BLAINE COUNTY 
NEBRASKA

           The present county named Blaine is in the center of the sandhill region of Nebraska.¹ This region lies in a fan shape from Hayes and Dundy counties to Sheridan, Rock and Pierce.² Early explorers in Coronado's time considered them too dangerous and treacherous to explore.³

            All unorganized territory of Nebraska was known as Sioux county.  But all deeds and legal transactions were taken to an organized county. ⁴ They were taken first to North Platte, then to Taylor in Loup County.⁵

          The first white man ever to traverse this part of the sandhills were stage drivers for the Kearney to Black Hills Stage Route.⁷ This route was

 begun in 1876 and abandoned as unprofitable about two years later.⁸

            But they left an important mark of development on the sandhills by building the first bridges.  This afforded less danger to the early pioneer, (later) who did not know the western rivers.  There were two of these bridges across the Loup.  One was across the Dismal near where Dunning now is.

1. Sheldon, A. E. History & Stories of Nebr. p. 187.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Johnson, Mrs. G. J., letter, Nov. 22, 1926.
5. Norris, D. C., letter, Nov. 19, 1926.
6. Lomax, J., Cowboy Songs.
7 &  8., Greenland, R. R., letter, Nov. 12, 1926.

          Another across the Middle Loup two miles west of the first.¹ They also built a log house near the second bridge for a resting place for their drivers.  This house was inhabited by the Miles Cattle Co. in 1880.  The stage route trail was visible many years after the route was forgotten.²

            There were six large ranches in what is now Blaine County.³  They reigned here for about six years in all the glory and romance we now attach to cowboys and ranches.  These cowboys were ordinary, uneducated men of the plains with a sublime contempt that men of notion are wont to feel for men of books.⁴

            Mr. R. R. Greenland, is the only cowboy who stayed in the county to homestead and help in the development of the country as a worthy citizen.

          Of the six ranches Taylor S. Northup's was the most important.  It was situated on the North Loup in about the center of the county.⁵  The flatts here were called Hawley Flatts.  Mr. Northup and his wife were very well educated people from New York state.⁶ Even though the children of well educated and aristocratic people make the hest citizens of the developed country, their parents would have suffered less if they had never known the comforts they were missing in being pioneers.

The Finch Hatton ranch was situated on the Dismal River across south from the present site of Dunning.⁷ It was owned by three English
 brothers, Nigel, Dave, and Grenville. 

1. Greenland, R. R., letter, Nov. 12, 1926
2, 3, 5 & 7, Ibid
4. Cowan, Lingo of the Cow Country, p. 720.
6.Western Nebraska, p. 243.

The first post office, which was life-giving to the pioneer was located at this ranch and was named Lena.¹

          The Finch Hatton brothers sold to Lish Taylor in 1881, who in turn sold to Floyd Fields and brothers in 1884.  Floyd Fields, now, does business at Dunning and the ranch is still conducted, on a smaller scale, under a different name.

            The Du Frand ranch flourished on the Middle Loup east of Halsey;² Millard Miles ranch west of Dunning on
 the same river.³

          The Smith and T ranch was down the river from Northup's on the Middle Loup.⁴ This one is now owned by J. A. Rankin, who came to Nebraska in 1883 and made a permanent residence in 1900.⁵

            The sixth ranch was owned by Dave Hanna.⁶  
           There was very little trouble between the ranchers and early settlers.  The ranchers moved farther west in 1884.⁷ Loss of many cattle by terrible snowstorms was one cause of their leaving.  

       
1. Greenland, R. R., letter, Nov. 12, 1926
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Western Nebraska, p. 243.
6. Op. cit., letter.
7. Ibid.
8. Lomax, John, Cowboy Song, p. 187
            

Mr. George F. Purdum and family were the first settlers to come in to this county to homestead on Buffalo Flatts.¹ These flatts are on the North Loup in the western part of the county.  Mr. Purdum's came in March of 1883 and built their sod house on the place that was later Mr. A. H. Schlasman's home.

