ROCK CREEK PRECINCT

   There is no town or railroad in this precinct. Rock Creek Precinct is bounded on the north by Chapman, on the east by Richland, on the south by Lancaster County, and on the west by Oak Creek.

   In 1869, the township was divided into four districts. A sod schoolhouse was built on section 26, on the land of James Kelly. In 1870, a school was opened with John McGee as teacher, which was the first school established in the precinct. In 1871, a second sod schoolhouse was erected on Section 10, and during the winter a school was maintained with David Murch, afterward County Commissioner, as teacher. In 1872, the township issued its bonds and built four frame schoolhouses. The first school officers after the organization were: S.G. Chaney, Director; John Harrell, Moderator; and B.F. Omdorff, Treasurer.

   Rev. Mr. Davis was the first minister to visit the precinct in 1870, and continued to preach at intervals until 1873. He organized a class of the Methodist Church in 1870. During the winter months services were held in the dug-outs and sod houses of the settlers, and in the summer at Ingram's grove. A Baptist Church was organized in the latter part of 1870, and in 1871 Rev. Colts organized a class of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Up to the winter of 1871, the deer were plentiful, but they disappeared shortly after.

   Listed below are some of the prominent farmers in the precinct in the beginning of the early 1900's.

   Last Names -- Ahl, Anderson, Beaman, Benes, Bengtson, Bennett, Binder, Bookwalter, Bouc, Brachateck, Brich, Brostrom, Burkman, Butts, Carlson, Cejka, Craven, Danielson, Dolezal, Dooley, Dougherty, Dristy, Dvoracek, Eklund, Ethell, Evans, Gustafson, Hakel, Hanson, Harrell, Hawley, Hedlund, Hellrich, Jaboubek, Jansa, Jelinek, Jirovsky, Jones, Kavan, Kennedy, Krafka, Lambert, Larson, Lukas, Lundgren, McCutcheon, Magnuson, Marshall, Mattson, May, Meldon, Medler, Miller, Millington, Mills, Nelson, Nemec, Olson, Palm, Paul, Pecha, Pekarek, Princ, Raiter, Riggs, Rudeen, Sabatka, Seedlund, Senseny, Smith, Sodergren, Stanek, Stewart, Svoboda, Swanson, Tvrdy, Uher, Vanicek, Vanlandingham, Wagner, Wakefield, Walin, Walters, Wedberg, Westman, and Wondra.

   The precinct was organized Feb. 1, 1871. It was named for the creek which runs kitty-corner from NW to SE across the precinct. Rock Creek P. is six miles square and is bound by Lancaster Co. to the south, Oak Creek P. to the west, Chapman to the north and Richland to the east.

Harvesting on a typical Rock Creek Farm in 1982.

   W.L. Ingram located upon section 20 at the point later known as Ingram's Grove of black walnut and oak, about the year 1863, on the Overland trail from Rocky Ford to the Platte River. He also took up a claim on Sec. 2, through which the old trail passed and he maintained that as a ranch. G.W. Marshall and James Kelly settled in 1868 and John Scott, William Scott and Samuel Scott in 1869.

   There is no town in the precinct. It is composed of excellent farms. It is well known as a hog raising area.

   Precinct Officers 1983-87 Chairman -- Keith Duane Stewart, Clerk -- Adolph F. Tvrdy, Treas. -- Donald Ohnoutka.

Frank Caha farmstead southeast of Touhy.

School Dist. #49

   We children attended Country School at District #116 walking across the fields as there weren't direct roads connecting the school and our farm home. I remember getting so cold walking to school on bitter cold mornings that I would feel numb. Sometimes when we got to school, the teacher hadn't been there long and the building was so

Dist. #116

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cold we sat around the pot-bellied heating stove trying to keep warm. Other memories include red sumac growing on the schoolground in the fall and walking home in the mud in the spring, wearing four-buckle overshoes. I remember Christmas Programs at night with kerosene lamps hung from the ceiling for lights and box-supper socials. One of my first teachers, always special to me, was Estelle Raiter. At Halloween one year she brought Jello for a treat for us and real country cream which she whipped with an egg beater just before she served it to us. I shed many tears when she went to teach in another school and again when she was killed in an automobile accident in Omaha a few years later. One winter my dad fixed up an old sled which was pulled by a team of our horses, Daisy and Topsy, and occasionally we would get a ride to or from school in the sled. That was a treat! Bessie H. Voboril

STOCKING PRECINCT

(image links to larger map)

   Moses Stocking came to Nebraska and settled near Wahoo July 12, 1865, homesteading in the present Stocking Precinct. Moses Stocking was born in New York State April 27, 1813. When he lived in this precinct, he was very active. He introduced blooded cattle into the center of the county. He was very active in the State Historical Society. Many records of the county were reported due to his interests and time. He was a very prominent man dealing with agricultural affairs. Moses Stocking died September 30, 1881; leaving behind many written records of historical value.

   Today, many facts and dates about our precinct will be treasured by others in future years. Looking back to 1869, Pawnee Indians were found living near the southern limits of Wahoo. At one time 50 tent circles in the camp were to have covered four blocks. Their Indian burying grounds were located where the present court house is located.

   Sod houses were prevalent within the precinct in 1869 along with snakes. A big worry came to the settlers in 1874 when swarms of grasshoppers came into the county. Grasshoppers would be seen eating pitchforks. Sometimes piling up very deep, the grasshopper siege lasted from 2 to 7 days in the vicinity. Many school children were caught in the most destructive blizzard known as the Blizzard of 1888.

   Residents of Stocking Precinct, at the present time, enjoy the beauty of the rich, fertile land that is both flat and rolling in nature, along with the abundant and beautiful trees.

Top: Wahoo Creek Bridge south of town Bottom: A view of Sand Creek and sand pit

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