That summer, Mr. French broke about six acres of land at the east part of town. His nearest neighbors in the
      county were at Spring Ranch, on the Little Blue, some twenty-five miles southwest, at which place the settlement
      of the county commenced. The next settler on the town site was James C. Vroman, who took a soldiers'
      homestead upon the quarter-section south of Mr. French, built a dug-out on the creek near C.M. Turner's
      present residence and began cultivating the land. During 1870, there were plenty of elk, deer, antelope, beaver
      and wolves.

      In the spring of 1871, Mr. French sowed about four acres of wheat, threshed it by "treading out," winnowed it in
      the wind and had it ground at Milford, Seward County, forty-eight miles below here, on the Big Blue, which at
      that time was the nearest grist-mill. The neighbors had a bee to aid him in the harvest and are said to have got a
      "little too much in their heads," ending in a frolic and a general good time of fun and rejoicing.

      May 4, 1871, H. W. Gray, his son John M., son-in-law, G. W. Bemis, with W. Cunning and wife, came into the
      town, all settling on land immediately adjoining town. Mrs. Cunning was the first married white woman that settled
      near town.

      In May, 1871, the first business house was established by one Mr. McTyge; was built of boards and located
      nearly between the houses of H. W. Gray and A. A. McCoy; there the town started and grew for several months
      till the railroad crossed the draw, and then it moved west to its present location. Mr. McTyge's stock consisted of
      whisky and groceries. About the same time, Kearney & Kelley started a saloon in a tent. P. H. Curran and Mart
      Higgins started another saloon soon following.

      These saloons preceded the railroad builders, and most of them vanished as the railroad passed forward to the
      west.

      Andrew Sherwood was the first cunning worker in metals among us, and commenced blowing his forge and
      swinging his hammer in a sod shop, just below the French dug-out, in June, 1871. About this time, J. R. Maltby
      came up from Crete, Neb., followed soon after by William A. Way. These men jumped the claim of J. C.
      Vroman, contesting it at Lincoln and Washington, and succeeded in getting it canceled, and the title perfected in
      themselves, as elsewhere recorded. In February, 1873, they laid it out as the first addition to Sutton.

      August 23, 1871, Thurlow Weed came from Lincoln and brought with him a carload of lumber, the first one in
      the county, and for some time managed the lumber trade for Monnell, Lashley & Weed, of which firm he was a
      member. On the following day, John M. Gray & Co. shipped a carload of lumber from Lincoln, and have
      continued in the same business until the present time. J. M. Gray was commissioned a Notary Public soon after,
      the first one in the county. Among the early men of the town who have gone away are Asa Tracy, who kept the
      first boarding and lodging house, and afterward a store, he has gone West; Charles Calkins, who followed the
      same business, has gone West. Old Father Lynch, a comical and very good-natured man, kept a saloon in the
      building now occupied by Bagley & Bemis; after losing his health, he left the business, bequeathed his property to
      charitable purposes and died.

      Thornton R. Linton came from Iowa and commenced the livery business with four horses, September 20, 1871;
      his first stable was built out of poles, covered with prairie hay; he now has a spacious stable on Saunders avenue,
      well supplied with horses and carriages.

      August 10, 1871, Mr. French laid out the town in about 600 lots, and, on a suggestion of Mr. Maltby, it was
      named Sutton from a town of the same name in Massachusetts.

      The first caucus in the town was held in the fall of 1871 at French's dug-out.

      October 14, 1871, an election was held at the house of Alexander Campbell, near Harvard, at which election
      Sutton was made the county seat by a vote of fifty-six to thirty-three, and retained it up to November 7, 1879.

      The first white child born here was the little daughter, since deceased, of Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Gross, born
      February 15, 1872.

      The first death was that of little Maude Tracy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Asa Tracy, April 21, 1872. It was the
      first shadow that death had cast over the town. She was a general favorite; every one missed her. To her funeral
      all went. Although no solemn bell tolled, every one was sad, and the well-known requiem was sung at her
      grave--"She sleeps in the valley so sweet."

      The first shooting affray that occurred in the town and in this part of the county was occasioned by a jealousy
      between Mullen and his partner, saloon keepers. Flynn shot Mullen in the face, although not seriously. These
      fellows were fascinated by the charms of an Omaha belle.

      Gray & Bemis established a nursery business November 1, 1871, shipping a general assortment of fruit trees,
      small fruits, shrubs and ornamental trees.

      In February, 1872, the first directory of the town and county was published by Houston & Street, since
      dissolved, at Lincoln. The description of the town in that directory forms the basis of nearly all that has since been
      written. The directory contained: In dry goods and groceries, three; flour and feed, two; drugs, one; hardware,
      one; lumber, two; hotels, one; implements, one; nursery, one; livery, one; fur and hides, one; meat market, one;
      real estate, two; doctors, one; attorneys, one; Notary Public, one; shoemaker, one.

      William Woolman was then the shoemaker, and also the first resident minister in the town. In all there were but
      twenty-one business and professional men.

      Then the combined capital of the town was $15,000; amount of business per year, $25,000; whole number of
      houses and buildings in town, twenty.

      To-day we have in dry goods and groceries, three; dry goods, five; groceries, four; hardware, two; drugs, four;
      millinery, two; meat markets, two; shoemakers, four; blacksmiths, three; carriage-makers, two; cabinet-maker
      and furniture, one; builders, four; jewelry, one; livery, one; hotels, two; lumber dealers, two; grain dealers, six;
      stock dealers, three; implements, three; proprietary medicine manufacturers, two; newspaper, one; lawyers,
      seven; doctors, four; clergymen, two; Notaries, four; brick makers, one; ice dealers, one; billiard halls, two;
      harnessmakers, two; barber, one.

      Eleven years ago the population was in all, thirty-five; population now, 1,000.

      November 1, 1871, Isaac N. and Martin Clark came from Illinois and Ohio, respectively, and purchased the
      unsold portion of the town site of Mr. French for $4,000. They immediately commenced the building which is
      now the Clark House, and, in February, the following year, put in a stock of hardware and drugs. These stocks
      were the first of the kind in the town or county, and the earliest on the Burlington & Missouri, west of Crete. I. N.
      Clark & Co. opened the hardware February 20, and Martin Clark & Co. the drugs, February 10, 1872.

      C. M. Turner, on November 17, 1871, came up from Crete and built a store near where he lives, facing north to
      a street which has since been moved several lots south, and is now call Elm Street. December 9, he opened a
      stock of general merchandise, and shipped the first full carload of flour to town. Corey & Co. came up at the
      same time and built beside Mr. Turner. These two firms were always spirited rivals. Corey & Co. sold out to
      Stewart & Evans, went to Crete and have-since failed.

      At this time most of the town was all on this now obliterated street, which extended down as far as the present
      switch, and was called "Whiskey Row." Afterward, the town, like a balky, head-strong horse, went east across
      the draw, the Clarks and Grays building the trestle bridge east of the court house to go over on. I. N. Clark &
      Co. built and stocked a hardware store down on Main avenue; also Martin Clark & Co. a drug store; this was
      late in 1872.

