What a wonderful look at life in 1800’s. This Historical CD contains stories of the local townships of Seward County and its people.
This is a scanned copy on CD of the original Book published in 1916.
General History
of
Seward County,
Nebraska
By
John H. Waterman
Beaver Crossing, Nebr.
1914---‘15
1916
295 pages on 1 CD
An essential resource for Genealogists
Actual images of every page, in Adobe Acrobat Reader .PDF format. Works with any computer, and is easy to use and read. Some scans are imperfect.
This book on CD is SEARCHABLE *
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I. Introductory. The vast plains area. The
Path Kinder and his path the artery of civilization west
of the Missouri river. The California Trail, etc.
CHAPTER II. Nebraska. Territorial area and organization. The State. Area, rivers, land, counties etc. Admission to the Union.
CHAPTER II. Seward County—Its boundries, territory,
population etc. Beaver Crossing—Its name—Prom
what derived. The freight route. Historical Steam
Wagon Road.
CHAPTER IV. Seward county's name. Its climate.—
General homesteads, soldier's homesteads and railroad land. Homestead law. Amos Reed's tract. 'The
water. Springs and flowing wells.
CHAPTER V. The soil of Seward county. Indigenous
people, wild game, fish and pests. Disappear before
approaching civilization.
CHAPTER VI. Origin of the Great American Desert's
name. Drought, dust and sand storms. Rain, snow and
wind storms.
CHAPTER VII. Beaver Crossing's first settlement a
result of the civil war. The ranchers. John E. Fouse,
Daniel Millspaw, William J. Thompson and Roland
Reed.
CHAPTER VIII. Agriculture in pioneer days. Hazardous
experiments improve productions. Disadvantageous
early markets.
CHAPTER IX. Breaking prairie. Sod houses and dugouts. How to build them.
CHAPTER X. Amusements. A popular song by two
popular young men. A 4th of July celebration of pioneer type.
CHAPTER XI. The timber craze of the first settlers.
Wind breaks for orchards. Fruit.
CHAPTER XII. Beaver Crossing. Pioneer postoffices
and postmasters. Star route served on back of broncho. Beaver Crossing moved. Its name and new location a misfit—A story.
CHAPTER XIII. Pioneer towns. Stores, saw and grist
mills. Bridges and highways.
CHAPTER XIV. Pioneer schools of Seward County.
CHAPTER XV. Ordinary customs, habits, dress, and
foods of the pioneer citizens of Seward county.
CHAPTER XVI. Pioneer horses, mules and work cattle.
Grasshoppers.
CHAPTER XVII. Exciting rail road bond campaign of
1871.
CHAPTER XVIII. Church conditions in pioneer times
in Seward county.
CHAPTER XIX. Past and present political events and
conditions in Seward county.
CHAPTER XX. Criminality. Nathan Clough, George
L. Monroe and other murders committed in Seward
county.
CHAPTER XXI. The precincts -their location by government survey—Range and Town numbers. Precinct representation on county board. Its change.
CHAPTER XXII. W. Cox and his history of Seward
county. Its dedication. His daughter's touching portray of her pioneer childhood home.
CHAPTER XXIII. Seward county's newspapers.
CHAPTER XXIV. Early official conditions in Seward
county. The first election. First board of county
commissioners and county officials. Tax assessments
and collections.
CHAPTER XXV. Precinct settlements and Pioneer Settlers.
CHAPTER XXVI. The Mirage.
CHAPTER XXVII. Deaths of Seward county pioneers.
CHAPTER XXVIII. Seward county Agricultural Society
and other societies and lodges.
CHAPTER XXIX. Notable advancements in prosperity
leading up from pioneer times to the great changes to
modern times.
CHAPTER XXX. A reflection and backward glance at
pioneer days gone by.
CHAPTER XXXI. The changes from pioneer conditions
to those of the new era. A startling prophetic vision
of the golden future upon the great expanse of the
Western Plains of 1866.
CHAPTER XXXII. Seward County—Its towns, postoffice
, schools, etc, after the changes from pioneer conditions.
CHAPTER XXXIII. The Chicago & North Western Rail
Road. in Seward County.
CHAPTER XXXIV. Seward county farms and farmers.
The county's agricultural wealth. Extended drought
period. Schools and school system. Gold excitement
CHAPTER XXXV. Miscellaneous items. Produce statistics of mid-pioneer period. First marriages in Seward county. Rattlesnakes more dangerous than Indians. Seward county court house and courthouse propositions. Death of Etta Shattuck. Remembrance of
Henry Cashier.
CHAPTER XXXVI. Beaver Crossing Telephone Company
and its changes. Additional early settlers.
CHAPTER XXXVII. Additional list of deaths of early
settlers. Fatal accidents and untimely deaths. Suicides.
CHAPTER XXXVIII. Soldier element in the early settlement. Glance at the advance guards of civilization. An eloquent narration of pioneer achievements from the Omaha Bee—promptings of the Semi-centennial celebration of Nebraska's statehood.
