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The
first frame house was erected by F. H. Clark
in 1870, the lumber being hauled from Grand
Island.
The
first birth in the county took place at the
Millspaw Ranch, a son to John and Rosy McClellan
and grandson
to David Millspaw. This transpired in
the fall of 1861 and two years later the first
death took place
at this same ranch in the removal of the above
mentioned child in the summer of 1863 and was
buried
on the prairie near the site of the old ranch.
The
first birth on record was a son to C. O. Wescott
(Orville Wescott) from whom the town of Orville
received
its name.
The
first marriage was that of Phillip Hart to Elizabeth
Ellen Verley, August 21, 1870, by Robert Lamont,
Probate
Judge. The first death was that of the
wife of J. D. Wescott.
The
first election was held at the house of John
Harris on the Blue, May 3, 1870.
The
first case tried in the district court was a
divorce suit at a term of this court, presided
over by Hon. George
B. Lake. Mr. E. W. Denio and Mr. Darnell
were the counsel retained, and were the first
lawyers who
practiced in the county.
The
first fourth of July celebration was held, in
the year 1870, in a grove on the south side
of the Blue, the
property of Mr. J. D. Wescott. The oration
was delivered by B. D. Brown, the orator of
the day, it
being his first attempt, and also the first
oration listened to in the county.
The
first crime committed was the murder of a
Mr. Johnson, of Illinois, in August 1870. In
company with
Mr. F. Sawyer, of Lincoln, Nebraska, ha had
been looking at the county, and it is supposed
Sawyer
murdered him for his money, while they were
returning to Lincoln.
Johnson's
body was found several days after, lying on
the prairie in this county, and Sawyer was arrested
on
suspicion at Lincoln and brought back to Hamilton
County for preliminary examination, which took
place
before Justice of the Peach John Brown, at the
house of James Waddle, about the 1st of September.
He
was bound over, and sent to Lincoln for safe
keeping, where he was discharged from custody
on a writ of
habeas corpus.
In
the winter of 1870 Mr. James Rollo had the misfortune
to temporarily lose his eyesight. At this
time he
was living in a small dug-out, on the Blue River.
The winter being quite severe, the settlers
in the immediate
vicinity proposed to make a chopping-bee,
and cut, score and hew the logs for a new home.
Mr.
Rollo decided to celebrate the event by giving
his friends what was considered a rare treat
in those
days of bachelorhood, a huge cake. Mr.
John Harris was solicited, and accepted the
appointment of
cook, and one Sunday morning found him hard
at work in Mr. Rollo's dug-out, fulfilling the
duties of his
appointment.
While
the early settlers were never really molested
by the Indians, they were in constant apprehension
of
a visit from those turbulent denizens of the
plains, and the slightest indication of their
advent served to
call the little band of brave men together,
armed for the fray. One or two incidents
will serve to illustrate
this.
In
the fall of 1868 a stranger dashed up to the
door of "Jarv." Chaffee's dug-out,
his horse covered with
foam, and said he had been chased six miles
by a band of Indians. The alarm was at
once spread
down the river, and in a short time a dozen
men were assembled, well armed and mounted.
Among
them were Charles White, Robert Henderson, Alex
Salmon, Hugh Ketechum, Robert Waddle, Norris
M. Bray, C. O. Wescott, Dan George, R. Fairbanks,
John Harris and Alex Laurie. They at once
started
up the river to meet the foe. After riding
for several hours, scouring the "draws"
along the river, night
overtook them, without having seen any traces
of Indians. They had reached what is now
Seoville Precinct,
and concluded to camp there till morning, which
they did, sitting down on the prairie and holding
their
horses. During this night they were disturbed
by observing some kind of animal prowling around
through
their camp. Investigation revealed the
fact that is was one of their own number, Alex
Salmon, moving
around on his hands and knees. Asked what
he was looking for, he replied that he was "hunting
a hole in which to put his picket pin so he
could go to sleep."
The
next morning, no signs of Indians being seen,
they decided that the stranger had been lying
and returned
to their homes. The same day a party of
Indians attacked the ranch of Mr. Wall, a few
miles farther
west, in Hall County.
On
another occasion Mrs. James Waddle was alone
at her home with her children, when she observed
a
party of horsemen coming over the hill toward
the house. As this was off the line of
travel, she concluded at
once that the strangers were Indians, and determined
to defend her home and little ones to the death.
The
house consisted of two rooms, the front or main
room being built of logs, and the rear being
a "dug-out"
with a door connecting them. Instantly
putting the children in the dug-out, she placed
a large meat
barrel in the open doorway, then arming herself
with several revolvers, and Bob's rifle, she
concealed
herself in the barrel and awaited the attack.
When the party came up she was relieved
to find
they were whites, a band of "gold-diggers,"
on their way to California. With her characteristic
hospitality,
, for which she is so deservedly famous, she
supplied their inner wants, and sent them on
their
way rejoicing.
The
first postoffice was established on the Blue,
at the house of Robert Lamont, who was appointed
postmaster.
The postoffice was named Verona, and continued
under that name until its removal to Orville
City. In the spring of 1871, a second
postoffice was established on Lincoln Creek,
at the home of
S. W. Spafford, with S. W. Spafford as postmaster,
A weekly mail route was established, L.
W. Hastings,
contractor, from Seward to Grand Island, via
York and Spafford's Grove, and in the spring
of
1872 another office, called Williamsport, was
established at William Werth's place. Later
this office was
moved to the house of G. W. Hiatt on the "State
Road" the town line between Townships 10
and 11.
From
the little handful of eighteen sturdy pioneers
who assembled at the house of John Harris
barely twenty
years ago to organize the county, their followers
have increased to a population of nearly or
quite
15,000, and their possessions to an assessed
valuation of over $2,000,000.
T.
A. McKay, retired, Hamilton (served as treasurer
from 1878 to 1882)
Robert
Waddle, meat market, Aurora
E.
J. Waddle, banker, Aurora
T.
B. Johnson, editor and publisher, Stockham
(served as Representative in 1877 and 1878,
and in
1881
and 1882)
Joseph
Stockham (was commissioner from 1882 to
1885)
Gen.
Deievan Bates, banker, Aurora (served as
superintendent in 1876 and 1877, has also
served
the city of Aurora as treasurer, councilman
and mayor)
R.
W. Grayhill, attorney at law, Aurora (was
Representative in 1879 and 1880.)
The
following names settlers, who were prominently
identified with the early history of the county,
passed over
the river in the late seventies or early eighties
and settled in the county "from whose bourne
no traveler
ever returns:"
John
Brown
John
Salmon
Phil
Hunter
G.
C. Boyce
James
M. Foster
J.
A. Foster
S.
K. Butler
Alex
Laurie (one of the first members of the first board
of commissioners)
S.
N. Case (died while serving as commissioner in 1885)
R.
M. Hunt
William
D. Young, William Werth
John
H. Helms
James
Laurie (died April 18, 1886, while serving as county
clerk)
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