Everett Township, Dodge County, Nebraska

Everett, one of the centrally located townships of Dodge County, is the second subdivision from the east as well as from the north side of the county, and comprises all of Congressional township 19, range 7, east. While it is without a village or railway station, the Northwestern (old Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railway) traverses the territory from the southeast to the northwest, between the stations of Hooper and Scribner, in adjoining townships. The township is bounded by Cuming Township on the north. Hooper on the east, Maple on the south and Ridgeway on the west.

Organic

Everett Precinct (now township) was organized in 1871, and at that time included much more territory than at present, its present lines being defined in 1886, when "Township Organization" obtained in Dodge County.

Population of Township

The population of this township at various periods has been as follows : In 1890 it had 680; in 1900 it had 612; in 1910 it had but 546. Its 1920 figures have not yet been made public by the census enumerators.

Early Settlement

J. Monnich had the honor of being the first man to locate in Everett Township. He came in 1857 from Iowa to Cuming County, Nebraska, in the fall of 1856, and the next spring to this township.

A son of the first settler, Herman Monnich, located in section 1. He took a squatter's claim in 1857 and built a log cabin which he covered with a thatched roof. Their nearest mill was at Fort Calhoun—forty miles away.

In 1864 came Martin Uehling, of section 2. He took land which later made up a part of his 400 acres in one well-improved farm. John Raasch located here in 1865.

Christopher Kroeger located in 1867 in section 3 with his parents, he at the time being but a lad in his teens.

Peter Bodewig, of section 26, came to the township with his parents, who were homesteaders, in 1869. The same season came John Mohr.

He homesteaded and saw many hardships. By trade he was a carpenter.

John H. Wenkel, section 14, located in 1869. John Wagner claimed a part of the same section of land that year. John Bodewig, father of Jacob Bodewig, purchased an eighty-acre tract of land in the township in 1869 and improved the same.

Section 29 had for a settler in 1870, Edward Gamble ; also August Schroeder, of section 8, was another homesteader that year.

Theodore Windhausen, section 14, came in 1871. He worked by the month for a couple of years, then purchased eighty acres of land where he made for himself an excellent home.

John H. Dahl, section 18, came to the township in 1872. He first located on Maple Creek, section 12, of Cotterell Township, where he homesteaded eighty acres. He moved to another place later on. Charles Schroeder came to section 18 in 1872.

Eighteen hundred and seventy-three found Gustaf Nast in section 10 of Ridgeway Township, where he leased land three years, then moved to Everett township. Herman Bohling settled near Hooper, worked by the month several years and then bought land in the township and made a comfortable home.

James P. Lamberson settled in 1873; he worked and rented land about ten years and then purchased a farm.

James Bradbury came to Dodge County in 1874, first locating at Fremont, where he followed the trade of a carpenter one year, then moved to Everett Township and there leased land three years, after which which he purchased an eighty-acre tract.

Other pioneers in the township whose names should not be overlooked were: Peter Eberhard, section 21, 1875; Nicholas Mohr, section 19, 1875; Martin Luttherns, section 18, 1876; James G. Gamble, 1876, to section 27 ; Carl and Ernest Axen, two brothers, settled in section 7 in 1883. Others of an early date in the '80s were: James Murray, John Seeley, Carl Schoenick, Fred Wendt, Christ Matwick, John E. Erb, William Radkie, H. Wandle, Carl Shoenfeldt, August Koppel, John Mueller, N. H. Meir, R. D. Kelley, A. J. Hall, Joseph Moser.

Schools and Churches

The first school held in the township was in section 34 in 1868. It was taught by Mary Weber.

Concerning the schools and churches of the township the special chapters on these topics will be found elsewhere in this volume.

First Important Events

The first settler was Jared Monnich, in 1857.

The first birth was a pair of twins, girls, born to Mr. and Mrs. Jared Monnich, in 1857. The mother of these twins died in the autumn of 1857, hers being the second death recorded in the township.

The first death was that of a government surveyor, who was killed by lightning in the summer of 1857 and buried in section 1, the site of a later cemetery.

Jared Munderloch built the first frame house in the township.

Post Office

Everett postoffice was established about 1870, with S. D. Pickard as postmaster. Henry Block was postmaster in the early '90s. A small general store was conducted at that point several years.

In 1920

After the toils and perplexities of more than three-score years, for the first and second generations of men who have had to do with the development of this goodly agricultural section, one today finds a charming country where land ranges from $150 to $300 per acre and- is a good investment at these seemingly high prices. If one could view the vast hundreds of thousands of tons of various farm commodities that have been harvested from the soil of this inland subdivision of Dodge County with the coming and going of more than sixty years since its first settler invaded its domain, it would indeed be a wonderful amount to behold. This includes hay, grain, stock and vegetable growth.

Dodge County | Nebraska AHGP

Source: History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska, Rev. William H. Buss and Thomas T. Osterman, Volume 1, The American Historical Society, Chicago, 1921.

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