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NSGS Ancestree
Vol 2
Vol 5   and  Vol 8
 

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NE Ancestree Vol 2, no. 2, page 65 - Fall 1979

     ALLIANCE SEMI-WEEKLY TIMES, March 9, 1906, (Box Butte County)

        Knights of Columbus meeting:

     Those who attended from out of town (Nebraskans only)
        Tom DINAN, Omaha          Joseph CONNORS, O'Neill
        Jas 0'HARA, O'Neill       A. F. MULLEN,     "
        Patrick NALLY, "          P. F. O'DONNELL,  "
        John HURLEY,   "          A. G. HOPKINS,    "
        Donald FRASIER, "         E. F. BIGNELL,    "

     Those from Alliance:
        Frank O'CONNOR            Sam BURCHELL
        R. J. BURKE               T. H. MORRIS
        Frank NOLAN               M. S. BRENNAN
        J. P. TIERNAN             W. J. HAMILTON
        M. H. HAGERTY             T. M. GRIFFITH
        Rev. J. DeVOS             Charles GROTHE
        John McNULTY              D. S. CRILLY
        J. H. WEBER               W. E. CONNORS
        Frank CONNOR              W. G. DEITLEIN
        P. S. YOUNT               G. P. DEITLEIN

     Those from Hyannis:
        Wm. RICHELIEU             Peter BECKER
        James FARRELL             John FINAN

     Those from Crawford:
        M. P. McINERY             D. LANDRIGAN

     Those from Newcastle:
        J. LENIHAN                T. AHERN

     Those from Bingham:

        Wm. WELCH                 P. H. DONAHUE

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Vol 2, no. 3, page 138 - Winter 1980
     ALLIANCE SEMI-WEEKLY TIMES. Alliance, Box Butte Co., April 21,
     1911.

     New postoffice of Goodstreak, S3 T23 N R52W, has been est. in
     northwestern Morrill Co., with Mrs, Carrie ACKERS as postmistress. Office
     will supply quite a number who prev. got mail from Malinda office.
     Goodstreak is name given to that section of the county by some of the first
     settlers, 20 odd yrs. ago. Edward W. DUEKER & John SEVERSON from that
     area implanted this news to the TIMES.
 

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       Vol V, no. 3, page 84 - Winter 1982-3 

 

DIRECTORY from

ALLIANCE  SEMI-WEEKLY TIMES,

Alliance, Box Butte Co., NE

    April 21, 1911, Friday.



    Board of Education:  C.C. SMITH

C.A. NEWBERRY     D.W. HUGHES

J. A. MALLERY         Robert GRAHAM

Free MOLLRING

    Supt. W.R. PATE      H.S. Principal: G.H. WILLIAMS

Ass't  Principal: Lulu E. WIRT 
       
    Teachers:           Isabelle GABUS        Earl L. MEYER      Anna J. FEIDLER 
    Mame J. WHITE        Susie FRAZIER         Lena RIDDELL       G. M. BURNS 
    Missouri MONIER      Bess BURRITT          Anna NERUD         Dora PHELAN 
    Anna McQUINN         Margaret PETERSON     Edith JONES        Maud LARSON 
    Carrie NIEDERMEYER   Agnes MacHUGH         Mabel BRUNER       Addie ROBERTSON 
 Kathryn ALEXANDER    Edith SNODGRASS       Anna DAVIS  
            
    Fire Dept. Officers:  J.W. GUTHRIE        W.S. RIDGELL       James KEELER 
                            C. H. VINSEL         Carl SPACHT        George SNYDER       
    City Council:        Fred W. HARRIS        Fred E. HOLSTEN    C.A. NEWBERRY 
    E. M. MARTIN         Wm. JAMES             F. W. IRISH        Geo. J. BURKE 
    C.C. BARKER          Gregory W. ZURN       John HUNSAKER      F. E. HAMBLIN 
       
    U.S. Post Office:    Ira E. TASH           F. 0. McFARLAND   
      
    U.S. Land Office:    W. W. WOOD            H. J. ELLIS         
       
    County officers:     Fred H. MOLLRING      Calvin M. COX      W. C. MOUNTS 
    Etta KEANE           L. A. BERRY           Miss Delia REED    Dr. C. S. SLAGLE 
    Eugene BURTON        Edwin P. SWEENEY      F. E. HAMBLIN       
       
