Dixon County's Broad and Fertile Acres
- t . . - - ...
r ui' :m j 't-
IXON county la first of all an
D
agricultural county. The old
time farmer was a Jack, of all
trades. He sought to produce
a little of everything he needed.
The new f&rmAr la Innklnr
shout for an opportunity to specialise In
tjftt and advancement. ' The old-time
J-mer grew every kind of crop known to
txon county, and with the aid of the
olddle men, marketed in some fashion a
' little of each. And so the results were
financially unsatisfactory. The up-to-date,
and scientific farmer finds that the capital
necessary and the knowledge required to1
care properly for and breed fine animals,
to grow products and look after the aalo
of the same, Is too much for one Individual.
As a consequence, he specialises and limits
his activities and endeavors to get his
neighbors to do the same. His supreme ob
ject Is to grow a few articles well and then
turn them over to a specialist to market
them. The work la done through a farm-'
ers' organization or association. The mod
ern farmer has come to realize that spe
cialization Is the foundation of Industrial
development of the last century and that
organization Is the means by which it Is
carried forward. The old farmer may op
pose the Idea of organization If he sees fit,
but the knowledge, use, economics and
united efforts are such that If he would at
tain financial success, will be compelled
to adopt the principles worked out and
used by special Industries.
It will be seen that the pioneers who
braved the perils of frontier life In Dixon
county had no easy task for many years.
Most of those who ventured Into the county
had a good supply of common sense and
plenty of courage and perseverance. Some
began life here as farmers, others hung
out their shingles and announced them
selves as carpenters, blacksmiths, lawyers,
'Vctora and land agents. In all of their
grades and professions they could pride
themselves on their good judgment and
henoe they ultimately were successful.
Dixon county was organised by an act
Of the territorial legislature in 1858. Its
boundary lines as first established have
never been changed. The county contains
between thirteen and fourteen townships
and 304,000 acres. The northern part of the
county la quite rugged, theugh the surface
of the entire county Is sufficiently diversi
fied. Among the rugged hiUa In the north
ern part wind the Lime, Turkey and
Powder creeks. There are ten streams In
the county, making it one of the best
watered section of the state. Valleys along
these streams vary from one-half mile to
three miles in width and comprise in the
aggregate about one-third of the county's
surface. Very little timber is to be found
along the small streams, but along the
bluffs quantities of huge timber are found.
The Ponca Indians were the most numer
ous of the three tribes. Their principal
village was near the present location of
Ponca, the county seat The first settlers
who came into the county arrived In 1866.
Among them were John a Olomon. B.
Jacob Btough and two brothers by the
name of Brown. In June, 1858, N. S. Todd
and C. W. Todd moved in. and In the fol
lowing August E. M. Blsbee, who was at
one time county clerk. At this time there
were about 100 people In the county, and
twenty of them were in Ponca.
Dixon county, in common with other
counties of the territory, suffered largely
from the hard times of 1857 and "68. Gold
and silver disappeared and paper money
of the wildcat species became entirely
worthless. In 1862, the settlement of the
county was again retarded by fears of a
general Indian massacre. The progress of
the county was steady, however, until the
famous grasshopper visitation of 1K74.
Previous to December, 1868, Dixon county
waa attached to Dakota county for legis
lative and revenue purposes. In Decem
ber, 1858, an election was hold for the
purpose of determining the county seat.
Several places deslied to become the capi
tal of the county and a heated contest was
the result At that time there was a town
called North Bend at the northorn bend
Of the river, of about four houses, and
another named Concord, on Lime creek, of
about the same also. Ponca, then, was a
town of four log houses and a grocery,
eince then there have been attempt to re
move the county seat, elections having
, been held at different times. The most
Violent disturbances among the people took
place at these contests. Then it was that
the embryo of civilization in the shape of
a tew log houses and a general grocery
' . '' V'tt-
r, 1
v
- i
-i, -a-v-P- ?i
mra Brexsr, WAXBnxux
woiild compete with any other for the
much valued prise. Such elections always
caused great excitement. At tho counting
more votes wcro shown to have been polled
than there were white men, Indians, horses,
buffaloes, coyotes or prairie dogs In the
county.
