Valparaiso, Nebraska
USA Historical Background Valparaiso, Nebraska
USA Historical Background
VALPARAISO
Valparaiso was incorporated as a town July, 1880, and the County
Commissioners appointed the following trustees: J.C. Stevens, Gustavus State, J.P.
Gibbons, C.J. McFarland, A.M. White, John Hunter and Elijah Beach.
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The town was laid out on government land and lots sold in eastern markets by whom and when, nobody knows. It was first called Raccoon Forks by the Johnson family because three creeks joined on the old homestead. It is thought that Johnson, since he had the post office in his own home, changed the name. When settlers came to this valley, called Oak Creek Watershed, they thought it was the ideal place to live and called it the Spanish name of Valley of Paradise, Valparaiso. |
| Main Street in 1885 which shows two livery stables, book and drug store, hotel and land office. |
| Charles C. White erected a flour mill on the banks of Oak Creek in SW
corner of Valparaiso in 1878. It was considered one of the largest enterprises in
the county, with a grinding capacity of 300 bu. of wheat a day, and was furnished with one
of the finest water power systems of its capacity in the state.
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| Oak Creek provided strong current for the water wheels of the Valparaiso Roller Mills. | |
Dam on Oak Creek. |
The first school in Oak Creek precinct was a farm building built by Andrew and Rodney Johnson on Andrew's homestead prior to 1870 with Miss Adaline States teaching for a short time. The school board for District consisted of director Andrew Johnson, moderator George Worley and treasurer Rodney Johnson. J.K. Vandemark succeeded Miss States as teacher in 1871.
The early schools were not as elaborate as students are accustomed to today. In 1935 at the age of 72 Lawrence Conklin related to Nellie Throop Magee what it was like in the school he attended one mile south and three and a half east of the town to be.
John G. Pollock was the first railroad agent and he shared the building with the office of Andrew Johnson. In anticipation of growth in the area, Johnson, a carpenter, had established a lumber yard. His first lumber went to Simon Kelley of Lincoln who had a saloon built. Thomas Noonan, also of Lincoln, was the manager. The first house to be built in the future town was constucted for Pollock by Johnson.
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The first store was constucted by Rodney Johnson in1877 and was followed by the Applegarth Bros. store. Johnson had built an earlier store near his home in 1870 measuring 10' by 16' which was soon replaced by a larger building. Among the other settlers arriving in the 1870's were the Conklins, Lafayette McDerby, B.R.B. Weber, Joshua P. Gibbons, Thomas D. Worral, Elijah Beach, Daniel M. Deanne and Charles C. White. |
Valparaiso Post Office in early 1900's. |
Mr. White is also extensively engaged in the lumber trade at this point. He had been a resident of the State, formerly at Lincoln, over the past seventeen years, and is the present State Senator from this district.
Banking interests are represented by Mr. R.K. Johnson. It is a private institutions, and was organized by the present proprietor about a year ago. It does a general banking business, and is an important feature in commercial circles at this point.
All branches of business are included in its various enterprises, and general merchandise, hardware, hotel interests, stock and grain, receive special attention. The professions of law are ably represented by D.J.H. Downing, medical practitioner, and J.K. Vandemark, an old settler and lawyer.
UPRR IN VALPARAISO
1910-1925
| Valparaiso and the area along the Beatrice and Stromsburg branch lines out of Valley, Nebraska were greatly influenced by the railroad just after the turn of the century. Valparaiso was known as a railroad town, a sort of hub to the railroad. In Valparaiso the railroad maintained the following structures: |
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Valparaiso Depot early 1900's. |
Depot, which handled Western Union, passengers, express, mail and baggage.
Coal shute supplied water to locomotives.
Stock yard and loading dock for loading livestock onto trains.
Water tank which supplied water to locomotives.
Round house for servicing steam locomotives.
Cinderpit was for cleaning fireboxes of locomotives.
Turnstyle
Rail yard for making up trains.
Track inspectors office.
