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McPherson County Historic Overview
Physical Description
McPherson county, created by state legislation in 1887, is located in the southern
portion of the Nebraska sandhills. Primarily a ranching area, the county contains
grass covered dunes, lakes and marshes characteristic of the north central sandhills.
The county is bordered by Thomas, Hooker, Logan, Arthur, Keigh, and Lincoln
counties.
The Sand Hills region of the state is composed of hilly land of low to high
sand dunes stabilized by grass cover. These dunes mantle stream-deposited, sand,
gravel and sandstone. The sandhills prairie and topography are unique to Nebraska
and North America. The region is drained by the Loup River system except along
the northern edge which is drained by the Niobrara River, (Historic Contexts
in Nebraska, NESHPO, 1989).
Orginal Inhabitants
Prior to nineteeth-century white settlement, the Pawnee and Sioux Native American
tribes claimed the land of the Sand Hills as hunting grounds. The two tribes
disputed various tracts between themselves. The Pawnee claimed the drainage
area of the Loup River as their hunting grounds and camped near the mouth of
the river. The Sioux claimed lands east to the fork of the Platte River and
north to the mouth of the White River in South Dakota as their hunting grounds.
Both tribes depended on the bison, which roamed the sandhills in vast numbers
as their primary source of food and raw material.
Other Native American tribes in Nebraska included the Omaha, Otoe, and Ponca,
all of whom were more sedentary than the Sioux or Pawnee. Between 1854 and 1876
all territories in Nebraska claimed by Native American tribes had been acquired
by the United States government either through treaty and/or coercion. The final
treaty, in 1876, opened the Sand Hills region to settlement.
Settlement of Nebraska
The first Europeans to reach what would become Nebraska were Spanish soldiers
in search of mythical Quivira. By the early 1700's the French had begun to move
into the trans-Missouri country. In 1763 the Spanish, through the Treaty of
Paris assumed possession of all land west of the Mississippi River. In 1800,
the French took possession of the region under the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
However, in 1803 the French under Napolean, sold this vast expanse of land to
the Americans for about 4 cents an acre or fifteen million dollars. The Louisiana
Purchase, as the exchange was called, included territory that would become Nebraska.
In 1803, the federal government began plans to initiate exploration of their
new possession with the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition. Undertaken "for purposes
of extending the external commerce of the United States", Congress appropriated
$2,500.00 for the expedition. In the spring of 1804, members of the exploration
team left the St. Louis area and by July 1804, had made their first camp near
the mouth of the Little Nemaha River in what would eventually become Nebraska.
The vast area of land obtained through the Louisiana Purchase was designed by
Congress in 1834 as land reserved for Native Americans. During the first half
of the nineteenth-century, this region was traversed by fur trappers, missionaries,
and westward bound settlers. Examples of Pre-Territorial (1804-1854) establishments
in Nebraska include Fort Atkinson(1820's) on the Missouri River, and the Moses
Merrill Baptist Mission (1833) near Bellvue.
Another important aspect of settlement in Nebraska during the Pre-Territorial
Period(1804-1854) establishments in Nebraska include Fort Atkinson (1820's)
on the Missouri River, and the Moses Merrill Baptist Mission (1833) near Belluvue.
Another important aspect of settlement in Nebraska during the Pre-Territorial
Period (1804-1854), was the presence of the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trails;
all of which passed through the southern half of the state. These trails passed
westward though the Platte River valley and were primarily used between 1841
and 1848. These trails brought many people and oppportunities for trade to the
region.
Nebraska Territory was officially established in 1854, and the first legislature
convened in January, 1855. During the Territorial Period (1854-1867), the majority
of settlement took place in the southeast and eastern sections of the state.
In this period, settlement occurred through either the provisions of the Pre-Emption
Law of 1841, purchase of military bounty land warrant, or by direct purchase.
The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed for more liberal disbursement of public domain,
and allowed settlers to acquire between 40 and 160 acres of land without the
standard per acre fee if they remained on the claim for five years and met a
specified level of improvments (i.e. buildings, land under cullivation). A significant
amount of settlement in Nebraska occurred primarily under the impetus of the
Homestead Act, or later under the provistions of the 1904 Kinkaid Act.
