Mr. Peterson related the story of the famous horse race from Chadron to Chicago which has been previously referred to. Mr. Peterson stated that the famous Doc Middleton was sponsored by Troy Hale and that horses were obtained from the Jack Hale ranch in Sturgis, South Dakota. He said that Doc was disqualified because of some misconduct. this writer remembers Tim Preece telling that it was rumored at the time that Doc was accused of loading his horses in a freight car and riding some distance that way and came into Chicago entirely too soon.

Tim Preece related that Joe Dittrick accepted a big white horse from F. J. Hale in payment of a blacksmith bill. The horse proved too fractious to keep as a family horse, so he sold it to a horse trader for a nominal sum. The trader sold it for $1,000.00. The horse proved to be a good runner and was named "Honest Tom." The new owner proved less honest than the name and disposition of the horse indicated. The owner had to keep renaming it to get it entered in races as it was too fast for competition. then if you old timers will remember the little racing mare named Dolly B, owned by Mr. Preece during the time they had a racing circuit in Battle Creek, Tilden, Norfolk, Neligh, Albion, Madison, Creighton, and other towns, entered in a race at Battle Creek, set a time record which stood for many years.

Adolph Bredehoft, whose memory is still sharp and goes back to the 1880's says that early day horse races were run — sometimes on Main Street to the East, or another favored spot was from the railway crossing on "Depot Street" south to the intersection of the highway one mile south. He also remembers that at one time they had a circular track on the prairie across the road to the east of the Lutheran Cemetery.

A particular race he remembers is one in which Troy Hale had a horse entered. It was ridden by "Nigger Joe" (Battle Creeks' long time entire Negro population). Joe's horse was falling behind so that Troy rode along side of him and yelled, "If you don't win, I'll kill you." Joe's horse won.

By the turn of the century, many of the settlers had moved to town or vanished from the scene. Those who remained had reached the age of retirement so that a new crop of settlers appeared. some have been referred to in the preceding pages and many more deserve honorable mention. they and their descendants too have contributed their talents and efforts to build Battle Creek. Some came too late to homestead, coming in the late 80's and early 90's. They therefore bought out the first homesteaders. These included Fred Fuerst who purchased the Berend Lindaman homestead in Section 32 of Valley Precinct which is now the Albert Unkel farm. The Fuerst family included William B. "Billie," who has been referred to before as he became one of Battle Creek's early day merchants. About 1900, he helped organize the Battle Creek Telephone Company. In later years, because of failing health, he went to live with his son Billie, Jr. in Iowa.

Another member of the Fuerst family was Ed, who married

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