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HISTORICAL SKETCH

meetings closing on the 19th The first and only Christian Sunday school in the county was organized Sept. 14, 1874, with four scholars, by Mrs. P. A. Halleck, at her residence in Sutton. At the expiration of nine mouths the school numbered thirty-five, when the place of meeting was changed to the court house, and continued at that place until the county commissioners closed the court house to all church organizations.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

     The Clay County Agricultural Society was organized May 18, 1872, at the court house in Sutton. A fair was held here each year until 1881, when it was removed to Clay Centre, the county seat; it is now in a flourishing condition, has fifty acres of land and a good Floral Hall and other suitable buildings for holding fairs valued at $8,000, all under control of a well managed stock company.

SCHOOLS.

      December 14, 1871, in the forenoon, the southeast quarter of School Creek precinct was organized into school district number one and A. A. Corey, A. K. Marsh and B. S. Fitzgerald were elected to serve as moderator, director, and treasurer respectively.

      School district number two, in which is the town of Sutton, was organized in the afternoon of Dec. 14, 1871, only a few hours behind district number one. Officers elected were Charles Moon, moderator, Thurlow Weed, treasurer, and Wils Cunning, director.

      During the first two years following the date of the first district organization, there had been sixty-two districts organized, in most of which there had been substantial frame houses built; at the date of the first school report, April, 1874, there were 996 scholars in the county between five and twenty-one years of age--the school age in this state.

      The three earliest teachers in this county were W. L. Weed, district number two; Thomas M. Gregory, district number five, and Laura M. Bancroft, district number six; Mr. Gregory taught the first school, commencing about the first of December, 1871, before the district was organized.

      In 1876 the total amount expended for school purposes during the past three years was $68,324.

      Valuation of school property at present time, $96,743.

      The average wages paid male teachers in 1874 was, per month, 32.

      Female teachers average 22.

      Present number of pupils in the county 1,570.

      Present value of all school property, $6,664.32. Total number of children of school age 5,419. Number of schoolhouses, 78. Number of teachers: Males, 63; Females, 103; total, 166. Average wages paid per month teachers: Males, $45.03; Females, $34.30. Population of Clay county, 15,000.

THE GREAT SNOW STORM.

      Sunday night, April 13, 1873, there commenced a storm that will be long remembered by the early settlers of Clay county. It had been raining through the day and just before dark the wind veered from southwest to northwest--the rain increasing. Long before light Monday morning the rain changed to sleet, and at daybreak, the morning still dark, the air was filled with what seemed like solid snow, so wet was it and carried so swiftly by the gale that it was almost impossible to move against it; it would wet a person through like rain in a few moments. All day Monday and Monday night, Tuesday and Tuesday night it snowed and blowed, increasing all the time until Wednesday morning. Many banks of snow were as high as the houses and many of the draws, creeks and rivers were level full of snow. Driven before the gale almost the entire live stock of the county perished in snow. In School Creek precinct Mrs. Kaley and child were trying to go a few rods to a neighbor's, got lost, chilled and froze to death in the wet snow. Before starting out she remarked that she would die with her child if she could not get through with it alive. They were both found dead, after the storm.

GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE.

      In July, 1874, swarms of grasshoppers came from the northeast in such countless numbers as to make the sunlight dim. So swiftly did they destroy the crops, that a forty or an eighty acre corn field would not last them more than two hours. The rank growing corn would literally bend over to ground by the weight of grasshoppers. Potatoes, garden vegetables and crops of all kinds, excepting wheat and barley already harvested, sugar cane and broom corn, were swept out of existence in every part of the country in the short space of two days. Not a bushel of corn was raised in the county. The year before settlers burned corn, it being only fifteen cents a bushel. The grasshopper year it was shipped from Iowa and brought a dollar a bushel. The people had nothing but wheat and barley to eat and feed their stock. When winter set in many of the settlers had no money, no fuel and scarcely anything to eat. Want and starvation were upon them, when, by the timely aid of the eastern states, the settlers were rescued from actual death by starvation. In the fall of 1874 a committee to procure and distribute aid was formed at Sutton, consisting of C. M. Turner, chairman and distributing agent, with F. W. Hohmann, B. G. Merrill, Geo. Stewart and J. Steinmetz.

      Mr. Turner went to Omaha at his own expense and secured from the State Aid Society the power to constitute Sutton an aid supply depot. Parts of Fillmore, York and Hamilton counties were included in this aid district. There were distributed from Sutton depot four carloads of coal, four carloads of miscellaneous supplies, including flour, meal, bacon, dried apples, etc. Lieut. Brown, of the Fourth U. S. Inft. from the Post of Omaha, assisted by Mr. Turner, distributed large lots of army clothing to the most needy.

      The committee to procure and distribute aid was formed at Harvard before that at Sutton. Harvard was a distributing point for Edgar, also for Hamilton county and distributed large quantities of supplies.

