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ssue 1HV ool u ml ed1 6r, Ieg e A r e a G e n e a lP hoe l pgs Hye l p sC l u bPagePhelps HelpsVolume 16, Issue 1Spring 2008Meetings held at theNebraska PrairieMuseumon the first Monday of themonth at 2:00 PM.The public is welcome!Visit us on the Web!Phelps Helps Web Page viahttp://users.atcjet.net/p/psdesignsFuture Plans For Library AdditionDetails are being discussed on thefuture plans for building on to theDon O. Lindgren Genealogy Library. A committee has been formedwhich has met a couple of times.Bill Perry has made a blueprint ofthe proposed 13 by 40 foot addition.It will be built inside the present museum with display areas being builton top.Several donations for library addition have been received. We arevery grateful for the support of thecommunity and museum boardInside this issue:Sodhouses2Harlan County3New Members4Phelps Center5Business Roster6Book Update10members and staff.Those who volunteer at the libraryare pleased that their work is appreciated. We have strived to be ofbenefit to the museum, our localcommunity and all the hundreds ofthose who have requested researchthroughout the United States andother countries.This expansion will insure that thefuture history of the area will be preserved and we will be an excellentgenealogy library that will servemany purposes.
Volume 16, Issue 1Phelps HelpsSod House MemoriesPage 2By Mrs. Theodore A. Petersonelevated ridge-pole to the outside walls, and coverthem with boards.Now lay tar paper over the boards, with the seams onthe end over-lapping. Cement these with tar. Afterthis is done you are ready to overlay the roof with sodin layers. After the grass roots of the sod knit into eachother. Your roof will be waterproof and strong. It willwithstand heavy winds.Story of Mrs. Clarence McNeal, Gothenburg, NebraskaIf you should ever want to build a sod house, here is arecipe for one. The recipe was found in the old andearly history of Gothenburg. First, select a low placebecause it has more gumbo in the top soil. Now sodmust be cut four inches deep, and twelve to fourteeninches in length. A spade can cut the sod into the footlengths.Now plaster the inside of your sod home with nativelime mixed well with a goodly mixture of hair andgravel to bind it well. If at this time you find you areshort of money, you may leave the ceiling as it is rafteropen and clear. But if you wish to cover them, haveyour new rafters covered with nailed on strips of papermaking a fine clean ceiling.Or, you could have a ceiling of wainscoting, lathe, orplaster. Cover your floor with rough boards or leave itbare. If bare, have your wife sprinkle the new floorlightly each morning with good rain or well water, thensweep. The tramping of the families felt will soonmake the floor into a hard, cement-like surface. If youhave rooms with a board or other hard floor, you cancover it with a generous layer of light straw and thenwith home woven carpet. This must be stretchedtightly over the straw and tacked down.In time your straw will wear to an even surface, but atfirst it may bulge in the center like a huge biscuit.Good luck with building your sod house.Then these pieces are laid one on top of the other justas bricks are laid. When the wall is two to three feetdeep, you are ready to cut your window frames. Theseare held in place by props until the wall is finished onall sides and is high enough to hold them. Now trimthe walls carefully with a sharp spade. Your sod houseis ready for its sod roof. Nail beams from a slightly
Volume 16, Issue 1Phelps HelpsPage 3Marriages From Mascot , Harlan County, NEDick Dyas, one ofour long time members, compiled anexcellent book onMascot,HarlanCounty Nebraska.He also helps maintain the SpringGrove Cemetery in which many families in the Mascot Area areburied. Included in this issue of the Phelps Helps is a list of marriages Dick compiled from the records of the Evangelical Church inMascot, Nebraska that was active until 1950.NOTE: The Phelps Helps Newsletterhighlights Harlan County in thissection. With many of our subscribers interested in and fromHarlan County, and since HarlanCounty is a connecting county toPhelps County, the Phelps Helpswill publish history informationon Harlan County.The first entry in