Married Sophia H. DeWolf November 22, 1861 in St Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri. Sophia was the niece of Susan C. (Smith) Keith, who was the wife of his partner Morell Case Keith. Guy C. Barton was a Rancher, Banker, and President of Smelting Works in Omaha. He and Sophia had two daughters; Frances and Jessie, and one son; King Charles Barton.
==================================
THE FIRST IRRIGATION DITCH IN NEBRASKA
AND THE PASSING OF RANGE CATTLE
[Lincoln State Journal, March 2, 1930]
The early settlers of Nebraska, in the vicinity of North Platte and beyond, will never forget the annual visit of the hot winds, and the controversies regarding their origin. It was a subject that never was settled, and various theories were advanced. The majority of the people claimed they came from the arid lands of the Panhandle; others just as positive said they arose from the Gulf Stream, while the cow men, who were numerous on the trail to Ogalalla in those days, declared they had their origin in Corpus Christi, Texas. Probably none of the reasons advanced were correct, but one who lived there knows from experience they became less frequent from 1872, until they ceased altogether about 1882.
Farming on a small scale was attempted in the vicinity of North Platte in 1872, where a favorable location free from alkali could be found; for most of the low ands in the Platte Valley at that time were covered with it, and vegetation would not grow in that kind of soil. The selected land mentioned would be plowed in he usual way and planted by the best methods of the farmer. Crops would look very promising in the early spring, but as the days lengthened and the sun became warmer the fatal day would arrive, and before nightfall, cornstalks and vines withered beyond hope.
Another enemy of the farmer was the cattlemen. They were not favorable to farming, for it meant settler inclined to be mean would file his homestead adjoining a cattle ranch and corral. In that case only one remedy was open and that was to buy his filing papers and have one of the employees of the ranch file on it. These homesteads meant fencing and the end of free range. A herd law was passed defining the rights of the farmer and cattleman, and imposing a penalty on owners who allowed their cattle to feed on the crop of the farmer. Innumerable and annoying lawsuits for damages followed. Cattlemen urged fencing, and if a man was unable to buy it, quite often the cattleman contributed to the purchase, and in many cases paid the entire cost.
KEITH & BARTON, with their enormous herd of fifteen thousand head or more, were mostly affected by the influx of settlers; for they commanded a range which was recognized as theirs by right of occupation by other cattlemen, and extended from the delta of the Platte to Ogalalla, sixty miles west, and to include all the vacant lands between the North and South Platte Rivers. For a home ranch they had headquarters at Dexter, a siding near the present town of Sutherland. Here Jay Gould and Sidney Dillon, of New York, and Fred Ames, of Boston, made their annual visit to the KEITH & BARTON ranch on their usual tour of inspection over the Union Pacific Railroad, for they practically owned it. Mr. Barton, knowing of their coming, would send word to his foreman to round up the herd at a certain time and have saddle horses in readiness. He joined the party in their special train at North Platte and accompanied them to Dexter, where all preparations were made for the guests. Gentle horses, with California saddles, stood before them, and, mounting, the party rode among the cattle, crossing hills and valleys, commenting on colors, ages, and beef steer, watching the frolics of the calves jumping around their mothers, and forgetful of Wall Street and the stock market. Later they boarded their train, happy and joyous at the free life of the cattleman, and for miles on each side of the track the big herd would be visible from their car window.
Never again in any generation in Nebraska will one see in one herd as big an aggregation of cattle as the number seen on the last visit of the railroad men to the KEITH & BARTON RANCH.
The big herds have passed and with them most of the owners.
The town of North Platte derived all its benefits from cattlemen, and the Union Pacific Railway shops, then under the direction of J. H. McConnell, the master mechanic, and the cattle outfits, as far north as Running Water or Niobrara, two hundred and fifty miles distant, made North Platte their trading point. It was not unusual to see eight and ten six-horse teams in front of a warehouse loading up with ranch supplies, and, in talking to a business man of that day, he gave the information that it was not unusual to sell one outfit at one time twenty-five hundred dollars' worth of ranch supplies. This was before the completion of the Elkhorn Valley Railway, and when trains were through to Casper, Wyoming, Valentine, Gordon, and Hay Springs secured the business which was lost to North Platte.
