CONGREGATIONAL COLLEGE HISTORY IN NEBRASKA.

I.-FONTENELLE COLLEGE, 1857-72.

A brief history of the Congregational College, established at Fontenelle, Nebraska, in 1857-58. Compiled chiefly from historical facts furnished by Mrs. E. R. Kline and Rev. C. G. Bisbee, of Fontenelle. Also some notes from an address by Rev. R. Gaylord.

This paper, by MRS. REUBEN GAYLORD, of Omaha, was read at the fifteenth anniversary exercises of Doane College, Crete, Neb., June 22, 1887.

Soon after congress had organized the Territory of Nebraska, and had appointed officers for its government, a few citizens of Quincy, Illinois, conceived the idea of planting a colony in the newly organized territory. In accordance with this plan they formed a company with printed laws and regulations, to be known as the Nebraska Colonization Company. The payment of one hundred dollars was the price of admission to membership and company privileges. In July of that year (1854) a prospecting committee was sent out to locate territory for settlement of the colony, and select a site for a municipal town. Hon. J. W. Richardson, one of the party, was secretary and field reporter to take notes of the journey. They traveled with wagons, camping on the prairies at night, and after crossing the Missouri followed the divides, going by way of what is now Fort Calhoun, until they came to the high bluffs of the Elkhorn river. Here they looked down upon the Platte and Elkhorn valleys united, making a broad and fertile valley ten miles wide. The Elkhorn, pursuing its winding way, skirted with timber, could be traced. for a long distance, and, looking across the valley ten miles away,

the eye rested upon the high bluffs of the Platte river, adding a very pleasing variety to the fine scenery. This prospecting party represented the professor, merchant, banker, lawyer, clergyman and farmer. But as they stood there together on that summer day in 1854, all were so captivated by the scene of wondrous beauty and fertility that they selected it as the site of their embryo city, and the surrounding country for future homes for the families of the colony. They purchased the right of possession of Logan Fontenelle, a chief of the Omaha tribe of Indians, giving him one hundred dollars to keep their claim until they should return. The re port of these explorers was favorably received by the Colonization Society at Quincy, and Mr. Richardson was appointed as their agent to return and take possession of their land for them, cause cabins to be built for the settlers the ensuing spring, and to use his influence in the coming territorial legislature to procure a college charter for the Baptist colony, many of them being members of Baptist churches. in Quincy and vicinity. In October he returned to the new Eldorado, accompanied by his wife (now Mrs. E. R. Kline). The town was named Fontenelle in honor of the Omaha chief. Logan Fontenelle was a half breed, his father being French. He was educated at St. Louis, and spoke English fluently. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, Col. Kline, Mr. Seely, and some others spent the winter of 1854-55 at Fontenelle. This winter the territorial legislature was organized and held its first session in Omaha. The company at Quincy instructed their agent, Judge Richardson, to use every effort to secure the location of the territorial capital at Fontenelle. They also sent two of their number to Omaha to work for that interest during the session of the Legislature. In November, Dr. M. H. Clark was elected councilman to the legislature, and Judge Richardson and Col. Doyle representatives from Fontenelle. But their efforts to secure the capital of the new territory were unsuccessful, as the prize was given to Omaha. They succeeded, however, in obtaining a charter for a Baptist college to be located there, under the "Name and Style of Nebraska University." The Colonization Company at Quincy, when they first designed planting a colony in this new land, conceived the idea of an institution of learning in which their own and other children and youth might have the opportunity of obtaining a thorough education. When this charter was granted they felt

that a most desirable point had been gained toward the consummation of their plans. The legislature at this first session gave them a town and ferry charter; also organized Dodge county with Fontenelle as the county seat. During the session a bill was introduced chartering the "Platte Valley and Pacific R. R. Company." On the 16th of February, 1855, Dr. Clark, chairman of the committee on corporations, presented a report of great ability, which contained the fol lowing prediction: "It is the belief of your committee that before fifteen years have transpired the route to India will be opened through this valley, and the way across this continent will be the common highway of the world." Fourteen years and three months from this date the golden spike was driven which completed the Union Pacific railroad.

