could be Buffalo's crossing the platte

 Research Papers


Today is:

Logan Township


Location –
        3rd row, 1st on west edge of county
        Between Elm Creek & Miller
        Highway 183 goes east/west about 1 Ό miles east of county line
                Jan 29, 1894 – report of a home that burned 6 miles north of Elm Creek in Logan Township on

                “old Armada road.”

Formation –
        First called Buffalo Precinct (after 1870 but in 1876 assessor’s book & 1880 census)
        Name changed probably in 1883 when townships established in county
        No information on why the name Logan

Description –

        Rolling hills       
        Some cultivated, mostly in east third
        Mostly grassland pasture
        Many streams (dry?) drain north, east, south but no defined watershed ridge
        Sparsely populated
                15 Sections with no farmsteads, even empty ones
                38 farmsteads + about 7 empty

Towns – none


Schools – At least 2, probably more
        Dist. 83 – Bowie
        Dist. 76? - Bessie

Church – Fairview Christian Church
        7 miles north of Elm Creek on east side of Highway 183
        Christian Church established in 1904
        Had a big Sunday School.
        Merged with church in Elm Creek in 1948.
        Building sold to Jay Atkinson who moved it to his farm.

            Later when he sold his farm the building was torn down and lumber went to houses

                 being built in Elm Creek
        Bell in front of the church in Elm Creek in a low brick belfry

Cemetery – Fairview Cemetery
        Cemetery across road south of church
        Land deeded in 1907 from Charles A. Willis for $75
        Last burial in 1956

1876 Assessors Book – for Buffalo Township 10-18, now Logan Township
        Real Estate – All odd numbered sections belonged to the Union Pacific Railroad.
                There were no other land owners.

        Personal Property – Totals
                14 persons assessed 3 had nothing to assess 3 had no animals
                  7 horses 4 mules 12 head of cattle (no swine)
                  8 carriages 4 dogs

First Homesteaders –
        1878 -- Charles A. Willis, Ella A. Willis.
        1879 -- Anton Rager – no information

Willis family – Came after 1876
       
Willis, Charles W. S. & Amanda – in their 50’s,

Both born in New York,
Went to Wisconsin 1856-57, then Nebraska
Had son, daughter, and an adopted daughter
Carpenter, homesteaded in northern Elm Creek Township
Died 3 Oct 1894, age 71
        Heirs: son Charles A. and daughter Ella A. No widow
        Charles executor of estate.

Charles A. – 22 when he filed, born in New York
Ella A. – 21when she filed, born in Wisconsin
        Occupation in 1880 - dress maker

Eight who were here in 1876 –

Grove, John - 2 horses, 3 cattle, 1 carriage
        Came from Ohio, to Missouri, to Nebraska
Hamilton, Oscar - 2 cattle, 1 carriage
        Also from Ohio
Smith, William - $10 other property
        Smith, William – another one from Ohio
        In 1880 boarding with another
Harbaugh , Samuel – $10 other property
Harbaugh, B. F. - (no personal property)
Harbaugh, Hal - (no personal property)
        Harbaugh, Samuel – 71, born in Kentucky, farmer
            Amelia, 70, wife, Born in Ohio
            Benjamin F. – 26, son, at home, born in Indiana
Mercer, John – 2 cattle
        34, single, farmer, born in Scotland
Mackey, John - 1 horse, 2 mules, 1 cattle, 2 carriage
        (Summary: born in PA, moved to IL under 7, married IL girl, had 2 children,
        Came to NE 1874-5 – in time for 1876 assessment)
Mackey, Henry C. – (Probably younger brother, born in Illinois, married girl from
        Kentucky, came to NE about 1878-1880)
        Younger brother, David, 18, living with him
Also - Wade, Joseph – 19, brother-in-law, farm labor, born in Illinois
        Wade, Greenbury(?) – 58, father-in-law, farmer, born in Kentucky

Wade, Elijah – 26, farmer, born in Illinois
        Hannah – 24, born in Illinois
        3 children, 6,3,1, all born in Illinois (came here in 1879 or early 1880)
Wade, Robert – 29, farmer, born in Illinois
        Anna – 28, wife, born in Illinois
        4 children, 8, 5, 3, & born in Feb. (came here in 1877-1879
                First three born in Illinois, youngest in NE
John Mackey came first before 1876 assessment,

        rest could have come together in 1879

Happenings in Logan Township
Oct. 24, 1889 – Superintendent of Poor Farm

The county board of supervisors this afternoon elected Mr. Powers, of Logan Township, as superintendent of the poor farm at the salary of $750 per annum.
The building will be furnished as soon as possible and is expected to be ready for occupancy in about three weeks time.

