Mr. T. B. Farmer came from Indiana, and in October, 1870, in company with Warren (Boss) Woodard arrived in this neighborhood from Lincoln. Mr. Farmer filed on the east 80 acres of the present Kinney’s farm. He spent the winter near the Blue River in the Sutton and Grafton district trapping mink and beaver, and living on Grouse, Rabbits and Turkeys, shot in the neighborhood. Here, with a companion, he had made a small dugout, but was several weeks alone, this being the case when, on returning one day from looking over the traps he saw several hundred Omaha Indians, and being alone he naturally felt somewhat alarmed. These Indians, as before mentioned, were out hunting and fishing with no intention of injuring anyone. He saw them go into camp, after which a few would come round and look into his shack, but in no way interfered with his property.
In the spring he homesteaded on his place, built a sod house, and the following year Mrs. Farmer arrived. She expected to come to a town and wondered why she was dropped of the train onto the open prairie. Why am I left here she asked? Where is the depot? Then she found to her amazement that the town of Exeter consisted of one building; the Store recently erected by Messrs. Smith and Dolan.
In due course the grasshoppers relieved them of five acres of corn, besides garden truck, and the mosquito netting from the windows.
But here they are still living, and with others have seen very wonderful changes during the intervening years, and in that time they have raised and given to the Country one of its best Singers, Mr. Frank Farmer of Denver, Colorado.
Source: Pioneer Stories of the Pioneers of Fillmore and adjoining Counties, by G. R. McKeith, Press of Fillmore County News, Exeter, Nebraska, 1915.