make up the principal part of the valley timber land. The best farm land sells from $35 to $50 per acre. Nine thousand four hundred and seventy-eight acres are employed in the raising of wheat, 18,649 acres in oats, and 74,751 acres in corn, which is the principal crop. The county makes a specialty of breeding horses and cattle, the export of the latter being among the best in the state. The total amount of live stock is valued at $2,969,292. In 1881 there were twelve school districts and five school buildings, with an attendance of 447 school children. At present there are sixty-three districts, sixty-four schoolhouses and 2,824 school children. About one hundred families of Mormons from the vicinity of St. Louis made the first settlement, in 1857. They made a great many improvements and prospered until the Pawnees came in 1860 to claim this county as a reservation. After three years of co-partnership with the Indians, they finally gave up their lands, most of them emigrating to Utah. The Indians were masters here until in 1875 by treaty they removed to Indian Territory. Among the earliest settlers were Robert Compton, W. A. Davis and Mr. Derrick. Mrs. H. H. Knight was the first white woman settler. The government land began to be offered for sale in 1878, and there was a great rush of immigration in 1879, which resulted in county organization. The name was given in honor of Governor Albinus Nance, then acting Governor of the State. Fullerton, the county seat, has a population of 1,464. There are 33.94 miles of railway and 33.80 miles of telegraph.

      G. F. ROBINSON was born at Valparaiso. Indiana, removed with his parents to Gage County, Nebraska in 1878 and later to Nance County, settling in Fullerton in 1898. He taught school for several years in Gage County, read law in the office of J. E. Bush of Beatrice and was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court of Nebraska in 1897. In 1893 he married Miss Bertha Bush of Beatrice and they have two children. Mr. Robinson was a District Court Reporter one term and has been elected County Judge on the Republican ticket

      A. B. CURRIER was born in Greenlake, Wisconsin, December 1, 1877, and came to Nance County in 1883. He attended the Lincoln High School one year and is a graduate of the Commercial and Shorthand Courses of the Fremont Normal College. He was a member of Company I, First Nebraska Volunteers, in the Philippine campaign. He was appointed shipping clerk and remained in Manila when the regiment came home, but was obliged to resign on account of sickness. He was elected Clerk of the District Court on the Republican ticket

      W. F. PROWETT, son of John Prowett, fleet engineer of the British navy, was born in Portsmouth, England, March 24, 1860. In 1880 he came to Nance County, Nebraska, and in 1882 married Miss Carrie Beagle, who died in 1896, and in 1900 he married Miss May Edwards. He is a member of the Republican party and is serving his second term as County Treasurer.

      J. H. KEMP was born in Page County, Virginia, October 6, 1872. In April, 1895, he went to Basic City, Virginia, and in October of the next year he entered the Law Department of the University of Nebraska and graduated from it in 1898. That same year he began the practice of law at Fullerton, Nebraska. Twice he has been Chairman of the Republican Central County Committee and served one term as State Committeeman from the Eighteenth district. He has been City Attorney of Fullerton and is now County Attorney, nominated for a second term.

      D. STEPHENSON was born in Huntington, Indiana, March 31, 1850. In 1884 he came to Nebraska, engaging in farming in Nance County. In 1872 he married Miss Leah Bruss, and they have three sons. He is a member of the Republican party and has held several offices, having been Supervisor of Nance County in 1888, Census Enumerator in 1900 and is now serving his second term as County Clerk.

      W. H. DAVIS was born in Noble County, Ohio, February 9, 1851. About 1867 he removed to Missouri and in 1872 came to Merrick County, Nebraska. He settled in Nance County about 1881, where he has been a nurseryman. He received his education in the Missouri and Ohio public schools. Mr. Davis is a member of the Republican party and has served as Town Councilman and has twice been elected Sheriff of Nance County.

      E. W. SMITH was born in Kossuth, Iowa, October 18, 1876, removed to Hastings in 1879 and came to Fullerton in 1883. He attended the Fullerton High School, Fremont Normal College, University of Nebraska for three years, and took two summers' work in the York College. He was Principal of Schools at Belgrade four and one-half years. In 1903

he married Miss Hattie La Grange. Mr. Smith served in Company C, First Nebraska Volunteers, in the Philippine campaign as a member of the regimental band. He was elected County Superintendent on the Republican ticket and is now serving his second term.

