5, 1875, to Aug. 19, is submitted to the people and ratified by a vote of 90,600 to 14,362.... ....Oct. 30, 1875 Convention of 869 delegates from thirtyone States and Territories assembles at St. Louis to take action upon the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad Nov. 23-24, 1875 Carl Schurz, of Missouri, Secretary of the Interior.. March 12, 1877 State lunatic asylum at St. Joseph burned; the 218 inmates escape Jan. 25, 1879 Cottey law passed, to take effect immediately, providing that county courts shall levy only four taxes: the State revenue tax, the State interest tax, tax for current county expenses, and school tax, unless ordered by the circuit court for the county or by the judge thereof in chambers.... .March 8, 1879 Laws creating a State fish commission, a bureau of labor statistics, and appropriating $3,000 for a State hatchery 1879 Proposed amendment to the constitution, article xiv., embodying the Maine liquor law, passes the House, and is rejected in the Senate by 12 to 10......1879 Convention of representatives of the commercial and agricultural and other productive industries of the Mississippi Valley meets at St. Louis....Oct. 26, 1881 Missouri River improvement convention meets at St. Joseph. Four States and two Territories are represented Nov. 29, 1881 Downing high license law passed, which fixes the maximum State and county tax on license for dram-shops at $1,200 per annum. . . . . . .1883 State board of health created by act of legislature... ...1883 Some seventy-five of the "Bald-knobber" organization of Christian county are arrested in March, some on the charge of murder, others for attending unlawful assemblies of "Regulators." All but the leaders are tried at Ozark and fined August, 1887 Fifty out of seventy-eight elections under the Wood local option law result in favor of prohibition.. .1887 Governor Marmaduke dies. Dec. 28, 1887 Institution for deaf and dumb at Fulton burned... ... February, 1888 Act of legislature appointing the first Friday after the first Tuesday of April to be observed as Arbor Day........1889 David Walker, William Walker, and John Matthews, Bald-knobbers, sentenced April, 1888, finally executed at Ozark May 10, 1889 Inter-State Wheat Growers' Association of Mississippi Valley meets at St. Louis, N. J. Coleman, presiding....Oct. 27, 1889 Woman's temperance crusade in Lathrop, etc., from... Feb. 10, 1890 State Treasurer E. T. Noland suspended from office for defalcation to the amount of $32,745.69... .March 4, 1890 Semi-centennial of the laying of the corner-stone of the State university at Columbia celebrated......... July 4, 1890 Limited Kansas City express on the Missouri Pacific Railroad is "held up " by seven highwaymen at Otterville, and express car robbed of $90,000 Aug. 17, 1890 Representatives from the Union Labor, Prohibition, and Greenback parties meet at St. Louis, Sept. 3, and organize the National Reform party...... Sept. 5, 1890 Gen. W. T. Sherman dies at New York City, Feb. 14, is buried at St. Louis Feb. 21, 1891 Legal rate of interest fixed at 8 per cent. by act of legislature, which adjourns March 24, 1891 National industrial conference (over 650 delegates from Farmers' Alliance and mutual benefit associations) meets at St. Louis and decides to act with the People's party in the Presidential campaign Feb. 22, 1892 National Nicaragua Canal convention, with delegates from twenty-five or more States, meets at St. Louis....June 2, 1892 Southeast Missouri land commission Cyclone at St. Louis, great loss of lives and property. .May 27, 1896 Republican National Convention meets at St. Louis. Platform adopted June 18, 1896 The People's Party National Convention meets at St. Louis........... .July 24, 1896 The street-railroad system of St. Louis sold to a New York syndicate for $8,500,000... .Dec. 7, 1898 Tornado in northern part of the State (forty-two persons killed, over 100 injured)... ..April 27, 1899 Richard P. Bland dies at Lebanon, Mo. June 15, 1899 Louisiana purchase exposition to receive $5,000,000 in bonds from St. Louis; $1,000,000 from the State; $5,000,000 from the United States.... . 