The old settlers of Nebraska will remember the land grants of the Government to the Union Pacific Railway; if not, it is worth mentioning. For the building of the road from Omaha to Ogden, then a distance of one thousand and thirty-two miles, the Government donated every alternate section of unsold lands on each side of the railroad survey, for a distance of twenty miles. The time came when the State thought it would tax the unsold railroad lands, although it must be said the company was generous and extended every consideration to the pioneers. In anticipation of the tax referred to, the company made further reduction in the price of their lands, varying from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre, depending upon the location and quality of the land. The terms were on ten yearly payments, with interest at 6 per cent, and to encourage cattlemen who could foresee homesteaders, they contracted with one cattle outfit to sell them thirty thousand acres of land for $1.00 an acre. About this time the range cattlemen realized they must make room for the farmer, so KEITH & BARTON moved their entire herd to Powder River, Wyoming, and gave the settlers a clean sweep of the Platte Valley. Then the farmers, considering themselves safe from the big herds, began to add cattle to their small holdings, and the opinion was then expressed the change from big herds to the small ones would be more beneficial and profitable to the town and county. In addition to their small growing herds they continued to farm, with indifferent results. Usually the early prospects were promising, but the summer winds baked the ground so hard at times it was almost impossible to turn a furrow for cultivation.
In 1883, Guy C. Barton and J. H. McConnell, with Isaac Dillon, a nephew of Sidney Dillon, the railway magnate, and T. J. Foley, a merchant, joined in an agreement to purchase all the unsold lands of the Union Pacific, between the rivers, and to O'Fallons on the west, if they could be had at the price, with the idea of constructing an irrigating ditch to cover the land with water. A proposition was made the railway company and a survey made, with the result that there were fourteen thousand acres in the tract, the railway company agreeing to sell it, provided the purchasers carried though the project of ditch building for irrigation. To encourage the enterprise they made a price of $1.00 per acre for the whole tract, which was accepted....[remainder of article on source website]
=======================
The first permanent newspaper established in Lincoln County was in 1869, when Mrs. Maggie Eberhart established the Platte Valley Independent. She sold the newspaper to Col. J. B. Park and Guy C. Barton, who continued its publication under the anthem of the Lincoln County Advertiser. In 1872, Prof. I. W. La Munyon purchased the paper continuing it as the Advertiser
========================
Nebraska: the Land and the People: Volume 1
[p.451] XV THE CONSTITUTION OF 1871
The Fifth State Legislature met January 9, 1873, in its ninth session, or third regular session. William A. Gwyer, of Douglas County, was elected president of the Senate and Guy C. Barton, of Lincoln County, speaker of the House. Both houses were over-whelmingly Republican.
SOURCE: http://www.memoriallibrary.com/NE/History/Memories/Button.jpg
Memories of the Old West (PAGES 30-36)
========================
This grave was originally found and created by Betty Orme. Thank you Betty!
==================================
THE FIRST IRRIGATION DITCH IN NEBRASKA
AND THE PASSING OF RANGE CATTLE
[Lincoln State Journal, March 2, 1930]
The early settlers of Nebraska, in the vicinity of North Platte and beyond, will never forget the annual visit of the hot winds, and the controversies regarding their origin. It was a subject that never was settled, and various theories were advanced. The majority of the people claimed they came from the arid lands of the Panhandle; others just as positive said they arose from the Gulf Stream, while the cow men, who were numerous on the trail to Ogalalla in those days, declared they had their origin in Corpus Christi, Texas. Probably none of the reasons advanced were correct, but one who lived there knows from experience they became less frequent from 1872, until they ceased altogether about 1882.