      Then came Merrill & Co., built and stocked a general store, early in January, followed by John I. Smith in the
      harness business, and Charles Meyer, boot and shoe shop. About the same time, A. Burlingame bought out
      Judge Maltby's interest in the building he had previously built for a post office. Afterward, Mr. Burlingame added
      a leanto, and J. M. Gray put up a building south of the post office. Charley Calkins and W. B. Jenkins built
      houses and Gray moved the Mines building, which was the first schoolhouse, over for an office. The new town
      flourished. A lot of sorghum cane growing in that part of town gave it the name of Sorghum. The impetus given by
      the establishment of the depot and the surveying of the first addition to Sutton, by Maltby & Way, checked the
      progress of the building of East Sutton for a business point, and, accordingly, the business men one by one came
      back, and, excepting J. M. Gray & Co. and H. W. Gray, located on Saunders avenue. Fixed in the memory of
      the actors in that movement are the awful big stories Gen. Warren Hull used to spin in the stores through the
      winter, and the lays of Charley Meyer's clarionet in the summer evenings, when his day's work was done. That
      part of the town afterward built south of the track was called Scrabble Hill.

      Thompson & Young commenced the agricultural implement business January 1, 1872, and were the earliest in
      that business in the county. They sold the first year $10,000 worth of implements and were succeeded by
      Thompson Bros.

      Stewart & Evans succeeded to the business of Corey & Co. October 9, 1872. Two years later, George Stewart
      & Co. purchased and carried on the business.

      April 1, 1873, William A. Way came up from Crete and started a hardware store in the Fitzgerald building; this
      was the third building south of the track; the first was built by F. A. Gross, in the fall of 1872. In the spring of
      1873, Kribbler built a furniture store now occupied by George Henry. Soon after commencing business, Mr.
      Way built the building now occupied by Weed & Co., who succeeded him in business in 1874.

      In the fall of 1873, Way & Stewart built the double building occupied by Keller & Co. and Merrill & Co.

      Among the early settlers in Sutton Precinct are Russell and John Merrill and their families, who settled on Section
      20; Russell built his house in the summer of 1871, a frame house ceiled, which was a great luxury in those times.
      John built in the fall. Most of the houses were made of sods, with roof covered with sods and ground floors. The
      settlers often used boxes and nail-kegs for chairs, and board home-made tables were common articles of
      furniture.

      Indeed, the people in the town and country never dreamed of a suite of rooms, but were very proud if they had
      one room in a house. Dug-outs, constructed in the banks of ravines, were also a very fashionable way of living,
      when the people were either afraid of the winds or came in too late to build their houses.

      Merrill & Co. commenced business on Main avenue in January, 1873, and dealt in dry goods and groceries.
      Russell raised and the firm shipped the first car of grain from this county, August 14, 1873.

      Conner and Sheppard, respectively from Ohio and Illinois, opened an exclusive grocery store in March, 1873,
      and were the first exclusive grocers in the town.

      December 15, 1873, Markus Wittenberg, a native of Hungary, came from Topeka, Kan., and opened a
      confectionery and fruit store; afterward added groceries and dry goods.

      August 10, 1873, Mrs. C. M. Church opened a millinery store. Mrs. M. V. Foote's was the first one in the place.

      Melvin Bros. came from Fillmore, Neb., and commenced business in dry goods and groceries in August, 1873.
      Gross, Kribbler, Turner and the Melvins' are the pioneer store builders in that flourishing part of town, south of
      the track.

      Grice & Towslee established their harness business February 25, 1875, successors to John I. Smith, a very
      talkative chap, who flourished in Sorghum's palmy days, and whose business card still remains all over the front
      of his former shop on Main avenue. On the same day, J. F. Evens & Co. opened their lumber yard, successors
      to Monnell, Lashley & Weed.

      F. W. Hohmann came in from Lincoln, Neb., and opened a dry goods and grocery store, in June, 1874; he was
      a musician by profession and organized cornet bands at Harvard and Sutton.

      John B. Eaton & Son built a grain warehouse February 1, 1874. The building was afterward sold to Eaton &
      Pyle, and later passed into the hands of F. A. Pyle & Co. Eaton & Pyle enlarged it to a horse-power elevator,
      having a storage capacity of 7,000 bushels and a daily capacity of 1,000.

      J. F. Evans & Co., T. A. Margrave, manager, commenced the grain business in the fall of 1874. This company
      are extensive dealers, it being a series of seven, extending from the Mississippi River to Sutton, there being five in
      Iowa and two in Nebraska. The daily capacity of their elevator in Sutton is 2,000 bushels.

      McKee & Robinson commenced the photograph business in the summer of 1873. Afterward, McKee
      succeeded to the business.

      W. J. Keller & Co., druggists, commenced operations November 30, 1875; they are successors to J. Thompson
      & Co., who commenced business in the fall of 1873.

      Alcorn & Clyde commenced business in agricultural implements September 15, 1875, successors to Alcorn &
      Colvard.

      J. E. Ryan, from Illinois, commenced business May 1, 1876, operating the first exclusively dry goods store in the
      county.

      May 19, 1876, Mrs. F. A. Gross opened a millinery store and dress-making establishment.

      In the spring of 1876, B. B. Cronin commenced in the boot and shoe trade, the first of the kind in Sutton.

      The Sutton Brick Company, J. S. LeHew, Superintendent, I. N. Clark, Treasurer, commenced the successful
      manufacture of brick June 1, 1876.

      April 22, 1876, Sherwood & Torrey opened their meat market. Krieger & Ballzer were in this business before
      them, and had a shop just north of Gray's lumber yard. After, the shop was moved on to Saunders avenue. W.
      Cunning bought into the firm and sold out again to Kreiger.

      Afterward, Cunning was appointed Deputy Sheriff, which office he held for four years. Earlier he used to be a
      great man to drive work, and did most of the heavy hauling in town. Later, Eugene Bemis succeeded to the
      business, and had a dray built, the first one in the town.

      The first builder in town was Henry Potter, now of Spring Ranch. He built P. H. Curran's saloon, near the last of
      May, 1871.

      The first plastered building in Sutton was the county court house, built and plastered early in 1873. The masons
      came from Crete.

      Other trades not before mentioned are A. A. Scott, Montgomery & Bro., Emery & Bro. and I. B. Terryll,
      builders; W. W. Jordan and Farris & Co., masons; Spencer & Co., William Smeltser and James McVey,
      blacksmiths; Daniel Cronin and F. J. Hoerger, carriage and wagon makers; Paul Braitsch, successor to J. D.
      Harris, jeweler; B. B. Cronin and George Karcher, shoemakers; Ramsey & Griffith, house and sign painters;
      John Nehf, harnessmaker; Augustus Meyer, barber; William Ryan, P. H. Curran and James Stewart, billiards.

      Among the residences having considerable pretensions to elegance are the houses of J. B. Dinsmore, I. N. Clark,
      G. W. Bemis, J. M. Gray, R. S. Silvers, R. G. Brown and O. A. Kendall.

      Noticeable among the many buildings that space does not allow mention is the two-story building, with Masonic
      hall above, of I. N. Clark & Co.; store building of Connor & Sheppard, one story, 22x70, the two-story
      building, with Odd Fellows hall, of John Grosshans, 24x60, and the one-story building of Mr. Griess, hardware,
      24x60; one story, of Weed & Co., and store, same size, occupied by J. E. Ryan, and Turner & Hunter's store,
      20x80; county court house, two stories; new public school building, 40x40, with appropriate and artistic
      projections each way, twenty-four foot posts, with a belfry and dome; it has two rooms below and a chapel, full
      size, above, with all the modern conveniences of cloak and apparatus rooms; cost $4,000.

      The First Congregational Church, the first church building in the town or county, is 28x40 feet, sixteen-foot
      ceiling, and was erected in the fall of 1875; cost $1,500.

