The importance of recording history

Susan Doak

Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society

This last month has been full of news that reminds me of my childhood. Had you asked any of the children in the 1950s where the Civil Defense Centers were, they could probably have told you. We didn't have tornado drills at school, we had nuclear bomb drills, where we would crawl under our desks and sit quietly. Some of our classmates had bomb shelters at their homes, probably more than we were aware of because their parents kept it fairly quiet. They were, after all, only big enough for their family!

When I am digging into the history of our area, I am reminded that each generation, from the children of World War I, of the Great Depression, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam and up, all have their own memories of that time, few of which have been recorded for history. I'm thinking that it is high time that those of us still around start writing down how we felt when the adults of our lives weren't quite sure life as they knew it would be better for their children. Perhaps the old adage is always true: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

But, enough of that, because I came upon a treasure trove of old pioneer stories from prior to World War I, and I'm going to share an excerpt from one telling of a child's view of an Indian raid scare.

First printed source was the Beaver Valley Times, reprinted by the McCook Republican (March 13, 1914), written by L. B. McComb of Shippes, Nebraska.

"The next incidents worthy of note were the Indians raid and big fire in the fall of 1878. The morning of October 1, people all along the valley were notified that the Cheyenne were on the warpath and that all must flee for their lives, so we went with the rest to "Stone's Fort," just west of Wilsonville. Mother loaded the two younger children into a passing wagon, then she and I hid all of our most valued treasures in the tall grass near our home, then saddled our ponies and started east. Father was in Minnesota on business at the time, so did not have the chance to participate in the enjoyment of the chase. Brother Charley and our herder remained at home to guard the stock. They stayed until time to corral the stock and then started in pursuit of the refugees. Mother and I had not gone far when we came upon Mrs. W. D. Johnston and her little boys, who were driving their stock to where they could be better protected than at home.

"We finally arrived at Fort Stone, where men, women and children to the number of between 200 and 300 were crowded together, scarcely a man knowing where to find a weapon of defense had the enemy appeared. Scouts were soon sent out to investigate the real situation and found that the Indians had simply gone across country from Oklahoma to their former reservation near Fort Robinson in northwest Nebraska. The raid was a rebellion against the government. The only damage they had done or intended to do was in the direct trail from one reservation to another. That indeed was plenty, for murders were committed, horses stolen, homes pillaged, and crimes committed too awful to narrate. The husband of one poor woman in our company was among the victims, and it was heart rendering to witness the scene when news of his death was brought to her."

To read more stories such as this, Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society's open library will be this Saturday, 110 West C Street, Suite M-3 from 1-3 p.m.. Join us there for help with your family or Southwest Nebraska research!