Nemaha County, Kansas History

NEMAHA COUNTY, KANSAS

HISTORY
OF
NEM AH A COUNTY
KANSAS
BY
RALPH TENNAL
ILLUSTRATED
STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY LAWRENCE, KANSAS
1916

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Biographical

DEDICATION

THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THK PEOPLE OF NEMAHA COUNTY. WHOSE WHOLEHEARTED INTEREST IN AND LOYAL SUPPORT OF THE MERITORIOUS PROJECT OF RECORDING IN IMPERISHABLE PRINT THE WONDROUS AND VALUABLE STORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY'S INDUSTRIAL, CIVIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS FOR THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS, HAVE MADE ITS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE.

RALPH TENNAL.

FOREWORD

"And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh."

Ecclesiastes, xii. :xii.
There are books and books, each purporting to fulfill a mission. Since remote times man has endeavored in some manner to leave behind him the story of his accomplishments during his brief sojourn on earth. Primitive man first chiseled on imperishable stone in various crude ways the messages which he desired transmitted to his descendants; the ancients inscribed history on tablets of clay; in all parts of the known world are found the stories of its peoples inscribed in some form on crumbling monuments, on the walls of forgotten, buried cities-the messages telling in graphic detail the story of the ancient peoples of the earth in the only manner which was possible to the inhabitants thereof.

As enlightenment came gradually through the ages, the crude methods of transmitting knowledge in vogue for untold centuries gave way to the written and printed pages which we have today, when the ability to read is universal throughout the land.

Books have multiplied until their number is incalculable. A good book is a friend and companion. A book of history is not only entertaining, useful, enlightening, but it is valuable and stimulating. We are inspired by the tales of accomplishment by our forefathers to do even greater things than they. We likewise take a just pride in our own deeds and successes. Macauley once wrote: "Show me a country whose people take no pride in their ancestry; they will produce no posterity worth while."

oIt is well to delve into the past; strive in the present, and to look forward into the future. This volume of Nemaha County History tells of the past, which covers a brief span of three score years since the all-conquering American pioneer came into the prairie wilderness to create a home; its pages likewise speak of the present-all of which is recorded for the benefit and inspiration of posterity.

While Nemaha county is but a small plat of earth, it is very dear to all of us, and is an Empire built by the hands of brave and hardy men and women, whose composite achievement is one of the wonders of the age. Created and grown beyond the wildest dreams of its creators from an un-peopled wilderness into a populous, wealthy, and thriving community during the memory of living men, Nemaha county occupies a proud and enviable place among her sister counties in Kansas.

The story of Nemaha county's settlement and growth is faithfully and entertainingly told in the succeeding pages. The facts herein set forth are not the result of mere guesswork; they are taken from available records and transcribed as coming from the lips of old settlers who know whereof they speak. Many of these facts are necessarily recollections of pioneers All written history is founded on personal knowledge and observation. In my experience of twenty-eight years in the profession of writing for the public, I have found a wide variance in these "recollections." It is seldom that two persons "recollect" alike. This curious phase of "recollecting" is easily explained from a psychological standpoint, and is attributive to the fact that any incident or occurrence affects each of several persons witnessing it in a different manner. Each may tell a story differently-but that divergence does not alter the his-torical value of the narration. It will be found that the facts set forth in this volume are essentially correct, and it will be invaluable as a reference work.

This volume is issued not a day too soon. The men and women who made the history contained herein are rapidly passing away, and it is meet that their composite and individual records be recorded. The book really represents the work of eight years, for we (my wife and I) have had a history of the county in mind for that length of time, and have been gathering material with that end in view.

Were it not for the faithful and unremitting labors of Mrs. Tennal in making historical researches and transcriptions of our joint efforts during the many months which were required for the preparation of the text, I fear the task would not have been accomplished. Sincere and deep appreciation is acknowledged for assistance and contributions from Judge Rufus M. Emery, Ira K. Wells, Prof. W. R. Anthony, Roy Hesseltine, Capt. Lewis Miller, Jacob Mohler, Dr. S. Murdock, Mrs. V. A. Bird, Mrs. Alice Gray Williams, Rev. P. Joseph Sittenauer and an endless number of kindly folk, including the newspaper men of the county, who contributed their assistance and support freely, to the end that the people of Nemaha might have a history.

RALPH TENNAL.
July 30, 1916.