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THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Vol. XXVIII. No. 53.
PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1909.
Price Ten Cents.
frfsX A A
11 L
THE KAKLY SETTLEIIS.
The first white settler in Cass coun
ty was Samuel Martin, who came here
in the Bpring of 1S53. As the time
was before the organic act making
Nebraska a territory, Mr. Martin had
to obtain a permit from the secretary
of war, which he did in order to set
tle here. The title of the Indians
was not extinguished until April 17,
1854, almost a year after Mr. Martin
landed. On his arrival Mr. Martin
established a trading post on the
ground now occupied by the city cf
Plattsmouth. In fact, to be exact, he,
with the assistance of James O'Neill
and two or three other men, built a
log cabin on what is now designated
lots 6 and 7, In block 31, in town plat
proper of Plattsmouth. Mr. Martin
traded with the Indians until De
cember 13, 1854. After that his
cabin was used variously as a store,
postoffice, etc., until It was finally
torn down to make room for a more
modern structure.
Immediately after the title of the
Indians was extinguished, a rush was
made by sqttlers for the best loca
tion, and in a short time nearly all
the desirable lands near the river
in Cass County were taken up. The
claim jumpers operated in this coun
ty in a similiar manner to those of
Douglas and other river counties.
An operator would remove the stakes
placed by a bona fide settler and re
place them with ones with his own
name thereon. Sometimes one of
the claim jumpers would have as
many as a dozen claims in his name
when he would be entitled only to
one. After causing a great deal of
trouble in the early settlement, these
detestable whelps were finally put out
of business by various means used
by the honest bona fide settlers.
The early settlers of Cass county
were a hospitable class of men, and
they never turned a hungry person
from their door. Often these good
people were Imposed upon by land
sharks and claim Jumpers. A man
would be sent out to the home of a
homesteader, and having received the
courteous treatment usually accord
ed strangers, would go out on the
claim and drop stones, which he had
carried for the purpose, at what he
imagined to be the four corners of
a house, split the ends of some sticks
and therein insert a piece of glass.
Sticking these in the ground on the
supposed sides of the house for the
windows, he would secure a piece of
board, lay it down in the center of
the supposed enclosure, take a
blanket and retire for the night In
his newly made home. In the morn
ing he would go to the United States
land office, and there swear solemnly
that he had taken a claim, at the
same time describing It; that he had
Duilt a nouse wnn glass winaows
and wooden floor, that It was his In
tention to make permanent settle
ment and that he wished to enter his
.claim; also stating that he had al
ready moved Into It. As soon as he
had received his papers he would
start to his eastern home, congratu
lating, himself upon his shrewdness
as a land speculator, and ease with
which he had worked the green pio
neer who had so hospitably enter
tained him. Such operations were
very discouraging to the honest early
settlers. They were In this manner
gradually hemmed In and surrounded
by the fraudulent speculators who
their own generosity and klndnesB
they had assisted In Isolating them-
(in '
mm
p
tl
WESCOTT
illlfilir
THE
Has Long Since Discarded Her Swaddling Clothes for More
Queenly Attire Her Growth and Institutions
selves from friends, neighbors and the
comforts of life they had anticipated.
These troubles, however, gradually
became fewer as the country settled
and became more law abiding.
Town Company.
As already stated, the first white
settler In Cass county and Platts
mouth was Samuel Martin. The
Plattsmouth Town Company was or
ganized October 26, 1854, by Samuel
Martin, James O'Neill, C. Nuckolls,
J. L. Sharp, Manley Green and Lafay
ette Nuckolls. In November of the
same year the town was laid out and
platted by O. N. Tyson, the surveyor
of the company, and on March 14,
1855, a special act of the legislature
was approved defining the boundaries
of Cass county and establishing the
seat of Justice, duly incorporating the
(then) village of Plattsmouth. As
in all early settlements, the town had
a competitor for greatness In the town
of Kenosha, situated twelve miles
down the river. Considerable bad
feeling was engendered as to the lo
cation of the county seat. It Is
related in this connection that a self
constituted committee of Plattsmouth
citizens, going to Omaha as a lobby
In the legislature had a map of
Cass county prepared by one Henry
Coulson, showing the mouth of the
Platte river ten miles further north
than it actually was, as respects Its
nearness to Plattsmouth. The map
being laid before the proper com
mittee and regarded as answering
Iho only argument on the question,
and Plattsmouth was accordingly
made the county seat and Kenosha
J'went up In the air."
