Omaha daily bee., 1885-08-01
THE WHITE RIVER COUNTRY.
History OF The Settlement and Growth
Of Northwest NtbraSka,
Towns That Are Infants In Years but
Old In Vigor and wiokedness-
Typical Border sceens Trench
antIy Described.
Special Correspondence TO the BEE.

80 SNA
echoed along the Elkhorn Valley route
and through the sand hills of Northwes,
tern Nebraska. The refrain has been
taken up by thousands Of throats In o
dozen different states, and the result Of
the enthusiasm Of the land-seekers is
seen to-day In the peopling Of a section
which less than two years ago was given
over entirely to the cowboys and half
breeds. Eighteen months ago the sight
OF a prairie schooner was almost I'M
known in that section of our state
which lies bet weon ranges 40 and 81
north of the 9th standard parallel, then
comprising what was known as old Sioux
county. Long after the railroad had
reached Valentine, land seekers destined
to believe the reports of fine farming
lands beyond the sand hills; and the cat
tlemen true to their own interests fos.
tered the illusion that Sioux county was
good for nothing but cattle, and none too
good for that. But different stories
were brought back by q few pioneers
who followed closely in the track of the
surveyors chain and compass, and the
spring of 1884 had hardly opened
before the cattle trails bet ween
Valentine and Gordon were alive with
prospectors and their families hurrying
towards the free lands of 81 lux county.
During Mey, 1884, nearly l, 500 pre-emp-
tions Slone were filed in Sioux county
and by the time that winter had set In
colonies at Gordon, at Rushville and at
Bordeaux had gathered crops from fields
of their own breaking and permanent
settlement in two thousand homes had
been made In the White river valley. A
remarks bic feature of this great thrush
OF emigrants was the nuu Der of locsltties
from which they were drawn. Colonies
from Missouri and Ksnsas, fratern'zsd In
adjacent townships with those from
Ohio, Indiana, illinois and 10 va. North
ern and southern Nebraska, each largely
represented In the new settlements,
were not more fully represented than
southern DAkota and the Black Hills. AS
q rule the immigrants came we'll prepared
for pioneering. By far che greater pro-
portion had sold their farms farther east
In order to take advantage of their unused
rights to homestead, pre.empt or ''tree
claim" and came with ready cash pre-
pared to subsist on what they had until
the land could bs made profitable by
farming. At Bordeaux, the Sweat colony
from Missouri now numbering nearly
fifty families, at Grow Bntte, bands from
Ohio, Iowa, and Southern Nebraska
numbering as many more entered into
the work of developing this new country
we'll provided with means and as well fur
nished with previous experience. The
rapid development of the White River
country and the success which has 80 far
followed the breaking of the virgin soil
has been due verylsrgely to the character
of the settlers and the condition OF the
settlement.
But much also has been owing to the
natural conditions of soil, climate and
surroundings. From the moment that
one emerges from the sand hills east of
Gordon a country stretches before him
which In extent of fertile soil, variety of
outlying lands, and abundance of water
and timber, is unexcelled In North
western Nebraska. The river which, 1is-
Ing near the Wyoming line, fifty miles
south of the southern boundary of Da-
kota, empties two hundred miles from
Its soutcs into the Missouri, Is swelled
In volume throughout the whole valley by
numerous creeks and streams which
water the country from Gordon to the
Hat Greek divide. The valleys of the
Antelope, Rush creek, tho Big and Little
Bordeaux, the Chsdtop, Deadwood creek,
the two Ash creeks, Squsw, Big ana
Little Cottonwood, and Solder creek
furnish au arabic territory east and west
OF lilo miles. The water Is soft and
abundant. The Pine Ridge of Bluffs,
and humorous outlying buttes furnish an
inexhauatible supply of timbsr. Excel
lent lime Ia obtained In abundance along
the whole lang h of the valley. Unde-
veloped bsds of gypsum promise a large
future Industry In plaster burning. Coal
and mica are aIs) said to have been dis.
covered within thirty miles of Chadron.
Two years ago the writer passed over
a large portion of the country nov occu-
pied by Industrious farmers. In the dis-
lance between Soldier Creek and Pine
Ridge agency there were eight ranches.
The country now contains five fl jurisbing
settlements and four Thousand inbab.
ieohio' "a tho ppot Wuere tHe uOuTlbu-
ing city of Chadron is now located, the
general ''round. up" was then In progress
and three thousand cattle belonging to
n%eighboripg ranches we're being claimed
by their owners. To-day in Its place Is a
city of q hundred stores and business
houses, the terminus of q railroad and
the point of supply for the Black Hills.
CHADRoN.
Chadron. the county seat Of Dawes
county and the metropolis of the White
river country, lie situated near the june.
tion of Chadron creek and the White
river. The present town will be of short
life, as the railroad company have laid
out a new townsite five miles to the
southeast,o n which the depot, round.
house, and yards will be located. For
q twelve-months. old baby Chaldron Is a
wonder. Four streets are lined with
business houses and saloons, and lively
with cowboys and bull trains. Three
good hotels, half a dozsn restaurants,
stores Of all varieties, Wholesale and re.
tail, stocks of goods peepipg from the
front of tents or nicely displayed on
more pr~etentious counters In rudely con.
strucied shantles; saloons without mum
Der, faro banks and wheels of fortune,
the inevitable hurdy purdy houses, four
banks aud forty ''bankers," a population