Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

J. F. Zediker was a real estate dealer. He homesteaded on Rebecca Creek in Turkey Township, and stayed on his homestead long enough to proof up and maybe longer. After a few years, he rented his land and moved to Naponee. Then, he later moved to Franklin where he was into different businesses. The following listings from a newspaper are some of the property he was trying to sell:

Number 36: a farm with a good frame house (16 x 22) x 12.25 acres with planted timber, good spring and well, stable, corral. 100 acres broke. 3 miles from Naponee. With deed, all for $7.00 per acre.

Number 57: 160 acres. Wild land, 100 acres level, in the north of the county, easy terms.

Number 60: 160 acres, with 45 broke, 100 acres tillable. 23 to 30 acres growing timber, yield 30 to 40 tons of hay annually. Creek runs through it. Log dwelling with shingled roof and pine floor. Good spring near house. Railroad land on three sides. A fine stock range. 2 * miles from Franklin. Priced $500.00 or $550.00 subject to mortgage $250.00 with two years to run.

Number 56: 160 acres nearly all bottom adjoining Franklin on the south. $10.00per acre. * cash, balance in 1-2-3 years at 10%.

Number 63: 160 acres improved land NE * 28-8-13 for sale 90 acres under cultivation. A log home, well. Will sell at half price.

Number 64: 160 acres 8 miles N.E of Macon. Wild prairie land and 60 acres broke. No other improvement of value. Timber Culture entry. Will sell for cash or will trade for a good farm near Franklin and assume mortgage.

Number 66: 160 acres - timber culture entry. 3 * miles from Franklin. Rolling prairie. Price $100.00 cash or approved security? A great bargain.

Number 67: 320 acres. 160 being a contract for railroad land and 160 being a Timber Culture entry. Railroad bought before the rise, on ten-year time, will take $125.00 and release contractor will take $500.00 for both. This is a cheap farm. 35 acres are broke. Four to five is timber. 200 acres of good plow land on the place.

Number 68: 480 acres. Not a wasted acre on the farm. 310 under plow. 10 acres planted Timber Culture entry. 1 to 3 years old. One of the best sod houses in the county (20 x 62 feet), four rooms, two good wells, 1 windmill, 1 farm building (24x 40 feet), barn and shedding. 1 frame granary (8 x 37 feet), 1 frame crib (10 x 40 feet) and large supply of sod stables. Also good yards and corrals. All to be sold at once. Price $3,200.00. Half cash, balance in one year.

“The above are a few of the descriptions upon our books. We also have a large list of Midland Pacific Railroad lands for sale on a long time and low interest. Also the B. & M. Railroad lands on term to suit anybody. Call and tell us what you want and get prices and terms…J. F. Zediker.”

Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he had put the land description on these lands for sale? It would have told us where this land was located today. On the one they put the legal description, it was out of county. I guess they wanted us to know that. I try to guess where these farms were, but only the realtor knew for sure and that’s the way he protected his interest. By not gibing the legal description, it was assured the buyer wouldn’t go to the farm and offer a lower price, saving the realtor fees. If only we knew where these farms were, we could know more about what was taking place in the first days of Franklin County. Once in a while, as I read the old papers, we get lucky and real estate agents tell us the location and that makes all the reading worthwhile.

The above information comes from the writings in the Red Bid Chief tablet kept by Jerry Tanquary. I can tell from the choice of items Jerry wrote about that he cared deeply for the preservation of Franklin County history. Each time I read from the two tablets I learned something new. Can you imagine land ever being this cheap and it’s only about 120 years ago.

A secret’s safe,
Twixt you, me and the gate post. Robert Browning

Rena Donovan, For Another Day.

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