Pioneers Even Came from Isle of Man
.——
Michiganders’ and Pennsylvania Miners’
Principal Settlers in O’Neill Colony
This, the 75th year since O’-.
Neill became a place on the
map, aroused The Frontier pub
lisher’s to a sense of the obli*
gation of our generation to those
who have gone before.
O’Neill is an existing, thiob
bing, expanding city in 1949 be
cause from 1873 and onward
men and women with their boys
and girls found themselves swept
into the current flowing West
ward and cast anchor in North
Nebraska’s virgin prairieland.
There could be no O’Neill with
out the Michigan settlement on
the North and East, the Penn
sylvania settlement on the North
and West. Iowa, Wisconsin, Il
linois, Ohio and New York con
tributed of their surplus popu
lation but the two well defined
settlements, were planted for
long life and permanent fruit
age by the outriders and fore
runner$_from the copper coun
try of Michigan and from Scran
ton, Pa.
Who are left of the original
families?
Walter O’Malley, a rugged ex
ample of tfie Pennsylvania stock,
must tell.
"The Michigan Settlement.—
The Mark Murphys and their
children, Denny, Bartholomew
and a widowed sister; Phil Har
rington on the old homestead;
Mary Kelly, daughter of the late
Con J. Kelly, who resides on her
father’s homestead; Wm. Han
ley, who anchored across the
road from the old homestead of
his parents; Frances Sullivan,
son of the late John Paul, re
sides on the home place and
Paul Sullivan, jr., youngest son
of the late Paul Sullivan, con
tinues to reside with his family
on the homestead of his parents.
Paul Sullivan and his sister,
Nora (Mrs. Harry Jolly) retain
ownship of the original Sulli
van estate.
"The Pennsylvanians. — John
B. Donohoe stays by the home
stead; Thomas Donohoe lives on
a part of the old place and their
son. Jimmy, just across the
road; Mrs. Peter Donohoe and
son, Robert, live on the home
farm; Clarence Donohoe, son of
T. F. Donohoe, lives on the old
place, Clarence being a nephew
of the late Peter Donohoe; Ed
Menish is on the old homestead;
Ed and James Early, on the or- :
iginal Early estate; Lloyd and
Robert Gallagher, John and
Frank Murray, John, Henry and
Billy Cook each on farms in the
neighborhood which they own;
Mrs. Ed Graham and son, Ger
ald, on their farm and Maurice '
just across the road.
“There are the three Mathews
boys, sons of Mr. and Mrs.
James Mathews, who were
among the early settlers. These
are James, Thomas and Leo,
still living in the community
where their parents founded a
home. The Donlin family were
among those from Scranton and
were an outstanding family of
the first settlers. Of this fam
ily there is still in the commun
ity John J. Donlin now on the
formef Austin Hynes place.
“I trust of these two groups of
pioneers none of the sons or |,
daughters have been overlooked
who still remain on the land of
their parents. And it is note
worthy that these children of j
the first settlers have stayed i
with the soil and are among the
thrifty producers of the pres
ent day.”
Assessors Pad Rolls with
1,407 'Unorganized' Patriots —
The assessors’ census returns
for April 1, 1882, gave the popu
lation of Holt county to be 5,
465. But leave it to the assessors
to get everything in sight, so
they reached out into unorgan
ized territory and found 1,407
more patriots.
Holt county was organized
into 11 precincts, the population
of each of these being as fol
lows:
Organized Territory
Inman’s Grove - 616
Paddock .— 520
Center (including O’
Neill) . . .1,119
Ford _ 425
Keya Paha - 258
Willowdale _ 155
Beaver Creek _ 236
Atkinson . 802
Steel Creek _ 413
Saratoga .-. 488
Stuart -- 205
Iowa --j,.- 227
0,900
Unorganized Territory
Long Pine _ 787
Creighton _ 190
Cook - 315
Territory North- 115
1,407
5,465
Grand Total-- 6,872 i
In Holt county proper there
were 113 males a n d 95 fe
males under one-year-of age;
103 and 87, two-years-old; 97
and 94, under three; 96 and 87.
under five; 411 and 413, from
five to 10: 575 and 507, from
10 to 20; 554 and 453, from 20
to 30; 407 and 316, from 30 to
40; 246 and 186, from 40 to 50;
195 and 117. from 50 to 60; 76
and 43, from 60 to 70; 20 and
nine over 70.
From where and from whence
came the pioneers? Here is the
list of states, provinces and
countries: Ohio, Kentucky, Mis
souri, Iowa, New York, Illinois,
Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, New Hampshire,
Delaware, Vermont, Maine, Vir
ginia, Kentucky, Colorado, Ala
bama, Maryland, North Caro
lina, Mississippi, Georgia, Rhode
Island, District of Columbia, Da
kota, Wyoming, Washington
Territory, England, Bohemia,
Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Ger
many, Norway, Manitoba, Novia
Scotia, New Brunswick, Bel
■1 mv- • X*
One of first houses built in O'Neill settlement . . . stand
ing across street North from Methodist church.
General O’Neill’s Home
In 1874, Gen. John O’NeilF
was given title to lot 15, block
11 by Patrick Fahy. Here was
built a four-room house, paint
ed the traditional white, and
for a period of 10 or more years
thereafter was the home of the
O’Neill’s. A son, John, and
daughter, Kitty, with their
mother continued to reside there
after the death of the general in
1878. O’Neill was buried in
Omaha.
Jerry Howard came here
some years ago from Omaha and
unsuccessfully promoted an un
dertaking to remove the gen
eral’s remains to O’Neill.