    Commissioners:       J. M. WANEK, Hemingford      J. P. JENSEN, Hemingford
           Sang C. RECK, Alliance

NEBRASKA ANCESTREE  Volume Eight, no. 1   Summer 1985 

                                                        
NSGS--NEBRASKA ANCESTREE Vol VIII, no. 1, page 10-12 - Summer 1985 
     NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS from ALLIANCE SEMI
WEEKLY TIMES

Alliance, Box Butte Co., NE
          July 4, 1905, Harvey J. ELLIS, Editor & Prop.  H.L. MERRIMAN

Assoc. Editor
 

 Dr. E.E. BARR of this city will move to Hyannis. 

      Robert BAXTER donated $500 to help pay for new sewer system.

      Mrs. TODD, dau of Mr & Mrs F.F. BADGLEY, arrived from Omaha
to visit. Mr. TODD was an Alliance res. but now in business in Omaha.
     
Mrs. VANDERVOORT is ill.

      Mrs. J.C. NEUBAUER of Angora is in town.
     
L.N. WORLEY went on the Guernsey line.

      Miss Anna KING is in from Angora.
     
Mrs. Ella HAYNES is in for the celebration.

      Miss Elizabeth PERRIN spent Sat. on her homestead near Bonner.
     
Charley KISHBERGER is visiting in Hot Springs.
    
  Mrs. John AKERS ret'd from visit with rels. in Minden.
     
The Industrial soc. of Baptist ch. will meet with Mrs. J. RODGERS.

      Capt. W.R. AKERS--at land office.

Mrs. R.T. WATSON went to Denver.
     
Mr. & Mrs. John FERSTER left for Sheridan to visit dau.
     
Mrs. James GADDIS, Mrs. CORNU & Mrs. KUHN ret'd from visiting
rels in David City.

      James HAGGERY & sis. Miss Elnora, came over from
Bridgeport to visit rels.

W.F. BROICH of Ellsworth visited sis, Mrs. RIDGELL.
     
A boy born at home of Fireman & Mrs. Ernest HINKLEY last Sat.
    
  Dick WATKINS was in Scottsbluff.
     
Mr & Mrs James BELLWOOD of Angora are in town.
     
Claude C. HUMPHREY ret'd from Omaha where he left his
dau in care of an aunt.

      Mrs. Nelson FLETCHER & Mrs. CARD, sis of Mrs. E.A. HALL,
went to Denver to visit
         
Mrs. W.G. SIMONSON, formerly of Alliance.
     
Mr. & Mrs. W.S. WHEATON & latter's mother, Mrs. R.J. ELLIS,
left Sat for Table Rock to visit Mr. WHEATON's mother,
Mrs. Cora FELLERS.

      Senator E.J. BURKETT is orator for 4th celebration.
    
Jerry ROWAN has put new equip. in his business.
     
Mrs. L.B. FOOTE & Mrs. PATMORE arrived from Hyannis. 
Mrs. FOOTE is visiting her dau.
 
     BOYD & BARKER moved to PHELAN opera house block.

      A boy born at home of Ed. LOOMIS at Custer, S.D. on 30 June.
Mr. LOOMIS a former res. of this co.
    
  Sheriff Ira REED went to Hemingford.
    
  James BARRY, George HEDGECOCK & others, came from Hemingford.

      Henry ALLNUTT, ad & mgr of THE BLADE at Bridgeport, visited.

      Mayor ANKENY of Mumper & Mayor TULLY of Lakeside were in town.

      Mr & Mrs Banks STEWART & Bessie are visiting Dr & Mrs BARR.
 
     Prof. Ivy BALDWIN, 44 yrs of age, small of statue,
of Denver will prepare balloon ascension
           & parachute drop for the 4th.

      Rev. C.W. RAY was recipient of a donation from his congregation.

      Sang C. RECK, brick maker.
     
E.S. BELLWOOD, eldest son of Jas. BELLWOOD,
came in from Avery near Omaha.

      Friends gathered at home of Mr & Mrs L.S. DYE to celebrate
their linen wed. anniv.
     
Co. Judge SPACHT united Ferdinand NEDUKA & Christie LISKA in
mar. on Sat. Groom lives on farm NE of Hemingford; bride of Alliance.
 