      The First Methodist Episcopal Church of brick, now building, 30x40, eighteen feet high. Total number of
      buildings in the town eleven years ago, twenty; total number of buildings now, 284.

      In that period of time, there has been five business failures, the period including the money panic of 1873 and
      grasshopper famine of 1874.

      The County Commissioners appointed the first Board of Trustees for the town of Sutton in November, 1874;
      they were F. M. Brown, Martin Clark, James Melvin, John C. Merrill, William A. Way.

      A. B. Lucore settled and built a large two-story business house, 18x40 feet, on Main avenue, in the spring of
      1873. He first came to Sutton with Messrs. Gray, Cunning and Bemis, in 1871, and located at that time on land a
      few miles east of town, upon which he built a large frame house.

      A colony of Germans from Southern Russia, near the port of Odessa, on the Black Sea, came to Sutton and
      settled in the town and adjacent country in the fall of 1873. The principal leaders of the colony were John
      Grosshans, Henry Griess and Henry Hoffman. The whole number of families is fifty-five. They bought, in the
      aggregate, 16,120 acres of land at an average cost of $7 per acre, making $112,840 that was paid the Burlington
      & Missouri Railroad Company and to the homesteaders for land. Their property in Sutton cost then $18,000;
      their combined wealth in this county is $500,000. They are a sober, temperate people and belong to the German
      Reformed Church.

      The first rail laid on the town site of Sutton by the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company was put into its
      place on the 12th day of August, 1871. Not long after, Mr. Joseph Wilsey, an attorney of Crete, representing the
      railroad company, waited on Mr. French in his dug-out and induced him to sign a contract, deeding the right of
      way through town to the company, the consideration of which was a promised depot at Sutton. This deed was
      not recorded until after French sold to the Clark Bros., and was consequently invalid.

      A freight car had been used here for a station house, and was known as 124, which number was painted on a
      bleached buffalo skull, hung to a stick and nailed to one end of the car.

      December 15 or 16, 1871, the company moved their station from this place to a new town they had laid out four
      and a half miles east, called Grafton, which consisted of four houses.

      Originally, the intention of the Burlington & Missouri Company was to make a station here, the distance being
      about half way between Fairmont and Harvard and between Lincoln and Kearney, and the ready access to water
      in the valley of School Creek, and the friendly protection of the neighboring hills and the timber on the creek,
      were appreciated by Col. Thomas Doane, Chief Engineer of the company. The cause of the long and
      disagreeable contest is now a matter of great interest.

      The railroad company, with its untold landed wealth, brought everything to bear on the struggling town that had
      started out so full of hope and good intentions. It instructed its officers to deny the existence of Sutton, even as a
      town, as well as a station. How bravely and well the people bore up--often heavy-hearted, but never quite
      discouraged--under their trials, it will be for our readers to conclude; as to who were in the right and who were
      victors in the end, remains for you to decide for yourselves.

      It has been claimed by the company that because Sutton tolerated saloons, and also because the title to the
      Vroman claim was in dispute, were sufficient reasons for discarding it as a station.

      The people were ever willing to give a reasonable proportion of their lands for a station. In due time, the contest
      between Vroman and Maltby and Way was decided and the title perfected in Maltby and Way.

      About the 1st of January, 1872, Mr. T. Weed, deputed by the citizens, was sent to Crete with a proposition to
      the railroad company from the land-owners of the town, offering one-half of the unsold portion of the Clark,
      Maltby & Way eighties, upon which the town was afterward built. In addition, Maltby & Way offered twenty
      acres of the best of their land for depot grounds. Col. Doane wanted two-thirds of the lots besides depot
      grounds, and negotiations failed.

      Simultaneously with this movement, Mr. I. N. Clark waited on D. N. Smith, President of the Town Site
      Company, an organization accessory in fact, though not in pretense, to the railroad company. This so-called
      company had charge of and manipulated the location of towns and stations. Mr. Clark remonstrated with Mr.
      Smith as to the action of the company in removing the station, but Mr. Smith would do nothing to relieve the
      situation.

      Winter, cold and excessively snowy, had set in, and the settlers, strangers in a new country, with entire
      dependence on the railroad company to transport fuel and food, made the prospect gloomy indeed.

      Stolid, cold, calculating--a perfect diplomatist--was the man Smith. Although acting under orders, he was very
      courteous. He "never quite gave Sutton up," and it was puzzling to know just what he meant, he had such perfect
      command of himself and his words.

      The next movement for a depot was undertaken by Judge Maltby, who went to Boston at his own expense and
      interviewed the chief officers of the road. He found that they were, or claimed they were, entirely ignorant of the
      action of the Town Site Company in relation to this place and promised him they would investigate the whole
      trouble.

      Later in the fall, another proposition was made to the company by the land-owners, similar to the first, except that
      reservations were made for public parks.

      Toward Christmas, Marthis & Robbins, dealer in groceries at Grafton, indicated their desire to move to Sutton,
      with their building and goods.

      In accord with the enterprising and liberal spirit, characteristic of the early men of the town, the Clark Bros.
      donated them a lot, and W. Cunning and G. W. Bemis took their teams, and, with other public-spirited citizens,
      went up to Grafton and moved the building and goods to Sutton, free of charge.

      The resolute determination of the people to keep up the warfare at whatever cost, had then grown to be a settled
      fact. It was the all-absorbing theme in the stores, on the street and at the fireside. Nothing else was scarcely
      thought of.

      In those days of trial, and before the people had the luxury of a county paper, the Good Templars Lodge, then in
      full blast, issued occasionally a manuscript paper for amusement. In one of these papers there appeared a poem,
      written by G. W. Bemis, now an attorney; the poem is here given to show the burden of thought. It was published
      by the Daily State Journal, a paper which uniformly stood by Sutton through its dark days:
 
 

      In July, 1872, I. N. Clark & Co. shipped a carload of heavy hardware, the first one into the county, over the St.
      Joe & Denver City Railroad, to the station now known as Edgar, and teamed it to Sutton. This company being a
      rival line gave a low rate on freight and it had a great influence in re-establishing the station at Sutton. Our
      merchants, learning self-reliance, were now shipping a large portion of their goods over this route, and by this
      means Chicago to-day has lost thousands of dollars in trade that now goes to St. Joseph and will continue to go
      there.

      Early in April, 1873, the last effort was made to secure a station. I. N. and M. Clark and H. W. Gray, at their
      own expense, made a journey to Lincoln and Plattsmouth to treat directly with the officers of the road, and laid
      the matter for the last time before the company. There had, however, been some changes in the officers of the
      company--Col. Doane was supplanted by C. F. Morse as Superintendent. and D. N. Smith by Arthur Gorham,
      as President of the Town Site Company.

      The new Superintendent was quite bashful and seemed ill at ease. These men showed him by freight receipts of
      the St. Joe & Denver Railroad that it would be easy to throw $20,000 a year out of their hands and into the
      hands of their rivals. No argument had been so attentively listened to as this. The Superintendent promised to lay
      the matter before Mr. Perkins, President of the road, and gave substantial encouragement that there would be a
      station at Sutton.

      About the 20th of April, 1873, President Gorham came up to see about the equalization of taxes, and repeated
      the provisional promise of the Superintendent.