Nebraska became a state in 1867 with its present borders defined. In the early
1860's, the federal government began planning a trans-continental railway line
for the transportation of people and goods which would unite the country. The
railroad would extend through Nebraska beginning at a point near Omaha. In 1867,
the route was completed when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines joined
in Utah. Development of the line through Nebraska had a major impact on the
settlement and growth of small towns and communities throughout the western
region of the state, and the state as a whole. Inland counties, without a railroad
through their borders, generally developed at a slower rate and often did not
achieve the kinds of settlement and sustained populations in counties through
which a line ran. In counties where the railroad extended, towns or proposed
towns, prospered or failed depending on the location of a depot or siding.
While eastern, northeastern, and central regions of the state had been settled
during the Settlement and Expansion Period (1867-1890), the Sand Hills region
of Nebraska was only just beginning to be settled. This region, encompassing
a great portion of western Nebraska north of the Platte River, was generally
not suitable for the agricultural activities pursued in the rest of the state.
Since the 1870's, cattlemen had free-ranged vast herds in the area. In the late
1860's and early 1870's, Texas cattlemen began to drive their herds north on
the Texas Trail to feed in Nebraska. The free-range cattle companies established
large ranches in the Sand Hills region and operated until conflicts with the
federal government divided the land into smaller homestead parcels.
Although settlement had begun in the Sand Hills region during the Settlement
and Expansion era (1867-1890), it wasn't until the Development and Growth Period
in Nebraska (1890-1920) that significant permanent settlement was established.
The most significant impetus for extensive settlement of the Sand Hills during
this period was the passge of the Kincaid Act on June 28, 1904. Designed to
encourage settlement in the Sand Hills region, the Kinkaid Act allowed homesteaders
to file 640 acre claims, as opposed to the previous 160 acres. This act recognized
that the arid Sand Hills region required a larger parcel of land for the application
of farming and ranching practices. The Kincaid Act was responsible for the largest
census figures to date (1920) for many of the Sand Hills counties. Although
many Kinkaid homesteads eventually sold out to larger ranching endeavors, the
act successfully disposed of the public lands in the area.
The social and economic success of the Development and Growth Period (1890-1920)
came to an end with the era of the Great Depression (1929-1941). By December,
1932, agricultural prices were the lowest in state history; and the farmers'
purchasing power continued to decline. Many people left the western section
of the state and some towns ceased to exist. Populations declined and much commercial
development came to a halt. The end of the Depression, followed by the onset
of World War II (1941-1945), combined to stabilize not only the Sand Hills but
the state as a whole. Economically, Nebraska benefited from the War through
the arrival of new industries. Training facilities, ordnance plants and a bomber
production plant were located in the state. As the War drew to a close, a new
and lasting prosperity had begun in the state. Further stability has been witnessed
during the Post-War Period in Nebraska, (1946-present). The agricultural prosperity
that began during World War II continued on into the 1950's and 1960's. Economic
development and increased agricultural technology have vaulted the region into
an era of advanced irrigation and range management techniques. So while the
number of farms and rural population decreased, agricultural output increased
to new highs.
County History
The Territorial Period, 1854-1867 in Nebraska brought little settlement to the
region which would become McPherson County. Early settlers into the area were
primarily cattlement who arrived in the mid 1870's. Large free-range ranches
were established in the area by individuals who included John Bratt, William
F. Cody, Colonel Frank, and Captain Luther North. Permanent Settlers arrived
after the region was officially opened for settlement by the federal government
in 1884. McPherson County was organized in 1890 with a Board of Commissioners
appointed by the Logan County Board. Original boundaries of the county included
the area that, in 1914, became Arthur County.
McPherson County's initial population in 1890, Arthur Precinct included, was
401 people. At the turn of the century the number had increased to only 517.
Due to sparse resources in the sandhills and lack of a railroad line, the population
of McPherson County has always remained low.
Passage of the Kinkaid Act in 1904 resulted in the great influx of settlers
into McPherson County. As a result of this act, county population increased
from 517 persons in 1900 to 2,470 in 1910. Prior to the Kinkaid act, claimants
filling under the Homestead Act of 1862 were only allowed up to 160 acres of
land; the 1904 amendment increased this limit to a full section (640 acres).
By 1915, however, many successful Kinkaiders sold their holdings to a select
few ranches. Sixteen years after the 1904 enactment (1920), McPherson County
showed a population decrease of 778 persons. As larger ranches continued to
increase, county population decreased; the 1980 population of 593 people being
slightly larger thatn the initial settlement population.
