Research Papers

Research Papers

Today is:

First Families in Buffalo County, Part III

Riverdale - Jabe Bunnell - 1872

No evidence he was related to Isaac Bunnell, but he probably was; they homesteaded in same section, next to each other

Jabe Bunnell's homestead file includes this information:

April 1872 – Applied for homestead at land office in Grand Island

August 1872 – Filed original claim for homestead. Improvements include

        a one story frame house 12 ft. x 16 ft with a sod house; Finished size 20 ft x 26 ft
        a stable 21 ft x 75 ft
        a granary 12 ft x 25 ft
        a well 60 ft deep
        set out quantities of forest and fruit trees.
    [Had he arrived earlier and just now got around to filing, to have done this much work?]

April 1878 – Copy of Army Discharge –
        A private in Michigan Cavalry
        Enrolled Sept 1861 for 3 years was discharged on May 18, 1866 [1863?] at Jackson, Tenn. for disability due to cholera.

        Born New York, 30 years old, 5’ 9 ½” tall, light complexion, gray eyes, dark hair.
        When he enlisted his occupation was saddler

        Form from War Department
            Verified his service for 3 years or during the war
            Mustered in as a saddler at Detroit

April 1878 – Two witnesses swore that Jabe, his wife and 3 children resided continuously on the homestead for the past 5 years
        Final certificate was issued

July 1863 – Jabe Bunnell Pension Records - filed for pension as an invalid

(March 22, 1898 - Jabe Bunnell died of gangrene; buried in Kearney Cemetery)

April 1898 – his widow filed for his pension

Amherst – Miles Hunt - 1873

Miles Hunt & wife born in New York
Moved to Michigan

July 1873 – Hunt & family came to Buffalo County
        Homesteaded 2 miles southeast of present Amherst

First post office established in Oct. 1873 with Hunt as postmaster.
        Named Huntsville

March 1877 – Renamed Stanley

May 1890 – Kearney & Black Hills RR built.
        Town of Amherst platted 2 ½ miles northwest on railroad so Stanley moved there

Sometime after 1876 the Hunts left Buffalo County and settled in Washington in the Tacoma area on Puget Sound

Pleasanton – Henry Peters - 1875

Pleasanton is on the south edge of Loup Township in Section 35, on north bank of South Loup River

Henry Peters

1861 – Immigrated from Germany to Illinois

1868 – Moved to Cass County

1875 – Bought as claim across Loup south of Pleasanton – Peter’s bridge
        Small crop – 5 acres of corn made 80 bushels to the acre

1876 – Grasshoppers took the crop and garden
        Earned income hauling supplies to the Black Hills to gold miners

1879 – Wheat, corn and thousands of young trees destroyed by hail

Other than these two years, generally had good crops

Lived out his life on this farm; died in 1913; buried in Pleasanton Cemetery

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Revised: 02/04/2018