The world's history, be it something old in a new garb, or be it something original, shows that the conquests made by the mental and moral powers are lasting compared with those made by physical force. Conquests made by the sword must be held by the sword but those of the understanding or of the heart seem to hold themselves, and increase in strength from what they conquer. Thus does the strength of a nation he in the unity of the hearts of its people and not in its buttresses of mail or minute gun.
     A city is made of men and houses. The more unity among her citizens and the finer her buildings, the greater is she.
     In the respect of oneness of purpose and unity in action, the people of Hebron and Thayer County stand pre-eminent among the forty odd communities we have noticed in this book.
     If there is one community in the State of Nebraska to which the three adjectives, trustworthy, industrious and liberal ought to be applied more than to any other, our observation, after having visited these towns, goes to show that that community lives in and around Hebron. This observation we believe, however, is nothing new, for it would seem that visitors generally talk of Hebron and her people in glowing and praiseworthy terms.
     In the respect of the possession of fine people, distinguished for intelligence, a love of honor, or any of the other acquirements usually termed virtues, we would simply say, that to be a "permanent resident of Hebron or Thayer County" bears with it in Nebraska a similiar prestige that "to bean Athenian" bore in the Greek Confederacy. While as to fine buildings, commensurate with her wealth and population. Hebron has more substantial ones than any other town comparable to her in the State.
      Hebron, says a Kansas editor whose views and statements cannot be anything but impartial, and certainly if influenced at all not influenced favorably, is a substantial and industrious city of 2,000 people, located in the center of Thayer County, in the valley of the Little Blue River. It is the county seat and has a magnificent water power. excellent building stone, and a plentiful supply of soft water at n depth of only twenty-five feet. Its buildings are numerous, neatly painted, and the business houses large and well stocked.
     With its advantages it affords a most valuable point at which to establish manufacturing interests, such as a foundry, woolen mill, paper mill, flax works, oil mills, canning factory, carriage factory and a beet sugar factory. The city would not only give such enterprises liberal support but the entire county would give them good trade.
     Each part of this great country has its special features, some excelling in one direction such as, for instance, the timber supply, others in mineral, while Hebron, with its excellent water power and railway facilities, is especially adapted to manufacturing, and the surrounding country to agricultural pursuits and stock raising.

HISTORICAL.

     The first selection of land in the locality of Hebron, was made in the summer of 1868, and in August of the following year the town was surveyed and the lots divided equally among eighteen members of the colony. The plat was duly recorded at the then county seat, Fairbury. In June, 1870 another town, Hillsdale, was platted on the site where the Catholic Cemetery now is, but in July the eighteen stockholders went at Hebron in earnest and by October several buildings were erected. So solid were these that in most instances they are still standing and in daily use. This has ever continued characteristic of the city's structure. they have been put up to stay
     In the spring of 1872 Hebron was made the county seat of Thayer, which was erected into a county by the legislature of 1870-71. Although without a railroad it made more rapid progress than any of the railroad towns in the State.
     Hebron has now two railroads: the Burlington, which came in in January, 1884, and connects at Chester with the main line from Kansas City and Lincoln to Denver, and at Fairmont with the main line from Denver to Omaha and Chicago. The train service on this road is first-class in every respect, and its lines penetrate the richest agricultural regions of the world. By this system the products of coal fields of Wyoming and Colorado are laid down at her doors, while the products of her farms and live stock are transported by the shortest possible route to the great markets of Chicago, Omaha, Kansas City and Denver.
     The Rock Island, which reached Hebron in the spring of 1888, connects with the Denver and Chicago line at Fairbury, and is often referred to by Thayer County people as the "Old Reliable."

LOCATION.

     The location in the valley is very pleasant and healthful, as the drainage is perfect. The meandering course of the Blue can be traced for many miles to the east and west. When the neighboring hills are clothed in green the view is strikingly beautiful. At this point the valley is very wide, every acre of whose fertile lands has long since passed out of its first and second markets into hands of permanent settlers. The Valley of the Blue for richness and beauty can not be surpassed by the famous valleys of the Genesee and Mohawk, and is unsurpassed by the scenery of the Ohio, and before our vision in all directions our eyes rest upon the richest farming country in the entire West, dotted over with fine farm houses, and inhabited by a people whose push, energy, and enterprise are unexcelled.

     A few years ago only a narrow strip of land along the west side of the Missouri River was thought to be suitable for growing crops. To-day that narrow strip of land has extended wonderfully; 200 miles, at least, and all over the State are evidences of liberal production. The world is familiar with the phenomenally rapid growth of the West. In our brief generation we have, with amazement, beheld the flight and entire extermination of vast herds of buffalo and hordes of painted men before the advancing caravans of immigrants, and seen a web of steel spread over the wilderness by the great spider of commerce, and the Indian tepee swept away by the ever advancing avalanche of civilization, to make place for the mill, the factory, church and schoolhouse, until to-day, where only a few years ago was a barren waste, we now stand in the midst of prosperous cities and hear the roar of mill wheels, the din of factory whistles, and the busy hum of trade. No state in the Union has such a steady growth as Nebraska. Those who come to this portion of the State not only secure the best railway facilities, but find here a soil that needs only to be tickled with the hoe and it laughs with a bountiful harvest.
     Many instances of where people have got rich here, and rapidly, too, might be sighted as an illustration of the possibilities of this country, such as, for instance, a farmer who came here from Illinois about eight years ago,