      About the 1st of May, 1873, Arthur Gorham and D. N. Smith came to Sutton to negotiate with the citizens and
      make, if possible, final arrangements for the establishment of a depot. The first day's session was in the
      court-room, at which time Messrs. Gorham and Smith were the principal speakers. The next day's session was in
      the Treasurer's room. Everything went swimmingly on until they came to the Clark eighty, of which they wanted
      one-half. That was refused and one-third offered. To this D. N. Smith, after considerable parley, remarked that
      "there may be equities in this case that would allow these young men to get off with donating one-third," and
      called on Messrs. Weed, Gray, Tracy and others, who expressed themselves to the end that one-third was
      enough for Clark Bros. to give. The company exacted a donation of forty acres from J. M. Gray; forty acres with
      consideration from G. W. Bemis, which was refused and accepted by W. Cunning; also a donation of forty acres
      each from Henry Beale and J. R. Maltby; one-half of the Maltby and Way eighties, and twenty acres from F. A.
      Gross. In addition, the citizens were to grade the switch, and vote for Harvard for the county seat.

      The company afterward paid the land-owners in bulk $5 per acre, as a consideration to make their title good.
      Instead of twenty acres, as formerly offered, they accepted 100 feet additional south of their right of way for
      depot grounds.

      In the fall of 1873, the depot was built, since which time the company and our citizens have had intimate and
      pleasant relations.

      Nowhere between the Blue and Platte Rivers have the company such a pure and inexhaustible water supply as in
      the large well at the water-tank in Sutton. The first station agent at Sutton was R. M. Grimes, now Postmaster at
      Kearney; L. S. Sage is the present agent. William Irving, the present Superintendent of the company, furnishes
      the following statistics:

      During 1873, Sutton Station in freight received 2,483 tons; forwarded 1,154 tons. During 1875, freights
      received, 4,239 tons; forwarded, 5,255 tons. During 1875, from Sutton were shipped 120,681 pounds of
      merchandise and 528 carloads of grain. The same year were received 1,389,716 pounds of merchandise; 414
      barrels of salt; 94 barrels of lime; 54 barrels of coal oil; 101 barrels of apples; 11 carloads of emigrants'
      movables; 26 cars of corn for seed; 209 cars of lumber and 183 cars of coal, etc.

      A tract of about twelve acres in the northern part of Clark's eighty has been laid off and platted as "Clark's
      Square." School Creek makes a horseshoe bend in passing through this square, which is heavily timbered and
      deeply shaded with large rock elms.

      The following are the names of those who have held offices connected with the town since its incorporation up to
      the present time, together with the dates of official service:

      1874--Trustees, W. A. Way, F. M. Brown, J. J. Melvin, J. C. Merrill and M. V. B. Clark; Chairman, F. M.
      Brown; Clerk, R. G. Brown; Treasurer, F. M. Davis; Marshal, I. D. Emery.

      1875--Trustees, W. A. Way, J. C. Merrill, Paul Braitsch, George Sewart and M. V. B. Clark; Chairman, J. C.
      Merrill; Clerk, J. S. Le Hew; Treasurer, F. M. Davis; Marshal, W. Wilkinson.

      1876--Trustees, F. A. Pyle, E. P. Church, J. W. Shirley, James Sheppard and I. N. Clark; Chairman, E. P.
      Church; Clerk, J. S. Le Hew; Treasurer, F. M. Davis; Marshal, A. Brown. F. M. Davis resigned the office of
      Treasurer, and J. A. Tout was appointed, December 9, 1876, to fill the vacancy. During the early part of the year
      a petition, signed by R. G. Brown and twenty others, was presented to the Board of Trustees, asking that they
      incorporate Sutton as a city of the second class. In response to this request of the citizens, Ordinance No. 24
      was passed by the board, whereby the town was incorporated as a city of the second class. An election was held
      and the following officers elected: Mayor, I. N. Clark; Police Judge, J. R. Maltby; Clerk, J. S. Le Hew;
      Treasurer, J. A. Tout; Marshal, C. F. Meyer; Councilmen for the First Ward, J. S. Sheppard and W. E. Bemis;
      Councilmen for the Second Ward, T. Weed and F. A. Pyle. This administration was characterized by general
      activity and improvement; being now a city, it was the great object to have the town fulfill in its appearance all that
      was indicated in the name.

      Among the improvements were the revision and publication of the ordinances and the construction of sidewalks.
      During the previous year a sidewalk was built along Saunders avenue, the leading thoroughfare of the place, and
      was also the first walk built in the town. This, too, was the beginning of the era of planting shade trees. During the
      year a double walk iron bridge was built across School Creek by Raymond & Young, contractors. A spirit of
      public improvement was aroused, and which has since continued, making the town of Sutton the neat and
      attractive place it now is.

      In compliance with the statutory enactment regulating such matters, the next election of city officers was held on
      the first Tuesday of April, 1878, at which time the following persons were chosen to the respective positions:
      Mayor, I. N. Clark; Clerk, J. S. Le Hew; Treasurer, L. R. Grimes; Police Judge, E. P. Burnett; Marshal, C. A.
      Melvin; City Engineer, Frank Conn; Councilmen for the First Ward, W. E. Bemis, elected for two years, and J.
      S. Sheppard, elected for one year; Councilmen for the Second Ward, F. A. Pyle, elected for two years, and
      James Thompson, elected for one year. J. S. Le Hew was appointed Police Judge, May 6, 1878, vice E. P.
      Burnett.

      At the next regular election in 1879, R. G. Brown was chosen Mayor; Police Judge, J. Rowley; City Clerk, A. L.
      Lamont; City Treasurer, J. S. Le Hew; City Marshal, R. H. Stewart; City Engineer, F. A. Pyle; Councilman for
      the First Ward, F. J. Hoerger; Councilman for the Second Ward, James Thompson. A. L. Lamont resigned the
      office of City Clerk, and A. A. McCoy was appointed, August 30, 1879.

      "How the mighty city of Sutton is fallen!" The winter of 1879, as in many other similar instances, proved a period
      of misfortune to the flourishing young city of Sutton. During that time the Legislature passed a law requiring all
      places to have a population of 1,500 before they could be incorporated as cities of the second class. But Sutton,
      by all known methods of computation, could not raise her numbers to that point by a few hundreds, and thus in
      the period of youth "was cropped the golden plumes of this proud young city."

      Accordingly, with the beginning of the next year, in abject humiliation, she was compelled to resume the less
      elegant garments of a village. The officers elected in 1880 to take control of the village were as follows: Trustees,
      M. Wittenberg, C. W. Brown, James Thompson, George Honey and A. E. Meyer; Chairman, A. E. Meyer;
      Clerk, A. A. McCoy; Treasurer, J. S. Le Hew. A. A. McCoy resigned the office of Village Clerk, January 4,
      1881, and William F. Stone was appointed.

      1881--Trustees, R. G. Merrill, M. V. B. Clark, F. A. Pyle, J. E. Bagley and Henry Grosshaus; Chairman, J. E.
      Bagley; Clerk, W. F. Stone; Treasurer, J. B. Dinsmore.

      1882--Trustees, R. G. Merrill, F. J. Hoerger, F. M. Brown, W. W. Wieden and T. R. Linton; Chairman, F. M.
      Brown; Treasurer, J. B. Dinsmore; Clerk, W. F. Stone.

      The first school building in Sutton was a frame house, built by Owen Mines, which stood nearly between the
      residences of C. M. Turner and Mr. Rowe. It was sold at sheriff's sale to the Clark Brothers, to satisfy a lumber
      debt in favor of Mr. Weed; afterward it was rented for one year at what it cost, to Thompson & Young; then
      sold to J. M. Gray & Co., for an office, which they now occupy. William Weed taught the first school in the town
      and the second in the county, commencing about the 20th of January, 1872, with an average attendance of
      fourteen.

