Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-11

to locate. After careful investigation these
pioneers came to where Alma is now located
and the beauty OF the river scene and the
natural advantages at this site stayed their
steps and the stakes OF settlement were
driven here. At this time, although carly
in the spring. the grass was green, the
weather pleasant, and wild turkey, buffalo,
deer. antelope and other game was album
dant The townsite OF Alma was selected
in the spring OF 1871 by Mark Coed, N. p.
Cook and others, and was called Alma in
honor of a young daughter OF N. p. Cook.
Soon after the settlement Of Alma a post
office was established. with J. II. Painter
as postmaster. The first sermon preached
here was July 4 1871 in Fosters grove, by
Rev. John whiting. When the county seat
was removed to Meirose from Alma, Alma
was put entirely out of business. In 1875
Frank shaffer moved a little house from
his homestead near by. which was the first
building in the town after It's resurrection.
The second building In Alma was Guyer'u
Jog hotel. built in ISIS. The only build
ihgs at Alma IN the spring OF 1879 were
three very small houses, a store, the small
oneAstory building with one little room,
used as a court house and a sod blacksmith
shop. On the 18th day OF April. 1879. a news
. u C1NAbAA1lEu ny bOIQGn ~ IiV=
~ingston, and called the Alma Standard. This
paper did more than anything else to at
tract attention 70 Alma as q favorable
point for the building up OF a town. Barly
In the spring of that year emigration turned
its course toward the republican valley,
and Alma began life anew and made quite
a growth. In the winter of 1879 and 1880,
the Burlington railroad reached Alma,
which added much to its growth. Thus came
Alma from the unturned prairie sod in the
space of about thirty years to a city Of
B happy, contented. yet vigorous and agrees
sive peophe.
The last herd Of buffalo to pasture on
the present TOWNSHIP OF Alma was in
August. 1874, and were chased by J. c.
Mitchell and George Covel. who succeeded
in killing one OF the animals. The herd
numbered thirty-ffve. The last large game
seen in the vicinity of Alma was q deer,
which was killed by Thomas Neff. one mile
south of Alma in 1889. The animal weighed
Ills pounds.
Orleans is located on Inc north side OF
the Republican river. Situated as It is on
the crest Of a sloping waye-like terrace,
and extending towards the river. down the
slope a moro pleasant location could not
nave been found. 1t IL not very far from
the center OF the county and has q To-
cation that for business pursuits Is eX-
celled by no town in the Republican valley
in It's natural adsptibility. It u sttuAted
opposite the point where the Sappa creek
enters the river on the other side. There
fore the broad and fertile valleys OF tho
sappa and Beaver are natural tributaries
to this town. On the west and northwest
is the Republican valley itself. Again south
of the river is but q short distance to the
fertile Prairie Dog valley. This gives
Orleans a farming territory sufficient TO
maintain a thrifty city, to say nothing OF
It's natural advantages for manufacturing.
The Burlington railroad runs through the
southern part Of Orleans. Its depot grain
elevators and Touring mill are only about
one-quarter of q mile from the business
portion Of the city.
The first settlement IN the county wGs
in the vicinity OF OrleanG- The old
stookade built by r. A. Bieyon and his as
~sociates In the fall OF 1870 was located not
very far from where the Orleans depot
now stands. In December, 1911 Warren NJ
Fletcher, a young man, entered q home
stead where Orleans now stands. Fletcher
sold his claim in 1874 to D.. NJ. Smith, .
noted townsite locator for the Burlington,
and the town of Orleans was At once laid
out and plated. TIT first sermon was
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