Conflict for McPherson County began in July 1912 with the purchase of two jail
cells at of a cost of $1,300. Residents of Arthur Precinct objected to this
expense and to the location of Tryon as the county seat. Lobbyists tried unsuccessfully
to move the county seat to Flats. In 1913, Arthur Precinct residents began to
secede from McPherson county. This process was completed in 1914 with the county
boundaries of both McPherson and Arthur Counties being established to their
current status.
Development of paved highways and rural oiled roads was of considerable importance
in McPherson County. From the period of Spurious Economic Growth (1920-1929)
until the present, construction and upkeep of roads in the county has been an
ongoing activity. Early travel in the sandhills was tenuous at best and near
impossible at times. Highway #92 was proposed as early as 1927 but it was not
until 1964 that the highway was completed from Stapleton to Tryon. Another important
paved road is the North Platte to Tryon Highway, completed in 1930. The Mullen-Tryon
Road, part of the Great Plains Highway, was completed in 1960. Despite the many
access highways which traverse McPherson County, settlement has remained low
resulting in the lack of rail transportation.
Mcpherson County Towns
The county seat of Tryon is the only town in McPherson County and is one of
just two unincorporated county seats in Nebraska. In 1895, a few years after
establishment, Tryon consisted of just two nonresidential buildings, the county
courthouse which was built of sod and the commissioner's home. The sod courthouse
which was approximately thirty by thirty feet. It contained a brick vault and
a steel safe. In 1926, funds from a special county levy resulted in the construction
of a two-story brick courthouse. While the original sod courthouse is non-extant,
the former safe is now located in the current courthouse. The McPherson County
Courthouse was recently been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
As previously mentioned, the Kinkaid Act was the most influential factor in
the settlement of McPherson County and Tryon. With a population increase from
517 in 1900 to 2,470 in 1910, Tryon boomed. Churches, schools, and businesses
were established. The Tryon State Bank was organized in 1910. Being the only
financial institution in McPherson County, the bank progressed through the years.
Hard times brought about by the Great Depression and the drought of the 1930's
forced the bank to close for a period of five months. Another significant business
established during Tryon's initial development is the former David Store, now
known as the Ranch Store. Michael David arrived in Tryon in 1903 and built a
general store out of sod just north of the present building. The sod building,
now non-extant, was fourteen by twenty four feet with a sleeping loft for Mr.
David. Needing more space, David built a one-story frame, with false-front store
in 1916. Nearly 75 years later, the David Store/Ranch Store still continues
to serve the community needs providing a source of food, clothing and entertainment.
Other settlements in McPherson County include Lena, Ringgold, and Flats. These
three communities never experienced the success that Tryon achieved. Ringgold,
with a population of fifteen, continues to operate a rural grade school. Lena
and Flats consist of a few residential buildings and support no commercial businesses.
Agriculture and Ranching
McPherson County is classified in the Sand Hills Range Livestock Production
region of the state. Cattle production and related agricultural practice is
the major economic enterprise in the county.
Irrigation was attempted as early as 1900 with sporadic attempts at further
development throughout the first half of the century. In the 1960's and 1970's
center pivot irrigation was practiced in the county. Many ranchers depend on
their crops grown on irrigated land to feed herds through the winter. Events
such as the Great Depression, the drought of the 1930's and the recession of
the 1980's has contributed to family and corporate ranches consisting of thousands
of acres.
Conclusion
McPherson County, organized in 1890, originally included land now known as Arthur
County. Settlement was slow due to lack of rail transportation in the county.
The Kinkaid Act of 1904 provided the greatest influx of settlers to the region,
however, harsh conditions and lack of resources in the sandhills forced most
to leave. The depression and drought of the 1930's also affected county settlement.
Various businesses in Tryon closed or changed hands while ranchers sold out
and moved away. From an initial county population of 401 in 1890 to a peak of
2,470 in 1910, and the current 1980 census of 593, McPherson County remains
one of the lowest populated regions in the state with only one person per one-and-one-half
square miles. Being located in the Sand Hills region, McPherson County is an
important contributer to cattle production. It also has the distinction of being
the only "dry" county in Nebraska with no liquor sold within county boundaries.
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