1900 Department-store taxation law declared unconstitutional...... .... Feb. 20, 1900 Trolley-car strike settled...July 2, 1900 Seven constitutional amendments adopted .... .November, 1900 International exposition postponed to 1904.... ...May 1, 1902 MONTANA 1835 Father Peter John de Smet visits the Flathead Indians in Gallatin Valley..1840 De Smet establishes a mission on the St. Mary's River in the Bitter Root Valley September, 1842 Montana, a northwestern frontier State Steamboat Assiniboine, built by the of the United States, is included almost American Fur Company, ascends the wholly between lat. 45° and 49° N., and Missouri to Fort Union in 1833; winlong. 104° and 116° W. It is bounded on ters near the mouth of Popular Creek the north by British America, east by North Dakota and South Dakota, south by Wyoming, the Yellowstone National Park, and Idaho, and west by Idaho. Originally part of New France, ceded to Spain, 1763; receded to France, 1801; ceded to the United States, 1805; successively part of the Territory of Louisiana, 1805; Missouri, 1812; Missouri and Oregon, 1848; Washington, 1853; Nebraska, 1854; Dakota and Washington, 1861; Idaho, 1863. Area 146,080 square miles in twenty-six counties. Population, 1890, 132,159; in 1900, 243,329. Capital, Helena. Sieur de la Verendrye and his sons, with a party of explorers, leave the Lake of the Woods, April 29, 1742; they reach the upper Missouri and Yellowstone rivers and arrive at the Rocky Mountains January, 1743 Lewis and Clarke's expedition cross Montana to the Pacific Ocean. Returning, Captain Lewis descends the Missouri from the Great Falls, and Captain Clarke the Yellowstone from Livingstone, and meet at the mouth of the Yellowstone....1805 Emanuel Lisa builds a trading-post on the Yellowstone.. .1809 Gen. William H. Ashley, of St. Louis, builds a trading-post on the Yellowstone 1822 American Fur Company builds Fort Union on the Missouri, 3 miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone.... De Smet establishes St. Ignatius mission in the Flathead Lake Valley....1845 American Fur Company builds Fort Benton .....1846 Steamboat El Paso reaches the mouth of Milk River.. .1850 ...... Francis Finlay, alias "Benetsee," a half-breed Scotch-and-Indian trader, settled in what is now Deer Lodge county on Gold Creek, discovers gold.......1852 Gov. Isaac I. Stevens explores a route for a Pacific Railroad from St. Paul across Montana to the Pacific Ocean........1853 Sir George Gore leaves St. Louis with forty men, explores the headwaters of Powder River, and builds a fort on Tongue River, 8 miles from its junction with the Yellowstone ..1855 John Silverthorn trades tobacco, etc., with "Benetsee" for gold-dust......1858 Stern wheel steamboat the Chippewa reaches Fort Brulé, 12 miles below Fort Benton.... ..July 17, 1859 Chippewa reaches Fort Benton, the first steamboat to arrive there, but is followed the same day by the Key West July 2, 1860 Capt. James Fisk's first expedition, con1829 sisting of 100 men and thirty women and children from Minnesota, arrives at Gold December, 1863-February, 1864 ..1866 ...... First steamboat to successfully navigate the Missouri River above Great Falls is launched at Townsend... .1886 Territorial legislature passes a localoption act, and provides for the observance of Arbor Day.. ....1887 Coal-mining begun in Cascade county 1888 Montana admitted to the Union by act of Congress.. .Feb. 22, 1889 Legislature passes an Australian ballot act.... ...1889 Laying of the corner-stone of the new capitol building on..........July 4, 1889 Constitutional convention meets at Helena, July 4, 1889; adopts a constitution and adjourns, Aug. 17. Constitution ratified by the people, 24,676 for and 2,274 against... .Oct. 1, 1889 Proclamation of President Harrison, admitting Montana into the Union as a State... . Nov. 8, 1889 United States penitentiary at Deer Lodge becomes the property of the State of Montana upon its admission.......1889 Helena Herald first issued.. Steamer Key West leaves Sioux City, April 14, 1869, reaches the Yellowstone May 6, and ascends that river to Powder River, a distance of 245 miles.......1869 Congress sets apart a tract near the headwaters of the Yellowstone as a public park; a small portion lies in Montana, bordering on Wyoming....March 1, 1872 Expedition under Thomas P. Roberts explores the upper Missouri from the three forks down to Fort Benton..1872 Seat of government removed from Vir- Owing to a dispute concerning the elecginia City to Helena... .1875 tion returns in Silver Bow county, a General Forsythe, under orders from Democratic and Republican House, each General Sheridan, explores