The First Ferry.
About this time a ferry was es
tablished across the Missouri river
here under a charter granted to
Wheatley Mickehvalt and others;this
being one of the seventy acts of in
corporation of the First Territorial
Legislature, being approved March
1, 1 855. Until 1S57 a flat boat
was run, followed by the "Emma"
and the "Survivor" in 1859, the
latter sinking while crossing the river
in 1860. The Survivor was first put
in commlslon by Peter A. Sarpy, and
run in opposition to the Emma for
a year before a compromise was ef
fected between the two companies by
which it succeeded the former boat.
The contest, while it lasted, was a
hot one, and both ferries carried
passengers and teams free of charge
for the greater part of the season.
Frequently a bonus was offered pas
sengers, and it is related that on one
occasion Sarpy offered to take one
wagon over free (as he told the lead
er) if they would all go by his boat,
he would give them a dollar and a
gallon of whiskey. According to tra
dition they accepted.
Peter A. Snrpy.
Peter A. Sarpy, so closely Identi
fied with the early history of the
state and Sarpy county, was a man
j of strong personal characteristics,
He was a fearless trader with the In-
v :m m
i,
V
-5 V, - I
BUILDING
ITY F
CITY THAT HOLDS ITS OWN
Review of the Energetic Business Men
Plattsmouth Who are Today Alive to
the City's Best Interests
dians, over whom he exercised the
control of despot. His direct con
nection with the history of Cass
county may be told In a few words.
At the time he placed the Survivor
upon the river he was living at St.
Marys, Iowa, and removed from that
place In Plattsmouth in 1861, en
gaging In the mercantile business
with Henry Kabe. He brought along
with him from St. Marys, a steam
flour mill, which he continued to run
for several years, when It was sold
to Campbell & Wheatley, subsequent
ly changing hands several times, un
til It was finally removed to Kearney,
Nebraska. For many years Sarpy
suffered from an Incurable disease,
and during the fall of 1864, contin
ued to grow weaker and weaker, until
in January, lS65, 'In the early morn-
4P
CASS COUNTY'S
Ing following a cold winter night,
during which he had several times
gotten out of the bed In which he lay,
putting on coat and hat, went out
Into the bitter cold, and died. He
said an hour before, "I will not last
much longer," and his faithful nurse,
who was constantly with him, help
ing him from place to place about
the weakness of death was upon
him. Ills remains were buried in
the old cemetery west of the High
School building, and subsequently re
moved by relatives to St. Louis,
where he originally came from, and
where they now rest,
Firt I'ostofflcc.
Plattsmouth was made a postof
fice In the fall of 1855. Wheatley
Mickelwalt being the first postmast
er. It Is said he had no office at
first and carried the mail about with
him In hla pockets. When Incorpor
ated the town contained a total of
six houses, there being besides the
two first erected by Martin, three
log houses on Main street between
Third and Sixth, built by T. G. Pal
mer, Wheatley Mlck-lwalt and Wil
liam Garrison, respectively; and a
frame building (the first In the town)
bearing upon its front the "Farmer's
Hotel." Plattsmouth's first merchant,
as before stated, Samuel Martin, who
enjoyed a trade monopoly until his
death, on December 15, 1854. He
was succeeded In the "Old Dnrracks"
by Slaughter & Worley, who ocupl"d
the building until the fall of 1856,
when the one known ns the "Old
Ne w York Store" wns built, this be-
ing lined, in audition ror the pur
pose for which it was Intended, for
the postofflcn, with John A. Worh-y
as deputy postmaster. During the
summer of this year, Garrison: Grif
fith & Co. put up nnotlHT frnmn
building on Main street for busi
ness purposes, where they remained
for some years; the firm, however, In
time, changed to NuckolK Gar
rison & Co., and then to Garrison &
Jones. During the same summer
Wheatley Mickelwalt erected three
PLATTMUTIKI
of
i other frame houses, cue of
whlch
"City
was the "Nebraska House" or
Hotel," built for the town company,
and which was destroyed by fire
January 2, 18S2. The other two
buildings were residences for him
self and T. G. Palmer, In the latter
of which Col. Sarpy died in 1865.
