G
Tillage of Fontanelle
Omaha's Early Rival
HluHtcd hopes are oflun blessings In ills- thom In tho years which havo como slnco
K..l. Ki diii tho ruins of nlr castles often thoy camo to found u homo and a city on
umbo structures more beautiful than ovun tlio virgin pralrlo. Of tho hlx montloncd all
tho fancy of tho ideal builder had ovor nro still living except William Moscha. An-
droamed. llopts which blasted and died aro olhor ono of lhll or,Ki,m, company Is John ,,Z T i T
re-born Incarnate with a llfo more beautiful Kvan8, I1()W a tMnl nt omahn, whcao Kk S
and satisfying than tho realization of tho pcturo wa8 printed . omo weeks ago In Tho , , ? , auuse'iuent
ambition could over havo produced, and out neT IZ, Uf. up. lh, 0rl5lna, ""m', T
..r ti... Muwi Mii.t ,iiH-ii.nolniinmiiB nimn a curu1 ".uitclatm deeds and now has tltlo to
of tho most bitter disappointments como a Tho flnJt tholJ,lt o lhu Bettor8 wart t0 IirctPaiiv all nf t.h townaltn. m.t nn n.
poaci
who succeeds In attaining his desires can
never know. As with Itidhlduals bo It Is
with communities, Unknown to tho vast
majorlty of present-day Nob nskniis nnd but
an Indls net memory , .,.,, of the , survlv-
ors of tho early period Is tho llttlo vil
lage of l'(ntaucllc, In Washington county.
Yot FotitnneHo camo within one vote In tho
territorial legislature of being declared tho
capital of tho young territory of Nebraska.
At that tlmo Omaha nnd Fontanollo wero
ahout tlio same sue, so mr as population
was concerned, hut Omiihn wns declared tho
capital and Is today a city of 1 HO, 000 pcoplo,
while Kontanello contains not more than
1- 0 Inhabitants. Tho thousands nro restless,
pi.shlng, striving for yot greitor things and
g eat wealth and poverty walk sldo by sldo
us over In tho marts of trade. Tho
I mitil mil mntil iKlilnli r T I i I lui ,inn " " - - - I
hundreds In tho llttlo village aro contented, embryotlc city wds Htruck in tho territorial iabors to spend their remaining days In
prosperous and satlslled with tho bounty loglslaturo which met nt Florence when It poaco and plenty. Ono does not need to bo
which him ionic to thorn out of tho rich soil lost and Omaha won tho state capital by ono told or to takn a second look at tho village
ns tho fruits of their lndiittry. Thero le no voto. Another legislature also admlnlstorcd nn,i surrounding country to know that this
ostentatious display of great wealth and no tho finishing touches to tho visions of great- H a prosperous community. The c mmodl-
palaces of brick and stone to mock tho poor uosb. Originally Fontnncllo was in Dodgo 0Us houses and barns, kept painted and In
who strive from day to day for broad and county and was tho county seat. Washing- repair, tho well kept lawns nnd neatly
shelter. Thero nro comfortable hoinoa every- ton county was a comparatively narrow st.lp trimmed shade trees, well tilted fields nnd
where nnd thero Is no cry of dlstuss from ni0ng the Missouri river. An effort was abundanco of well fed stock tell tho story
tho neighboring dooryard to mar tho hap- mado by tho people of Fremont, coupled with mioro forcefully thnn words. Out of what
pltuss of any In this community. Had tho those of Washington county, to havo tho was a wilderness. In 18.15, when the first set
tlers enme. has boon wrought as near a
SS29BH
mmm
I i hnlii I i III
UEMAINS OF LOO HOUSE 1IUILT T1Y IIBNUY SI'ItICK IN 18.r.r,.
.irwiims of the fuundeia of Fontauollo boeu
realized tho picture might havo boeu re
versed. Orluln or llf 'I'oivii.