In these primitive times, people came
here from the east and the west and
brought with them the habits, customs,
laws and religions and methods of busi
ness prevailing in their late homes. Thus,
the minds and hearts of all were ex
panded. If they brought with them little
ness of soul, they were soon seen to forget
their old habits and to adopt generosity
and nobleness of character. The settlers
might differ with one another In their
view, but if one, although an opponent,
were sick or hard up, his neighbor wat
most willing to become unselfish and gen
erous. Such waa the frontier life In Dixon
county, as well as elsewhere In Nebraska.
The whole country was thinly settled, the
people were, Indeed, not excessive in their
wealth, but still they had many grounds
for contentment. Nearly every one bad
good health, and occasionally ambition
waa sustained by profitable adventures.
No man or woman gave special heed to
fashion books or to the cut of their gar
ments. There wero no bickerings, back
blttngs or jealousies. All were equally
rich and equally poor. As a consequence
the early settlers were, In the main, a
harmonious brotherhood, and are well wor
thy of the respect and rememberance of
those who follow them. In I860, the white
population of the county was 247, In 1870
1.S4B. In 187S 2,888, and In 1880 4,000.
The Dixon county volcano gave this part
of the state more extensive free advertising
than any other event in its history. The
mountain that formed this volcano waa lo
cated about forty rods above Ionia and Im
mediately upon tfie bluffs of the Missouri.
It attracted the attention of Lewis and
Clark when on their famous expedition. It
was again observed in 1865, but caused the
most sensation tn 1877. At that time a
mass of earth 550 feet long and 110 feet
high and thjrty-flve feet thick was un
dermined by the river and slid down into
the stream. Few phenomena were exhib
ited and these feebly and spontaneously.
There is little or nothing now about this
matter worthy of notice except for the
purpose of correcting erroneous Impres
sions. Ponca, the county seat of Dixon county,
not only ts, but has been for years one
of the substantial towns of eastern Ne
braska. It was surveyed and plotted in
1858 by Mr. Stough and Frank West. It
was named Ponca after the Ponca Indians,
the largest tribe, generally friendly to the
whites. Their principle abode was near
the present looat'on of the city of Ponca.
Many of their tepees were standing as late
as 1856. The first building erected was
built by Henry A. Fuller In S5. At the
first term of court held In Dixon county
the Justice of the peace had for his deiik
a beer barrel and for his seat a whisky
barrel, and all the strict order and respect
for the dignity of the court waa rigidly en
forced. Btough brothers built their flour
mill In 1858. In this mill, before the ma
chinery was put In, the first term of dis
trict court was held by Judge Wrlbly, the
term commencing May 24, 1869. In 1&61 a
saw mill was erected In connection with a
grist mill. In 1862 the first Fourth of July
celebration waa held In this mill. The
first hotel waa built In 1860 by Henry A.
1 .
I if V -
4 .
MAIN STREET, PONO
!.i ...
v
I'll,-.-, ''" M-. '
Fuller and kept in connection with a small
grocery.
In 1847 and in the following year, several
large companies of Mormons went across
the county on their way to Salt Lake and
their various routes, , the old Mormon
trails, as they are now called, bard and
worn like turnpikes and devoid of grass,
are plain to be seen.
During the year 1869 but little progress
was made In the county. Of course, under
such a state of affairs. Improvements, pub
lic and private, were not contemplated. In
1867 there had been about 270 acres of land
put under cultivation. In 1858 there was
four times this amount, while In 1K59 and
1860, there was scarcely any development
among farmers.
In 1862, the first school of which there Is
any record, was held In the county. It was
taught by Miss Mary Jones of Elk Creek
Selections
Warm at Both Ends.
ROF. A. L. LOWELL, tho new
PI president of Harvard unlver
I slty, paused In one of his re
cent lectures ana smnea.
"That governmental difficulty,"
he said, "was great aa great
us the- difficulty of Lincoln's farm hand.
"Two farm hands," Lincoln used to say,
"were set upon by a huge bull while cross
ing a rocky field. One managed to gain a
tree. The other took refuge in a hole that
proved to have an exit In the rear.