Storage house for section crew and bridge gang.
Material yard, like bridge ties, caps, stringers, piling, and many more were stored in this yard for both the Beatrice and Stromsburg branches.
Section crews along the lines and a bridge gang out of Valparaiso maintained the track and bridges on these two branch lines.
The road bed at first was cinders, then slag and later gravel. The rails were light at first, then progressed to heavier rails such as 60, 80, and 120 pounds per square foot weight rails.
The bridges at first were wood piling, wood caps, and wood stringers. Later concrete piling, concrete caps, and concrete stringers or steel stringers were used.
The train crews were made up of engineer, fireman, conductor and brakeman. Firemen at first shoveled coal into the fire box but were assisted later with stokers and then the railroad went to diesel engines.
In general, passenger trains carried the following: people, baggage, mail, express packages, groceries, cream, eggs, fruit, clothing and many more. Freight trains carried the following: grain, livestock, coal, lumber, machinery, posts, wire and many more.
Passenger and freight trains ran about as follows: Freight trains between Central City and Valparaiso were No. 75 and 76. The engines were 422 and 426 class. No. 75 would leave Valparaiso at 7:00 a.m. and get into Grand Island about 5:00 p.m. 75 would get into Valparaiso from Grand Island about 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. No. 72 would go to work at 5:00 p.m. at Beatrice and get to Omaha around 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. the next morning. No. 71 would go to work in Council Bluffs around 8:00 p.m. and arrive in Beatrice about 7:00 a.m. the next morning. Both No.'s 71 and 72 used 400 class engines at first and then later went to 5000 class and then to 9000 class which were 3 cylinder engines.
Passenger trains were No.'s 27 and 28 between Grand Island and Omaha via Valparaiso.(Numbers27 and 28 were later taken for main line trains) No.27 came out of Omaha about 2:00 p.m. and arrived in Valparaiso about 4:00 p.m. and into Grand Island about 6:30 p.m. No. 28 came out of Grand Island at 6:00 a.m. and arrived in Valparaiso at 9:00 a.m. and into Omaha at 11:30 a.m. These passenger train engines were 1322 and1326 class.
Passenger trains No.'s 137 and 138 ran between Omaha and Kansas City, Missouri via Valparaiso. No. 137 came out of Omaha at 7:00 a.m. and No. 138 came out of Kansas City and would arrive in Omega at 6:00 p.m. They used a small class 2800 passenger engine.
A steam engine powered train came out of Beatrice or Lincoln and ran through Valparaiso in the morning of Central City and back to Lincoln or Beatrice in the afternoon. The steam powered engine and passenger cars were replaced by a diesel powered "bug" passenger car.
The UPRR controlled the switching yards in Omaha and by spotting their cars a day earlier than other line's cars they were able to run a freight train out of Kansas City to Omaha and back every day. The UPRR management seemed to be especially interested in this train and built up this branch line to accommodate this train which often carried as many as one hundred freight cars to a train.
This is only and outline of the story, or history and drama, of the UPRR running trains through Valparaiso during this period of time. There is much, much more to the story of railroading through Valparaiso.
Here is one interesting side light. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, during World War 2 spent a night on a special train on a siding in Valparaiso.
The President's train came into Valparaiso during the night where it was serviced. Soldiers were everywhere guarding every switch, building and every possible hiding place. They were spread out along the track within hailing distance of each other all the way to Omaha.
The President's train did not stop at the Mead Bomb Loading Plant, but it was assumed that he visited the area while in Valparaiso.
OAK CREEK VALLEY BANK
On March 4, 1989, in Valparaiso, Nebraska, the Oak Creek Valley Bank, Inc. was authorized to transact the business of a Commercial Bank as provided in the Banking Act of the state of Nebraska approved on April 8, 1895. Previously to becoming a corporation, Oak Creek Valley Bank was a private bank owned by H. Beakley, President, and O.C. Bleakley as Assistant Cashier. H. Bleakley became the cashier and sole owner of the bank.