the church marriage record is that of Mr. HowardR. Rowman and Miss Mirtle Frazee on March 30, 1898 followed bythe marriage of Gavin Murray and Alta Essick on May 3, 1899. The following is a list of the marriages of the families most of us are familiar with.DATEGROOMBRIDE1903, Apr. 81903, Dec. 231903, Dec. 241904, Aug 271906, Dec. 201907, Jun. 261907, Sep 251910, Dec. 281913, Dec. 311916, May 171916, April 221924, Aug.241924, Sep. 191926, Aug. 181928, Aug. 151929, Feb. 61932, Aug. 111936, Sept. 11941, Sept. 21944, Mar. 191949, March 101950, Feb. 12Jess E. LukeDaniel TroutmanCharles NormanAugust MaloneDaniel GrosenbachClaude B. GraceAmel O. BloomJoel W. BloomGeorge TannerJames BarbeeSamuel GrosenbachRev. John ArmoldLloyd E. JohnsonJohn MurrayFrancis C. CadyArthur VanOsdolKenneth McArthurRalph ThengwallLowell Elbert McNewClarence SheffieldGeorge PetersonGerald Dean SkilesClara C. WorthingtonKatie GrosenbachNellie LukeMaude MortonElsa E. KeeneEstella L. BakerMary E. GrosenbachAurilla S. TroutmanEunice JohnsonNettie GraceDora SandageD’Alta E. DavidEthel F. TannerEtta CressMerna A. ClarkHelen M. UllrickOlive B. TroutmanAlice Irene MurrayRosanna RosierHazel TannerBarbara CoffeyBarbara Lee Longsine
Volume 16, Issue 1Phelps HelpsPage 4New MembersEthel Basaile1010 S. 25th StreetOmaha, Nebraska 68105Researching the families of ElbertAlbert Silvers and Marjorie KlingSilvers who were married inPhelps County, Nebraska.Dan Green7098 Vineyard Way #6-106Germantown, TN 38138I am searching for information onthe relatives of Clarence BennettJohnson who was a foster child ofWaldemar and Elizabeth Johnson.Clarence married Ruth Jenson 29Dec 1926 in Phelps County. Theirchildren were Roger, Clinton, Lamont, LaVern and Elaine.Barbara Liedtke11406 San Luis Peak WayPeyton, CO 80831-4416barbararaliedtke@yahoo.comI am interested in Knaggs, Sydehham, Musgrove (Musgrave),Mott Kopf, Knispel, Neben andearly days at Fort Kearney,Phelps, Harlan, Buffalo and Dawson Counties, including the communities of Alma, Kearney, Lex-ington, Buffalo and Eddyville.If I can provide any informationon any of these subjects, pleaseask and I’ll produce what I amable. My family’s history startswith Moses Sydenham arriving inthe U.S., and Knaggs familiescoming to join him in 1862 timeframe at Fort Kearney. I also havepeople who came through Kearney, NE from New York and Illinois and Pennsylvania and Ohioand moved onward to Dawsoncounty and farther west to Idahoand California.Farms For Sale Nebraska Nugget July 17, 1883Holdrege, Nebraska was not in existence in July of 1883. The countyseat of Phelps Center was still anticipating a great building boom andthe anticipation of the railroad coming through their town.T. M. Hopwood was not only theeditor of the Nebraska Nugget, butsold land. Here is his listing forJuly 1883.Timber Claim near Lake post office;price 650; will trade for stock; 30acres broke, 5 acres in timber; allgood land.160 deeded land, 9 miles south ofPhelps; 70 acres broke; good house,barn and well; price 1,000. Not afoot of waste land on it.Timber Claim, 160 acres, 15 acres,broke and in crop, 10 miles southwest of Phelps, price 300.160 acres 8 miles north; well improved, 50 acres crop, price 1000.acres broke, house on claim, price 580.80 acres ½ mile south of PlatteRiver; well improved, 40 acresbroke, price 400.160 acres, 40 acres broke, houseand barn, 5 miles southwest ofPhelps.160 acres of deeded land, 90 acresbroke, house and stable, ½ milefrom post office, price 1200.160 acre farm for sale 8 miles eastof Phelps; a good sod house andbarn and good well of water; price 750, 80 acres in wheat, price 750,½ cash, a yoke of cattle for salealso.160 acres deeded land; 70 acresbroke and in crop, house ½ milefrom post office, price 1200.160 acres deeded land; 35 acresbroke, price 9 00 in trade.Timber claim 12 miles south ofPhelps, 5 acres broke, price 150,good terms.Timber Claim; 10 miles southwestof Phelps, 10 acres 10 acres broke,price 350, easy terms.160 acres 10 miles west of Phelps, 7160 acre claim west of Phelps, 8miles, 30 acres broke with goodhouse and barn and good well water; price 750; will sell yoke ofoxen with claim if desired, easyterms.A claim 8 miles southeast of Phelps;price 750, 80 acres broke, house,stable and well, a boss claim worth 1,200.
