THE DAILY NONPAREIL. April 6, 1881.
"What a Nonpareil Reader Has to Say of This Part of the Country in the Pioneer Days of '41--A Correspondent Who Witnessed One of the First Burials in the Ancient and Disturbed Graveyard, Forty Year Ago--An Interesting Letter".--Avoca, April 4.--Reading in The Nonpareil the account of the old graveyard at Council Bluffs brought fresh to my mind of seeing one among the first interments in said burying place, nearly forty years ago.

Soon after the Platte Purchase was opened for settlement I, in company with another young man a little my junior, took it in our heads to go west. We left Franklin, Indiana, on the 25th day of August, 1841; came across the state of Illinois on horseback, and sold our horses at St. Louis; took passage on the old steamer "Boldangreene: on the 8th day of September for Ft. Leavenworth. Landed at the fort on the 22nd day of September, having been two weeks making the trip on a steamer from St. Louis to Ft. Leavenworth.

The officers in charge of the fort employed myself and my young traveling companion to carry a dispatch to the fort on the Block House at Council Bluffs. It was considered at that time a dangerous and hazardous undertaking for two boys to make such a trip alone. After the first forty or fifty miles we had to pass through a wild, uninhabited country, except by Indians and wild ferocious animals. No roads except Indian traces. (Did they go the high road in the bluffs, instead of taking the bottom road?--W.F.)

Although we got captured by the Indians near where Hamburg now stands and on several occasions we came near losing our lives by the large gray wolves, we made the trip on foot over two hundred miles in five days and one night and delivered our dispatch at the Council Bluffs Fort on the 2d day of October, 1841.

On the next day we saw a United States soldier buried with great pomp and magnificence with military honors in what is now called the "old burying ground" at Council Bluffs,. There was then only three or four graves in the cemetery. I think it would be well for the Council Bluffs authorities to pay due honor to those bones, for some of them one day carried the best blood of our country.

After stopping at the fort four or five days the government sent a train of wagons drawn by oxen to Heston (sic; should be Weston, MO, opposite Fort Leavenworth?), the biggest town up the Missouri river at that day, for supplies for the fort. We went with the train to Heston (sic), and on the 25th day of October took passage on the steamer "Ocionna" for St. Louis, thinking we had seen enough of the "elephant," and were ready to go home and be good boys.--(Signed) Geo. Bergen.

N.B.: 1841 would be only 4 years after the Platte Purchase was opened for settlement, but the vanguard of pioneers had poured into this new part of Missouri. By 1846, the Potowatomi head men and chiefs were complaining that many whites had settled just over the line on the south side of them, and were a bad influence on their people. In what would later be Fremont county, French Village was in existence near Hamburg, and The Half Breed Farms were being established near Bartlett....The block house at The Council Bluffs had been erected by a company of dragoons from Fort Leavenworth at the time the Potowatomi had emigrated into The Council Bluffs region in 1837....When that friend of the Mormons, Thomas Kane, came to visit them at Council Bluffs about 1845, he remarked that the sloughs he had to cross in the Missouri bottoms had been "bridged" by the army, which laid tree trunks in the bed of the streams where the bottom road crossed. (Kanesville was named after this man.)...
One more observation: If the road was but a trace, how could heavily laden wagons of supplies for Fort Croghan have traveled over them?--Walter Farwell
[submitted by Gail Meyer Kilgore, 01 Jun 2003]

THE DAILY NONPAREIL. January 8, l901. "IS A FAVORITE CONDUCTOR. John Surles Ran First Passenger from Ottumwa to Council Bluffs".--Carson, Jan. 7.--Uncle John Surles, the genial conductor on the Carson-Sidney branches of the
Burlington, is one of the pioneer railroad men of southwestern Iowa. He commenced work for the Burlington May 10, l864, and has never in that time failed to draw a pay check for work when pay day came around. He has worked for the company continuously during that time, and the only time he has really missed was during the winter of 1896-7, when he was injured in a wreck between Macedonia and Carson. He was the first conductor to run a train through from Ottumwa to Council Bluffs. He has been conductor on this branch ever since it was built and to the traveling public has come to seem as much a part of the line as the roadbed itself. He is known to
everybody--street gamin, old man, young lady, and the old auntie as "Uncle
John." He is the most accommodating conductor on the whole Burlington system,
and when he does finally leave the service his place will be hard to fill.

