When the building of the frame school house came up. the settlers were locating in the east end of Banner county as it now exists, and they wanted the school house at Freeport. Hugh Milhollin was elected on the school board. A compromise was reached, and two school houses were built in 1886, one at Wright's ranch and the other at Freeport, both of frame. They are still in good repair and used for the original purpcses.

John Thoelecke was the first assessor in the territory after number ten came into existence. The first year he brought in a large return of cattle from the big ranches, and the taxes paid

these institutions was ot material importance. In 1886, however, John failed to find very many cattle on the ranches in the district. The settlers blamed him for a lack of vision, but it may be that the ranch owners, profiting by the experience, had put their cattle just over the line in Wyoming on April first, or at least declared to the assessor that they were there.

First Settlers

The first permanent settler within the limits of the present county of Scotts Bluff was Charlie Foster, residing near and adjoining a proposed town on the Union Pacific extension to be made in the year 1921.

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Everything worth while seems to be disputed. Lem Wyman has claimed the distinction of being the first permanent settler for many years, but the question is now settled because Lem has moved away. Both these excellent people were cowboys back in the seventies, and both came on to this range at about the same time. Both settled down, and were good citizens for about forty years, raising families and developing farms.