Keystone Settlement Made
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 The first group of settlers, which located in this immediate vicinity, was a group from Bradford, Pa. They came to Plum Creek, now Lexington, arriving there April 16, 1883, and journeyed southwest, drawing lots for the railroad sections, taking up homesteads and tree claims joining the railroad land near here. In order to locate the south line of Dawson county, the group had to get a Union Pacific surveyor to make a survey, from the west boundary of Gosper county to the southwest corner of Lincoln county. From this line, settlers were able to locate their claims.
The group from Pennsylvania filed on government land May 11, 1883 at the North Platte land office. With what they could file on and with the amount purchased they had forty sections of land in all.
One section 33-9-25 was laid out. A well was drilled in about the center of the section and a postoffice store, hotel and blacksmith shop were erected in 1884.
At a meeting of the stockholders of the Keystone Improvement Co., held at Gothenburg, Jan. 22, 1885 the following officers were elected: M. B. Taylor, president and R. T. Thompson, secretary- treasurer.
A mail route from Lexington was established in 1885, when the Keystone postoffice was opened, in the store building. "Cap" Smith was postmaster. Previous to that, who ever went to Plum Creek brought the mail for the settlement and left it at the store and everybody sorted it over and took what they considered theirs.
In 1885 another store building was erected by Castile and Anderson and a fair sized stock of goods carried.
Dr. W. P. Smith put a small stock of drugs in the "Cap" Smith store, which he afterwards traded to E. B. Dunham, who came from Illinois. In the winter of 1885 work started on the railroad in what is known as the Murphy Cut and the big cut west of the high bridge in Deer Creek.
The settlers had agreed that they would pull together and thought that the railroad would establish their station at Keystone, when it came through. However, when the railroad did push west from Holdrege, disagreement arose and finally the town site was bought at the present location and Keystone left out. As soon as it was certain that there would be no town at Keystone, the settlers moved their buildings to Farnam, with the exception of the hotel, which was moved to the place where John Kitchens now live and is used as a home. The postoffice was moved to Farnam and is today the front part of the building just across the street from the Ford garage, known as the Tufts building. The other buildings have been destroyed by fire or were torn down to make room for later buildings.
The earliest thought of a possibility of a railroad was in March 1884 when Mr.
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Billings, a topographical surveyor came by horseback with a well equipped saddle of all surveyors instruments and stayed all night at the M. J. Tufts home. After riding from Hastings and not passing many settler homes he appreciated the comforts of the barn, as the family were living in their haymow during the completion of their frame home. Before leaving he assured Mr. Tufts of a railroad before long.
In 1885-86 M. J. Tufts and R. T. Thompson took a contract to supply all of the camps between Eustis and Curtis with fresh meat. They hired a butcher and erected a slaughter house on Mr. Tufts farm where they butchered hundreds of beeves, hogs and sheep. They delivered meat every other day. They carried the meat in a covered wagon which was fitted like a butcher shop with hooks along the side and a meat block for cutting the meat.
There were eleven in the Pennsylvania settlement, as follows: M. B. Taylor, R. T. Thompson, Wm. Willis, John Mahan, Robert Blackman, Dr. C. D. Buss, Mr. Hewitt, John Hunt, Jacob Seager, M. J. Tufts, and daughter, (Dora) Mrs. Johnston.
Of this settlement some of the group returned to the east within a short time. They were John Mahan, Robert Blackman, John Hunt, Jacob Seager, Mr. Hewitt, and Dr. Buss.
M. B. Taylor brought his family, Mrs. Taylor and small son, Harry B. to their new home in the spring of 1884, and located on section 34-9-25. Mr. Taylor died March, 1889, and Mrs. Taylor died in January, 1920. Their son, H. B. Taylor and his son, Byron own and operate the pioneer Taylor farm, where they carry on extensive farming and stock raising. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and son, Byron enjoy a comfortable home in Farnam.
Dr. C. D. Buss returned to Bradford within a short time after coming here to resume his practice. Dr. Buss was a noted eye, ear and nose specialist. Later he became president of the Western Pa. medical association. His son, Myron will be remembered as having worked in the Best Place store for some two years while that business was in operation.
R. T. Thompson, a bachelor, homesteaded on the farm now occupied by Chas. Brasch. Although a bachelor he was an ardent worker for a school and for the improvement of the country in any way possible. He died at his home in Lexington in 1890.
The family of Wm. Willis, Mrs. Willis and daughters, Ella and Maud and mother-in-law, Mrs. Pratt arrived Sept., 1883. They located on the place now owned by O. Frisenburg. Ella passed away the next spring in April.
Mr. and Mrs. Willis and Mrs. Pratt all passed away a few years later. Maud Willis, now Mrs. Merton Smith, Mr. Smith and son, Willis reside at Boise, Idaho.
1886
1936
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Web Publisher: Weldon Hoppe