N.B.: John W. S-e-a-r-l-e-s (Feb. 20, 1839 - Dec. 23, 1917) made his home
in Sidney during his time as a conductor on the Burlington. Because of
his popularity, he and the Burlington were well publicized by the Sidney
papers. He was buried in the Sidney cemetery.--W.F.

THE DAILY NONPAREIL. Council Bluffs, Iowa. Dec. 1, l912.--"AN UNUSUAL FAMILY REUNION. Mother and Daughter, Separated For Years, Reunited on Thanksgiving Day. HAPPY HAMBURG GATHERING. Mrs. F.R. Moore Comes From Chicago to See Her Mother, Mrs. Clark--Were Separated When Mrs. Moore Was a Baby".--Hamburg, Iowa, Nov. 30.--The arrival of Mr. and Mrs. F.R. Moore and their 3-year-old daughter of Chicago at Hotel Julien Wednesday evening and the inquiries they made for parties, began the unfolding of a tale as interesting and pathetic as ever was told in fiction. A good story often begins with the grandparents, and so does this. Many years ago there lived in Appanoose county, Mr. and Mrs. William Rucker and their little daughter. They started across the country on a visit. In fording a swollen stream the team was swept down, the mother was crushed and killed, and the father, clasping the little girl in his arms, floated down till he struck a place where he could stand and keep the child above water. Vainly he cried for help till his voice failed him. After hours of waiting he was rescued but he later died from effects of exposure and exhaustion. The little girl was left alone in the world. In the course of time she went to Council Bluffs, and met Tom South, whom she married. It is said that after his death a girl baby was born. The mother, not being able to care for the child, allowed it to be adopted into a good family. Hence the mother and child were separated. The mother in time was married to Mr. Clark. The little girl child is now Mrs. F.R. Moore and the occasion of her being here was to find the mother, whom she did not remember ever to have seen. Mr. Clark and her husband came last week from Glenwood and are stopping with Mrs. Elizabeth Vaughan, mother of Jim and Neal Shoemaker and step grandmother to Mrs. Clark at the Jim Shoemake farm southeast of town. Only a short time ago the mother learned of the address of her long lost daughter and wrote to her. The daughter and her husband did not wait to write but started for Glenwood. On arriving there they learned the Clarks had come here and they followed. They found Willis Vaughan, who was going to Jim Shoemake's for Thanksgiving dinner and went with him, and there the joyful reunion of the mother and her daughter occurred

THE COUNCIL BLUFFS DAILY NONPAREIL. July 12, 1876.--Cyrus Herrington, a boy of sixteen, was accidentally shot at Bartlett, Iowa, on the morning of the 5th of July by a pistol in the hands of youthful companion. The fall entered about the elbow of the right arm, and lodged close to the wrist where it still remained as of the 7th.

THE COUNCIL BLUFFS DAILY NONPAREIL. July 12, 1876. "Hamburg. Iowa, July 10, 1876".--  (The following is a portion of a letter to the editor which appeared in  that paper.)

"....On the 6th instant I was at Bartlett in this county ......Among the old Settlers of the vicinity of Bartlett are John Hendrickson, who dates his residence from 1846; H. C. Kingsbury has returned to New York; Cornelius Feaster has moved to Missouri; Reuben Queen is now living at Bartlett; and Samuel Chambers  who died last winter.

"In 1846 Mr. Hendrickson spent about two weeks on the present site of Council Bluffs. He says a Frenchman, named Hildreth, had about twenty acres of as good corn as he ever saw near where the court house now stands. He sold his claim that year in to a saint named Alexander Miller.