Fontanelle had Its origin In tho formation
of tho Qulucy Colonization society, which
was organized at Qulncy, 111., in 1851. Tho
mu inborn of tho society sout a committee to
Nebraska in that year to select a location
for a town which It was tho lntontlon of tho
members of tho company to make thu cnpttal
of tho state. When the cMiimlttoe camo
thoy wero urged by thu few people then In
Omaha to cast their lot la this city. They
lookod further and decided that at thu con
fluence of tho vnlleys of tho l'latto and Elk
horn rlvois was tho place whore tho future
great city of tho statu was to be. Thoy
selected for tho towusltu a Bsctlon of laud
on tho bluff overlooking tho valley, two
miles from where the town of Xlckeron now
Htaiids and nine miles from Fremont. Thoy
argued that tho Union Puclllc railroad, whUh
watt then but a vision, must comu up tho
valloy. It camo up tho valley when lln.tUy
built, but on tho other side of tho river and
left Fontanelle to ono sldo,
Thoro woro flfty mombors of tho coloniza
tion company nnd many of them camo to tho
now town. Aside from tho moniberd of tho
compnny thoro wero numbers of others who
cast their lot with thom. Tho Ideas of tho
..nlnttlutu wnrn tirnnil mill linn of the lirdt
thoughts was to provldo for educational fa.
ollltles. An amplo plot of ground was sot
asldo for a college, a capl.ol nnd court homo
so.uaro wero laid out, tho streets mado brcal
and regular, and everything dotio that could
bu to mako tho clty-whlch-was-to-bo u
beautiful ono and an Ideal placo In which
to llvo. Tho rolllug puilrlo Btrotchlng
away on tho ono side, tho broad hot-
toms of tho two rivers on tho other
present a ploturo which la entrnnclng, and in
man who soos It can galnBay that tho found
ors selected an ideal place on which to bu Id
i( great city.
Flrt Settlement.
Tho first settlement was mado In 1855, and
among thoso who camo In that year was
lloury Sprlck, tho only stockholder of the
company who now realdos lu tho place,
James Peters, another mombor or tho com-
I any, lives In tho valloy a fow miles from
there and 1). II. Carpenter, who was ono of
,ho original settlors but not a member of the
colonization company, still resides In the
town. Wl.h Mr. Sprlck came llvo young men
-Honry llienkman, William Luslng, Honry
Stork, Frederick Haybrok and William
Moscha. Tho township of Fontanelle Is now
practically all settled by thcao six men,
tbclr descendant! and frltud who follow
build homos for themselves. This accom-
pllshod and provision tnado for tho lm-
mediate material wants of tho sottlers, tho
work of providing for tho education of tho
r,Bng generation wa taken up. Tho college
conlolnp;ntt;li by .'originators of
tho colony was formed nnd thb college build-
Ing orocted In 185D. It was called tho Unl-
vorslty of Nebraska. Tho original buildings
woro destroyed by flro, but wero rebuilt. Mr.
Sprlck and threo other trustees of tho col-
lego went security for tho lumber bl 1 and
collnnso In tho town's nrcsnecta
.... ... .... m.
rami, wi.rn rnmnnlled to nav tho bill. Tlio
collego was under tho control of tho Con- 1,1 tho portion which Is loft for town pur
grcgatlonal church and was ntnoved to P8CS tlluro ' a Btoro- n I,ubUo Bcn3(1 bulla"
Croto and Is now known as Doano collogo. ,n?. n blackBinlth shop, creamery, two
Mlniacil ! One Vote.
Tho first blow at tho prospects of tho
fflfftinlMI
H
PLACE WHERE FIIIST HOUSE
.ortlon of Dodgo county iu which Fontanollo
.ns located separated from Dodge and at-
tachod to Washington county. This accom
j lhod, Fremont would havo a clear flo.d
f r county seat of Uodgo county. I'otltloua
and remonstrances woro circulated for and
acalnst such action. It Is allogod that tho
tr.nsfor was accomplished by sharp prac-
iC0; that tho names which woro signed to
the remonstrance woro separated from this
heading and attached to thu petition and
w,th this unanimous showing tho legislature
n ado tho change This was In 1S59
'Iho final blow came when tho Union
Pacific railroad, In building up tho Platto
valloy, remaliml ou tho south sldo of tho
rlvor aud loft the town several miles In-
land. It could grow and nourish without a
railroad when other towns woro In tho soma
plight, but could not do so when rivals huxl
this advantage. Years after, when tho Elk-
horn road was built up tho valloy which
tho llttlo town of FonUinollo overlooks it
had lost all aspirations to be a city and had
sulslded Into rural contontment and proB.
porlty.
