Harrison Township

Sources:

Archives
ESU 10
County Court House – Assessors office, Register of Deeds office
Randy & Jerry Bentley (members of township board) & father Les
Susan Day Underhill

Location

Range column on western edge of the county – Range 18
Township row farthest north – Township12
Harrison is Township 12, Range 18 – the township in the northwest corner of the
                 County, starts 2 miles north of Miller.

What does it look like?

High compared to Platte Valley, rolling hills
Lot of grassland, some corn & hay
Loup River enters the county and crosses almost the entire width of the township,

        entering Sartoria township only about 1 ½ miles south of the Buffalo/Sherman

            county line.
        Several streams flow into the Loup
        Elk Creek from the north
        Otter & Dry Creek and several drainage routes
The south edge of the township appears to be a watershed with some streams

        starting here and flowing into the Loup while a few others go south to the

        Wood River.
Sandy soil in north along Loup River blending into more clay farther south.
Few roads compared to other townships in the county

        Of 84 possible miles in a township, Harrison has 44 & 3 minimum maint.

        Highway 183 through all of Harrison Township 2 miles east of the

                Buffalo/Dawson county line.

What’s there?

No towns or community centers
No cemeteries
One rural church – Grand View Emmanuel Missionary –

Small sect - headquartered in Indiana
Buildings – church, windmill, small house which was parsonage
No minister living there since the 1960’s
Well maintained
Weekly services, summer Vacation Bible School
Membership less than 20 now.

Milt’s Store on county line. Now closed

        Operated by Seraphine (100) and daughter Virginia
        3 sites – 1st by railroad bed, 2nd by road, 3rd back from widened road.
        Convenient, closer than Miller
Aspen Dairy

Schools:

Grand View – near Grand View church
Wild Horse – 2 m south of Milt’s & 1 m west,

        across the road from Darby & Douglas Line places now.
(one whose name and location I’m not sure of)
Red Wing – Formed in 1883 by consolidating Dist. 37 and 54.

        Organizational meeting held at sod hoe of Frank Burge
        First school census taken in April 1884 – 79 school age children in 51 families
        1886 census – 31 school age children in 15 families
        June 1887 – one acre of land leased from Frank Burdick to build a schoolhouse
        [Frank Burdick homesteaded in Section 11 along the Loup River]
        $1 per year for as long as a school was on the property
        Frame school, 22’ x 32’, cost $200, door at east end, 3 windows/side
        Teacher’s desk on stage at west end, stove in middle.
        Painted white with red shutters – thus the name.
        No well at first. Got bucket of water from nearest home ¼ mile away
        1916 – building replaced. Located in Sec. 10
        1989 – closed
        Today – dilapidated, Bell tower but no bell
        Was sold at auction but buyer did not move it in 60 days allotted
        Children now go to Amherst, SEM, or Ansley

The People:
Richard Pierce – County Supervisor
Harse, John -
        Born October 17, 1852 in England
        Came to US in 1871
        Iowa, for a short time
        Spring 1872 – Polk county, Nebr., farmed and raised stock 6 years.
        Fall 1879 homesteaded on the Loup River northwest corner of Buffalo county.
        Built sod house, replaced in 2 years by house of logs from along the Loup
        May 1, 1881 – Married Abbie J. Cassel [that’s probably why the log house]
        Five children – James, Ethel, Howard, Lloyd, & Ineze Emma
        Served on County Board of Supervisors
        Accumulated 2748 acres of ranch land, 2308 in northwest corner of Harrison
                Township, 40 acres north in Custer Co. & 400 acres west in Dawson Co.
      

        Abbie died in 1911 and is buried in Armada Cemetery, large, ornate stone
        John returned home to England, married Emily
        Died October 4, 1923
        Land he owned in England [possibly inherited] went to Emily
        Land he owned in Nebr. went to 5 children

        James apparently bought out the other 4
        When he died in 1943 his widow sold the ranch
        Now owned by Zero Hereford South, Inc.
        Lloyd possibly worked the western part of ranch, was in Dawson Co. in 1920
        Then bought a ranch southwest of Valentine
        Howard was in Adams Co. at time of his father’s death
        Ethel was married, living in Colorado when father died
        Emma also married, living in Omaha when father died

No Harse now –
        James had 4 daughters
        Lloyd had 3 daughters
        Howard moved away, children unknown
        Both daughters married, children have different surname

[Susan Day Underhill’s 4 grandparents all lived within 2 miles of each other growing up.]

Daugherty & Wells – homesteaded the 2 north quarters of Section 22, came from Illinois

Keyser – homesteaded ne ¼ Sec. 34, came from Iowa,

        sod house then frame like vbrick house in Iowa
Day – from Indiana, purchased land in Sec. 35 (rr land)

        Daugherty daughter married Day son
        Wells daughter married Keyser son
                Day son married Keyser daughter – Susan’s parents

Boyds – James & Benjamin, came with Days, homesteaded 2 south quarters of Sec. 34
        Ben, Sr. also homesteaded in Buffalo Co
Bentley – Morrison, Minnie, Carrie all homesteaded.

        One piece still owned by descendents.

        Current residents are Les & sons Randy & Jerry, their cousins, Larry & Ronald.
Judy – Swiss, Wild Horse Valley in Harrison Twsp., came with Emmets
McCann, James – Homesteaded a ¼ section
        September 23, 1916 – declared insane by Lancaster Commissioners of Insanity
        October 18, 1916 – Wife, Ida, filed for Guardianship
            James at Ingleside [Hastings]
        Property – the homesteaded ¼ plus another ¼ with touching corners
            [no probate, did wife, as guardian, sell his land for his keep?]
Beavers, Sam – Homesteaded along Loup River
        August 30, 1920 – Living in Elm Creek, age 84, declared incompetent
        Son, Sam Jr., filed for guardianship
        Romaine St. John to be in charge of estate
        6 children
        May 22, 1921 – Died - No real estate
Buckley, Drucilla – Homesteaded 160 acres in 9 & 10
        Husband’s name was William
        Marriage records for daughters Annie and Ida