"Mr. Hendrickson says that French and Indians of pure and mixed blood, of the Pottawattamie tribe, lived about Bartlett from 1838 to 1847. He worked for the half breeds, and found them honest and friendly, if you pleased them. They cultivated the land in patches. He traded a yoke of oxen and a wagon to a half breed for a cabin, seven acres of corn, a cow, fourteen hogs, seven bee stands, an old wagon, and all his plows, hoes and empty barrels. This claim was on Hendrickson's present farm, a quarter of a mile north of Bartlett.

" At one time in 1846, Hendrickson was out of flour, and short of funds, but made a raise by taking a wagon load of watermelons to an Indian payment at Trader's Point. In those days the feathered tribe was extra plentiful; swamp black birds came in clouds, cranes, pelicans, geese, swan; magpies, abounded. The growing crops had to be guarded against the raids of blackbirds and geese. The cattle lived on the rushes in the winter time, and the grass started early in the spring.

"Hendrickson says that Mr. Kingsbury and himself were the first and second tax-payers in Fremont county. The receipts were issued at Austin, three miles north of Hamburg. Mr. Hendrickson is sixty-seven years of age; he is opposed to the whole I. O. U. policy, has never given a note or due bill in his life. I mention this merely as a fact; I do not cast any reflections on that venerable Benevolence, that candidate for the Presidency--Peter Cooper......"

The following are documents found in the National Archives, Washington, D.C., on Microcopy M-234, Roll 302. This roll was entitled "Letters from Fort Leavenworth Agency". They throw light on the role on the Fremont county area of 1847. There are five documents in all, so I am going to divide them into five "parts" although all should be headed with "UNITED STATES -vs. - JAMES ROLLINGS. Charge of introducing whiskey into the Indian Country and Selling some of the same to the Indians".

"Deposition of Pe-shesh-won, an Indian belonging to the Pottawatamie nation, being duly sworn desposeth and saith THAT on the fourth day of June 1847, a white man now present calling himself James Rollings, sold to this deponent about one quart of whiskey--for which deponent gave to said Rollings one cotton shawl, value one dollar. The whiskey was sold to said deponent near Muchettoe Creek bridge on the road from Hunsuckers ferry to the Council Bluffs sub-agency. That said Rollings had in his possession when he sold this deponent said whiskey 2 wagons in which he carried the whiskey.

"Sworn to and subscribed before me this date above written.--his -- PE-SHESH-WON -- mark.

"R.B. Mitchell, Indian Sub-agent."

N.B.: Mosquitoe Creek bridge was southeast of present day Council Bluffs where that creek enters the Missouri river flood plain...In the 1930's, I think I remember a community there called "Carterville"......Hunsaker's ferry was in present day Fremont county about two miles above Hamburg, Iowa. The early post office called "Austin" was just to the west of the Hunsaker ferry over the Nishnabotna. By this date, I think Archibald Argyle had purchased it from the Hunsakers....W.F.

COUNCIL BLUFFS SUB-AGENCY. June 4, 1847.--"Deposition of William Southard, a white man, taken this 4th day of June 1847. William Southard this deponent being duly sworn saith THAT on the second day of June 1847, I entered into the Indian Country near Street Rice's in company with James Rollings, And that said Rollings had in his possession a waggon and team of oxen which is the same waggon and team now taken in the possession of R.B. Mitchell, the Sub - Agent. And that said Rollings brought across the line into the Indian Country a few gallons of whiskey--say between two and three gallons. That on the Indians lands I saw said Rollings give to a man that I believed to be a half breed some whiskey.

"And further this deponent saith not. Sworn to the date above written.--William Southard.

"R.B. Mitchell, Ind. sub-agent."

N.B.: Street Rice had an eating place on the west side of the upper ferry, located almost straight west of present Riverton, but below where the East and West Nishnabotna's join to form the Nishnabotna.....This means that Rollings DID NOT cross at the ferry (just above Hamburg) where most of the travel on the Council Bluffs - St. Joseph road was still crossing.....This area is in township 68, so at that time, would have been in Bluff township, Atchison county, Missouri....I wish I had checked to see if Southard appears in the 1850 Federal Census for Fremont county, as I seem to remember that name.--W.F.