MuUlutr Fp ' " "'
with Uio euccwslonfl of misfortunes tho
niombors of tho company abmdonod It ono
by one until, ai itatod above, Mr. Sprlck !
'
OMAUA ILLUSTRATED .BEE.
tho only ono remaining In tho town. Tho
townspeople commoncod to spread out Into
tho country nnd acqulro farms. Onco set
tled, they sent for friends and rclatlvrs anil
now Mr. Sprlck and his chlldron, tho llvo
young men who camo with him, their fami
lies, relatives and friends who havo Joined
thom mako up practically tho entlro popula
tion of Fontnncllo township, Washington
county. As tho owners of tho loin desired
to soil, Mr. Sprlck purchased thom. Oth
ers went away and nbandoncd their hold-
It was by streets and alloys tho land was
of llttlo use for nny purpose. It was
valueless for city property and could not
bo farmed. lie secured tho consent of all
parties Interested
alleys vacated ox
d and had tho streets and
xcept such as wero needed
for highways, and thus what was Intended
as a great city, and which camo within ono
voto of being tho capital of Nebraska, is
ow ono of tho richest and finest farms In
this 8tnl- Mr. Sprlck takes commondablo
I'r'de In tho fact that all this has boon ac-
compllshcd without a slnglo lawsuit, dlffer-
,mn nf nnini nn nr trntlliln nf nnv Vltlfl.
onco or opinion or troumo 01 any Kinu.
ciiurcucH unit luu iiwuiiiuga ui uiu (icuinu
who opcrato theso establishments and a few
f tho farmers who linvo retired from actlvo
Garden of Eden ns this modern world Is
likely to see. The soil Is rich and only
needs to bo stirred with a plow to respond
with a harvest, and tho men who llvo hero
havo followed tho pursuit Industriously. In
all this township last year thoro was but
ono pleco of property advertised for de
linquent tnxea and tho owner of this mado
a bcellno for tho county seat and paid up
as soon as ho discovered ho had overlooked
tho payment until It wns advertised. Fonta-
nolle township, Washington county, lays
claim to being tho richest farming township
In tho stnto, and tho township which dls-
putes tho claim must mako a mighty good
showing or tnko down.
Full of Yt'lirH mill IIiiiioi'n.
As tho only ono of tho original company
Mr Sprlck Is 1 oked up to as tho patriarch
of the community. Personally n man of
strong character It could not bo otherwisj
than that ho should nlways havo boon a
leader in tho community and tho county,
Ho was elected to tho lower house of tho
state legislature In 1873, 1877 nnd 1881 nnd
tn tim ointn snnnin from Wnshlneton and
Lee , lo . in 188 ? In bo 5 " of thwo
l o lies ho " m a lea lor lot .1 ZT
bodies ho was a leader amon aim
WAS IUIILT IN FONTANELLE.
PRESENT RESIDENCE OF HENRY SPRICK.
iBBBBBfc 1 vuBBht'' Bm V
HENRY SI'HICK ONE OF TI1K ORIGINAL FONTANELLE COLONISTS.
monopoly republican forces. Ho Is stl.l of
the saniu political faith. In two matters
paitlcularly ho has the mcst decided con-
victlons that tho American Idea that tho
foundation of all good government Is In
tho education of tho masses, and that it Is
tho duty of ov-.-ry good citizen to go to tho
polls on election day and cast his ballot,
'"'o community is of tho same way of think-
'"B and the result Is that whllo tho early
ambition to havo a collego has failed them
they havo always had tho best of public
schools. Mr. Sprlck has novor failed, slnco
ho settled in Fontanelle In 1855, to cast hU
ballot when election day camo and proposes
to keep up tho record as long aa his 11 o is
spared. Personally, ho says ho has had all
of tho honors of political llfo which ho de-
sires nnd that his only ambition is to spend
mimInlng , ,)eaco am, qulot and
u,. hit. Mtnllv nrnaluTnnx nn,I Imnr.v nrnlllld
him. After nil tho vicissitudes of pioneer
life, with Its hardships and Incessant labors
of building a homo out of tho wilderness,
ho Is nt 73 halo and hearty and supervises
his largo business Interests.