Volume 16, Issue 1Phelps HelpsPage 5We All Like To Go Back Where We Came FromWritten by Spence(This is from a “Stray Thoughts”article in the Holdrege DailyCitizen article dated May 9, 1966.)There is growing interest inNebraska History. “We all like togo back and see where we havebeen.”In Holdrege “We’ve been” inPhelps Center, the town that wasour predecessor, so let’s go back tohave a look in Phelps Center, whichhad high hopes of becoming a flourishing city, rapidly faded awaywhen the railroad came through andmissed it by about seven miles.The newspaper, the NebraskaNugget, published at Phelps Centerin February of 1883 extolled thebeauties of Phelps County and itscounty sea, which was in the centerof the county. “The town site is oneof the most beautiful in the worldand the pride of the Midwest.”The editor continued to spread thegospel of Phelps Center through thespring and summer of 1883, onlybefore the railroad decision tobypass the town.“Six new buildings under construction .two hotels dong a thrivingbusiness at 1 a day a new twostory schoolhouse to be ready forthe fall term .a daily stage line toand from Kearney, Nebraska Twochurches organized and more beingplanned Two additions to thetown setup.”Meanwhile rousing railroad meetings were taking place every fewdays in Phelps Center and over thearea. The new B & M cutoff hadbeen surveyed to Minden andPhelps Center was expecting to bethe next stop, wrote the Nugget editor: “The very latest word is that thecut off will make a straight shirttailfrom Kenesaw to Minden and thenlight out for Phelps Center, thenceto Oxford, on through Beaver City,then on down around RobinsHood’s barn clean out to Denver.”That was in July of 1883. In August it was announced the route wasdefinitely established as far as Minden.In late August a report came that therail route would miss Phelps Centerby about eight miles. This theNugget editor called nonsense, “Wehave too much faith and good judgment of the company to believethey will leave the most productivepart of Phelps County and all ofGosper County to be occupied byanother railroad---the U.P.” PhelpsCenter was still booming “and someof the best buildings in the town aregoing up.” In September it was reported that 70 houses had been builtin Phelps Center during the year.(Those sound like Chamber ofCommerce figures).September 5, 1883 the Nuggetreported that the railroad town siteman was in town and that his visit“means something. Let the B &Mdo as it may, Phelps Center willhave a railroad.”have its shakes. On September 26ththe Nugget reported L. Hallgrenwas in town and secured over 3,000 in pledges for a survey ofBut Phelps Center was beginning to(Go Back Continued on page 6)
Volume 16, Issue 1(Go Back Continued from page 5)railroad from Norfolk to Kearney,thence to Phelps Center on thesouthwest. “Phelps Center is notdead, mind you” The editordeclared.It was on October 3rd. that the wordcame. A letter from SuperintendentHoldridge (that’s the way it wasspelled) announced the road wouldcross the county seven miles southeast of Phelps Center. FifteenPhelps Center Business menpledged to move their buildings andmove to the new town site, andmany others said they would buildnew buildings at the new town (asyet unnamed). Wrote the editor:“This new stampede for the newrailroad town we regret very much,Phelps Helpsas the present town of Phelps Centeris the most beautifully located town .but we have decided to make thebest of it and our future action willbe governed accordingly.”