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The Platte River extends along the north side of the county, and in
the early days of freighting across the plains, long before the
building of the Union Pacific Railroad, the old freight and emigrant
road extended along the extreme northern part of the county up the
Platte River.
The old Plum Creek Station was about on the line between
what are now Dawson and Phelps Counties. During the time of the
overland travel, all was excitement as the freighters and immigrants
poured up and down the Platte Valley.
Near Plum Creek Station, and in
what are now Phelps and Dawson Counties, there were more daring and
atrocious murders committed by the Indians than at any other point on
the route.
In the northwestern part of the county, and on what is now
the homestead claim of Will Dilworth, is a graveyard in which there are
fourteen graves, filled by the remains of persons murdered by the
Indians during the war which commenced in 1864.
One of the victims
buried here was a woman who was killed during an attack upon an
immigrant train passing along the route. Another attack made by the
Indians in those times was one upon the three Fletcher brothers, who
were attended by their sister. This attack was made upon them at a
point about two miles west of the residence of Will Dilworth and near
the line of the present counties of Phelps and Gosper.
Another station on the old overland route was at Hopeville, toward
the northeastern corner of the county, and about eighteen miles west of
Fort Kearney. This was a ranch and post office kept by Moses Sydenham,
who located at the fort in 1856, and who in the early, as well as in
the subsequent history of Central Nebraska, has become known to fame,
not only for the degree to which his labors have contributed to the
settlement and improvement of this portion of the State, but for his
many eccentricities and the wild and visionary projects he has tried to
carry out.
After the attack by the Indians at Plum Creek, the settlers
and ranchmen hurried east to the Missouri River, and the entire Platte
Valley was nearly deserted, owing to fears of an attack on all the
stations along the route. Sydenham, however, remained at Hopeville some
time after the valley was nearly deserted. He removed his family and
valuables to the islands of the Platte, where they were concealed in
the thick growing brush. He and his brother remained at the store or
ranch, which was built very strong, to prepare for defense. They
hoisted the United States flag to give the impression that the soldiers
were stationed there, and guarded their stock and were unmolested. In a
short time, Moses Sydenham removed his family to Fort Kearney, and left
his brother in charge of the ranch and the stock. During the war, the
Hopeville Post Office and ranch was never attacked. In a short time
after the big scare, occasioned by the attack at Plum Creek, had
subsided, travel over the freight road was again resumed.
When the Union Pacific Railroad was built along the north side of
the Platte River, in the fall of 1866, the overland freight road was of
course abandoned, and for a few years there was no settlement in Phelps
County.
In the year 1872, a few settlements were made in the north part of the county and a few homestead claims entered.
Early in the year 1873, quite a heavy immigration commenced, and a
large number of settlers entered claims during the year, and farm
buildings were erected and other improvements made to a considerable
extent. A large acreage of prairie sod was broken up and prepared for
the planting of crops the next year.
The settlement during the year
1873 was principally in the north half of the county.
As a large number of settlers were now coming in, the citizens took
steps early in the year 1873, to effect a county organization. On a
petition of the citizens to Governor Robert W. Furnas, he issued a
proclamation calling for a special election to be held April 8,1873,
for the purpose of electing officers and effecting a county
organization.
The election was held on the day appointed, and resulted in the
election of:
C. J. Dilworth, E. L. Barnes and J. Q. Musgrove,
Commissioners
Frank H. Young, Clerk
Robert N. Hindman, Treasurer
John Shaffer, Judge
William P. Miller, Sheriff
J. W. Benedict,
Surveyor
The county seat was located at Williamsburg, in the
northwestern part of the county, where it was destined to remain for a
number of years, though the place never grew to the dignity of a town.
The county seat is now at Phelps Center, to which place it was
removed in November, 1879, by a vote of the people.
In the winter of
1879-80, the court house was removed to Phelps Center from
Williamsburg, and put in good repair, but very soon after took fire and
was burned down. It has not since been rebuilt, and the county,
therefore, has no public buildings at the present time.
Considering the fact that there is no county property of any value,
and that its indebtedness is about $25,000, it would appear that there
was mismanagement on the part of some of the early county officials,
and a gross careless extravagance on the part of the early settlers in
voting bonds which resulted in no benefit to the county.
The citizens
of the county at the present time are, however, using all possible
means of relieving themselves of the cumbrous debt, and are willing to
pay every dollar of their honest indebtedness. To this end, in the fall
of 1881, funding bonds to the amount of $l0,500, were voted by the
people.
Phelps County is the home of Honorable C. J. Dilworth, the present
Attorney General of the State. His homestead claim and residence are in
the northwestern part of the county, near Williamsburg Post Office.
The following is the roster of county officials for 1882:
D. H. K.
Whitcomb, County Judge
P. O. Hedlund, County Clerk
Peter Peerson,
County Treasurer
Mrs. Mina Hopwood, County Superintendent
E. G.
Brunzell, County Surveyor
William Wilcox, Coroner
Lewis Newman,
Sheriff
P. A. Brodin, D. M. Case and Ellis M. Palmer, Commissioners
From the date of the organization of the county to the present time,
it has continued to increase in settlement and in the number of farms
broken up. Settlers are now to be found in all parts of the county. It
is true that, having no railroad or large stream anywhere within its
limits, its progress has been slow, but it has been steady.
During all
these years, except in case of grasshoppers or some other exceptional
plague that has resulted in the destruction of crops throughout the
western counties, those of Phelps County have been good.
Agriculture
has been carried on with as great success as in other counties, and the
farmers are now in a prosperous condition.
School districts have been formed in all parts of the county, and the public school is well sustained.
Church societies have been organized in the different communities of
the county, and have a good membership. The citizens as a class are
both moral and religious, and Sunday schools are kept up in the
different localities.
History
of Nebraska 1882
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