      Another building was erected for school purposes in the fall of 1872, and stood on J. M. Gray's homestead, just
      outside of the town limits, on the east side. This building continued in use as a schoolhouse about two years, when
      it was sold to District No. 20, about six miles south of town, and is now occupied by that district as a
      schoolhouse. The present school building was erected in the spring of 1876. It is a handsomely constructed,
      two-story frame building, forty feet long by the same in width, with artistic and appropriate projections, and is
      surmounted with a neat and showy belfry and dome. The house contains three large rooms, two of these being in
      the lower story and a full size chapel in the upper, besides the necessary cloak apparatus and ante-rooms.

      The building is tastefully finished and is situated on a picturesque elevation to the rear of the town, from which it
      presents a handsome appearance. Surrounding the house are beautiful grounds, embracing about two acres,
      tastefully ornamented with a profusion of shade trees, and neatly divided off with curving promenades and
      inclosed by a board fence. Besides this, the old court house is made use of to accommodate the schools, in which
      one of the primary departments is kept. The school was graded by Prof. J. W. Johnson in the fall of 1876, and
      was divided into the primary, intermediate and grammar school departments. A more thorough classification has
      since been made, and besides these grades a higher department was added.

      There are two primary departments, each of which is further subdivided into Classes A, B, and C. The
      intermediate department comprises Classes A and B; the grammar school, A, B, C and D, and the higher
      department includes the advanced classes.

      Besides the rudimentary and common branches, many of the more advanced branches are taught, including
      algebra, geometry, philosophy, physiology, botany, physical geography and rhetoric.

      The school enrolls a total of 215 pupils, about 180 of these being in regular attendance, under the instruction of
      Prof. W. C. Picking, as Principal, Laura E. Sawyer, assistant, and Nellie Henderson, Mattie Torry and Katie
      Conn, teachers of the primary departments.

      Christian Church.--The first sermon at Sutton was preached December 30, 1875, by Elder J. M. Yearnshaw,
      of Lincoln, three members being in attendance. The first sermon at Marshall was on the 3d day of January, 1876.
      Meetings continued until the 11th. January 9, a Sunday school and Church was organized, the result of Elder
      Yearnshaw's labors. The first sermon preached at Fairfield was by Elder Newcomb, February 13, 1876;
      members present were only three. April 18, 1876, a series of meetings were commenced by Elder R. C. Barrow,
      State Evangelist of Nebraska. A church of twenty-six members was organized at Sutton on the 16th, the meeting
      closing on the 19th. At the present time the church at Sutton numbers twenty, Total number of churches in the
      county, four; total number of members, 175. The first and only Christian Sunday school in the county was
      organized September 14, 1874, with four scholars, by Mrs. P. A. Halleck at her residence in Sutton; at the
      expiration of nine months, the school numbered thirty-five, when the place of meeting was changed to the court
      house, and continued at that place until the County Commissioners closed the court house to all church
      organizations.

      Methodist Episcopal Church.--About the last of June, 1871, William Whitten, a theological student from
      Toulon, Ill., preached at the house of P. Fitzgerald, in the northeast part of the county, and organized a class. The
      Harvard and Glenville classes were organized in May, 1872. In April, 1873, Rev. E. J. Willis was sent by the
      conference to the Harvard Circuit, which comprised all of Clay County. First Quarterly Conference of this church
      was held at Harvard June 21, 1873. Soon after this conference, the southern portion of the county was organized
      into the Little Sandy Circuit, Rev. Mr. Penny, supply. There are now twenty appointments in the county, with a
      membership of more than 500. The Sutton class was organized by Rev. A. J. Swarts in the fall of 1874. This
      society is now supplied with a fine brick church and parsonage, costing in all $3,600; Rev. H. A. Ewell is now
      pastor.

      Congregational Church.--First services of this church were held in the grove at Sutton in July, 1871, by Rev.
      Mr. Jones. May 16, 1872, Rev. O. W. Merrill, then Superintendent of Home Missions for Nebraska, organized
      a church, with eight members. The first regular continuous services were conducted by Rev. D. B. Perry, now
      President of Doane College, Crete, Neb. The Sutton Congregational Society built the first church building in the
      county. The society numbers over 200 in the county. A union Sunday school was organized June 25, 1872, the
      first in the county, T. Weed, Superintendent. The Congregational school now averages fifty pupils. This church
      has organizations at Spring Ranch, Fairfield and Harvard. For the north half Clay, Rev. John Gray, pastor: south
      half Clay, Rev. Thomas Pugh, pastor. The Harvard society is building a church building and has over forty
      members.

      Catholic Church.--The first mass was celebrated by Father Kelley at Clay Center in a tent, June 15, 1871, with
      eight members, most of whom were railroad men, building the road-bed of the Burlington & Missouri. Meetings
      were held south of Sutton at the house of M. McVey, in Sheridan Precinct. Work began upon the erection of a
      church in the fall of 1878, and was completed in the following spring. The building is a large frame, 30x60 feet in
      dimensions, and cost together with furniture, about $2,000. The building first used by the congregation was a
      small frame, which has since been removed and is now in use as a county schoolhouse. The congregation has a
      membership of fifty-five families, under charge of Father J. Jenette, of Exeter.

      A congregation was started by the German Congregationalists in November, 1880. The work of organizing was
      under the special charge of Rev. W. Sess, of Crete, assisted by the Rev. E. Jose and others. The church began
      with sixteen members and the early services were held in the old court house, in which building they are still held,
      and conducted by Rev. Mr. Jose, who has since remained with the charge from its organization. There are at
      present twenty members. A Sunday school was organized at the same time with fifteen members, and which now
      has a membership of forty.

      The German Reformed Church was established at Sutton in the fall of 1874 by emigrants from Russia. The
      preliminary meetings were held in Grosshaus Hall. The organization was effected by Rev. Mr. Dickeman, and the
      congregation had about twenty-five members. From Grosshaus Hall they removed to the Odd Fellows' Hall,
      where they remained till the regular church house was built, in the fall of 1878. The building is frame, and is 30x60
      feet in size. There are at present about eight-three families in the congregation and about 300 members, with the
      Rev. William Bonekemper as pastor.

      The Sutton Times, weekly, was established and issued its first number on Friday, June 20, 1873. It was at that
      time a five-column quarto, with "patent inside." It had nine columns of advertising and eleven columns of local
      reading matter. In the first issue was an article on the early settlement of Sutton. There were represented in its
      advertising matter twenty-three different branches of business and professions. It was afterward enlarged to an
      eight-column folio, "patent inside," and eight columns of advertising and forty-four advertisers. Excepting for a
      short time after starting, it was the official paper of the county. Republican in politics. Edited and published at
      commencement by Wellman & Brakeman, and successively by Wellman & White, Wellman Bros. and by Frank
      E. Wellman.

      The Clay County Herald was started and issued its first number Saturday, June 21, 1873; edited and published
      by J. M. Sechler and William J. Cowan. Its last issue was published in the fall of 1873, when it failed. It was a
      seven-column folio, "patent inside," with a liberal amount of advertising. Independent in politics.