STATE OF MISSOURI. County of Holt.--"This affiant, James Rollins, makes oath anays (?) that  on or about the first of June last he this affiant started from his residence in Holt County  for the Mormon Camp with a waggon and two yoke of oxen. The waggon was loaded with corn and bacon and some thirty or forty lbs. of flour in it. The load cost me some twenty five dollars in Holt County and this affiant took the Load with the intention of selling the same to his brother Mormons who were in much kneed (sic) of provisions.

"This affiant further states that he had with him in a jug about one gallen of whiskey which was all the spirituous liquor that was in his possession at that time.

"And this affiant expressly states that he took the Liquor along for his own use and not for the purpose of selling or giving any of it to the Indians, believing that it would be beneficial to his health when camping out in the wet weather, to have a dram.

"This affiant further states that when he had arrived near the Potawatomie Country on what is called the Musketoe Creek and within about three miles of the Potawatomie agency, he this affiant camped over night. And in the morning went out to get up his team which he had to do on foot and traveling through the grass and weeds had made him very wet up to his waste and when he had got back to the waggon he got his jug to get a dram and at that moment an Indian came up and requested me to give him a dram which he this affiant refused to do. But after long pursuading upon the part of the Indian he this affiant consented  and gave the Indian about a half a quart of whiskey for which the Indian gave to this affiant's boy a cotton handkerchief and afterwards took away from the boy.

"This affiant expressly stated that he did not give the whiskey to the Indian with any intention of violating any law or doing any wrong but out of charity to the Indian, believing that all he gave the Indian could not hurt any person and if this affiant erred at all it was an error of the head and not of the heart.

"This affiant further states that a short time after the Indian got the liquor of this affiant, that Major R.B. Mitchell, Indian Sub agent at Council Bluffs came and seized this affiant and took him and his waggon, team, loading. The waggon team and loading Mr. Mitchell took as property for confiscation and still does retain the same as such from the possession of this affiant.

"This affiant further states that he never did any trading with the Indians not even one cent worth except the aforesaid transaction.

"And this affiant further states that he has a wife and five small children to support and that the aforesaid waggon and team and Load was about all the property that he possessed and that he is in every respect very poor.--(Signed) James Rollins.

"Sworn to and subscribed before me this 15th day of September A.D. 1847.--John Collins, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Holt County, Missouri."

N.B.: Richard Elliott, the sub-agent after Stephen Cooper, established the agency cabins in the hollow where Kanesville was later built. Cooper's had built his agency cabin just south of what used to be Knox, Iowa, but retained the use of this building after quitting (or being relieved) as sub-agent. Elliott complained that this location was much too far south to be of good use to the Pottawatomie.-- W.F.

"This is to certify that I have known James Rollins for better than twelve months and I have had dealings with him and believe him to be industrious and strictly honest and know that when he started to the Council Bluffs about the first of June last, when his waggon and team was taken from him that he took with him a jug of whiskey which he said and I believe was for his own use and not for the purpose of giving or selling to the Indians or any other persons.  

"Rollins has lived in this county for about eighteen months or maybe not quite so long and has acted during that time like an honest man and a good citizen. And I believe that it would be an act of justice and charity to give him up his property as he is a poor man with a large family and must have done the act innocently and ignorantly.--T.S. Pollock, Sheriff of Holt Co., MO. September 18, 1847

OREGON, MO., Dec. 30, 1847. Dear Friend Hall: "Enclosed I send you papers which will show you that about the First of last June one James Rollins of this county had a waggon and two yoke of oxen taken from him by R.B. Mitchell, Indian sub agent at Council Bluffs, for confiscation. The papers will show all about the affair.

"I took some affidavits showing you that Rollins is a good honest man. Now sir, I want you if you please to take the necessary trouble to go the proper department at Washington city and try and get a remission of the penalty. This I am advised to do by Mr. Thomas Y. Garitt of St. Louis, U.S. Attorney for Missouri and he has had the case continued in the U.S. Court until the next March Term to give us an opportunity for the remission of the penalty.

