Located in Thayer County on the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad-Seventy six Miles from Lincoln-Population Seven Hundred
The St. Joseph & Grand Island railroad in its course through southern Nebraska traverses as fine an agricultural country as exists in America. This is saying a great deal, but there is none to dispute it. The fertility of this section was known years before its occupancy by settlers, but like the rest of the inland country, it lay undeveloped until the railroads opened it to emigration. The completion of the St. Joseph & Denver City (now the St. Joseph & Grand Island) railway from St. Joseph to Hastings in 1872 brought the first great influx of population. The fine prairie land on either side of the line for many miles were soon homesteaded or purchased by thrifty husbandmen from the eastern states and from the overcrowded lands beyond the Atlantic and converted into productive fields and pastures. On the completion of the road, stations were established along the line at intervals of eight or nine miles, for unloading emigrant supplies. In the course of a few years these solitary depots were surrounded by thrifty villages, and from being mere "ports of entry," these stations became shipping points for thousands of bushels of golden grain and herds of fattened cattle.
Carleton is one of the most thrifty of these towns, and is situated in the northern part of Thayer county, 813 miles west of St. Joseph, forty-five miles east of Hastings, sixty-seven miles from Grand Island. It is beautifully located and is surrounded by well improved farms and ranches. It is in the very fertilest and richest protion of the great county of Thayer, and has for many years been the leading trading point for miles of country around. Lately, however, new railroads have divided the trade, so that the village is no longer the commercial center of so large a scope of territory, but that portion which remains is more thickly settled than when the territory was larger, and it is in many respects more substantial. For a corn and live stock country the vicinity of Carleton is unsurpassed. The general yield of corn is from forty to seventy bushels to the acre and small grains do correspondingly well, except in years of drought, which are exceptional and rare. The country is well stocked with thoroughbred horses, cattle and swine, and those of the farmers who pay special attention to the breeding and raising of live stock are making large profits on their investments.
The village itself has a population of 600 or 800, and is located on rolling ground so that it drains readily and the streets are never muddy except in times of prolonged wet weather. The town is incorporated and has an efficient board of officers. Sidewalks are laid along all the principal streets, and nuisances of all kinds are rigidly abolished and kept out of existence. The public schools are the pride of the community, and are kept open nine months in the year. Four teachers are employed the greater part of the time, liberal salaries are paid, andthe standard of the schools in every respect, is second to none in the county.
The moral interests of the town are further represented by four organized churches, the Methodist, Presbyterian, German Lutheran, and Brethren. There are also several temperance and literary organizations, and one or two secret fraternities. Carleton has no saloon.
The business of the town is represented by two banks, three elevators, two live stock dealers, two lumber yards, four hotels and restaurants, six groceries and general stores, two farm implement and machinery dealers, two wagon makers, two blacksmith shops, millinery store, harness shop, shoemaker, bakery, gunsmith, photographer, etc. The town also takes some pride in its newspaper, the Semi-Weekly Times, which although less than a year old was the first semi-weekly in the state. It is a six-column, folio, full of local news to the brim, and is the ceaseless exponent of the interests of the town and county in which it is published. The Times office is one of the finest country offices in the state and is the property of a joint stock company, but the sole management lies with the publishers, Livengood & Eisfeller, to whom the plant has been leased for a term of three years.
Within the last year there have been shipped from Carleton 470 cars of corn, 23 of wheat, barley 18, oats 14, rye 5, flax 3, cattle 42, hogs 27, horses 1, wool 3, potatoes 2, butter 1, miscellaneous 65, making a total of 670. There were received 71 cars of lumber, 60 cars of coal, 23 of merchandise, stone 21, cattle 9, hogs 3, emigrant outfits 6, total 193.
The population of the community is made up principally of people from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and New England. There are also some Germans in the vicinity. The morals of the community are exceptionally good: the people are temperate and industrious, and there is room for many more such. Good farmers and mechanics are always welcome adjuncts; and there are some fine opportunities for men of capital to start manufacturies. Carleton is the seat of the old settlers reunion of southern Nebraska. The reunion is held annually in the latter part of August and always attracts large crowds. Last year 5,000 people attended. This year an effort will be made to make the reunion a greater success than ever. The governor of the state will be invited.
It is not improbale that we will have another line of railroad within a year. The Rock Island and Northwestern are both being offered inducements to come here.
Situated in Thayer County-On the Burlington & Missouri and Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroads-One Hundred Miles From Lincoln-Population Fifteen Hundred.
Hebron, the county seat of Thayer county is located at the junction of the B. & M. and C. R. I. & P. railroads, and is about 100 miles southwest from Lincoln. Thayer county is one of the best agricultural counties in the state and Hebron is in the geographical and agricultural center.The county has within its borders ninety-three miles of railway; divided as follows: The Republican Valley road, nineteen miles; Nebraska & Colorado, twenty-four miles; St. Joe & Grand Island, twenty-five miles; Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska, twenty-five miles on each of which regular trains, passenger and freight, are run daily.
