MARCH Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the people who have birthdays in March:

5 - Joann Webster
19 - Esther (Freehling) Walter
21 - Russ Hoover
25 - Sally Leinen
27 - George Sharp

If you know of other March birthdays, feel free to add them to the calendar. Just click on the correct date and enter their name.

Wood River Wetland - Young Eagle

As you may or may not know, Klamath County is noted for being in the middle of the fly way on the west coast.

These are of a young Bald Eagle, note colors are just starting to develop.

--Russ Hoover

Easter Egg Hunt

The Haigler Community 4-H Club is hosting Haigler's Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 22nd, at 2:00 in the Haigler Park for children ages 10 years and under. All 4-H members are asked to donate 2 dozen eggs or 3 dozen eggs per family. The 4-H club will meet at 1:00 to hide the eggs.

Vernon Whetston's Weatherbug Blog

Vernon's Weatherbug Blog is back. I got a note from him yesterday.

He says he isn't a "Haiglerite", but don't you think the fact that Janice was a teacher there makes them one? I think A Haiglerite is anyone interested in the town and/or related to someone who has lived or is living there or in the close proximity with a mailing address of "Haigler, Nebraska."

At any rate, the link to the WeatherBug page is back on the Haigler Blog page.

"Just thought you would like to know, I have solved the computer problem I had and am now writing for the Weatherbug Blog again. I know at one time you had a link to the Weatherbug on your page.

I enjoy reading the Haigler Blog, even though I an not a Haiglerite ( I am not even a Nebraskan) I feel I have a connection having covered Haigler events for the Benkelman Post and with my wife Janice teaching in the high school there for several years.

Keep up the good work."

Vernon Whetstone

Congratulations - New Baby

A ST. PATRICK'S DAY BABY BOY
JACOB MERLE FANNING 9LB 6 1/2 OZ.
MOTHER TARA FREEHLING FANNING
FATHER JASPER FANNING

PROUD GRANDPARENTS---------CALVIN-SUSAN FREEHLING & JAY AND JACKIE FANNING

Obituary - Dowell Henry Tucker

Dowell Henry Tucker son of Locke and Hattie Tucker, was born May 7, 1892 at Henrietta, Texas, and died Novermber 26, 1951, in the Veterans Hospital, Cheyenne, Wy, having reached the age of 59 years, six months, and 19 days.

He enlisted in the United States Navy December 15, 1917 where he served one year and ten months.

July 6, 1921 he was united in marriage with Ella Fister at Grant, Nebraska. To this union were born four sons and eleven daughters. One daughter Esther Mae, preceded him in death.

For a period of time they resided in Grant, moving to Lamont, Ne. and later moving to Haigler, Ne.

Mr. Tucker had been in failing health for some time. He passed away November 26, 1951, at the Veteran's Hospital at Cheyenne, WY., having reached the age of 59 years, six months, and 19 days.

On July 4, 1951 after having given a definite testimony of sins forgiven and of peace with God, he was united with the Pilgrim Holiness Church of Haigler of the profession of his faith.

He leaves to morn his passing his wife, Ella; four sons, Kenneth and Alvie of Haigler; David, U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor, and John of Fort Morgan; ten daughters, Mrs. Leota Redden of Haigler, Mrs. Dorothy Olsen and Miss Eunice Tucker of Elsie, Ne. Mrs. Allie Teeter and Miss Betty Tucker of Benkelman, Ne. Mrs. Alice Straub and Mrs. Rosella Richey of St. Francis, KS. Miss Naomi Tucker of Wray, CO. Mrs. Doris Reutzal of Madrid, Ne. and Miss Joyce Tucker of Fort Morgan, CO.One brother, Claud of Pomona, CA. three sisters, Mrs. Bruce Thomas of Pomona, CA. Mrs. Virlo Sullivan of Ontario, Ca. and Mrs. Adeline Green of West Fork, AK. 21 grandchildren and a host of friends.

Funeral services were held November 30, 1951 at 2:00 P.M. from the Haigler Methodist Church with the Rev Edward Friensen officiating. Burial was in Haigler cemetery.

The Haigler American Legion Post Conducted services at the grave. Flag bearers were Royal Woods iii, and Ercil Coodall. Color Guards were Lester Adams, Francis Neville, Bill Walker, and Earl Erdman. Members of the Firing Squad were: Jack Chambers, Beannie Palmer, Stanley Zuege, Albert Zuege, Herman Zuge, Martin Keller, and Marlin Stute under the Command of Ward Wonder.

Pallbearers were: Reese Simms, Emmons Adams, Pat Smith, Henry Krause, Emil Zuege, and Wade Hoover.

