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THE OMAHA DE E
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VOL. XXXVI-NO. 23.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MOKNING, NOVEMBER
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100f.
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WILLIAM A. PAXTON A DEVELOPER OF WESTERN EMPIRE
r
Some Incidents in the Busy Life of a Man Who Has Done His Share in Opening Up the Wilderness and Making It a Wonderful Hive of Agricultural Industrial and Commercial Activity
The
Omaha
S
7!
ALB" a century of residence In Nebraska will be completed by
W. A. Paxton, pioneer railroad and telegraph builder,
freighter and cattle raiser, January 13, 1907. It was just
fifty years ago he crossed the Missouri river in a snow
storm and began his career in the young territory as a bridge builder
on the government road from Omaha to Kearney.
During this time he has seen the state develop from the terri
tory In which moat of the land owners held only a precarious title
to their property by the law of club and six-shooter to the rch ag
ricultural state, one of-the wealthiest In the union, considering Its
population. He has had' a chance and has taken advantage of the
opportunity of being one of the foremost factors In building up the
commonwealth financially, industrially, socially and politically. He
was one of those who foresaw the future possibilities of the state
and he took advantage of it and as a result Instead of a penniless
bridge foreman, he has long ago become one of the foremost men
in the development of the west His interests now are manifold
and branch out in nearly all departments of Industry. He Is cred
ited with being the pioneer in the establishment of the great cattle
Industry in Nebraska and the progressive spirit he showed in those
early days has marked his business policy ever since.
A life such as this is always filled with interest both for the
other pioneers who underwent the same trials and hardships and
witnessed the same miracles In the building up of the state, and for
those who came later and for the younger generation who found on
their arrival in the state a comparatively high condition of develop
ment. His life, like the lives of most of the pioneers of the rugged
type, is full of human interest and thrilling incident.
Mr. Paxton is a native Kentucklan. He was born January 26,
1837, and his early life was spent in the country. His father was
a native of Virginia of Scotch anceBtry and he inherited the rugged
virtues of his ancestors. William got his early education In the
schools of his native state and in 1849 moved with his father to
Middleton, Montgomery county, Mlsouri. His father continued his
occupation of farming, but the following year William left home and
started out for himself.
Boyhood Devoted to Work
At the age of 13 he began working on a farm for $8 a month
and remained in this position for a year and a half. Then, desiring
to branch out for himself, he purchased an ox team and began
breaking ptairie for the farmers on his own hook. Four years after
Le left liome he was placed in charge of a farm by M. J. Ragan, at
the princely salary of $200 a year, which was the hlhest paid fT
that l:ind of work in the county. He continue! in Mr. Ilagnn's em
ploy for four years and when Mr. Ragan got a contract with the
government fcr the building of the bridges on the old military road
between Omaha and Fort Kearney he sent Mr. Paxton to Omaha to
take charge of the work as foreman.
' It was January 13, 1857, a blustery, snowy day, that . he
crossed the river and got his first glimpse of the country which was
to be the acene of his active life. He was ferried across the river
at Bellevue and came up this side of the river to the little settle
Dient called Omaha.
He found only a small cluster of houses strung along Farnam
street. The creek that runs through what is now Hanscom park
was then covered with trees and brush and along its banks, in what
is now the Hanscom park district, was a village of thirty-five lodges
of Pawnee Indians. This was a favorite camping ground for the
Indians and at that time they were very friendly toward the whites,
o little trouble was had with them. The Pawnees were located on
an Indian reservation on the Platte river in what is now Saunders
county. Later they were sent to Genoa and afterward to Indian
Territory.
Mr. Paxton rented four small office rooms at Eighteenth and
Farnam streets for $100 a month, opened up his headquarters and
began to get ready for his bridge work. The new road was being
built by the government principally for military purposes and in
order to provide easy access to Fort Kearney, which was then a
frontier post and the basis of a number of campaigns against the
hostile red skins. He constructed the bridges across North Omaha
creek. Saddle creek, the two Papplos and the Elkhorn river before
Che end of the year, and then continued the work, throwing struc
tures across the Rawhide, Shell creek, Prairie creek west of Colum
bus and Wood river, making an open road to Kearney.