"The man who had chosen the hole was
no sooner in at one end than he was out at
the other. With a bellow the bull made for
him. He turned and again shot like light
ning through the hole. The bull once more
bore down upon him, and once more he
was In and out of his hole.
"Thla strange pursuit kept up some ten
minutes or more. At first It mystified the
farm hand In the tree; then angered him.
" 'Hey,' he shouted, ye danged nin
compoop, why don't ye stay in the hole?'
"The bull waa dashing from one end of
the hole to the other at great speed, and
the man was bobbing In and out des
ferately. He heard, however, his com
rade's shout, and found time before his
next brief dlsapperance to shout back:
" 'Darned nincompoop yerself ! There's
a, bear In the hole!" Judge.
Same Thins;.
Elsie Janls, In "The Fair Co-Ed," waa
AiFit
i I '.I I:
. f w t wit i
M . 'i ; , I
A , . . . fit. I
TITE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: MAY
' , . I: M .
' - ' '
THREBHTNO ON A DIXON COUNTY FARM.
DIXON COUNTY PiaNEERa' ASSOCIATION.
In the first school house built in Ponca.
In 1862, this part of the state waa called
on for a company of soldiers and a com
pany . was recruited from Dixon, Dakota
aad Cedar counties, who camped- a part of
the winters of 1863 and '63 at Ponca. Thus
the county without many improvements
and with many hardships drifted along
until 1864 and this year seemed to be the
ollmax of grief. It came In the shape of
a fierce drouth and It Is said by prominent
citizens that no rain fell from late In
1863 until the spring of 1865, a period of
fifteen months. A few citizens tided over
this drouth by cutting timber along the
Missouri river and other streams, much of
It walnut, and floated It down to market.
Many homesteaders kept the wolf from the
door largely by hunting, fishing and trap
ping. Deer, wolves and bear were secured
tn quite largo quantities and also prairie
from the Story Teller's Pack
watching a dyspeptic friend solemnly ex
tracting two tablets from a silver purse
and swallow them, after a dinner at the
Knickerbocker.
"I wonder," she said contemplatively,
"did Moses have that same after-dinner
complaint you've got?"
"Eh?" said the friend. "How on earth
do I know? Why?"
'Our Sunday school teacher used to say,"
pointed (jut Miss Janls gravely, "that the
Lord gave Moses two tablets." Young's
Magazine,
One Way of Keeping m Cook.
"What you laughing at?" grumbled Carle
ton C. Crane, all in one word, as he
straightened up, red in the face, with a
handful of clearing house certificates re
covered In fragments from the waste bas
ket Into which he had cast them, thinking
they were cigar coupons.
"Not at you," chuckled John A. Gill,
soothingly. "This letter here's from an old
friend of mine, Captain Hutchinson, an
Englishman living down at Lindsay, near
Porterville. He's the man that planted the
first orange sed that raised the first
orange blossoms for the first marriage
ceremony ever performed at Lindsay.
Listen to this:
"Gave my Chinese cook, Ah Lul, his
regular check for $60. He took It to the
bank. All they gave him was 16 ' cash,
rest In certificates. He came back, threat
PONCA HIGH SCHOOL SUUXnINCk
9, 1900.
Under Successful Cultivation
FARMERS
.'.V
chickens and wild ducks. In the winter,
mink, beaver and musk rat were trapped
and their furs sent to market.
Dixon county at the present time has
' 243,000 acres of farms with 126,300 acres un
der a high state of cultivation. The far
mers of this county sold and shipped out
last year, 1,418,000 bushels of corn, 84,000
bushels of wheat and 933,000 bushels of
oats. This Is but a small share of the
groin raised In the county, as most of It
went to market In the shape of fat stock.
Dlxon county sold and shipped out last
year, 28,900 beef cattle, 69,000 fat hogs, 480
well bred horses and 1,300 mutton sheep,
making it one of the very best counties of
the state in the production of beef and
pork. But this county is learning to not
depend largely on beef, pork, corn and
wheat. Each year the farmers are taking
more and more Interest In the dairy busl-
ened to throw up his Job; fine cook, too;
had him a long time.
" 'All lite, I no go, you make me one
chleck five hun dollar.' "
" 'Five hundred dollars, Ah Lull' I ex
claimed, "I can't afford any such prices aa
that."
