Immigrant
Issue
Lincoln State Journal,
Sunday 5 June 1887
Rushville
County Seat of Sheridan
County - On the Fremont, Eldhorn, & Missouri Valley Railroad
- Four Hundred and Twenty-six Miles From Lincoln - Population,
Four Hundred and Fifty.
Rushville is situated in the
midst of the best portion of the famous "free homes for the
millions country" which was opened up two years ago by the
Fremont, Elkhorn, & Missouri Valley railroad on its way to
the Black Hills and which promises to become one of the most
prosperous and populous sections of the state. The town was
surveyed and platted in July 1885 and building commenced on the
town site about the first of August. That is has been a
"boomer" from the start is shown by the record of
improvements of the past year and a half and the rapidly growing
importance as a trading point which it enjoys. On January 1,
1886, Rushville had thirty-four business houses and about the
same number of residences and on January 1, 1887, the Sheridan
County Sun presented a
carefully prepared review which showed that the round sum of
$80,325 had been expended in improvements during the preceding
year. This season's record will doubtless run considerably
higher, as several brick blocks are already either in
contemplation or in course of construction.
Rushville is noted for
possessing an exceptionally enterprising and public spirited
class of citizens. Her business men are ever at the front in any
line of competition and always ready to work harmoniously in any
project that is for the town's good. One evidence of this is a
regularly organized board of trade, including all of the
prominent business men as members and which is doing much for the
material advantage and growth of the town.
At the present time Rushville
had the only steam flouring mills in this section of Nebraska and
they have proven a great benefit to the farmers of Sheridan and
adjoining counties during the past winter. This is also the
location of the Indian supply depot for the Pine ridge agency and
much trade is thereby drawn from among the swarthy savages of the
big Sioux reservation. A large brick block is now being erected
which will be mostly used for county purposes, this being the
county seat of Sheridan county. The second floor of the structure
will contain a large hall for general uses however, and the first
story a couple of good sized store rooms. Resides the forging
important institutions, the town has tow brick yards, a broom
factory, five general stores, five groceries and restaurants,
three banks, six land, loan and law offices, two bakeries, two
drug stores, five hardware and implement houses, two tin shops,
two millinery stores, two boot and shoe stores, three blacksmith
shops, two liveries, three four and feed stores, one meat market,
two saloons, two wagon shops, one paint shop, two lumber yards,
two hotels, tow boarding houses, two laundries, three churches,
two barber shops, one furniture store, two newspapers, jewelry
store, music house, and news depot. Arrangements are now being
made for the erection of a $10,000 school building the coming
summer.
Although the town has made rapid progress since it started, yet it has no more than kept pace with the surrounding county, and there is yet room for successful ventures in almost any pursuit. Stock raising and farming is the principal industry in the country at the present time, but there are good openings from many lines of manufacturing industries and there is no doubt that they will be taken advantage of in the very near future. A canning factory is especially needed to take care or our garden and farm products, and many others of a similar nature might be established here with most satisfactory and flattering results.
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