Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-20
Ear1z M1ze Of Cz7y Stock xe1e Zszaxzak 1z1r

reg az @'S1sS =" way
lem of handling silt has been treate
on a large scale.
This drainage system is 81 mile
long, from Blair to Decatur, and ha
an average width of -four mile.
There are more than 100 miles O
bitches. The main ditch is 100 fee
wide at top, IS feet across the bot
tom and is 20 feet deep.
The district is in charge of
board of seven directors: Johi
Cameron, Spencer Breckenridge
Ed. Latta, c. H. Busse, Henri,
Ruwe, Albert Brunker, and Henri,
Jensen. Walter M. Hopewell is at
torney for the board and the Tow
Engineering company did the work
Founding Of Tekamah.
Col. Ben. R. Folsom founded TIE
kamah. He was an uncle of Fran
ces Folsom who married Presiden
Grover Cleveland. J. R. Sutherland
pioneer editor, told the following
story of the founding of this town
"Tekamah was founded on Octo
Der 7, 1854, by Col. Ben. R. Folsom
and eight companions, who came
from Utica, N. Y. They drove thei1
claim stakes on that date and plat
ted the townsite few weeks later
The county was one of the frs
organized in this state, and it was
named for the first territorial gov
ernor. At the election in the fall
of 1854, Colonel Folsom, was sen
to the first territorial senate. Or
March IA, 1855, Tekamah was de-
clared to be the county seat and
has held that honor continuously
Permanent settlement and erection
of log houses began in April, 1855
and during the next few years the
town prospered as a boom frontier
community, with bank, stores ant
a newspaper.
"Tekamah was located on an ole
Indian camping ground or village
the surrounding high hills having
been the burying grounds perhaps
for hundreds of years. The higt
point of \he bluff, where the city
reservoir IS located, was used by
the Indians as a fire signal station
1t was Us feet high and could b.
Nseen for 80 miles up and down thu
valley. The proximity of a large
timber belt five miles east, near the
river; the creek with its springs O
pure water, and the bench land Gov
cred by blue grass, offered forage
fuel and water for the natives who
camped here.
Historic Indian Raid 1
when the Indians went on AFRAID
at Fontenelle in 1855 and killed
some whites, Ben Folsom went tc
Omaha and appealed to the gov.
ernor for assistance. General ]. M
Thayer, in charge of military affairs
for Nebraska territory, was as.
signed to go to Tekamah. He mus.
tered into the United States army
all male residents old enough to car.
ry gun. Folsom was named as
captain, and the company of "a mer
hauled logs with which they built q
two-story block house 40x40 feet, as
protection against the reds. After
the Indian scare had subsidized the
block house was used as hotel.
miles R. Folsom was orderly
sergeant in the company of pioneer
soldiers. He was the father Of
Frances Folsom, who was after.
wards known as Mrs. Grover Cleve.
land. When the block house had
outlived its military uses it was
opened as a hotel by Niles Folsom
and later it was operated by c. K
Conger, cousin of United States
Minister Conger, who was in China
at the time of the Boxer rebellion
c. K. Conger is 81 years old and now
lives in Valentine, Neb. Niles Fol.
som lives in Santa Monica, Cal. Mrs
E. w. Bryant of Tekamah is second
coNsin of the former Mrs. Grover
Cleveland" !
An imposing county court house
now occupies the site of the old
block house. This administrative
and judicial headquarters of Burt
county was opened a year ago and
cost $4,000.
Origin of Name Tekamah.
There does not seem TO be ar
unanimity of opinion as to the orr
gin of the name 'Tekamah, other
than it is an Indian word. Some
aver that it means big cottonwood
while others assert that it means
'The Field of Battle" An Indian
who formerly worked in Tekamah,
and who now resides in Decatur,
stated that the Sioux and Omahas
held their athletic carnivals on the
present site Of Tekamah and also
toward the north, along Sil1r
Greek. The casualty list usually
was large after one of those sangui-
nary affairs. There also is a story
that many years ago, during the
days of Coronado and the Spanish
explorations. a company of Dons
travelled up from the south and met
a band of Indians who were having
their fall festivities under the big
cottonwoods on Silver Creek. The
Indians had not invited any outsid-