Brown County NE

In 1904 a new law was passed permitting a homestead of 640 acres to be acquired by five years residence thereon and placing improvements upon it to the value of $800. This was called the “Kinkaid law,” honoring the congressman from this district who secured its enactment Hon. Moses P. Kinkaid of O’Neill. This law proved of great value to all of northwest Nebraska and its passage resulted in the settling of the sand hills in a very few years. Again new settlers, sometimes called “Kinkarders,” came into our county, and a most prosperous period followed their coming. The population … Read more

“About one-half of each homestead was broken up by 1893. Crops had been good, and you would find lots of cattle south, with some north and west of town. In 1893 the drought started in July. It was dry and hot. Corn that year averaged about five to six bushel, small grain about fifteen bushel. In the spring of 1894 it was very damp. Wheat stood on the ground, and got very thick. Again the drought hit in May and June the wheat died before it headed out. Corn tasselled out, but tassels fell off, and there was not an … Read more

The “Calamus Trail” entered Brown County near the southeast corner. Its eastern terminus was Fort Hartsuff (near Ord). It followed up the North Loup River, then the Calamus River to its source in Moon Lake, then on west through the sand hills to the forts in the western part of the state. It was used chiefly as a military route for United States troops passing from one post to another. In later years a government post was maintained on the north shore of Moon Lake, affording a stopping place for travelers and also a place for securing supplies. (Moon Lake … Read more

Another class of men sometimes came into this wild, new country. They planned their travels carefully that they might leave no trails for others to follow. They were outlaws who lived by stealing horses from farmers in Iowa and eastern Nebraska. The stolen stock was brought to this lonely country and hid until a safe market could be found for it. The canyons afforded good pasture and safety, Plum creek being well adapted to this purpose. (It was there that the notorious “Doe” Middleton and his band of horse thieves had headquarters, though his home was near Mariaville in what … Read more

The first term of court was held November 27, 1883, F. B. Tiffany, presiding. Among the jurors were: H. S. Potter, W. D. McCord, O. B. Rippey, C. F. Barnes, F. W. Sellors, A. L. Sisson. The first patent issued for land within the limits of Brown County as it then stood, by the United States government, as shown by the records in the Valentine land office (now extinct) was to Charles W. Wyman of Carns, Nebraska, April 10, 1881. The first teacher’s examination was given in 1883 by Supt. J. L. Harriman. The applicants were: Millie Cheney, Minnie Briggs … Read more

To pioneers the early mills are of great value. The fine running streams on the south side of the Niobrara offered ample water power which was early utilized for grinding grain and sawing lumber. On Pine creek were the Ritterbush mills for both flour and lumber, Richard Upstill, sawmill; Steve Kyner, flour mill. On Bone Creek was Sisson’s mill and people came from great distances to have their wheat ground or to buy flour. It was owned by A. L. (“Gus”) Sisson. Otto Hoefs built a sawmill at the mouth of the Fairfield in 1892 and sold to Wm. Kuhre … Read more

The winter of 1880-’81 has gone into history as one of the most severe that was ever known. The prairies were covered with snow so deep that the cattle could not graze on the buffalo grass on which the ranchers relied for their winter feed. The snow came early in the fall and laid on the ground all winter. It was so deep that the cattle could not travel, and at times a crust of ice covered the surface of it making travel impossible as the cattle sank into the snow and thousands of head starved to death, sometimes in … Read more

The progressive spirit of Brown County, Nebraska was very suddenly checked when crops began to fail for lack of rains. In 1890 many farmers failed to raise enough to feed their stock and family, and appealed to the county for relief. The county, in turn, appealed to the state. Small amounts of money received afforded some help for the needy, but there was need for very rigid economy everywhere. The dry seasons continued and each year more families were obliged to ask for relief. Many became completely discouraged and left the county. Farms were deserted, stock was sold at low prices, … Read more

The newcomers who followed the cattle men were mostly farmers with a few doctors, lawyers, preachers and merchants, all seeking the free land that could be obtained under the homestead law. The head of a family or any citizen twenty-one years of age could obtain one hundred sixty acres of land by living on it for five years and making a few improvements (building a small home and plowing a few acres of prairie. There were also small fees to be paid amounting to about $18). There were two other methods of obtaining a quarter section of land; the timber … Read more

For a few years, during the 80’s the tide if immigration flowed steadily until there was claim shanty on almost every quarter section of tillable land. The years 1884 and 1885 were marked by an unusual rush of newcomers. A few cattle ranches had been opened in the sand hill sections, but at that time the grass was very sparse, and only in the valleys was the growth heavy enough for grazing. This was probably due to the frequent prairie fires which swept over them. The normal, yearly rainfall of Brown County is about 24 inches (23.98 as shown by … Read more

Courts were soon organized; law and order prevailed with but a small amount of crime and lawlessness. Vigilance committees were active in some sections and several lynchings took place, but the greater portion of the people felt secure in their new homes. They had faith in this country, believing that the good crops would continue. They had faith in the integrity of the new county of Brown and its officers. They had hope that the future would bring its blessings in easier living, better schools, more roads and bridges and a broader, pleasanter life for their children. As they saw … Read more