Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-08

nently ioentihed with the early days
of Brownvills were: Capt. Joseph
D. N. Thompson, who served with
the first board Of aldermen, was on
the schoot-board and was postmas-
ter; David Henry Mclaughlin. who
discovered coal In Nemaha county;
T. w. Upton. who was United
States senator, and Rev. Joel NJ.
Wood, member of the first terrific
rial legislature and the first minis
ter Of the Christian church In this
state. Prof. Wellington Rich, ia
Their Of Edison Rich, Omaha lawyer,
went to Brownville In 1869 to be
principal of the high school which
gained wide reputation as an edu-
cational seat of high standards.
Fannie Arnold, for many years
music teacher in the Omaha public
schools, was 4 Brownville girl" be-
fore she came to the metropolis.
Her father was DR.. William Arnold.
Dave Mercer of Omaha also is
member of an old Brownville fam
lily, and T. w. Blackburn, Omaha
attorney, is, another man whose
memory turns backward reminis-
Gently to the good old days" along
the river.
3 Last summer Mr.. Blackburn read
q paper at . picnic held by Oma-
hans from Nemaha county. A few
of his references to Brownville fol-
low:
"Brownville was an important
landing on the Missouri river. 1t
was q beautiful townsite in naviga-
ton season. At one time our town
thought 1t would be the eastern
terminus Of the Union Pacific. Our
town was an Quitting point for
Pixies Peak and the Golden West.
1t was a crossing point for Texas
cattle, and on many occasions I OBJ
served herd of cattle driven in the
river to swim for the Missouri
shore. Thousands Of emigrant wag-
ons crossed the river on the Brown
willie ferry and wound their some
times weary way out Main street to
the distant west. In every branch
of commercial and professional &C.
tivity, Brownville was on 4 high
plane, not exeelled anywhere in the
state.
Flourished at Start.
"Brownville fourished with all Of
the phenomenal growth of a west
ern village, from 1867 to 1872. In
1870 the town had probably 1900
people and the enthusiastic populace
would not have been willing to have
exchanged hopes for Omaha or
Lincoln. The Kansas City, St. Jo-
seph and Council Bluffs abroad cut
off the Missouri trade, the Atchison
and Nebraska railroad cut off the
western territory, and then the
steamboats, went out Of business.
Brownville just bled to death, and
since those halcyon days it has
been 4 gradually decreasing shad-
ow.
"A tribute to the village of our
childhood is due from those of US
who breathed that life-giving ozone.
We can not forget the splendid
hills, the wooded wales, the well-de-
fined though not numerous streets,
and the ever-changing ancient riv-
er. From the heights where Dave
Mclaughlin looked for more than
50 years out upon life, and that
GROWING hill where Al Cogswell
once erected mansion, wide and
beautiful expanse OF wooded hills,
grassy valley and cottonwood-lined
river appear to please the eye. Say,
girls and boys Of 50 years ago, do
you wish with me that we could all
go back to Brownville and view
once more the scenes of~l86 to
1922 Back to the days before
farmers put out signs, No Tres
passing or Keep Out; and when
the land owners made no complaint
when we climbed their trees, picked
the wild cherries and nuts and wan
dered freely where we chose. Back
to the days when the watchdogs
were our friends and we could call
them by name. Back to the days
when the arriyat of Missouri river
packet was the real event of the
week and wagon train starting for
the mountains was worth q column
in the Weekly Advertiser. Back to
the days Of stage-coaches, steam
boats, ponies, spring-seated wagons,
spellin' schools, singing schools,
camp meetings and covered wagons.
Back again to venison, killed al
most In sight Of town; to Thanks
giving turkey shot In the wild
woods.
"Nemaha county, Home of edu-
cationl Fertile in resources, hos
pitable in citizenship, influential in
public councils, superior in all that
goes to make the farm home attrae-
tive, busy in the marts of trade,
sweet in all the graces. of neighbor-
ly affection and family life and a
community which has nourished the
| fundo sotafa ~ human hooo;oess "