1890's Notes

1890’s Miscellaneous Facts and Stories 

The Kearney Weekly Hub -

March 13, 1890

That Pettit Family

Something is Wrong in the Make-up of Them.

      Everybody knows Washington Pettit.  He was sent to the penitentiary last fall for killing his father.  Two weeks ago Frank Pettit before Squire Hoge swore out a warrant against his brother George, charging that he feared George would kill him, do bodily injury, or burn property.  This case yet hangs fire.

     On Friday afternoon Mrs. Carrie White, sister of these boys appeared before Judge Cornett and swore that Frank  was striking his mother when she interceded and Frank struck her in the face.

     Something is radically wrong with that Pettit family.  The old man must have been all that was claimed of him, and the boys must have inherited all his bad temper.  They should be sat down upon and made to comb their temper before we have another murder trial.  Buffalo County has paid enough costs on account of the Pettit family.

*          *          *

---The funeral of Rev. Collins was very largely attended.  Services were conducted at the Trinity M.. E. church,  Rev. G. L. Haight officiating.  Then it was turned over to the masonic fraternity who conducted the services at the grave.

Description of his funeral service on the next page.  “The near relatives were his daughter-in-law and grandson.”

On same page is long story about Helen Sydenham

Kearney Daily Hub

March 23, 1890

     --All parties having manure are permitted to haul the same and throw it on the nearest corner of the Industrial School farm.  That is, of course, if it is not filled with tin cans and other rubbish that would injure a farm.  They are glad to get it on this farm and persons should haul it there as it is as close as places they usually find.

March 27. 1890

Column long response from Mrs. Sydenham.  Ends with description of conversation with Asbury Collins’ widow about his deathbed conversations.

Coroner’s Jury verdicts:

On March 24th  after 2:30 p.m. William Schreve fell off a pile of lumber, death was accidental, the lumber was blown over by a severe wind.

On March 24th in the morning Harry Deming died by jumping from his room when the Midway Hotel burned.  “,,,in our opinion, the said Harry Deming having his clothes on and shoes upon his feet, and from the evidence of  Edgar Glenn, it is our opinion that he was sufficiently notified, but owing go the smoke and confusion did not heed the notice.”

Hotel fire started on roof caused by sparks from the smoke stack

Businesses in the hotel:

hatter
tailor
attorney
9 real estate offices
insurance agent
George W Frank Improvement Co
Electric Light Co
barber shop
Kearney Land and Improvement Co
saloon
physician

Worden Dramatic Co. Deming was property and bagage man. Jumped feet first but hit a wire which turned him. An awning was held to catch him but he fell through landing on his head and side of face. Lived until 11 p.m. Mother, widowed, lived in South Omaha.

April 10, 1890

the statue of justice was placed on top of the new courthouse.. Nine feet tall, blind, balance in left hand, sword in right.

The paper mill blew down. Other portion of building blew down last summer just as construction was finished. No paper ever manufactured to this date.

April 17, 1890

debris from the Midway Hotel was put on South Railroad between Central and A


April 24, 1890

Buffalo County Agricultural Society took bids for a new site. 4 possibilities - 3 miles north of Kearney; southeast of Kearney; a few miles east of Kearney; northeast of Kearney. None accepted at that time; they will inspect each. One mile track and land to be purchased will depend of soil that will make a good track. Will be the only one in the state.

Shoe social - All ladies behind a screen, tips of shoes showing. Gentlemen choose a shoe.

A fence factory started production.

Work started on rebuilding the paper mill.

One of several boys sent to the Industrial School from New York was released and a place found for him near Atlanta in Phelps County.

Work was progressing on the hinge factory.

June 5, 1890

Law suit by farmer near Odessa against Kearney Canal and Water supply, failed to maintain bridge. gave way when he was crossing and he, wife, children and team landed in the canal. Asking for $1000 damages.

Miller was first called Hancock.

June 10, 1890

Placed in Position
The Huge Buffalo Head Adorns the Court House

        The huge buffalo head or rather the sheet iron imitation was placed in position this morning, and it adds materially to the beauty and novelty of the court house.
        The head is several times larger than a buffalo’s head and is intended to look as large up on the building as a life-sized one would on closer inspection. The following is the inscription:

…………………………
.  COUNTY COURT   .
.     18 HOUSE 90       .
…………………………

        Of course the reader can readily interpret this as reading “Buffalo County Cour4t House, 1890.”