the Yellow- claiming a quorum of thirty members, stone, leaving Bismarck in the steamer including those from the disputed counJosephine, June 15, ascending to Huntley, ty, convene. Governor Toole, Democrat, 418 miles.... ..June, 1875 sends a message to the Senate, comprised Sioux Indians under Sitting Bull, near of eight Republicans and eight Democrats, the Little Big Horn River, massacre Gen. and a Republican lieutenant-governor, and George A. Custer, with five companies to the Democratic House also. The Re(276 men) of the 7th Cavalry, no man publican Senate elects two United States escaping.... ...June 25, 1876 Senators, and the House and Senate in Fort Assiniboine, near the Milk River, joint session elect two Democratic United established..... ...May 9, 1879 States Senators..........December, 1889 Uncalled territorial bonds, amounting First legislature of State meets at to $45,000, redeemed and cancelled, thus Helena... January, 1890 To block legislation, the eight Democratic Senators flee the State, six going to the Pacific coast and two to St. Paul, until the session expires..... Feb. 5, 1890 Three Indian chiefs of the Comanches, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes, meet near Crow agency to behold the Great Spirit on the rocks (Messiah craze)...June 3, 1890 Rival houses of the legislature agree; the Republicans to have twenty-eight members, the Democrats twenty-seven and the speaker, subordinate offices, and control of committees.. .Jan. 29, 1891 Montana University opened at Helena; first graduation..... ....June, 1891 Sept. 1 made a legal holiday, as Labor Day.. .1891 Legislature failing to elect a United States Senator, the governor appoints Lee Mantle, which appointee the Senate refuses to seat.. .Aug. 28, 1893 Helena selected as capital....Nov., 1894 State University opened.... Sept., 1895 Blackfeet and Fort Belknap reservations opened to settlement...... February, 1896 State capitol authorized; not to cost over $300,000.... 1898 Corner-stone of the new capitol laid by Governor Toole... ...July 4, 1899 State board of horticulture created. 1899 State school of mines opened at Butte Sept. 11, 1900 Marcus Daly dies at New York Nov. 12, 1900 Amendment to the constitution in reference to the Supreme Court carried...1900 Railroad accident, killing about forty persons... ...Aug. 31, 1901 Great mining and agricultural pros NEBRASKA Nebraska, the thirty-seventh State of the Union in the order of admission, borders upon the Missouri River between lat. 40° and 43° N., from which river it extends west from long. 95° 23′ for a distance of about 420 miles to long. 104°. It is bounded north by South Dakota, east by Iowa and Missouri, south by Kansas and Colorado, which cuts off a square from the southwestern part of the State, and on the west by Colorado and Wyoming. Area, 76,855 square miles in ninety counties. Population, 1890, 1,058,910; 1900, 1,066,300. Capital, Lincoln. Congress organizes the Territory of Nebraska between lat. 40° and 49°, and between the Missouri River and Minnesota on the east and Utah Territory on the west..... .May 30, 1854 Francis Burt, appointed governor, dies soon after reaching the Territory; Thomas B. Cuming acting governor...Oct. 13, 1854 Legislature and delegates to Congress first elected.... .....Dec. 12, 1854 First legislature convenes at Omaha Jan. 16, 1855 Capitol at Omaha completed January, 1858 Governor Black issues a proclamation calling out volunteers for the Federal army...... .May 1, 1861 Act to enable the people to form a State government..... ..April 19, 1864 Constitution framed by convention, Feb. 9, 1866; ratified by the people, 3,938 for and 3,838 against.... .June 21, 1866 Emanuel Lisa founds a trading-post at Bellevue.... .....1805 American Fur Company founds a fort at Bellevue, 1810, where Col. Peter A. Sarpy locates as their representative. 1824 Fort Kearney, on the Platte, established for the protection of the Oregon..1848 Most of the present Nebraska, and much more on the north, was acquired from France by treaty ceding Louisiana in 1803. It became a portion of the Territory of Louisiana in 1805, and a part of the Indian country in 1834. That part west of long. 103° was acquired from Mexico by the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidal- except Indians not taxed"; the Nebraska ..July 4, 1848 legislature accepting these conditions go, proclaimed... Act to admit Nebraska as a State is passed over a veto," upon the fundamental condition that within the State of Nebraska there should be no denial of the elective franchise or of any other right to any person by reason of race or color, Omaha founded. 