      John Francis HORNEY, locomotive engineer, died at his home on Sat. He was b 3 Aug 1852 in McDonald Co., Ill.  52 yrs 10 mos 29 days.  With railroad, commencing at age 18 in Galesburg, Ill. until 1901, then to Buda, Ill. for 2 yrs then to Alliance.  Mar. 15 May 1889 to Ella
         LIDEN & 2 daus born.  They survive with wife.  Funeral serv. by Rev. G.C. JEFFERS of Baptist church. Interment at Galesburg. Body accompanied by the family, Mr. ROCKY, Mrs. F.E. ALLEN
         & dau. Virgie.

      D.W. BUTLER -- for good homesteads.
      L. BUECHSENSTEIN, Mayor
      DR. KOONS, dentist
      B. I. JODER implements
      Elmer KEELER bor bus & baggage calls.

      A. TRIPLETT needs hay hands. Pay #30 per Mo. & board
      Geo. D. DARLING - items for sale.
      Mrs. M. HOOD, ranch for sale 14 mi. N. of Alliance.

      Following are those who went to International Epworth League in Denver so far as we have been
          able to secure the names:

      Rev. C.W. RAY     C.M. LOTSPEICH      Inez HECK      May SHREWSBURY
      Inez McCORKLE     Clayton REED        Miss NEWBERG   Rev. A.W. HARDY
      W.R. AKERS        Miss SNYDER         John SNYDER    Bulah CORNEAL
      Theo WADDLE       Delia REED          Miss KERR      Cleland RANDALL
      Mrs. R.T. WATSON      Mr & Mrs S.K. WARRICK      Mr & Mrs E.J. SWANSON

      Piano for sale by W.S. ACHESON
      Dr. KREAMER, dentist
      THIELE drugs
      HOLSTEN's drugs & jewelry
      W.W. NORTON - big sale at store
 

      Fairview news:

      John M. KERR, visited
      L.T. BURROW visited sis. Mrs. T.J. LAWRENCE
      J. R. LAWRENCE & fam, visited W.L. LORANCE & family
      The baby girl of Mr & Mrs Fred NASON is improved.
      Pearl, 2 yr old dau of Mr & Mrs Wm. ASPDEN, is better.
      Miss Violet HADLEY, ret'd home from visiting in sandhill country with Mrs. Bessie OSBORNE.
      Surprise party on Mr & Mrs Clarence GUBRIC last Wed.
 

      Land Office Notices:

      Mary M. LEISHMAN filed for final proof on HE 6643. Witnesses: Powell JESSE, John SNODDY,
           W.H. SWAN, T.J. SWAN all of Alliance.
      Monroe ROBINSON of Cleman on HE 3528 for final proof. Witnesses: John STARKES, John KLEEMAN,
         Benton M. PEER, S. JOHNSON all of Cleman.
      James K. DENNIS of Lakeside on HE 2120 for final proof. Witnesses: Chas. H. TULLEY, Webb
         HULTZ, Theodore THOMPSON of Lakeside & Elmer KEELER of Alliance

      J.E. JODER, drugs
      John PILKINGTON, feed & grains
      NEWBERRY's buggies
      Nelson FLETCHER, insurance
      E.M. MARTIN, dray

      I.L. ACHESON, groceries
      Claude HUMPHREYS, undertaker, Mrs. HUMPHREYS, lady assistant.
      RIDGELL & REEVES, painting
      F.N. WALLACE, dray

      F.J. BETZOLD, prop. beer, wine
      BARNES jewelry
      Geo. DARLING, funeral director
      G.H. LOCKWOOD, funeral director

      E.E. BARR, doctor
      L.W. BOWMAN, doctor
      J.E. MOORE, doctor
      H.H. BELLWOOD & F.E. CLOUGH, doctors

      Dr. G.W. MITCHELL
      FREY & BALFE, osteopathic physicians
      Dr. George HAND, homeopathic surgeon

      BOYD & BARKER, lawyers
      Wm. MITCHELL, attorney
      TUTTLE & TASH, law & real estate
      A.F. BALDRIDGE, notary & ins.