Two saw mills were built in Platts
mouth during the year the first by
Helsel & Rauth, the latter soon with
drawing from the firm, however, and
a number of burxs put In by Conrad
Helsel. The other mill was built by
Enos Williams on the south side of
block 36, the site being donated by
the town company.
The earliest physicians in Flatts
mouth were Drs. E. A. and W. E.
Donelan, who opened an office and
the first drug store In the summer
i
COURT HOUSE
of 1856, J. II. Brown, attorney-at-law
began business a year earlier, and A.
H. Townsend, Wlllet Pottenger and
T. M. Marquette of the same pro
fession, came at various times dur
ing 1856. The same year saw its
first school In Plattsmouth, taught
by Mrs. Mary Striking on Gospel
Hill.
The organizing of the city under
its charter of March, 1855, was ef
fected December 29, 1856, by the
election of Wheatley Mickelwalt to
the mayorallty, and Enos Williams,
W. M. Slaughter and Jacob Vallery,
aldermen. The council met and pro
ceeded to do business on January 29,
1857. Their first ordinance was ap
proved by the mayor March 2, 1857,
levying a tax of one-half of one per
cent on all taxable property within
the corporate limits of Plattsmouth,
the amount collected to be expended
In the Improvement of the streets
and alleys and steamboat landings
at and In the city. On December 7,
1857, the council voted each member
a salary of $ 1 00.00 a year, being
something more that $16.00 each for
every session held during the year.
This Is a noticeable fact: In view of
the action taken by the succeeding
council, on December 30, 1858, In
ordaining during the year the sum
of 5 rents was allowed each mem
ber, payable In city serlpt; the as
sessor, recorder and treasurer were
paid $25.00 each for the same
time.
I irxt I tji nk .
The first bank established in
Piatt smouth wns a private concern,
and opened In 1 859 by Tootle &
llannn, of St. Joseph, Mo. In 1866
John H. Clark was admitted Into
partnership, taking the firm name of
Tootle, Hanna & Clark, until the
business was bought out In 1S72 by
the First Nntlonnl bank. The next
bank was the First National which
was organized for business In Jan
uary, 1872. with John Fitzgerald
as president; C. H. Parmele, vice
president, and John R. Clark cash
. : 4 1 . ..
1 '"V - .4
ier. These three with E. G. Dovey,
R. C. dishing and others constitut
ed the directory. The Bank of Cass
County was Instituted January 31,
1SS0, by A. E. Touzalln, H. W. Yates,
John Black and D. II Wheeler, the
following being tho list of of
ficers: John Black, president; E. M.
Yates, cashier; A. E. Touzalln, H. W.
Yates, John Black, F. R. C.uthmann
and E. M. Yates making up the
Board of Directors.
The Hotels.
The ll:st hotel in Platl smouth was
the Nebraska House er City Hotel,
biiilt for the town company by
Wheatley Mickelwalt during the
summer cf 1856, and destroyed by
fire on January 2, 18S2. It was
situated on the corner of Third and
Main the present site of , Hotel
Plattsmouth, and at the time of its
.destruction was the property of Fred
Goos. For many yeare It was the
only hotel of any Importance in the
city. In 1869, the Saunders. House
was erected on upper Main, street,
nnd taking Its place as a first-class
hotel Immediately upon Its opening.
This building was entirely destroyed
by fire after ten years service, the
conflagration occurring on January
29,' 1880 tho loss being $27,00().