"He said to apply to the Treasury Department. It is a small matter with the Government and a very large one with Mr. Rollins as it was his all. I can assure you that the people of this county would unanimously sign a petition to have Rollins' property released, and by attending to this you will confer a lasting favor on me and do Rollins and his family a great act of kindness--Let me hear from you soon.

"You wrote me from Savannah about the time you started for Washington but I have deferred answering not knowing where to write you until you would get there. You want me to give you the names of the Leading Democrats of the different neighbourhoods of this county. And I will now comply: Samuel Watson, B. B. Grigsby, Abraham Brown, Robert Nichel, Capt. Jasper, Daniel B. Holeman, John Collins, David H. Duncan, Y. V. Dickey, Lenes Helm, H. G. Noland, John Gibson, James Miller, John Wilson, Israel Beebe.

"There is an other matter that I would be pleased to have you attend to that is this George W. Kelly the post master at this place has gone into the Oregon Battalion as a volunteer and has left the office in the charge of Whigs and I am his security and don't want to stand any losses. I wrote to J. W. Brown on the subject but get no answer. I recommended John Dozier as a suitable person for Post Master. He is a good  Democrat and well qualified and would give general satisfaction. I hope that you will  attend to this at your earliest convenience.--I remain your sincere Friend. James Foster. (I shall look for Documents from you.)"

N.B.: The Oregon Battalion (so called) was stationed at Old Fort Kearney. Its engineer established new Fort Kearny at Grand Island;  and the Platte Valley  was purchased from the Indians  to be used as the Oregon Trail through Indian Country--hence it has been called the "Oregon Battalion".--W.F.

The Nonpareil, Sunday April 21, 1912

Cards of Thanks
We wish to extend our sincere thanks to our friends and neighbors for the beautiful flowers and kindness shown us at the time of the death of our father, C Scheidle.
Mr and Mrs W T Scheidle
Mr and Mrs H C Scheidle
Mr and Mrs W L Mitchell
Mrs. M Payunk

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil, Sunday April 22, 1912
Political Advertisement

Col. George W. Adams of Walnut, the well known originator and promoter of the Iowa Short Lines, announces his candidacy on the republican ticket for representative in the state legislature.  He is thoroughly progressive in his ideas and plans, and is one of the best known men in the county.

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil,  April 21, 1912
Ryan Will Probated

The will of the late Mrs. E. H. Ryan, who died at St. Mary's home a week ago, was formally admitted to probabte in the district court Saturday morning by Judge Wheeler.  The will makes a number of requests to religious bodies, among them beign several in Council Bluffs.

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil, April 21, 1912

Box Party
Miss Aileen O'Hara of the junior class of St. Francis academy entertained the class of 1912 at a box party at the Orpheum Saturday afternoon.  Among those present were the Misses Agnes Carey, Florence Thomas, Mary O'Connor, Julia Learning, Mary Daley, Frances Guanella, Marie Schoup and Rodua Hughes.

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil, April 21, 1912

Good Price for Land
A good price was realized in the sale of a tract of twenty acres of land close to the town of Walnut, the deed for which was filed in the recorder's office Saturday.  Mary A Gibbons sold the twenty acres to Ross O. Craney for $6,650.

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil, April 21, 1912

No Use - Alphonse Vouilloz, a Swiss with a poor knowledge of the English language, attempted to explain away his arrest on a charge of being drunk in police court Saturday.  Judge Snyder gave him $5 and costs.

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil, April 21, 1912

Mrs. I. C. Bonham of Tacoma, Washington visited friends in Council Bluffs and Omaha this week.  Mrs. Bonham has been the guest of her daughter at Jefferson, Ia.

Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Sheldon have returned from Hot Springs, Ark. where they have been spending the winter, they are guests for a few days of their daughter, Mrs. J. W. Mitchell.

G. A. Kenderdine of Iowa City is a business visitor to Council Bluffs.

Charles Field left Saturday for San Francisco and other western points.

C. E. Walters went to Preston Saturday.

Mrs. Swift and daughters of Ha-- were Council Bluffs shoppers Saturday.

Mrs. R. F. Gerke of Grand Island, Neb. is the guest of Mrs. and Mrs. J. Gerke.