" 'No afflod. I takee chleck fllve hun
dollar, blank he play me fifty dollar all
same he pay me fllfty dollar one fllfty
dollar chleck."
" 'So he handed be back the $6 and the
certificates, and I wrote him a check for
1500 and telephoned an explanation to the
bank. Ah Lui got his $50 In cash, and he
is still cooking for us." San Francisco
Chronic W.
A Surprise for Jim,
A mission worker in New Orleans was
visiting a reformatory near that city not
long ago when she, observed among the
inmates an old acquaintance, a negro lad
long thought to be a model of In
tegrity. "Jim!" exclaimed the mission worker.
"Is It possible I find you here?"
"Yassum," blithely responded the back
slider. "I's charged with stealln' a barrel
o' sweet pertaters."
The visitor sighed. "You, Jim!" she
repeated. "I am surprised!"
"Yassum," said Jim. "So was I, or I
would not be here!" Llppincott's Maga
zine. ,
V.TI
!
' T ft!
'11 : n'-
DELTVE7RINO GRAIN AT WAKEFIELD.
I.; - '
.v,
ness. At the present time, they have more
than 7,000 cows on their farms and last
year they worked 363 (hand separators.
Laat year they sold and shipped out 154,700
pound of butter and 117,900 gallons of
cream. The farmers' wives marketed last
year, 81,000 dozen of eggs and 500,000 pounds
of poultry. One of the reasons for the
splendid progresa whlqh this county la
making In the stock and dairy business is
that In many places the farmers' are turn
ing their attention to the growing of al
falfa. At the present, there are 4,000 acres
well seeded to alfalfa.
Dlxon county Is fast coming to the front
in the production of fruit for home con
sumption. At the present time, there are
growing and In full bearing in the county,
17,100 apple, 195 pear, 430 peach, 11,000 plum
and 8,000 cherry trees. Besides these, farm
. ers are learning the advantage of a lib
eral strawberry bed very rapidly.
Dlxon county ta'not 'one of the largest
in the state, but It is one of the richest
In proportion to Its size. ' The county has a
population of 13,000 and a valuation of
$19,000,000. The county Is well supplied with
railroads and of the ten thrifty and pros-'
perous towns, nine are railroad stations.
While the people of the county are justly
proud of its farmers and its happy homes
and its herds of fat stock, they are much
more proud and take greater interest in
their publlo schools. Dlxon county has
eighty-four school districts with eighty-four
school houses and a school population of
4,200, requiring 125 teachers. Over $65,000 waa
spent for school purposes last year. The
average salary paid to county teachers Is
$45. Practically all (he country schools
have good buildings, nice grounds and are
well equipped. With the except of two
or three schools, each has a district li
brary, several having over 2tX volumes.
Four country schools have modern build
ings with the most approved systems of
healing, ventilating and lighting. Of the
ten town schools, three are accredited to
the University of Nebraska and five are ap
proved for free high school purposes. Emer
son has a type of consolidated school with
live country schools, doing eight grades of
work, and a central high school accredited
'to the university. Emerson also has the
only normal training high school In tho
county. Two hundred and fifteen eighth
grade pupils took the examination for ad
mission to these high schools last year.
Mr. A. V. Teed Is serving his fifth year
as county superintendent of schools. He
is a young man and Is In love and in touch
with his work and the county la to be con
gratulated on securing a man for this po
sition whose whole heart is In his work.
