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"Immigrant Issue" of
Lincoln State Journal
Sunday 5 June 1887, pages 23, 25 & 26
This special edition was intended to PROMOTE Nebraska as a state and provide the towns with an opportunity to advertise their status, attract new residents.
Towns on page 23: Geneva - Nonpareil
Towns on page 25: Battle Creek - Imperial - Merna - Phillips Station - Scotia
Towns on page 26: Bladen - Falls City - Hartwell - Saronville - Tamora - Wakefield
GENEVA.
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The County Seat of Filmore (sic) County - On the Burlington & Missouri Railroad - Sixty Miles From Lincoln - Population One Thousand Two Hundred.
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Geneva in the past has had everything to contend with. She was until last year an inland town, having the envy of her sister town, Fairmont, to rebut. But being nicely located, high and sightly and in the geographical center of the county and possessing a very high minded and thrifty class of citizens, she has pushed on from a mere post set in the ground to mark the spot where the town should be to a village of 1,200 inhabitants. There has been no indulgence in falsehoods to the outside world to allure them from their pleasant homes in the east to come here, but the facts alone have been stated. The place has a thrifty, healthily developed sea of waving grain and busy humming village to supply the sturdy yeomen with all he needs and cannot raise, and all this since '70.
There are in the town three general merchandise stores, one exclusive grocery; two grocery, boots, shoes and gents' furnishing goods; two hardware stores, with tin and repair shops in connection; one furniture, undertaking, pumps, windmill and agricultural implement store; one furniture store and shoe shop combined; one exclusive clothing store; one clothing and merchant tailoring shop; three drug stores, two of which carry books, stationery and wall paper; three millinery stores, several dress makers, two banks, three brokers, three abstract firms, two real estate firm (sic), three hotels, one pump and windmill firms (sic), two restaurants, one bakery, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, two broom factories, five carpenter shops, two scroll and planing mills, two printing offices, three livery stables, one temperance billiard hall, one barber shop, two paint shops, two lumber yards, three coal dealers, three stove dealers, two brick yards, one live railroad, one building and two sprouting; seven lawyers, five physicians, one horse doctor, five contractors and builders in wood and two in stone and brick, two elevators, grain and stock buyers, about thirty carpenters, four or five stonemasons, one well borer, one house mover, one cistern builder, one harness shop, one music and sewing machine store, one dentist, two meat shops, one photo gallery, one regular laundry and several good washer women, two church buildings, Methodist Episcopal and Baptist, and a congregational society; two jewelry stores, three music teachers, good band, Masonic order; Odd Fellows; K. of P., A. C. U. W., G. A. R., mite (?) societies, Geneva union aid society, roller mill stock company, with capital stock of $10,000, who are now at work on the preliminaries for the erection of a fine mill; telephone exchange, fine fair ground, one school building containing four departments; two or three base ball nines, militia company, broom brigade, live wide awake business men; energetic young men, rather good looking; the hansomest (sic) girl in the state, and the finest old maids and bachelors; no saloons or gambling dens. Geneva is truly a town of virtues and the very naturally attendant happiness. Fine stock breeders surround the town, and many fast hoses are owned in the county. People here have no time for plug hats and kid gloves, no inclination toward eye-glasses and sleek canes. Few are here for their health, though many came as invalids and are now in sound health. There are few old people; but all are young and vigourous. So much for the present and as to the future it looks bright. There are many things yet to come, and perhaps two more railroads, besides the Northwestern now under course of construction. Also a canning factory, a creamery, an oatmeal mill, two are (sic) three exclusive gardeners, the Northwestern division station and round house. Twenty-two new buildings erected and being erected since March 1; and over 100 before the season is over. Two large brick blocks are now being erected and several more will be commenced as soon as brick can be burned. There is here the largest and finest park in the state and there will someday be a $75,000 court house in the center of it.
NONPAREIL
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The County Seat of Box Butte County - A Growing Town of the Great Northwest - On the Proposed Line of the Burlington & Missouri Railroad.