      The Clay County Globe, semi-weekly, was established and issued its first number July 14, 1875, F. M.
      Comstock, editor, J. S. LeHew, business manager. It was a four-column folio, all printed at home. Independent
      in politics. October 1, 1875, it was purchased by E. H. White, who edited and published it weekly. Republican in
      politics. October 29, 1875, it was enlarged to a six-column folio, "patent inside," and was the official paper of the
      town of Sutton. It contained six columns of local reading matter and six columns of advertising and forty-two
      advertisers. The paper again changed hands, and was purchased by I. D. Evans, editor and proprietor of the
      Sutton Register, into which the Globe was merged.

      The Sutton Register was established February 12, 1880, by I. D. Evans, and is a six-column quarto in size,
      Republican in politics. The paper is alive to all matters of local interest, and has a circulation of 600 copies.

      Luther French was the first Postmaster, and was appointed in the summer of 1871; at this period, the office was
      in French's dug-out, and he was in the habit of carrying the mail matter in his coat pocket. Afterward, as the mail
      receipts increased, he distributed the mail to the settlers form and 8x10 glass box. A. Burlingame, formerly a
      Methodist Episcopal clergyman, came in from Iowa and settled, August 18, 1871. He succeeded Mr. French as
      Postmaster, January 1, 1872, and has held the appointment continuously to the present time. His salary was
      increased from $12 to $400 per year, July 1, 1872, two years before a railroad station was built here. A
      money-order office was established July 1, 1873. Post Office Money Order, No. 1, was issued July 7, 1873, to
      Russell Merrill for $10.50, in favor of Samuel Burns, a crockery dealer in Omaha. During the contest with the
      railroad company, the post office department was a stanch friend of the town. The terms of the contract for
      carrying the mail between the railroad company and the department obliged the company to deliver all mails, not
      only at but literally into the post office, when the same was less than eighty rods from the station. To the credit of
      Postmaster General Creswell be it said, he always exacted the fulfillment of this provision. Stopping the cars to
      leave the mail, allowed passengers to get on and off, which, for convenience of travel, made Sutton a station. But
      this would not serve the purpose of the company, and, accordingly, trains were run by fast enough to prevent
      passengers getting on or off, and the mail-bag was thrown off and the outgoing mail was caught from the hands of
      the Postmaster. On the morning of August 19, Postmaster Burlingame refused to endanger his life any longer by
      holding the mail-bag out for the swiftly passing train, and left it in the office--as was his right to do. About this
      time, the mail agent threw out the mail-bag into the ditch. From this time forward, the attitude of the company was
      very hostile, and the war grew to be a bitter one. Our Postmaster reported the behavior of company to the
      department, and the Government ordered the mail to be carried to and from Grafton at the company's expense.
      T. R. Linton, who in those days was the freighter to and from that point, took the contract at $100 a quarter, and
      continued for some time until the company, tired of paying for the carrying from Grafton, sought of the
      department the privilege of again delivering it in Sutton. The company accordingly built a crane nearly opposite
      Gray's lumber yard, upon which they expected to catch the outgoing mail-bag as the train flew through the town.
      This was in the fall of 1872. Shortly afterward, some of "the boys" sawed the crane down, which was the only
      unlawful act committed by the citizens during the contest.

      In those sober days of struggle, there were some incidents of a laughable nature that gave zest to the contest and
      served to smooth over its asperity and bitterness. One sifting, snowy morning, the Burlington & Missouri route
      agent was sure he espied the mail-sack hanging on the crane for the first time; he accordingly hung on the Sutton
      mail-sack and grabbed what he supposed was the Eastern mail; but it was so tightly fastened to the crane that he
      came near being jerked out of the car. The object proved to be a dead dog, which some one had hung to the
      crane for a joke.

      The company then offered to stop at the water-tank, as the tank near Harvard was dry, and they could take
      water and mail at the same time. All this time the office was kept in the middle building in the wooden row
      opposite Gray's lumber yard, and was over eighty rods from the tank. By this means the company succeeded in
      obliging the department to furnish a carrier.

      In this manner, the office was supplied with mail until the final solution of the difficulty by the establishment of a
      depot.

      A second change of Postmaster was made in 1877, occasioned by the death of A. Burlingame, then holding that
      position. His death occurred February 17, 1877, and his son, A. C. Burlingame, was appointed to the vacancy
      on March 3 of that year.

      Freemasons.--A preliminary meeting of the Masonic fraternity was held in the hall of what is now known as the
      Clark House, but not finding a suitable room in town, no action was taken to organize a lodge. Nothing more was
      done toward an organization until late in the fall of 1873. Meetings were held to arrange matters of organization at
      the court house. The first regular communication of this lodge was, U. D., at Melvin's Hall December 23, 1873.
      Evening Star Lodge, A., F. & M., U. D., was the name adopted. The officers at that time were J. Arnot, W. M.;
      M. W. Wilcox, S. W.; J. C. Merrill, J. W. June 28, 1874, the lodge received a charter from the Grand Lodge of
      Nebraska, A., F. & A. M. The charter members were R. L. Garr, J. B. Dinsmore, A. K. Marsh, C. L. Henny,
      F. M. Brown, J. C. Merrill, M. W. Wilcox, C. M. Turner, James Arnot, M. J. Hull, William D. Young, M. V. B.
      Clark, J. M. Gray, J. J. Melvin, I. N. Clark. In June, 1874, the lodge moved from Melvin's Hall to their present
      hall over I. N. Clark and Co.'s store. At the session of the Grand Lodge of the State, in June, 1876, M. W.
      Wilcox was appointed Grand Orator. The growth of the lodge has been steady and now numbers about fifty
      members. The loss of members by death is extremely small, numbering but two. These were A. L. Lamont, who
      died August 12, 1879, and James Thompson, who died in February 1881. The present officers are J. C. Merrill,
      Worshipful Master; M. V. B. Clark, Senior Warden; F. M. Brown, Junior Warden; F. A. Alexander, Secretary;
      George Honey, Treasurer; H. Lehrman, Senior Deacon; Charles S. Miller, Junior Deacon. The lodge meets on
      the second and third Thursdays of each month and is in a flourishing condition.

      Lebanon Chapter.--The first regular communication of the chapter took place at the hall of A., F. & A. M.,
      December 23, 1875, M. J. Hull, G. H. P.; A. K. Marsh, G. S. W.; George VanDuyne, G. J. W. The society
      existed under a dispensation until December, 1876, when it became chartered, with Milton J. Hull, George H.
      VanDuyne, W. D. Young, A. K. Marsh, John C. Merrill and Frank A. Pyle as charter members. Regular
      meetings have since been held in the Masonic Hall, and the chapter has at present a membership of fifty. During
      the year 1881, the chapter was represented in the Grand Chapter by F. A. Pyle. At the last election, the
      following officers were chosen: Frank A. Pyle, High Priest; M. V. B. Clark, Scribe; R. G. Merrill, Captain of the
      Host; J. C. Merrill, Principal Sojourner; R. G. Brown, Royal Arch Captain. Only one death has occurred among
      the members--that of William A. Farmer, in October, 1880. The present membership is fifty; is well supplied with
      a full set of emblems and a very handsome wardrobe, costing about $250.

