|
Page 235 |
|
convinced everybody that sure enough Indians were upon us.
The women and children were all hustled into W. B. Rogers' stone house until it was filled to "a finish," but it afterward developed that what Mr. Wallace had really seen were weeds on the prairie; no Indians came into this county as far as known, though the Cheyennes had passed west of us through Decatur county. The story of rapine and murders committed by them is too long for this work. It did not affect the citizens of this county except in the case of Mr. Abernathy, who had at one time been a resident of this county and was murdered at that time on the Sappa. The county was prosperous and splendid crops were raised that year. The Norton County Advance was established June 6, 1878, M. W. Pettigrew, editor; G.W. Collins, publisher. The Agricultural Association was formed July 6, 1878. The officers were: Albert Graves, president; R. F. Hudsonpillar, vice president; George H. Griffin, treasurer; M. J. FitzPatrick, secretary; directors, Giles Warner, W. Grant, Richard Williams, A. S. Burroughs, Hugh Lindsay, O. T. Ellis and J. E. Page. On January 15, Nat L. Baker resigned the office of register of deeds. Burroughs then moved that Syl. L. Bishop be appointed to fill out the balance of the term but the motion was lost. Grant then moved that Louis K. Pratt be appointed which motion prevailed. On April 8, 1879 a petition signed by 163 residents of Center township asked the board to grant a license to John Hughs to run a dram shop in Norton. On motion of Burroughs the license was granted and on motion of Linsay the license fee was fixed at one hundred dollars per annum. On July 7, a petition by Noah Weaver and 97 others asked that Weston township be named Leota. On motion the change was made. At the same time a petition signed by Joe Butler and 49 others asking that the west half of Leota township be made a separate voting precinct called Clayton, was granted by the board. At the same meeting of the board a petition signed by H. Mibergen [Meibergen] and 69 others asked that the west half of Solomon township be set off as a separate township to be called Twin Mound township with two voting precincts to be called Lenora and Almelo precincts respectively. On motion the prayer of the petition was granted. At the same meeting of the board a petition signed by P. H. Conarty and 69 others asking for the organization of Grant township was formerly (sic) acted upon by the board. On October 6, on petition of 56 residents, Rock Branch township was organized which comprises the territory of Crystal and Rock Branch as now organized. On October 7, West Union township was organized on a petition signed by 56 electors of Solomon township. On October 7, the board organized Maple Grove township on a petition signed by George K. Anderson and 14 others. This township embraced the territory which now comprises Garfield, Rockwell and part of Rock Branch and Crystal townships, and the place designated for holding the first election was Uriah Miller's house. Among the early settlers in Grant township are Judson C. Wilson, who came in 1878, and Fredrick Roeder and his three sons, they settled in 1879. David Hays came in 1879 from lowa. He was born in Green county, Kentucky, June 22, 1815. He volunteered in the 40th Iowa infantry and served three years. James R. Thompson came from Indiana and settled in Grant township in 1880. He is an old soldier and lost his leg in the service. He was the republican |
|
Page 235 |