Farming on a small scale was attempted in the vicinity of North Platte in 1872, where a favorable location free from alkali could be found; for most of the low ands in the Platte Valley at that time were covered with it, and vegetation would not grow in that kind of soil. The selected land mentioned would be plowed in he usual way and planted by the best methods of the farmer. Crops would look very promising in the early spring, but as the days lengthened and the sun became warmer the fatal day would arrive, and before nightfall, cornstalks and vines withered beyond hope.
Another enemy of the farmer was the cattlemen. They were not favorable to farming, for it meant settler inclined to be mean would file his homestead adjoining a cattle ranch and corral. In that case only one remedy was open and that was to buy his filing papers and have one of the employees of the ranch file on it. These homesteads meant fencing and the end of free range. A herd law was passed defining the rights of the farmer and cattleman, and imposing a penalty on owners who allowed their cattle to feed on the crop of the farmer. Innumerable and annoying lawsuits for damages followed. Cattlemen urged fencing, and if a man was unable to buy it, quite often the cattleman contributed to the purchase, and in many cases paid the entire cost.
KEITH & BARTON, with their enormous herd of fifteen thousand head or more, were mostly affected by the influx of settlers; for they commanded a range which was recognized as theirs by right of occupation by other cattlemen, and extended from the delta of the Platte to Ogalalla, sixty miles west, and to include all the vacant lands between the North and South Platte Rivers. For a home ranch they had headquarters at Dexter, a siding near the present town of Sutherland. Here Jay Gould and Sidney Dillon, of New York, and Fred Ames, of Boston, made their annual visit to the KEITH & BARTON ranch on their usual tour of inspection over the Union Pacific Railroad, for they practically owned it. Mr. Barton, knowing of their coming, would send word to his foreman to round up the herd at a certain time and have saddle horses in readiness. He joined the party in their special train at North Platte and accompanied them to Dexter, where all preparations were made for the guests. Gentle horses, with California saddles, stood before them, and, mounting, the party rode among the cattle, crossing hills and valleys, commenting on colors, ages, and beef steer, watching the frolics of the calves jumping around their mothers, and forgetful of Wall Street and the stock market. Later they boarded their train, happy and joyous at the free life of the cattleman, and for miles on each side of the track the big herd would be visible from their car window.
Never again in any generation in Nebraska will one see in one herd as big an aggregation of cattle as the number seen on the last visit of the railroad men to the KEITH & BARTON RANCH.
The big herds have passed and with them most of the owners.
The town of North Platte derived all its benefits from cattlemen, and the Union Pacific Railway shops, then under the direction of J. H. McConnell, the master mechanic, and the cattle outfits, as far north as Running Water or Niobrara, two hundred and fifty miles distant, made North Platte their trading point. It was not unusual to see eight and ten six-horse teams in front of a warehouse loading up with ranch supplies, and, in talking to a business man of that day, he gave the information that it was not unusual to sell one outfit at one time twenty-five hundred dollars' worth of ranch supplies. This was before the completion of the Elkhorn Valley Railway, and when trains were through to Casper, Wyoming, Valentine, Gordon, and Hay Springs secured the business which was lost to North Platte.
The old settlers of Nebraska will remember the land grants of the Government to the Union Pacific Railway; if not, it is worth mentioning. For the building of the road from Omaha to Ogden, then a distance of one thousand and thirty-two miles, the Government donated every alternate section of unsold lands on each side of the railroad survey, for a distance of twenty miles. The time came when the State thought it would tax the unsold railroad lands, although it must be said the company was generous and extended every consideration to the pioneers. In anticipation of the tax referred to, the company made further reduction in the price of their lands, varying from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre, depending upon the location and quality of the land. The terms were on ten yearly payments, with interest at 6 per cent, and to encourage cattlemen who could foresee homesteaders, they contracted with one cattle outfit to sell them thirty thousand acres of land for $1.00 an acre. About this time the range cattlemen realized they must make room for the farmer, so KEITH & BARTON moved their entire herd to Powder River, Wyoming, and gave the settlers a clean sweep of the Platte Valley. Then the farmers, considering themselves safe from the big herds, began to add cattle to their small holdings, and the opinion was then expressed the change from big herds to the small ones would be more beneficial and profitable to the town and county. In addition to their small growing herds they continued to farm, with indifferent results. Usually the early prospects were promising, but the summer winds baked the ground so hard at times it was almost impossible to turn a furrow for cultivation.
