History of Nebraska United States of America

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Local History Notes:

NEBRASKA TERRITORY. This territory, the name of which is the Indian appellation for the Platte river, though spoken of daily in conversation, and mentioned constantly in the public prints, has in reality no legal existence; it has never been organized by Congress, and is therefore without any definite position or bounds. In a popular acceptation, it may be considered to include the region lying between the States of Iowa and Missouri on the east, and the Rocky mountains on the west. Since the year 1818, many treaties advantageous to the United States have been, from time to time, concluded with the various tribes indigenous to the soil of the region in question, as well as with those formerly resident E. of the Mississippi, by which suitable portions of the proposed territory have been assigned to them for ever, and the whole is now in their occupancy. Two attempts were made in Congress to organize a territory, by the foregoing title, viz. in June, 1845, and again in March, 1853, but in neither case with success. The territory proposed by the first bill was to extend from the Missouri river westward to the Rocky mountains, and from the 41st to the 43d parallel of N. latitude. That contemplated by the bill of 1853 was to extend from the western boundary of the State of Missouri to the Rocky mountains, and from the parallel of 41° to that of 36° 30' N. It provided that the rights of such Indian tribes as reside within the proposed bound, having treaty stipulations with the United States, shall not be infringed without the consent of such tribes, and only after ample compensation shall be accepted therefor. It will be seen by the above that the proposed territories were to occupy positions altogether independent of each other.

Objects of Interest to Tourists: Near 42° N. lat. and 108° W. lon,, on the head waters of White Earth river, and between Fort Laramie and the Missouri, is a remarkable tract or valley, about 30 miles wide, and perhaps 80 or 90 long, called Mauvaise Terres, or "bad lands," from its thin, sterile soil, which covered with only a very scanty growth of grass. The appearance of this region presents a most striking contrast that of the adjacent country. "From the uniform, monotonous, and open prairies, the traveller suddenly descends 100 or 200 feet into a valley that looks as if it had sunk away from the surrounding world, leaving standing all over it thousands of abrupt irregular prismatic and columnar masses, frequently capped with irregular pyramids, and stretching up to a height of from 100 to 200 feet or more. So thickly are these natural towers studded over the surface of this extraordinary region, that the traveller threads his way through deep, confined, labyrinthine passages, not unlike the narrow irregular streets and lanes of some quaint old town of the European continent. One might almost imagine oneself approaching some magnificent city of the dead, where the labor and genius of forgotten nations had left behind them the monuments of their art and skill." In one sense, this region is truly a great "city of the dead," as it contains, in the most extraordinary profusion, the fossil skeletons of various tribes of animals now extinct, particularly of the Pachydermata. Among others, there was found a nearly entire skeleton of the Paloeotherium, eighteen feet in length. Unhappily its substance was too fragile to admit of removal.

Biographies:

Eugene Jeremiah Hainer, representative, was born at Funfkirchen, Hungary, Aug. 16, 1851. He came to the United States with his parents in 1854, and in 1855 they removed to the Hungarian colony at New Buda, Iowa, where they continued to reside, with the exception of the years 1857-60, when they lived in Columbia. Mo. He attended Garden Grove seminary and Iowa agricultural college and was graduated from the law department, Simpson Centenary college, Indianola, Iowa, in 1876. He engaged in the practice of law in Aurora, Neb. He was a Republican representative from Nebraska in the 53d and 54th congresses, 1893-97, and was the defeated candidate for the 55th congress in 1896. While in congress he was a member of the committee on appropriations and was chairman of the committee on fortifications and sea coast defences. During this period the congressional policy which had obtained since the civil war of making practically no provision for these defences was changed and adequate modern sea coast defences were provided. He led the successful fight in the 54th congress against sectarian appropriations, was chairman of the Republican state central committee of Nebraska in its successful campaign in 1895, and was re-elected chairman in 1899, but for business reasons declined.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel G. Daily, delegate to congress, was born in Indiana in 1819. He removed to Peru, Nebraska Territory, in 1857, where he erected and operated a sawmill. He was a member of the territorial legislature and a prominent antislavery advocate. He was a delegate from the territory to the 36th, 37th and 38th congresses, serving from May 18, 1860, to March 3, 1865. He was appointed by President Lincoln deputy collector of customs at New Orleans, La., in March, 1865, and died in that city Sept. 15, 1865.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

James William Dawes, governor of Nebraska, was born in McConnellsville, Ohio, Jan. 8, 1845; son of Edward M. and Caroline (Dana) Dawes. His early education was acquired at the common schools and an academy. He was a clerk at Kilbourn City, Wis., 1864-68, and was admitted to the bar in 1871. He was a delegate to the Nebraska state constitutional convention of 1875; chairman of the Republican state central committee, 1876-82; state senator, 1877; a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago in 1880; a member of the National Republican committee from Nebraska, 1880-84; and governor of Nebraska, 1883-87. He helped to found Doane college, Crete, Neb., in 1875, and was secretary of the board of trustees from its organization.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William H. James, governor of Nebraska, was born in Marion, Ohio, Oct. 15, 1831. His father, a native of Maryland, and a tanner by trade, served in the war of 1812, removed to Ohio in 1820, and died in 1868; and his mother was a native of Vermont. William H., the seventh of eleven children, was engaged during his minority in farming, attending the district schools, clerking in country stores and learning the saddler's trade. He attended Marion academy two years, read law, and in 1853 removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he entered the law office of Bates & Finch, and was admitted to the bar. He removed to Sergeant's Bluff on the Missouri river and finally, in 1857, settled in Dakota county, Neb. He was married in that year to Louisa, daughter of David Epler, of Marion, Ohio. On Jan. 10, 1871, he was elected secretary of state, and was also state librarian, ex officio. On March 4, 1871, Governor David Butler was impeached and removed from office, and the vacancy was filled by Secretary James, until the inauguration of Governor Robert W. Furnas, Jan. 13, 1873.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Nebraska

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