      An aid society was formed at Edgar which drew its supplies from Harvard, W. A. Gunn, President, and M. J. Hull, Vice-President, and did the principal part of the work. There were distributed about three cars of coal, one carload miscellaneous supplies besides one-half carload U. S. army clothing.

THE PRESS.

NEWSPAPERS.

      The Harvard Champion was the first paper published in that town and in the county, and was started in the summer of 1872 and continued weekly for about a year, when the proprietor, Julius Eaton, suspended its publication and moved the press away. It was a seven column folio.

      The Sutton Times, weekly, was established and issued its first number on Friday, June 20, 1873. It was at that time a five column quarto with "patent inside." It had nine columns of advertising and eleven columns of local reading matter. In the first issue was an article on the early settlement of Sutton; there were represented in its advertising matter twenty-three different branches of business and professions. It is Republican in polities; edited and published at commencement by Wellman & Brakeman, and successively by Wellman & White, Wellman Brothers, and by Frank E. Wellman.

      The Clay County Herald was started and issued its first number Saturday June 21, 1873, edited and published by J. M. Sechler, and Wm. J. Cowan. Its last issue was published in the fall of 1873, when it failed. It was a seven column folio, "patent inside," with a liberal amount of advertising; independent in politics.

      The Harvard Advocate was established by W. A. Connell in the spring of 1874 as a seven column folio, "patent inside;" it was printed all at home.

      The Clay County Globe, semi-weekly, was established and issued its first number July 14, 1875, F. M. Comstock editor, J. S. LeHew, business manager. It was a four column folio all printed at home; independent in politics. October 1, 1875, it was purchased by E. H. White, who has edited and published it since weekly; Republican in politics; October 29, 1875, it was enlarged to a six column folio. "patent inside."

      The Sutton Register was established Feb. 20, 1880, by I. D. Evans, and in two years had a circulation of 600. Republican in politics. It is alive to all matters of local interest. It has for three years past been ably conducted by his estimable and talented wife and is a strong advocate of temperance and woman suffrage.

      The Sutton Democrat, the only Democratic paper in Clay county, was established February 1, 1884. It is the only government organ in the county and is devoted strictly to the interests of President Cleveland's adminstration (sic), with which it is fully in accord, and is edited by Steinmetz and Brainerd.

      The Harvard Journal was established March 18, 1879, and has continued under its present management until the present time and is consequently entitled to claim to be the oldest paper in the county. It is a live, wide-awake paper and heartily devoted to the best interests of Harvard and Clay county. Independent in politics. G. W. Limbocker, editor and proprietor.

      The Harvard Courier was established Jan. 1, 1885, Republican in politics, it is a well edited paper and shows evidence of material prosperity. Editors and proprietors, Southworth & Colvin.

      The Fairfield News, an eight column quarto, was established June 7, 1877, and was edited by Dr. J. H. Case and O. G. Maury, afterwards it was successfully edited and owned by Maury and Hon. J. W. Small. It is now edited by I. E. Berry and is a well managed and profitable enterprise.

      The Fairfield Herald was established in December, 1881, as a six column and since enlarged to a seven column folio. Independent Republican in politics, receiving a wide and liberal support. J. L. Olivar, editor.

      Edgar Post.--The Post was established March 5, 1885. Politically moderately Republican, it is young as yet, but is rapidly gaining strength and favor and has reached a circulation of nearly 600. It aims to be a first-class family paper, at once refining and elevating. J. E. Casterline, editor.

      Edgar Times was established as the Edgar Review in May, 1878. It is ably edited now by Lyon and Good; Republican in politics and devoted to the interests of Edgar and the citizens generally in the southern portion of the county.

      Clay Centre Sun was established August 22, 1884. W. L. Palmer, publisher, editor and proprietor; Republican in politics. Established to fill a long felt want of a newspaper at the county seat; devoted to the interests of the proprietor. his family, Clay county and the state of Nebraska.

COUNTY SEAT CONTESTS.

      As is common in the establishment of new counties much difficulty and controversy has attended the locating of the county seat of this county. With the first organization of the county, this was the bone of contention between competing sections. At that time the contest lay between Harvard and Sutton. The voting strength at that time was shown by the result of the count, which stood as follows: total votes cast, 89, of which Sutton received 56; Harvard, 33. The first election for the removal of the county seat took place August 4, 1875.

      The places voted for were Sutton, Harvard, Fairfield and the center of the county. The next election took place September 20, 1875, when, according to the law, the center of the county, having received the lowest vote, was left out, and the points voted for were Sutton, Harvard and Fairfield. Another election was necessary to decide the matter between Sutton and Harvard, which took place November 7, 1876, and stood as follows: Sutton, 606; Harvard, 802, neither place receiving three-fifths of all the votes cast. No removal was effected. Meantime the law had been so amended that the place receiving the highest number of votes cast should be, on a final vote between the two places, the county seat.

