Methodist Church Logan County pioneers were no more than nicely settled when they realized needed Christian affiliations. The first church organization of which we have a definite date was that of the Methodist Episcopal church of Gandy. Articles of incorporation were filed on Feb. 3, 1888, and the following trustees were appointed; Loami Lloyd, Leroy Karn, J. Gandy, D.S. Chappell, I.N. Froman, The first pastor to be mentioned in the record was the Rev. Mr. Derryberry. The Methodists did not build a church at this time. The Presbyterians erected a small building in 1889 and this was used by both organizations; neither was able to have a pastor all the time. They were fortunate when they had a leader of either faith. The Methodist Church that stands in Gandy today was built in 1907. (pg 40) Presbyterian Church On July 8, 1888, the Rev. Thomas L. Sexon effected organization of the Presbyterian Church. W. Quincy Mahan, Albert Sawyer, G.C. Beckwith, and F.H. Palmer were elected trustees. On April 8,1905, during the Sunday School session, fire destroyed the church building. A new building was erected five years later. This building was moved to Stapleton in 1912 and on Dec. 21, 1930, it was destroyed by fire. In the summer of 1931 a beautiful brick church was erected. It serves as a community church for all the Protestants of the Stapleton territory. Catholic Church In the year 1884, the first German Catholic family, John Brosius, settled in what is now Logan County. A year or so afterwards more families of the same decent and faith followed: Schrader, Beckers, Polzkills, Karns, Walzs, Beckius, Kramers and Santos. Father Conway, pastor of the North Platte church, celebrated the first Mass in a sod house in Logan County, in the home of the John Brosius family. Those early pioneers erected a little church at Gandy in 1888, but because of the scarcity of priests in Nebraska and difficulties of travel, they were unable to have a priest more than a few times a year. However, on every Sunday all those loyal Catholic families gathered at the little church to recite prayers. With the establishment of Stapleton a spacious and beautiful church was erected in 1913, and the town has had a resident pastor since 1914. The Haskell ranch is one of the oldest in the county, having been established in 1883 under the name of J.T.S. Stewart, Riley E. "Cap" Haskell, and Lew Williams. In 1885 Dan Haskell came into the company. The C.T. Stewart Company dissolved in 1893 and the present Milldale Farm and Livestock improvement Company was formed with John T. Stewart, C.T. Stewart, and Dan Haskell as members. Both John T, and C.T. Stewart, father and son, were Council Bluffs businessmen, and management of the ranch has always been under Haskell supervision. Dan Haskell entered the cattle business in 1876 when he bought 100 yearling heifers for $700. The ranch now consists of 25.000 acres of deeded and leased land. EARLY MERCHANTS IN THE AREA: Wilson F. Smee appears to be the first store keeper, having started in 1884 at Logan and the next and last at Logan being F.A. Clark. In Gandy, George Samson seems to have been the first, afterward Samson and Merritt, S.R. Chappell, later Chappell and Brewer; J.P. Gandy and Co., Roy H. Stewart; W.T. Banks; Nelson and Nelson, Richard Hoagland, Kibby, J.E. Honey, Honey and Harrington, W.A. Mansfirle; W.L. Graham, Ensigh and Hill, C.A. Callender, W. Mansfield and Co., George V. Hill, McCain and Newkirk, H.A. Tunnell, Draper Tappen. DRUGGISTS: Leroy Karn, Dr. Joseph Lee; Douglas and Co., D.N. Callender, Eckert and Eckert, later W.H. McLeay, J.S. McLeary, Neale and Stone. PHYSICIANS: At Gandy--Dr. Joseph Lee, Dr. Burbank, Dr. Jones, Dr. McKee, Dr.Hargrave, Dr. McLeay and Dr. Carr of Stapleton. ATTORNEYS: J.E. Morrison, Albert A. Sawyer, James W. McSay, J.D. Towell, F.R. Hogeboom, C.D. Shrader, L.A. Seeley, Wales Frank Severance, B.H. Mitchell and J.S. Hoagland, Later one being J.M. Paul, B.F. Johnson and W.E. Hill of Gandy and Henry E. Dress of Stapleton and W.L. Dudley. RAILROADS: Articles filed but never built. May 11, 1886--Grand Island and Wyoming Central Railroad Co. A Burlington Branch. Nov. 9, 1900--Callaway, Loup Valley and Northern Railroad Company. 1892--Kearney and Black Hills Railroad, a branch of the Union Pacific. Great many right-of-ways secured but that is as far as it went. The branch ended at Callaway. In 1911 the people between Callaway and what is now Stapleton made a proposition to donate the right of way to the Union Pacific if it would construct the line, which was accepted, then by popular subscription funds were raised to pay land owners for the right of way taken and the railroad was constructed. It was finished to Stapleton in May, 1912, but regular train service was not put on until July.