Nonpareil is situated on the northwest quarter of section seven, township twenty-six, range forty-nine, west, and is two miles north of the center of the new county of Box Butte, which contains thirty congressional townships - being thirty miles from the south line of township twenty-four to the north line of township twenty-eight, and from range forty-seven to fifty-two, inclusive. One thousand and eight sections, 691,200 acres, of the finest land that can be found in the north half of Nebraska. This is no sand hill county, but it is one whose whole surface comes nearer to a level than any like amount of land that your correspondent has ever seen in Nebraska, and his observation has extended over four-fifths of the counties in the state. The soil is a dark loam with underlying strata of decomposed magnesian lime stone of inexhaustible fertility.
The first settlers came into this county two years since, and now there are more sod castles and happy homesteaders in this county than can be found in any like space the great and growing west end of the matchless state of Nebraska. Breaking plows are turning down the prairie sod, and crops are being put in. Last year considerable breaking was done and that has been back-set and has been put in small grain and corn. If geologists know anything about the right kind of soil to grow wheat, oats, and barley on, then this is surely the new Jerusalem for small grain, as there is a strong element of decomposed lime mixed all through the soil. And your scribe is sanguine that it will produce good corn.
The table land running entirely through the county from east to west covers at least three-fourths of the area of the county, and is the finest laying tract of country I ever saw in the west. Nonpareil is situated in the center of this table. Our next railroad station is Haysprings, which is about forty-five miles distant. The Burlington & Missouri is coming, that is, the Grand Island and Wyoming branch, passing through Broken Bow, Custer county, and thence northwest toward Nonpareil which is soon to be the great attraction in the northwest. This road is graded and the iron laid as far west as range 40, so at this date the iron horse on the Burlington & Missouri is only sixty miles east of us and eighteen miles south. It is understood that the contract for grading to this county has been let to Cushing and Mallory, and is now being rapidly thrown up. There seems to be no question that the location of the line id definitely fixed as far west as town 24, range 47 - the southeast congressional township in this county. From that point they have made one preliminary survey up the valley of Snake creek as far as the old Hart ranch, situated on section 6, town 24, range 51 west. Here, they run two lines, one running up toward Mud Springs, the other bending south toward the Platte. It has been argued by some that the company will extend the line down on the table land north of the old town of Tabor, or the new town of Minatar and strike the Platte bottom somewhere near Scott's Bluffs. That line would capture the cream of the Platte in northwestern Cheyenne county. Branching northwest from town 24, range 47, the company has a survey that runs through the town of Nonpareil, and running west through the center of the fine table land that lies south of the Running Water to the Wyoming line. Through the table as it makes west narrows, and in places in Sioux county is a good deal broken up. Some are afraid the Burlington & Missouri will take the Snake creek south and leave the table without a railroad. One can judge or give a pretty good guess from the cars the Burlington & Missouri management has manifested heretofore in getting to the front in many of the best counties in this state that they are not going to make any such mistake as to leave the finest table land in the west, without a railroad when it is with easy grasp. Rainfall here this spring has been, to put it mildly, superabundant and small grain gives certain protaise (?) of a heavy yield. Some corn is up in good shape but we have had too much wet weather to hurry up the corn. This county is now fully equipped with an intelligent and careful corps of officers, from county commissioners down to coroner. The new court house, 20x36, two stories, is now up and shingled and will be completed in the near future. The county commissioners have purchased a large safe in which to store the valuable records secure from fire. And the best of all is the settlers are coming by the hundreds, and that old expression about making the "prairies blossom" won't, do for Box Butte county at all. Instead of "blossom" it will be matured crops.
Nonpareil has one bank, seven stores, one livery barn, three hotels, lawyers, doctors, land and claim agents, ad libitum.-----------
"Immigrant Issue" of
Lincoln State Journal
Sunday 5 June 1887, page 25
This special edition was intended to PROMOTE Nebraska as a state and provide the towns with an opportunity to advertise their status, attract new residents.
BATTLE CREEK.
Situated in Madison County - On the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad - One Hundred and Thirty-Three Miles From Lincoln - Population Five Hundred.
