Nebraska advertiser., 1872-04-11
Early Days in Nemaha County.
Number 4.
BY W. A. P.....


Nemaha Count but 1 have been
repeatedly asked, "why do you not
go back to the first settlement of the
county ?"
Inaw propose to do so, and allow
NE right here to return thanks to
Col. Furnas, DIR. Holiday, Hiram Al
derman and others, for valuable in
formation of events that transpired
before L arrived in the county.
AS early as August 1854, Richard
Brown settled on what is now known
as the city of Brownville. He was
followed by Thomas B. Edwards,
Talbot Edwards, Joel NJ. Wood, Hen
ry Emerson, HiEapl Alderman, VIM.
Hays, and others. The wife of Thoa.
B. Edwards was the first white wom-
an who settled in the county. The
first white child born in the county,
was a daughter of John and - Fitz-
gerald. Samuel Stiers and Nancy
Swift were the first couple married in
the county.
And as sickness and sorrow, pain
and DEATH" follow mankind, there
were two children of ]. l.. Knight
died; the marriage, the birth and the
deaths mentioned above, all occurred
in October, 1854.
In Nov. 1854, the Governor of Ne
braska organized what he called For
ney county, and described the beun-
daries thereof as follows: "commen-
cling at the mouth of Camp creek.
thence to the head waters of the same,
thence due west to a point sixty miles
from the Missouri river, thence due
south twenty miles, thence east to
the head waters of the Little Nema-
ha river, thence along the north bank
of said river to the Missouri river,
and thence along the Missouri river
north, to the place of beginning"
Reader, take a map of Nebraska,
and see if you can find where FOrney
county was.
He also ordered: "There shall be
one precinct or place of voting in
said Forney county, viz: at the place
known as Brownville, at the house OF
Richard Brown"
The Governor also appointed the
following officers for Forney county
A. J. Benedict, Probate Judge.
II. w. Lake, Register OF Deeds and
County Clerk.
Il. b. Edwards, Sheriff.
An election was held on Dec. 18th
1854, with the following result:
Richard Brown, Councilman.
Joel NJ. Wood, Representative.
w. \. Finney,
\. j. Benedict, Probate Judge.
w. II. Hoover, Register Of Deed:
and County Clerk.
J. w. Coleman, Sheriff.
w. HoblitzelI, Treasurer.
it will be interesting to trace th'
history of these pioneers of Nemah;
county, and it is pleasant to know
that nearly all of them are alive a
the present day.
Richard Brown moved to Texas, il
the latter part of 80, but returned il
few months, and remained here unit
July, SO, when he moved to Omaha
and lived there perhaps 3 years; h
then moved TO Kansas City, AM
though he makes that city his resi-
dence, his operations are principal.
In Kansas, in which state he ha
founded two or three towns.
A. J. Benedict, and II. w. LAX
went to Colorado, when 1T was frs
explored by the Pixies Peakers, an'
reside somewhere in the mountain
region at present
Bill Hays went to Texas in IS o
SO, and in q few months. Richard
Brown, Rev. Joel VI. Wood, Eli Fish
hUrn and others, went to the sam
neighborhOod. 1t happened unfortu
nately for the latter party that the.
went to Texas in the midst of the eX
element consequent upon JOIN
Browns raid at Harper's Ferry. Sla
very was alarmed and viewed will
suspicion all travellers from the North
II was rumOred around, that Dicl
Brown was Old Johns son, and th3
Wood was lieutenant of old CSsa
wattamip. The chivalry went 70
them. Brown managed TO escape
but Wood was not so fortunate. The,
captured him. 1t was in vain that h.
protested that he was not only
southern man, and pTo-slGvery to
boot, they would not believe him
and would certainly have hung hin
had not he thought OF Bill Hays
Some Of his captors knew Bill VIII,
was sent for and soon convinced tn
lGAGIS liitL " ODI WIS SCuHu Ol
the goose" Wood was then releas
ed, but shortly afterwards came n0rtl
and IS now publishing paper owe
in Missouri. Bill Hays also cam,
north, and is now living over in At
Gibson county Missouri, and occasion
ally is to be seen in Brownvi!le, whe!
he always receives hearty greeting
from the old stock.
w. A. Finney, after serving two o
three terms in the legislature, wen
to California, and remained there I'm
til 81. He then returned, and be
came one OF the warriors under Ster
ling Price, was captured by the Fed
eral soldiers, and after remaini2.
several months in prison, took tht
oath of allegiance to the Fedora
government and was released. H
came to Nebraska, but is now living
il Montana
w II Hoover tho E'1u-aris'S GDf