First settlements: Actual settlement did not commence in Lincoln county until the winter of 1865-6. In 1864, two brothers by the name of Moffat, with two other men, named Taylor and Houston, located near the present site of Rocky Hill, where they engaged in hunting. Here they were surrounded and killed by Indians, in August 1864.
In the latter part of 1865, six men, who had previously visited the Saline Valley as soldiers, took up their abode near the east line of the county. They were R.B. Clark, D.C. Skinner, E.E. Johnson, W.E. Thompson, Issac DeGraff and J.M. Adams. These were the first settlers in Lincoln county.
Early in the next spring (1866), their number was increased by George Green, W.T. Wild, Washington Smith and John Dart, with their families; also two boys by the names of Peate and Gaskill. During the summer and fall of 1866, about thirty other persons located in the county. Among them were M.D. Green M. Ziegler, Martin and William Hendrixon, John S. Strange, David G. Bacon, Volney Ball, J.C. Parks, Thomas Noon, and the Haleys.
Lincoln had been first attached to Ottawa, and then to Saline county, for judicial purposes. In 1870, steps were taken toward a separate county organization. A board of commissioners, consisting of John S. Strange, Washington Smith and Issac DeGraff, was appointed by the Governor of the State to organize the county. A.F. Schemerhorn was appointed County Clerk. This board met at the house of John S. Strange, October 6, 1870, and divided the county into four civil townships, namely: Colorado, Elkhorn, Salt Creek and Indiana. They also ordered an election to be held on the 11th day of November following, to choose county officers and to locate the county seat. The election resulted as follows: Representative, Ira C. Buzick; County Clerk, A.S. Potter; Treasurer, Volney Ball; Probate Judge, D.C. Skinner; Recorder of Deeds, T.A. Walls; Sheriff, R.B. Clark; Coroner, Francis Seibers; County Attorney, M.S. Green; Clerk of District Court, J.A. Cook; Surveyor, P. Lowe.
The county seat was located near the mouth of Beaver Creek, and called Abram. It remained at Abram until 1872, when, by a hotly contested vote, it was removed two miles further west, to the present site of Lincoln Center.
Population in 1870, 516; population in 1875, 2,493; increase in five years, 1,977; population in 1878, 4,611; increase in eight years, 4,095. Rural population, 4,150, city or town population, 461; percent of rural to city or town population, 90.
Winter Wheat - Henry S. Buzick, of Sylvan Grove, Lincoln county, raised a crop of wheat on Sections 23 and 24, Township 12, Range 10. He planed 400 acres in September and October, and harvested in June and July. 320 acres was bottomland, near the Saline river, and 80 acres upland. The yield was 29 bushels per acre. Cost of producing the crop was $4.37½ per acre. The ground was plowed deep, and harrowed immediately after plowing. One and a half bushels of seed were drilled in, and the ground rolled right after.
"A Splendid Crop" - Statement of C.M. Heaton, of Sylvan Grove
Fall Wheat - This crop was raised on upland, common black soil, located in Section 26, Town 13, Range 10. It was harvested in June, and the yield was forty-four bushels per acre. The ground was first broken shallow in the spring, and well stirred in the fall; the seed was drilled in the usual depth. The cost of raising the crop was about six dollars and a half per acre.
In my opinion, ground for wheat should be first be broken about two inches deep, and then allowed to rot; breaking should be done in the month of May; the ground should be well stirred to the depth of three inches in July or August.
Newspaper History. - The Lincoln County News was established at Lincoln Center in 1872, by W.C. Buzick and F.H. Barnhart. It was Republican in politics. After an existence of a year and a half, it was leased to P. Barker, who changed the name to Lincoln County Patriot. The publication of the Patriot was continued till 1874, when the office passed into the hands of Elias Rees, and was placed under the editorial charge of J.W. Newell. In 1875, the Patriot ceased to exist, the material being removed to Stockton, in Rooks county.
The Lincoln County Farmer was started in 1874, by F.H. Barnhart. It only existed some six months.
The first number of the Western Democrat was issued December 2d, 1874, by F.M. Beatty. This was a Democratic paper, but it only survived till the 16th of June, 1875, when the material was purchased by G.M. Wellman, who associated with him W.C. Buzick, and they commenced the publication of the Saline Valley Register, at Lincoln Center, the first number appearing June 30th, 1875. In a few months Mr. Buzick retired. The paper is at present the only one in the county, and is Republican in politics, being published by Wellman & Sprague.
Schools. - Number of organized districts, 51; school population, 2,209; average salary of teachers, per month, males $28.36; females, $19.90. School houses built during 1878, 16; log, 2; frame, 4; stone, 10. Total number of schoolhouses, 30; log, 4; frame, 13; stone, 13. Value of all school property, $14,445. No report of shade trees in school grounds.
Churches. - Baptist: organizations, 3; membership, 120. Lutheran: organizations, 1; membership, 100; church edifices, 1; value of church property, $2,000. Methodist Episcopal: organizations, 7; membership, 155. Presbyterian: organizations, 2; membership, 50; church edifices, 1; value of church property, $1,500. Roman Catholic: organizations, 1; membership, 200; church edifices, 1; value of church property, $200.