bringing with him $4 000. He purchased 160 acres of land a few miles southeast of Hebron, on which he has resided and followed farming and stock raising ever since. From the profits of this farm he has added to his land, until now he has 720 acres, and his stock includes eighteen horses, sixty head of cattle. 100 head of hogs. His crop for 1890 brought him $4,000 in money, and in 1891, his wheat went forty bushels to the acre. He raised 100 bushels of flax, 1,800 bushels of oats, 7,500 bushels of corn, and has on the farm 100 bearing apple trees which he planted himself. To-day his land and other property is well worth $20.000. He has an incumbrance of only $2,000, which with the $4,000 brought with him, shows a net profit of $14,000 in seven years farming, and we doubt if this can be duplicated anywhere in the West outside of Thayer County. There are numerous other cases to which we could refer, would space permit.
     To all sturdy, honest, hard-working farmers who are seeking for a new location whereby honest industry can acquire a home for themselves and families, to such, Nebraska, and especially Thayer County and her beautiful City of Hebron, extend the right hand of fellowship and bid you welcome. The valley of the Blue in which Thayer County is located is extremely fertile and its many tributaries render the country well watered. It has a soil that presents a wealth of productive resource

every whit as great as the older States, and will grow in perfection every grain, vegetable, plant and fruit common to this latitude.

HEBRON

     Is a brisk city in every way, has a number of three story brick blocks and a large number of two story bricks, fine stores, handsome dwelling and good church and school buildings, with all its citizens carrying that appearance so universal throughout the State, good health and well fed.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

     The fountain head, the mainspring of all national greatness is here in all its glory. A spacious brick structure erected by the enterprising citizens at a cost of $25,000, also other buildings of the value of $2,000, in all $27,000 worth of buildings set aside for the education of the rising generation that they may be better enabled to fight the great battle of life. A graded school with a dozen or more competent teachers presiding over them, all under the direct control and supervision of a highly efficient superintendent, well arranged and harmoniously working with military regularity and precision, is to my mind the crowning feature in this thoroughly live little city.

CHURCHES.

     Hebron is well inspired with ambition in spiritual matters too. We find here the following denominations--Methodist, Christian, Presbyterian, United Brethren and Catholic. The Christian and Presbyterian buildings are especially commodious, costly structures.

SOCIETIES.

     The city has the following orders represented: K. of. P. No. 52; U. R. K. of P. 29; A. F. A. M. No. 43; Chapter 16 R. A. M.; Knight Templars No. 18; Hebron Chapter No. 31; I. O.O. F., No. 49; I. O. O. F. D. of H,, No. 30; Degree of Honor No. 1, A. O. U. W.; I. O. G. T. No. 87; Camp No. 578, M. W. A.; Phil Kearney Camp 91, S. of V., and last but far from least the Grand Army of the Republic.

WATERWORKS.

     Hebron has exercised especially good foresight in providing a fine waterworks system. It is known as the reservoir system, but may be quickly changed into a direct pressure system when required. It consists of a well, pump house, pipe lines and stand pipe. The well is twenty-three feet deep and twenty in diameter. The pump house is 10x40 feet and contains two forty-horse power boilers, and one duplex pump. There are four miles of street mains and thirty-two hydrants for fire protection. The lower is of iron resting on a stone foundation. The reservoir is 100 feet high and twelve feet in diameter, made of heavy boiler plate steel, and has a capacity of 85,000 gallons. It is located upon the highest ground in the city and when full of water will produce a pressure of eighty pounds per square inch on the mains. When greater pressure is required a valve at the tower may be closed and have the direct pressure system by which 150 pounds pressure may be had direct from the pumps.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

     Consists of about forty men fully officered by capable men, with W. D. Galbraith as chief, and are under continual training. They have at their command two hose carts, one hook and ladder truck and six hundred feet of hose. Taken all together this feature of the town is as complete as could be asked for. The experience of the past year in saving buildings from the destruction by fire, testifies to the wisdom of the citizens in making this very necessary provision for their safety and also bears evidence of the efficiency of the fire department, of which the town is justly proud.
      The increase in population of Thayer County shows as follows:

     This is the most truthful indication of growth and prosperity.

REPRESENTATIVE BUSINESS FIRMS AND MEN OF HEBRON.

     FIRST NATIONAL BANK--Among the well-known banking institutions of the Western States, is the First National, of Hebron, organized in 1882. The paid up capital is $75,000; surplus, $15,000. A highly prosperous banking business of a general character is transacted. They also negotiate loans. A. G. Collins, president, came here from Shrewsbury, Pa. J. M. Bennett, vice-president, from Columbus, Ohio, is an old banker. J. H. Lynch, cashier, is a native of Pennsylvania, and formerly banked in Hanover, Penn., many years. He has shown much tact as cashier of the First National. W. H. Ellison, assistant cashier, has lived twenty-two years in Hebron. To the well-directed and conservative management of the