TOBIAS, SALINE Co NEBRASKA
Immigrant Issue - Lincoln State Journal, Sunday 5 June 1887
Located in Saline County on the Burlington & Missouri Railroad,
sixty miles southwest of Lincoln. Population 0ne thousand. Tobias is
located in the southwestern corner of Saline County. It is situated in
the midst of the finest and most fertile region to be found in the
South Platte country. While we can't boast of our waterpower, yet we
can, with truth, assert that a finer location for a town is not to be
found on the face of the globe. Or one that affords better
opportunities for industries to locate in, such as a grist and
flouring mill, canning factory, foundry or farm implement
manufacturing or other manufacturing industries.
On May first 1884, Tobias was placed in direct communication with the
outside world, through the medium of the Nebraska & Colorado
railroad, a part of the world-renowned Burlington system. Prior to the
above date, merchandise consigned for Tobias was left some two and one
half miles east of here, or else shipped to Friend or Alexandria
thence freighted here by teams. But on that beautiful May Day the
inhabitants of our booming town gave a right royal welcome to the iron
horse and cargo of human freight and merchandise to our progressive
town. From that red-letter day in the history of Tobias we were
connected to the great commercial marts, not only America but of the
World.
For two and one half years Tobias was the terminal of the Burlington
& Missouri railroad. In the spring of 1886 this stub was extended
westward to Edgar and thence south to Superior. After October first of
that same year, we have luxuriated on two passenger and two freight
trains daily each way between DeWitt and Superior. On March 5,1886,
Tobias and Olive precinct voted aid to the Kansas City & Omaha
railroad. A line of track starts from Stromsburg, in Polk County, and
runs to York, thence to Fairmont, thence, southeasterly across Fillmore
County to Tobias and from here to Fairbury, Jefferson County. The work
is rapidly approaching completion. Other lines are heading this way,
via: the Kansas City, Wyandotte, & Northwestern railroad. We have
every reason to believe the Missouri Pacific railroad will, someday,
build from Crete to Tobias and thence to Warwick, Kansas and connect
with the line from that point to Superior and Hastings, giving us two
outlets to Kansas City, one north and the other south. The citizens
will do all that lays in their power to secure these two roads and
thus give metropolitan solidity to our railroad facilities.
Tobias was incorporated and vested with municipal and civil authority
early in June 1884, with a population of a little over 200. It has
grown, since then, into a town of over 700 inhabitants. It was
incorporated as Tobias because the post office was of that name, it
having been successively changed from Atlanta to Castor and from
Castor to Tobias. The present government of the village of Tobias is
invested in the hands of the following gentleman, viz: J. N. Bishop,
chairman, S. R. Nunemaker, F. P. Jones, J. F. Lippincot, S. G. Empey,
Dr. Thomas Butterfield and R. R. Brown.
The commercial industries of Tobias are represented by over sixty
different business houses, which may be briefly summarized as follows:
Two banks the First National and the Peoples bank, representing a
capital of $100,000. The former is the outcome of the bank of Tobias,
which a few months ago, enlarged into a state bank, and a few days
ago, organized as the First National. Both institutions are doing an
extensive and safe business. Two elevators, of the most approved kind,
handle all the grain brought to this market. Of course with the advent
of the K. C. and O. railroad another if not two elevators will be
erected and draw their share of the grain patronage of the farmers
marketing their grain at this point. The National Lumber Company has a
large yard here and enjoy a large patronage as does Messrs. Howard
& Lyman. The companies also handle coal in connection with their
lumber yards.
Five general merchandise stores. They carry stocks aggregating about
$100,000. Two hardware stores, one owned by S. G. Empey and the other
by Messrs. McDougal, Callahan & Sanders who have three other
stores. One at Friend another at Dorchester and the third at Beaver
Crossing, in Seward County. Tobias has two drug, sundries and other
related items. Three millinery stores, two meat markets, the hotels
are the Commercial run by Albion White and the Olive owned by Col. W.
H. Siep.
Three blacksmith shops, a brickyard now in full running order, a
livery and feed stable, Aukney & Butler livery men, Reid &
Kissell tonsorial artists. The Wm. Becker bakery and confectionery,
will open June 6 and fill a long felt want in our business houses. Two
wagon makers, a flour and feed exchange, a shoemaker who pegs away for
dear life to keep our soles from wearing out, a confectionery and
fruit dealer and a stock dealer are all part of the community.
Real estate has three representatives viz: Adam Bener, Stanley Larson
and M. Paugh who is also an attorney. Three physicians Drs. Carter,
Gundermann and Leproleau attend to the health of our citizens. Two
farm machinery and agricultural implement dealers Messrs: Babcock
& Moore and Denny & Pelur. The latter firm has a branch in
Scranton, in this county, take care of the wants of the farmers. Three
saloons dispense tangle foot to quench the thirsty and cheer up the
weary ones.
The annual amount of business done in Tobias, as near as your
correspondent can estimate it to be approximately correct is about
$500,000. Tobias has a large frame school, costing about $3,500 to
erect. Enrolled scholars number 194. Prof. S. S. Hull is the principal
and Ms. Morris assistant. The average daily attendance is 130 pupils.
The Tobias Tribune is the great and only religious and moral dispenser
of news and general educator published in Tobias. It has upwards of
1000 circulation and is run by F. H. Gilmore and edited by Dr. Thomas
Butterfield. The subscription rates are $1.50 per year. A creamery and
cheese factory is already built and will be in running order very
soon. It is as large again as the one at Crete.
The board of trade is a young institution but is actively at work
looking up new industries and enterprises and trying to induce them to
come and locate at this point. It holds regular monthly meetings on
the first Thursday in each month.
There are three religious denominations who hold regular services
here, the Baptists, Methodists and the Presbyterians. The Baptists
have already built a fine new church and seated it with chairs. It
will be dedicated some time this month. They offer the free use of the
church to other denominations for two years and the Presbyterians have
accepted the offer. The peoples Sunday School will also hold forth in
the Baptist church. The Pastors are Rev. S. M. Homey, Baptist, Rev. W.
R. Pierce, Methodist and Rev. Cooper, of Alexandria, Presbyterian.
There is the Jewell Lodge of A. F. and A. M. with a strong lodge, the
I.O.O.F. also a strong lodge. Daughters of Rebecca, J. W. Moorehouse
post No.188 G. A. R., Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Young
Peoples Christian Association are several organizations active in
Tobias.
Freight shipments, in carload lots, from April 1, 1886 to April 1,
1887 for various products of the area. These include Corn, Wheat,
Hogs, Barley, Cattle, Oats, Brick, Rye, Household goods, Apples, and
miscellaneous goods, total to 914 rail cars. Freight received, in
carload lots, for that same period, include many products such as
Lumber, Coal, Rock, Flour, Soft wood, Salt, Implements, Lime, Barbed
wire, Steel wire, Beer, Steers, Sand, Brick, Apples, Emigrant goods,
and Miscellaneous goods total to 251 rail cars.
Way freight (estimated) averages one and one half car per week or
seventy-eight cars for the year, ending April 1, 1887. These total to
1243 carloads handled through Tobias in the one year. In new
industries we want a gristmill, canning factory or any other branch we
can induce to come and join us in one of the best towns in the state.