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Competition was offered on a local level when in 1906 another bank opened its doors. It was named the Valparaiso State Bank and was also operated by H. Bleakley. Growth was made by both banks over the years up until the 1920's, when the Oak Creek Valley Bank pulled ahead to become the stronger of the two. Then the depression came along and both banks closed their doors and only the Oak Creek Valley Bank re-opened again. |
With the beginning of a new decade, there came changes. Chaves and Eldon became the new owners. The bank remained the same until 1975 when Mr. Chave sold out his shares to the other directors, and retired to Arizona where he died a year later. Dennis Siedel, an officer with the Oak Creek Valley Bank and Valparaiso resident, replaced Mr. Chave.
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Due to the tremendous growth of the bank the original building became too small and a new facility was constructed. The new building was opened for its first business day on March 31, 1980, and is located two blocks east of the old one. The former bank building was donated to the town and the Valparaiso Public Library now occupies the site. |
OAK CREEK VALLEY GRANGE
The Oak Creek Valley Grange was organized at Valparaiso June 15, 1950. Edward Schoen, Anton Komenda and James Martin were its first officers. This farm organization held their meetings monthly. In 1951 the members entered a State project of terrace building taking third place.
As these were the years of the Polio epidemic, vaccine was made available to combat same, the Grange continued on with these kinds of Grange appointed a committee to plan for a mass inoculation with Federally funded Vaccine for Children under 20 years of age, some vaccine was also be available for expectant mothers and a few other adults.
This Committee with the cooperation of local people and the son (Lou Schoem) of chairman of the Committee was much help in getting this program under way. Lou was a graduate of the University of Nebraska who did most of the foot work in obtaining a Doctor John W. Rogers of Lincoln under whose direction the vaccine was ordered and administered, assisted by volunteer nurses, Mrs. Francis Berry, Mrs. Mary Vobril and Karen Scott all of Valparaiso.
Syringes, needles, vaccine, and other equipment used were from stocks purchased by the State Health Department and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. The first Clinic was held Saturday, April 13, 1957 when 292 children and 66 adults received shots. The second Clinic was Saturday, May 18, 1957 when 206 children, 6 expectant mothers and 80 adults were inoculated. Nurses were Mrs. Francis Berry Karen Scott, assisting them was Mrs. Clarence Christensen, Jr., and Mrs. Jennie Tucker helped with the registrations, these people also helped with the last inoculation held on January 11, 1958 when 218 children, 4 expectant mothers and 88 adults received the Polio Vaccine at a cost of .35 cents per shot for children and expectant mothers, $1.35 per shot for other adults. A total of 960 receiving Polio Vaccine from five counties, Lancaster, Seward, Butler, Otoe and Saunders county. Inoculation was held in St. Mary's Hall in Valparaiso, thanks to these fine church people. After 16 years all interest in Grange was lost and the organization abandoned.
ROCK FINDING
In August, 1963, an odd-shaped rock was found along Oak Creek. The vertebra of a 41-foot plesiosaur was the finding on the Adolph Rezac farm along the creek. This finding was placed in the University of Nebraska Museum in Lincoln.
FLOUR MILL
The flour Mill, located on the banks of Oak Creek in the southwest corner of Valparaiso, was in operation until World War One.
ICE HOUSE
An Ice House was popular in the early 1900's in the town of Valparaiso. Blocks of ice were taken from Oak Creek and loaded onto wagons. They were hauled to the Ice House in Valparaiso.
SOUP SUPPER
Valparaiso holds an annual soup supper. It's an annual fund-raising project by all the organizations being involved.
NEWSPAPERS
In 1990 "Avalanche" was renamed the "Valparaiso Visitor" with J.N. Hemphill, publisher.
The newspaper changed editors many times. Final publication was in 1952. Harry Parker was editor at that time.
The "Valparaiso Hi-Lites" under editorship of Father Jerome Pokorny began in 1970 and stopped printing in 1976.
Page last updated on Oct. 26, 1999.
