POHOCCO PRECINCT

water, and the first two attempts proved futile. This prompted Dr. Graham to call his drinking water "thousand dollar water," for this is the amount he spent.

   Dr. Graham was somewhat unique for his time. He provided an electric motor to pump water. But there was a hand pump, too, for use as a back-up system. There was also a special electric lighting system installed which served exclusively the Graham's Gardens Estate. They had lights outside and down the paths leading to and along the river's edge.

   The Doctors Graham carried on their practices in the growing town of Fremont. But they "escaped" to their bluffs retreat for weekends and vacations and whenever possible.

   Approximately 25 years after acquiring the property Winifred and F.A. Graham were dead. As one might imagine, their dreams died with them. Ownership of the land has changed several times in the years since their deaths. Most recently, a public golf course and small housing development occupy the land once known as Graham's Gardens.

   My husband's parents, Ralph and Bertha Brown, purchased the land in about 1955. They lived in the original house until 1967 when they moved to Arizona and my husband, Larry, myself, and our three children moved here.

   We are aware of the history that surrounds us -- both that of Pahuk Hill and Graham's Gradens. We enjoy the lilac hedge immensely every spring. It is very common to come across clumps of wild flowers on trips to the river. And Larry hopes one day to clear the old wagon trail that once led to the ferry landing.

   A relaxing part of my day is to sit out on the point, what we believe to be the sacred Pahuk Hill. It isn't hard to sense the history that surrounds me. I am thankful that the Grahams preserved these acres so many years ago. Perhaps we can do the same for future generations. Submitted by Mary Brown

   The Saunders County brick yard was located on the bluff about one half mile south of the present Platte River bridge on what is now Highway #77. It was in full operation at the turn of the century. Earlier, in 1857, a Mr. Rogers and Mr. McCartney had started a brick kiln in Fremont. When it was moved across the river to Saunders County is not known but probably not until the first bridge had been built. Theron Nye, Fremont's first mayor (1871), worked at this brick kiln before it was moved. Quite a few young men from the county earned an extra bit working there. My father, Jim McClean, Sr., worked there when he was 16 years old.

   Many homes in the area and in Fremont and parts of Love Opera House in Fremont were built of this native brick. The old Hespen place where Valley View now stands was made of this brick.

   That hill on Highway #77 is still known as "Brick Yard Hill." Dorothy Boettner

   The building of the bridge across the Platte River changed the course of the river and it eliminated the south channel of the river. This bridge also caused the loss of the "McClean Island."

   Burlington Railroad cuts across the county from Fremont to Leshara to Valley. Presently they average about 7-8 trains every 24 hours, carrying loaded and empty coal cars, and also general freight cars. Passenger trains were dropped about 1950. The heaviest passenger traffic was during and after WW II. The present RR bridge was built in 1916.

   The first homesteader in Pohocco Precinct was Julius Christensen (or Christiansen), a young Danish immigrant who bought an 8-acre relinquishment and homesteaded in 1869 about three miles south of the Platteville post office. Many more Danish settlers made this their home. Mr. Christensen donated land from his homestead for a church and cemetery. The Danish Pohocco church was built here and remains today -- the lone church in Pohocco Precinct.

Congregation of Danish Settlement Church

   Julius Christensen laid out the first wagon road leading to the ferry crossing to Fremont. After harvest he constructed a 16x24 foot house on his claim, bringing the lumber across the river on the ferry. The first year he paid 75¢ a bushel for seed corn which was worth only 20¢ after it was grown.

   After that first year, Christensen took a team and lumber wagon to Omaha to get his bride. He set his directions by the sun as there were no landmarks or bridges or roads.

   At night they would take the wagon box off and turn it upside-down on the prairie and sleep under it as protection from weather, snakes, and other varmints. Coyotes would serenade them.

   The next year a little boy, whom they named Andrew William was born to them. He lived only a short time and they buried him under a tree in the yard. The following year another little boy, also named Andrew, was born. This time it was the mother who was laid to rest beside the first baby boy. Mr. Christensen hired a Danish housekeeper who raised young Andrew to manhood.

   Andrew Christensen became a leader in his community. He raised five children. The youngest, Eugene, a pilot, lost his life in World War II.

   The Pohocco Lutheran Church was begun sometime in the year 1895. The first services were held in the homes of people in the community. Formal organization was held May 9, 1895, and the name was Danish Evangelical, under the leadership of Pastor A. Kirkegaard. The services were conducted in Danish, because this was a Danish settlement.

   In the year 1899, the little congregation had gained enough strength to begin planning the building of a house of worship. A building fund was started and land for the church and cemetery was donated by Julius Christensen. This was added to in later years by Evelyn Christensen Reid to be used for parking and addition to the cemetery.

