Dakota County NeArchives History .....Old Settlers Have Big Day [Reunion] Part 2 August 28, 1908 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ne/nefiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Debra Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467 April 23, 2018, 10:21 am The business meeting was then called and resulted in the election of the following officers for the coming reunion: President--John Boler, Jackson. Vice-Pres -- C T Westcott, Sioux City Secretary-- Harry H Adair Assistant Secretary -- W. L. Ross Financial Secretary -- A H Baker Treasurer -- Geo T Woods Historian-- M M Warner Executive Committee -- L H Ambright, W H Ryan, J J Eimers, John J Ryan, John C Smith, Thos B Jones, Ben Bonderson. ------------------------------------ "I feel that the country is indeed to be congratulated upon the nomination of Mr Taft. I do not believe there could be found in all the country a man so well fitted to be President." -- (President Roosevelt on learning Secretary Taft's nomination.) --------------------------------------------- Some Previous Reunions Old Settlers Have Been Meeting Annually Since 1882. To set the ball rolling several pioneers met August 26, 1882, at Homer. Geo T Woods was temporary chairman, and M M Warner secretary. The following were named to compile a constitution and by-laws: Joseph Hollman, J F Warner, Daniel Duggan, Joseph Brannan and E B Wilbur. A committee on arrangements was appointed as follows: From Omadi precinct, J. W. Davis, Tom Ashford and William Nixon; Dakota, J. O. Fisher, John Joyce, K. W. Frazier; Covington, Wm. Frazier, James McKenna and P. Monahan; Summit, Michael McKivergan, P. Twohig and John Dennison; Pigeon Creek, Tim Carrabing, Wm Minter and Wm Farrell; Hubbard, John Howard, John Hartnett and James Lehey. The committee held a meeting the following September in the court house at Dakota City. Gerald Dillon was elected chairman and John T. Spencer acted as secretary. Col. H. Baird was chosen marshal. Arrangements were then formulated for the first annual reunion, which was held in Bairds grove, in the southwestern part of the county, on September 23, 1882. The second annual reunion was held in Ashfords grove, east of Homer August 25, 1883. The officers elected that year were: Jesse Wigle, president; A. H. Baker, Secretary; C. H. Potter, assistant secretary, and Thos. Ashford, treasurer. In the following year the pioneers met on August 30 in the same grove. O. C. Tredway, of Sioux City, delivered the oration. Officers were elected as follows: Col. Jesse F. Warner, president; Daniel Duggan, vice president; A. H. Baker, secretary; C. H. Potter, assistant secretary, and Thos. Ashford, treasurer. The fourth reunion was held in Homer August 22,1885. Col Warner delivered the address. The fifth annual reunion in Hileman's grove on August 14, 1886, chose M. M. Warner as historian, which office he has held ever since. Officers were elected as follows: Col. Harlan Baird, president; Leonard Bates, vice president; Thomas Ashford, treasurer; D. C. Dibble, secretary, and Tim Carrabine, corresponding secretary. The sixth annual reunion was held in Hileman's grove. Dr. G. W. Wilkinson was elected president; Joseph Brannan, vice president; M. M. Warner, secretary and historian, and Thomas Ashford, treasurer. All attendance records were broken at the seventh reunion in Hileman's grove in 1888. J. C. C. Hoskins, of Sioux City, delivered the address of welcome. No change in officers was made with the exception of Atlee Hart being elected corresponding secretary. The reunion of 1889 was held in the park of the Homer driving association, near Homer. Dennis Armour was elected president, and Joseph Brannan vice president. No other changes in officers were made. On September 6, 1890, the ninth annual reunion took place in the same park. Resolutions were adopted. The tenth reunion was held in Clinton park at Dakota City. "Uncle" Dave Boals acted as chaplain, and William L. Joy, of Sioux City, delivered the address. The following officers were elected: Gen. Joseph Hollman, president; D. C. Dibble, vice president; M. M. Warner, secretary and historian, and Thomas Ashford, Sr., treasurer. The eleventh annual reunion was held in Barry's grove near Jackson, on August 20, 1892. The memorial committee reported twenty-eight deaths and Me. C. Jay made the principal speech. John Naffziger was elected president. The last reunion before Dakota City was made the permanent meeting place was held at Crystal lake in August, 1893. At this meeting 5,000 were present. Officers were chosen as follows: John W. Hazelgrove, president; Capt. Cornelius O'Connor, vice president; John T. Spencer, secretary; M. M. Warner, historian; Thomas Ashford, Sr. treasurer, and William P. Warner, corresponding secretary. The thirteenth annual reunion was held in Daktota City and all of the following ones have been held here. -------------....