u
1.
MONDAY, MAY 19, 1920.
PLATTSMOUTH SEMI - WEEKLY JOUEUAX
PA&E THSZE
4
Plattsmouth One of the
Early Settlements of Nebraska
Territory; Chartered in 1855
From Earliest Days This
Pl.rJ T M. J. D
a ia.y ca iiiipuriaiu ran in nisiory ui
State Ferry Across River
SAMUEL MARTIN THE FIRST SETTLER
Wheatley Micklewait First Postmaster and Mayor Home of
First Railway Shops Always Provided Unex
celled Educational Opportunities.
The city of Plattsmouth ranks
among tne early settlements of the
territory of Nebraska, with Bellevue,
Omaha, Nebraska City and Brown
ville, being one of the localities in
the new west that first attracted the
attention of the pioneers who came
to this part of the west to find homes,
these pioneers having played a large
part in the early history of the ter
ritory and the state.
The first known explorations in
this locality were made in 1805 when
Manuel Lisa, who gave the name to
Qellevue, came to this locality to
visit both sides of the Platte river
and Investigate the character of the
country then unknown to the white
man, followed in 1810 by Francis
OeRoIn, acting in the capacity of a
scout for the American Fur company,
and who sought locations for fur
trading posts along the Platte and
.he Missouri rivers. One of the first
definite explorations of this section
vfa in 1819 when Long's expedition
was sent from St. Louis on the steam
er "Western Engineer," the first boat
of its kind on the river, to explore
that section of the country adjacent
to the mouth of the Platte river.
The history of this section is vague
from the time of the Long expedi
tion until in 1842 when the expedi
tion under the command of Col. John
C. Fremont was sent west to explore
the territory between the Missouri
and the Rocky mountains. This ex
pedition camped one night on the
bluffs south of where the City of
Plattsmouth is now located and in
his record of the expedition note was
PLATTSMOUTH
taken of the facts relative to the
land south of the mouth of the
Platte river.
About the year 1848 a Mormon
by the name of Libeas T. Coon, es
tablished a ferry a flat boat propol
led by sweeps across the Missouri
river, landing near the mouth of the
Platte river and here a, large number
of the Mormons bound west to Salt
Lake City, stopped for a short time
and continued west along the south
bank of the Platte to the promised
land in the west, although the great
er number wintered at Florence. At
this time the country was held by
thp Otoea. Pawnees and Omahas. the
settlers being compelled to keep on
their way westward and small mili
tary posts were established along the
Missouri river that the rights of the
Indiana might not be invaded. No
one was allowed to remain in the
then unorganized territory without
a Bpecial permit from the secretary
of) war.
The first permission of this kind
that there is record of, was that ob
tained by Samuel Martin, a trader,
located on the east bank of the Mis
souri river, in Iowa, who in 1853,
Just before the ice broke up In the
river, brought over on the ice the
logs of hl3 house in Iowa, establish
ing a trading poet at the point where
Plattsmouth is now located. He
was assisted by James O'Neill and
Col. J. L. Sharp in the erection of a
two story log house, which was gen
erally known as "The Old Barracks"
and was in existence for many years
In that part of the city bounding on
the river front. This first settler had
come to the west from Illinois and
had purchased the ferry of Libeas
T. Coon In 1850. He was not only
the first Bettler, but his was the
first death in the community, as he
passed away on December 15, 1854.
By treaties made by the govern
ment and President Pierce with the
Otoes and the Pawnees, the land ad
jacent to the Missouri river was per
mitted to be settled in the summer of
1854, or at least the requirements of
a special permit from the war depart
ment was removed, this being follow
ed by the advancement of the white
pioneers across the stream to make
their settlements.
The Plattsmouth Town Company
was organized October 26, 1854, by
Samuel Martin, James O'Neill, C.
Nuckolls, J. L. Sharp, Manly Green
I
City and County H
M. IJ . !
as
and Lafayette Nuckolls. In Novem
ber, 1S54, the town was platted and
laid out by O. N. Tyson, the sur
veyor of the company, and on March
14, 1855. a special act of the terri
torial legislature was approved, de
fining the boundries of Cass county
and the incorporation of the City of
Plattsmouth.