These were strenuous years for the young bridge builder and
It was necessary more than once to make a show, of nerve in order
to get along. The territory government was to a great extent on a
"six-shooter" basis and the man who was quickest with his gun won
the greatest respect The settlers had located on land before it was
surveyed jand some of them on more than the legal amount of land,
and had organized a "claim club" to protect What they termed their
rights. Owing to the irregularity of their proceedings the claims of
large numbers of them were not recognized by the government and
the land they were living on was still considered by the officials gov
ernment land. '
W. A. PAXTON.
Combat With Claim Club
, The claim club constituted a kind of vigilante committee to see
that the interests of the members were not encroached upon by new
comers who might file on claims already occupied or do something
to prejudice the interest of the favored ones. The club had no au
thority in law and they UBed a game of bluff and depended on ter
rorizing persons who dared oppose them.
It is recorded that numerous persons who settled on land al
ready claimed were driven out of the territory under pain of death.
Threats of hanging were freely made when a newcomer became ob
durate and insisted on asserting his rights. One Irishman was
taken down to the river in mid-winter and ducked three times
through a hole in the ice before he would consent to sign a relin
quishment of his claims. He did this finally, but almost "lost his life
through exposure. These incidents show the desperate character
of the people who exercised great influence in the new country.
Mr. Paxton's work brought him in constant conflict with this
club. Under his orders he was authorized to cut wood for his
bridges from any government land in the neighborhood. The wil
derness around Hanscom park abounded In fine large trees and he
got much of his timber from there.. But this land was also claimed
' by members of the club and frequently the bridge gang was brought
fa:e to face with a band of determined claimants with drawn re
volvers. On one occasion a gang of them destroyed a lot of timber
which had been cut ready to be placed in bridges. When Mr. Pax
ton went to get It he was met by the men with guus in their hands.
The teamsters did not stay to see what was going to happen, out
took to the woods. Mr. Paxton was alone except for a large fero
cious hound which was his constant companion. The leader of the
claim club gang approached with drawn gun in a threatening atti
tude. Mr. Paxton did not dare draw his gun, for it would mean a
shooting scrape that would end In death for one. He gave a quiet
signal to the dog and the animal, with almost human intelligence,
sprang up, placed hio front paws on the shoulders of the leader and
stuck his muzzle up Into the face of the man with a grimace that
made him weaken. Mr. Paxton then backed away, and went to the
representative of the army, who was stationed here as an inspector
of the bridge work. He explained the action of the claim club gang
and the officer, who was somewhat eccentric, sent for the leader and
told him he would have a regiment here from Rock Island if there
was any more interference. Then he made the members who had
destroyed the bridge timbers go up the river and cut some more and
deliver them. This Is one of many incidents that shows the charac
ter of the times and the difficulties that had to be overcome.
: It was about this time that the first hard financial crisis in Ne
braska began. Times were very bad in 1S57-S. Practically the
only money la the state was in the form of script, from what were
known as wild cat banks, and the failure of some of these institu
tions left business In a very unsettled state. There was little im
mediate prospect tor a good opening for a young man without capital.
and Mr. Paxton went back to his old home in Missouri in 1858, and
in February of that year was married to Miss Mary Jane Ware,
daughter of James W. Ware. The next two years were spent in
farming, but with small success. The opportunities in Omaha and
Nebraska again appealed to him and in 1860 he came back, leaving
his wife, temporarily, with her parents.
Freighting and Contracting
He first began freighting between Omaha and Denver, but soon
gave this up to Join the party that was working for Edward
Creighton, constructing the Western Union Telegraph company's line
between the east and the coast. The line had already been built as
far west as Kearney and the gang began its construction work there.
The route of the line lay along the south side of the Platte river,
from Kearney to Julesburg, then back across the river and up Pole
creek and across the divide. The construction party from the east
side of the mountains met the one from the west, between Bridges,
Utah, and Salt LaRe City. Mr. Paxton was still reany working for
Ragan, his old employer, who had a subcontract. The country
through which the line was built was entirely new and was filled
with Indians, some of them hostile. But little difficulty was en
countered from them because of the size of the force of men em
ployed on the line. At one time there were in the neighborhood of
10,000 men, 1,000 ox teams and as many mule teams In the army
of construction. The Indians did not dare attack as largo a party
of whites as this. A number of the men with this party afterward
became well known for the part they took in the development of tbe
west. One of these was Charles H. Brown, and Mr. Paxton has a
large picture of him hanging In his office, with an inscription in
Mr. Brown's handwriting, reminding him they chopped wood together
in 1861.
