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Daniel and Rosa arrived in America in 1874 settling just south
of Cambridge, As to when they decided to settle in Nebraska and take
advantage of the Homestead act is unknown, but Nebraska it was on a tract
of land just south of Cambridge Villiage.The only building standing at the
time was a sod Post Office, which had just been erected and was called
Medicine Creek Post Office. Daniel would have to walk 15 miles east
to Arapaho, to procure food and supplies.
He built a 16' X 32' sod house for them to live in which consisted
of 2 rooms, 2 doors and 5 windows.1 The winters
were harsh and crops were slim the first few years. And many times
just as they thought they were going to have a great harvest, along would
come the grasshoppers and would eat everything that was green and their
crops would be gone.
On October 1, 1875 Rosa gave birth to their
first son Louie. Then October 14,1877 a second son, Daniel,
was born. Their dream was beginning to take shape, and inspite
of mother nature, while many of their neighbors were selling out and
going east, because of lack of food and hard times, Daniel and Rosa
stayed on.
January 18th 1878, Daniel put in his formal application to acquire
their 160 acres from the government. This was an unusual piece of land
as it was divided by two different precints the north 80 acres would be
in Cambridge precinct and the south 80 acres in Logan Precinct.
Their home was built on the northern 80 acres.1
They had been in America only four years when Rosa again became
pregnant. This time she gave birth to little Edith Ann on June
12, 1879, their first daughter. However, this time was different,
and Rosa never recovered from the birth she died 10 days later on June
22. Leaving Daniel to raise his little family alone.
The next month would hold even more tragedy in Daniel's life.
Him and the two boys contacted diptheria , though Daniel and little
Dan were able to survive, Louie did not. Within one months time Daniel
buried his wife and son. Their graves can be found in the Fariview Cemetery, in Cambridge.
I don't know when exactly the decision came about to let Charles
and Lilah Allen raise Edith. Whether, it was right after Rosa died
or when Daniel became ill, it was to be that Edith would be raised by the
Allen's as one of their own.. The Allens left Nebraska sometime after 1880
and settled in Bariboo, Sauk Co, Wisconsin. There is where Edith lived
from then on but, she was never forgotten and there was contact between her
and her Gutzman family all of her life.
Now it was just Daniel and little Dan, a family of two instead of five.
The American dream had to have seemed like a far distant thing at
this point in Daniel's life.
But, like so many other pioneers of that
day, Daniel went on. Working the land and tending his son as best
he could. By the time the 1880 Census was taken Cambridge Villiage
had grown to 107, and the Medicine Creek District to 357. And on the
20th day of April 1881 Daniel became a legal citizen of the United States.3
Like all of the rest of the children in their district little Dan continued
to grow. By the time he was of school age it had become apparent
that there was a need for them to have a school in their district.
Thus, School District Number 11 was formed. It began in the homes
of neighbors in 1884. The first year ending in April of the same
year. It was to be for all children between the age of 5 and 21.
Dan was in that first class along with 25 other students ranging from age
6 and 19. By the beginning of the class in October 1885 the new school
building had been erected and would serve the district until 1950.2
1885 was to be a very eventful year in Daniels life. He received
the final certificate for his land on January 20th. The Deed was
signed by President Chester A Arthur on January 23 making the land officially
Daniels. Daniel had helped build the school and was preparing to
embark on a new life with a new lady. My Grandmother.
1See Daniels Homestead Records
2See Sunny Hillside School
3See copy of
Citizenship Certificate
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