Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-22
Journeys to Nearby Towns
De Sofa, Washington Caunty

meet the exigencies Of this time of
high cost of travelling far aheld, and
one of the best places to visit, from
a historical point of view, is Wash
ington county, starting at De Sofa,
with its wealth of associative his
tory. School children might have
their history lessons made more I'M
pressive and appealing if they un-
derstood that they are living in
land which has been commemorated
in song and story.
HorseshoesTaken from the Door.
De Sofa, if one turns back the
pages of history, appears today as
a deserted village. 1t was more
than a village in its heyday; it was
proud and pulsating western
town, with every promise Of great
and glorious future. But somebody
took the horseshoe from the door
and De Sofa suffered a relapse from
which it never recovered.
We will take little journey this
morning to De Sofa. On the way
out it may be remembered that the
town was named after fernando
De Sofa, Spanish explorer, who
was born in Cuba in 1900. He
promoted an expedition from Spain
to Florida in 1889 and then discov-
cred the Mississippi river.
Driving along the Washington
Highway, a few miles beyond Cal
houn, a large house appears in the
perspective as pleasing variant to
the view. This imposing hillside
structure marks the township of
De Sofa and arouses wonder why
such a pretentious place should ap-
pear in otherwise humble surround
ings. The building has u rooms
and is now occupied by Mrs. Lee
Smith.
"Seed Corn Smith"
How many Omahans have heard
of seed Corn Smith," 1t would
not be amiss if the school children,
in their studies of the agricultural
resources of their state, should
know of the men and women who
have been pioneers in improving the
yield of food products of the state.
Years ago, when the cultivation of
corn in this state began to be some
thing more than merely dropping
the seeds into the rows, a man at
De Sofa became a propaganda in
raising seed corn and inducing 9TH
ers to do likewise. He produced
seed corn that would terminate
with the minimum of loss, which
meant an 'appreciable increase of
yield. Corn statistics showed that
the average yield per acre was be-
ing increased.
Martin Smith of De Sofa gained
a national reputation and won
many prizes and medals at fairs as
Seed Corn Smith" He, lived in
this large house which Stands by
the side of the road" The seed
corn industry grew to be science,
commanding the thought and effort
of many of the best corn experts of
the country. When "Seed Corn
Smith" died his son, the late Lee
Smith, kept up the business. The
people of Nebraska owe much to
De Sofa for. their seed corn devel-
opment.
The Smith home formerly was the
residence of J. E. Markell, who was
we'll known in Omaha. 1t is said
by the old-timers that the original
building was a rude dwelling place
erected by 7. NJ. Carter, who estab-
lished Carter's mill and now lives
at Blair. The Carriers were pioneers
of Washington county.
The De Sofa of Long Ago.
Continuing on our little journey,
we will wander northeastward from
the Smith house and try to visualize
De Sofa of the long ago, in the days
when the town boasted of Banks,
newspapers, stores. and wildcat
money, and when Omaha was in its
swaddling clothes. A barb wire
fence between two farms marks the
location of the once busy street of
Broadway, whose terminus was at
the river. Thin thoroughfare was to
have been the great Rialto Of the
city that was to have been, but which |
died for lack of nourishment. A
sidewalk one mile long was one of !