The subject of this sketch is a new town located in Madison county on the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley railroad, and is 123 miles from Lincoln. The country adjacent is well settled up with an industrious and thrifty class of farmers, and is far ahead of the town in the matter of development. Over 400 cars of grain and live stock were shipped from this station last year, and 200,000,000 pounds of grain alone in the past sixty days. During 1886, 100 cars of lumber and merchandise were shipped in, and the business of the town during that year amounting to half a million dollars. The retail business is in the hands of three dry goods stores, two groceries, two hardware stores, two clothing stores, one bank, one drug store, three shoe stores, two brgds (?), two lumber yards, two coal dealers, three general stores, two agricultural implement dealers, one mill, one furniture store and one newspaper.
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IMPERIAL.
The County Seat of Chase County - Two Hundred and Eighty-four Miles From Lincoln - In the Finest Part of the New West - Population, Five Hundred.
Imperial is the county seat of Chase county, which is the western county in the second tier of counties north of the Kansas line.
The county is well watered. The Frenchman, a fine mill stream, flows entirely through the county from west to east. This is one of the finest streams in Nebraska, having at many place rocky bottom and numerous rapids and falls varying from two to eight feet.
Imperial is situated with two miles of the center of the county on a beautiful rolling prairie. Water of the best quality is found in abundance at the depth of eight feet. The town was laid out in the spring of 1886 by T. Mercier and Mr. J. Goodrich and so remarkable has bee the growth that it now contains nearly 500 population.
There are now about thirty business houses, besides livery barns, hotels, lumber yards, etc. Important among the business enterprises might be mentioned four banks, four general merchandise stores, two hardware, one grocery, two drugstores, three livery and feed barns, two hotels, one restaurant and bakery, one flour and feed store, one newspaper, one agricultural implement house, three law firms, two real estate agencies, two lumber yards, one millinery and dressmaking establishment, two butcher shops, one harness shop, one furniture store, one wagon and repair shop, etc.
The Burlington & Missouri railroad, now being graded from Culbertson to Sterling, Col., passes through Imperial, and the Lincoln Land company have bought an interest in the town site and lands adjoining, and before cold weather the travelers will hear the brakeman shout: "Imperial; twenty minutes for dinner."
At present writing there are some very fine business openings. We need another good general merchandise house, a good physician, a furniture store, a jeweler, a dentist, harness shop, blacksmith, shoe shop, and a hotel badly, and a republican newspaper. Any of the above enterprises would do well and many others which are not here enumerated. At present all kinds of crops look well - plenty of rain. You who are looking for the spot that will suit you will find it at Imperial.-----------
MERNA.
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Located in Custer County - On the Burlington & Missouri Railroad - One Hundred and Forty-Five Miles From Lincoln - Population Four Hundred.
To those seeking a location in a booming young western town, it may be worth thousands of dollars to see the booming city of Merna before settling down. And to the honest tiller of the soil, whose crops have been scorched from year to year, or who has been hailed out, or suffered from floods which for the past two hears have been the pests of the east, we wish to say that you can all find a home right here.
Merna is situated in Custer county and has without doubt the finest location for a town in the west. A beautiful valley extends about twenty-five miles in length and ten in width, and in the heart of this looms up the little city, which is truly the "wonder of the west." Six months ago the town was platted out by the Grand Island & Wyoming Central railroad, which was then building through and since that time the boom has never ceased. The carpenter's hammer is heard at all times, including nights and Sunday. On either side of this valley broad smooth table lands extend for a distance of fifteen to twenty-five miles. This land, as in the valley, is very thickly settled by a thrifty class of farmers who have come here for homes and are fast accumulating fortunes from the productiveness of the soil. Merna receives trade from an immense territory, extending no less than twenty miles on either side. The following ??? of cars received at and going out of Merna during the past two months may give an idea of the heavy trade carried on in this future great city. Cars received: Lumber, 45; stone, 12; trees, 15; emigrants, 60; coal, 24; furniture, 5; flour, 4; implements, 12; salt, 3, drugs, 2; merchandise, 72. Cars shipped: Potatoes, 10; hogs, 51; wheat, 58; cattle, 11; oats, 5.
