I was born in North Platte, Nebraska, and lived there until a few months after I turned 15. Though the railroad, Buffalo Bill, and placenames that included “Sioux” and “Pawnee” were part of the background of my life, I don’t remember learning anything about the early days of Nebraska, Lincoln County, or North Platte in school… Mike Goad, August 1, 2012
1869 Windmill at North Platte Station, photo by William Henry Jackson1.
article from Condensed History of the Construction of the Union Pacific Railway2
compiled by Joseph Nichols.
Note: This material from the 19th century is unedited and may present some information in language that today would not be acceptable. Some of the information may be in error and the compiler certainly plagiarized other sources. As an editor of History Nebraska, David Bristow, writes, works such as this are”…written from somebody’s limited perspective, and the passage of time has a way of revealing our blind spots.”3
The town of North Platte is located between the North and South Platte Rivers, in the triangle just above the forks, and on the Union Pacific Railroad just about half way across the county from east to west. The town was laid out in November, 1866, by Gen. G. M. Dodge, for the Union Pacific Railroad about the time of the completion of the road to this point. The first building erected here was about this time, and constructed of cedar logs. This was erected as a store by Peniston & Miller, and (in 1882) is still standing and is located on the corner of Locust and Front streets.
During November, 1866, the Union Pacific Railroad was completed to North Platte, and a town was laid here by the Railroad Company, though the plat of the town was not filed in the office of the County Clerk until the 31st of the following January. This town was made the terminus of the railroad until the following year. As soon as the town was laid out, it began to grow with rapidity, and the government at once made it a military post, and a garrison of soldiers was stationed here.
Previous to the Fall of 1866, cattle raising had not been carried on to any extent, owing to the danger from Indians. About this time, however, M. H. Brown, Nathaniel Russell and Peniston & Miller brought in herds, and this may be said to be the beginning of the vast stock raising business carried on here at the present time.
Early in 1867, the Railroad Company began the erection of their machine shops and round houses at North Platte. Until this time property in the county had not been assessed. In April of this year, at a meeting of the County Commissioners, the Sheriff was ordered to assess all property in the county. The Railroad was in the Spring completed to Julesburg, and the terminus removed to that point.
During this year a freight train was wrecked and plundered by the Indians. A band of them stationed themselves along the track, after having torn up the rails. A portion of the train men were killed, but some escaped. The Indians plundered the train, taking everything they cared for, and ornamenting themselves in various manners, some of them tying entire pieces of calico to their ponies so that it would flutter in the wind; they then rode about in a wild manner, after having set fire to the train.
In September, 1867, the Indian chiefs were all called together to meet at North Platte, where they were met by the Commissioners appointed by the Government, to enter into a treaty with them. These Commissioner’s were Gen. Sherman, Gen. Harvey and John P. Sanborne, and a treaty of peace was entered upon. During the stay of these Commissioners, they were well entertained by the citizens of North Platte, which was then getting to be a town of some importance. Parties were given in their honor, and at a wedding which they attended, Gen. Sherman was the first to kiss the bride.
At a meeting of the County Commissioners, an election was called for the purpose of electing officers and to consider the proposition of removing the County Seat from Cottonwood Springs to North Platte. This election was held Oct. 8, and the County Seat was voted to be located at the latter named town. A total number of twenty-one votes were cast. The officers elected were: Beach I. Hinman, Representative; W. M. Hinman, Judge; Charles McDonald, Clerk; O. O. Austin, Sheriff; Hugh Morgan, Treasurer; A. J. Miller, Commissioner. In accordance with the result of this election, the County Records were removed to North Platte November 12, 1867. There was no court house at this time, and each officer kept his records at his own home, while the Commissioners held their meetings at the log house, used as a residence, of W. M. Hinman, who had that fall removed to North Platte.
The first term of the District Court was held at North Platte late in 1867, Judge Gantt then being the Circuit Judge for the entire State. Court convened at the Railroad Hotel, but there were no cases to be tried. A grand jury was impaneled, but no indictments were brought in.
It was during this year that the first county warrant was issued. July 1, the first levy on the Union Pacific Railroad in Lincoln County was made on assessed valuation of $49,000. This taxation the Railroad Company refused to pay, and the case was before the Courts of the State for some years; but the Company was finally brought to a settlement by the locking up and chaining of the railroad engines here, under a writ of attachment procured by the County Treasurer. This attachment and settlement, or rather compromise, was some years after the assessment referred to and after this no trouble was had with the Company regarding the payment of taxes.
