Immigrant Issue - Lincoln State Journal, Sunday 5 June 1887
Rushville
County Seat of Sheridan County - On the Fremont, Eldhorn, &
Missouri Valley Railroad - Four Hundred and Twenty-six Miles From Lincoln - Population,
Four Hundred and Fifty.
Rushville is situated in the midst of the best portion of the famous "free homes
for the millions country" which was opened up two years ago by the Fremont, Elkhorn,
& Missouri Valley railroad on its way to the Black Hills and which promises to become
one of the most prosperous and populous sections of the state. The town was surveyed and
platted in July 1885 and building commenced on the town site about the first of August.
That is has been a "boomer" from the start is shown by the record of
improvements of the past year and a half and the rapidly growing importance as a trading
point which it enjoys. On January 1, 1886, Rushville had thirty-four business houses and
about the same number of residences and on January 1, 1887, the Sheridan County Sun
presented a carefully prepared review which showed that the round sum of $80,325 had been
expended in improvements during the preceding year. This season's record will doubtless
run considerably higher, as several brick blocks are already either in contemplation or in
course of construction.
Rushville is noted for possessing an exceptionally enterprising and public spirited
class of citizens. Her business men are ever at the front in any line of competition and
always ready to work harmoniously in any project that is for the town's good. One evidence
of this is a regularly organized board of trade, including all of the prominent business
men as members and which is doing much for the material advantage and growth of the town.
At the present time Rushville had the only steam flouring mills in this section of
Nebraska and they have proven a great benefit to the farmers of Sheridan and adjoining
counties during the past winter. This is also the location of the Indian supply depot for
the Pine ridge agency and much trade is thereby drawn from among the swarthy savages of
the big Sioux reservation. A large brick block is now being erected which will be mostly
used for county purposes, this being the county seat of Sheridan county. The second floor
of the structure will contain a large hall for general uses however, and the first story a
couple of good sized store rooms. Resides the forging important institutions, the town has
tow brick yards, a broom factory, five general stores, five groceries and restaurants,
three banks, six land, loan and law offices, two bakeries, two drug stores, five hardware
and implement houses, two tin shops, two millinery stores, two boot and shoe stores, three
blacksmith shops, two liveries, three four and feed stores, one meat market, two saloons,
two wagon shops, one paint shop, two lumber yards, two hotels, tow boarding houses, two
laundries, three churches, two barber shops, one furniture store, two newspapers, jewelry
store, music house, and news depot. Arrangements are now being made for the erection of a
$10,000 school building the coming summer.
Although the town has made rapid progress since it started, yet it has no more than kept pace with the surrounding county, and there is yet room for successful ventures in almost any pursuit. Stock raising and farming is the principal industry in the country at the present time, but there are good openings from many lines of manufacturing industries and there is no doubt that they will be taken advantage of in the very near future. A canning factory is especially needed to take care or our garden and farm products, and many others of a similar nature might be established here with most satisfactory and flattering results.
Updated 15 Sep 2000
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