The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1895-09-07


sketches articles concerning the early days
in Lincoln and Nebraska. which will appear
weekly. While these articles will be prepared
specially for The COURIER it Is thought proper
to introduce the series with paper on the
organization of the state and location of the
capital, written by Mr.. c. ii. Gere editor of
the Journal, in lss6. We will undertake to
answer all queries in this connection, and will
be pleased to receive any information.
The first governor Of the territory of
Nebraska was clothed with imperial
powers by the organic act and the ap-
pointment of the president in the matter
Of setting up his official residence. En-
powered to select the spot for the poll
tical center of his virgin domain, he
welded for time, in the minds of his
fellow citizens, the thunderbolt of Jove,
and guided the coursers of Apollo. But
hardly had he arrived in October, 1854,
at the old mission house at Bellevue,
the site Of the first white occupation of
the territory, before he sickened and in
less than week he was dead. His last
hours were troubled by the delegations
on hand and forcing their way to his
bedside, who came to urge the respec-
tive claims of Omaha, or Florence, or
Plattsmouth, or Nebraska City for the
seat of government. Bellevue consider
ed herself safe, and the words of the
dying Burt are often quoted by old citi-
zens to this day as indicating that she
would have won the crown, had the
governor lived long enough to issue the
proclamation.
His secretary OF state, now his acting
successor, Gov. Cunning, unembarrassed
by the past, pledged to no one, because
no one had dreamed of his approaching
greatness, had an embarrassment of
riches in the shape of eligible sites offer
ed him at once. Bellevue had perhaps
the first claim, because she had the
largest settlement and the greatest pres
tige. But all along the muddy banks of
the Missouri, above and below her, were
other cities, mostly on paper, though
some had arrived at the dignity of a few
scattering log cabins and dug outs, that
wrestled for the supremacy. Most of
their inhabitants lived over in Iowa, but
the fact that they intended to elect a
goodly portion of the coming territorial
legislature, was sufficient excuse for
their pleading, and they made the execu
tive ears warm with their arguments.
By what pathway the acting governor
was led to pitch the imperial tent upon
the plateaux of Omaha it is not our
province to inquire. If the statesmen
of Kanesville, later Council Bluffs, had
a hand in the matter. that city soon had
reason to mourn that the nest of the
new commonwealth was lined with
plumage from her own breast From its
very cradle, her infant despoiled her of
her commercial prestige, and now SCOTS
at her maternal ancestor every time she
glances across the four miles of dreary
bottom that separates the waxing from
the waning metropolis.
For the time being Omaha was the
capital. and the first legislature, with
ample power to endorse or cancel the
governors location, was the next object
of the executive attention, and it was
his chiefest care to fortify and defend
Omaha. 3
A bill was passed early in the third
annual session by both houses locating
the seat of government in the town of
Douglas, in the county of Lancaster
1t was curious prophecy of the event
ten years later.
Governor Lard who had in the mean