The business men of Merna are of that shrewd, enterprising class of men rarely found in a first class town and never seen in a one horse place. No drones need apply. Among the principal business interests of the town may be found: Bank of Merna, D. E. Johnson, president; Warren & Co., dry goods and drugs; Cline & Co., general merchandise; Casteel & Gullick, groceries, hardware and implements; F. W. Fountain, hardware and implements; Holland & McDonald, hardware and implements; McComas & Co., drugs and medicines; the Merna Record, Purcell Bros., editors and publishers; Geo. W. Dorie, general merchandise; A. J. Reed, harness shop; W. G. Passmore, furniture; O. G. Fenner, jewelry store, photograph gallery and hotel; D. W. Wilson, manager elevator; Dierks Bros., lumber yard, T. P Lloyd, manager; L. L. Crawford, physician; Price & Joyner and J. F. Price, real estate and loan agents; W. L. Southard, livery stable; W. Cratsenburg, shoe store.
This is only a sketch of the most important business men. Numerous carpenters, blacksmiths, wood workmen and all kinds of tradesmen are kept busy constantly.
To say that we are booming, hardly expresses it. The buildings erected are of a very substantial kind. Numerous residences have been and are being built. A new town hall, very commodious, is one of the latest public enterprises, and will be ready for occupancy soon. There is still room for more business here. A more commodious hotel is badly needed, a great portion of the time the present one is crowded to overflowing, and many are turned away. This is indeed a rich field for the man that puts in the next hotel. Several business houses are now under course of construction and a large number are under contract, which will be occupied immediately after completion.
The population of Merna will now reach about 400, and within the next three months will double. If you think of coming west, and want to settle in a live, wide-awake town come to Merna and you will never regret it.---------
PHILLIPS STATION.
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Situated in Hamilton County - On the Burlington & Missouri Railroad - Ninety-five Miles From Lincoln - Population Two Hundred.
Phillips Station is located in the midst of a fine agricultural country in Hamilton county on the Burlington & Missouri railroad, seven miles from Grand Island. It has a population of 200 industrious and intelligent citizens, and is a thriving western town. It has two dry goods stores, two groceries, two general stores, two lumber yards, two coal dealers, one hardware store, one bank, one drug store, one clothing store, on hotel, one mill and one agricultural implement dealer. The town has good schools and churches and is an excellent place for the location of almost any branch of business.
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SCOTIA.
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The County Seat of Greeley County - On the Union Pacific Railroad - One Hundred and Seventy-Four Miles From Lincoln - Population Seven Hundred.
Greeley county is situated a little northeast of the center of the state, is twenty-four miles square, and contains 368,640 acres. The soil is superb. No better land can be found on the face of the globe. It may be divided into two classes, agricultural and grazing. The grazing land is that which is almost too rough to put under the plow - a very small percentage - but affords excellent pasturage for all kinds of stock. The land is of a black, sandy loam, deep and rich beyond comparison, and prolific in all kinds of crops. On every hand can be found streams of pure, crystal overflowing waters, while the entire county is underlined with the same. The Cedar river, which flows through the eastern portion of the county, and the North Loup, which flows through its southwestern borders, are both susceptible of affording water power for the running of mills and factories in great number. This power could be utilized at very small expense, and the seeker after safe investment for capital should investigate the kind of investment offered. Of this immense and barren tract of land, not more than one-sixth is at present under cultivation and it can be purchased at from $7 to $20 per acre on the most liberal terms.
Scotia, the county seat, is situated in the southwest corner, on the left bank of the North Loup river. The site is a lovely one, being in the broad and level Loup valley, with the beautiful river at its front, and low undulating retreating hills at its back. Scotia is the largest and by far the most important and promising town in the county, and has at present a population of between 600 and 700. A spur from the Union Pacific railroad runs into the town, and a report of the shipments to and from Scotia during the past year, will give some idea of the business done here. There have arrived ten car loads of agricultural implements, twelve car loads of immigrant movables, fourteen of live stock, 125 of lumber, five of salt and seventy of coal. Forwarded in same time: Seven carloads of immigrant movables, 112 of live stock, 120 of grain, twenty-one of flour and ten of vegetables.