      A.F. BRENNAN, plumbing
      Fred L. HOYT, tonsorial artist
      W.S. SHORES & Co., house renovating
      George FOX, cement blocks

      Wm. JAMES, coal & wood
      J. ROWAN, flour, feed & grain
      James KEELER, prop. livery
      W.E. SPENCER, cream separators

      PARDEE bakery
      DIERK's lumber
      W.S. ACHESON, hardware
 

      Local news:

 
 

Vol. VII                  January-March, 1924                  No. 1
 

THE FIRST HOMESTEADERS IN BOX BUTTE COUNTY

 

          In the Hemingford Ledger, July 17, 1924, J. A. Smith writes a story of the first homesteaders in Box Butte county. In a part of his story is this:
          "It was in the year of 1884 that the writer and two other men started out from Western Iowa to hunt for Government land in Western Nebraska.   We had heard about the White River country, how well watered it was and
that a body or range of timber ran through it. We thought we would like to
have some of this land so we started out with a team and good spring
wagon which was loaded with a tent and cooking utensils. Our search took
us away beyond settlements where living creatures did not exist except
coyote and antelopes. On our way out we fell in with Ezekiel and William
Maiben who were also on the land hunt. At Valentine we were joined by Mr.
Phillip Michael, Daniel Mauk, Mr. Blair, and one or two others. Mr. Blair filed
on a timber culture claim and desired to travel with us and see his claim.
This claim was situated on Box Butte Creek in what was then termed "Box
Butte Country." This of course took us off of the main route to White River,
but we thought we would like to see the country so we got on the Niobrara
river and traveled up that river until we came opposite the above named
Creek. Here we went into camp. The next morning we drove south until
noon to see how the land looked. We arrived at High Table Land, three
miles south of Hemingford The country looked so good, and so much
expansion of it, every acre looking the same that we asked ourselves "Why
look further. This land will be settled, a railroad built through here and this
will become a prosperous country." So we searched until we found a section
corner stake, ran out our claims and returned to camp.
     The next morning we were up early and left for Valentine land office to
file on our claims. Imagine our surprise to be told that we were first to file
on homesteads and pre-emption's in Box Butte country! Previous to this
there had been a few filings made on timber claims on Box Butte creek. *****

