PREFATORY.
The following book of the county's history, early incidents, legends,stories, etc., hopes to meet with approval. That there are some errors, there can be no doubt, but the bulk is as correct as the memories of old settlers will permit.
The book is much larger than it was expected to be. The material on hand would have made a thousand pages, and hence to bring the size within reasonable bounds, it was necessary to abridge and cut down whenever it could be done. Especially so in our notices of the citizens of the county, which we have been compelled to shorten to one-fourth the length we had intended.
We have been greatly helped in the history of the old times by the valuable memories of C.F. Putnam, A. Davis, S.B. Stough, N.S. Porter, Dr. Porter, L.T. Hill, and other pioneers, such memories being about the only sources of information to consult on such matters. For matters pertaining to the several townships and their present residents, we are greatly indebted to the friendly assistance of the citizens and especially the supervisors of such townships. Without such aid it would have been impossible to have given the many brief notices of citizens, and it is likely that even with all such assistance, some mistakes and omissions have occurred, especially in the south half of the county.
To Wm. Wheeler, P. Kerwin, T. Hoy, W. Jenkins, J. Martin, A.D. Morgan and Geo. Herrick, we are also under great obligations for information in relation to the several villages of the county.
Without further words we will now introduce it to readers.
CONTENTS
Part First.
Introductory - Brief preliminary survey of frontier life in Northeast Nebraska thirty - five to forty years ago.
The organization of the territory of Nebraska - The first white settlers in Dixon county and the relinquishment of Indian claims - Names, dates of arrival and where from, as near as can be ascertained of pioneers from the first arrival in May, 1856 to the time when Dixon county was organized in the fall of 1858.
Chapter 3. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Particulars and experiences of first settlement of county - The rapid and increasing tide of pioneers - The birth of Ponca - Paper towns and the town site business in 1856 and 1857 - Concord, North Bend, Dixon and Ionia - The desire for county organization - Attending election at St. Johns - The first grasshopper raid seen by the pioneers - Organization of county and location of county seat - First election county officers.
Chapter 4. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Dixon County's Progress - Its officials and their methods of doing business - First board of commissioners, their proceedings and records, and the many difficulties they had to encounter - The first assessment of property and the poverty - stricken display of wealth - Hard times and few improvements - First school in county - Call for troops in 1862 and enlistment in Dixon county - Ed. Freeman killed in battle of Whitestone Hill - Indian scares in 1863 - Stampede of settlers from the Niobrara country - The drought in 1864 and the great crops in 1865 - The growth of Ponca and the rise and fall of Ionia.
Chapter 5. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Indian scares and annoyances - N.S. Porter's interview with "smoker" of "Little Rabbit's" Band - L.T. Hill's experience with indians at Ionia - J. Murphy of South Creek has an unpleasant visit - Indian Pow-wows and dances - The ancient indian tribes and legends.
Courts and crimes of Dixon county in 1870 - Indians brought before the district court for the murder of Munson in Wayne county - The court of judge Lynch and the trial and conviction of Matt Miller for the murder of Mr. Dunn - Mysterious fate of James Bigley.
Chapter 7. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Story of Rascally Little Railroad - The Covington, Columbus and Black Hills Narrow Gauge enterprise - It's rise and career - It's exploits in finance and building and its final sale by a receiver.
Chapter 8. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The growth of the county continued - The south half of the county commences settling up - Martinsburg started in 1872 - Blizzards and loss of life in 1872 - Grasshoppers in 1874, 1875 and 1876 - The Black Hills excitement of 1875 and the C.C. & B.H. R.R. - The increase in size and business of Ponca, Martinsburg and New Castle - The earthquake of 1877 - First steps toward an agricultural society - Terrible prairie fires in March, 1879.
Chapter 9. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The coal discoveries and the ups and downs of mining in Dixon county during the past 38 years - The alleged immense beds of Black Diamonds in the river bluffs and the determined efforts to find them have seductive hope before and Black disappointment following after - Every attempt to find a paying vein is a total failure - "Old Joe Brewer" and his discovery of the plesiosaurus - His mound building theories - The Ionia volcano and indian superstitions regarding it.
