NEGenWeb Project
Nance County

himself in a "dugout" but a few rods from the site of the shanty where the Crow brothers first took anchor in Nance county, about a mile above Buffalo Leap. The remains of his cavern are still to be seen. Here the old pioneer passed the winter of '72 and '73. He was seen at different times during that period by timber thieves, but in the spring he suddenly disappeard, and as numerous traps and a large amount of fur was found in his shanty, it is believed that he perished in the unprecedented blizzard that occurred in April 6th, 7th and 8th, 1873. His body was never found, and it is presumed the wolves devoured a major part thereof.

     During these years an Indian school was successfully conducted at Genoa, and many little braves were taught to love (?) the methods and manners of civilization.

     In 1873 the Pawnees became tired of the reservation on account of the repeated and continued devastations by the Sioux and the destruction of their wooded possessions by the white settlers in Platte, Boone, Merrick and Howard counties, and asked to be removed to the Indian Territory. Their request was granted, and in 1874 a part of the tribe was removed to the Ty., and in 1875 were followed by the remainder, who were conducted to their new location by the agent, Win. Burgess. It was stipulated on their removal that the reservation lands should be sold for the benefit of the Pawnees, and on April 10th, 1876, a bill passed by Congress requiring the land to be appraised and in due time offered for sale to the highest bidder, and not to be sold below its appraised value, was duly approved and a board of appraisers appointed, consisting of Lewis M. Briggs, Loran Clark and Robert W. Swalm.

     On April 25th, 1876, Robert Compton and Lee Goddard cast anchor at the mouth of Timber creek and proceeded to construct a palatial dug-out, and equipped with a sack of flour, a slab of bacon, coffee and sugar, a camp kettle and coffee pot, commenced "baching" after the most approved method. They brought a large herd of cattle to feed on the luxurious grasses of the valley.

     In July, Randall Fuller of Faribault, Minn., en route for Colorado with a large herd of cattle, struck the Reservation, and was so impressed with the many excellent features of the country that he decided to locate, and established his headquarters in that little nook below and a little east of Buffalo Leap. Here he built a small frame shanty and dwelt in peace and harmony with his kine. The only thing that gave him much trouble was an army of fleas that nightly camped on his trail in search of gore. Ever and anon the valient Fuller would arise in his might, strike a light and stampede the rascals, but no sooner would his snore disturb the harmony of the surrounding elements that the fleas would attack him from all quarters, and fill him with anguish in every available portion of his organic domain. Unable longer to endure the racket, Mr. Fuller went to Columbus, and had a huge sack constructed, a little less than twelve feet in length, with a puckering string at the mouth, and when the evening shadows gathered he would crawl serenely into this sack, draw the puckering string tightly about his neck and snore defiance to fleas and bed bugs till rosy morning.

     In August, 1876, the Crow brothers, Hart and Ed., with their sister, Mrs. H. H. Knight, all from Douglas county, Minnesota, reached Grand Island, enroute for Dawson county, and finding grass too poor for feed for their stock, retraced their steps by way of St. Paul to the Reserve, where they found Mr. Fuller herding his stock on the present town site of Fullerton, who directed them to a fine location for the stock-raising business among the bluffs on the land now owned by Mr. J. W. Hawkins.

     In the fall of 1876, shortly after the arrival of the Crow brothers from Minnesota, Andrew Johnson and a Mr. Knudson, from near Madelia, Minnesota, struck camp on the east side of the Cedar, Johnson about a mile above the site of Fullerton, and Knudson two miles. Hans Anson, a son-in-law of Johnson, squatted at Council Creek. W. A. Davis also pitched tent at Council Creek, and commenced improvements by building a combination residence -- a cross between a log palace and a dug-out. Mr. Derrick located seven miles northwest of Genoa, where he now lives. James Scully, a well-to-do stockman, came onto the Reservation that fall and took formal possession of the ranch now owned by N. Crabtree. This was the full extent of the settlement made in Nance county during the year 1876.

     Late in the fall Randall Fuller returned to his home at Faribault, Minnesota, leaving his stock to be wintered by S. Y. Coffin of Platte county. In the winter O. H. Crow and sister, Mrs. Knight, returned to Minnesota, leaving Ed. to care for the stock. His experiences during that winter were far from gay. Social privileges were few, but there was no end to the advantages of communion with nature. Ed. Crow reports one incident more romantic than pleasureable. In returning from a call at Johnson's he broke through the ice on the Cedar, and the swift current made it almost impossible for him to regain terra firma. He struggled for a half hour or more, and finally broke ice to shore, which he reached in a thoroughly exhausted condition.

     Another influx of immigration struck the Reserve in 1877. In the spring of that year

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© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 by Ted & Carole Miller