Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-10

the Sacramento charge, when 500 of his
comrades routed 4,4M Spaniards from the
latter's breastv orks.
Returning from the war, he took a farm
2 few miles west of st. Joseph, Mo-, and
settled there, marrying Rachel Larson on
September 9, 1S47. 1t was In st. Joseph
during the next few years that he first
tried his voice and diplomacy at auc-
tioneerirg, which became his business when
he removed to Council Bluffs in 1859
Comes to Omaha.
1t was in July, 1854, Just before the new
steam ferry boat arrived to supplant the
old one. propelled by oars. that william
p. Snowden brought his courageous wife
and three children across the river to lay
a conversions, as 1t were, for the whit:
population of Nebraska. other white peo-
pie had been here before, but not to settle,
and July IL found the Snowden family the
total resident population Of Omaha. In
dams there were a'plenty, with the Omahas
swarmed at Salem Grove, near Fort Crook,
and the Pawnees near Fremont. Uncle
Billy had many a scrimmage in those first
days and once saved himself and party
from probable massacre by the diplomatic
presentation of a plug of chewing tobacco
to a thieving chief. who had been over
taken with stolen horses. but whose war.
riors were too many to be successfully
COPIED with
AT a point which Is now on the map as
the corner OF Twelfth and jackson streets
the Snowden home was built. 1t was OF
logs. but the owner was a brick moulder,
and it was a b%rickyard that he proposed tc
launch as an initial business enterprise
bosrding the hands who worked for him
Three days after the house was completed
the frs: spade was stuck into the clay a.
a point which is now Fourteenth and Leav,
enworth streets, but which then becam,
the first brickyard in Nebraska. The clay
was for the brick that should be the foun
dation OF the first territorial capitol, theI
20 be built on the west side OF Ninth stree
between Douglas and Farnam streets, an,
facing Douglas. II was not until two year.
later that the erection of the more preten
tious state house was undertaken on tn,
present site of the high school.
seven Years of Peace.
For seven years William Snowden was
man of peace, or as nearly such as tn
conditions OF the west then made possible
but in September. 1851. he enlisted at Coun
ell Bluffs with Company b of the Ffftl
Iowa cavalry and served until 1854 in tn
field, except five months as recruiting Off
~ ~ oANN AhA ~ EilNtTtu the SfTN
ice as a sergeant, but was later made ser
geRnt major.
The year after his return from the war n
was made "A constable and a constable h
continued TO be until 1898, when he slippe,
on a pavement and hurt his left hip
Since then he had TO use crutches an,
lived for various terms at the Old Sol
diers' home at Leavenworth, 81. Joseph
hospital, at the home OF his daughter. Heller
M. Snowden, and lately at the Grace stree
house with his housekeeper.
Beside the title OF constable ne hel,
that OF deputy sheriff under Sheriff Thoma
L. Sutton and later under Sheriff Andre,
Dellone. incidentally he had been city MAJ
shall and as such was a terror to the three
card monte men Cf the early '70s.
OF the seven children whom the Oman.
pioneer reared with the city five surviv
him. They are Mrs. V. II. Thomas OF Val