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Cover Page Inside cover page. Dedication The Author's Dedication to the Children of Nebraska Preface Mr. Cox asks the reader to not be unreasonably critical of his work. Chapter I First Visit to Lancaster County - Settlement - Salt Basins - Making Salt - Comers and Goers - Improvement - Fourth of July, 1862 - Elder Young and Party - Founding Lancaster - County Seat Fight - Clay County Despoiled - Indian Scares - First District Court - Scenes and Incidents in Justice Court - Growth and Progress - Removal to Seward County Chapter II Seward County - Name Changed - First Settlers - First Homestead - First Death - First Birth - First Representative in Legislature - Winter Flood - Milford Founded - Camden Founded - Earnest Work to Secure Settlers - Organization of the County - First Officers Elected - Unorganized Territory to the West - First County Seat Election - Impeachment of County Clerk - Storm of Indignation - County Commissioners Arrested - Ludicrous Scenes - The Winter of Desolution, 1866 and 1867 - Loss of Stock - The Capital Located - Increase of Settlement - Seward Surveyed - Its First Settlers and Business - Seward Outgeneralized - Atlas Founded - First Railroad Bond Proposition - Second Bond Proposition - Third Proposition - County Seat Fight and Seward's Final Triumph - Midland Road Completed - Blue Valley Record Founded - Reporter Founded - Newspaper War - Churches Established - Schools - Grasshopper Scourge - Clough Murder - Utica Founded - Leading the Mormons - Cassler Murders Monroe - His Trial and Execution Chapter III General Improvement - Demands for Another Railroad - Struggle Between Friends of the Union Pacific and the Atchinson & Nebraska - The A. & N.'s Triumph - Jones Carictured - Injunction Against Bonds - Officers Visit Butler County to Sign Bonds - Injunction Made Perpetual - The B. & M. Swallows the A. & N. - Depression and Despondency - Dust Storms - Poor Crops - Seward Sick - The Tragedies of 1880 - Bates Slaughter Pen - The Bowker Murder - Small-Pox Scare - Small-pox in Earnest - "A" Precinct Tragedy - Mrs. Patrick's Murder - Terrible Snow Blockade 0 Revival of Business and Advance in Real Estate - Movement of People to the West, and the Results - Stock Breeding and Feeding - New Industries - Township Organization - F.E. and M.V.R.R. - Jonah Can't Swallow the Whale. Chapter IV Clippings from the "Nebraska Atlas," the "Blue Valley Record," and the "Nebraska Reporter." Chapter V Agricultural Society - First Officers - Its History and Growth - Names of its Presiding Officers - Valuable Property Acquired - Water and Water - Courses of the County - Altitude - Latitude and Longitude - Healthfulness of Climate - No Chills and Fever - Cool Nights in Summer - Rainfall in Summer - Wells - Politics of the County - Independent Character of Voters - Tables of County Officers - Senators, Representatives, County Commissioners, Judges, Clerks, Treasurers, Sheriffs, School Superintendents, Coroners, Surveyors, Supervisors - Assessments from 1865 to 1887 - Taxes Paid State Treasurer in 1887 - Census Returns by Precincts - Comparative Tables of Wealth and Population - Seward County as it is Now" Chapter VI History of Precincts from "A" to "P" - Their First Settlements - Including Historic Letters from "A" by E. W. Olney - From "B" by F. M. Timblin - From "G" by James A. Brown - From "N" by I.M.K. Johnson - From "P" by Mrs. H. W. Parker, and from "G" by Mrs. Sarah F. Anderson. Chapter VII Seward City — Early History — First Buildings — First Store — The Growth The First Summer — Condition Op The Surrounding Country — The Pub­lic Well And Windmill — Saw-Mill — School District No. Nine Organized — Grist-Mill Built — Peddler’s Dilemma — Lots Given Away — News­paper Established — Churchrs Built — Cloyd’s Addition — Harris, The Benefactor — The B. & N. Ignores Seward And The County, But Leaves Us Harris — Midland Pacific H. R. — The Bottom Op The Mill Fell Out —  The Growth Of 1873 — South Seward And Its Effort To Supplant The Original Town — Incorporation As A Village — Incorporation As A City — List Of Town And City Officials — Financial Standing Of The City — Post-Office And Mail Routes — First Sabbath-School — Temper­ance Work - Possibilities As A Manufacturing City — Schools — Seward As We See It January 1, 1888. Chapter VIII Tribute to the Mothers and Wives of the Pioneers - Clothing of the People - The Food of the Pioneers - First Marriages - First Term of Distrit Court - Old Settlers' Reunion - Extract of an Address by W.W. Cox at Old Settlers' Reunion in 1866 - "My Wilderness Home in Childhood" by Mrs. Nettie Pingree. Chapter IX Fruits Of Seward County—Snow Storms—Stock Feeders—Stock Breeders—Importers Op Fine Horses—Fire Department Of Seward—Money Paid Teachers By Various Districts In 1887—Milford Newspapers—Troop A, Nebraska National Guards—Notes From Diaries Of K. L. Ellis And Hon. Thos. Graham, Kept In 1858 To 1883. Chapter X Churches - Adventists, Seventh Day - Amish Menonnites - Baptist Missionary - Congregationalists - German Evangelical Friends - German Evangelical Lutheran - Methodist Protestant - United Brethern - Presbyterian - Methodist Episcopal - Predestinian Baptist Chapter XI G.A.R. - Seward Post No. 3 - Winslow Post No. 56 - Keenan Post No. 137 - Masonic - Oliver Lodge No. 38 - Utica Lodge No. 96 - I.O.O.F. - Utica Lodge No. 101 - Seward Lodge No. 26 - W.C.T.U. of Seward - Ancient Order United Workmen - Seward Lodge No. 16 Chapter XII Lancaster County - Its Growth and Programs Since the Location of the State Capital Within its Bounds in 1867 - State Institutions - Educational Instituations - Railroads - Business Enterprise - Organization and Political History Chapter XIII Tributes to the Memory of our Departed Friends and Fellow Pioneers- K. T. Gale, Rev. J. M. Young, David Imlay, Sen., Mrs. J. F. Duncan, Mrs. B. T. Walker, Mrs. Adaline LiniDsay, Mrs. Mary H. Wallick, Abram Courtwrioht, Milton Langdon. Mrs. Anne Langdon, Rev. A. J. Combs, Stites Wooley, Wm. Hageman, Mrs. Margaret Boyes, Samuel Manley, Roger Cooper, Mrs. Mary Stanwood, Mrs. E. D. Donalson, Mrs. E. W. Bofurton, Wm. Morris, Roland Reed, Rev. J. B. Mitchell, Jasper Roberts, Stephen Payne, Rev. O. D. Cone, E. M. Spear, F. S. Johnson, Wm. H. Reed, Rev. E. L. Clark, Mrs. L. M. Bacrelder, Rev. Abram Towner, Mrs. Jane Snodgrass, Mrs. Amos Coleman, Rev. T. N. Skinner. Chapter XIV Men Who Have Acted Well Their Part in Developing the County, and Who Have Distinguished Themselves by Untiring Efforts in Behalf of Her Interest and Advancement. Chapter XV List of State Officers, U.S. Senators, Representatives in Congress, and U.S. Marshalls from the Organization of the Territory up to the Present Time This page last modified: Tuesday, May 30, 2000