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The early white settlers of Washington County came here for the paramount reason of securing rich.and valuable government land.
They knew of the hardships that awaited them to a certain extent but little did they realize all the misfortune that was to await them. Lurking in the years from 1820 to 1935 were drought, hard winters, Indian opposition, lack of food, poor transportation facilities, grass-hopper invasion, the locust or cicada, rainy seasons, war and disease. All of which the white man of this region has conquered.
On the other hand they have had the rich, black loam, the virgin soil, the soil of many thousand years, in which to grow their agricultural commodities. A climate of varying seasons, cold winters, hot summers, and mild temperate springs and autumns. All of these things have been aided to a great extent by a long warm growing season. All of these fortunes of nature have made possible the steady growth in population of Washington County.
On November 2, 1824, William Clark Kennerly was born at old Fort Atkinson. He was the first white child born in Nebraska as well as Washington County.
There seems to be a difference of opinion as to the exact birth records of the next two white children born in Washington County. John Critz was born in De Soto in June, 1855, and about the same time a son, William, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Anselm Arnold of Fort Calhoun.
The first permanent settlement in Washington County was made by Mr. Anselm Arnold, who with his family located upon a tract of land near the old fort, and he was soon followed by Dr. William Moore and Mr. George William Nevell. Mr. Arnold settled his claim in April and immediately began to build a rude house, the first in the section.
The second settlement in Washington County was near Fontenelle by Mr. Leiser, a German, who located about October 21, 1854.
In the year 1854, a company was organized at Quincy, Illinois, for the purpose of securing for its members and their families homes in the new Territory of Nebraska. The company was called "The Nebraska Colonization Company".
In July of that year, Reverend W. W. Keep, Jonoathan Smith, J. W. Richardson, Jared Blanset, C. Bernard, William Flach and James A. Bell, came to Nebraska in order to view the land, and locate the colony on behalf of the company.
They crossed Iowa in wagons;
to the city of Omaha, which had just been laid out by the Nebraska and Council Bluffs Steam Ferry Company. Passing out beyond the bluffs of the Missouri and the tributaries to that stream, these Quincy pilgrims found a section of country which, for agricultural and grazing purposes, has no superior on this continent.
Arriving in the vicinity of the Elkhom, they came to a stream of considerable size.
Crossing this stream, the colonizers pursued their way to the banks of the Elkhorn, and were so pleased with the surrounding country that they decided to locate there, and the townsite of Fontenelle was laid out, claims made, etc., by the party, who then proceeded to the camp of the Omaha Indians—in honor of whose chief, Logan Fontenelle, the town was named—and held a grand pow-wow with the tribe for the purpose of securing its good will.
They also paid Fontenelle the sum of ten dollars each with the understanding that he was to protect their interests until members of the company could be sent out and established in their new town, and then returned to Quincy.
It is not possible to find the names of the entire membership of this company, as it was organized in Quincy, but it included:
Jonathan Smith, President
Reverend W. W. Keep, Secretary
J. W. Richardson, J. C. Bernard, Treasurer
O. C. Bernard
H. Metz
John Evans
J. Armor
H. G. Mauzey
E. M. Davis
W. H. Davis
Jared Blansett
G. Williamsons
J. Mcintosh
Rufus Brown
Root and James A. Bell
During the years 1855, 1856, 1857, the prospects were very flattering. Money was plentiful, and almost without value. Land claims and corner lots were the best stock in trade, and changed hands often, for a cash consideration, at enormous prices. Land claims were bought
and paid for at from $300 to $1,000. Prairie breaking was bought and paid for at $8 per acre in gold.
During this period the settlers occupied rudely constructed log cabins, usually with earthen floors, but in some instances those who excel in the matter of luxuries, secured split logs, or puncheons for floors, and lined the house with cotton cloth for a white finish.
Source:
History of Washington County, Nebraska
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