------------- Echoes of the Reunion Mrs. Ella Berg, of Portland, was the person to come from the greatest distance to be at the reunion. George Woods, Barney Gribble and Horace Dutton all served as members of the Nebraska regiments during the civil war. Nick Maher, a former sheriff of Dakota county, was an interested and interesting spectator at the various functions of the reunion. A. H. Baker, who came to Dakota county in the fall of 1855, was at the reunion. He was accompanied by his wife, who came to the territory as a Miss Rose Halleck. William P. Warner, who is now the United States marsharll for the portion of Nebraska which includes Dakota county, was one of the pioneers. He came in the early 60's, and was but 4 years old at the time. Simon P. Mikesell, of Ponca, was one of the best known figures on the grounds. He came west from Pennsylvania and was at one time a member of the Nebraska state senate. He is one of the reliable business men of his home town. In his address Senator Burkett made frequent reference to a bald headed man who sat in the audience, using his "marble top" repeatedly as an illustration. It later developed that the bald headed man was A. H. Baker, father of Mrs. Nellie Baker Mason. Miss Baker and Senator Burkett attended college at the same time an Tabor, Io. Senator Burkett admitted when he met his former schoolmate and her father at dinner that the joke was on him. John W. Gribble came up from South Omaha to enjoy the picnic. During his visit at Dakota City, Senator Burkett is being entertained by R. E. Evans. George T. Woods is among the oldest of the pioneer residents of Dakota county. He came to that county in 1855. Residents of Jackson were on the ground in numbers, boosting for Jackson's fall festival and harvest picnic on September 3. There will be speakers of note, foot races, games, horse races, tug of war and contests for old and young. Two ball games have been arranged, one between the Fats and the Leans. There will be a ball in the evening. The picnic will be a held on the school and hall grounds. Mell A. Schmied, Editor of the North Dakota Eagle, attended school in Sioux City when it boast of only one school house. John H. Ream, editor of the Dakota City Herald, is a son of one of Dakota county's earliest settlers. A picture of the old Spring Grove pioneer log school house in district No. 14 appears upon the badges of the twenty-seventh annual reunion. The drawing from which the cut was made is by the late Julia O'Connoer, of Dakota City. Jim Brannon and father Joseph Brannon, were both at the reunion and were among the well know of the pioneers and old settlers. Mr Brannon, Sr., was one of the colony that was planted in Dakota county by Father Tracy in 1856. M. M. Warner, historian for the old settlers of Dakota county, attended the first meeting and assisted in organizing the association. He officiated as secretary at the first meeting and almost ever since has acted as a historian. Warner's History of Dakota County was compiled by him and he is now gathering data for the second volume. He is editor of the Lyon Mirror. Barny Gribble, Sheriff J. P. Rockwell, Marshall James H. Fueston, Bert Wood and Chris Paulson had to do considerable explaining as to how they happened to go to Tekamah on Friday to attend the Burt county old settler's picnic when as a matter of fact the picnic was not held until Saturday. Upon learning the mistake, Rocwell and Paulson returned home in the evening, but the balance of the party remained over. On all sides were heard remarks complimentary to Dakota City because of the improvements which have been made in the past year. New homes have been erected during the year by Deputy United States Marshall John F. Sides, Henry Kruninwiede and Herman Bierman, and extensive improvements have been made on the residences of County Clerk W. L. Ross, George Barnett, Julius Giese, Clay Howard, W. S. Baughman, D. M. Nieswanger, C. M. Gray, Mrs. Eva Orr, William Lahrs and R. E. Evans, General improvement is apparent all over town. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ne/dakota/history/other/oldsettl4ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/nefiles/ File size: 9.4 Kb