“The new township is creating thewildest excitement” land seekerswere coming in from all overNebraska and states as far east asOhio A grist mill, three lumberyards, two banks, a hotel that wouldaccommodate 60 persons, werealready on the ground.The Nugget editor was recoveringrapidly from his sorrow at leavingPhelps Center. He wrote “The newtown site is one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. It is all laidnorth of the depot, which is at thefoot of a gentle slope, rising to thenorth for three quarters of a mile.”Page 6The following Wednesday, October17th 1883, the Nugget was printedin Holdrege. The editor wrote: “It isnot as we wanted it---we are disappointed in that, but there are lots ofothers in the same boat so we arehappy. Cheer up neighbors, this is amighty deep, bad cut, but it will allheal over in time and we will feel asgay as the morning lark.”And so Holdrege was born andPhelps Center was abandoned overthe years and reverted to farm lands.Many die-hards stayed on, but eventually they too, either joined theprocession to the new town, or livedout their lives in the desertedVillage.
Volume 16, Issue 1Phelps HelpsPage 7History of Nebraska 1882 Phelps Countyin all parts of the county, and thepublic schools are well maintained.The County Seat is now PhelpsCenter, to which place it wasremoved in November, 1879, by avote of the people. In the winter of1879-1880, the court house wasremoved to Phelps Center fromWilliamsburg, and put in good repair, but very soon after took fireand was burned down. It has notsince been rebuilt and the countytherefore has no public buildings atthe present time.Considering the fact that there is nocounty property of any value, andthat its indebtedness is about 25,000, it would appear that thereis mismanagement on the part ofsome county officials and a grosscareless extravagance on the part ofthe early settlers in voting bondswhich resulted in no benefit to thecounty. The citizens of the county atpresent time are, however, using allpossible means of relieving themselves of the cumbrous debt, and weare willing to pay every dollar oftheir honest indebtedness. To thisend in the fall of 1881, fundingbonds to the amount of 10,500were voted by the people.Phelps County is the home of theHon. C. J. Dilworth, the presentattorney General of the State. Hishomestead claim and residence arein the north western part of thecounty, near Williamsburg Postoffice.The following is the roster of thecounty officials for 1882: D. H. K.Whitcomb, County Judge; P. O.Hedlund, County Clerk; Peter Peerson, County Treasure; Mrs. MinaHopwood, County Superintendent;Church services have been organized in the different communities ofthe county, and have a good membership. The citizens as a class areboth moral and religious, and Sunday schools are kept up in the different localities.TOWNS AND POST OFFICESE. G. Brunzell, County Surveyor;William Wilcox, Coroner; LewisNewman, Sheriff; P. A. Brodin, D.M. Case and Ellis M. Palmer, Commissioners.PROGRESS IN THE COUNTYFrom the date of organization of thecounty to the present time, it hascontinued to increase in settlementand in the number of farms brokenup. Settlers are now to be found inall parts of the county. It is true that,having no railroad or large streamanywhere within its limits, its progress has been slow but it has beensteady. During all these years, except in case of grasshoppers orsome other exceptional plague thathas resulted in the destruction ofcrops throughout the western counties, those of Phelps County havebeen good. Agriculture has beencarried on with as great success asin other counties, and the farmersare now in a prosperous condition.School districts have been formedThere are no towns of any greatimportance in the county. Thefollowing places are post officesand some of them very small country villages. They are Rock Falls,Sacramento, Phelps Center,Williamsburg, Industry, Integrityand Highland.Phelps Center is the county seat andis situated in the center of thecounty. It contains about dozenbuildings and has a