A LETTER FROM GRANDMOTHER ROBLYER

TRANSCRIBERS NOTE: THIS LETTER GIVES A VERY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE FOR THE PIONEERS WHO SETTLED IN THE SANDHILLS OF NEBRASKA

as written by Grandmother Roblyer for Bess Vinnedge Martin.

Claims in the spring. Built houses, went back to Saunders County and tended crops.

In the fall of 1879 we came to what is now Loup County. When we got there, there was no county, no school, or church. Soon after we came the next summer the men of our community got together and held a school meeting at our house and all agreed to haul logs for a school house. The men were John Troxell, Cal Copp, Jake Strohl, Ed Burch, Ed Oldham, J.H. Roblyer, Will Vinnedge. They built a house of logs and put in one whole window in the North and South wall. The house was about 12x12 and wooden benches for seats. Ed Oldham was our first teacher at $10.00 a month and the parents paid him in breaking sod on his homestead and he boarded around. There were about 10 scholars. Will and Elmer Williams came from below Taylor one term. The terms were only three months, three in the summer and three in the winter. Our next teacher was Mr. Sherlock. He had no timepiece so he would smoke a pipe so long for recess and a little longer for noon. Bill Adams was next. I think he got $15.00 a month and had a family. Our next teacher was a Mr. Grinnet. He taught two terms, then a Mrs. Leach, then Miss Cook from Scotia, then Clara Roblyer, then Maggie Moulton taught two terms. The school house was on the southeast corner of what was then the J.H. Roblyer claim. I do not remember, but think the most salary was $15.00 a month. Then the house was torn down and each man that hauled the logs got his back.The next house was built where the Strohl school now stands. The men hauled the lumber from North Loup. That house was burned down, soon it was rebuilt.

When we arrived at our home there was a little log house about 12x12. Only one in sight. No roof, no floor, no door or windows. We had three months provisions and one silver dollar and no more money until March (6 months) when my husband and his brother, Steve, went to Jones Canyon and chopped wood for Fort Hartstuff when there were soldiers at the fort. They were gone about two months. Went and came afoot and carried their equipment. I staid alone with my four little ones, the oldest one was seven. Shore were some hard times, but were young and could take it for we had to and had plenty of neighbors in the same boat.

When we got to our claim we had 50 cents worth of brown sugar. Did not see any more till the next June when my brother sent me a dollar's worth from Ord where he lived. That was the biggest dollars worth of sugar I ever expect to see. It sure looked great to me.

The first fall we were there there was an Indian scare and we sure was frightened. John Troxell and my husband sat up all night and running bullets for old army muskets. We had no door then so we piled up boxes and I got the kids all on one bed and laid in front so as to protect them. It was a flimsey protection, but the best we could do. Well the Indians did not come and we could take a long breath again.

When we built our house it was the last house between there and the Sawyer ranch, but it was settled up soon. There was no one to tell us we could not get out wood and hunt and pick berries. John Troxell and my husband used to go after wood and hunt and pick berries and always took along their guns as there was plenty of game. One day they each brought in a load of cedar and 2 deer. A good hunter could go out anytime and bring in a deer and prairie chickens were plentiful. No game laws to restrict one, so we most always had meat.

My husband would go to the canyons and get a big load of dry cedar limbs and haul them to Ord. He would get three dollars a load. It took two days to go to Ord and back and a half a day to get the wood from the Canyons, but was glad to get that. No relief in those days, but it kept the people on their toes.

The second year my husband and Cal Copp traded around until they got a sorghum mill and went around to the neighbors and made sorghum on shares. One place they went they were working at it the man of the house came out about eleven o'clock and said "Boys we have not a thing in the house to eat, but my wife has never failed me yet and she will get something." Sure enough, she went into the cornfield and gathered corn and grated it and made corn bread and they had cornbread and sorghum, but we all had good appetites so that helped a lot.

We used to wade the river to pick strawberries. Would get a lot as there were no cattle then to spoil them. They were sure a treat, then there were all kinds of wild fruit and some of them were good with sorghum of which we had plenty after the first year.

One of our teachers at the little log school house walked seven miles to teach. His lunch was johnnycake and sorghum. I should think that would taste all right after the seven mile walk.

Another family came to our house one morning. He was going some place and she said the children did not have time to eat their breakfast so they brought it along. It was about a cupful of parched corn in a paper, no complaining, just a matter of course. We were not quite that bad off, but had to eat hominy of my own making. When the mill went out at Burwell there were no stores between here and Ord, only a mill at Burwell.

I believe the county was organized in '83, but am not sure. After we had been here a year or so the county built up fast. The first post office in our community was called Strohl. It was kept by Wm. Vinnedge. He carried the mail from Ord. It took two days to make the trip.

My husband and I took a pleasure trip to Ord one Christmas. We started at 2:00 in the morning. Got to Ord just at sundown. Snow was deep, but the roads were broke. Staid (sp?) at my brothers all night. Commenced to snow when we started home and we walked till we got warm, then would ride till we got cold so we made it home about midnight with a few provisions, so cold it froze the veil to my face. We left the kids with my brother Cal and wife.

We made some baskets and took them along and sold and traded them for what we could get. That was the second winter. We contrived everything to get anything to keep us (as the people around us were no better off.

Well we staid (sp?) and asked no help, 2 or 3 of the earlier ones left. They could not take it. Have not said very much about what we had to eat. Well we never went hungry except for something good. There were no dainties in our living for several years.

This was written by Mrs. M.M. Roblyer for Bess Vinnedge Martin. Her husband was J.H. Roblyer, Sr. Mrs Roblyer passed away in 1936.

transcribed by: Melody Beery
source: Loup County Centenial Book

transcribers note: the distance from Taylor Nebraska to Ord Nebraska is a distance of 30.4 miles and today is a trip that takes about 45 minutes.

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