Omaha daily bee., 1874-07-15
SEWARD.
Seven Years Ago-Marvellous
Growth Of q Progressive
Town.
Railway Traffic, Commerce. Ho-
tells, Churches. Schools, &C.
Especial Correspondent ice Of The BEEF
SEWARD, July IL.

Especial Corresponds nee Of The BEE
SEWARD, July IL.
EDITOR BEE:
When visiting this place seven
years ago next January, on the
town site was to be found only one
log house, occupied and owned by
Lewis Moffet, and near all the land
around was owned by the Govern
ment; the location was SO far from
Omaha, Plattsmouth AMI Nebraska
City, it was considered Of little
value, and scarce worth homestead
ing on account of its being so far
from market, mills and other nee
essary conveniences, and the prin-
ciral trading points were Nebraska
City and Plattsmouth, Omaha be-
ing on the north side of the Platte
river, Yves necessarily cut off on
account of the Inconvenience in
crossing that ill-famed stream.
But as immigration came in,
Seward county became more noted,
and the town was laid out in 1858,
by Mr.. Moffet, which improved
slowly until 1871, and as the county
demanded a good town, it was fast
populated; all the land was taken
up, a good portion of which was Sc
lected by the B. & NJ. R. r. in Ne
braska. April LIST, 1873, the Mid
land Pacific Railroad was complet-
ed, and the town began to thrive
and many business men came In
FROM different locations, and launch
ed their commercial barks, many OF
whom were engaged in business in
the river towns. Now they are
among the leading business men OF
the young and thriving city, which
is well represented in the several
different lines of business, with
good assorted stocks of merchan-
disc.
The business part of town Is To-
Gated on a high level elevation,
which is slightly undulating in
every direction, making the loca-
ton n of the most slightly in the
county, which can be seen for
many miles around, and from
which the beautiful rolling prairies,
with well improved farms, which
will attract the eye of admiration
and lovers of scenery, where the
fields are covered with golden grain,
which can be seen waving in the
distance, now represents wealth,
progress and prosperity.
When first here it required five
days to make a trip to the principle
trading point and return with Q
team, now only one day is required
to bring hundreds of tons, In per-
feet safety, with much less expense,
by rail.
AS it will doubtless be of interest
10 your readers to know the amount
If business done by rail, l give the
following statement, which is taken
from the books of the Missouri
Pacific Railroad, and given me by
the kindness of Mr.. H. A. Thomas,
their agent, since April LIST, 1873:
There has been received at this
place, $40 Ears of merchandise, 61S
cars of lumber, 153 cars of coal, Sc
of household goods, So Of imple-
nients, 100 of brick, stone and lime,
and so of miscellaneous freight,
making a total of 1852 cars Of
freight to date. Amount shipped
from this place, 1,043 cars of wheat
and other grain, and 272 cars of
stock, hogs, merchanise, and other
miscellaneous freight, making a
total of 1875.
Seward will have several good
buildings erected this year. There
are two brick buildings in course OF
erection, which will be completed
soOn-one for a bank and one for
business houses or merchandise.
The town has five lumber yards,
more than is usually found in a
town of this size, but as they supply
q vast amount of territory, which
they will doubtless have a good
trade.
The Mohawk yard, formerly of
Nebraska City, was moved here
some time since and have been do
ing a good business. Mess. P. ].
Crank & Co., of Lincoln, also have
a yard here, under the manage
ment of Mr.. Burns, who has been
in their employment for some time
with marked success. Messrs. Gard
ner & Butterfield, formerly of Crete,
Neb., opened a yard in June, who
have now on hand the largest stock
of lumber in the city. They have re-
ceived about 100000 feet of lum-
Der. Their cash sales for the last
twenty days have been about four
thousand dollars, Notwithstanding
the dull season for sales and the
competition of old established yards.
They buy their lumber from the
manufacturers, and doubtless b
as good rates Of freight as any lum-
Der dealer i'm the west. Mr.. Gard
ner is interested in the pineries, and
Mr.. Butterfield attends to the sales.
They Ire wide awake business men,
and are selling on short margin for
cash, and by such have won a wide
known reputation i'm the west.
Seward has at present only two
church buildings, the Baptist and
Presbyterian ; but the Methodist
will build a brick church this sum-
mer. The town is well represented
with schools, and they are making
arrangements to build q large school
house this fall.
The town has two hotels, the Blue
Valley and Tuttle House, besides
several boarding houses.
Messrs. Little, Brock & Co. are
building a large elevator, which
will be completed in time for the
approaching harvest. 1t has all the
conveniences necessary for a first
class elevator, with scales to weigh
the grain when received, and one of
Fairbanks scales, with hopper,
which has a capacity Of 5000 BUSH
els, or 80, 900 pounds. 1t will only
require a few moments to load a car,
which can be done easily from the
hopper where the grain IL weighed.
The elevator has a capacity of $4,000