Earliest Settlement in Buffalo County, cont.
Nutter Family
William & Dinah Nutter –
Married 1853 in Lancastershire
Mormon elders converting English
1855 - with 700 other Mormon emigrants on ship condemned as
unseaworthy
5 weeks - landed at Philadelphia, Pa.
No money when they landed,
Had been led to believe
that plenty of work at good wages.
[But they had some very hard times before William could earn enough to
continue on west]
1859 - spring – left Philadelphia,
Down Ohio River
Up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers to Florence…
Purchased outfit - a yoke of oxen, a new wagon, a cow and
food sufficient for the entire journey….
A hand cart train left Florence a few
days before the Smith train -
darted out ahead of the Smith train and reached Salt Lake City some two
weeks in advance of the Smith train…
No preparation in advance for their coming; no provision for
their comfort or necessities…. [More hard times] ….
Dissatisfied with the Mormon religion
1862 - the family left Utah.
Purchased a "squatter's right" to a claim on Wood River about
two miles east of Shelton in Hall Co. .
[1863, Good Crop] More
money than the Nutter family had ever had at one time before
1864 - spring - planted early –escaped grasshoppers
August, 1864 - Awakened in the dead of night - notified
Indians war path
Hastily placed their household goods
and children in their wagon, hitching their two ox teams
– Headed east - Baby Helen had been left asleep in a dry goods box used as a
cradle.
Considerable distance traveled before Helen was missed and father returned
for her.
Omaha - to Quebec, Canada, …
Quebec - passage on ship to Liverpool
-baby Helen was again forgotten, asleep in the station, rest of the family
on the train ready to ship
Less than two weeks – Nutter was
longing to be again on his claim in Nebraska Territory.
1865 - Nutter left his family in England, returned to Philadelphia to
old job
Mrs. Nutter remained in England 6 months, went to Philadelphia
1869 - spring - Nutter returned to Nebraska,
Purchased a "squatters right" with a log house, log barn and corral--$300 –
2 mi. east of Gibbon
July - Mrs. Nutter and the children
arrived…
1880 - erected, house, octagon, 16 feet on a side and 18 feet in
height
Modern conveniences, such as hot and cold water, toilet and bath room,
furnace, etc
The Tea Story
Before the railroad was built in 1866.
[Nutters were living for the first time in Nebr]
Living in log house
Liked their tea. [They were English!]
Had two tea pots - identical tea pots, sitting on the shelf.
Habit and convenience, only one of the tea pots was used daily.
The other one just sat there waiting its turn.
Supply of tea ran out.
No
store closer than Grand island - a day's journey away by ox team.
Two-day shopping trips were not taken without real necessity.
Day after day without tea, it soon became the real necessity.
Mr. Nutter left for Grand Island.
Afternoon of 2nd day - child sent to top of
house to spot returning father - with the tea.
Sighted - a speck on the horizon
Child sent to get tea - child could run faster than an ox team could plod
Tea could be made and ready for drinking the very minute Mr. Nutter came to
the cabin.
Never had tea tasted better. So refreshing.
When the tea pot was being washed –
Discovered in the haste to make the
tea, that the second tea pot had been used –
The tea pot in which the rattle snake rattles had been stored.
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