      The next election was under this amended statute and took place January 9, 1879, the competing points being Sutton, Harvard and Clay Centre without result. On the next election, February 20, 1879, Sutton voluntarily left herself out and voted for Clay Centre, which had been laid out as a town under that name.

      The canvassing board made returns that Clay Centre was the county seat, throwing out the vote of Harvard on the alleged ground of fraud and other legal informalities. After the county seat had been declared at Clay Centre a party of men with teams and wagons proceeded to Sutton on a Sunday night, seized the county records, treasurer's safe, etc., loaded them into wagons and took them to Clay Centre. Great rejoicing was indulged in over the result by those friendly to the change, while those who voted for Harvard characterized the transaction as illegal and one of wholesale theft. Among the county officers all removed but Judge E. P. Burnett of the county court, who utterly refused, but was impeached on that account, and W. S. Prickett appointed in his place.

      October 31, 1879, a grand barbecue and celebration was held at Clay Centre in honor of the re-location, whereat appropriate speeches were made, bands played and songs were sung. The jubilee, however, was ill-timed, as was subsequently determined. The supreme court ordered a new canvass of the votes, counting in Harvard, and that Sutton was still the county seat and designated November 7, 1879, for another county seat election, ordering the county property back to Sutton. The election accordingly took place with the following result: Clay Centre, 1,967; Harvard, 1,867, giving a majority of 100 for the present county seat. Although the vote was frightfully and unaccountably large still it has ever been considered "comparatively" legal.

      During all these campaigns much spirited work was done in the way of making speeches in the different school-houses throughout the county. Circulars, sometimes grotesquely illustrated with homespun wood cuts and other funny illustrations, were scattered broadcast, and in both prose and poetry prominent citizens of Harvard and Sutton were villified.

      With the last election the question was forever put at rest and, with it, all animosity has been buried and when referred to provokes only merriment and good feeling among the heroes of that series of memorable county seat campaigns.

SUTTON.

      Luther French, born at Painesville, Lake county, Ohio, looked over and located his homestead upon the N. 1/2 of the N. W. 1/4 of Section 2, Town 7, Range 5, upon which is the original town of Sutton, on the 14th day of March, 1870. June 5, of the same year, he moved upon it and made permanent settlement, camping near the north section line, on the creek, for a few weeks, when he built his house partly on the banks of School creek; he was the first white settler in the town and precinct. The house, in 1876, was still standing on the margin of the grove and was logged up, on the inside, covered with bark and dirt, having the ground for a floor, and is in much the same condition as when built though long since abandoned. On one side of the dug-out was a blind chamber, under ground, this was connected with the outer world by a subterranean passage some rods in length and reaching down to the creek bank below. Here Mr. French gathered and hid his treasures--a flock of motherless children--when attacked by Indians.

      May 4, 1871, H. W. Gray, his son John M., son-in-law G. W. Bemis, with W. Cunning and wife, came into the town, all settling on land immediately adjoining town. Mrs. Cunning was the first married white woman that settled near town.

      Robert O. Brown, a native of Illinois, settled April 10, 1871,-- the first lawyer in the county. His first case and the first law-suit in the county, was before John H. Maltby, probate judge, November 2, 1871. The case was about a well; James S. Schermerhorn, plaintiff, vs. David P. Jayne, defendant. Mr. Brown was attorney for the plaintiff, and won the suit, receiving as a fee $10. He is a Notary Public, and was a delegate to the National Republican convention at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 14, 1876.

      Hosea W. Gray, a native of Pennsylvania, settled May 4, 1871, and commenced practicing law November 2, 1871, having been consulted in the Schermerhorn vs. Jayne case. His next case was before A. K. Marsh, justice of the peace, where he appeared for the defendant in the case of Ellison vs. Hull and won the suit.

      Among the early settlers in Sutton precinct are Russel and John Merrill, and their families, who settled on Section 20. Russel built his house in the summer of 1871, a frame house ceiled, which was a great luxury in those times. John built in the fall. Most of the houses were made of sods with roof covered with sods and ground floors. The settlers often used boxes and nail kegs for chairs, and board, home made tables were common articles of furniture.

      Martin V. B. Clark, M. B., M. P., a native of Cuyahoga county, Ohio; graduated from the College of Pharmacy of Baldwin University, Ohio, February 28, 1807, and in Medicine at the Cleveland Medical College, Ohio, February 4, 1869; was professor of pharmacy four years in the former college and a member of the convention to revise the United States pharmacopoeia of 1870; commenced the practice of medicine at this place November 1, 1871 - the first physician in the county.

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS

      July 4, 1865, part of the Second and Sixth Michigan cavalry camped between Spring and Pawnee ranches, in this county, on their return from Salt Lake. Our townsman, F. M. Davis, county treasurer, was in the Second cavalry and took part in the celebration. They had speeches, etc., by "the boys," and two gallons of whisky with which to "cheer up, comrades, and be gay."

      The first celebration in the county since its organization was at Sutton, July 4, 1872. H. W. Gray, president of the day; Rev.