population ofabout eighty. In businesses, aboutall branches in an ordinary countrytrade are represented and not withstanding its small size two newspapers are published here. They areNebraska Nugget, edited and published by T. M. Hopwood, and thePhelps County News,edited by Harry Hazelett. Both areenterprising weekly papers, wellfilled with the local news of thecounty. From its central locationand the fact of its being the countyseat, Phelps Center is growingsomewhat and will soon become athriving and prosperous village. Itslocation is a pleasant one, on thehigh upland prairie.Rock Falls is situated on Spring(1882 Continued on page 8)
Volume 16, Issue 1Phelps HelpsPage 8trade are well represented and italready has a population of seventyfive. Considering the fact that it islocated so far from a railroad, it isalready a thriving place, and withthe increasing settlement of thecounty, it should soon make a prosperous county village.(1882 Continued from page 7)Creek, in the southwestern corner ofthe county. Its location is a goodone for a town, and it already has afew businesses houses and a population of 100. In course of time, asthe settlement of the county increases, it will no doubt make athriving little village.Sacramento is situated in the southeastern part of the county, on thehigh upland prairie. The location isa pleasant one.The differentbranches of business in a countryHoldrege Business Roster of 1887 continued.(This information came fromthe Souvenir Historical Editionin the Holdrege Daily Citizen inJune of 1958)Ledlie and Rea occupied theL-shaped store rooms whichwere built with the conjunctionof the Commercial State Bankbuilding at 4th and West Avenues. John Ledlie and H. D.Rea both came to Holdregefrom Des Moines, Iowa, andhad extensive business experience.George Warnick and Co.started a business in 1885 in asmall frame building on WestAvenue but soon moved to larger quarters on Hayden (FourthAvenue) directly west of thepost office. The dry goods firmwas managed by Paige Warnick.L. Brown operated a large gen-eral merchandise store at thecorner of West Avenue andThird. Mr. Brown succeeded A.P. Erickson in the spring of1886. The frame building directly across the street west ofK. K. Appliance Co. is stillstanding.E. H. Snow, manager of SnowBrothers and Co. general merchandise store came to Holdrege from Taylor in LoupCounty in 1886. The Snow’swere originally from Vermont.M. C. Beghtol, Jeweler cameto Holdrege from Lincoln in1886. He had 20 years experience in the Jewelry businessand watch making business.Lunkley and Eaton came fromOttumwa, Iowa. In 1886 toopen a furniture a store. In December of that year they purchased the stock of their onlycompetitor, J. C. Rundstrom.D. W. Hilsabeck opened hisdrug store here in April 1886.A. A. Sheneberger and WagnerHardware Store opened here onApril of 1886. A. A. Sheneberger came here from Pennsylvania and Clinton Wagner wasfrom Iowa.W. P. Norris and W. E. Brockestablished the firm of W. P.Norris and Co. in Phelps Centerin the fall of 1882. Mr. Norris,the resident partner, came toNebraska from Iowa in 1880.The drug store was moved toHoldrege with the establishment of the new town.L. P. Lewis operated a land,loan and Insurance business.Mr. Lewis was a homesteader,(Roster Continued on page 9)
