| First
Settlers
The
first settler of this county was John B. Weston,
who in 1857 located on Section 16, Township 5, Range
8, on the Little Blue, he built a log cabin and
named it "Pawnee Ranch".
Prior
to this time a spot at the mouth of the Liberty
Creek, on the Blue, was a favorite camping ground
for
the mail carriers.
In
1858, James H. Lemen kept Liberty Farm Ranch here,
as a agent of Wells Fargo and Company.
In1867,
Benjamin and John Royce arrived.
In
1864, James Bainter settled at Spring Ranch.
In
the spring of 1870 came A. D. Peterson, followed
by Louis Peterson and James
Johnson,
all Swedes.
They
were here in April, 1872, when the Virginian, John
L. Lewis, arrived. The settlement was name
Lewis
precinct, in 1875.
November
1, 1873, a Dane named J. C. Christianson settled
in this precinct, and he is said to be the first
of
sixteen Danes who were in this county in 1882.
In
the summer of 1870, two brothers named Newman,
also natives of Sweden, settled in School Creek
precinct,
and in the fall John Kennedy, and Obinan, located
his homestead on Section 2, Township 8, Range
5.
On
January 27, 1871, A. K. Marsh built a log cabin
on the creek, below the Newmans dugout, Mrs. Marsh
being the first white woman in this precinct.
A.
A. Corey, J. Steinmetz, the Ballzer brothers, F.
M. Charies, Charles W. George and R. G. Brown came
prior to April, 1871. W. Cunning and his wife
followed in May, and later came R. L. Garr and
W. E. Bemis.
The
Conant brothers arrived in Lincoln precinct in May
1971.
In
August that year, W. T. McKnight arrived.
Orrin
Conant was shot and killed here in May 1875, by
D. A. Smith, the dispute over ownership of
a claim. The same year Glenvil precinct claimed
the pioneers, Daniel Fitch, J. W. Small and Larry
S. Winters.
B.
F. Hockel constructed a sod house on Section 2,
Township 7, Range 7, in May 1871, other settlers
were: W. H. Chadwick, J. D. Moore and L. J.
Starbuck. C. D. Moore and M. L. Latham arrived
shortly after, and when the precinct was organized
in 1875, the name Lynn was given to it.
Sutton
precinct claims Luther French, an Obinan, as
its first settler in 1870, He built a dugout
on the
northwest quarter of Section 2, Township 7, Range
5.
H.
W. Gray, his son and G. W. Remis arrived in May,
1871; William and Henry Smith, J. S. Schermurhorn,
James Vroman, the Angbergs, Holingsworths, Brownnells,
Evans and Malthys came
about this time.
Leicester
precinct was settled early in the winter of 1871-72,
by Joseph Rowe, Stephen Brown, William Woolman
and A. Woolman. Miss Truelove Tibbles, an
adopted child of William Woolman, she drowned in
April
1876.
G.
W. Briggs and George McIntire were the first settlers
in Scott precinct.
In
1871 John P. Scott was the solitary occupant of
Lone Tree precinct and the only settler between
School
Creek and Spring Ranch. He also took care
of the Elm post office from the fall of 1871 until
its relocation to Fairfield in 1873.
Reuben
Peachy built a house for mercanatile purposes
in 1870, and was the first postmaster appointed
in
Clay County.
After
the re-establishment of the mail service, Richard
Bayley, a blacksmith by trade, located
at the mouth of the Buffalo Creek, followed by H.
J. Higgins.
In
1871 a water mill was constructed near the Liberty
Ranch by Al Mills.
Sheridan
precinct was settled in 1872, by John Yates, Patrick
Nagle, R. Hillard, R. M. Mariner, T.
R. Elder and Dennis Lahane.
Logan
precinct was settled by Albert Curtis, March, 1871.
Within a short time Riley Thurber, John Vandle,
Wright Stacy, E. M. Isham, Nathan Tucker, A. Christison,
Fletcher Page and the Pascalls arrived.
J. B. Dinsmore came in May 1872
The
first settlement in Marshall precinct was in July
1872 by Flavius Northrup, followed by W. S. Addison
and Warner Randel, J. Prawl and William Tolle.
In
November 1871, J. K. Sanborn arrived in Edgar precinct
as its pioneer, followed by the Carrs.
Jacob
Ritterbush came in 1872 and was appointed postmaster.
The same month the Jones Family
arrived.
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