Scotia has two banks, the Farmers' and Merchants', with a paid-up capital of $34,000, and which did a business last year aggregating 1,024,835, and the Greely (sic) County bank, another solid institution. T. P. Loingom (?) is president and J. M. Marsh cashier of the former and Lee Losie and Ernst Love has (?) the same positions in the latter.
We have two excellent hotels. The Andre house, first class in every particular, is owned and managed by Charley Andres, as genial a host as ever welcomed a guest. The Commercial is the second, and is presided over by William Greenfield.
There are four general stores in the town, where dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, and hats and caps are sold. S. Wilcox, A. H. Floolin, Mrs. I. E. Kuhne and H. P. Wotts are the owners of these houses.
D. C. Hall and Daniel Weston have hardware establishments and H. C. McMullen and the Scotia Lumber company, with J. Lewis as agent, attend to the lumber business of the town.
H./E. K. Paxton and Mrs. S. E. Kuhne are in the drug business, and L. J. Wagner, the postmaster of Scotia, has a furniture store and undertaking establishment.
The Scotia Implement company and D. C. Hall furnish agricultural tools to the community surrounding Scotia, and Mrs. B. C. Fisher has the only millinery and dressmaking establishment in our young city.
There are two livery stables, two butcher shops, a tinner, three blacksmith, a barber, and in fact, every trade is represented.
Scotia has a steam roller flouring mill forty barrels capacity for twelve hours which is kept busy the year round grinding excellent flour.
Our town ??? provided with churches, it having a Methodist, Presbyterian, German and a Catholic church. No town of the same size in the whole state has a superior school building or better schools than our own, and a $5,000 court house has just been finished.
Two newspapers are published here. The Graphic, published by J. B. Paddock, is republican, and the Herald, with N. H. Parks at its head, is the democratic organ. They are both good papers, and are doing excellent work for the town and county.
The Burlington & Missouri railroad is now building right through the center of the county north and south; which will give us increased advantages very soon, and we can truly say that no county in the state offers fairer promises or better inducements to the immigrant than that of Greeley of the present time. There are business openings all over the county, and no better place could be found in the west to start a machine shop or foundry than in Scotia. Nothing is overdone in our town, and every business man looking for a location is received with open arms and made welcome by our citizens. Any letters addressed to either of the editors mentioned above will be cheerfully and promptly answered.---------
"Immigrant Issue" of
Lincoln State Journal
Sunday 5 June 1887, page 26
This special edition was intended to PROMOTE Nebraska as a state and provide the towns with an opportunity to advertise their status, attract new residents.
BLADEN.
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Situated in Webster County - On the Burlington & Missouri Railroad - One Hundred and Twenty-Five Miles From Lincoln - Population One Hundred.
Bladen is located nine miles west of Blue Hill on the Nebraska & Colorado division of the Birlington (sic) & Missouri. First right of way was secured April 1, 1886, and grading was begun here May 25 and completed in August. The track was laid and regular trains put on Monday after Christmas, 1886. Where the town now stands was only a little school house previous to that time. The town is surrounded by a first-class farming country and many well improved farms. Town site was surveys in June and platted by Lincoln Land company. Quite a number of lots were sold and building begun in August. There is now nearly 100 population. Two general merchandise stores, which report sales as follows: One since October 1, 1886, $8,000 sales, and the other, begun December 5, 1886, $5,000 sales; two drug stores, one opened January 1, sales $1,000, and the other opened February 1, 1887 with sales $1,500; one hardware alone, since January 1, sales $1,200; one hardware, mixed with drugs; one bank doing a satisfactory business; two lumber yards, one with sales of $4,000 and one reports sales pretty good.
One grain elevator erected before the railroad was completed, has shipped 106 cars of grain and this with corn, oats, trees, and livestock shipped by other parties, makes up a total of 155 cars shipped from this town since Christmas. A second elevator is now in process of erection and will be complete before the new crop begins to move. The parties building it have considerable corn now in cribs, besides shipping between 7,00 and 8,000 bushels the 1st of April.