Rev. A. W. Harned, who has been ill for the past two weeks, is slowly recovering.

Miss Mary Buckley is spending the weekend with relatives at Shelby.

Mrs. Jessie Martin will leave this evening for Saskachewan, Canada where she will spend the summer with sons.

THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD. Feb. 28, 1901. "Bartlett News".
--One of the oldest settlers now living in this section is Mrs. Robert Coster, who came to Council Bluffs during the great exodus to Salt Lake, Utah, in 1846. This family, however, did not cross the plains, but wintered near where Omaha now is and the following spring returned to Iowa and in 1848 settled two miles north of this place where they endured all the hardships incident to pioneer life; suffering from the cruelties from the Indians and having stock driven off by the roving bands of savages. Her reminiscence of events are inded interesting and profitable and can be recalled readily, leading the hearer on to enchantment. She distinctly remembers the agent, Sarpy and his wife, the agent being a half-breed Indian. Mrs. Sarpy died and was entombed in a log cabin with much jewelry on her person. Later a thief broke into the cabin, stole all the valuables and escaped. She located the place where the remains of old Waubonsie were and many other incidents of those memorable days. Her home is in east Bartlett where we hope the remaining days of this pioneer will be pleasantly spent. N.B.: I am thinking that the Costers stand a good chance of having settled on one of the farms of the Potawatomi (so-called) "Half Breed Farms" who appear to have sold out and emigrated to Kansas with others in that tribe....The State of Iowa did an archaeological survey of the Waubonsie's cabin and site in the early 1900 hundreds, and published their findings in the state's scientific journal.....I am also of the opinion that Peter Sarpy was a Frenchman from St. Louis, but I don't have those notes right now, so can't be sure.--W.F.
[submitted by Gail Meyer Kilgore, 01 Jun 2003]

THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD. Apr. 5, 1907.

--(1)  George Reeves returned last week from a visit with his brother G. T. Reeves in Pottawattamie county.

THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD. Feb. 15, 1917. "THE MITCHELL - ROSS WEDDING CEREMONY. Events Scheduled for Weeks Taken place at the Home of the Bride Wednesday."--Leslie O. Ross and Miss Margaret Clare Mitchell were married Wednesday afternoon in Sidney at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Mitchell, parents of the bride. The Rev. Dr. E. Dickinson, assisted by Rev. M. W. Lorimer, read the marriage ceremony. The bride was escorted to the improvised altar by her father, and J..R. Ettleman attended Mr. Ross.

The bride was dressed in a pretty gown of white silk crepe de chine, and carried a bouquet of roses and lilies. The groom wore the conventional black.

While the bride, a young lady of charm and talent, insisted that the wedding be carried out with modest simplicity, the house was beautifully arrayed in cut flowers. An alter was placed between two large pedestals, attractively arranged and prettily adorned with sweet peas and smilax. The entire residence presented an atmosphere of pleasing comfort and creditable for an occasion of this nature.

About 50 invited guest were present, many of whom were residents of other cities, some coming from Council Bluffs, Shenandoah, Farragut, Randolph, Anderson, and other neighboring towns.

Immediately preceding the ceremony, Mrs. J. R. Ettleman, sister of the bride, sang "Just for You," which was very appropriate and well rendered. To the strains of Mendelssohn's wedding march the young couple with their attendants marched to the altar and were united in marriage.

Following the ceremony, and after receiving congratulations from the guests, a dainty but bountiful two course luncheon was served to the entire party.

Mr. and Mrs. Leslie O. Ross, immediately after the luncheon, left for Omaha and other places for a brief wedding trip. As they left the home of the bride, as is usually the case, the friends of the young couple showered rice upon them and decorated the car in which they were to travel with old shoes and cans filled with rice. Upon their return they will be at home to their friends at the Leslie O. Ross farm near Farragut.

Miss Mitchell was reared in Sidney, was educated in the local public schools, with a college course at Galesburg, Illinois, superadded. She has always been a charming favorite of her circle of many friends, and compliments to Mr. Ross are in order for winning so talented and accomplished young lady.