      M. J. FLAHERTY was born in Malden, Illinois, November 18, 1870. He removed to Peru, Illinois, with his parents about 1876, and in 1885 settled in Nance County, Nebraska, where he has since made his home. He received his education in the Illinois public schools. He is a member of the Republican party and is Assessor of Nance County.

      J. R. STEPHENSON was born in Wabash County, Indiana, January 21, 1879. In 1884 he removed to Nebraska with his parents, where he has since remained. He attended the Fullerton High School and the Fremont Normal. since when he has taught in Nance County. He is a member of the Republican party and has been appointed Deputy County Clerk.

      W. L. ROSE was born in St. Lawrence County, New York, May 15, 1864, came to Merrick County in 1872, where he received his education and studied law in Genoa and Clarks, Nebraska. In 1891 he went to Cedar County and in 1898 settled in Fullerton, after having practiced law two years at Genoa. In 1899 he married Miss Edith Ridell and has one son. He is a member of the Populist party and has been County Attorney for Nance County two terms and City Attorney of Fullerton.

      E. E. COPPLE was born in Centralia, Illinois, April 19, 1874. In 1885 he came to Fullerton, Nebraska. He attended school at the Lincoln Normal, receiving the degree of B. S. and received the degree of D. D. S. at Northwestern University of Chicago. He began practicing dentistry in Fullerton in 1900 and in 1901 married Miss Bertha Storch. He is a member of the Republican party and was elected Mayor of Fullerton on the anti-saloon ticket.

      D. A. WILLARD was born in Winchester, New Hampshire, August 10, 1840. After living in Wisconsin, Michigan, Chicago and Omaha, he came to Columbus, Nebraska, in 1866. He was the first man to ship a carload of freight into Columbus, where he was engaged in the mercantile business, and his house at one time carried a stock worth $50,000.00. In 1867 he established a trading post at the present site of Genoa. When land came into market he bought three sections, laying out Genoa on one of them. In 1880 he married Miss Lottie Anderson of Genoa. Mr. Willard is one of the pioneers of Nance County and has held various township positions. He is now Chairman of the town board of Genoa.

      GEORGE D. MEIKLEJOHN, a lawyer, was born at Weyauwega, Waupaca County, Wisconsin, August 22, 1857. He was reared on a farm and educated at the State Normal, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Michigan University, Ann Arbor, Michigan; was principal of the High School at Weyauwega, Wisconsin and Liscomb, Iowa; graduated from the law department, Michigan University, in 1880; located at Fullerton, Nance County, Nebraska, in 1880, where he has since been engaged in the practice of law; was County Attorney for Nance County three years; elected to the Senate of the Nebraska Legislature in 1884 and re-elected in 1886; was President of the Senate during his second term; was chairman of the Republican State Convention in 1887; was elected Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska in 1888, and by virtue of that office was presiding officer of the famous Joint Convention of the Legislature of Nebraska, in 1891, to canvass the State election returns of 1890; he declined a renomination for Lieutenant Governor was elected to the Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth Congresses from the Third Congressional District of Nebraska; he declined renomination for Congress and was appointed Assistant Secretary of War, April 16, 1897; he tendered his resignation as Assistant Secretary of War, in March, 1901.

      The members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition are the first white visitors on record in Nemaha County. In a narration of his travels, written in 1804, Captain Lewis describes this region. The land belonged to the Indians until 1854. The first town site was platted by a half-breed Indian, named Deroin, in 1853, and the town was called St. Deroin. Robert Hawke opened up a store here. Richard Brown, a native of Tennessee, was the next white inhabitant. He settled on the present site of Brownville, which was named in his honor. In 1859 the land was offered for sale by the government, and speculators swarmed into the county. The years of 1857-8-9 were known as "hard times." The summer of 1858 was very wet, resulting in much sickness. The season of 1860 was very dry and only half a crop was reaped by the poverty-stricken farmers. Much of the time wheat brought only 20 cents per bushel, while farmers were paying 40 per cent interest on money borrowed to secure their lands. After paying this enormous interest for several years many were forced to yield their property to the speculators. Long before the lands were opened up there was a rush of immigrants. In 1856, during a single week, fifty families of homeseekers stopped to take up claims in this county. Among the early set-settlers (sic) were Rev. Joel M. Wood, Jesse Cole, N. Kelley, Henry Emerson, T. B. Edwards and wife and Faulbird Edwards. Mrs. T. B. Edwards was the first white woman to live in the county. In 1861 bands of men known as "jayhawkers" gave the settlers a great deal of annoyance. Their avowed purpose was to punish rebels, but in reality they were robbers, and their pretended sense of loyalty protected them in all sorts of thefts. On June 8, 1861, Company C, of the First Nebraska Volunteer In-

fantry, was organized. There were several local organizations known as Home Guards. In 1862 three cavalry companies were formed in the county for the Second Nebraska Regiment. The first flatboat ferry in Nemaha County was started in 1855 by Richard Brown, and in 1857 the first steam ferry boat was put in operation.