In 1883, Guy C. Barton and J. H. McConnell, with Isaac Dillon, a nephew of Sidney Dillon, the railway magnate, and T. J. Foley, a merchant, joined in an agreement to purchase all the unsold lands of the Union Pacific, between the rivers, and to O'Fallons on the west, if they could be had at the price, with the idea of constructing an irrigating ditch to cover the land with water. A proposition was made the railway company and a survey made, with the result that there were fourteen thousand acres in the tract, the railway company agreeing to sell it, provided the purchasers carried though the project of ditch building for irrigation. To encourage the enterprise they made a price of $1.00 per acre for the whole tract, which was accepted....[remainder of article on source website]
=======================
The first permanent newspaper established in Lincoln County was in 1869, when Mrs. Maggie Eberhart established the Platte Valley Independent. She sold the newspaper to Col. J. B. Park and Guy C. Barton, who continued its publication under the anthem of the Lincoln County Advertiser. In 1872, Prof. I. W. La Munyon purchased the paper continuing it as the Advertiser
========================
Nebraska: the Land and the People: Volume 1
[p.451] XV THE CONSTITUTION OF 1871
The Fifth State Legislature met January 9, 1873, in its ninth session, or third regular session. William A. Gwyer, of Douglas County, was elected president of the Senate and Guy C. Barton, of Lincoln County, speaker of the House. Both houses were over-whelmingly Republican.
SOURCE: http://www.memoriallibrary.com/NE/History/Memories/Button.jpg
Memories of the Old West (PAGES 30-36)
========================
This grave was originally found and created by Betty Orme. Thank you Betty!
Married Sophia H. DeWolf November 22, 1861 in St Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri. Sophia was the niece of Susan C. (Smith) Keith, who was the wife of his partner Morell Case Keith. Guy C. Barton was a Rancher, Banker, and President of Smelting Works in Omaha. He and Sophia had two daughters; Frances and Jessie, and one son; King Charles Barton.
==================================
THE FIRST IRRIGATION DITCH IN NEBRASKA
AND THE PASSING OF RANGE CATTLE
[Lincoln State Journal, March 2, 1930]
The early settlers of Nebraska, in the vicinity of North Platte and beyond, will never forget the annual visit of the hot winds, and the controversies regarding their origin. It was a subject that never was settled, and various theories were advanced. The majority of the people claimed they came from the arid lands of the Panhandle; others just as positive said they arose from the Gulf Stream, while the cow men, who were numerous on the trail to Ogalalla in those days, declared they had their origin in Corpus Christi, Texas. Probably none of the reasons advanced were correct, but one who lived there knows from experience they became less frequent from 1872, until they ceased altogether about 1882.
Farming on a small scale was attempted in the vicinity of North Platte in 1872, where a favorable location free from alkali could be found; for most of the low ands in the Platte Valley at that time were covered with it, and vegetation would not grow in that kind of soil. The selected land mentioned would be plowed in he usual way and planted by the best methods of the farmer. Crops would look very promising in the early spring, but as the days lengthened and the sun became warmer the fatal day would arrive, and before nightfall, cornstalks and vines withered beyond hope.
Another enemy of the farmer was the cattlemen. They were not favorable to farming, for it meant settler inclined to be mean would file his homestead adjoining a cattle ranch and corral. In that case only one remedy was open and that was to buy his filing papers and have one of the employees of the ranch file on it. These homesteads meant fencing and the end of free range. A herd law was passed defining the rights of the farmer and cattleman, and imposing a penalty on owners who allowed their cattle to feed on the crop of the farmer. Innumerable and annoying lawsuits for damages followed. Cattlemen urged fencing, and if a man was unable to buy it, quite often the cattleman contributed to the purchase, and in many cases paid the entire cost.