During the winter the company at Quincy were making preparations to come out in a body and take possession of their new homes. An erroneous idea had prevailed that the Platte and Elkhorn rivers could be used for navigation. With this object in view the company secured a small steamer, and a portion of them, with their families and effects, embarked at Quincy in the spring of 1855. They ascended the Missouri safely until they were near the mouth of the Platte river. Here the boat struck a snag and was completely wrecked. The lives of all were saved, but the cargo was nearly a total loss. Some were so disheartened that they returned to Quincy on the next steamer, while others pressed on to Fontenelle, took possession of their town lots by numbers, upon which they commenced building cabins for homes. Rev. W. W. Keep, a Baptist clergyman of the colony, was one of those who returned to Quincy, and Rev. J. M. Taggart came to Fontenelle to take his place. In June some lumber was drawn from Bellevue for the beginning of the Baptist college. In July a straggling party of Sioux Indians came suddenly upon the camp of some parties who were opening a farm one mile south of town. They killed the men and rode off with the provisions. They were a portion of the party who, that same month, killed Logan Fontenelle, the Omaha chief. He was hunting, and becoming separated a little from his band, was attacked by these warriors. He defended himself with great bravery, but after killing three of the Sioux, fell, pierced by fourteen arrows.

This alarm sent some of the settlers back to the states, thus diminishing the colony in numbers. Gov. Burt sent out troops from Omaha for protection, who were stationed in Fontenelle during the fall and winter, but it was some months before the settlers felt secure from further attacks.

In the meantime more Congregationalists came into the colony. This winter, on Christmas day, 1855, Rev. Reuben Gaylord arrived in Omaha. On the first Sabbath of May following he organized a Congregational church of nine members, and on the second Sabbath a church in Fontenelle with twenty-four members, under very encouraging circumstances.

Before proceeding further, a brief account will be given of Mr. Gaylord's labors in behalf of early collegiate education in Illinois. and Iowa, for he seemed to have been early imbued with a love for the higher Christian education, and with a desire to do what he could for its advancement. And it will help to explain why, on coming to Nebraska, this should seem to him such an important adjunct to the success of a pure and working Christianity. Mr. Gaylord graduated at Yale College in 1834, and Prof. Sturtevant (afterward president), being present at commencement, sought his acquaintance and gave him an invitation to go out with him as instructor in Illinois College at Jacksonville. This resulted in his taking charge of the preparatory department for two and one-half years. Dr. Edward Beecher was at that time the president. In September, 1837, he traveled from Jacksonville to Connecticut on horseback and entered Yale Theological seminary. During that year seven students of the seminary, whose minds were turned toward Iowa as a field of labor, formed an "Iowa Educational Association." At that time Mr. Gaylord thus wrote: "It is our purpose to establish upon a firm basis a college for the future state of Iowa; also to encourage and assist in the location of academies throughout the district, and to lend a fostering hand to the general interests of education in the common school department. We shall aim to lay our plans so as to secure an endowment for permanent funds which may be worth, ten years hence, two hundred thousand dollars. This can be done with little trouble in the first settlement of a country when land is plenty and cheap. All of our number, with one or two exceptions, are going there to preach the gospel, not to engage in educational work as a

business, except as trustees of the college we hope to build, and to advise and help the people in the all-important work of a thorough education. We have laid the subject before the Home Missionary Board and they smile upon the enterprise." Within the year three

of these were in Iowa; Clark went to Fort Madison, Stewart to Denmark. Whether the latter did anything toward founding Denmark Academy, which ever has been and still is, a blessing to the state, we do not know. It was seven or eight years before Iowa College was located at Davenport. Mr. Gaylord was one of the trustees, and was careful to attend the meetings of the board, often taking the trip on horseback, a distance of eighty miles. In 1847-8 the first college building was erected at Davenport, a plain, substantial structure, 36x55. Perhaps you will pardon a little reminiscence here. For many years every home missionary's wife was expected to contribute to Iowa College ten dollars yearly at the meeting of the general association. Some home missionaries' wives, (not all), could contribute fifty dollars now more easily than we could spare ten in those days, when our husbands had a nominal salary of four hundred, much of this being paid in work and provisions.

It was with these views and feelings, intensified by years and experience, that Mr. Gaylord came as a pioneer to Nebraska. The summer following the organization of the church at Fontenelle, in 1856, a school was commenced in a building temporarily erected for the purpose, which was also used for public worship on the Sabbath. The Baptist brethren had become somewhat reduced in numbers, and had not put up a building for their educational enterprise.

We will now give some extracts from Mr. Gaylord's address on laying the foundation of the building for the preparatory department of the college in July, 1858:

"We are assembled to-day to inaugurate an important enterprise -to rear the first building for an educational institution which we trust is to grow with our growth, and flourish with increasing vigor when its projectors and present patrons shall be silent in death. We behold gathered here a deeply interested assembly to lay the foundation of an edifice which is regarded as the germ of a mighty agency for good, the first link in a chain of influence that is to reach far into the future. You recognize and associate with this, the law of progress which pervades all nature, and thus are led not to despise the