The cattle wars that raged for a time never reached the state of terror here that they did on the Wyoming prairies. By 1888 the big herds had been practically withdrawn and the settlers were left in virtually undisputed possession of the valley. W. P. De Vault had preempted in 1888 and E. M. Stearns came from Loup City about that time and made a deal with Wm. Peters who had homesteaded on section 27 and there the original town site of Bayard was planned and lots laid out. Three other men went into this project, Dr. Cottington, Messrs. Winter and

Kranzfelter. A small community soon grew up. The first bank was the small Bank of Bayard. Stearns installed a store. The Bayard Transcript was launched in 1888 in a sod house, a little ways off the town site, and a small plant was moved from Loup City, and a Mr. Totten was the first editor, but F. O. Wisner took charge of this paper within a year and it has been in the hands of that family ever since. Wm. Johnston had a livery stable. For a time Harvey Stevens ran one of the stores and James O'Holleran handled groceries and conducted the postoffice. F. C. McMath had a stock of goods, which he disposed of to A. O. Taylor who ran the stock until the railroad came and then the store was taken to the new site by Frank Stearns. S. D. Burnett started the old hotel and that building was moved over to the new town site. In 1898 Gering. Bayard, Lewellen and Oshkosh were the only places