KEITH & BARTON, with their enormous herd of fifteen thousand head or more, were mostly affected by the influx of settlers; for they commanded a range which was recognized as theirs by right of occupation by other cattlemen, and extended from the delta of the Platte to Ogalalla, sixty miles west, and to include all the vacant lands between the North and South Platte Rivers. For a home ranch they had headquarters at Dexter, a siding near the present town of Sutherland. Here Jay Gould and Sidney Dillon, of New York, and Fred Ames, of Boston, made their annual visit to the KEITH & BARTON ranch on their usual tour of inspection over the Union Pacific Railroad, for they practically owned it. Mr. Barton, knowing of their coming, would send word to his foreman to round up the herd at a certain time and have saddle horses in readiness. He joined the party in their special train at North Platte and accompanied them to Dexter, where all preparations were made for the guests. Gentle horses, with California saddles, stood before them, and, mounting, the party rode among the cattle, crossing hills and valleys, commenting on colors, ages, and beef steer, watching the frolics of the calves jumping around their mothers, and forgetful of Wall Street and the stock market. Later they boarded their train, happy and joyous at the free life of the cattleman, and for miles on each side of the track the big herd would be visible from their car window.
Never again in any generation in Nebraska will one see in one herd as big an aggregation of cattle as the number seen on the last visit of the railroad men to the KEITH & BARTON RANCH.
The big herds have passed and with them most of the owners.
The town of North Platte derived all its benefits from cattlemen, and the Union Pacific Railway shops, then under the direction of J. H. McConnell, the master mechanic, and the cattle outfits, as far north as Running Water or Niobrara, two hundred and fifty miles distant, made North Platte their trading point. It was not unusual to see eight and ten six-horse teams in front of a warehouse loading up with ranch supplies, and, in talking to a business man of that day, he gave the information that it was not unusual to sell one outfit at one time twenty-five hundred dollars' worth of ranch supplies. This was before the completion of the Elkhorn Valley Railway, and when trains were through to Casper, Wyoming, Valentine, Gordon, and Hay Springs secured the business which was lost to North Platte.
The old settlers of Nebraska will remember the land grants of the Government to the Union Pacific Railway; if not, it is worth mentioning. For the building of the road from Omaha to Ogden, then a distance of one thousand and thirty-two miles, the Government donated every alternate section of unsold lands on each side of the railroad survey, for a distance of twenty miles. The time came when the State thought it would tax the unsold railroad lands, although it must be said the company was generous and extended every consideration to the pioneers. In anticipation of the tax referred to, the company made further reduction in the price of their lands, varying from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre, depending upon the location and quality of the land. The terms were on ten yearly payments, with interest at 6 per cent, and to encourage cattlemen who could foresee homesteaders, they contracted with one cattle outfit to sell them thirty thousand acres of land for $1.00 an acre. About this time the range cattlemen realized they must make room for the farmer, so KEITH & BARTON moved their entire herd to Powder River, Wyoming, and gave the settlers a clean sweep of the Platte Valley. Then the farmers, considering themselves safe from the big herds, began to add cattle to their small holdings, and the opinion was then expressed the change from big herds to the small ones would be more beneficial and profitable to the town and county. In addition to their small growing herds they continued to farm, with indifferent results. Usually the early prospects were promising, but the summer winds baked the ground so hard at times it was almost impossible to turn a furrow for cultivation.