June 12, 1890

Armada sued the K & BH RR to give them a depot.

Uncle Henry Fieldgrove likes a joke as well as any man in the world...
Sat. Henry Fieldgrove was in Kearney and he called at the police court to see the boys and swap yarns. The bailiff was sitting with his legs crossed. Fieldgrove slipped up and clamped a ball and chain on his ankle. Ball and chain were not in use because the key had been lost. They had to go to a blacksmith to have them cut off.

May 2, 1891

– Bids Wanted. The Buffalo County Agricultural society will receive bids until Saturday, May 9, noon, for building a mile race track. Specifications at Shepard’s drug store, Kearney, Neb. Cash when work is complete. W. H Salisbury, Secy.


From 1891-2 Kearney City Directory

Benevolent, Secret & Other Societies
[No TV for evening entertainment. Go to a lodge meeting]

Bricklayers Union #7
Buffalo County Bible Society
Buffalo County Medical Society
Oddfellows – 5 different organizations including
        Daughters of Rebecca & Naomi Rebecca
National Guard
Masonic organizations – 6 divisions
        Damascus Lodge of Perfection (Scottish Rites)
        Eastern Star
        Kearney Chap. 23 Royal Arch Masons
        Mt. Hebron Commandary KT#2
        Rob Morris Lodge #46
        Temple Craft Association
Knights of Pythius organizations
        Dilworth Assembly #2, K of P sisterhood
Daughters of Veterans of America
Foreman Lodge #12 of A O of U W
I O of G T
Kearney Boating & Park Association
Kearney Chamber of Commerce
Kearney Musical Society
Kearney Typographical Union #109
Knights of Labor
Jem Lodge #14
Ministerial Association
Modern Woodman of America Hope Camp
Preachers’ Aid Society West Conf. of M. E. Church
Sedgwick Post #1 GAR – three groups
Soldiers & Sailors County Assoc. (met at GAR hall)
State Businessmen’s Men’s Assoc.
U S Pension Board
U S Weather Bureau
WCTU
Women’s Relief Corps of Nebraska
YMCA
        Ladies Auxilary YMCA


Kearney after the boom
(Information from the HUB)

House Moving ---


Capt. L. D. Forehand was employed to take the school census in School District No. 7, the City of Kearney. He was required to visit each dwelling house in the district.

He made note of the number of dwelling houses and the number vacant.
He found 1,400 dwelling houses in the city 700 vacant.

Of these vacant houses hundreds were moved out on the farms of Buffalo County, some of them quite twenty miles from the city.

Many of the large houses in West Kearney, vacated after the Boom, were moved into Kearney.


January 1894 – Donations
        Superintendent of hospital reported
            3 carpets
            quilt, sheet, cases
            sack of flour, pound of coffee, tea
            Sheriff Nutter gave $3

7 Feb1895 –
Petition for Election to Vote Bonds for Seed and Feed purposes for the year 1895.
Petition to County Board for special election on the question of issuing $50,000 in bonds for purchase of grain for seed and for feed of farmers teams in the county during 1895. Needed because of failure of crops for the past two years.

27 Mar 1895 –
Letter from Buffalo County Clerk to our representative in the state legislature.
        [Remember, this was pre-Unicameral days]

        “I have good reason to believe that this County is being discriminated against by…the state relief Commission in the distribution of supplies and further that unless the matter is looked after sharply the farmers of this county will not receive their share of the $200,000.00 appropriated by the legislature for seed and feed purposes.
        In fact [the chair of the state relief commission] has written a long letter to our county relief commission here, stating that, owing to the fact that some person up in Miller has written a complaining letter to the ‘World Herald’, that this whole County will be allowed to suffer therefore, by the relief Commission at Lincoln shutting off further supplies. The letter certainly shows a very revengeful spirit…and I appeal to you as a representative of this County to bring what influence you can to bear upon the state relief Commission to the end that Buffalo County gets her prorata of the money appropriated by the state.
        We shall send two members of our Commission here, down to Lincoln the latter part of this week to see about the matter. Thanking you in advance for what trouble you may be too. I am very Respectfully yours, W. S. Hormel, Co Clerk”