At this late date there would
be nothing to remove from the
original grave. Records disclose
that in 1876 title to the property
passed to J. C. Parcel but Mrs.
O’Neil] was occupying the house
as late as 1885.
The above is a picture of the
O’Neill home, one of the first
houses built in the new settle
ment, just across the street
North from the Methodist
church.
An aristocratic English lady#
Mrs. Triggs, who with her
husband and sons, George and
James, lived for many years
in the h o u s e on Everett
street between Fourth and
Fifth, now owned by the Joyce
sisters, succeeded Parcel in
ownership of the General O'
Neill home. It has passed into
other hands since. Might it |
not properly be made a shrine
to the memory of the man
who put the beginnings of the
present splendid city of O'
Neill on the map of North
Nebraska?
General O’Neill said, as quot
ed by the late Monsignor Cas
sidy in his history of St. Pat
rick’s parish, “That the next
best thing to giving the Irish
people their freedom at home is
to assist and encourage such of
them as are here, or who may
come here of their own free
will, in procuring homes for
themselves and their children in
this free land of their adoption.
“And having tried to do the
best I could to give them free- i
dom at home, and for the time
being at least failed, I am now
engaged in doing what I believe
to be the next best thing. Some
of the ablest Irishmen of Amer
ica, from Thomas D’Arcy Mc
Gee, in his day, down to the
present time have written and
spoken and resolved on this sub
ject; and now I am simply put
ing into practice what these men
have talked about, and I am
happy to say, with gratifying
success. Without money or or
ganization and but few friends
to assist me, with confidence in
myself and the justness of my
cause, and a firm reliance on
God. I claim to have accomplish
ed a great deal already, having |
confidence in the final success of
this project.”
gium, Wales, Switzerland, Aus
tria, France, Holland and one
from the Isle of Man.
Reinbows by Moonlight —
Rainbows can be formed by
moonlight.
News Notes in 1881 -'82 . . .
Store Clerk to
Double as Barber
John Smoot has engaged him
self to John Purcell and will no
doubt make a good clerk, John
will devote evenings, Saturday
afternoons and a part of each
Sunday to the barber business.
Commissioner F 1 a n n i
gan wears a self-satisfied smile
nowadays. Mrs. Flannigan and
two children arrived in O’Neill
last week from Minnesota and
will reside op the ranch on the
Blackbird.
W. V. McElhaney, James Es
gate and W. L. Bader, esteemed |
citizens of Apple Creek, were
callers at the Frontier sha»ty
last week.
Cut throats have had a pretty
easy time in Nebraska through
the years, a hang over from the
frontier days. __
OUTLAW Implement Co. mil
*
- CONGRATULATES
!
the City of O’Neill
on Your Diamond Anniversary!!
WHEN THE ASIMUS BROTHERS—Tony and Carl—slak
ed their claim in West O'Neill back in 1934 going was
tough. The country was in one of the worst depressions in
history. Gas sold for 13c per gallon and eggs were worth
9c per dozen. The original brush patches lined the street
and these had to be cleared to make way for the Asimus
enterprises—Outlaw Grocery. New Deal Oil Co., etc. In
fact, their first year in O'Neill the Asimus Brothers pick
ed wild plums on acreages that today—15 years later—are
built-up areas doing a thriving business.
WE HAD CONFIDENCE in O'Neill, in Holt county, in
North-Central Nebraska and Southern South Dakota.
Thai's why we elected O'Neill as a place to do business and
as a place to live. Through good times and bad our faith
in the community and in the country has not waivered.
We're proud to be a part of this community.
— TONY ASIMUS
A WORLD OF USES
NONE OVERPOWERED ...
... but powered right for greater econ
omy wherever you put the MASSEY -
HARRIS PONY to work. The PONY
The All-Year, All-Weaths
All-Purpose
UNIVERSAL Jeep
• The 2- and 4-wbeel-drive
Universal “Jeep” operates on
or off the road . . . serves as a
pick-up truck, tow truck, trac
tor ana mobile power unit. All
weather top and curtains op
tional. A versatile work-horse
for farm or business.
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY I
is only one item
in the full, com
plete line of Mas
sey - Harris ma
chinery and im
plements for
farms and for
ranches. The
Outlaw Imple
ment Co. also is
the home of G. I.
farm machinery.
Whatever
the New in
New or Used
Farm
Machinery
You'll Do Well
to Visit the
•
OUTLAW
Implement Co.
Before You Buyl
Kaiser and Frazer
Motor Cars
THE 1949 KAISER Deluxe Sedan has more ihan 100 improvements—72 in styling
and 30 in engine and mechanical features. Major developments, many of
them based on more than two billion miles which owners have pul on K-F cars, in
clude an increase from 100 to 112 horsepourer. A massive grill and bumpers are
features of the new exterior design. A new instrument panel dominates the re
styled interior.
Now the KAISER and FRAZER Cars Are
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• * ' 1
Your Choice in Model, Color and Styling . . . Ask for a
Demonstration!
i , . • ,4
k
iiih.. i ^....—--j
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★
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Kaiser - Frazer
Cars
Willys Jeeps,
Pickups, Station
Wagons
Willys Jeepbters
The Jeepster is as informal as a sport coat, and twice
as much fun to be in. Your first ride in this daring
new car will set you to making plans. The sleek, racy
appearance cloaks a chassis that’s engineered to ride
lower and safer. The Jeepster’s low weight and the
r mighty 'Jeep’ engine, with overdrive, will give you
great gas mileage. Perhaps you have noticed people
driving the Jeepster . . . they all seem to be smiling.
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