Early Days on the Hackberry

As I was sorting through my mom's files, I ran across this clipping of an article my Grandpa Crabtree wrote in 1955.  If anyone has the following two articles mentioned, I would be very happy to have a copy either printed or scanned.

~Sherri Gregory

The Haigler News 

Thursday, April 21, 1955 

 Haigler Nebraska 

Volume 34 – # 52 

Founded in 1907  

Editors note: The following article is the first in a series of articles by Mr. Frank Crabtree of Haigler. This series is entitled “Down Through the Years" 

Early Days on the Hackberry  

Most of us have had experiences down through the years that naturally linger with us in our memory, for a time at least, and then gradually fade away unless renewed in someway. It is my intention in these columns to review some of the incidents that took place  in the early days over in the Hackberry neighborhood.  Naturally I would like to begin my story with the neighborhood in which I lived and was best acquainted. 

One of the centers of social activities, to my mind, was the school house in District 34 known as the Prairie Rose School. As the name would suggest the surrounding country was at the time the district was organized and for a number of years afterward a broad expanse of buffalo grass prairies.   

What faith and courage those early settlers must have had who, though themselves with little education and possibly less in a financial way, began so early to prepare for the education of their children and that of their neighbors.  

I mention the neighbor's children as some settlers had no children of their own and yet they were foremost in establishing facilities for the training of the children of the community. 

I mentioned this school as a social center: It was that, although in this respect, it might have been outclassed by the Rattlesnake Gulch School where men and women and children came together weekly to debate, cipher and spell  These were truly lively gatherings where local talent had a chance to demonstrate itself and prove its true worth. I think I should mention, in this connection, a number of those who were leaders in this work at its beginning in this community: Grandfather W. H. Williams was the first chairman of the literary society. Others who served later were  

J.N. (Dock) Carpenter, J. H. Williams, Lem Rollins and Mrs. Schannell.  Of course the teachers from other schools had much to do in making these gatherings instructive as well as enjoyable. As the pupils were given a place on the programs and in fact provided the major part when it came to spelling and ciphering.  

Some of our boys and girls developed considerable speed in ciphering and McGuffy's  spelling book sometimes had to be abandoned and words taken from the dictionary to put some of our stalwarts down. Right here I must tell you of a little incident that happened in the Nebraska University.  

The Mathematics Professor was explaining a short method in addition, and that he might show the class how much quicker the problem could be worked by the short method, he asked if one of the students would step to the blackboard and use the old method of one column at a time. One of our Hackberry boys (Ed Murren) volunteered to help him out and a problem of several columns was given and the signal to start.  Well, the professor was surprised when he finished his problem and glanced over to see Ed smiling at him having finished with time to spare. 

 And now before changing the subject too much, I want to talk of the time that the Prairie Rose School and the Rattlesnake Gulch banded together and in two lumber wagons made our way to the Haigler school house to answer a challenge from that school for a cipher-spelling match.  The score was very close but our school had to admit defeat. However at a later date when on our own ground we were victorious.  

These battles took place in 1894* and Miss Serepta Crabtree was Principle of the Haigler School well Clarence (unclear name) taught at Prairie Rose and W. S. Booth at the Gulch. 

The greater number of those who attended school in the early nineties have passed on but I believe I can name most of those that are still living: Katie O’Leary, Will Brown, Elizabeth Crabtree Pate, Cora Crabtree O’Brien, Frank Crabtree, Ed McKinney, Pauline Wagner, Kitty Scannell Northrup, Ida Williams Braaf, Orvle MMurren, Emma Devers Hardy, Joe Collins, Geo. Boyd, Leonard Biggs and Fred Biggs.  I am sure there are others who might be mentioned but do not come to mind as I am writing. Next week I hope to tell you of some of the very early settlers and the part they had to do with the growth and development of this very interesting community.