   After the building fund was subscribed, the members began hauling lumber and Martin Nelson was hired as carpenter. The congregation saw to it that he had room and board in the community. In June, 1900, the church building was dedicated with Reverend A.W. Lund as Pastor. The children grew up and the congregation increased. Danish services were dropped to an occasional one, and eventually dropped altogether. The name was later changed to Pohocco Lutheran Church.

   The first wedding in the church was that of Anna Nelson to Andrew W. Christensen on December 20, 1900. Mr. Christensen was Sunday School superintendent for 44 years. They and their families contributed much to the church. The first Christmas service and children's program was held that same year.

   The Ladies' Aid was organized in 1916. In the last few years this has been replaced by the Pohocco Lutheran Ladies Organization. A few of the members of the original Ladies' Aid who like to quilt still meet twice a month for that purpose.

   In 1925, the chancel was built with a stained glass window picturing Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Many of the furnishings of the sanctuary and nave have been obtained through memorials in memory of dear departed ones.

   In earlier years, church services were held in the afternoon, sometimes in the evening. In the late 1940's, following the suggestion of Pastor Adolph Kloth, services were held in the morning. As this affected an increase in the attendance, morning hours have been scheduled ever since.

   The congregation of the Pohocco Lutheran Church could not have survived without the help of our Lord and Savior and the blessings of devoted Pastors through the years, beginning with Reverend A. Kirkegaard under whose leadership the church was founded. A.W. Lund served at the dedication and was the first Pastor of the new church; followed by C.C. Kloth, F.G. Rasmussen, C.O. Gulleen, M.C. Hagehorn, Adolph Kloth, John W. Leaf, Robert Carlson, Noel Vetter, Vice-Pastor Philip Ekblad, Robert L. Hoeft, and the present Pastor Keith McKay. Submitted by Mrs. Henry L. Johnson

Pohocco Baptist Church

   A number of German families met Feb. 27, 1879, at the Sebold Dierks home to discuss the organization of the German Baptist Church of Platteville. Delegates from Fremont First Baptist Church, Mead Emmanuel, Ashland, and Shell Creek churches formed a council April 16, 1879 to deliberate recognition of the church, which they approved. Charter members of the church appeared on the record: Sebold Dierks, Margarethe Dierks, Frederick Dierks, Miss Johanna Dierks, John H. Dierks, Elisa Dierks, John B. Harms, Elise Harms, Frederick and Emilie Baltz, G.A. Dierks, Mrs. G.A. Dierks, and Heinrich Willie Reints.

   Rev. J.C. Engelman, the first pastor, was paid $75 per year, with room and board, and he served 1879-1880 with meetings held in members' homes or Dist. 82 schoolhouse.

   Rev. Frietag, second minister, served from 1882-1884 and 19 new members of recently-arrived families were received. Need for a church building became apparent and in 1884 a skilled carpenter, John B. Harms, a mason, E. Gaeth, and a painter, August Moerker, helped erect the new church.

   Rev. C.A. Rantz served as pastor 1885-1888. In 1890-1891 the church built a mission church in Fremont under Rev. R. Klitzing; later the building was sold. Rev. H. Schroeder was pastor 1892-1895 and 1899-1900. Rev. Otto Schroeder served 1895-1899. Rev. A. Boelter was pastor a few months in 1900; then the church was without a pastor for several years. Rev. J. Kraft served 1904-1906 and the young people began to use American language. Rev. Armbruster 1906-1909 supervised building a parsonage which was sold in 1928 to Mead Emmanuel Church. These two churches had agreed to have one pastor and he would live in the parsonage near Mead Emmanuel Church.

   During the pastorship of Rev. Raff, 1910-1913, a new horse stable to replace the one burned down was built, and considerable repairs were made to the church. His daughter, Helen, was baptized here and later became a missionary to the Belgian Congo

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along with her husband Rev. Wm. Robbins.

   Rev. Herman Wedel was ordained pastor by the church here Oct. 10, 1915. He liked being with the youth and spent much of his spare time in evenings playing baseball with them. After his wife's death he returned to Rochester, New York to further his seminary training.

   During Rev. Emil Otto's ministry, 1917-1919, the church records were now kept in the American language for the first time. In 1933 the older records were translated from German to American language, by Rev. E.F. Krueger, who was at Sioux Falls College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and his father-in-law, Rev. A.L. Tilgner, a retired German Baptist minister.

   In 1922 Rev. D.L. Fraser became pastor of both Pohocco and Mead Emmanuel Churches until 1930. In 1928 the parsonage was sold and the money was used to put a basement under Pohocco Church and to remodel the building.

