Mr. Charles N. Phillips came with his wife from Pennsylvania, in
1871, leaving there on April 23, and arriving near Exeter on the
first day of June. He filed on section 24, town 8, range 2, and had
only $10 in money with which to start this new life. A sod house was
built, not an inch of lumber being used, and in this rude dwelling
they lived until money was forthcoming with which to buy some
lumber. Those were trying days with bard experiences, but somehow
things would work to their advantage at least to enable them to
secure food. Mr. Phillips remembers well his going to the Smith
Store with his watch to secure some groceries, money, there was
none, and the watch might act as security for the goods until he
could pay for them. On making his request known, Mrs. Smith v/ho at
the time was serving in the Store, said: he might have some goods
without leaving the watch, he would need that! She knew the goods
would be paid for as soon as possible. This was a kindness in the
hour of need which he will never forget, and for which he was very
grateful.
Those were days when they had to grind corn in a
Coffee Mill that they might have flour, and the corn had to be
bought at Lincoln.
The first winter was a severe one, he
would often make a start towards the Blue river in search of
firewood but was glad to turn back, the cold being too intense for
such an undertaking. The snow storm of 1873 is very prominent in his
mind, many during that storm were unable to leave their barns,
however much they desired to be in the house. His barn was filled
with the snow which had made its way through cracks and crevices. He
had also to sweep the snow out of the house in the morning before he
could get the fire lighted.
During the first summer, droves
of Texas cattle used to pass over the prairies going to Fremont for
shipment. One day Mrs. Phillips had set out afoot to visit the
Rice's home, a distance of about five miles, when she was
unexpectedly surrounded by one of these large droves of cattle, she
had never felt so uncomfortable in her life, but she managed to get
out unharmed, it was, nevertheless a grand sight to see those cattle
passing over the prairie.
In the following year the rains
were so heavy as to make the Indian Creek overflow its banks, the
flood washing out the B. & M. railroad bridge.
It was in
this year they had their first experience of a prairie fire, it
looked as though the Whole world was on fire, Mrs. Phillips ran for
safety to a breaking, carrying the baby on her arm and in the
excitement lost one of its shoes, strange to say Mr. Phillips found
the shoe some time afterwards when breaking up the prairie.
A
Typical "First Home" in Nebraska
Indian Creek, Northwest of Exeter, Neb.
Mr. Phillips thrashed wheat early in 1872, and as a result sold the
first load of wheat ever sold in Exeter, (Spring wheat was the usual
crop then) It was purchased by Mr. Dolan, and it was the first load
of wheat he ever bought.
They had the usual calls from the
Indians, but never suffered any loss as a result of their visits,
like other settlers they lost their crops through the grasshoppers,
and shared in the disadvantages of opening up a new Country, yet
with it all they were happy.
It is interesting to note that
Mr. Phillips, on coming here had but one arm, having lost the right
arm in the Battle of Gettysburg, on July 1st, 1863. When attending
the great Reunion on that historic Battlefield in iyi3, he met a
Confederate Soldier who lost his left arm on the same day in the
same battle, thus those two, who fifty years before had fought each
other, met in peaceful union, commemorating' the event by having
their pictures taken standing side by side.
Pioneers of Fillmore and Adjoining Counties
Source: Pioneer Stories of the Pioneers of Fillmore and adjoining Counties, by G. R. McKeith, Press of Fillmore County News, Exeter, Nebraska, 1915