Leslie Ross is also a native son of Fremont county, and among his warmest friends are numbered the best men and boys in this part of the state. He is an exceptionally bright young man, well posted on business lines, favored with honor among the business men and farmers of the county, and his friends are unconditional in predicting for him a future replete with usefulness and success for him and Mrs. Ross.

The out of town guests were: Mrs. Edward Singleton, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Ross, Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Ross, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Farwell, Mrs. Rachel Higgins, Miss Edith Higgins, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Higgins, all of Shenandoah; Miss Irene Mack of Randolph; Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Anderson of Council Bluffs; Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Hutchison of Anderson; Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Pullman of Tabor.

IOWA RECORDER, Butler Co, IA; Aug 10, 1910

Miss Mabel Welker, daughter of respected parents living in Council Bluffs, committed suicide by taking carbolic acid. Worry over the absence of her sweetheart, who left the city two months ago, is given as the cause of the young lady's act. She was still living when discovered and pleaded that her life be saved.

THE SIDNEY ARGUS - HERALD. June 8, 1933. "Thurman News".--(1). Mrs. Rose Mann and family are enjoying a visit this week from her sister, Mrs. Myrtle Reed, of Council Bluffs.

THE SIDNEY ARGUS - HERALD, Nov. 1, 1951.
RECORDS OF THE CROMWELL FAMILY  condensed by Mrs. Hugh Jackson.--Mrs. Cromwell was born Henrietta Hardin in Simpson county, Kentucky; moved with her parents to Independence, MO, in 1831, and to Council Bluffs in 1839. Her father was the Indian agent, or farmer (?), for the Pottawatamies. Returned to Independence in 1842; married Stephen Cromwell in 1842. Moved back to Kentucky; came to Fremont county in 1846. Kept a boarding house at Austin. Stephen Cromwell bought  the first lot sold in Sidney; built first hotel in Sidney in Bock D, about where Hotel Sidney now (1951) stands. While hotel was being built they conducted a tenement or boarding house in a log house near the present Argus Printer' s building. Later built another hotel  on the northwest corner of the square.--

Now, for 1856 and 1857. November 1856 was a beautiful month all through. December 1st it turned cold; wind in northwest; commenced snowing and did not cease for three days and nights. It snowed more or less for two weeks. By this time, the snow as at least twenty inches deep, and the weather very cold. I left COUNCIL BLUFFS with a two horse team and covered sled, with about 9,000 pounds on it. On the 16th of January 1857, it snowed pretty much all day – sometimes very hard. The morning of January 17th found me at WHEELER’S GROVE, 17 miles west of the old town of Morristan. The wind was blowing briskly from the northwest; sun rose clear with a bull-dog on each side of it. I started for home about sunrise. By three p.m. I got to Morristan (where was no house between Wheeler’s Grove and Morristan). When I got there, the thermometer at the north side of the hotel was 35 below 0. I got home about nine p.m. that night, considerably frosted, face, fingers, and feet. The Western Stage Co. ran their coaches by my door for 13 weeks on runners that winter, and part of the time drove over a stake-and-ridered fence in the lane west of my house. The lane was drifted full of snow and the fence covered out of sight, excepting occasionally the point of a fence stake. The thermometer went to 40 below zero at least twice during the winter at Lewis. I cut and hauled to mill a large lot of saw logs during January and February. The snow in the timber was from 18 inches to 2 ½ feet deep all the time, and frequently so dry and light from freezing that when you felled at tree from 1 ½ to 2 ½ feet in diameter, it would go through the snow to the solid ground. Walking in the snow was like walking in dry sand.

Turkey Creek was frozen solid to the bottom for some six weeks, so I could get no water for my stock by cutting through the ice. I lived some twenty miles below the head of Turkey Creek, hence the stream is of considerable size – large enough to run a saw mill in early times.

