This town is situated in the southeastern
part of the county, on the left bank of the Republican. Its location is
a
good one, on the level valley lands.
It is on the line of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska.
It
derives its name from the high and prominent
rocky bluff on the opposite side of the river.
The town is small, having a population
of a little more than three hundred, but being surrounded by a
comparatively well settled country it
is a good business point.
This town was the place of the first
settlement in Webster County. The Rankin Colony had contemplated forming
a settlement here, and had selected
a large tract of land, and a town site was surveyed on Soap Creek, a little
east of the present town, and called
Guide Rock. Donald McCallum was the surveyor. The first settlers were
Emanuel Peters and Donald McCallum,
who made a settlement on April 19, 1870. These men remained here to
look after the interests of the Rankin
claim. Of the Rankin Colony seventeen persons came, but only these two
remained. The others all left the country
in a few days. Their first place of abode was in a dug-out, which they
built soon after their arrival. They
were not long to remain alone, for the next month they were joined by Silas,
Joseph and Abram Garber, Albert Lathrop,
A. M. Talbott, William McBride, Mrs. Sarah Micks, Mrs. Sarah
Rich, and Mrs. Catherine Garber, who
came with her husband, Joseph Garber. This party was pleased with the
country, but under the lead of Silas
Garber some of them left the settlement, after having helped to build a
stockade, and pushed on up to Red Cloud.
This was in July.
For the first two years the settlements
gathered close around the Guide Rock stockade, but during the earlier
years of its existence Guide Rock never
grew to be a village.
The post office was established the fall
of 1870, with A. M. Talbott Postmaster. Mr. Talbott soon brought in a
few groceries and kept a sort of a store.
This, however, he did not keep up long. The first regular store was
opened in the spring of 1872 by Arthur
G. Owen, on his farm, about one mile southeast of the present town.
The first school house was built of logs
early in the spring of 1871. It was situated near the old stockade, on
the
southwest quarter of Section 2, Town
1, Range 9 west. The first school was taught by Miss Mary Kingsley,
commencing May 1, 1871. The salary paid
was $12 per month.
The first sermon preached was in the
summer of 1871, at the log schoolhouse, by Rev. Mr. Kennedy. There was
a congregation comprising nearly all
the early settlers..
In 1872 J. L. Columbia and M. Stratton built and operated a saw-mill, but this was not kept up very long.
After the first few years of its existence
Guide Rock grew to be a village, containing two stores, a hotel, a
blacksmith shop, and a post office.
The village made no further improvement until the year 1880, when the
southern line of the Burlington &
Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska began building, and it was certain
that
Guide Rock would be made a station thereon.
As soon as this was assured, it began to build up quite rapidly.
The railroad was soon built, and the
town continued to build up, and has ever since continued to progress slowly
but steadily.
The town now has good grain warehouses,
a lumber yard, two hotels, and several stores, representing all kinds
of business usually carried on in the
smaller towns, having an extensive country trade. Business in all its branches
is good, and Guide Rock is a thriving
village.
There is a good flouring and grist mill
on the south side of the river, about two miles southeast of town. It was
built in 1880 by Bardette & Crow,
who are now doing a thriving business, and manufacture an excellent grade
of
flour.
There is only one church building. This
is a neat and comfortable church, built by the Baptists in 1880. The
religious societies are well represented.