During the summer there was an Indian scare, and settlers throughout the country thronged to the military posts for protection, the citizens of North Platte taking refuge in the railroad round house; but it amounted only to a scare, there being at this time no general hostilities.
In January, 1868, Charles McDonald, who had been re-elected Clerk , having neglected to qualify for office, R. C. Daugherty was appointed County Clerk. The first money collected from fines that was paid into the County Treasury was on February 4, 1868, when R. C. Daugherty, who was also a Justice of the Peace, paid in $21.50 which he had collected as a fine from a man convicted of having stolen an overcoat. This was the first money paid into the public treasury, and was the first contribution to the school fund, the laws of the State being that all money collected on fines go to support public schools. On the 23rd day of March , the County Commissioners established a liquor license fee, making it obligatory for all retail liquor dealers to procure a County license before selling their beverages in the County.
During the Spring the Union Pacific Railroad machine shops and roundhouses were completed.
The first school in the County was taught at North Platte during the Summer of 1868, in the old log building now occupied by Mrs. Thompson as a portion of her residence and millinery store. Theo. Clark was the teacher. The next term of school was commenced November 29th of the same year, taught at the same place by Miss Mary Hubbard, now Mrs. Gilman, who is proprietor of a millinery establishment at North Platte.
The first Sunday School in the County was at North Platte and was founded during August, 1868, by Mrs. Keith, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Cogswell, and Mrs. Kramp. There were only three children in attendance. This school was organized as a Union Sunday School, and has been continued as such until the present day.
During the year 1868, troubles with the Indians were on the increase. Attacks on small numbers of white men became alarmingly frequent. Several small parties were attacked, killed and scalped. On one occasion the men working on the Hinman farm were attacked, and five of them killed. During this or the following year, an incident is related of an engineer known as Dutch Frank, running an express train. On coming around a curve with his train, he saw a large body of Indians on each side of the road, while a number were crowded on the track. Knowing it would be certain death to stop, he increased the speed of his train, and went plowing through the band on the track, killing several who could not get out of the way. In the meantime, his train received a volley of bullets from the rifles of the Indians along the sides of the track The front of the engine was covered with blood and the only wonder is that the train was not thrown from the track.
During 1869, these troubles with hostile Indians continued; but this county did not suffer so much as those farther to the south, from the fact of their [sic] being two military posts in the county. A great many small parties, however, were killed, and stock and horses run off by the Indians, and many depredations committed. Fort McPherson was the base of operations for the soldiers, and it may be well here to give an account of the expedition of General Carr, from Fort McPherson during this year. General Carr had only recently been placed in command here. The great troubles with the Indians at this time were in the Republican Valley, though whenever an opportunity occurred depredations were committed in this county. Beside the regular soldiers, the most of them belonging to the cavalry, was a band of some 300 Pawnee Indians, under command of the young and popular Major Frank North. Besides these was a band of scouts, under command of Buffalo Bill, who was chief and under whose guidance pursuits after the Sioux was made. It must be understood by the reader that the Pawnees and Sioux were inveterate enemies, therefore it will be easy to understand that the Pawnees would enter into the fight with zeal and earnestness and being well acquainted with the Indian mode of warfare, that they would be able to render invaluable services in these campaigns against the Sioux. This band was organized by Major North in 1867, under orders from Gen. Auger, and by this time they had become so thoroughly drilled as to understand thoroughly what was required of them, and any command by their admired young leader But in their appearance and modes of dress, they could only appear like the wild and untutored Indians that they really were. To show to the reader how they appeared, when they by special endeavor tried to show themselves to advantage as soldiers, we can do no better than to quote from autobiography of Buffalo Bill ( W. F. Cody), who was at that time chief of scouts at Fort McPherson. In depicting a grand review of the soldiers, he described the Pawnees as they appeared at a military inspection, as follows: “The Pawnee scouts were also reviewed, and it was very amusing to see them in their full regulation uniform. They had been furnished with regular cavalry uniform and on this parade some of them had their heavy overcoats on (in summer); others their large black hats, with all the brass accoutrements attached; some of them wore pantaloons, and others only wore breech clouts. Others wore regulation pantaloons, but no shirts, and were bareheaded; others again had the seats of their pantaloons cut out, leaving only leggings. Some wore brass spurs, but had neither boots or moccasins. With all this melange of oddity, they understood the drill well for Indians. The commands, of course, were given to them in their own language, by Major North, who could talk it as well as any full blooded Pawnee.”