From the time of this loss to the city,
Plattsmouth was In sad need of a
hotel, until the organization of a
Hoard of Trade in 1880, the bonrd
soon after It was constituted offering
the sum . of $2,500 ag, a bonus to
nnyone who would build a first-class
hotel.' This .offer was almost Im
mediately accepted by. F. R. Guilt
nnnn nnd brother, commencing the
erection of tho building in 1S81. It
Is standing to-day and Is a substantia!
three-story brick building at the
northeast corner of Third and Main
streets, and completed at a cost of
$30,000. It was opened for business
August 23, 1881, under the name of
tho Perkins House, being In honor of
C. E. Perkins, of the II. & M. Rail
road In Nebraska. Upon the des
truction of the City Hotel In 1S82,
its owner, Fred Goos, Immediately
began to build a substantial thrce
Btory brick bt:ll'M:i. 4 4 by 70, on
the old site of the City Hotel. This
is now known as the Hotel Platts
mouth, and Is owned and run by
Teter F. Goos. In 1890 the Hotel
Riley, a modern and up-to-date struc
ture was built by J. E. Riley, of
Omaha, at an expenditure of some
thing like $75,0'0O. It Is the leading
hotel In Plattsmouth to-day, and Is
one of the best In the stnte.
I'lattxinoiitli nt Pretriit.
The population of Plattsmouth, nc
cording to the census In 1880, was
4,180, and the census of 1900 In
creased It to 5,183, by the govern
ment count. At the present writing
It Is thought to be nearly 6,000.
Its growth has been steady and sub
stantial, ns the present many brlc
blocks on Main and Sixth streets
will fully testify. Tho magnrflcen!
Parmele Theatre, and Riley Hotel
block are structures that would do
great credit to cities three or four
I-
V
1
t ...
times the population of Plattsmouth.
The city is properly located for a
city of great Importance, and the
day Is not far distant when enter-
prl
Ises wlll not pass up such favor-
a
hie
locattnno no thU community j
prepared to offer for manufacturing
Institutions of various kinds.
The Commercial Club already has
several enterprises under advance
ment, Ingludlng inter-urban electric
lines to the nearby towns, which will
largely increase the population. Tho
Commercial Club is planning for sev
eral factories to locate here, nnd It
will not be many months until the
city will assume the character of a
solid, substantial and most desirable
city In which to make a permanent
home.
The City's .Natural .Vvnnt;i;;c.
Plattsmouth Is one of the most
charmingly located cities In tho West.
All the natural elements for a great
financial and commercial center are
here in abundancee. All that Is need
ed Is the genius of the human mind
to continue and realize the means at
hand. Tho men who have been
guiding the progress of our beauti
ful city In past years, who filled
It with magniflelent business blocks
and splendid residences will not let
opportunities go by untilized In
the future. Commerclally.PIattsmouth
is prosperous, and financially, It Is
as solid as tho Rock of Gibraltar.
Our natural site and wirroundlnga
are superb. The ninny lovely and at
tractive homes, embodied in stately
trees, her green lawns, her cultured
society, handsome churches,' splendid
schools, beautiful park nnd fine paved
streets, are tests of the spirit, char
acter and enterprise of her people.
Combining the generosity of nature
with Its wealth of modem improve
ments, Plattsmouth offers health o
Invalid, rest and recuperation to those
worn out by toll, and recreation, ron
tentlment and hosnltnlity to all who
come within her gates. Nature has
especially endowed this city with
everything conducive to the health
and happiness of mankind. With
Its dozen churches, whose r.plres
reach heavenward, catching the first
rajs uf Him morning sun, and klnsed
by the last sunbenns of evening,
with schools that are the especial
pride of nil who dwell within our
borders, presided over by a com
petent set of Instructors, under the
supervision of Prof. J. W. Gamble,
whose untiling energy and excellent
qualifications have brought tho
Plnttsmoutli city schools to the front
ranks of public schools of Nebraska.
With substantial well-filled stores
nnd a citizenship, noted fnr and wide
for Its hospitality, happy Indeed Ih
the man who calls Plattsmouth his
home.
Plattsmouth's wealth and prosper
ity Is embraced In many branches of
commerce and Industry, and occupies
a good petition, n no enjoys a digni
fied prominence In the world of trade,
challenging the respect and admira
tion which such conditions legiti
mately entitle her. The seal of enter
prises and solidity Is Indelibly
stamped upon our city. Our people
have always been averse to booming,
I rather, that the natural resources and
advantages should become known to
the outside world by the town's own
merits, rather than by loud acclama
tions of a great future. Now that
Its nucleus has been prepared, and
Its infancy passed, Its foundation
laid upon a solid basis, It Is pro
posed to make our numerous- advant
ages known to the outside world In
a modest and becoming manner.
T
SCIILITZ BUILDING