1854 Feb. 8-9, 1867 This writ was issued by Judge Dundy, of the United States district court of Nebraska, who decides that an Indian has a right to a habeas corpus in a federal court. The Secretary of War at Washington issues immediate orders for the release of Standing Bear and his followers May 13, 1879 Act admitting Nebraska accepted by legislature..... ... Feb. 20, 1867 Nebraska admitted by proclamation of President Johnson........ .March 1, 1867 A band of Indians wreck a freight train by placing obstructions on the track, and murder all the train hands. General Augur sends a detachment of troops, who engage 500 Sioux Indians in battle at New school law, repealing and remodelPlum Creek..... ...........Aug. 16, 1867 ling the old system of public instruction, Seat of government removed from passed by legislature... .....1881 Omaha to a point in Lancaster county State home for the friendless located named Lincoln, in honor of President at Lincoln, founded by act of legislature Lincoln.. ...1867 in 1881, is opened... .....Jan. 1, 1882 Union Pacific Railroad, chartered by Gates College, at Neligh, chartered in act of Congress, July 1, 1862, is opened for 1881; opened.... traffic..... ..May 10, 1869 Legislature Fifteenth Amendment.... .Feb. 17, 1870 State board of three commissioners of immigration provided for by act of legislature 1870 Gov. David P. Butler impeached for corruption in office, in appropriating to his own use $17,000 of school fund ratifies the June 2, 1871 Omaha Daily Bee established by Edward Rosewater at Omaha... .....1871 University of Nebraska, at Lincoln, chartered 1869, opened.... .1871 Nebraska Relief and Aid Society, Gen. E. O. C. Ord at the head, organized at request of the governor to relieve sufferers from famine caused by drought and locusts Sept. 18, 1874 Legislature authorizes $50,000 in State bonds for relief of sufferers by locusts and famine..... ....1875 New constitution framed by a convention which met at Lincoln, May 11, 1875, completing its labors June 12, is ratified by the people.... ...Oct. 12, 1875 Convention of governors from the Western States and Territories at Omaha to consider the grasshopper pest October, 1876 Ponco chief Standing Bear and twentyfive followers on their way from the Indian Territory, which they left in January, 1879, to their old home in Dakota are arrested on the Omaha reservation by Brigadier-General Crook, to be returned to the Indian Territory. April 8, T. H. Tibbles, assistant editor of the Omaha Herald, applies for a writ of habeas corpus on their behalf, to be served on General Crook. ...1882 At State election E. P. Ingersoll, president of the State Farmers' Alliance and candidate of the Greenback and Anti-monopoly parties, receives 16,991 votes, as against 28,562 for J. S, Morton, Democrat, and 43,495 for James W. Dawes, Republican... November, 1882 Amendment to the constitution extending suffrage to women rejected; 25,756 for and 50,693 against........ November, 1882 Nebraska Central College, at Central City, chartered and opened... ....1885 Soldiers' and sailors home at Grand Island opened...... .....July, 1888 First Monday in September made a legal holiday (Labor Day).................. ...1889 Industrial home for women and girls at Milford opened.... . May 1, 1889 ....... Asylum for incurable insane at Hastings opened...... .....Aug. 1, 1889 Convention of 250 delegates representing Kansas, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, meets at Omaha to unite in a central prohibition organization..... .Dec. 18, 1889 At State election the vote for governor stands as follows: James E. Boyd, Democrat, 71,331; John H. Powers, People's Independent, 70,187; Lucius D. Richards, Republican, 68,878; B. L. Paine, Prohibition, 3,676. A separate vote on adding a prohibitory liquor clause to the constitution stood: For the amendment, 82,292; against, 111,728.... .... November, 1890 Candidates on the Independent ticket prepare to contest the election, and taking of testimony begins at Lincoln. Dec. 5, 1890 The three candidates (Democrat, Republican, and Independent) claim the governorship.. .Jan. 9, 1891 |