Collection of Nebraska Pioneer ReminiscencesDaughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska
History
Collection of Nebraska Pioneer Reminiscences
Daughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska
Frontier and pioneer life -- Nebraska; Nebraska -- History
In the spring Amasa Warrick, from Cuming City, came to our home in
search of a teacher and offered me the position, which I accepted. Elam
Clark of Fort Calhoun endorsed my teacher's certificate. I soon
commenced teaching at Cuming City, and pupils came for miles around. I
boarded at George A. Brigham's. Mr. Brigham was county surveyor,
postmaster, music teacher, as well as land agent, and a very fine man.
One day, while busy with my classes, the door opened and three large
Indians stole in, seating themselves near the stove. I was greatly
alarmed and whispered to one of my pupils to hasten to the nearest
neighbor for assistance. As soon as the lad left, one Indian went to the
window and asked "Where boy go?" I said, "I don't know." The three
Indians chattered together a moment, and then the spokesman said. "I
kill you sure," but seeing a man coming in the distance with a gun, they
all hurried out and ran over the hill.
I taught at Cuming City until the school fund was exhausted, and by that
time the small schoolhouse on Long creek was completed. Allen Craig and
Thomas McDonald were directors. I boarded at home and taught the first
school in this district, with fourteen pupils enrolled. At this time
Judge Bowen of Omaha was county superintendent, and I went there to have
my certificate renewed.
When all the public money in the Long Creek district was used up, I went
back to Cuming City to teach. The population of this district had
increased to such an extent that I needed an assistant, and I was
authorized to appoint one of my best pupils to the position. I selected
Vienna Cooper, daughter of Dr. P. J. Cooper. I boarded at the Lippincott
home, known as the "Halfway House" on the stage line between Omaha and
Decatur. It was a stage station where horses were changed and drivers
and passengers stopped over night.
At the close of our summer term we held a picnic and entertainment on
the Methodist church grounds, using the lumber for the new church for
our platform and seats. This entertainment was pronounced the grandest
affair ever held in the West.
The school funds of the Cuming City district being again exhausted, I
returned to Long Creek district in the fall of 1867, and taught as long
as there was any money in the treasury. By that time the village of
Blair had sprung up, absorbing Cuming City and De Soto, and I was
employed to teach in their new log schoolhouse. T. M. Carter was
director of the Blair district. Orrin Colby of Bell Creek, was county
superintendent, and he visited the schools of the county, making the
rounds on foot. I taught at Blair until April, 1869, when I was married
to William Henry Allen, a pioneer of Fort Calhoun. Our license was
issued by Judge Stilts of Fort Calhoun, where we were married by Dr.
Andrews. We raised our family in the Long Creek district, and still
reside where we settled in those pioneer days.
REMINISCENCES OF PIONEER LIFE AT FORT CALHOUN
BY MRS. N. J. FRAZIER BROOKS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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