Gage County, Nebraska

New 48 Page Booklet

Early days in Gage County, Nebraska, including the City of Beatrice, are recalled in this spiral bound booklet excerpted from the rare 1882 book: History of the State of Nebraska, originally published by the Western Historical Co. of Chicago, and Nebraska, a Guide to the Cornhusker State, a 1939 project of the Federal Writers of the Works Progress Administration. The 48-page booklet is printed on 60# paper. A vinyl sheet has been added to protect the full-color front cover.

Some of the places mentioned in the booklet include: Beatrice (county seat), Blue Springs, Wymore, Liberty, Odell, Holmesville, Adams and Caldwell.

Among the many subjects included are: Physical features of the county, such as the Big Blue River and Indian Creek; Natural Products, Early Settlements; Early settlers, such as David Palmer; The Steamer Hannibal and it's remarkable boatload of settlers; Indian incidents and a sketch of the grand chief, Ar-ke-kee-tah; the first election; Mrs. J.P. Mumford; Early incidents and firsts; First homestead under the United States Homestead Law with pix; Early modes of travel; "Pap's Cabin"; Official Roster of officials to 1882; Heroic tale of Robert Emery; Beatrice -- description, schools, corrupt officials, newspapers, churches, societies, banks; Blue Springs -- First settlement, railroad, mastodon skeleton, schools, churches and societies; Other towns and other items of interest.

The booklet contains biographies of many residents of GageCounty in 1882. While primarily of interest to descendants, these often contain clues to the area and the times. Some are lengthy, a few consist of only one or two lines. Where pictures are included (pix) follows the name. Biographical sketches include: Beatrice -- J.H. Alden, Lou. Armacost, Albert Babcock, Charles Baker, A.N. Barnett, Charles Bates, G.L. Beachly, J.M. Berkley, Nathan Blakely (pix), E.E. Brown, A.W. Bradt, James Bush, F.G. Burke, J.R. Burks, G.L. Cole, Leonard Colby (pix, pix of home), W.B. Conlee, H.F. Cook, William Cox, E.F. Davis, H.C. Day, C.B. Dempster, C.G. Dorsey, Jacob Drum, John Dwyer, John Ellis, Charles Emery, O.M. Enlow, Elijah Filley, W.M. Forbes, Dr. Daniel Freeman, John Gessell, H.W. Giddings, L.T. Griggs, Alfred Hazlett (pix of home), C.N. Hammond, Robert Harrington, J.E. Hill, E.M. Hill, B.F. Hockman, W.R. Jones, J.M. Kellogg, J.D. Kilpatrick, E.O. Kretsinger, S.P. Lester, J.B. Long, William Lamb (pix, pix of home), Eugene Mack, George Marvin, H.H. McIntyre, Alfred Miller, William Morse, Emanuel Murgatroyd, W.D. Nicholls, F.C. Parker, H.W. Parker, Senator Algernon Sidney Paddock (pix), Major John Pearman, Rev. Gerhard Penner, Leander Pemberton, A.J. Pethoud, O.H. Phillips, Jay Price, A.G. Randall, John Rickards, O.K. Reedy, G.B. Reynolds, H.V. Riesen, Robert W. Sabin, A.V.S. Saunders, Charles Schell (pix) , B.W. Schell, Hiram Savage, C.J. Schmidt, Samuel Smith, J.A. Smith, J.E. Smith, William Somers, Oliver Townsend, S.W. Wadsworth, W.A. Wagner, Dr. D.A. Walden, Dr. M.P. Walsh, W.G. Washburn, M. Weaverling, Dr. O.O. Wells, John Wiebe, A.N. Wisnell, and Thomas Yule; Blue Springs -- H.S. Barnum, G.H. Castle, James Clapp, T.J. Ferguson, C.F. Hoag Jr., E.J. James, James Lynn, J. McNutt, L.W. Magee, F.W. Mattoon, John Murgatroyd, J.H. Nichols, Alfred Perkins, J.W. Rice, J.W. Smith, William Tyler, and J.C. Williams; Wymore -- J.H. Ake, C.M. Alley, W.H. Ashby, C.T. Bradley, Byron Carpenter, J.R. Hoag, J.B. Lininger, Richard Livsey, J.T. Martin, Henry Mechling, W.H. McClelland, George Walker, and Samuel Wymore; Liberty -- Nathaniel D. Cain, Stephen Evans, S. Fisher, James Gay, A.J. Grimes, E.W. Lane, J.D. Lewis, A.P. McMains, F.M. Muchmore, J.S. Muchmore, C.H. Palmer, R.H. Samson, A.V. Starr, C.S. Wymore; Odell -- E.B. Hinds, Perry Walker; Holmesville -- Eli Albert, H. Bartlett, J.W. Bennett, James Elderbeck, T.B. Essex, D.B. Fuller, James Hollingworth, M.L. Holmes, D.C. Mittan, L.C. Mudge, Valentine Myers, Thomas Patz, James Shelley, W.M. Schullenbarger, George Stark, A.Welsh, W.J. White, and J.M. Young; Adams -- L.O. C lark, Edward Gale, George Gale, J. B. Shaw, James I. Shaw, W.P. Shaw, James Silvernail, William Silvernail, Charles Whyman; Caldwell -- William Blakely, John C. Bunker, John Carpenter, Richard Dibble, Benjamin Dolan, M.E. Evans, W.L. Rogers, R. Rossiter, John Scheve, and H.M. Wickham; Grant Precinct -- John Barralt, Charles Buss, Joseph Ellis, A.F.W. Fuller, William Gast, George Gaston, James Kinzie, H.M. Lull, Robert Nichols, James Plunknett, William Plunknett, David Richard, John Rhodes, John Van Cleef, and John Savage; Holt Precinct -- William Pickrell, P.J. Myers, J.B. Slater; Highland Precinct -- A.B. McNickle, William Ozman, Henry Silver, Claytonia Precinct -- Henry Albert, J.H. Steinmeyer, Nemaha Precinct -- H.L. Hossack.

The final part of the booklet contains a brief excerpt from Nebraska, a Guide to the Cornhusker State, compiled and written by the Federal Writer's Project of the WPA in 1939. It includes a special section on Beatrice, including a map and 8 points of interest.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?