In the summer of 1869, Gen. Carr started out in pursuit of the Sioux , with several companies of United States troops, and with the band of Pawnees just described. The Sioux were then in the Republican Valley country but Gen. Carr came up to them on that extent of country lying between the Platte and Republican rivers, they being discovered by Buffalo Bill and six Pawnee scouts, while Gen. Carr and his command were still ten miles back. The Sioux numbered several hundred lodges, and were on the move toward the Platte. Bill rode back to inform Gen. Carr, who followed them up and they were overtaken in the sand hills of the Platte, not having yet discovered the near approach of the soldiers; but they were on the move and took to flight, leaving their luggage and everything that would impede a rapid march. The Sioux, to puzzle their pursuers, here scattered, small bands striking out in different directions. The troops also separated into companies but followed the general direction of the Platte River. Darkness coming on, the camp was made on the Platte River, but early in the morning the troops were on the move, each company striking out on a different trail. One company soon came up with a band of 100 Indians, who saved themselves by flight. After passing a short bend in the river, the tracks were observed to come together. Several companies of soldiers joined each other here also. On the third day, 600 Sioux warriors were discovered close to the Platte, by the division with Buffalo Bill. The soldiers immediately sought to shelter themselves in the ravines near the Platte. There was plenty of time, as the Indians seemed to be in no hurry to begin the attack. But at last a simultaneous assault was made on both sides, but the position of the soldiers was too secure for them to be dislodged, and their loss was but slight. Many of the Indians were killed, among them the famous Sioux chief Tall Bull, who fell a victim to the unerring aim of Buffalo Bill. Several days after, Gen. Carr, with his entire command, started out on the Indian trail. Soon coming up with the Sioux, who had by this time all come together again, a battle was fought at Summit Springs, Sunday July 11, 1869. This battle was short but decisive. Many soldiers and Pawnees were killed; while on the other side, more than six hundred Sioux were killed, including many of their bravest warriors. A large number of ponies were captured, and several hundred squaws were made prisoners.
Though this fight did not occur in Lincoln County, we give its description space here, as this was the headquarters and base of operations for the United States troops; and this battle put an end, practically, to the Indian war. The Sioux were completely broken down, and the troubles along the entire line of the Union Pacific Railroad in Nebraska were at an end. Though many depredations were committed afterward, they were confined to attacks on small numbers of settlers or herders, and to the stealing and running off of horses and cattle. Of course, many skirmishes were afterward had with the Indians, but they were of a nature common to an Indian country, where the Indians are kept in subjection by fear, but not of sufficient importance to be called battles.
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- U.S. Geological Survey; photo “from 1869 taken at the North Platte Station in Lincoln County, Nebraska. At this point the Platte River ran through an almost entirely treeless plain, with but very few objects in nature to relieve the dead monotony, so that the windmills, which occurred at nearly all the stations, for the purpose of raising water to the tanks, formed a very prominent feature in the landscape. In the photo you can also see William Henry Jackson’s signature just below the first Union Pacific Railroad car.
- Photo credit: William Henry Jackson
- Nichols, Joseph. Condensed History of the Construction of the Union Pacific Railway. Omaha, Nebr: Klopp, Bartlet & Co., 1892.
- Much of this material appears to be plagiarized from Andreas’ History of the State of Nebraska, first published in 1882 by The Western Historical Company, A. T. Andreas, Proprietor, Chicago, IL.
- Bristow, David, ed. “No Mob? No Riot? What Really Happened When North Platte Forced Black Residents to Flee.” History Nebraska, July 30, 2020. https://history.nebraska.gov/blog/no-mob-no-riot-what-really-happened-when-north-platte-forced-black-residents-flee. accessed August 1, 2021
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Interesting history. Such details were not part of the lore of the Westerns neither in books nor in the movies. Seems to be quite a flourishing town now.
Ramana Rajgopaul recently posted…A Great Tribute.
It’s surviving, mainly, I think, because it is the largest town in the region and because of the railroad and being a transportation hub with the interstate highway passing through. The population is about the same as it was when I left. The route the railroad took was basically the same as all of the major emigrant trails at this point — and the Poney Express — the Great Platte River Road.
Mike Goad recently posted…North Platte Early Days