As person pauses through the rich
valley and looks out of the car window as
the car approaches Ponca, he is thoroughly
impressed by the unique beauty and sub
stantial surroundings of this little city. Of
the seventeen rural free delivery routes
In the county, four of them start from
Ponca. Outside of the business part of
the town, many fine residences claim the
attention. Good taste has generally pre
vailed in the buildings and in the sur
roundings. Twenty-five years ago the
town could not boast of more than a score
of trees. Now it has at least 10,000. They
fill the lots of almost every occupied place
and beautify the sides of many of the
streets. They, with the shrubbery, vines,
gardens and flower beds and the general
neatnesa displayed, have made Ponca home
like uid enjoyable. The aame good tasto
has prevailed in the building of churches,
school houses and their grounds, In the
grading of the streets, in the putting In
and repairing of city walks and crossings
PONCA WOll SCHOOL, TgACHKRBL
D
4 lf'v-j t;ivVJ
At
and in the methods and order in which
the whole has been fitted out. All of this
has been the gradual outcome of forty
years. And In a few years, other good
towns of the county will enjoy the same
attractive adornments. Indeed, with the
energy and ambition of the residents, the
question of trees, vines and shrubbery 'Js
only one of the time required for their'
growth. All who havo traveled over thla
county in spring and summer know how
attractive It is. The grass-covered prairies
and flower-bedeoked hills, the Italian sky
and genial sun are the radiant beauties
whfeh so attract eastern. eople to this
section of Nebraska,
Frank West, who took such a prominent
port In the starting of the town was quite
a rustler in his own way, but It is doubtful
If he could look forward to It's present
future. He was tho son of a Des Moines
banker, had unlimited nerve and plenty of
money, a largo number of friends and waa
an expert marksman. He was a great
Indian fighter and in the Niobrara country
south and east of here, his name was a
terror to the Paw noes und Poncos. Whether
Ponca was or was not started by
Mr. West for speculation purposes
in the east or whether the object
waa to make more than a paper
town cannot be stated. At any event, the
abundant water power and tho natural re
sources around would make certain a per
manent town.
Ponca is a city of about 2,000 population.
It Is not strictly speaking a manufacturing
point, yet It has one of the best flouring
mills In the state knows aa The Farmers'
Mill and Elevator company. The city also
haa an extensive brick yard, employing
thirty or forty men through the season and
turning out 100,000 bricks per - day. The
little city seems to be largely sufficient
unto Itself. It owns It's own water works
and gas plant. It's two' banks have on de
posit about $5(10,000 and It's Commerlca.1 club
Is one of the most active In the state. They
have a membership of about eighty. In
cluding the very best class of citizens who
are awake to the best interests of their
town. The limitations of this club reach
beyond the limits of Ponca. It not only
4ias an eye on the main publlo highways
leading Into thla little town, but it lends
a helping hand to keep other highway In
the best possible condition. One desirable
and noticeable feature of this section of
the country is the service rendered by the
citizens which Is not only given free, but
which Is also reliable. These men have
no land for sale or axe to grind.
Wakefield Is one of the good towns of
the county and Is situated In the southern
part of Logan valley on a slight elevation
of land. It affords a good mnrket for a
wide section of excellent farming land.
One of the first. If not the first, settler
In the vicinity was C. T. Barton, who
located there May 3, 1869. Its first school
teacher was Miss Lucy Morey, who com
menced teaching January 7, 1875. T. Mar
rltt started the first store and became
postmaster October 31, 1881. Rev. E. 11.
Calder, a Methodist minister, was the first
minister to conduct religious service In
Mr. Marriott's store.
The villa go of Emerson Is situated in the
extreme southeastern part of the .county
on the Chlago, St. 'Paul, Minneapolis &
Omaha railroad, and with a population of
about 1,000. The county line between Dlxon
and Dakota counties is its main street
north and south. It was established In
1881. In 1883 R. E. Kuhn plotted the first
town site and commenced the erection of
a bank, which was completed In 1884.
Among the first settlers 'to locate among
the hills and prairies and found the town
of Emerson were William Warnock, P. H.
Boyle and H. S. Boyle. The Echo waa the
first newspaper venture in the town, estab
lished in the spring of 1883. The first lum
ber yard waa started by J. J. McCarthy.
Ail lines of business are well represented
in Emerson, and it haa all of the require
ments of a thrifty and prosperous town.
It Is an Important railroad center, which
has greatly benefited the place. The time
la not far distant when Its population and
business will be double what It now Is.
Then citizens of Newcastle had no rail
road until the extension of the Chicago,
St. Paul, Minneapolis A Omaha railroad
from Ponca In 1893. One of the first set
tlers In what was known aa Newcastle
township waa William Pflster, who Jecated
there in 1&8. Newcastle village was in
corporated May 16, 13, and has a class of
citizens whose energy and enterprise are
shown In the continued improvement In the
town. It Is one of the hustling and pro
gressive towns of the county.
. : ' . :