At the age of 10 years I came with my parents to Hamilton County, Otis precinct, in the spring of 1873. We came from Minnesota. Had two covered wagons, some cattle, sheep and chickens. We were four weeks on the way, cooking our meals, sleeping in or under our wagons with hay or straw for a mattress.

We crossed the Missouri River at Plattsmouth on a ferry boat. My stepfather, Elias Farr, had come out the year before and homesteaded 160 acres for himself and 160 acres for me (a soldier's orphan). My own father, James Randall, had died in the Civil War.

On arriving in Nebraska the next thing was to find our land and this was not an easy task to do. There was nothing to guide us but a sod house here and there and our homestead papers with the townships, sections, and so forth. We finally reached our destination and found our corner posts the Government surveyors had put there.

My step-father soon had a one room sod house built. It was very comfortable except when it rained. Then we had to get out all the utensils we had to catch the muddy water. The railroad had reached Seward about 50 miles away.

With shelter provided, the next thing was to get in some crops. After we had some ground broken we planted sod corn, which was our only crop that year. But the second year we had a nice garden and other grain planted. Then came the grasshoppers. They looked like a big black cloud, almost obscuring the sun and they ate everything in sight, even an old red tablecloth my mother had left on the clothes line.

Grasshoppers were not the only enemies to our crops, for in the spring wild geese would come by the thousands and light on our grain fields. Many times I would go with my pony and dog to frighten them away and often they would be back in the field by the time I had reached home.

During the summer it was one of my duties to herd our cattle. They would wander for miles and I was to keep track of them. It was hot and tiresome and I would often ride off to some sod house for drink and to play with other children, forgetting my occupation. Then I would go galloping off across the prairie and find them in someone's sod corn, but with the help of my good dog, I soon had them started for home. Often I did not tell all of this to my parents -- unless I was asked.

We did some of our trading in Central City, twelve miles away, but the Platte River, a mile wide, was between us and town and there were no bridges. We often drove to the river, would leave our team, wade across or go in boats, and then walk three miles to town. We would carry our groceries back to the river -- perhaps a sack of flour, sugar, and other necessities -- get across the river again and then drive home, often late at night.

Well do I remember one particular trip I made across the Platte River. I was going to Central City to purchase a white dress to wear to an Aurora Fourth of July celebration. About one-half way over, our boat tipped and I had to wade out. But I dried my clothes, walked to Central City, got my dress, reached home safely and was in the parade with a gay banner for Otis precinct with other girls from the different precincts.

The first school I attended in Hamilton county was about six miles from my home, in the Walter Whittemore district in Otis precinct. I stayed in the Whittemore home. He was later county clerk of Hamilton County. My teacher in this little country school was A.R. Brownell, later he was the county judge of Hamilton County. My step-father was always supposed to come for me Friday nights, but if for any reason he didn't come I walked about six miles home. Later schools were built nearer home.

After a few years I decided to teach school, as teachers were scarce. I took a teacher's examination and received a second grade teacher's certificate, dated February 23, 1880 and issued by E. B. Barton, county superintendent of Hamilton county. I still have that certificate.

Then I was ready to teach a country school. My first term was in the Leymaster district, Valley precinct, four miles from home. I roomed and boarded with Mr. and Mrs. T.B. Johnson, two and a half miles from the school. Often when my day's work was done, I would look over to their home, but many times took the long road to my own home four miles away instead, for I was young and often homesick for my parents. Several of my pupils live in or near Aurora now. Sally Garhart (now Mrs. Cal Leymaster) and the two Ling boys, I remember especially. I also had two very dear friends in this neighborhood, the Reber girls, Fannie Reber (later Mrs. Henry Leymaster ) and her sister, Lizzie (now Mrs. Miexel). We were girls together.

My next school was in Rev. Joe Fye's district, Grand precinct. Miss Emma Fye and her sister, Cora, were two of my pupils in that school, and fine little girls they were. In the fall when I began teaching in this school, I rode a pony. Kept him lariated on the prairie and rode home Friday nights. Of course I always rode with a side saddle. I received twenty dollars a month.

We had to plan our own amusements and so had spelling and singing school and dances (mostly square dances) in our homes, often sod houses. Mr. T.B. Johnson was one of our singing teachers and we sang do-re-mi tuned to a tuning fork.

And then quite unexpectedly, romance came into my life. It was in the spring of 1881, when I went to attend a church service in a school house in our district. I met a young man, Harris D. Hall, who had recently driven with a team from his home in Monticello, Iowa, to locate on his father's farm in Otis precinct. He was introduced to me by his uncle, T.W. Manchester, a long-time resident of that community and father of Mrs. Walter Chambers, formerly of Aurora. After about one year's courtship, we were married on March 21, 1982, by the Rev. H.M. Giltner, Presbyterian minister of Aurora.

We went immediately to live on our farm in Otis precinct. It was rather a modest home -- a table, a few chairs, a small kerosene lamp, and a rag carpet sent as a gift from an aunt in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Alden, merchants of Aurora at that time, remembered us with a useful wedding gift, but we received some that were not so useful. They were two sterling silver napkin rings. We could have gotten along nicely without them but I put them to good use later when our babies came, to help them cut their teeth. I still have these two precious bits of silver.

Our home was eighteen miles from Aurora and we often drove there to do our trading and attend to other business at the county seat. We were up early, preparing for the long journey ahead of us. We drove along at as fast a pace as our little ponies could travel and usually put them in Jim Broadbent's livery barn for feed and rest, while we hurried about doing our shopping. I bought my millinery of Mrs. Robert Miller (mother of Mrs. Maggie Bell, formerly of Aurora) and Mr. Hall bought his clothes of A.G. Peterson on the north side of the square. In fact he bought his wedding suit there.

Quite different than our way of traveling today. A few weeks ago we left our home at York at eight in the morning, drove to Aurora, Marquette, our farm near Hordville, calling on several friends on the way, and reached home plenty in time for me to make a pumpkin pie for our lunch at 12 o'clock.

In 1887, we moved to Marquette with our two oldest children, where we lived in a small cottage, adding another room or two until we had six children. Joe Neptune, a carpenter of Aurora, added the last room. As he stood gazing at the cottage he said that it looked like a woolen mill with its many chimneys and other additions. But we were a comfortably happy family of eight.

Mr. Hall was one of the county commissioners of Hamilton county for three years in 1895-96-97. During his term of office the present courthouse was completed.

Our oldest daughter, Priscilla, now Mrs. H.W. Jones of Groton, S.D. was the stenographer for Hainer and Smith in 1899 and 1900, who were prominent attorneys of Aurora. Another daughter, Matie, was home economics teacher in the Aurora public schools in 1916. Our youngest daughter, Myrna Kincaid, is employed in Aurora at the present time.

My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elias Farr, are buried in Richland cemetery near Marquette.

So my life as a girl, wife, and mother has been woven and interwoven in and around Hamilton county and Aurora for many years.

And now we are left alone, just the two of us, with the sweet memories of our children in the home. We are happy in knowing that they are all respectable men and women.