Chapter 10. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The building of the railroad up the Logan Valley and its great help in settling up the southern part of the county - The terrible winter of 1880-81 - The spring break-up of the ice in the Missouri and the damage and loss of life ensuing - Great bend is cut off from Dixon county by a change of the river and becomes a part of Dakota Territory - The flood at Ponca and along the Aoway and Logan - The starting of Wakefield in 1881 - A tragedy near New Castle - The Agricultural society project revived and the first county fair in September, 1882 - Record of general growth - Indian raid on Emerson - Organization of the first G. A. R. Post in county - Brief review at end of 1882.
Chapter 11. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
From 1883 - 1886 - The agricultural society holds its annual fairs - Talk of a railroad bridge - Robbery of the county treasury - Treasurer Knapp and his bondsmen - Township organization voted on in 1883 and goes into effect in 1886 - Another county seat project voted on - Great Storm in June, 1885 - Murder of Alexander by Blair in 1885.
Chapter 12. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Railroad rumblings - The building of the Short Line - The extension of the Ponca branch to New Castle - The burning of the mill at Ponca - The failure of the First National Bank - The starting of Allen, Concord, Waterbury and New Castle.
Chapter 13. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Assessments, population, improved land, fruit and forest trees - Marriages, births and deaths from the organization of the county to the present time - Lists of county officers, clerks, treasurers, commissioners and supervisors, probate and county judges, sheriffs and superintendents of public instruction, county attorneys, clerks of court and surveyors, from the first until now.
Chapter 14. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Members of the legislature sent from Dixon county district judges J.B. Barnes and W.F. Norris - Schools and scholars - The first deed recorded in county - Grist mills, saw mills and other manufactories.
Ponca City - Its past and present.
Ionia And Ponca Townships - Their Citizens, Etc.,Etc.
Silver Creek, Daily, Hooker, Clark and New Castle Townships and New Castle Villiage.
Otter Creek, Galena, Springbank and Emerson
Chapter 19.
Logan, Wakefield and Concord.
List of names of teachers whose portraits are given
Part Second
Legends, Stories, Etc.
Among the indians - Adventures in the Dixon county country in 1810.
The sacred rock of the Arapahoes - A legend of the Ionia Volcano.
The Realm Of Fiction
The Brazilian traveler and the Narrow Gage Railroad.
Dixon county caves, and professor Perrigoue's remarkable discoveries therein.
Volcanic phenomena - Thrilling adventures of a party while making investigations.
Indian scare and massacre.
Short Sketches
A surveying expedition.
Story of adventures with a drove of wild beasts.
Reminiscences, and how we ran for office.
A bull fight.
An irrepressible conflict concerning a hog trough.
A confidence game.
Prof. Perrigoues fight with fire.
Burglars in town.
An indian duel.
The general's jollification meeting.
Engravings
The board of Supervisors, Portraits of teachers, Map of County, First House in County, May, 1856, by Adam Smith, Luthern Church, Ponca , Dr. S.P. Stough's Residence, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Huse, Dr. J.W. Porter, J.J. McCarthy's Residence, John Stough and Mrs. John Stough, John M. Davey and Mrs. J.M. Davey, R.H. Pomeroy and Mrs. R.H. Pomeroy, Judge A.W. Rose and Mrs. A.W. Rose, S.P. Mikesell, S.P. Mikesell's Residence, T.J. Sheibley, Miss Anna Sheibley, Deputy County Clerk, Miss Hattie Pomeroy, Deputy County Treasurer, W.W. Cooper, Prof. B.H. Culver, Mr. and Mrs. L.T. Hill, C. F. Putnam, A. Davis, O.M. Childs, W.P. Logan, Patrick Scollard and his sister, Mrs. Blake, Mr. and Mrs. H.H.Hart and child, C.T. Barto and Mrs. C.T. Barto, 25 years ago, Hon. H.P. Shumway
Index UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Copyright (C) 1998-2005 Robin Mosier
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The History of Dixon County Nebraska
ITS PIONEERS, SETTLEMENT, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND ITS PRESENT CONDITION-ITS VILLIAGES, TOWNSHIPS, ENTERPRISES AND LEADING CITIZENS, TOGETHER WITH PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE ETC.
BY WILLIAM HUSE, PONCA, NEBRASKA , 1896, PRESS OF THE DAILY NEWS, NORFOLK
"The History of Dixon County, Nebraska" By William Huse Ponca, NE, 1896 Press of the Daily News, Norfolk.
Electronic Reproduction By Robin Mosier, 1998
