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.