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Early
Settlement
The
pioneer settlers of Wayne County were B. F. Whitten and a Mr. Bean, who came
into Township 26, Range 5 east, near the Logan, in the summer of 1808.
William
Jones followed .shortly afterward, and selected a homestead. Mr. Whitten did
some breaking on his land. In the spring of 1869, Whitten and Jones returned
with their families and made permanent settlements in Wayne County.
In
the same year a small colony from Illinois, at the head of which was Willard
Graves, entered the county, and settled mostly in the southeast corner, on Coon
Creek. Some of these were William G. Vroman, Isaac and Nathaniel Miner, and Andrew
Hosier.
Early
in the summer of 1869, C. E. Hunter, Nathaniel Allen and his two sons, Alonzo
and W. H.; A. A. Fletcher. James A.
Fisher, and R. B. Crawford settled at La
Porte.
In
1870 M.T. Sperry, W. E. Durin, George and Enoch Hunter, O. F. Crane, Albert Miner,
William P. Agler, Benjamin Harmon, George and Alexander Scott, and M. B. and L.
O. Richardson came into and settled mainly in the vicinity of La Porte.
The
first post office was established September 8, 1870, near the Logan bridge, and
called Taffe, after Hon. John Taffe, of Dakota County; William Agler being
appointed first Postmaster.
The
first child born in the county was Patience E. Hunter, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Enoch Hunter, December 16, 1870.
The
first marriage that of Mr. T. Sperry to Miss Sarah Ann Eayrs, May 14, 1871, and
the first death that of a son of Mr. and Mrs. William Vroman, August 6, 1870.
The
first sermon preached in the county was by Elder Vanduser, of the Methodist Church,
at the house of A. S. Miner, near the Logan
bridge, in October, 1870. Prof. Samuel
Aughey preached at the house of William
Agler in December, 1870,.being thus the second preacher in the county. Mrs. M.
B. Richardson, a Second Adventist, preached her first sermon at the
funeral of C. E. Hunter's little son, in February, 1871, and afterwards
preached regularly at the house of Alexander Scott.
The
first school was taught by Miss Jane Olin, in the summer of 1871, at La Porte,
the whole county being then in one school district.
The
first practicing physician was R. B. Crawford.
History
of Nebraska
1882
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