The Sappa Metropolis: Devizes

The first settlement about Devizes was in September 1872, when Henry Zimmerman and Herbert Shaw, coming from the east, settled on claims one mile west of Devizes, on the land now owned by P. A. Anderson.   P. T. Sovern and John O'Brien also settled about the same time on land two miles east of Devizes, which is now owned by B. S. Miller, of Norton.  In December of the same year John Demott came in and located on the land where the mill and store was built later.  Mr. Demott was also the first settler to break sod on the Sappa in that part of the county.  Other early settlers that season were John E. Page and Victor Clark, who in December settled on land now owned by Miller Bros.  These few families had things their own way the first winter, except, of course, when the Indians came in and had their way with them.

In the spring of 1873 Ira and Peter Applegate, the Bisbee's, Nelson's, Wm. Watts, Billy Page, Geo. Waters, Geo Hannum, Seth Coats, John Brainard, Henry Lebeau, John P. Dopps and families, came into that part of the county about Devizes and found homes.  John Dopps was the second probate judge the county had, and he made a good record.  Reuben Bisbee, Sr. was the first postmaster Devizes had, the office being located on what is now the Magers farm.  The first merchant was L. M. Sherburne, who kept a small stock of merchandise in the Bisbee home, where was situated the post office.  E. C. Fortney was second in the mercantile business, located in the log shanty near the old mill.  Colby Bates, and Lindsey built the flour mill, the first on the Sappa in the county, in 1877.  The first frame store building was built a little later, the building being torn down and moved across from Lexington, Nebraska, in the Platte valley.  This store housed stocks of merchandise for various owners up until the evening of September 30, 1916, when it was destroyed by fire.

The Store at Devizes
This store burned in September, 1916, but is being rebuilt at this time.
(my apologies for the quality - old newspaper photos do not scan well)

We can not recall the first white child born in the vicinity of Devizes, but Mrs. John O'Brien was the first person buried in the cemetery there.  

The natural site for a mill, there being already a nature-made mill race, made it possible for the erection of one for the settlers there, though it was with difficulty that the lumber was hauled from the Union Pacific, near Kearney, Nebraska.  For years and years this mill was patronized by farmers living in distant parts of northwest Kansas, as well as in southern Nebraska, and the reputation for good flour was country-wide.  It was one of the pulling powers that for years helped Devizes to be a splendid trading point, but was finally destroyed fire while owned by the Smiths.

Those who owned and operated the store are recalled as follows:  Rube Marvin, Wyatt Brothers, Hill, E. J. Phipps, Ed I. Jones as receiver for Phipps, Jones & Ballew, Jones & Jenkins and the last owner was Ira Jenkins, who lost a stock by fire.  The burned buildings are being rebuilt and a new stock will be placed therein as soon as finished.

Devizes has been a good trading point for every body in the northwest part, and in the nineties was one of the liveliest little inland points in the county.  Sports of all kinds, special occasions being frequent, attracted the settlers, and all had good times together, the natural site for picnics, swimming and boating, being excellent.

In the middle eighties a railroad ran a survey up the Sappa, and for years, and years settlers expected, hoped and sought in vain for a sight of actual construction work on the railway.  To this day there are settlers who have not given up hopes that the valley will sound with the echo of the iron horse as it passes up and down its rich acres, some day.

The valley is rich in alfalfa lands, and the soil is the best to be found in the county, and, as one stands on the high land to the south and views the miles of pretty country, dotted with groves of timber, and pleasant prosperous homes, he is prone to wonder whether or not in all the wide world there is another landscape picture nearly so beautiful as that before him, wrought out by the Hand of God and that of the hardy pioneer.

transcribed from Norton County News Historical Edition, 1870-1916 by Ardie Grimes

©March 2001  Ardie Grimes
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