HAMILTON County is bounded on the east by York, south by Clay, west by Hall, and north by Merrick counties and contain three hundred and fifty-seven thousand one hundred and twenty acres of the most fertile lands of the state, of which two hundred and thirty-seven thousand eight hundred and six acres are taxable.

The county agriculturally considered is located in the garden portion of the state and nature has left it one of the most beautiful counties in its landscape upon the face of the earth, and no county in the state takes rank in advance of Hamilton in an agricultural point of view. By reference to the map it will be seen that the great Platte River washes its northern boundary, and that four of the principal rivers of the state head in it, and are sufficiently apart to give a gentle undulating surface rising with a gradual swell, from the banks of the streams to a point equi-distant between them; with this formation natural drainage is displayed in its highest state of perfection. The beds of the creeks and water courses are shallow and much depressed, and sloughs of standing water are here comparatively unknown. Nearly all of the smaller streams furnish water about two-thirds of the year, and the Blue River in the south part of the county furnishes mill power during the entire year, and the rain and snow fall, though not so great as in other portions of the State, are becoming more abundant with each succeeding year.

The climate does not vary much from other portions of the South Platte country. The spring brings with it moderate rains that seem to fall at just the right time, the summers are delightful, the warm rays of the sun being tempered by cool breezes that never fail in their coming, while the harvest season cannot be surpassed by any country,. The winters are mild and dry, with but little snow, and the bright warm sunshine makes them as compared to the vigorous snow and frost bound winters of the Eastern States very mild and pleasant seasons. Occasionally a severe storm of snow or a destructive wind visits this locality, but the history of the past records but few. The soil from two to three feet in depth and in many places much deeper, resembles a composite of artificial mould somewhat different from the prevailing natural soil, and is in all appearances like the finest garden mould, dark in color, easily worked, and eminently productive. It is not too porous, so that it will not hold water for the sustenance of vegetation, nor is it too compact or solid, holding all the water that falls upon it at the surface. It is of such a nature that the fibrous roots of trees and plants are found at a depth varying from five to twenty feet, and possesses the many good qualities which enable the husbandman to produce a variety of crops, and it never disappoints him where properly tilled.

There seems to be hardly a limit to the wide range of grains, grasses and vegetables, it will abundantly produce. There is not a domestic product of the soil adapted to this climate that fails of perfect development; even many of the semi tropical plants make wonderful showing when climate and altitude are considered. Winter and spring wheat, rye, corn, barley, oats, buckwheat, sorghum, flax, hemp, broomcorn, millet, hungarian , every variety of the potato, and all garden vegetables, apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, grapes, currants, and all the endless list of small fruits that grow in the medium latitudes, flourish in this country to almost perfection.

The first frame house was erected by F. H. Clark in 1870, the lumber being hauled from Grand Island.

The first birth in the county took place at the Millspaw Ranch, a son to John and Rosy McClellan and grandson to David Millspaw. This transpired in the fall of 1861 and two years later the first death took place at this same ranch in the removal of the above mentioned child in the summer of 1863, and was buried on the prairie near the site of the old ranch.

The first birth on record was a son to C. O. Wescott (Orville Wescott) from whom the town of Orville, received its name.

The first marriage was that of Phillip Hart to Elizabeth Ellen Verley, August 21, 1870, by Robert Lamont, Probate Judge. The first death was that of the wife of J. D. Wescott.

The first election was held at the house of John Harris on the Blue, May 3, 1870.

The first case tried in the district court was a divorce suit at a term of this court, presided over by Hon. George B. Lake. Mr. E. W. Denio and Mr. Darnell were the counsel retained, and were the first lawyers who practiced in the county.

The first Fourth of July celebration was held, in the year 1870, in a grove on the southside of the Blue, the property of Mr. J. D. Wescott. The oration was delivered by B. D. Brown, the orator of the day, it being his first attempt, and also the first oration listened to in the county.

The first crime committed was the murder of a Mr. Johnson, of Illinois, in August, 1870. In company with Mr. F. Sawyer, of Lincoln, Nebraska, he had been looking at the county, and it is supposed Sawyer murdered him for his money, while they were returning to Lincoln.

Johnson's body was found several days after, lying on the prairie in this county, and Sawyer was arrested on suspicion at Lincoln and brought back to Hamilton County for preliminary examination, which took place before Justice of the Peace John Brown, at the house of James Waddle, about the 1st of September. He was bound over, and sent to Lincoln for safe keeping, where he was discharged from custody on a writ of habeas corpus.

The first post office was established in 1870, on the Blue, at the house of Robert Lamont, who was appointed postmaster, under the name of Verona.

In the spring of 1871 a second post office was established on Lincoln Creek, at the house of S. W. Spafford, with S. W. Spafford as Postmaster--called Spafford's Grove.

A weekly mail was received from Seward via York to Grand Island.

L. W. Hastings was the first mail contractor, and upon one of his trips quite an amusing incident occurred.

It happened upon one dark night in the winter of 1871 and 1872, as he was journeying westward from York to Aurora, that he lost his way. The roads were travelled but little, and the snow blown by the winds filled the tracks as fast as they were made. After groping about in the dark for some time, he took a star for his guide, hoping to reach Lincoln Creek and follow it home. All at once the horses came to a full stop, and refused to go any farther. He urged them, applied his whip with vigor, but still they refused to move. He got out of his buggy, and found he had been trying to make his horses climb a dug out, owned by Mrs. Fodge. He found the steps leading down and knocked at the door; a voice within called out, "Who's there?" "Answer me, where am I?"

