John S. Beardsley was born in Ohio, but was brought by his parents
to Iowa in the year 1856, where he grew up to manhood. He came to
Nebraska in April 1870 and secured a homestead, it being the south
west quarter of Section 22, Town 7, Range I west. He then brought
his wife and family to Crete, coming from Iowa with a wagon and team
of horses, having also with them a saddle horse, a spare horse,
three cows and a heifer. Mrs. Beardsley bringing: along her sister,
Miss Knox.
Mrs. Beardsley has had two experiences of pioneer
life, being among the pioneers of Iowa, and remembers when there
were only three families of white people in their neighborhood. Her
playmates were mostly Iowa Indian children, and she could as easily
converse with them in their own language as she could talk English
with her own people at home.
She remembers her father
selling a fat pig to an Indian named "Sepick" which he killed on the
farm. After he had given the pig its death blow from which it
quivered, the Indian said, "that is just the way my squaw did when I
killed her." When asked if he had killed a squaw? he said, ''yes.'
when I got tired of the first one I killed her!"
Mrs.
Beardsley 's grandfather, "Knox," a Scotchman, started the first Dry
goods store in Sigourney, Iowa.
Mr. Beardsley received his
education in the Finlay Congregational School; which was at that
time a branch of the Oberlin and Harvard Colleges. He studied
Mathematics and Natural Philosophy under Prof. McKee, studying as a
text book Prof. Cumstock's Philosophy, but missed his diploma as a
result of his coming to Iowa to see after the land his father had
bought, the School term being finished when he got back to Ohio. He
afterwards taught school in Iowa and Nebraska.
On their
arrival in Crete, they found that a house was unobtainable, so they
had to use their wagon for sleeping purposes and arranged a kitchen
outside of Colonel Doane's house. Here their first supper was
prepared and when everything was ready, a dust storm came up which
soon had everything covered with dust, then it was the children
asked the mother, "Have we to eat dirt and all?"
Mr.
Beardsley started a nursery right where the Crete Depot now stands,
and lived in the town one and a half years. In 1871 he farmed the
land belonging to Colonel Doane, the founder of the Crete College.
In the fall of that year they moved onto their homestead which was
at that time a fine grazing ground for antelopes, elks and deer,
many of those early inhabitants of Nebraska were still to be seen.
Farming was commenced with great earnestness; three acres a day
being often broken with a horse team and plough. An orchard of 600
apple trees was planted, besides a grove 16 acres in extent
containing many kinds of favorite trees, and the pity of it is,
these are nearly all dead.
During the grasshopper time, when
feeding was so scarce, he fatted his hogs on sugar cane seed, which
answered the purpose admirably. He was also fortunate in having a
good crop of oats, wheat, and barley; though like so many in the
country he lost all his corn.
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