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In Keya Paha County
District Which Has a Bright Future Before It
Special Dispatch t the World Herald
Springview, Nebraska, September 8. -- For the last week the World Herald representative has been traveling over the county of Keya Paha, which is an Indian name, meaning "Turtle Creek". A close observation of the river, however, failed to discover any turtles, and none could be found at the hotels.
The county was organized in 1884. At that time the territory that now composes this county was part of Brown County. It is forty-eight miles by sixteen miles in size.
One not acquainted with the people and reading of the atrocious crimes committed within these borders would conclude that civilization had not yet reached here, but such is not the case. The people as a whole are peaceable and law abiding and good, industrious and intelligent citizens. They realize that they are unfortunate in having such horrible crimes committed in their midst and the hanging of a woman some time ago, but they object to being classed as outlaws and everything possible is being done to rid the county of the few desperadoes who still infest it. For years past there has been more or less cattle stealing going on, and whenever the gang which was bound together by an ironclad oath suspicioned anyone of giving its secrets away it would resort to any means to remove the informer. This is what led to the cruel murder of a woman and many other crimes. But gradually the gang has been broken up and today there is nothing left of the once powerful rustling leagues which defiled all law. County Attorney Lere has done much to weed out this gang.
Springview, the county seat, is situated on a beautiful table land. All kinds of business is well represented.
The people deserve special commendation for the excellent schools, which are ably presided over by Miss Belle Spencer and Miss Fitzpatrick.
The small gain crop was good this year, as were also all kinds of vegetables. Corn is almost a total failure. There is abundance of hay on the Niobrara and Keya Paha Valley to feed all the cattle in the county and to spare.
Springview feel confident that with another year and perhaps this fall the iron horse will be puffing up the beautiful valley of Keya Paha. A short time ago the civil engineers for the Milwaukee road ran several surveys through the county. The purposed line and the one most likely to be selected is as follows:
From Niobrara City up the Ponca Valley to Lynch and Butte, then to Naper and Brockway in this county, and then up the valley north of Springview three miles, where Springview will eventually be permanently located, to a point in Cherry County near Sparks. From there it will run angling in a southwesterly direction to Valentine, then through Cherry County, and will cross the Burlington railways at Wood Lake and continue in a westerly direction, crossing the North Platte River near Gering, Cheyenne County. From there it will run to Cheyenne and Denver.
This is a very feasible route and would be a paying road from the start, as it would take all the cattle that are now shipped over the Elkhorn and quite a number that are shipped over the Burlington. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars paid out to the Elkhorn every year by the people of Boyd and Keya Paha Counties for merchandise shipped in, and as much more paid for cattle, hogs and grain shipped out.
Omaha World Herald - September 9, 1895
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