One of the early problems of the
settlers was that of transportation
and a ferry was established shortly
after the incorporation of the city
and which was ended by the leaders
cf the early settlers including Sharp,
O'Neill and Wheatley Micklewait.
Until 1857 a flat boat served as the
vehicle for crossing the river, but
was later suplanted by power boats
and the "Emma," and then in 1S59
Peter A. Sarpy brought the ferry
boat, "The Survivor" to this place
as a ferry boat, this being sunk in
IS 60 and then other boats were
placed in service here.
The first postoffice was establish
ed here in 18 55 and Wheatley Mick
lewait was designated as the first
postmaster of the community. x-
Mr. Micklewait was the first mayor
of the city under the charter of
1855, the government being organiz
ed December 20, 1856, with Enos
Williams, W. M. Slaughter and Jacob
Vallery as the councilmen to assist in
guiding the a ffairs of the little pio
neer community. Incidently the first
council voted themselves a salary of
$100 per year and also levying a tax
of cne-half of 1 per cent on all the
taxable property of the city. Later
the council voted to place the salar-
HIGH SCHOOL
ies of the councilmen at five cents
each, payable in city script. In the
late eighties the city was divided
into wards and the selection of the
councilmen made by the various
wards in the following years, there
being four wards for many years, un
til in the middle nineties, when an
nexation of land in the south por
tion of the city formed the present
fifth ward.
Educational System
The coming of the white settlers
brought with them the desire for the
proper facilities for education of the
young of the community and in 1856
a school was opened by Mary Stock
ing on what was known as Gospel
hill in the southwest part of the
city and in 1857 a school was oper
ated on the site of what is now the
Wescott clothing store building at
the corner of Fifth and Main streets,
here being organized two primp ry
schools, one of which was locat 'd
v.here the present Bekin build, ig
now stands. The school system ? e
mained in this condition until tlie
growing size of the city made a
vhange neressary and in 1872 t'.ie
proposition was advanced of voti g
bonds in the sum of $25,000 for a
achool building and which was car
ried at a special election held July
22nd, 1872. From the proceeds of
the sale of these bonds the buildi tg
now known as the Central buildiig
was erected, this being at that time
a four story structure which housod
the entire city school Eystem. Later
ward buildings were erected to help
care for the needs of the children
and in 1916 the sum of $125,000 was
voted to erect the present building
that houses the High and Junior
schools, and in addition the Central,
Columbian, first ward, west second
ward and fourth ward schools care
for the city Bchool system.
OLDEST FLOURING MILL
The Heisel mills in this city,
manufacturers of the celebrated
Plainsifter flour, ranks as one of the
oldest establishments in the state.
The mill was established in the late
fifties by Conrad Heisel, father of the
present proprietors, George and Fred
Heisel. The mill has been rebuilt
several times to keep pace with the
modern trend and is maintained now
as one of the best mills in the state.
PLATTSM0UTH CITY GOVEENM'T
The city of Plattsmouth is govern
ed by the councilmanic form of gov
ernment, the city divided into five
wards, and the executive officers of
the city, consisting of John P. Sat
tler, mayor; Herman L. Thomas, city
clerk; John E. Kirkham, city treas
urer; Charles L. Graves, police judge.
The members of the city council are:
Frank M. Bestor, Elmer A. Webb, first
ward; Claud C. Smith and W. A.
Tulene, second ward; W. H. Puis,
Miles Allen, third ward; George
Luschinsky, C. A. Johnson, fourth
ward; Edward Gabelman, R. H. Pat
ton, fifth ward. The president of the
council is C. C. Smith. The police
and street departments is headed by
Jess N. Elliott as chief of police while
other members of the police depart
ment are Joseph Libershal, assistant
chief and David Pickrel, night po
lice. The health department is head
ed by Dr. O. C. Hudson, while the
city legal department is in the hands
of Joseph A. Capwell as city attor
ney.
Churches and
Homes of City on
Par with Any
Finely Kept Lawns is the Rule and
Not the Exception Here Pe
tunia is Official Flower
Since the first settlers came to
dwell in the community of Platts
mouth there has been here the spirit
of the Christian faith as expressed
in the many churches that have come
to be part of the civic life. The
early missionaries that served from
the missions at Bellevue laid among
the Indians the seeds of the Christian
faith and the bands of the early set
tlers together in the ties of the be
lief of the church of Christ.