Ouo of tho pictures presents a vlow of
tho slto on which tho first bouse was erected
in Fontanollo. Tho log structuro which
originally stood thero has gono and In Its
stead Is a noat frame. Carefully trlmmod
trees havo taken tho place of tho native
growth and tho comfort which everything
in tho surroundings betokens gives no In-
mention of tho condition In which tho pie-
neor found It.
Two other of tho views show tho placo ot
Mr. Sprlck. The old log houso was erectod
by him iu 1855, and, though tlmo has dis
mantled it, no other hand will add to the
ruin whilu the builder or his children live.
In It ho and tho llvo men who camo with
him lived during tho tlrst winter of tholr
stay and to It Mr. Sprlck Inter brought his
brldo and started out in married llfo. To
ono sldo can be seen tho corner of his
second bouse, which was erected In 18G5 as
ho had prosperod through his labors. An
othor plcturo shows tho commodious brick
structuro in which ho resides at prosont.
It was erected In 1883 and the trees which
surround It wero planted nt that tlmo. The
plcturo of Mr. Sprlck was takon while sit-
May 27, 1000.
ting upon tho porch of his residence. What
a train of thought must pa3s through h s
mind as ho views In tho threo houses the
rlso and fall of his hopes, tho evolution
from a wilderness to a verltablo paradise,
His early dreams of a great city aro gono,
never to return, but as ho looks around him
he confesses ho has no regrets. Tho band
which guides the dostlny of tho unlvorso
makes no mistakes. Ho Is happy and con-
tented. Ib it not possible that had his am-
bltions been realized thoy would havo been
oniy dead sea fruit?
C'dUSC Ot HlS JOV
ueirou t reo tress, mere was a sllgni
cllllon between a heavy wagon and a ped-
ui-s cart 0n Hastings street the other day.
and tho peddler was thrown to tho pave-
meQt Considerable forCO. A Crowd
fathered and the unconscious form waj
lo ""'o,
After sprinkling tho unfortunate man's
face with water, aud holding a sponge
soaked in vinegar under his nose, ho soon
regained consciousness and muttered:
"Vero am I?"
"You'ro all right," replied tho M. D. in
attendance "Just badly shaken up, that's
all."
"Vat bitted mo. O! my, I feel so dizzy.
I ain't goln' to die, am I, no?" ho suddenly
exclaimed.
"Nn nn " tan Id the dnnfnr onnnrrtualno- n
sme( ..you. b(J a rght , an hour
"Dat's good, dafs good. I don't vant to
lUo yot a vllo Vy t only chu8t pnll, for
flllln' my teeth."
Standard
Water FiltefS
Are in use at
Millard Hotel, Victoria Hotel,
l'axton Hotel, Omaha Club,
Merchants Hotel, The Utopia,
Schlltz Hotel, The Shrlner,
The One Minute Restaurant,
Btl, Muurer's Hestaurant,
Slitrman & McConnell, DruggUm,
J II. Merchant, UrtiKR t,
J. It. Schmidt. Uruk'Kht.
M. Dillon, DruRKlM, .-'o. Omaha,
Melchlor, DriiKKlut, go. Omahn,
D. J. O'llrlen. HohIoii 6ton.
iff Mm a. Patterson, Murk lA .
llrnwnell Hall. M , Oio. Krur.
' llee UuUdlne Founta.n
CrelKlitoii-Hriilieiini Itul iMiik.
Phone30e. U07 H.P.iir Cf
m iiui iiwj ar v
REST YOUR HEAD!
Blio, In. Wtlghl, about 1 lb.
tdd., SoUrarti, aalllpllrt, DIiMm, etc
'wrlei ill column i utomtlcllf. MtkM
tipitof Dtdnnint HtvntMrUMnUl
strain I Al Kifartncet. 3 Yaara Ouaranta.
lOPara'Trlal. Ruit taitroettva BooaUl Na. .
Tha lataniallnMI IrllhHuhlu fa
ill iu La tiixa ai., cmcaug, ill., vYi.
1
mil
