Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-08

HE early history OF Dawes
county reads like fiction. Life
came; Indians and bear. FUR
- trader and missionary cattle
Ik[HANa man and homesteader. OK team
- and railroad. Each moved
across the stage and has played his part
often unconsciously in its dramatic history
Then began the development little BY
little. Farms sprang into existence. the
SOIL was tested and found to be prolific
Tor agricultural purposes; then followed
the farm and the thrifty little cities, banks
and mercantile houses. until today an In
dustT1ai ana agricultural empire has been
he"ed and ploved out Of the wilderness of
a quarter OF century ago.
Little is left OF the cherished surround
inss Of the day Of the early pioneers An
occasional timber wolf or coyote Is seen.
but is now regarded as q novelty more
than nuisance. The red men come over
from the. Agency and are seen on the
streets and In places Of business.
How about the farmer OF Dawes county.
the man with hoe. the man behind the
piowG All credit TO the man who began thu
work OF development with his large herds
OF cattle AL credit TO the railroads. an
credit TO the manufacturer the merchant
and the school teacher but do not let
US forget the man who has wrought such
a wonderful change in the make I'D OF
Dawes county. He il was who demon
strated that this county could produce
something besides cattle and wild hay He
Is the man, whether by choice or neces-
sity, who has proven that the soil Of
White River would reap an abundance of
almost any known agricultural crop Yes
it was the farmer who really discovered
Dawes county. All honor 70 such man.
Make way for him and his followers.
For the purpose of finding a suitable
location for number of people who had
the western fever, L @. Sweat and John
Sweat. both Of Stanberry. Mo started
west in 1883. The Fremont Elkhorn a.
Missouri Valley railroad having Just COM
pleted arrangements to extend its line
from Valentine west they went to Mis-
souri, Valley 10 consult with the officials
and learn something OF the extreme west
ern part OF Nebraska they were encour-
aged- BY the glowing reports, but were ad-
visE E hy the officials not to go far beyond
Valentine. as the country was inhabited
only by Indians and Wild cowboys and
occupied by FEW scattering cattle
ranches. Prominent among these officials
we're J. r Buchanan, general passenger
4nt and X c. Morehouse general
fRsight agent who al a later date met
them at Stanberry. Mo- and arranged for
transportation OF the colony TO Valentine
When the Sweats arrived Al Valentine they
had a conviction that a better country
farther west could be found for the location
or a colony of farmers.
After discussing matters at length with
James Morris and J. Wesley Tucker.
register and receiver OF the United States
land office at Valentine, they secured A
suitable outfit employed drivers and guild s.
LAID in sufficient supplies, and started west
10 explore White River valley. and after
spending about ten days. returned and
completed the organization OF what is
known as the sweat Colony IN April
ISs4. the c0loney chartered train. loaded
81 with emigTant supplies. babe farewell
10 old homes and friends and after DELAYS
and disappOintments. scenes pathetic and
amusing, they landed IN Valentine IN a
blizzard and Just how they reached the
promised land To living mortal can tell.
hAt they got there. and were kept too busy
building dugouts. log and sod house, to
think OF home. Indians or cowboys.
About the same time quite a number OF
settlers came from other states. A dozen
families or more came from Marshall
~"N-iA-H IA M messenger from LNtfef
brought with him a saw-mlL Uncle sam
furnished the timber and settlers delivered
zoe logs for one-half Of the lumber As a
Nsult. houses were built and some shelter
for stock was provided for what proved 20
be - hardest winter experienced IN this
eouEF since its settlement.
Perhaps the greatest amount OF courage
displayed IN the early settling OF Dawes
county was by Edward E. Egan. who
shipped from Illinois 20 Valentine a PRINTING
press and with wagon and team hauled ID
10 the mouth u Chadron Creek. set il IN
in a tent and began the publication ~ the
ChadrOn Journal, which proved To be one
of the best edited country newspapers iu
the state. and had much 10 do with tins
early organization cf our county
The colony was located IN the unorgan.
pa territory Of Sioux county. which wa
Y ided into three counties in the winter
A - as Nrews. Sheridan on the east
-y-nina miles north and south. by thirty.
= ualIss east and west. Dawes ths sans