In 1883, Guy C. Barton and J. H. McConnell, with Isaac Dillon, a nephew of Sidney Dillon, the railway magnate, and T. J. Foley, a merchant, joined in an agreement to purchase all the unsold lands of the Union Pacific, between the rivers, and to O'Fallons on the west, if they could be had at the price, with the idea of constructing an irrigating ditch to cover the land with water. A proposition was made the railway company and a survey made, with the result that there were fourteen thousand acres in the tract, the railway company agreeing to sell it, provided the purchasers carried though the project of ditch building for irrigation. To encourage the enterprise they made a price of $1.00 per acre for the whole tract, which was accepted....[remainder of article on source website]
=======================
The first permanent newspaper established in Lincoln County was in 1869, when Mrs. Maggie Eberhart established the Platte Valley Independent. She sold the newspaper to Col. J. B. Park and Guy C. Barton, who continued its publication under the anthem of the Lincoln County Advertiser. In 1872, Prof. I. W. La Munyon purchased the paper continuing it as the Advertiser
========================
Nebraska: the Land and the People: Volume 1
[p.451] XV THE CONSTITUTION OF 1871
The Fifth State Legislature met January 9, 1873, in its ninth session, or third regular session. William A. Gwyer, of Douglas County, was elected president of the Senate and Guy C. Barton, of Lincoln County, speaker of the House. Both houses were over-whelmingly Republican.
SOURCE: http://www.memoriallibrary.com/NE/History/Memories/Button.jpg
Memories of the Old West (PAGES 30-36)
========================
This grave was originally found and created by Betty Orme. Thank you Betty!
==================================
THE FIRST IRRIGATION DITCH IN NEBRASKA
AND THE PASSING OF RANGE CATTLE
[Lincoln State Journal, March 2, 1930]
The early settlers of Nebraska, in the vicinity of North Platte and beyond, will never forget the annual visit of the hot winds, and the controversies regarding their origin. It was a subject that never was settled, and various theories were advanced. The majority of the people claimed they came from the arid lands of the Panhandle; others just as positive said they arose from the Gulf Stream, while the cow men, who were numerous on the trail to Ogalalla in those days, declared they had their origin in Corpus Christi, Texas. Probably none of the reasons advanced were correct, but one who lived there knows from experience they became less frequent from 1872, until they ceased altogether about 1882.
Farming on a small scale was attempted in the vicinity of North Platte in 1872, where a favorable location free from alkali could be found; for most of the low ands in the Platte Valley at that time were covered with it, and vegetation would not grow in that kind of soil. The selected land mentioned would be plowed in he usual way and planted by the best methods of the farmer. Crops would look very promising in the early spring, but as the days lengthened and the sun became warmer the fatal day would arrive, and before nightfall, cornstalks and vines withered beyond hope.
Another enemy of the farmer was the cattlemen. They were not favorable to farming, for it meant settler inclined to be mean would file his homestead adjoining a cattle ranch and corral. In that case only one remedy was open and that was to buy his filing papers and have one of the employees of the ranch file on it. These homesteads meant fencing and the end of free range. A herd law was passed defining the rights of the farmer and cattleman, and imposing a penalty on owners who allowed their cattle to feed on the crop of the farmer. Innumerable and annoying lawsuits for damages followed. Cattlemen urged fencing, and if a man was unable to buy it, quite often the cattleman contributed to the purchase, and in many cases paid the entire cost.
KEITH & BARTON, with their enormous herd of fifteen thousand head or more, were mostly affected by the influx of settlers; for they commanded a range which was recognized as theirs by right of occupation by other cattlemen, and extended from the delta of the Platte to Ogalalla, sixty miles west, and to include all the vacant lands between the North and South Platte Rivers. For a home ranch they had headquarters at Dexter, a siding near the present town of Sutherland. Here Jay Gould and Sidney Dillon, of New York, and Fred Ames, of Boston, made their annual visit to the KEITH & BARTON ranch on their usual tour of inspection over the Union Pacific Railroad, for they practically owned it. Mr. Barton, knowing of their coming, would send word to his foreman to round up the herd at a certain time and have saddle horses in readiness. He joined the party in their special train at North Platte and accompanied them to Dexter, where all preparations were made for the guests. Gentle horses, with California saddles, stood before them, and, mounting, the party rode among the cattle, crossing hills and valleys, commenting on colors, ages, and beef steer, watching the frolics of the calves jumping around their mothers, and forgetful of Wall Street and the stock market. Later they boarded their train, happy and joyous at the free life of the cattleman, and for miles on each side of the track the big herd would be visible from their car window.