      Independent Order of Odd Fellows.--Sutton Lodge, No. 53, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was
      instituted at Grosshaus' Hall, in Sutton, on the evening of November 15, 1874, by the Grand Master, Ira A.
      Gallup, assisted by brothers from Crete, York and Fairmont Lodges. Charter members were W. A. Way,
      George Stewart, J. F. Evans, I. B. Tyrrell, E. P. Church and George Kreiger, all fifth degree members; Evans
      and Church, Past Grands. W. A. Way was elected N. G.; I. B. Tyrrell, V. G.; George Stewart, Secretary, and
      George Kreiger, Treasurer. Following the installation of officers by the Grand Master, came petitions from R. G.
      Merrill, S. B. Montgomery, W. J. Keller, S. Carney and J. Grice to join by initiation, and D. J. Towslee as an
      Ancient Odd Fellow, all of whom--a dispensation permitting--were elected, initiated and made members the
      same evening, and Sutton Lodge started on its mission of "friendship, love and truth" with twelve members. It
      now has a membership of sixty-five. The Grand Master assigned Clay and Hamilton Counties as District No. 28,
      appointing E. P. Church District Deputy. In the summer of 1878, the lodge began the erection of a building,
      which was completed in the spring of the following year and is a handsome two-story brick, the second story
      being occupied by lodge rooms. It is the finest building in the town. The society is in fine condition and has given
      considerable aid toward both its own and also members of other lodges, particularly during the grasshopper
      years. The present officers are J. W. Shirley, Noble Grand; G. W. Bemis, Vice Grand; J. B. Royce, Secretary,
      and A. G. Sherwood, Treasurer.

      A higher order of Odd Fellowship was instituted in May, 1877 when the Wildey Encampment became organized.
      The charter members were J. W. Shirley, J. W. Keller, George Stewart, Fred Hoerger and Dr. A. O. Kendall.
      The present officers of the lodge are W. J. Keller, Chief Patriarch; H. Lehrman, High Priest; W. D. Young,
      Junior Warden; J. S. LeHew, Senior Warden; Paul Braitsch, Treasurer; H. Nagle, Sentinel.

      Grand Army of the Republic.--This society was established on the 28th of April, 1879, with twenty members.
      The first meetings were held in the Odd Fellows' Hall. The officers elected at that time were W. S. Randall, Post
      Commander; J. C. Merrill, Vice Commander; A. K. Marsh, Junior Vice Commander; Dr. M. V. B. Clark, Post
      Surgeon; I. N. Clark, Quartermaster; I. B. Tyrrell, Post Chaplain; E. H. White, Quartermaster Sergeant; W. T.
      McKnight, Adjutant; E. E. Howard, Sergeant Major. In about two years after the society began, they removed
      from the Odd Fellows' Hall into their present armory. The organization is known as the Geo. G. Meade Post,
      No. 19, and now numbers forty-two members in good and regular standing. The present officers are C. W.
      Walter, Post Commander; Dr. M. V. B. Clark, Senior Vice Commander; C. Newman, Junior Vice Commander;
      I. N. Clark, Quartermaster; R. A. Hawley, Post Chaplain; R. H. Stewart, Adjutant; W. J. Keller, Officer of the
      Day; Dr. M. V. B. Clark, Surgeon.

      Knights of Honor.--The Grove Lodge, No. 1,477, of the Knights of Honor, was instituted at Sutton on the 19th
      day of March, 1879. The preliminary meeting and organization took place in the hall of the Independent Order of
      Odd Fellows, in which place they have since remained, holding meetings regularly on the second and fourth
      Friday nights of each month. The first officers elected in the control of the society were W. J. Keller, Dictator; F.
      J. Hoerger, Reporter; J. W. Johnson, Financial Reporter; E. H. White, Treasurer; J. T. Mollyneaux, Past
      Dictator and also representative of the Grand Lodge of the Knights of Honor. At the organization, the lodge had
      a membership of twenty-two. Many changes have been made in the membership of the lodge since it began,
      sometimes falling below the original number, and again increasing above it, and at this time it contains nineteen
      members in good standing. The officers chosen at the last election were as follows: Paul Britsch, Dictator; I. D.
      Smith, Vice Dictator; R. H. Stewart, Assistant Dictator; J. M. Ramsey, Reporter; J. W. Shirley, Financial
      Reporter; F. J. Hoerger, Treasurer; J. B. Dinsmore and A. C. Clyde, representatives to Grand Lodge. Only one
      regular member of the lodge has died since it was instituted. This was Thomas Davis, Jr., who died October 25,
      1879, to whose widow the lodge paid a benefit of $2,000. The total expenditure for each member, including all
      dues and assessments, for the past three years amounts to only $46, or an average annual tax on each member of
      $15.33 1/3. The lodge at present is in good working order, and has among its members many live and energetic
      business men.

      Military Company.--Company B, of the First Regiment of the State Guards, was formed November 15, 1878.
      A meeting was held in Odd Fellows' Hall by those of Sutton's sons whose proclivities bent in the direction of the
      chivalrous and heroic, and the company made up, numbering forty members. The officers chosen were W. J.
      Keller, Captain; J. S. LeHew, First Lieutenant, and G. W. Bemis, Second Lieutenant. Of these officers, Keller is
      now Lieutenant Colonel of the First Regiment, and LeHew Judge Advocate General on the Governor's staff. As
      a mark of the worth and merit of this company, it was awarded the title of the Governor's Guards by special
      commission of the Executive of State. The company is supplied with a complete outfit of equipments--guns,
      uniforms, accouterments, etc., each member owning a separate wardrobe for the storage of his private
      equipments. It was the first uniformed and equipped company in the State. They have also a large armory, in
      which the munitions are stored. The company was ordered to arms in the summer of 1880 to quell the riot at the
      smelting works in the city of Omaha. They remained in waiting for three days, when the matter subsided and the
      order was countermanded and the company discharged. On March 8, 1882, they were again called out to put
      down the strike among the graders on the Burlington & Missouri Railroad, at Omaha. At this time the company
      was on duty for twelve days, guarding the graders' camp, and, although subjected to much abuse, which, as
      soldiers, they could not resent, yet no occasion was presented for opening hostilities. As an indication of the merit
      of this body of men, they were specially appointed to remain in the suppression of the strikers, and were the last
      company to be discharged from duty. At present the company is officered as follows: W. D. Young, Captain; F.
      C. Matteson, First Lieutenant; George C. Roys, Second Lieutenant; J. H. Johnson, First Sergeant. Meetings for
      drill are held on Saturday nights of each week and target practice once each month.

      Scientific Association.--A scientific association was formed by a few of the citizens of Sutton, which has for its
      object the advancement of science and the pursuit of technical knowledge. The association organized by electing
      M. V. B. Clark, M. D., President; E. H. White, Vice President; U. H. Malick, B. S. Secretary, and H. W. Gray,
      Treasurer. Dr. Clark, President of the association, is a practical chemist of excellent ability. Among the important
      discoveries within the fields of scientific research and investigation is that made by Dr. Clark, President of the
      society, in ascertaining the first inventor of the lucifer match and the date of its invention. Among the records and
      papers of the association are documents of authenticity in proof of this discovery, which Dr. Clark has carefully
      detailed in a carefully prepared paper. The discovery, not yet published to the scientific world, shows that the
      lucifer match was invented by Zuleina Platt, afterward Mrs. C. B. Evans, June 27, 1828, at Waterford, N. Y.,
      which antedates and overthrows the acknowledged theory that it was first discovered by John Walker, chemist of
      Stockton-upon-Tees, in 1829.

      William Shirley came from Lincoln, Neb., December 7, 1871; in February, 1872, he built the first hotel in the
      place. The part built then was moved back, in June, 1874, and is now used for the kitchen, and in its place was
      built the present Central Hotel, which was formally opened for guests June 22, 1874, the event being celebrated
      in the evening by toasts and speeches. The house is now occupied by M. Wittenberg with a stock of dry goods.

