The location of the mill at Hebron in 1873 ws an important event for the settlement, as it was the "farthest west" mill in the southern part of the state, and farmers brought grist 200 miles, many from Bloomington, White Rock, Kansas; Concordia, and many other points.The mill ws built by Wetherald, Wood & Co., the firm consisting of Henry K. Wetherald (father of Wetherald Bros.), his brother, Edgar R. Wetherald, and brother-in-law, P.H. Wood, who came from Connersville, Indiana, in 1873. Some of the material was hauled overland from Marysville, Kansas, then the end of the St. Joe and Grand Island Ry. The stone part of the mill was constructed from material dug out of the quarry, nine miles east of Hebron. They put over $20,000 into the enterprise, and in later years it was largely expanded. An acre of ground and the franchise for the mill was donated by Isaac Erritt of Cincinnati, Ohio, editor and publisher of the Christian Standard, who owned the section of land north of the mill.
Isaac Erritt visited Hebron and preached in the sold school house. During one of his sermons, some plaster fell from the ceiling onto the head of a prominent citizen, who was enjoying a quiet nap until aroused by the blow that came like a thunderbolt from heaven. The indignant citizen left the room, notwithstanding the assurance from the preacher that "probably no more plastering would fall."
Charles M. and Frank M. Wetherald came from Indiana in 1874 to take charge of the mill and had a large part in the development of the community.
For years the mill bought wheat at from 5c to 10c above the market price, and brought trade to Hebron from outside counties. They used to ship five to ten cars of flour at a time to Chas. Kipp of Hastings, who had a large retail trade in territory south of there. Over 500 bushels of "gristing" was ground per day for farmers, while the mill ran day and night service.
Mr. Wetherald tells how a Mr. Hulsizer, up the river, used to bring his wheat full of sandburs. On going out to the man's place, he saw a rare case of ingenuity; to save the necessary fence, the poor man had tied a sow with a main rope, from which branched nine smaller pieces of rope, to which were tied the nine little pigs and it is needless to add that the sow and litter were pretty well tangled up.
In the early spring each year about 200 to 300 Otoe Indians would come here, trapping and hunting, and would camp on the west side of the river, near the draw, as late as '75 and '76, when fewer came, The had permission to leave the reservation near Beatrice, and would often get panicky in fear of the Sioux Indians, who also were given permits. The two enemy tribes were afraid of meeting each other on the Republican River.
The high waters often caused much damage. One time F. M. Wetherald went to the B. & M. depot and swam across the high water (about a quarter of a mile) to the mill, with a key to take care of the feed. Mr. Harwell also tried to swim across, but could not make it, and floated down stream to the wagon bridge, where he was taken out, more dead than alive, by Ed Past, with a row boat and pole. R. Ellison and E. M. Correll effected a similar rescue of Mr. Elbert, using a pole against the stream and letting the water push the canoe, instead of using oars. Mr. Wetherald and Mr. Elbert were on the west side of the river, opposite the mill, and attempted to cross in a boat. The boat nearly went down, and Mr. Wetherald took Mr. Ebert to some trees and started on across, but the boat went over the dam, and E. M. had to swim out. John Edwards was going to swim a horse in to get him out, thi king that, with clothes on, Mr. Wetherald could not reach shore, but he made it, fortunately, and did not even lose the hat off his head.
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