium in Fairbury.(2)

Officers of the Powell Modern Woodmen of America Lodge were Wes Pickens, Lewis Carpenter, V.E. Chamberlain, A. Clerk, G.C. Cross, H. Downey and M.T. Powell.
Railway mail clerks with runs out of Fairbury were Mont Bowman, L. Horrum, E.B. Kinsell and J.A. Miller.(2)

Joe Butterbaugh put up 100 tons of ice from the Little Blue River.(2)

Jefferson County Commissioners issued a saloon license to Wingleman Clogan at the new town of Plymouth.(2)

George E. Jenkins opened a store in Fairbury.(2)

Henry Bower & Son were doing a big business at their Bower Nurseries.(2)

Members of the Fairbury Christian Church pledged $7,000 toward a new building.(2)

The Jefferson County Agriculture Society leased the fairgrounds, now City Park, to Ringling Bros., for $50 presumably for a one-day circus appearance.(2)

John Heasty was elected Fairbury mayor, with W.H. Barnes as clerk.(2)

The estimate of expense for maintaining Fairbury streets for a year was $3,300. (2)
The city council voted that all printing for the city should be done by the newspapers, rather than by “job printers.” (2)

It was reported that 2,250 people attended the sale of lots in the new town of Plymouth. Lots in “Old Plymouth” later returned to farmland. (2)
Frank Swift was hired to teach another year at Gladstone, which was to have a new schoolhouse. (2)
G.J. Carpenter was a local booster for Nebraska fruits-peaches and apples, had brought 100 quarts of raspberries to Fairbury.(2)
The Jefferson County school pupil census totaled 5,602 (Last year’s total was 2,388).(2)

A group of Populists started from Kansas in covered wagons, en route to the Chicago World’s Fair. They expected to distribute political literature during the 30-day trip. (2)

Hart Brothers’ general store gave away 25 tickets for transportation to the World’s Fair in Chicago, in a drawing among customers.

A special rail car decorated for the trip was planned. (2)
James Butterbaugh planned to stage his annual ball at Steele’s Hall as evening July Fourth entertainment. There was no town celebration.(3)
Prospects were for half crops of wheat and oats; corn was looking well at that time. (2)
John Morlan of Bloomington bought Dan Mortimore’s dray and bus line. (2)

Early that season, the weather was so favorable farmers said they “could see the corn grow.” (2)
“Chas F.,” a Fairbury-owned horse, has a 2:20 ¾ mile at Omaha, “fastest ever on the Omaha track.” (2)
The children of J.O. Cramb, A.S., I.C. And N.E. Daggett formed a class to study Latin and “push themselves further along” at Fairbury High School. (2)

J.A. Wild of Wilber started the Enterprise Newspaper in the new town of Plymouth. (2)
The first sewer in Fairbury was laid be Westling and Hurd from their laundry to a ravine at the foot of E street.(2)
A two inch rain late in May had broken the drought temporarily. Dry weather was to last about three years. (2)
Near Gladstone, money raised be subscription bought gunpowder at Fairbury as a way to make rain. The explosions were followed by rain, but not confined to the area.(2)

A new bank opened at Plymouth with C.B. Anderson president, C.H. Harvey cashier, George Coleman and C.W. Reiger directors.(2)
A limestone walk put up around the new courthouse at a cost of only $1000 was ordered taken up and an “artificial stone” walk put in its place.(2)
Ten of the converts from revival meeting in the Russian settlement came to Fairbury for baptism in the Little Blue River. (2)

Initial success at rain making experiments in western Kansas by the Rock Island Railroad had encouraged some settlers to stay, with land prices going from $3 to$10 per acre.(2)
Locally dry cold weather and backward crops caused complaints.(2)
Citizens of Fairbury gave a gold watch to Judd Clark, city marshal.(2)

J.N. Wildhaber was chosen as postmaster at Harbine, by election. (2)
H.Y. McClosey had a force of men working on his farm six miles west of Fairbury breaking prairie and making a pond.(2)
Ringling Bros. Circus filled Fairbury with people, restaurants and hotels overflowed and meals

being served by the W.R.A., the Y.M.C.A., and W.C.T.U., not to mention served by M.A., and D.A.D. (2)
George H. Tonnemaker was elected by the Democrats to be postmaster at Diller. (2)
Thru trains from Chicago to Denver and Colorado Springs began running thru Fairbury.(2)

A new school building was needed at Thompson, which had over 70 pupils.

The Silver Creek Correspondent warned that boys who were raiding melon patches were in danger of being shot.

The Rev. M.M. Merkle, Catholic priest in Fairbury for six years, took charge of the Beatrice parish.

The Ed Hawkes 100 acre grove near Endicott was selected as a good place for the old settlers' picnic.

James Butterbaugh planned to stage his annual ball at Steele's Hall as evening Fourth of July entertainment. There was no Fairbury celebration.

John Morlan of Bloomington bought Dan Mortimore's dray and bus line.

The City of Fairbury issued regulation uniforms, caps, and badges to Police Chief Judd Clark and his officers.

Steele City School, District 1, adds 9th and 10th grades to their grade levels.

Steele City businesses included: two blacksmith shops, two saloons, two meat markets, two hardware stores, drug store, two banks, three general stores, railroad depot on main street at the crossing of the street, two flour mills, one pottery yard and brick yard, one wagon shop, three barber shops, two livery stables, lumber yard, furniture store and two clay pits.