As the city has grown in size the
members of the various denomin
ations have erected fine substantial
buildings over the city and to which
has come the faithful at the call of
their belief to worship.
The Methodist Church.
The oldest in point of existence in
the city was that of the Methodist
Episcopal church which was organ
ized here in June, 1857, twenty mem
bers being enrolled with the Rev.
Kiram Burch as the first pator of
the church. The church was subject
to the trials and tribulations of the
early days, the first church being in
a building at Fifth and Main streets
and which was the gathering place
until in 1869 when a building was
erected on South Sixth street which
was the meeting place until in 1900
when the building was sold and the
site converted into a place of busi
ness and which is now occupied by
the Ghrist Furniture Co., the con
gregation meeting for a year in the
A. O. U. W. hall, until the present
church building was erected. This
edifice has been gradually im
proved until it is one of the largest
and most up to date In the city. The
present structure has grown by the
addition of the excavation of the
basement for the use of the social
activities of the church as well as the
Sunday school work. The Sunday
FIRST METHODIST
school of this church is one of the
largest in the city, with a member
ship of some 275 and which is pre
sided over by Joseph A. Capwell as
superintendent. The present pastor
of the church is the Rev. Harold E.
Sortor, who came to this city from
Craig, Nebraska, four years ago and
has served faithfully and earnestly
in the cause of the church here. In
addition to the church structure
there is also a fine modern parson
age located just north of the church
for the use of the pastor.
First Christian Church
The First Christian church Is also
one of the early churches of the com
munity, organized in 1858 through
the instrumentality of Elder Thomas
J. Todd, one of the very first mem-
vVN,:, V: . ' .M4
ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
?V:')i-'" .'V.-; ' ' 'XLL-: ' ;yv-:,-';T-
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
bers of this faith to settle in Cass
county. The church has been active
in the community since its founda
tion and has a fine church building
on North Eighth street where under
the guidance of the Rev. A. L. Ogden
there are held services each Sunday
of the church and Sunday school.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
The Episcopal church was one rep
resented among the very earliest set
tlers in the community and the pio
neers Bishops Talbot and Clarkson
served the charge here for a number
of years, giving the consolation of
their faith to the members of the
pioneer band. Although organized in
1860, the church did not erect their
present building until 1869, when the
church was erected as a memorial,
and has since served to house this
faith. The Rev. George C. Betts, one
of the first ministers of his faith in
the church and brother of Mrs. Wal
ter J. White of this city, was the
first priest of the church assigned
here. The church serves a parish that
includes Plattsmouth and immediate
vicinity and while the church has
no resident priest at the present time
services are held by Bishop E. V.
Shayler and priests cf Omaha, with
Judge James T. Begley serving as the
lay reader of the church.
Roman Catholic Church
The history of the Roman Cath
olic faith in this part of the west is
represented by the services and sacri
fices of the early missionaries of the
church and as the community became
settled and members of the faith came
here to dwell, the physical represen
tation of the church was found in
the erection of a church building on
South Fifth street near the present
Garfield park and where in the days
of the sixties and early seventies the
church carried on its mission. In the
year 1875 the Hon. John Fitzgerald,
pioneer railroad contractor erected
the present church on Oak street
which he offered as a memorial to the
memory of his family, the church
building being designated as the
church of St. John the Baptist. Later
there was added to the establishment
of the church here the parochial
school building, where today there
is a large school maintained with a
fine membership and which is under
the direction of the Ursualian sisters,
a religious order of the church. The
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
parish has had a number of dis
tinguished priests serving the church
here, and among them Father Michael
A. Shine, who was later invested
with the rank of monsignor of the
church. The present priest is the
Rev. Father George Agius, one of
the leaders of the priesthood in the
state and author of many works on
the church history.
The Holy Rosary church parish
was established in the early nineties
In this city and has a handsome
church edifice at the corner of Six
teenth and Pearl streets and serves
the needs of a large congregation of
the Bohemian residents of the city
and with Rev. Father Jerry Hancik
as the pastor of the parish.
First Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian church was one
of the first in Nebraska territory and
the church here was established in
1S5S with sixteen charter members
and is now one of the largest in
membership in the city, with a very
fine church edifice and a splendid
organization of church workers who
are making the church one of the
most active in the community. The
church building is one of the most at
tractive in this part of the state and
arranged in the most modern manner
for the handling of the church ser
vices and the large Sunday school
organization. The pastor of the
church is Rev. Harry G. McClusky,
one of the best known ministers of
the state and who has gained a wide
reputation for his work as a pulpit
orator. This church is located at
Seventh and Granite streets.
St. Paul's Evangelical Church
The St. Paul's Evangelical church
is one of the youngest in the city as
it was established here in 1892 and
the growth of the membership was
very rapid and in 1897 the church
structure at Fifth and Vine streets,
in the main portion of the city, was
opened to the service of the members,
later in the pastorate of the Rev.
O. G. Wichmann, the present pastor,
the basement of the church was com
pleted and made into a very attrac
tive meeting place for the social ac
tivities of the church and serving as
a great aid in the stimulation of
the work of the younger people of
the church. This church has a very
large membership among the resi
dents of the country districts ad
joining the city.
Other of the church that maintain
religious homes is that of the Chris
tian Science society which has a
church at Sixth and Granite street
and which numbers a great many of
the residents of the city in its mem
bership.
The Holiness church also has a
very active organization here, that
has secured for the purpose of a
house of worship one of the homes
in the south part of the city and
where each Sunday services are held
Truly the religious life of the city
is fitting with the many pleasant
homes and contented families that
makes this city the ideal home city
of the state and one where there is
a broad and friendly feeling among
the peoples in their religious beliefs.
LODGES OF THE CITY
Fraternally, the city Is represented
by a large number of the leading
orders of the country, having here
representation of all branches of
Masonry, Tlattsmouth lodge No. 6
A. F. & A. M., Nebraska Chapter No.
3 of the Royal Arch Masons; Mt.
ZIon commandery No. 5, Knights
Templar; the Home Chapter of the
Order of Eastern Star and Cass Chap
ter of the Order of DeMolay. There
are also Plattsmouth lodge No. 739
of the B. P. O. E. ; Plattsmouth Aerie
No. 365 of the Fraternal Order of
Eagles; Cass Camp 332 of the Mod
ern Woodmen of America; Platte
lodge No. 7, I. O. O. F.; Fr. Juan
DePadilla Council Knights of Colum
bus; A. O. U. W. ; Sons of Herman;
Woodmen of the World. In the ladies
organizations there are the Does,
W. B. A., Ladies Auxiliary of the
Eagles, Rebekahs, Degree of Honor,
Royl Neighbors, Catholic Daugh
ters of America.
DESIGNATED STATE SEAL
This community was for many,
many years the home of Captain
Isaac Wiles, veteran of the Second
Nebraska, who at the close of the
war and the perils of the Indian
menace on the Nebraska plains, spent
his years on the farm at the south
west boundaries of the cities. It was
Captain Wiles who in the days when
Nebraska was admitted as a state of
the Union in 1867, designated the
seal that ha3 since served to repre
sent the great state of Nebraska on
the state papers and on the state
flag that was adopted a few years ago
as the official emblem of the com
monwealth. Despite the efforts to
change the seal the lawmakers of
the state protected the old time seal
that represented the spirit of the Ne
braska pioneers and which is still the
official design of the state.
Big Sand and
Grave! Industry
BeingBuilt Up
Pits of Lyman-Richey Co., Merritt &
Sons and Geo. W. Bell Company
All Busy Places Now
One of the big reasonable indus
tries that has teen built up here in
the past two or three years is the
sand and gravel industry. A few years
ago the Lyman-Richey company mov
ed one cf its large pumping outfits
to this vicinity from Louisville where
the land holdings it had worked for
many years were becoming exhaust
ed and opened up a large pit just
a short distance up the Platte river
from the Oreapolis tower.
The business increased rapidly and
the high test of the road gravel and
paving aggregate resulted in heavy
demand for shipments to Iowa pav
ing contractors and the placing of
Iowa state highway inspectors here
ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
regularly throughout the summer
season to place their O. K. on the
various shipments that go all over
western Iowa, rather than having
a separate inspector on each of the
jobs. i
A second pumping outfit was ad
ded and during the season, which is
now on in full blast,, both outfits are
in operation 24 hours out of every
day, Sundays included, sending out
solid trainloads of this material.
