• THE BEGINNING

Beaver Crossing's original town site was located approximately four miles north west of the present site, on Beaver Creek. A cutoff freight route of the California Trial was established in 1860. This route has a due course west from Nebraska City to the North Blue River, where the city of Milford was later located and where one of the West Blue River that formed the road-bed for one of the greatest wild country highways ever known, over which thousands of emigrants, gold hunters and adventures, home and fortune seekers were destined to pass. Some met with success but others had many disappointments.

When this route reached Walnut Creek it was often times impassible especially during the rainy season. A crossing of Walnut Creek was found about three miles above its mouth. From this point the route continued west re-entering the West Blue Valley one mile east of Beaver Creek. For the prairie schooners and freight wagons as they traveled westward. This crossing place naturally adapted with gentle sloping banks a shallow stream and the creek bed solid and firm of coarse sand and gravel.

This fording place was known as "BEAVER CROSSING" the first name given to any point or locality in Seward County. Beaver Creek was undoubtedly named by Indians and trappers long before there was any settlement of people near its banks.

• VILLAGE GROWTH

The moving of Beaver crossing to the present site has been related. Now we will endeavor to show the growth of the town, at its present location, from the time when it was a part of Ross Nichol’s ranch.

The “Original Town Site” of blocks 1 to 9 was surveyed and platted on December 18, 1874 by G.A. Kilpatrick. This plat and description was filed at the county seat on May 18, 1875 by Mary E. Nicholas and Ross Nichols. This was the blocks beginning at the northwest corner, where the old Petty Hospital stands, south three blocks, than east three blocks the corner just south of Florence Amos’ house, than north three blocks to the east main street or Dimery Ave, and back west three blocks to the starting point.

Anyone living here or familiar with this area for nine blocks will know that street are not open for the full three blocks on the west, south or east sides of this site. Only the north side, which I have already stated to the east and west Main Street of town, or known as Dimery Ave was open.

For the early pioneers mail service was an important link to ‘back home” and the outside world. Consequently one of the first steps any settlement took was to secure a post office. The first post office was established at the original town site in 1867.Roland Reed made the name of Beaver Crossing official when he secured the appointment as postmaster and located the post office in his ranch house under that name.

A railroad’s arrival was always heralded with a great deal of enthusiasm and anticipation. Its arrival practically always signified an increase of commercial trade and general growth for the community. It was expected that life would be easier, property would soar and communication with distant relatives would be more rapid.

Many of us in our present day world would be almost helpless without the use of electricity, and it is true that the majority of the people take it for granted, but the hardy pioneers survived and flourished without the use of that convenience. Thanks to some enterprising people in 1907, who started talking about lighting the village streets, and than went further and did something about it. On October 17, 1907, articles for incorporation were signed creating the “Beaver Crossing Electric Light and Power Company.” The total capitalization being $20,000.

Fire has always been a hazard that is very real to everyone in all periods of history. To the early residents of Beaver Crossing if must have been and especially desperate situation, with very little water or fire fighting equipment. In the early beginning of the town not much is known about the first equipment used for fighting the too frequent fires. It is known there was a city pump and windmill and probably each home owner had a well and a pump. An early account of a fire was described in the Beaver Crossing Weekly Review, June 18, 1895 the home of Mrs.Maule was on fire a bucket brigade was formed and was filled at Joe Mayhew’s fish pond and the roof fire was soon out, Dimery’s irrigation ditch was also a means of saving other homes.

 

This is just a part of the history of Beaver Crossing to find out more please  

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