' When he returned from this trip his heart once again turned
toward home and he went back to Missouri, where he renewed his
attempts to make farming pay. The civil war was now on and he
had hardly got well established when practically everything he had
was sweat away and he was left with very little capital. He came
back to Nebraska with his wife and landed in Omaha July 7, 1863,
with $135 in money. Turning to the first employment that would
help pay expenses and enable him to rebuild his fortunes, he went
to work in a livery stable-for $50 a month as foreman. Shortly
after this he went back 'to freighting between Omaha and Denver
and Fort Laramie. At that time there was no railroad west of the
Missouri river, and there was plenty of work to do hauling the ne
cessities of life across the plains to the population in Colorado and
Wyoming.
It was about this time Mr. Paxton really launched out into a
business that proved the foundation of his fortune. From his friend,
Edward Creighton, he purchased an ox team for $1,050 on four
months' time, and so profitable was the venture that in a short time
he had paid the money and had bis team and a neat sum besides.
Thanksgiving and Rejoicing Day
THANKSGIVING DAY In America began
as a public rejoicing over a good
harvest the first reaped by the New
England colonists and maintains
some of Its ancient flavor to this day. The
idea is as old as history. It finds expres
sion in various waya In all countries and
climes. Gratitude is the keynote of the ob
servances everywhere.
After the first harvest of the colonists at
Plymouth in 1621 Governor Bradford sunt
four men out fowling that they might re
joice and celebrate in feasting together. In
July, 1623, a day of fasting and prayer was
appointed on account of the drouth. Rain
came while the people wero praying and the
governor appointed a day for thanksgiving
which was observed with religious service.
There was a similar change of fast-day into
Thanksgiving In 1631, when supplies came
from Ireland. All of these earlier appoint
ments, however, were maJe at various sea
sons of the year and for special purposes
usually for the timely arrival of ships with
supplies but in later years on account of
the harvests. Thjs substantiated a fixed
Thanksgiving day late In the fall after the
harvest time was over, and also the cele
bration of the day by first a religious serv
ice and then a feast. When the revolution
ary war began Thankbgiviiig had become a
national holiday and was annually recom
mended by congress. However, after the
geneial thanksgiving for peace in 1784
there was no national appointment until
1789, when President Washington, by a re
quest of congress, recommended setting
aside a day of thanks for the adoption of
the constitution. In later years, during the
civil war, Lincoln Issued a proclamation
recommending a special thanksgiving for
victory in 1862 and 1863. Since then'
proclamations have been made by the presi
dent and governors of the various states,
and custom has fixed the date on the last
Thursday in November.
Different peoples have different times,
but always some time, for harvest thanks
giving. When the Jew inhabited Palestine
the festival of Pentecost embraced a thanks
giving for a plentiful harvest; but as the
wheat is not gathered in Europe at the time
of the Pentecost, flowers take the place of
the first fruits in the synagogues there. The
Druids had their harvest festival on Novem
ber 1; the Chinese and Japanese have theirs
at their year's close.
The second of the three great festivals
of the Jewish ecclesiastical year occurs on
the sixth and seventh days of the third
month (Sivan), which includes part of May
and June. It is called in Hebrew, Sbovuos,
but more generally tbe feast of the Pente
cost, the fiftieth day, since It commemorates
the giving of the law to Moses on Mount
Sinai fifty days after tbe deliverance of the
Israelites out of Egypt. It is also called
the Feast of Weeks, because It marks the
completion of seven weeks, counted from
the second day of Peasch, or Passover.
In the old simple days of England the
Harvest Home was such a scene as Horace's
friends might have expected to see at hii
Subine farm. The grain last cut was
brought home in its wagon called the Hock
Cart surmounted by a figure formed ot
sheaf with gay dressings suggesting a rep
resentation ot the goddess Ceres while a
pipe and tabor went merrily sounding in
front and the reapers tripped around in a
hand-in-hand ring, singing:
"Harvest home, harvest home,
We have plowed, we have sowed.