1890 – Vote on Prohibition
July 15, 1890 – New Amendment Leagues

Each township was forming a non-partisan prohibitory amendment league.
By July 15 they were organized all the townships except Logan and Center.
There was an organization at Elm Creek to which most of Logan Township people
Supported but another was expected to be organized.
“ Buffalo county will be in good trim to fight the amendment campaign.”

Nov. 5, 1889 – General election results

        (Boyd was running for gov.)
In Kearney - Against prohibition 649, For Prohibition 748
In townships - Against prohibition 657, For Prohibition 684
        Schneider, Odessa, Gibbon, Platte & Cedar no vote reported
        Sharon carried by a small majority
        Townships against – Garfield (165-69), Elm Creek (35-30), Scott (46-20), Divide (70-48), Rusco (64-21), Thornton (65-34)
        Logan tied at 27 each

Political Debates – Not new to the last fourth of the 20th century
Sept. 2, 1892 – The candidates for county attorney met for 3-hour discussions of the issues at 26 places around the county in towns and rural schoolhouses. In Logan Township it was in the Dist. 83, Bowie school.

Squirrel Bounties
July 1, 1893 – Oliver Turnbull of Logan Township turned in 121 squirrel scalps

H. H. Bowie –
Bowie was a contractor on the cassion work on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and had the record of staying in the compressed air chamber longer that any living man. He had to leave that job for his health and had attacks suggesting paralysis occasionally.
 

1883 – Came to Buffalo Co., settled in Logan Township
 

1884 – Elected to represent Logan Township on the county board
        Served off & on as chairman for next 11 years

June 16, 1893 – During a board of equalization meeting Bowie and the Harrison Township representative, John Jones, got into an argument over a road which led to blows. Friends stopped them so they went into a side room where the fight continued. When other members of the board realized what was happening, they put a stop to it. Jones required a “liberal supply of court plaster” but Bowie did not. The reporter called him the Corbett of the fight.

May 24, 1894 – Large barn burned on Bowie farm. 18 horses died, harness, farm equipment, hay and lost. $3,000. No insurance. Farm hands were smoking upstairs in the house. Set the straw tick on fire. They threw it out the window, toward the barn, thought the fire was out. Fanned by the wind, the fire reignited and started the barn on fire. By the time it was discovered it was too late. Bowie had just put in a “large acreage of corn and the loss of the stock will cripple him in its cultivation.”

Feb. 2, 1895 – County Relief Committee Reorganized. Bowie was on it. State Relief Committee shipped supplies to township committees. Half of 322 50-lb sacks of flour off loaded at Elm Creek went to Logan and Odessa Townships. Much of potatoes and turnips shipped to other parts of the county were frozen.

Feb. 23, 1895 – Bowie died at the Winsor Hotel following a brief illness.
In town on relief committee business.

“Mr. Bowie went to Lincoln Wednesday morning and returned Thursday evening. On Wednesday, Mr. Bowie complained of his throat, on Thursday morning it was so much worse he could not swallow for the pain, therefore he did not attempt to eat anything during the day. Thursday evening upon his return to Kearney he summoned a physician, his throat was so badly swollen that it was impossible for him to swallow anything whatever. Friday morning he was no better and during the day he suffered greatly. In the afternoon his physician lanced his throat but without affording any relief. The swelling gradually extended downward and produced a dropsical condition of the larynx which was the immediate cause of his sudden death.”

It was thought his experience in the cassion had some bearing on his death.

Described as a “man with a fine physique, generous but perhaps a little quick tempered.” Had 25 $1,000 bills when he came to the county but was not in good circumstance when he died. Had let his insurance lapse in the last year or so. Left wife and one young daughter.


 


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