Never again in any generation in Nebraska will one see in one herd as big an aggregation of cattle as the number seen on the last visit of the railroad men to the KEITH & BARTON RANCH.
The big herds have passed and with them most of the owners.
The town of North Platte derived all its benefits from cattlemen, and the Union Pacific Railway shops, then under the direction of J. H. McConnell, the master mechanic, and the cattle outfits, as far north as Running Water or Niobrara, two hundred and fifty miles distant, made North Platte their trading point. It was not unusual to see eight and ten six-horse teams in front of a warehouse loading up with ranch supplies, and, in talking to a business man of that day, he gave the information that it was not unusual to sell one outfit at one time twenty-five hundred dollars' worth of ranch supplies. This was before the completion of the Elkhorn Valley Railway, and when trains were through to Casper, Wyoming, Valentine, Gordon, and Hay Springs secured the business which was lost to North Platte.
The old settlers of Nebraska will remember the land grants of the Government to the Union Pacific Railway; if not, it is worth mentioning. For the building of the road from Omaha to Ogden, then a distance of one thousand and thirty-two miles, the Government donated every alternate section of unsold lands on each side of the railroad survey, for a distance of twenty miles. The time came when the State thought it would tax the unsold railroad lands, although it must be said the company was generous and extended every consideration to the pioneers. In anticipation of the tax referred to, the company made further reduction in the price of their lands, varying from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre, depending upon the location and quality of the land. The terms were on ten yearly payments, with interest at 6 per cent, and to encourage cattlemen who could foresee homesteaders, they contracted with one cattle outfit to sell them thirty thousand acres of land for $1.00 an acre. About this time the range cattlemen realized they must make room for the farmer, so KEITH & BARTON moved their entire herd to Powder River, Wyoming, and gave the settlers a clean sweep of the Platte Valley. Then the farmers, considering themselves safe from the big herds, began to add cattle to their small holdings, and the opinion was then expressed the change from big herds to the small ones would be more beneficial and profitable to the town and county. In addition to their small growing herds they continued to farm, with indifferent results. Usually the early prospects were promising, but the summer winds baked the ground so hard at times it was almost impossible to turn a furrow for cultivation.
In 1883, Guy C. Barton and J. H. McConnell, with Isaac Dillon, a nephew of Sidney Dillon, the railway magnate, and T. J. Foley, a merchant, joined in an agreement to purchase all the unsold lands of the Union Pacific, between the rivers, and to O'Fallons on the west, if they could be had at the price, with the idea of constructing an irrigating ditch to cover the land with water. A proposition was made the railway company and a survey made, with the result that there were fourteen thousand acres in the tract, the railway company agreeing to sell it, provided the purchasers carried though the project of ditch building for irrigation. To encourage the enterprise they made a price of $1.00 per acre for the whole tract, which was accepted....[remainder of article on source website]
=======================
The first permanent newspaper established in Lincoln County was in 1869, when Mrs. Maggie Eberhart established the Platte Valley Independent. She sold the newspaper to Col. J. B. Park and Guy C. Barton, who continued its publication under the anthem of the Lincoln County Advertiser. In 1872, Prof. I. W. La Munyon purchased the paper continuing it as the Advertiser
========================
Nebraska: the Land and the People: Volume 1
[p.451] XV THE CONSTITUTION OF 1871
The Fifth State Legislature met January 9, 1873, in its ninth session, or third regular session. William A. Gwyer, of Douglas County, was elected president of the Senate and Guy C. Barton, of Lincoln County, speaker of the House. Both houses were over-whelmingly Republican.
SOURCE: http://www.memoriallibrary.com/NE/History/Memories/Button.jpg
Memories of the Old West (PAGES 30-36)
========================
This grave was originally found and created by Betty Orme. Thank you Betty!
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