   Rev. William Overturf became pastor in the fall of 1931. He had a very successful Vacation Bible School in the summer of 1932.

   Rev. F.K. Allen served 1933-1935. New oak pews were purchased and installed and much work was done.

   Rev. E.E. Niederhuth 1936-1941, further remodeled the building, installed a furnace, kitchen equipment, electric lights, and other improvements.

   In 1943 Rev. Harold Sweezey and Rev. R.M. Bailey came to serve.

   The cemetery is all that is left there now, as an arsonist burned the church down to the ground in 1960.

   In the 1870's a number of Catholic families settled in the Pohocco and Estina (which was later called Leshara) Precincts. As Mission priests came through the area they were given food and lodging and they offered Mass in the homes. In 1877 Father Langernon built churches in Elkhorn and Fremont. A priest lived in Colon by then and would come periodically to this area; otherwise the people went to Mass in Fremont. The long ride meant starting early in the morning, leaving Fremont right after Mass as they had no money to purchase food for themselves or their horses. Getting across the river and up the bluffs might take quite awhile; they would even arrive home late sometimes.

   In 1887 the Conrad, Carey, Kinney, Miller, McDonald, Hannon Boyle, McCoy, Feist, Goliglee, Lammel, Schnetzer, Nau, White, and Feurenstein families decided to build a church. Julia White deeded an acre of land from the northeast corner of her farm for this church. Building was completed in 1888 -- the church was named "Church of The Seven Dolors" or Estina Church. In 1924, for unknown reasons, it burned. In 1925 it was replaced by a new church called "The Church of the Little Flower of Jesus." Father Wattell had it built as a replica of a chapel he had seen in the French countryside.

   In 1960, fire caused by an arsonist burned the church to the ground and was not replaced. The church members were assigned to Cedar Bluffs or Mead parishes. The cemetery is all that remains in that spot now.

Dist. #11

   School District 11 was organized in 1869 and the following year a school meeting was called and a committee appointed to select a site for a permanent building. However, for several years before this, a school was in existence in what was later to become District eleven. It was called the Diamond School and was a dug-out in the bluff between the McClean home and Woodcliff. Old timers claim it was the first school in the county.

   The new committee selected a site ½ mile east of the present school building on the north side of the road on the H. Pegden homestead where it remained until 1888. A.A. Graves was the first director and E. Baxter the first teacher.

   The contract signed between the director and the teacher shows that Mr. Baxter received a salary of $26 a month for three months of school.

   Other early day teachers were C. Whitney, Katie Thompson, Mr. Pancost, Emma Smith (later Mrs. J. Johnson) and Esther Wells (later Mrs. D. Thompson), and Herman Engel.

   The first insurance policy, dated 1871, written on this school insured it for $300, and the furniture for $100. S. Plunket was the agent who sold the policy.

   In 1888 the school site was moved one-half mile west to the mail road (later to become Highway 77) on the east side, and a new building was erected. This was on land homesteaded by a Mr. Pascoe who was postmaster of the settlement called Platteville just one-fourth mile north of the school. Mail was brought three times a week from Ashland by T. Corran. The school now became known as the Platteville School.

   The new building remained in service until 1927 when a new 28x33 foot school was built across the highway on the west side. This building is part of the present structure today. Twenty-four children were enrolled in 1927 when they moved into the new school. E.A. Odman was County Superintendent of Schools. He spoke at the dedication program. A.W. Waterhouse of the Fremont Public Schools was the main speaker.

   In 1976 the school was remodeled and enlarged to accommodate 60 students with three class rooms and a basement play area.

   For their 1982 Christmas program, the pupils and teachers wrote and put on a three act play based on the true history of their school district. Mrs. Janis Waggoner directed the play which featured several Square Dances and a Box Social.

   There are 41 pupils enrolled today with three teachers, Mrs. Linda Rohlfs, Mrs. Kay Mulford and Mrs. Janis Waggoner, and a teacher's aide, Mrs. Shirley Moerker.

   In 1871 Fremont and Wahoo Reformed Presbyterian Church was organized in District 11, with Rev. D. McKay of Kansas performing the initiatory services.

   District 25, or the Paul School, was located two and one-half miles northeast of what would later be Cedar Bluffs, in Pohocco Precinct. In 1868, when it was decided a school was needed, three of the pioneer men Chritton, Walker, and Hilmer each started walking from their homes to meet each other. When they met they decided to locate the school there as it would be about the same distance from each family. Chritton himself had four generations of descendants attend the school. A log schoolhouse was built and the teacher boarded and roomed at homes in the district.

   At times especially in the winter, there were as many as 60 pupils in the small one-room school. Boys up to 21 years of age came after crops were out of the field. There were no grades in those days; the children were placed by their ability to read.