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Early History and Organization
Previous to the year 1869, the county was occupied only by the Sioux Indians and by wild animals. This
was a portion of the great hunting ground of the Indians, who used all their efforts to keep white men
away.
No part of the Republican Valley was ever visited only when, occasionally, a venturesome hunter would make
a short trip here, the briefest stay was filled with danger.
In 1869, the defeat of the Sioux by General Carr, put an end to the troubles in the Republican Valley, and soon
the cattle owners ventured to bring in their herds. It was not, until 1871 and 1972, that these were brought
in, in great numbers. In the spring of 1872, cattle were driven into this region by the thousands. Sam Tate
brought the first cattle into the county.
When immigration began to pour into the Republican Valley, the natural advantages of the locality now
included in the limits of Hitchcock County, attracted the attention of the farmers seeking a location.
In the spring of 1872, the first settlers, who came for farming purposes, entered claims on Blackwood
Creek, just east of the present town of Culbertson. During the year, settlers continued to come in,
and farms were fast springing up.
In the spring of 1873, the tide of immigration to the county continued, and settlements were made on all
of the principal streams of the county.
So rapidly was the population of the county increasing, that in the spring and summer of 1873, measures
were taken to organize the county, and a petition from the citizens, for that purpose, was forwarded to
Governor Robert B. Furnas. The governor, on July 15, 1873, issued a proclamation, ordering an
election to be held for the choice of county officers and for the location of a county seat. This was ordered
to be held on August 30th.
The Governor appointed:
Thomas G. Le Grand, F. U. Martin and G. E. Baldwin - Judges of Election
W. Z. Taylor and B. D. Skinner - Clerks
The election was held on August 30, 1873, at the residence of F. U. Martin.
The following were the first officers elected:
Thomas Le Grand, W. W. Kelley and F. U. Martin -- Commissioners
W. Z. Taylor -- Clerk
J. E. Kleven -- Treasurer
G. E. Baldwin -- Sheriff
A. J. Vanderslice -- Judge
J. H. Conklin -- Suveyor
Daniel Murphy -- Superintendent of Schools
J. H. Miller -- Coroner
The county seat was located on the site of the present town of Culbertson.
The first store was established by W. Z. Taylor in the fall of 1873.
About the same time the first post office was established and called Culbertson. J. E. Kleven was
appointed the first Postmaster. Mr. Kleven held this position until his death, December 2, 1881.
He was also the village blacksmith, also had a farm from the date of the first settlement here, and was
one of the historic five who continued to try and grow crops during the unsuccessful years, when the
crops were cut short, in the earlier years of the history of the county.
The first birth in the town or in the county was that of Henry Kleven, son of the Postmaster, born
in 1874.
The first death was that of Sylvester A. Kerley, in the summer of 1874.
In 1876, the first schoolhouse in the county was built on Taylor Avenue. The first school in the
county taught during the same summer by R. H. Crisswell, an attorney of Red Willow County.
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