Judge BARNETT, now dead, and myself had a steam saw mill shipped from St. Louis to COUNCIL BLUFFS in Oct. 1856. The boat got as far as St. Joseph and left it there. The Judge took seven teams and went after it. They left St. Joe December 1st. It was raining and there was lots of mud. That day they got to Savannah. The ground was then frozen solid and terrible rough. As they came north, they met more snow and when they got within about 40 miles of home, the snow drifts were so deep that they had to put on two and three teams to a wagon to pull through. They then began to leave a part of each load. Some of the teams got home in twenty-one days from the time of starting, with a few hundred pounds on each wagon, and one team (four yoke of oxen with the boiler) was gone twenty eight days and got the boiler as far as Lewis. The mill was scattered for forty miles. A part of the time during the winter of 1856 and 1857, there was a crust on the snow and any cur dog could catch the poor starved deer. They would come into my cornfield, and even to the feed lot where the cattle was to get something to eat. Respectfully yours, Old Settler.

May 1937 - Newspaper Unknown

Sisters Celebrate Same Birthday

May 29 is a day of triple celebrations in the Walter P. Costello family, for that is the birthday of Mr. Costello and his two daughters, Rosemary and Betty.  In observance of her daughters' anniversary, Mrs. Costello entertained at-dinner for eighteen Saturday evening.  Rosemary celebrated her sixteenth birthday and Betty her thriteenth.

Pastel appointments and favors decorated the two dinner tables.  Places were laid for Leona and Betty Tollen, Patricia and Margaret Monahan, Helen Reisman, Lucille Nicholson, Mary Ann Sullivan, June Tague, Mary Louise Jensen, Gerry Bradley, Ethel Jensenius, Regina Green, Kathryn Grace, Betty Bunten, Betty Flynn, Harriet Runte and the honorees.

1937 - Newspaper Unknown

St. Francis Gives Diplomas to 29

Honors Awarded After Cememony

    Commencement exercises for nineteen girls and ten boys composing the senior class of St. Francis Xavier's church.
      After the processional of the seniors in grey cap and gown the Rev. Father Curtin and members of the choir sang high mass.
     Presentation of diplomas, certificates and awards was made by the Rev. J. P. Danahey, assisted by the Rev. Paul Marasco.
     The Rev. Leo Mulaney, S.J. of Creighton university, gave the commencement sermon, using for his text, "Be Humble Under the Mighty Hand of God."
     Benediction of the blessed sacrament was given by Msgr. F. P. McManua, following by the recessional, for which Eddie Butler, organist played.
     Miss Dorothy Ketcham, church organist, played during the processional.
      The boys and girls from each class of the high school meriting the James P. Danahey medal for the highest grade average in religion were:  Mary Que, Jack Ramsey, Betty Toiler, Richard Reestmann, Ethel Jensenius, James Kennedy, Ruth O'Neill and Kathryn Hitchcock.  The metal was awarded to Ruth O'Neill.
     St. Francis alumni medal for the highest grade average in English was merited by Angela Smith, Patricia Monahan, Mary Margaret and Kathryn Hitchcock, Rose Mary Costello, John Mathiasen, Joseph and Eugene Burke and Elizabeth Pelzer.  Angela Smith received the medal.
     Medals for the highest average in American history were awarded to Eileen Tierney and John Kentzel.
     The Mary Paschel medal for the highest average in religion by seventh and eighth grade pupils was merited by Helen Reestman, James Hogan, Lee Tollen and Ann Tierney.  The award was drawn by James Hogan.
     Knights of Columbus medal for the highest average in English by students of the seventh and eighth grades was merited by Patricia Hitchcock, Edward Pegel, Louis Runte and Harry Jensenius.  Edward Pegel was awarded the medal.
     Angela Smith was awarded the annual scholarship to Clarke Gorgas college, Dubuque, Ia.
     Delbert Case was awarded the Gorgas essay medal.
     The certificate and $5 cash prize for the best poster in the state in the national meat poster contest was awarded to Eva Kilibarda.

From the 20 years ago items in the Carson Critic, 13 Mar 1913:

Julia Flowers died at the home of Thomas Road in Carson early Tuesday. She left 2 children, Lew of Grove Township and a son in Nebraska, and a sister Mrs. Price of Carson. She was a pioneer woman of Grove Township.