            Mr. Purdum did not stay to see the development of the country but as the first English in Virginia, they found they were unsuited to a pioneer's life with hardships too great to withstand.  Mr. Purdum is living in Shoshone, Idaho with sons.  Mrs. Purdum is deceased.  Grace Purdum is at North Loup {Nebr.} and Anna is at Ord {Nebr.}

            One great need, felt terribly by the early settlers, was the lack of a doctor.  Mr. Purdum's little boy Jerry got a kernel of popcorn in his nose.² It was one hundred and twentyfive miles to the nearest doctor.  Mr. Purdum held the boy, while Mrs. Greenland held the nose tightly above the kernel.  Mrs. Purdum then took a crochet hook and removed the kernel.³ Homely means that required courage to put into practice.

            For the first year people west of Hawley Flatts received their mail from Hawley at Northup's ranch.  This came from Kearney, Buffalo Co.⁴ later from Almeria and distributed west about once every two weeks by whomever went for the mail.

1. Johnson, Mrs. G. P., letter, Nov. 22, 1926.
2. Ibid.
3. Mrs. Greenland, interview, Dec. 26, 1926.
4. R. R. Greenland, interview.

           In 1883 Mr. Purdum sent in a petition for a post office on Buffalo Flatts.¹ No name was suggested so the head department called it Purdum.  The first post office was a large sized cracker box at Mr. Purdum's home.

            In 1885 the Postoffice was moved three miles west to Mr. Aras B. Cox' home who homesteaded here with family of wife and three grown sons.² This family was very well educated.  Mr. Cox was a Civil War veteran from the south.  He had lost the power of sight when he came to Nebraska, but was a man well versed in three professions.  These were lawyer, doctor and minister.³ He was a blessing to this neighborhood as minister and friend to everyone.  At his death his son, Charlie, filled his place as a doctor.  Doctor Erwin, living near Brewster was the first and best doctor in the county, then Dr. Charlie Cox later took his place.

          The postoffice was later moved to Jeff Brown's home one mile north, near the river.⁴ Here Munson and Ackerman put in a stock of goods, establishing the first store on Buffalo Flatts.

            Frank Brown, Jeff Brown's son was the postmaster while the office was stationed at his father's home.  Frank Brown soon moved the office up the river about three miles into Thomas county.⁵ It was his own homestead then and later became Tom Simonton's home. 

            Jeff Brown and family homesteaded near the North Loup River in 1884.⁶  They now live at Crab Orchard, Nebraska.⁷

1. Johnson, Mrs. G. P., letter, Nov. 22, 1926.
2.  Greenland, R. R., letter, Nov. 12, 1926.
3.  Ibid.
4.  R. R. Greenland, letter, Nov. 12, 1926.
   5 & 6. Ibid.

This office always retained the name of Purdum regardless of the times it was moved about.

            The postoffice at Hawley was important to the first settlers but it did not long continue.  Pat Murphy was the second postmaster there after Mr. Northup.¹ Mr. Murphy was an early settler of Hawley Flats, from where he later moved to Ainsworth.  

            Mr. Northup's discontinued his ranch in about 1884 and moved up the river to The Falls.  They returned later and filed a homestead near their old ranch.  In 1903 they left Blaine county to live in Logan County.²  

            There were three towns started in the east part of the county.  Blaine Center was three and one-half miles west of the later location of Brewster which was about eighteen miles east of Northup's on the North Loup.  Blaine Center had no postoffice.³  

            Ladora was established as a postoffice by Wright Rankin on his own place tree miles east of Blaine Center.⁴  

            Immediately after the beginning of these two towns, Mr. George Brewster came to the county and started a town named Brewster one-half mile east of Ladora.  He began a paper called the Brewster news which is still issued although Mr. Brewster has long since left the county.  

            Mr. Brewster had visions of quick development and growth of a large city in this new valley.  He was much chagrined and disappointed when his plan did not materialize.  

1. Greenland, R. R., letter, Nov. 12, 1926.
2. Ibid.
3. Riggs, E. H. letter, Jan. 12, 1927.
4. Mathews, Mrs. A. E. letter, Jan. 12, 1927.

         CONTINUED IN SECTION 2