      In 1881 the number of improved acres of land was 141,108. In 1900 that number had increased to 214,686 acres. Nemaha County was organized in 1855. At that time the population was 604; it now numbers 14,952. Auburn, the county seat, is populated by 2,664 people. The supply of water and rich, rolling prairie make this a great agricultural and stock raising section. Land is very high. Pasture land sells at prices ranging from $30.00 to $50.00 an acre, and the best farm land brings from $60 to $80 per acre. The cultivation of fruit is very successful, and Nemaha ranks first in the state in its peaches. The county is divided into eighty-one school districts, supplied with eighty-three buildings, twelve of which are brick and two stone. Thirty districts have school during nine or more months, and only one school has a term of less than six months.

      G. B. BEVERIDGE was born in Palmyra, Missouri, April 23, 1838. In 1883 he came to Auburn, Nebraska, where he has since practiced law. He was a soldier all through the Civil War and knows the hardships of active service. During his residence in Delaware County, Iowa, he held the office of Clerk of the District Court and later of Sheriff. He is affiliated with the Republican party and is Clerk of the District Court in Nemaha County.

      D. J. A. DIRKS was born in Germany July 16, 1866. During the first years of his residence in America he lived in Missouri, but in 1877 he came to Nebraska, receiving a common school education and later was employed as a dry goods clerk. He is a member of the Republican party and has been elected County Treasurer.

      GEORGE D. CARRINGTON was born in Brownville, Nebraska, April 5, 1879, and has lived in Nemaha County all his life. He received his education in the Auburn High School, Fremont Normal and Peru State Normal. He is affiliated with the Republican party and has been elected County Superintendent. His vocation is that of teaching.

      CHARLES R. HACKER was born in Nemaha County, Nebraska, August 29, 1866. He received a common school education and in 1903 was married to Miss Elsie Hacker. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and is affiliated with the Republican party. He has been County Surveyor two years, City Clerk two years and at present holds the office of County Clerk.

      ABE L. LAURENCE was born in Brownville, Nemaha County, December 25, 1863, and has lived in this county ever since. He graduated from the Brownville High School and engaged in farming. In 1885 he married Miss Kate Agnes Penney and has six children. He has been twice elected County Sheriff on the Republican ticket,

      JOHN S. McCARTY was born in Mason, Illinois, June 10, 1868. His parents were both born in Kentucky, their ancestry dating back to the earliest settlers. He came to Nemaha County, Nebraska, in 1878 and received his education in the high schools and the Nebraska State Normal at Peru. By profession he is an attorney at law and is now serving as Judge of Nemaha County. He is a member of the Democratic party and has been a member of the State Central Committee.

      BENJAMIN PARKER was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, February 28, 1858. He is of Scotch-Irish parentage, his mother having come over from Scotland at the age of sixteen. In 1885 he was married to Minnie E. Berge. They have six children and live at Auburn, Nebraska. By occupation he is a merchant salesman and has also been employed as civil engineer. He moved to Iowa in 1861, to Missouri in 1862 and to Nebraska in 1879. He is serving his second term as County Surveyor and is a Republican in politics.

      C. A. LUTGEN is of German descent, although his people were born in America. He was born November 7, 1873, in Athens County, Ohio. He obtained his advanced schooling at Kansas University, Lincoln Medical College and the Chicago Homeopathic School. He is now a practicing physician of Auburn, Nebraska, and is holding the office of Coroner for the second term. From Ohio he went to Kansas in 1885 and came to Nebraska in 1901. Two years after coming to the state he married Myrtle Combs of Johnson County. He is a member of the Republican party.

     ILERT H. KUPER was born in Humboldt, Nebraska, December 23, 1866, of German parentage. He received a common school education and engaged in farming and teaching.