Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-25

the first election was held on the 9th day
of May OF that year. Indianola and Red
Willow were contestants for the location
Of the county seat, the former securing an
apparent majority of the sixty votes that
were cast. The friends OF the rival sites
were bitterly partisan, and a spirited war
was waged throughout the summer months,
not only in the courts, but after the fashion
of the frontier. where might usually pre-
walls. The conflict terminated favorably
to Indianola. and the plan to build a town
at Red Willow was abandoned.
At this time Lexington, or Plum Creek.
as it was then called. was the nearest
railway station or trading point, and all
supplies required by the settlers were
freighted from there, a distance of seventy
five miles. The years have nothing to re-
cord except events incidental to the settle
ment of a new country, until the summer
OF 1878, when an Indian war alarmed the
scattered population of all this western
country. The deSredations in this county
were confined to the Beaver valley, where
lives were sacrificed and property was de-
stroyed, the central and northern parts of
the county escaping. The settlers. how
ever, gathered in Indianola, and were pre-
pared to meet the Indians II they came.
The years that followed we're years of
growth and progress. Settlers flocked In.
and from the meager beginnings on the
bank OF Red Willow creek spread far
and wide over the country, at first along
the streams, but at last out upon the high
divides. The prairie sod was turned and
crops were planted, the principal pursuits
In the early days, being agriculture. with
the building of the railroad In 1881, the
county began to prosper. and since thai
time the history OF town and country hat
been a story of progress.
In the spring OF 1879 William Colvir
homesteaded the land upon which the rail
road now has it's shops al MeCook, while
Vance McManigal homesteaded the lane
upon which the roundhouse Is located. II
: a sod building near the bank OF the Re
publican river George Coivin opened
store and hotel, and a postoffice, nameC
! Fairview, was established. It was not I'm
T til the spring of 1852 that the town Of Nc
3 Cook was laid out on the hills overlooking
/, the old Fairview settlement, the site o
. which was purchased by the railroad com
5 pany for the extensive shops and yards
y which 1t has since constructed at thi
I place.
n The United States land office was openet
v here on the 18th day of June. 1888. Nc
: Cook was organized as a village on tn
9th day of November, 1883, and wa
erected into a city ON the 4th day o
March. 1886, At the county seat election
j held on the I'd day OF August. 1892, Nc
= Cook became the county seat OF Red WI
. low county. although legal proceeding
, prevented the removal of the records I
j the new seat OF county government unit
{ 1895.
{ McCook is beautifully situated. com
e handing an unparalleled Wow Of the val
I ley. threaded by the tree-fringed streen
= II is a city of pretty homes. set In gree
S lawns and nearly hurried beneath trees.
d well kept park, planted to grass and trec'
s occupies a block I'm the center of the res
idence district. Many substantial bushes
houses, overlooking with extensive stock
n OF merchandise of every description, lin
y Main and Dennison streets. the two prir
. cipsl business t~horoughfares. A humble
of brick buildings have been erected in III
last two years and the inability to procur
: labor and material Is all that has pre-
:, vented the construction Of others whic
v are now projected and will be built tn
~ coming season. In the last two years Mo
/ Cook has laid a large amount OF cemer
% sidewalks, as we'll as a number of cemer
l. crosswalks.
In the spring OF 1906 bonds were vote
l. in the sum Of 5000 for the construction {
It a main trunk line sewer. This was scarcel
completed before work on the laterals wa
commenced, the cost of which has bee
ID paid by a special levy. Within one yea