HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

elderly lady of delightful entertaining qualities. A visitor to Mr. Cook's ranch is so royally entertained that the event is long cherished. Beginning of Crawford Crawford was incorporated August 2, 1886. There is an amusing incident connected with the story of incorporating the place. Crawford was a very tiny infant then and not enough legal signatures could be procured to a document asking for incorporation honors to satisfy the law, in the whole community. W. D. Edgar and E. A. Thompson were active and persistent in their desire to see the town in-

The commissioners granted the petition, and appointed as trustees H. F. Clough, J. Burger, A. Thompson, O. K. Eastman and C. R. Cook.

Crawford is located in the extreme west portion of the county. Its natural advantages give it an exceptional prestige as a distributing point for miles around. Its railroad facilities make it by right the commercial center for northwest Nebraska, southwest Dakota and eastern and central Wyoming.

The town has a good graded public school, costing $35,000, churches, water power, flouring mill, and is an important shipping point

corporated. They visited the Fort and many soldiers signed the instrument. On presenting the petition to the board. Von Harris, the chairman, instantly noticed the unlawful signaures. "How- is it, Mr. Edgar," quickly interrogated Von Harris, "you overlooked getting the signature of the commanding officer, Col. Fletcher?" Mr. Edgar, quick to grasp the import of Von Harris' remark, answered, saying: "Why, certainly, Mr. Von Harris; the colonel would have willingly signed it, had he been there ; let's go and have something," and the two proceeded to "irrigate."