Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-09

would compete with any other for the
caused great excitement. Al tho counting
more votes were shown to have been polled
than there were white men, Indians, horses,
buffaloes, coyotes or prairie dogs in the
county.
In these primitive times, people came
here from the east and the west and
brought with them the habits, customs,
laws and religions and methods Of BUSH
ness prevailing in their late homes. Thus,
the minds and hearts of all were ex-
banded. II they brought with them little
ness Of soul, they were soon seen to forget
their old habits and to adopt generosity
and nobleness of character. The settlers
might differ with one another in their
view, but If one. although an opponent,
were sick or hard up, his neighbor was
most willing to become unselfish and gen.
erous. Such was the frontier life in Dixon
county, as we'll as elsewhere In Nebraska.
The whole country was thinly settled. the
people were, indeed, not excessive In their
wealth, but still they had many grounds
for contentment. Nearly every one had
good health. and occasionally ambition
was sustained by profitable adventures.
No man or woman gave special heed to
fashion books or to the cut of their gar
ments. There were no chickering's, back
billings or jealousies. All were equally
rich and equally poor. AS a consequence
the early settlers were, in the main, a
harmonious brotherhood, and are we'll wor-
thy of the respect and remembrance Of
those who follow them. In 1860, the white
population of the county was 241, In 1870
1,S4b, in 1875 2Ss6. and in 1880 1000.
The Dixon county volcano gave this part
OF the state more extensive free advertising
than any other event in its history. The
mountain that formed this volcano was To-
Gated about forty rods above Ionia and i'm
mediately upon the bluffs Of the Missouri.
II attracted the attention of Lewis and
Clark when on their famous expedition. 1t
was again observed in 1865, but caused the
most sensation in 1877. At that time a
mass of earth $50 feet long and no feet
high and thirty-five feet thick was un-
dermined by the river and slid down into
the stream. Few phenomena were exhih-
tied and these feebly and spontaneously.
There is little or nothing now about this
matter worthy of notice except for the
fNi POSS VA SCAiSStAh6 CllOhSOuo impress
sions.
Ponca, the county seat OF Dixon county,
not only is. but has been for years one
of the substantial towns OF eastern Ne
braska. 1t was surveyed and plotted in
1856 by Mr., Slough and Frank West. II
was named Ponca after the Ponca Indians,
the largest tribe, generally friendly to the
whites. Their principle abode was near
the present location of the city OF Ponca.
Many Of their tepees were standing as late
as 1856. The first building erected was
built by Henry a. Fuller in 1856. At the
first term of court held in Dixon county
the justice Of the peace had for his desk
a beer barrel and for his seat a whisky
barrel, and all the strict order and respect
for the dignity of the court was rigidly en-
forced. Slough brothers built their flour
mill in 1858. In this mill. before the ma
chinery was put in, the first term of dis
trict court was held by Judge wribly, the
term commencing May "a, 1859. In 1851 a
saw mill was erected I'm connection with a
grist mill. In 1862 the first Fourth OF July
celebration was held in this mill. The
first hotel was built in 1850 by Henry A.