We have reaped, we have mowed.
We have brought home every load.
Hip, hip, hip, harvest home!"
In the evening of Harvest Home the sup
per takes place in the barn or some other
suitable place, the master and mistress gen
erally presiding. This feast Is always com
posed of substantial food with plenty of
good ale.
Japan has two Thanksgiving festivals in
honor of the harvest, both of which are ob
served as official holidays. On the 17th of
October the Harvest Thanksgiving .called
Kan-name Matsuri. or the Divine Tasting,
is celebrated. The second harvest fpetlval,
called the Shln-Sho-Sal, Is celebrated on No
vember 23. On the occasion of this festival
the first sheaf of rice grown within the im
perial grounds is, by religious tradition,
reaped and offered by the emperor to the
divine ancestors as a harvest offering. . He
also offers to the Sun-goddess the first' new
silk of the year.
In the famous temples of Ise, in- the
neighborhood of Yamama, are the shrines
of the goddesses in whose honor those festi
vals are held. There are two temples.', the
Nalku (inner temple) and the Oeku or
outer temple. The Nalku is sacred to the
Sun-goddess, the great ruler of heaven; the
Geku is dedicated to the Goddess of Food
Continued on Page Two.X
By 1864 he had $1,800 laid up, which was his nest egg. He con
tinued for two more years In the freighting business, gradually
adding to his capital, and In 1867 took a contract for the building
of the first ten miles of the Union Pacific railroad west of Julesburg.
He concentrated a large gang of men on tho work and did contract
work at various places on the Union Pacific during tho year follow
ing. He had an army of 6.000 men and 1.500 teams. He moved
this immense force from Rock Creek, Wyo., to Green River and then
to Tie Siding, where he was employed for some time furnishing ties
for the railroad construction gangs. In the wiuter of 1868-9 ho
closed out his work there and returned to Omaha.
Pioneer in Cattle Business
His contracts on the railroad had netted him $14,500 and with
this he lauuehed out into the cattle business, an Industry at that
time entirely undeveloped and of which a far-sighted man, such as
Mr. Paxton has proved himself to be, could already, even at that
early time, see the vast possibilities. The wide prairies were still
the grazing pastures for large herds of buffalo, and If these animals
rould live and thrive In a wild state here, why not utilize the grassy
wastes for domestic cattle? The importance of this decision to go
Into the cattle Industry can be realized when It is remembered that
before this time the possibilities of tho plains states had not been
understood, even by many people who were more or less familiar
with them. It was a start in a business that afterward spread over
Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas, and finally con
centrated In South Omaha as a packing center and outlet to the
hungry hordes of the east. With Mb small capital he Invested in a
herd of cattle at Abilene, Kan., and, bringing them up north, sold
them at a profit of $12,000. This was in 1869, and the same year
he purchased a tenth Interest in the newly-formed Omaha & North
western railroad, which had incorporated with a dozen prominent
Omaha men on Its list of stockholders.
The new road was one of several that were being built out of
Omaha to tap the territory not touched by the new Union Pacific.
It pushed its way up toward Blair and Herman and later to
Tekamah. It was sold later and has since passed into the hands of
the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha road. Mr. Paxton built
the first twenty miles of this road and then turned his attention more
exclusively to the cattle business again. In 1870, with Jack Morrow
and J. W. Bosler, he went into the cattle contracting business and
contracted to supply beef to the Indian agencies in the west. The
vast extent of this business may be seen from the fact they furnished
from 23,000 to 75,000 head of cattle annually to the government.
The animals were driven across the plains for long distances and
many Interesting stories are told of brushes with straggling Indians
and with the difficulties of preventing the cattle from stampeding
with herds of buffalo. In 1873, while still in the contracting busi
ness, Mr. Paxton started a ranch at Ogalalla, which is pointed out
as the forerunner of the modern cattle ranch and of the cattle busi
ness In the western part of the state. Most of his attention was
directed to this ranch during the next few years. The Industry
flourished in his hands and in 1883 he had 22,000 head of cattle on
the ranch. About that time he sold the ranch for $675,000.