The Lyman-Richey company is one
of the oldest sand and gravel com
panies in the state and have pits lo
cated along the Platte river the en
tire length of the state, but nowhere
ara they able to secure a better qual
ity gravel than the Plattsmouth pits
are yielding.
Another company that does a good
shipping business and is located on
trackage is Merritt & Sons, whose
pits and loading tipples are located
just north of the Oreapolis tower,
near the south end of the Platte
river bridge on Highway 75. Their
daily output, although smaller than
that of the Lyman-Richey company,
is sufficient to give employment to
a good number of men and is increas
ing, the owners report.
The latest entrant into the sand
and gravel field here is the Geo. W.
Bell Co., of Omaha, a well known
builders 6upply concern. They have
acquired land on the east side of
Highway 75 and are opening up a
large pit there. This pit is not lo
cated on trackage, but the Bell com
pany plans truck delivery of its en
tire output, in line with their policy
1 V 1"
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ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL CHURCH
of laying all builder's materials on
the ground for the contractor. They
have a fleet of trucks and expect to
also engage in the ready-mix concrete
game, delivering same onto the job
all ready to be poured into the forms.
The Bell company is taking a great
many truckloads of gravel from its
pits daily and will increase its truck
ing facilities in order to take care
of still greater demand.
The ready-mix concrete game Is
becoming a very lucrative business,
and should increase in popularity
with the introduction of new con
tainers that are kept revolving as
the delivery trucks speed along the
streets or highways enroute to place
of unloading, thus preventing sepera-
tion of the sand and cement, as was
often the case under old methods of
delivery.
The gravel Industry here has
grown by leaps and bounds until to
day it is one of the largest employers
of labor outside of the shops, dur
ing the summer season. In the win
ter, freezing weather prevents con
tinuing operations and the force of
employees dwindles to only a few
men.
Paving or Gravel
on Most Streets
in Plattsmouth
All Thorcug-hfares in Business Sec
tion and Many in Residence
Portion cf City Paved
Few cities the size of riattsmouth
can boast of more paved and gravel
ed streets than are found here.
The past decade has seen some
paving done each year, until not
only the business section but a great
part cf tue residence section is serv
ed with paving, while many of the
unpaved streets have been graveled
as a part of the campaign to abolish
mud and give residents of the city an
all weather roadway to their front
doors.
The nearness of the gravel pits to
this city has permitted the trucking
in of gravel for this work at a very
low cost and in many blocks the
property owners have gone together
and provided the gravel without the
expense and bother of creating an
improvement district, paying for the
same at time of laying, with the city
providing the necessary grading and
drainage. Not only has this proven
very satisfactory on the more level
streets, but a great deal less expen
sive. On the hill streets paving has
been laid to prevent washing.
The gTaveling program is going
steadily forward with new blocks
being added to the network almost
every week, while the dirt streets
ere kept in good condition for traffic
at all times except during muddy
weather, by use of power graders and
modern equipment under supervision
of the streets and alleys committee of
the city council.
Go where you will, it would be
hard to find a town with better
maintained streets than Plattsmouth.
has.
Paved Highway
North and South
Through City
Completion of Work in Near Future
Will Greatly Increase Traffic
Over U. S. Highway 75.
The coming few weeks will sea
completion cf the paved highway ex
tending north and south through this
city from Omaha south to the Union
corner, a total distance of 34 miles.
This project, begun last year wa3
held up for weeks due to incessant
rainfall and a portion of it carried
over to this spring for completion.
A gap of some three miles south
of this city and about a mile (exclu
sive of grade crossing projects) be
tween here and Omaha Is all that
remains to complete the job.
Given good weather, the first of
June should see the opening up of
the entire stretch between riatts
mouth and Omaha and the first of
July the stretch running south to the
Union corner from where gTading is
to be completed this year on into Ne
braska City and that portion paved
in 1931. This year's paving project
on U. S. 75 is between Nebraska
City and Auburn and by the end of
next year U. S. 75 will be paved all
the way from Omaha to the Kansas
state line.
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