The first schools of the High Plains were necessarily crude affairs. Log houses and sod houses were generally thrown up as soon as possible, and sometimes the first schools were in the claim shack of some settler, and occasionally that of the teacher.

The first school district organized in Sheridan county was at Gordon, Otcober 9, 1885. The county had been created the previous July, and organized in September. The settlements at Gordon and Rush Valley were a year and

more old. Whatever school was held before October, 1885, was in the nature of private schools, and no record is available.

The petitioners for the organization of district number one were :

J. A. Scamahorn, Frank Thompson. H. F. Lingle. L. L. Work, A. V. Stratton, John Howell. D. Ward, S. S. Murphy, M. Moriety, T. C. Morrison, F. Buck, E. D. Evans, W. W. Claybaugh. M. Reed, N. T. Sonds, Thos. Huntington, J. G. Fritz, Frank Hunt, J. R. Tordan, L. Schmidt, Wm. Hogie, T. B. Irwin, W. E. Gibbs, H. D. Huntington, J. S. Nichol-

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

son, L. C. Jaques, Sol. Dix, J. Barnett, G. S. French, A. S. Holmes, F. J. Andrea, C. Shrout, C. S. Fritz, M. Swigert, C. E. Hoffman.

District number two was organized at Rushville. on October 21, 1885. District number three at Hay Springs, on October 28. 1885. Three other districts came to life upon this same date : Number four, the Pawnee City settlement, north of Clinton ; Number five, north of Hay Springs ; Number six at the state line north of Gordon. Seven other districts were organized before the close of 1885. By June, 1886, there were nine additional dis- • tricts, so that the first county levy was for