Growth of Omaha Interests
One of his first large ventures in an industrial way in Omaha
was the firm of Paxton & Gallagher, which was one of the pioneers in
Omaha's Jobbing trade. In 1886 the Paxton & Vlerllng Iron Works
company was founded. Both of these companies have come to be
among the leading Industries of the city. Almost overshadowing
in its importance to the city, and, in fact, to the entire west, was the
establishment of the Union stock yards at South Omaha and the
building up of the Magic City and the Immense packing industries
there. Mr. Paxton was one of the first to realize the advantageous
position of Omaha as a center, in which the cattle of the western
plains could be concentrated, killed and dressed for the eastern
markets. The whole configuration of the western country pointed
toward Omaha as the place for this industry, and even before the
cattle industry had developed far its possibilities were seen. The
two important railroads passing through Omaha the Union Pa
cific and the Burlington annually hauled vastly larger numbers
of cattle, horses and hogs through Omaha than passed through Kan
sas City. Omaha was contiguous not only to Kansas, Colorado and
Wyoming, but also to the Dakotas. Early tables show that these
figures were very carefully scanned by the men in whose minds the
idea of an immense packing center in Omaha first took root. The
first move in the direction of organizing the company was made
in 1876, but this did not have sufficient local backing and was not
carried to a successful conclusion. In 1878 the project was revived
and two rival companies one headed by A. P. Nicholas and the
other by William A. Paxton were formed. Both companies began
business southwest ot the city, but in the winter ot 1878 and 1879
Mr. Paxton's company moved across the river to Council Bluffs and
shortly afterward the Nicholas company turned its business over
to the Union Pacific railroad after suffering a heavy loss. All
through this period the stock yards Idea was in embryo, and a num
ber of small companies were started, but none of them succeeded.
In 1882 Alexander H. Swan, a large cattle owner in Wyoming, took
up the plan ot starting yards In Omaha. He took into his confidence
Leverett M. Anderson, and it was the first intention to secure about
200 acres of land south ot the city for the enterprise. Then the
plans were enlarged and over 1,800 acres of land now covered by
the city of South Omaha was bought up.
New Stock Yards Company
In the fall of 1883 the proposition was laid before Mr. Paxton,
who was still Interested in the stock yards across the river, and he
at once decided to invest in the venture and Induce his friends to
go into it with him. He was one of the incorporators of the new
Union Stock Yards company of Omaha, the others being Alexander
H. Swan. John A. Creighton, Peter E. Her. John A. McShane,
Thomas Swobe and Frank Murphy. The capit 1 stock was fixed at
$1,000,000 and the articles gave the company a wide scope, including
not only the buying and selling of live stock, but the killing, slaugh
tering and packing of it as well. Mr. Paxton was elected president
and has been one. of the prime movers.
Hardly secondary in importance to this enterprise was the sub
sidiary one of the development of the city of South Omaha. Up to
the establishment of the stock yards there, the country now In
cluded in the city limits was entirely farm land. The Syndicate and
Land company was forir-1 to finance and carry out the plan to
secure and dispose of the land on which the new city was to be lo
cated. Mr. Paxton was an important member of the syndicate and
acted as one of the trustees, by whom tbe property was held to secure
the payment of the $1,400,000 bonds issued by the syndicate. The
city was laid out and within two years was flourishing.
Mr. Paxton has always been interested financially in real estate
in Omaha, and one ot his Investments was the large building at
Sixteenth and Farnam streets, which bears his name. His invest
ments have been profitable and Include many and varied industries.
Politically he has never .pushed himself forward to any great ex
tent. He was a member of the Nebraska legislature at Its twenty
fourth session, commencing January 4, 1881, and was a seuator in
the twenty-ninth session, which began January 1, 1889,
In private life be has been noted for his blg-heartednesa and
his genial nature. He has always been, in spite of his busy life, a
man who Is easy to meet, and his old-time friends have been amiaig
his best.. The old sceneB which recalled the struggle of bis early
days-have always been dear to him, and he remarked in conversa
tion not long ago that, until they were destroyed, he had paid fre
quent visits to the old stumps in the Hanscom Park district, where
he had secured the timbers for the bridges he built on the old mili
tary road as a youth of 20 years. - He has a vivid memory of th
stirring occurrences ot those days, and for this reason is an enter
taining conversationalist when his mind turns back to pioneer tluti.
