NEBRASKA STATE JOURNAL 1887

ATKINSON

Situated in Holt County--on the Fremont, Elkhorn, & Missouri Valley Railroad--Two Hundred and Twenty-five Miles from Lincoln--Population One Thousand.

Atkinson is the second city in Holt county in point of population and commercial importance. It is populated by a class of industrious enterprising people, who are ever on the alert for the interests of the town. In all the town they allow no personal matters to influence them to work to the detriment of the city. The town is in the center of the precinct of the same name. The country surrounding Atkinson is as good as any in Holt county and is settled by a good class of farmers who came into the country with money and erected good substantial farm houses and barns and are on the high road to prosperity. What has been said of the soil and natural advantages of Holt county as a whole can be said with equal force of Atkinson and surrounding country. The town bids fair to be a city of good proportions at no distant day.

The educational advantages of the town are equal to those of any place along the line of road. They have just completed the erection of a two-story brick school house at a cost of $10,000, which is a model of neatness and architectural beauty. The school is graded and in a flourishing condition. It is presided over by Prof. G. C. Hazalett, ably assisted by Mrs. Lasswell, Miss Delia Mills and Miss Anna Taylor, a Corps of teachers who are qualified in every respect and are giving the best of satisfaction.

The town also has the best of religious advantages. Like O'Neill, the Catholics were the first to build a church at the place. The old building becoming too small they are now erecting a fine new structure to cost $7,000. Rev. Father Englebrecht is pastor of this church. The Methodist and Presbyterian organizations have each fine church edifices, nicely finished and furnished throughout. The Methodist society also have a parsonage. They have a large membership in each church and are in a flourishing condition. Rev. T. W. Owens is pastor of the M. E. Church and Rev. C. F. Graves of the Presbyterian. There is also a Baptist organization here, and it too is in a good, healthy condition, although they have no church and no regular pastor. They have meetings occasionally in the old school building.

Atkinson is bound to get to the front in all things. She has a well organized board of trade, Milton Doolittle president, the first one organized in the county, which is doing much good and efficient work for the town. The citizens are inaugurating a move to divide the county in the center and thus give them a county seat and if they are successful it will give them a big boom. The Elkhorn river lies just south of the town and there is an unlimited water power here. It is being utilized only by a mill, which is doing a good business and is a great benefit to the town. All kinds of manufacturing would pay here and the citizens would gladly aid in establishing any and all enterprises of that kind. The town has the prospect of a new and large roller mill promised to it this year. The businessmen of the town are enterprising, live and wide-awake to their interests.

The business of the town is mainly represented by three banks, one dry goods store, two hardware, two drug stores, four hotels, three lumberyards, three coal dealers, six general merchandise firms, one flouring mill, one furniture store, two newspapers and two agricultural implement firms. The aggregate business done last year is estimated as $1,000,000.

The freight records show that there was shipped from this point over 100 cars of livestock and seventy-three cars of grain. The receipts amount to 140 cars of lumber, valued at $45,500.

NEBRASKA STATE JOURNAL 1887

STUART

Situated in Holt County--on the Fremont, Elkhorn, & Missouri Valley Railroad--Two Hundred and Thirty-five Miles from Lincoln--Population Five Hundred.

This is the third town in Holt county, is situated in the western part on the Fremont, Elkhorn, & Missouri Valley line of road, and is surrounded with some of the best land in this part of the state, especially south. In this region are some of the finest grass land in the state and the industry of making and baling hay is becoming one of much importance, so much so that large invoices are annually shipped west to the markets of the Black Hills and Wyoming. Stuart is one of the live towns of the state and is populated with an industrious thrifty class of people who are ever on the alert and readily take hold of everything calculated to benefit the town. The school is presided over by Prof. Lamb, who is assisted by Misses McIntire and Kimball. The school is in a flourishing condition and is a credit to the town.

Religiously considered, Stuart is fortunate. It has a Presbyterian and Baptist church, both having buildings and good organizations. Rev. Jones is pastor of the former and Rev. Abbott of the latter. There is also a Methodist organization, but they have no house of worship. Stuart's most important enterprise is her fine roller mill. She also has representatives in all the leading mercantile pursuits, and two newspapers, all of which are prosperous and flourishing.