There is also one hotel now doing a fair business, one livery and feed stable, two blacksmith shops, two physicians, ond (sic) millinery and dressmaking, carpenters, plasterers, etc.
Our school census shows ninety-four scholars entitled to public money and an attendance of something over forty at present. G. A. R. own a hall and dwelling for use of the post and held a very satisfactory attendance Decoration day. There are no church buildings here yet, although the M. E. society and Congregationalists both talk of building in the near future.
The character of the surrounding country is first class and there is a good opening for a steam flouring mill, but no water power. Also a harness maker, shoemaker and furniture dealer would find a good point here. Wells are from 10 to 12 feet in depth and find good water and plenty of it at that depth generally.
Some timber is found on the streams, but coal and corncobs are the staple fuel.
A total of sixty-five cars of lumber, coal, rock, brick, emigrant movables, etc., have been received at this station since the railroad opened for business, besides an average of 7,000 pounds weekly of merchandise freights less than car lots. In our business estimates it must be remembered we only go back to Christmas or five months calculation.----------
FALLS CITY.
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The County Seat of Richardson County - On the Missouri Pacific Railroad - Ninety-two Miles From Lincoln - Population Three Thousand Two Hundred.
Falls City is the judicial seat of Richardson county - the southeastern county of this rapidly growing state. The city is built on elevated land overlooking the Nemaha valley. At this time of year, no grander view can be place before the eye as seen from the dome of the court house, than this beautiful valley, the farms and homes for miles and miles in any direction the observer may choose to look. The Missouri Pacific railway crosses the Denver line of the Burlington & Missouri railroad at the foot of one of our principal streets. The population is 3,200 and rapidly increasing. No town in this state makes less pretensions and contains so prominently so many features which indicate prosperity and healthy commercial activity.
Falls City has doing an annual business:
Nine general merchandise stores ... $360,000
Five drug stores ........................ 100,000
Three grocery stores ..................... ??,000 (ink spot)
Three millinery stores ................... 27,000
Three hardware stores .................. 82,000
Three furniture stores ................... 60,000
Three agricultural stores .............. 110,000
Five saloons ............................. 25,000
Four meat markets ...................... 80,000
Two clothing houses ................... 78,000
Two cigar factories ..................... 18,000
Three jewelry and music stores ....... 60,000
Two boot and shoe stores ............. 20,000
One marble yard ......................... 7,000
Two lumber yards ..................... 90,000
And one omnibus line, two harness stores, two breweries, two flour and feed stores, two queensware store, four flouring mills, two photograph galleries, one foundry, one windmill factory, one canning factory (largest in the state), one bottling factory, one carriage factory, three hotels, also two banks with capital stock and undivided earnings, $180,000. Bank clearances per month: $2,000,000. We also have two stock firms engaged exclusively in buying and shipping cattle and hogs to eastern markets. We were permitted to look over their account of sales for the past twelve months and found that the same reached more than $600,000. The elevators of this city handle more grain than all else in the county.
We have not had a failure of crops since 1875. The prospect for an abundant harvest in this county was never brighter than this year. The Richardson county bank is having erected on the corner south of the court house square a brick edifice 50x85 and to be three stories above ground. This structure will cost $26,000. The Masonic order will occupy the third floor. The city council has submitted and to be voted on by the citizens of the 16th of June the question of bonding the city in the sum of $24,000 for the purpose of constructing and maintaining a system of water works. The proposition is a p opular one with the people for the reason that the city will own and operated the system. The bonds are to run twenty years and amount of interest, 5 per cent per annum. There is no question but what the bonds will carry as eight is to one. At the present time we are clear of any city or school debt. The final payment was made on our magnificent school building last week. This structure was built in 1876 at an expense of $20,000. We have school nine months each year and employ twelve teachers. The number of graduates this year was nine. Gov. Thayer honored the commencement with his presence. The school census as taken this month shows 890 of school age. We have five church edifices; the total membership reaches 1500 (?). Improved farms are changing hands at from $109 (?) to $50 per acre, owing to nearness to town. Our canning factory has arranged with an immigrant agency for one hundred German families. They will arrive in two weeks and begin work in the factory.