-- Carolyn
(this is Robert Lee Tuckers grandfather)

Swan pictures on Wood River Wetland

About 3 miles from our house where Wood River enters Agency Lake.

These guys can really make a lot of noise.

There are a lot more on the land that don't show up in pictures.

Tend to fit right into the snow and marsh area.
--Russ Hoover

Meet Jim Haigler

Have any of you run across the book"Around the Water Tank", by James C. Haigler? I have seen it in my Google list whenever I am looking for something with the name Haigler and have thought several times about purchasing it on Amazon.com after reading the description, but just haven't done it yet.

Anyway, I got this really nice email from Jim Haigler today, so thought I'd share it with you. Of course, I asked him first if it was ok to tell you about him and his book - and he said it was.

Here is the email:
"I just found the Haigler Blog web site and I really never knew there was a town called Haigler. I thought it would be a good place to let some folks know about a book I recently published. A collection of stories about growing up in a small town in the 1940s and 50s. I saw the Yearbook pages from the class of 1960 posted and those folks will remember many of the experiences... Someone from Haigler may like to read humorous tales of a young Haigler growing up in a different age.
Jim Haigler "

In another email he says he is from Georgia in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The mill village where many of the stories in his book are based is about 2 miles from where he lives and is now a part of the city.

I encourage you go take a look at the book and purchase a copy for yourself! I intend to do that.

Click on this link to see a description of the book on Amazon.com. Around the Water Tank: Memories of a Mid-Century Mill Village

Be sure to read the customer reviews, also. It looks like everyone enjoys the book.

Early Maps of our Area

Looking at a map of our area in 1872, one of John C. Fremont's Routes is shown traveling through the sandhills near Benkelman and Haigler, but I have not yet found reference to this area in his survey notes.

At first I thought this to be the first expedition he was in command of, however, after finding the official "Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the year 1842", which was submitted to Congress, I discovered that the first expedition joined the Platte River near Grand Island toward the end of June 1842.

Another quotation indicates that the first expedition was along the Platte:

"The first expedition of Lieutenant Fremont, in command of an exploring party on a large scale, occupied the summer of 1842. He would embrace the country between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains, going along the lines of the Kansas, and the Great Platte, or Nebraska, river. After receiving full instructions from Colonel J.J. Abert, the chief of the corps of topographical engineers, Fremont left Washington on the 2nd of May. The one thing I found of interest during his first and second expeditions was the fact that he had an inflatable raft with him. Made of India rubber and inflated by the use of a bellows. The first company was made up principally of Creole and Canadian voyageurs for a total of twenty-two men. Besides these, there was a Mr. Charles Preuss, a native of Germany, who was thoroughly educated to sketch the topographical features of a country. Then Fremont hired L. Maxwell as the hunter, and Christopher Carson, known world over for his exploits as a mountaineer, but better know as Kit Carson for the guide of the expedition.

This expedition lasted till the 17th of October when he again arrived back in St. Louis. He then reported to the chief of the corps in Washington on the 23rd of October.

--John Charles Fremont, Explorer ! by Bob Wynn

In looking closely at this map, the Republican River is too far north of the state line, but the fork of the Arikaree and "Rock Cr." (North fork of the Republican) join in the right place in the southwest corner of Nebraska. It shows Fremont's Route to be somewhat south of the Republican Fork (River), but crossing the Republican east of the Arickaree junction.

Another map of the area in 1856 shows the area occupied by the Arapahoe and Cheyenne tribes and the same Fremont's Route to cross the Republican quite a distance southwest of Brady on its way into Colorado then south to Tahoe in New Mexico.


And of course we all know that at one time our area was called "The Great American Desert" as shown on this map of the "Gold Routes" of 1862.


Note the name Padouca on the following 1733 map overlay taken from Google Earth. This was an early name for the Comanche Indians who occupied the area ranging from the Black Hills to the Arkansas River. The map shows an overlay of current highways.
Reference: "The Comanches: A History, 1706-1875"



References:
Maps at Digitized Kansas Map Collection at Wichita State University
Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the Year 1842
John Charles Fremont, Explorer ! by Bob Wynn

Who's Heard of Ives in Dundy County?

Do any of you know the history or existence of a town named IVES in Dundy County? I was looking at a 1895 map of the area and see that there is a little town near the current location of Parks.
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According to an article found in the Nebraska Historic Building Survey, prepared by Mead & Hunt, Inc., a man named Orin Bert Ballard established a general store and post office on his homestead east of the current location of Parks and called it Ives. The name of Parks was chosen when the railroad went through in the mid-1880s and referred to the location as "Parks".