Volume 16, Issue 1(Roster Continued from page 8)coming to the county in 1878.A. E. Whitcomb, windmilldealer was one of the leadingmerchants of Holdrege. He alsooperated a plumbing business.Along with his brother D. C.D., they had a windmill of theirown invention which had beenon trial for a year and whichthey were determined (in 1887)to manufacture on a large scale.Natives of Vermont, they werereared in Wisconsin.Lester Ellsworth came to Nebraska from Pennsylvania in1880. He moved to RepublicanCity in 1883 to establish himself with Mr. Luce in the drugstore business, and the firm ofLuce and Ellsworth moved toHoldrege in November of thatyear.S. M. Thompson was a nativeNebraskan, born in OtoeCounty. He was a hardwaredealer and tinsmith.W. S. Deisher established hisfarm implement business herein the spring of 1886.The Traders Lumber Co.commenced business here inthe summer of 1885. The company was one of the string offour yards, at Red Cloud, Minden, Bertrand and Holdrege.James Goble was businessmanager of the Holdrege yard.L. Weber was the generalPhelps Helpsmanager of the A. G. Scott andson Elevator which had a capacity of 75,000 bushels ofgrain.H. O. Barber was an extensivedealer of grain and coal, andhad a number of branch housesin adjoining counties in Nebraska and Kansas.N. L. Trimble, loan agent, located in Holdrege in January of1887. He came here after ashort residence in Bertrand.G. H. Barnes opened a realestate, loan and insurance office in 1885.Yale Brothers came to Holdrege from Beatrice in Octoberof 1886 and established a windmill and pump business. Theywere former resident of KnoxCounty, IL.E. B. Gard Jr., the harnessmaker of East Ave., commenced business here in January 1, 1887.D. Stulken was not one of thefirst in Holdrege, here were onor two houses ahead; but hewas the first man to bring hisfamily here. He was a skillfulboot maker and repairman.Fredericks and Engstrom’sgrocery was established here in1884. Their firm had beenenlarged to cover 140 ft. depthof the lot.A, Wickstrom’s stock farmwas located less than mile fromPage 9the city. He dealt in Purebredhorses, Shorthorn and Herefordcattle and Poland China hogs.Mrs. J. J. Wyatt, who operated a traveling photograph car,enjoyed a flattering reputationas one of the finest artists in thecountry. Formerly of Roseville,Warren County, Illinois, sheplanned to erect a commodiousart gallery in Holdrege.J. A. Johnson was dealer inreal estate, loans and Insurance.He located in Holdrege in thespring of 1886.The Holdrege Livestock Co.was an extensive institution; itsowners were Mr. Conger, Mr.Baldwin and Mr. Jones.J. J. Raymaker came to Holdrege from Hastings in 1886and embarked in the loan business. He had built a fine residence in west Holdrege.C. S. Breech was serving histhird term as city Marshall in1887. He was also a dealer forschool furniture, desks mapsand charts etc.Guy Crandall, successfulhorse dealer, located in Holdrege in 1884Given and Martin was anotherfirm dealing in horses.To be continued in a futurePhelps Helps issue.
Volume 16, Issue 1Phelps HelpsPage 10Children’s Home Book UpdateKen Mosman has completed thework on the Children’s Homebook. We anticipate the deliverydate will be before June 1, 2008.This is a project of the HoldregeArea Genealogy Club. All bookssales will go through HoldregeArea Genealogy Club and allprofits will go to the expansion ofthe Don O. Lindgren Library atthe museum.Book Title – SURNAME INDEXOF THE FORMER RESIDENTSOF THE CHRISTIANORPHAN’S HOME AND THECHIRSTIAN CHILDREN’SHOME OF PHELPS COUNTY--1889-1954Holdrege Area Genealogy ClubPO Box 164Holdrege, NE 68949The hard bound book is beingpublished on acid free paper.There will be 38 photographs anda color picture of the praying childpicture that once was hung in thechapel at the Children’s Home.Prepublication price is 25 4Postage and Handling. AfterMay 1, 2008 book price will be 30 4 Postage and Handling.Orders ma y be sent to:Holdrege Area Genealogy Club,Box 164, Holdrege, NE. 68949.
Future Plans For Library Addition . Volume 16, Issue 1 Phelps Helps Page 2 . elevated ridge-pole to the outside walls, and cover them with boards. Now lay tar paper over the boards, with the seams on . Or, you could have a ceiling of wainscoting, lathe, or plaster. Cover your floor with r