A number of residences are being built to accommodate these people. Before June, 1888, we will have in operation a system of water works, electric lights, street railway and a population of 5,000 souls.
Efforts are being made to organize a company for the purpose of constructing a canal to bring the water of the Nemaha river a distance of four miles to the foot of the town, which will given an actual fall of thirty feet from an actual level. This will give us the finest water power in Nebraska. The two wells that would be effected by the canal have agreed to remove their wells at their own expense and the right of way can be obtained for a nominal sum. As soon as the waterworks are voted upon, this measure will be taken hold of and prosecuted energetically. The cost of the construction is estimated at $25,000 and we are assured the stock will all be taken at home.
Abundant and most excellent potter's clay, fit for tiling, mouldings and other purposes, has been discovered on the town site. The vein is from thirty to sixty feet deep and extends a distance of more than half a mile. Sample have been sent to extensive factories of this and other states and immediate measures will be taken to utilize the same. Whilst other towns are booming through the efforts of speculators, real estate agents and multiplying the school census by six as a basis of population, we have a ??? of solid property in our water power - the most important and valuable in the state of Nebraska and we believe this the best point for investments in the west today.------------
HARTWELL (HEARTWELL).
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Situated in Kearney County - On the Burlington & Missouri Railroad - One Hundred and Eighteen Miles from Lincoln - Population Five Hundred.
Hartwell is located on the main line of the Burlington & Missouri railroad between Lincoln and Denver, in Kearney county, one hundred and eighteen miles west of Lincoln. The soil of the surrounding country is especially adapted for farming purposes, and each year the area of cultivated land is largely augmented. It will be but a few years when every acre of tillable land in Kearney county will be yielding its annual quota of golden grain. Already agriculture is extensively engaged in as will be seen from this station. during the same time seventy-eight car loads of lumber and merchandise were shipped in. The retail business of the town is carried on by four general stores, three dry goods stores, three boot and shoe stores, two agricultural implement dealers, two coal dealers, two hotels, one bank, one grocery, one hardware store, one clothing store, one drug store, and one lumber yard. It is pretty certain that the Northwestern railroad will tap Hartwell during the present summer.
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SARONVILLE.
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Situated in Clay County - On the Burlington & Missouri Railroad - Seventy-Two Miles From Lincoln - Population One Hundred and Thirty.
Saronville, the subject of this sketch, is a Swedish settlement, situated in a fine section of country in Clay county, on the main line of the Burlington & Missouri railroad seventeen miles east of Hastings, and seventy-two miles west of Lincoln. Its citizens, as well as the farmers in the surrounding country, are an industrious and thrifty people. The shipment of grain from this station last year aggregated over 300,000 bushels, and $40,000 worth of lumber and merchandise were shipped in. The business of the town is conducted by three general stores, one hardware store, one drug store, on lumber yard, two coal yards, one newspaper and one agricultural implement store. A bank, a hotel and a live stock dealer would do well here as these branches are not represented. The town supports two churches, the Swedish M. E. and the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran. The average attendance at the public school is fifty-eight. There is a livery stable and a restaurant here, but at present neither are running. Live men could make them pay.
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TAMORA.
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Situated in Seward County- On the Burlington & Missouri Railroad - Thirty-two miles from Lincoln
Population: Two Hundred and Fifty
This town is situated on the Burlington & Missouri railroad in Seward county, one of the best agricultural counties in eastern Nebraska, seven miles from the county seat. The town has a population of 250 and her people are industrious and enterprising. The shipments of grain from this point last year amounted to 556 cars and of livestock 83 cars. The receipts of lumber for the year were forty-seven cars, coal forty-four, stone, thirty cars. The retail business of the town is transacted by three dry goods and grocery stores, one hardware store, two hotels, one lumber yard, one livery stable, one harness shop, one barber shop, one meat market, one restaurant and three elevators. The town supports two churches which have edifices costing $7,000 and a $3,000 school house. Nine cars of emigrant stock have been shipped in this spring. Among the enterprises that might be succesfully started here are a canning factory, a furniture store, a meat shop and a hardware store. There is a prospect of a newspaper here in the near future.--------------
WAKEFIELD.
