Riverdale & Collins Townships
Location
3rd Township from the west after Elm Creek & Odessa, before Divide in
the east side of Kearney
Big township
Has extra mile on the west side to accommodate the earths
curve
Evergreen Road on west -- Ave N on east
Was originally 8 ½ sections deep to
the Platte
115th Road on north -- Platte River on south
Except the area within the city limits of Kearney
Division into 2 townships
Sometime after 1919, before 1942, it was divided roughly in half north/south
Riverdale Township Top 4 rows of sections 115th Road to 56th St.
on south
Collins Township Lower 4 rows of sections 56th St. to Interstate
on south
Plus 1 row of
partial sections Interstate to the Platte River
Collins Township
Doesn't require any tax funds.
When Alfalfa Center School was dissolved, the school board gave the
school to the township.
The township sold the school land and building
Using the interest from that sale to pay expenses.
Features of both
Water
Platte River on south border
Wood River enters 2 ½ miles from western boundary from the
north, winds southeast to exit on east side about 2 Ό miles from the
north boarder.
Kearney Canal & spillway to the Platte Cottonmill Lake and
Kearney Lake
Transportation Routes
East/west same with all
townships across bottom of the county
Mormon Trail
Union Pacific
Railroad
Highway 30
east/west on 25/24th St.
Interstate 80
North/south unique to Riverdale &
Collins to have all of these
Highway 10
north up 2nd Ave
Highway 40
from Glenwood northwest up Wood River valley
Former
freight route to Broken Bow
Former
proposed route (& mail route) to Black Hills
Union Pacific
spur northwest (former Kearney Black Hills Railroad)
Schools
Riverdale organized in 1873
a mile south and ½ east of the town site.
Church was
held there when a circuit rides came by.
Alfalfa Center Collins
Township near railroad (Stevenson Siding)
Glenwood Was a 10-grade
school at one time
Dove Hill In Sec. 20 & then
a 1 mile west, merged with Green Hill
Green Hill Dist. 120 - Last
one organized in the county
Cemeteries
Kearney Cemetery The present site was apparently selected in 1871
Site approved in Oct. 1875
Land owned by Asbury Collins. Sold it to the city in 1877
Earliest burial was Rev. Nahum Gould who died in 1875
Presbyterian missionary minister.
Born 1798. Became a minister in home
state of New York.
In 1834 he moved to Illinois where he
organized several churches.
In 1871 he came to Kearney
Filed on a homestead northwest of
Kearney Lake
Alternated services at Collins home
with Asbury
Built a house on the side of a hill.
[down into Kearney Lake]
It had 3-4 levels and ended up
sitting deserted and known as a haunted house
Was 76 when he died in 1875.
He was over 70 when he came here.
2 headstones with earlier death dates moved here
Mary E. Esty d 18 Jan 1866
Evan Jay d 22 Feb 1861 husband of
Hannah Jay who came here in 1872/3
Another cemetery at north end of what became Kearney Lake.
[must have been near Nahum Gould
place.]
Bodies moved to Kearney Cemetery when
lake was formed.
Riverdale Cemetery First organized meeting of Cemetery Board was
May 12, 1899.
First burial in June 1899 but was a Prascher child buried
there who died 1882.
3-4 burials were moved from the Stanley Cemetery as soon as
this one was opened.
Dora Praschers account of the Riverdale Cemetery history
says land was owned by Mrs. Frederick Frederick.
A Come Back Letter written in 1923 by Elizabeth Looker Brown
wrote
"
my father died nine years ago and is
buried in the Riverdale Cemetery
a corner that he donated from
his farm."
Dove Hill Cemetery Located north of Highway 30 on Dove Hill Road
about 2 miles.
Organized for use by surrounding homesteaders in 1886
A. J. Crossley donated 1 acre
His notebook records family buried
there in 1880 & 1883
Named for Dove Hill School which was located across the road
before it was closed
No written records exist that we know of
Register of Deeds office shows land still set aside as a
cemetery
Towns Incorporated and unincorporated
Kearney east edge of township, half way down
Glenwood Park/Corner flour mill, dam, park
Stevenson Siding (Alfalfa Center) on Dove Hill Road ½ mile south of
Highway 30 by railroad
Riverdale 1 ½ miles from western boundary, on north edge of the
township
6 miles north and 4 miles west of
Kearney, up Highway 40
Post office was open from 1883-1886,
re-opened in 1890 when the railroad came
Founded in 1890 railroad came
through.
Depot was built.
August Raymond built a general store
beside it.
Route to Kearney from Riverdale area in 1870s
East down Wood River valley,
Over the hills to where Kearney Lake
is now,
Down that valley to where the
football field is now
Farms had names
Valley view farm
Green view alfalfa farm
Homestead farm
Louis grove farm
Grand View farm
1733 Ranch
Settlement
Rapid growth of Kearney after location
1871 17 24 in Center Gibbon Homestead Colony
1872 42 33
1873 26 19
Drought years
People
1871
First 2 Smith Bros. who filed on Sec. 2
Marsh & Evan Jay who filed on Sec. 4
Rev Gould who filed northwest of Kearney
W. W. Patterson
1872
George E. Smith Second filing
A. M. Gay Came with Collins family, one of original members of
Methodist Church
Ashbury Collins
F. W. Dart first store in Kearney
F. G. Keens Leading Kearney business man
L. B. Cunningham Homesteaded near Riverdale, published first
newspaper in Kearney
I. Webb
F. Cuddebach
J. Cuddebach,
Wm. Morse first official pastor of Methodist church
187815
N. Campbell One of first mayors of Kearney
M. Nevius Brother of first teacher in Kearney
H. E. Swan ancestor of Swans furniture Swan??
Joseph Black Born in (West) Virginia, moved with family to Illinois
and then Iowa.
Came to Buffalo County in 1875.
Owned ranch on the South Loup & another on an island in the
Platte south of Kearney.
From 1885-88 had a mercantile business in Kearney.
[lived in south Kearney according to someones Come Back
letter memory.]
Active in county and Kearney politics.
Served as county treasurer for 2 years, and was a county
commissioner.
In Kearney
he was mayor for 1 year,
on school board for 8 years,
library board for 20 years.
State senator for 3 years.
D. Lowenstein (& another Lowenstein came the following year
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