From inside--"You are there at the door." "Yes, I know, but where am I?" "At the door, I say." "Yes, but what part of the country, I mean?" "In Nebraska." "Yes, I know, but which way from Aurora?" "Oh, you are east from Aurora," The mail carrier, getting desperate, cried out, "Well, open this door and see if you can tell me the road to Aurora.": "Oh, you are lost are you?" Whereupon they put him upon his course, so that after being started twice, he went on his way, rejoicing.

The first school district was organized September 27, 1870. Joseph Stockham was elected director, and the census return of the district recorded the names of thirty-nine children of school age.

The first schoolhouse was built of logs by subscription, each settler furnishing a log, and two old bachelors bought the windows and two pine boards for a desk, the seats being made of split logs. It was situated on Section thirty-four (34); Town nine (9); Range five (5).

Miss Jennie Laurie taught the first school with ten pupils in attendance, and was paid by subscription, the settlers contributing money or wheat as best they could, in the winter of 1870-71. During this winter a short time after the school-house was built, it caught fire, and was partly burned one evening, after there had been a social gathering of the settlers. After all had repaired to their several homes, two sturdy pioneers, Mr. John Harris and Robert Waddle happened to notice in their wakeful hours about midnight, a bright light in the direction of the schoolhouse, and further investigation proved that this pioneer educational edifice was in flames. They hurried to the scene. Mr. Waddle, possessing a spirit of caution, remained upon terra firma, while Mr. Harris organized himself into a hook and ladder company, and mounted the roof of the burning building. He reached the roof in safety, and while standing in this perilous position, his clear musical voice rang out upon the midnight air, "Brave John stood on the burning deck, whence all but him had fled---;" but the words were scarcely said ere the poles burned away and precipitated him into the interior of the building, together with a mass of burning timber, sod and dirt, with every conceivable way of escape blockaded, except to scale the perpendicular walls which was all but impossible. He soon made his way out through a window remarking as he appeared, "I guess brave John better get out of here." But Mr. Waddle was not idle after his friend disappeared; he went to work with a will, pouring water upon the flames, and being reinforced by Mr. Harris, the fire was soon extinguished. In a few days the building was repaired and the school going on as usual, with no serious damage done to the impromptu fire company.

Rev Mr. Colwell preached the first sermon in the county, at the house of James Waddle, in the spring of 1869. His labors cover a period of about three years.

The first church organization was effected at the house of R. M. Hunt in Beaver Precinct August 12, 1871, consisting of the following members: Ruth M. Hunt, S. B Yost, Stephen Pollard, Alvira Jones and F. Ann Doty. It was called the Aurora Baptist Church, but was reorganized later.

Unity Presbyterian Church, Monroe Precinct was organized by Rev. N. C. Robinson, Synodical Missionary, June 4, 1875, and has a membership of thirty-four.

Avon Presbyterian Church, Bluff Precinct, was organized by Rev. H. M. Giltner, August 11, 1876, who became its pastor and had charge until he was succeeded by Rev. J. H. Patterson in September, 1877, who was in charge until September, 1881, since which date the church has been supplied.

There are also church organizations of the Methodist Episcopal Church in several parts of the county, as follows:

Whittemore Class, Otis Precinct, organized by Rev. C. L. Smith at Whittemore Schoolhouse attached to the Stromsburg Circuit.

Van Wormer Class, Orville Precinct, organized in the spring of 1873, attached to Aurora Circuit.

Soward Class, organized in the month of June, 1873, attached to St. Joe Circuit in Union Precinct.

Boagg Class, also in Union Precinct, organized in February, 1875.

W. K. Ream organized a class at the Klumb Schoolhouse in the winter of 1875--76 and another at the Fairview Schoolhouse in the summer of 1876.

Rev. Clement Aldridge organized a class at the Cain Schoolhouse in the summer of 1881.

Rev. C. L. Smith organized a class at the Hoffman Schoolhouse in the month of February, 1876.

In the winter of 1870 Mr. James Rollo had the misfortune to temporarily lose his eye-sight. At this time he was living in a small dug-out, on the Blue River. The winter being quite severe, the settlers in the immediate vicinity proposed to make a chopping-bee and cut, score and hew the logs for a new house. Mr. Rollo decided to celebrate the event by giving his friends what was considered a rare treat in those days of bachelorhood, a huge cake. Mr. John Harris was solicited, and accepted the appointment of cook, and one Sunday morning found him hard at work in Mr. Rollo's dug-out, fulfilling the duties of his appointment. The ingredients used in preparing the cake were: two pounds and a half of sugar, two dozen eggs and flour in proportion. They were stirred together with all the skill he possessed and put to bake in an old bake oven at 9 A. M. After six hours of careful watching it came out in all its greatness fully as large as a half-bushel.

On Monday the settlers gathered and soon their busy axes made the little timber-grove ring. At noon the work was well under way and all hands suspended operations to sample the cake. A gallon of sorghum was served as a relish, brought on in an old coffee pot, and all made a hearty meal, carrying the fragments to their several homes.

At the present time, in many of the dwellings of those who participated in the event, may be found a well-kept and cherished relic, a piece of this well remembered cake.