Tekamah and Vicinity, Noteworthy Men of

plies and pay for them with "Bank of Tekamah" notes. Finally the circulation of this hank became wholly worthless and the institution insolvent. Officers came from Omaha to close it up but a friend of Hitt's got here ahead of the officials and notified him of their coming. He immediately emptied the safe of all its money and calling on the people of the town, redeemed all the notes of his bank that they held. When the officers reached here there was nothing for them.
   Mr. Harrington relates that in 1856 a man by the name of Hopkins opened the first store. It was located on the Southeast corner of fourteenth and P streets, being two blocks north of the present park and High school building. The building was but a small log affair and the stock was confined to a few of the actual necessities of pioneer life.
   Mr. Harrington served as sheriff of the county for fourteen years, was a member of the state legislature one term and has been mayor of the city repeatedly and always honored with the confidence of the people of this community.
   Mr. Harrington was united in marriage February 22nd, 1871 to Miss Francis O. Carr, who passed from this life December 3rd, 1896.

   ISAAC GIBSON was born in Clark county, Indiana, December 8th. 1814, on a farm where he remained until he was married, April 4th. 1833, to Miss Isabella Walker. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson soon after their marriage moved to Salem, Indiana and later to Fairfield, Iowa, and April 2nd, 1857, they arrived in the little village of Tekamah. He homesteaded the fine farm, adjoining town on the north, which has so long been known as the Gibson place. On that place they made their home for many years, later removing to Tekamah where Mrs. Gibson passed from this life in 1890.
   In 1858 Mr. Gibson purchased of Miles Hopkins, the only store in Tekamah and was engaged in the mercan-

tile business for twelve years. His son H. V. B. Gibson having been appointed postmaster the postoffice was located in the store. Mr. Gibson's mercantile experiences in those days sounds (sic) strange to the merchant of today. All supplies had to be freighted by wagon from Omaha or Council Bluffs. Bacon brought twenty-five cents a pound and floor $8.00 per hundred. He paid $2.00 a bushel for ear corn and hauled it from Omaha.
   During the autumn days of those early years Mr. Gibson says the Indians would pass through Tekamah on their buffalo hunts and their teepes (sic) would be as thick as are the dwellings here now.
   Mr. Gibson was one of the first candidates initiated in the Masonic lodge of this city.

   GEORGE PETERSON was born in Norway, August 15th, 1838. With his parents he came to the United States in 1839 and located in Illinois. In the spring of 1855 the family started, with prairie schooner and ox team, for Nebraska, reaching Omaha, July 1st, 1855. In the party were his father and mother and the family of eight children, Mr. and Mrs. John Oak, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Thompson and six children, Mr. and Mrs. Erickson and daughter, now Mrs. James Askwig, of Oakland. They left Omaha immediately, driving as far as Fontenelle where they camped for a few days while the men of the party prospected towards Burt county. Within two or three days after they broke camp, a band of Sioux warriors passing westward massacred a party of settlers on these same camping grounds.
   Being well satisfied with the land in this direction the party came on and reached Tekamah, July 6th 1855, and that fall Mr. Peterson located the farm which he now owns near Golden Springs and erected a log house thereon. Shortly after locating there the Omaha Indians came pouring down off the reservation enroute to Fort Omaha whither they were fleeing for protection from their enemy the Siouxs, who had a war party out


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