      The building now known as the Clark House was used, up to January 1, 1873, by Clark Bros., for the sale of
      hardware and drugs. At that date it was opened as a hotel, by Dudley Hoisington, until the 10th of August, 1873,
      when it passed into the hands of E. P. Church, Mr. Church is a native of New York, but came to Sutton from
      Beatrice, Neb., and was engaged in the hotel business up to November, 1881, at which time he removed to
      Harvard and is now engaged as proprietor of the Metropolitan Hotel at that place.

      The Occidental Hotel was built by R. G. Brown in the spring of 1878. It is a large two-story frame, containing
      twenty-five rooms, and has capacity for the comfortable lodgment of about thirty guests and cost $4,500. The
      house was run by W. J. Abbot about six months, when it was taken charge of by J. T. Mollyneaux, who has
      since continued proprietor.

      Among other of her institutions, Sutton numbers two banks of deposit. The first of these and the earliest of the
      kind in the place was started on January 1, 1877, by L. R. Grimes and J. B. Dinsmore. The firm at that time
      occupied a room since used by A. H. Keller for a drug store, in which they remained for about ten months, when
      they removed into their present quarters, in a small brick banking house, erected in November, 1877, for banking
      purposes specially. After running for about three years, the firm was changed to that of J. B. Dinsmore and F. C.
      Matteson as the firm of J. B. Dinsmore & Co. The cash capital of the institution is $20,000, with a reserve capital
      of $15,000, the deposits amounting to $35,000.

      The Sutton Bank began business in April, 1880, under the control of L. D. Fowler and George H. Cowles; the
      latter gentleman is a non-resident of the place, being interested in a similar establishment in the State of Iowa, the
      business here being under the management of L. D. Fowler. The capital stock of this bank is $30,000, with
      deposits amounting to $65,000. Both are private institutions and are engaged in general banking business, making
      loans and collections and dealing in foreign and domestic exchanges.

      Lawyers.--The following is a list of lawyers in the order in which they settled and commenced practice: Robert
      G. Brown, a native of Illinois, settled April 10, 1871, the first lawyer in the county. His first case and the first
      lawsuit in the county was before John R. Maltby, Probate Judge, November 2, 1871. The case was about a well,
      James S. Schermerhorn, plaintiff, vs. David P. Jayne, defendant. Mr. Brown was attorney for the plaintiff and
      won the suit, receiving a fee of $10. He is a Notary Public and was a delegate to the National Republican
      Convention, at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 14, 1876.

      Hosea W. Gray, a native of Pennsylvania, settled May 4, 1871, and commenced practicing law November 2,
      1871, having been consulted in the Schermerhorn vs. Jayne case. His next case was before A. K. Marsh, Justice
      of the Peace, where he appeared for the defendant in the case of Ellison vs. Hull, and won the suit.

      H. W. Gray and A. A. McCoy, both from Marion, Iowa, commenced their law, collection and real estate
      business March 12, 1874. Mr. Gray was formerly a member of the Constitutional Convention of Iowa. The firm
      has since dissolved and McCoy has moved away.

      J. S. LeHew, a native of Ohio, came here from Fillmore County in 1874; was admitted to the bar in February,
      1875, and commenced the law, pension and collection business. He has been Town Clerk for two successive
      years.

      John E. Bagley, a native of Iowa, came form Falls City, Neb., to this place September 4, 1874, and commenced
      practicing law. He is now in the firm of Bagley & Bemis.
 
      E. H. White, a native of Ohio, and G. W. Bemis, a native of New York, were admitted to the bar May 23,
      1874, and commenced practice together, continuing so for about seven months. Mr. White is alone in the law
      and collection business. He was the founder of the York Monitor, the first newspaper in York County, and
      settled here in July, 1873, and, for a short time, owned a half interest in the Sutton Times; he was also editor and
      proprietor of the Clay County Globe, a newspaper published weekly in Sutton, but afterward sold the paper to
      I. D. Evans. G. W. Bemis is a Notary Public, and is now in company with Mr. Bagley in the law business. J. S.
      LeHew and J. W. Shirley are Justices of the Peace.

      Jeff L. and W. F. Stone came to Sutton August 1, 1879, and engaged in the practice of the law as the firm of
      Stone & Stone. Both gentlemen came from Marion, in the State of Iowa.

      Physicians.--Following is a list of physicians in the order in which they settled in town: Martin V. B. Clark, M.
      B., M. D., a native of Cuyahoga County, Ohio; graduated from the College of Pharmacy, of Baldwin University,
      Ohio, February 28, 1867, and in medicine at the Cleveland Medical College, Ohio, February 4, 1869; was
      Professor of Pharmacy four years in the former college, and a member of the convention to revise the United
      States Pharmacopoeia of 1870; commenced the practice of medicine at this place November 1, 1871, the first
      physician in the county.

      Markus W. Wilcox, M. D., a native of Genesee County, N. Y., took his first course at the Eclectic School,
      Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated at the Ohio Medical College in 1850, and took an ad eundem degree at the
      Chicago Medical College in 1864; commenced practice in this place in July, 1873; he was Commissioner of
      Insanity for this county and United Stated Pension Surgeon, both positions having been previously held by Dr.
      Clark, from 1873 to 1875; he left Sutton in 1878, taking up his location at Harvard.

      W. M. Sammis, M. D., a native of Illinois, took his first course at the Kentucky School of Medicine and
      graduated at the Louisville Medical College early in 1875; was for some time thereafter in the Louisville City
      Hospital; settled here and commenced practice July 26, 1875.

      R. M. Cotton, M. D., Ph. D., a native of Portage County Ohio, graduated in Technology, with the degree of
      Doctor of Philosophy, and in medicine at the University of Michigan, 1875; settled here and commenced practice
      March 1, 1876. Both of the latter gentlemen have since sought other fields of labor.

      A. O. Kendall came to Sutton August 26, 1876, and engaged in the practice of the healing art, and has attained
      considerable repute as a practitioner. Dr. Kendall is a graduate of Bellevue Hospital, New York, having finished
      a course at that institution in 1869, and was engaged in the practice of his profession at Middleton and Lafayette
      Mills, Wis., prior to his coming to Nebraska.

      As yet but a single attempt has been made to establish a manufactory at Sutton. This was a brick-making
      institution, which was begun on June 1, 1876, by I. N. Clark, J. S. LeHew, Jacob Case and Paul Britsch. During
      the first year's operations, they manufactured 120,000 brick. In the following year, a change in the firm was
      made, the business coming into the exclusive possession of Clark & Case. The firm began the use of a patent
      brick press in 1880, and in that year made 300,000 brick, the largest production they have yet made in any one
      year; the product of the last year's operation was 130,000. The brick used in the construction of the court house,
      at Clay Center, the Methodist Church, at Sutton, and also several residences, was made by this firm.

      Born in a fierce storm, like our common country over one hundred years ago, to-day Sutton stands forth a bright
      example of what can be accomplished in eleven years by the resolute efforts and persevering industry of Western
      Americans. In these days, the growth of cities and States is measured by events, not years. And so to those who
      have been actors in the scenes here portrayed, the span of time seems full twenty years. What the future great
      city, Sutton, shall be when our forms shall have gone back to dust, let others tell. Its past has been told.
      Established and builded by brave-hearted men and women, whose names here committed to the imperishable
      page, are so wedded to deeds that the historian can scarce separate them. May the memory of their struggles be
      kept ever green by posterity.
 

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