EARLY PIONEER PERIOD IN THE WEST

    Mr. J. A. Smith has a very interesting story of 75 years ago in the Hemingford Ledger of June 26, 1924, from which the following extracts are made:
    "My ancestors moved to southeast Iowa from Ohio in 1837. They traveled in the old Pennsylvania wagons. The boxes were very different
from those of more modern times. They were shaped somewhat like boats
and very elaborately built. Some called them prairie schooners. The
spindles of the wagons of that time were wooden and the wheels were
fastened on with lynch pins, as they called them. They used pine tar to
grease them with. There was no farm machinery in those times. Nearly
every thing was home made and nearly all the food was raised on the farm
and in the gardens."
     "Like Abraham Lincoln I was born in a log cabin, and like him I have
split rails to build fences with. You may never have seen rail fences. You
perhaps can find a picture of one or ask some grandparent how they were
built. It took lots of timber to make rails enough to fence eighty or one
hundred sixty acres of land. It would not be a practical fence in these days.
It would cost too much.
     "In those times but few, if any, had cook stoves. You wonder how they
cooked and baked their food. They had open fire places in their houses and
they cooked by these. You can find one or two in town. Could you cook and
bake by these? They used bake ovens and frying pans., and iron kettles for
boiling. They had no granite nor aluminum vessels. I remember that
biscuits and corn pone tasted fine that were cooked in those fireplace
utensils. We boys used to roast potatoes in the hot ashes. How good they
did taste. If you do not believe they taste better that way than any other,
try roasting some by a camp fire sometime. Ask any aged person what kind
of fuel was used in those fireplaces; how large the backlogs were and the
foresticks and the middle wood, etc. We had no matches then. You ask how
we got fires started. Fires can be started in more ways than one. When
once a fire was started in those open fireplaces, it was not allowed to die
out. Coals of fire were covered with ashes and were used to start fires at
any time. If, perchance, the fire went out, it was a common practice to
borrow fire from a neighbor. But I have often seen my father start a fire
with a flint rock and the flat side of his pocket knife blade. Sparks would fly
into some dry timber or flax tow, and would kindle a roaring fire. Matches,
came in later. It is said they were very crude affairs when first brought but
like all other inventions, they kept on improving them.
     "I remember the first school building where we boys used to go to
school. Like most buildings of those times in Iowa it was built of logs and its
furniture was all home made including a teacher's desk. The seats were
made of slabs brought from the saw mill. Holes were bored under each
ends and legs put in, no backs. The teacher's desk contained his or her
books, a bottle of ink, some goose quill pens and another essential, "a
hickory rod." You may know what that was used for. There were two
windows, but they were ample. Two logs were sawed out almost the length
of the room and frames and glass sash were fitted into the windows were
horizontal instead of long way up and down. Along these, long writing desks
were placed and high benches to sit on at each desk. We did not have steel
and gold pens then. Our writing implements were made of goose quills and
it was either the parents' or teachers' duty to keep the children supplied
with them. When properly made they would glide over the paper as
smoothly as a gold pen. A sharp knife was used to make them, hence the
name, pen-knife." Try your skill in making one.
     "We had no electric, gas or coal oil lights. Tallow candles and grease
lamps supplied the light for our homes, also for our places of business or for
churches. Our mothers made the candles. Candle moulds were an essential
utensil in every home. You may think we did not have very good lights.
Well, they were the best we had and there was no complaint.
    "Our way of traveling was by wagons and on horse back or go by foot. A span of old Dobbins or a yoke of oxen were the propelling powers. There
were but few spring vehicles. A board was laid across the wagon box to sit
on and no complaint. My grandfather had the only spring vehicle in the
neighborhood and nice it seemed to us boys to get a ride in it.
     "We used to plant all our corn by hand. After the land was plowed we
would mark it out with a single shovelplow. Then it was ready for planting.
The process was for one man or boy to cross mark the field with the same
implement, one would drop the corn at each intersection of the furrows and
one or two boys follow and cover with hoes. We cultivated the corn with
those same single shovels or with a small plow. Later on a double shovel
was invented, and still later on a walking cultivator was made that set on
wheels and we could cultivate a whole row at once. We thought that was
perfection, but later on the riding cultivator came around and then we could
ride and work. Corn growing now seemed easy work.
     "The flour mills were generally run by water power, being located on
some creek or river. They called them grist mills. The farmers would load
up a few bags of wheat and shelled corn and go to mill. The one that got
there first got his grist first, as each brought back his own flour and meal,
ground from his own grain. We had but little or no machinery. We threshed
our wheat by tramping out with horses. All good sized barns had a
threshing floor. The wheat would be laid on in order and in a circle and
tramped out. Then we would clean it up with fanning mills something
similar to what we now have. The miller took out his "toll." We did not have
the self binders as now for harvesting our small grain. We used what they
called a grain cradle. It had a blade and light wooden fingers so attached
that when a strong man made a stroke into the standing grain he would
swing around and land it in a swathe, and a man or boy would follow with a
wooden rake, similar to a garden rake, and rake it up in bunches and bind
it with handfuls of grain straw. Ask some old grandparent just how it was
done. We had no mowing machines. We mowed our meadows with scythes.
Perhaps you can see one at the hardware stores. After mowing a few hours
we would use forks and hand rakes and move it into windrows and bunch it
up. In later years there was a crude kind of threshing machine came
around which was run by two horses. The threshers were run by tread
power. Some called this machine a rat killer. It did not separate the grain
from the chaff. It was thrown into bins or pens and cleaned up with fanning
mills. Later on separating machines came around that were run by eight
horses. Those old threshing days were interesting occasions among the
farmers. It was a little army of men and boys and most enough horses for
a cavalry company. We were always glad when threshing days were over.
     "My father used to make the boots and shoes for the family, Most
families did the same way. Men and boys wore boots. Only women and
girls wore shoes. I never wore a pair of "store boots" till I was fifteen or
eighteen years old. As our boots and shoes were home made. you may ask
where we got our clothes. They were also home made. Every farmer kept
a flock of sheep and raised a patch of flax. The wool of the sheep was made into rolls and the mothers and older sisters spun them into yarn and wove this yarn into cloth on home made looms. Our mothers made this yarn into coats and pants for winter wear. Flax was made into cloth for summer wear. I remember we boys were just as proud of these home made clothes as we are now of "store clothes." They also knit our socks and stockings. I can show you samples of home made goods which were made by my first wife when a girl and by her mother.
     "During the Civil war the farmers made their own molasses from
sorghum cane. Each home was a kind of manufacturing plant and
practically raised everything they eat. They did not need so much money
then as now."
 

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