The first house upon the present town site was erected in 1870. The town was platted in 1869 with an area of eighty acres, with additions since made, it covers at the present time, 170 acres.
Relying entirely upon the trade of a rich agricultural country surrounding it and the small advantages of being a county seat, Hebron did not commence to put on metropolitan airs or assume to be third in the list of Nebraska cities, but was satisfied with a good and substantial growth until the advent of the B. & M. railroad, in the January of 1884. Then being afforded shipping facilities for her products and connection with the outside world, a new ambition siezed its inhabitants and from that time until the present its growth has been almost marvelous. In 1884 the population of the city was about 800, now it will exceed 1,500.
Improvements last year in new buildings and additions to those already erected amounted to more than $200,000. If the plans now laid for this year's improvements are carried out the expenditure will exceed that of last year.
Early in Hebron's growth its citizens began the erection of substantial stone and brick buildings and now fully one half the business houses are built on one or the other of these substantial materials. The frame buildings yet remaining upon the business streets as well as the residences are neat and artistic in design and are kept in excellent repair and well painted. Hebron has none of that faded, dilapidated look so common in towns where the citizens lack energy and enterprise. There is scarcely a building in the city that looks to be over three or five years old.
An idea may be formed of the amount of business carried on here from the annexed cummary of business houses: Groceries 3, general merchandise 4, dry goods, etc. 4, ready made clothing and furnishing goods 2, jewelry stores 2, boot and shoe stores 3, drug stores 3, hardware and furniture 3, hardware exclusively 1, implement houses 2, millinery stores 3, music store 1, harness shops 2, blacksmith shops 3, wagon and blacksmith shops 2, tailor shop 1, lumber and coal yards 3, photographer 1, dentists 2, hotels 3, restaurants 2, bakery 1, real estate dealers 5, insurance agents well represented, stock buyers 5, grain buyers 3, carpenters and contractors 4, flour and feed exchange 1, stone deatlers 2, brick yards 2, marble dealer 1, livery stables 3, ice dealers 1, pumps and repairs 3, sorghum manufactory 1, cigar factory 1, meat markets 2, billiard hall 1, laundry 1, lawyers 6, physicians 5 (?) planing mill 1.
The assessed valuation of the county for the year 1886 was: (Total does not come up right?)
Personal property......................................................$966,981.10
Lands..........................................................................241,819.00
City lots.......................................................................197,252.00
Railroad property.........................................................293,179.35
Telegraph property...........................................................1,660.75
Total value of all property....................................$2,406,002.10
which is about one-fourth of actual valuation.The live stock interests are shown by the following figures:
Horses.............................................................5,473.......................$14,575,600
Cattle.............................................................14,046.........................11,563,800
Mules and asses..................................................626...........................1,833,900
Sheep..............................................................8,070..............................459,300
Hogs..............................................................16,100..........................1,789,400
The above figures are taken from the assessor's books for 1886. This year's assessment will show a decided increase.No. acres improved lands....................................................10,984,537
Unimproved........................................................................23,371,678ACRES IN CULTIVATION
Wheat.....................................................................10,706
Corn.......................................................................58,696
Oats.........................................................................9,268
Barley.......................................................................1,984
Meadow...................................................................1,442
Rye..............................................................................668
Millet...........................................................................332
Potatoes........................................................................21FRUIT AND OTHER TREES
Fruit..........................................................................27,189
Forest.....................................................................358,651
Grape vines.................................................................4,405Ninety-three miles of railroad traverse the county. This mileage is divided as follows:
Republican Valley.................................19
Nebraska & Colorado (B & M)...........24
St. Joe & G.I........................................25
C.R. & N. (Rock Island).......................25Besides the other business mentioned above there is one one hundred barrel flouring mill. The building is of stone, and it, with the new roller process machinery recently put in has cost nearly $40,000. It is located upon the bank of the Blue river which skirts the south side of the city and which would furnish ample power for many other manufacturing enterprises.
Financially Thayer county is the peer of any county in the state. It has a good court house which is all paid for. No county bonds and county accounts, and warrants at par.
Educationally Hebron is among the best. There are three good school houses in the city and a large $20,000 high school building will be built this season.
Religious opportunities and advantages have kept pace with other matters. There are represented here, with good organizations, a Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, Christian and Catholic churches.
The civic societies are Masonic, Masonic Chapter, Good Templars, Knights of Pythias, Grand Army, Odd Fellows, W.I.C.T.U., United Workmen, Reform Club, Band of Hope and Home for the friendless.
There are four good, sound banking institutions with a paid up capital of $250,00. The loan and trust company has a paid up capital of $100,000. They are all doing a good safe business.
A building association is also in operation here with a capital of $100,000, which affords ample aid to those who desire to build and are not in possession of the necessary means to do so.
With the present railroad facilities and an almost sure thing of an additional road, together with the excellent water power afforded by the Blue river and the large agricultural resources and live stock interests surrounding the city, there is no good reason why Hebron should not become one of the most important cities in the state.