1885 Dundy County Map

On an 1885 Dundy County map it looks like they put Haigler where Benkelman should be and Benkelman where Max should be... See what you think.

Robert Lee Tucker Obituary

The following obituary of Robert Tucker was supplied by a friend of the Tucker Family of North Platte who is doing family research. Robert was a twin to Delbert Tucker and son of Alvie and Lucille Tucker, who lived in Haigler at one time.

---

Robert Lee Tucker, 54, of North Platte, died Sept. 15, 2003, at his home.
He was born May 12, 1949 in Wray, Colo. to Alvie and Lucille (Straub) Tucker. He attended grade school in Oshkosh and graduated from North Platte High School in 1970.

On Sept. 11, 1970, he married Marjorie I. Goff in North Platte. He was a diesel mechanic for the Union Pacific Railroad for over 17 years, retiring in 1985.

Mr. Tucker was a member of the Moose Lodge, active in softball and T-ball where he was a coach, a scout master, was the treasurer for Referrals Information Training Education and Support for families of children with emotional, behavioral, and mental health disorders, and was also a state representative for that organization. He was also on the advisory board for Respite and an honorary member of the Platte Valley Auto Club. He was also an avid out doors man who enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Survivors include his wife of North Platte; two daughters, Kami (Chuck) Snare of North Platte and Kerri (Keith) Skinner of Lincoln; a son Benjamin Lee (Andrea) Tucker of North Platte; three grandchildren, David Michael Dorsart, Jr., Terri Jo and Jorden Lee Snare; a twin brother, Delbert D. Tucker of Dillon, Mont.; special friend David M. Dorwart, Sr.; two sister-in-law, Vivian Goff of Paxton and Karen Speicher of Fort Morgan, Colo.; and a brother-in-law, LeRoy Goff of Sumner, Wash.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Donald Tucker and his father and mother-in-law, Carl and Marge Goff.

Memorials are suggested to help with raising their grandson or to Hospice.

Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Carey Higgins of the Calvary Assembly of God Church officiating. Burial will be in the North Platte Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Carpenter Memorial Chapel in North Platte.

Comments on The Weather

I see that Haigler and Tucson are only 3 degrees apart in temperature this morning, with Tucson at 45 and Haigler at 43, I am jealous. It is 10:00 a.m. here and 17 degrees.... Brrrrr I am REALLY looking forward to SPRING!!

I received this note from Cal yesterday so will share it here.

I was wondering!

Is is SPRING YET!!!???

Happy Belated Birthday - Joann Webster

We hope you had a wonderful day on the 5th, Joann.

Husker Football Countdown 2008!

GO BIG RED !!!!

Count Down to Big Red Football Schedule

Can't wait for Husker Football!

HEY PEOPLE FOR NEBRASKA -- ARE YOU READY FOR THIS !!!

ARE YOU READY?

CLICK HERE
(WARNING!! - This page takes awhile to load because the fight song is playing in the background)

--Luke Cochran

History

Wild, untamed country. That is how the area that would become Dundy County was labeled in the early 1800s. Untouched land with a wealth of thick buffalo grass and other varieties of tall grasses was ripe for cattle grazing. The birth of Dundy County was near.

At the close of the Civil War, Texas had no adequate market for its excess cattle. Speculators bought huge herds and moved them north for fattening before shipping them to market. This Southwest Nebraska area provided cattlemen vast open range lands free for the taking.

With the coming of the railroad, a settlement named Collinsville became a primary shipping point for cattle. Collinsville would be renamed Benkelman, in honor of a family that owned large cattle ranches in Kansas and Colorado. It was not too long before Benkelman would gain a reputation as being "the wickedest city between McCook and Denver

The days of longhorns, cowboys and saloons would give way to homesteaders, who sought the free land for homes and a better way of life. What would follow were bitter range disputes between the cattlemen and the homesteaders. But the Homestead Act and a Nebraska embargo placed on Texas cattle forced cattlemen off the range and gave homesteaders an opportunity to plant crops.

Dundy County was organized in 1884 and named for U.S. Circuit Court Judge Elmer Dundy, a former Nebraskan. Its boundaries were actually approved 11 years earlier. The period between 1855 and 1888 brought a tremendous influx of settlers. The number rose at such a rapid pace that Benkelman could not contain them and nine additional small settlements sprang up. Only three of those -- Max, Parks and Haigler -- remain today

In 1888, the settlements of Hiawatha, Ough and Allston waged stiff competition with Benkelman to become the county seat. Benkelman chose not to enter the controversy and quietly built a courthouse. County commissioners then designated Benkelman as the county seat. A second courthouse replaced the original on the same site 30 years later.

--Nebraska Association of County Officials
Used with permission 03-04-08