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Situated in Dixon County - On the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad - One Hundred and Seventy-three Miles From Lincoln - Population Eight Hundred.
This town is located in the southern part of Dixon county at the confluence of the north and south Logan and junction of the Hartington branch of railroad, with the main line from Sioux City to Norfolk. Its population is about 800 and the increase is going on at an encouraging rate. Wakefield, though but five years old, is known as one of the liveliest and most beautiful towns in the state, the beauty of the place being caused mainly by its handsome location on a pleasant eminence overlooking the village and its large number of brick buildings within its limits. Few country towns of its size do a better business. The country in all directions is of unsurpassed fertility, quite well settled and an immense scope tributary to the place. The business men are live and energetic and most every branch of trade is sufficiently represented. The town is proud of its three leading general merchandise establishments, either of which would be a credit to a city of the first class. The proprietors of these houses are Jao. T. Marriotz, Nelson & Anderson and Person & Anderson. They are all in two story brick buildings 25x120, and are the finest salerooms between Norfolk and Sioux City. There are two banks, two hardware firms, two lumber yards, two drug stores, two elevators, two agricultural implement houses, two hotels, half a dozen grain and stock buyers and various other interests. Four churches furnish spiritual consolation. The Republican published by Geo. Herb, creditably represents the interests of the town and surrounding country. The flouring mill, owned by J. O. Milligan and J. D. H. Bowyer, has a capacity of hundred barrels per day and is the best equipped mill in this quarter of the state. During the last twelve months the owners have expended not less than $7,000 in improvements on the property and the flour made is in demand to such extent, that enlargements in capacity are necessary from time to time. At this place is located the Logan Valley district fair which promises to attain a reputation and notoriety only eclipsed by the exhibitions at Omaha and Yankton. Thos. Rawlings is the president of the institution. The schools at this place are of the best nature and additional advancements are contemplated during the terms beginning in September. The pupils are accommodated in a commodious two story brick structure erected in 1885. Of the residences, that of Philo Graves, built of brick; takes the lead.
Northeastern Nebraska is the paradise of the west, and Wakefield is in the center of the choicest part. While we have extensive settlements there is room for ten times as many, and no country could ever present more tempting advantages than this section. We know men who have lived in these parts thirty-five years and never had a failure in crops. Not only is there not a failure but the yield seems to grow bigger every year, without an ounce of manure. On nine hundred and ninety out of every thousand acres grown annually, if properly tilled in the counties of Dixon, Wayne and Dakota. Yields of seventy-five bushels per acre is nothing uncommon. Small grain, flax, all kinds of roots and cereals and berries and shrubbery grow in abundance.
The great stock interests bring thousands of dollars into the country every month. At the fair held at this place last fall it was demonstrated that many delicious varieties of apples can be grown and the time is not far distant when this part will be as good a fruit country as any part; Iowa and Illinois in the same latitude. The main reason why there is yet so much unsettled land in northeastern Nebraska is that we have no through line of railroad. The railways here are nothing but feeders and occasionally a stray settler finds his way here. This, however, will soon be remedied. The completion of the bridge over the river at Sioux City will insure us an east and west through line and it will be but a few years from that time when the country will be densely peopled. At present there is no spot in the west in which so many permanently good homes await the advent of development.
Lands which are among the richest in the west can be bought from $7 to $16 per acre and on easy terms of payment. In ten years every foot of land within ten miles of Wakefield will be worth $50 per acre at least, and in all probability more. A choice climate, rich soil, the best of water, sure crops, and good markets near at hand are combinations not met with every day where lands can be bought at frontier prices. To be convinced of the prosperity of this section one needs no more conclusive proof than the progress that has been made in the last few years. The costly improvements and population of the town and the well to do conditions of the farmers in spite of the hard times attest that this part of our great state is not behind in the strides of development of the still greater west.--------------
GEORGE HERB,
Real Estate,
Wakefield, Neb.
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