The last battle between Indians and soldiers in the vicinity of Chadron, was fought a few rods north and west of the old ranch building, on the land now owned by A. N. Jackson, which was the homestead of George Dorrington, and the rifle pits have remained to this day. The location of the ranch was ideal, on the banks of beautiful Chadron Creek which winds through thick foliage as it makes its way into the broader valley where its sparkling waters mingle with the more turbulent White river, near the point where the first real settlers of Dawes county pitched their serried

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

rows of white tents and "Old Chadron" was born.

Early in the summer of 1884 there were rumors afloat that the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley railway company would extend its line west from Valentine the next year. The White river valley was extensively advertised as a stock and farming country, subject to homestead entry and practically unsettled. As usual, people flocked to this new land and the advance guard consisted of a few families and business men having been, as they believed, truthfully informed that a division town would be located on White river, sought out the points where the survey intersected with that stream, erected crude business houses and proceeded to make a town. Mrs. Fannie O'Linn, a pioneer woman, now residing with her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, at Chadron, had secured a homestead at the place where the town was located and succeeded in establishing a postoffice with the name of O'Linn. But the location had so long been intimately associated with the name of Chadron, the creek and French trapper pioneer and the former postoffice of Chadron, that the new settlers desiring to preserve, as far as possible, the history and traditions collected and handed down by those who for ages had traveled the ancient Indian trails, protested against the name of O'Linn and transmitted to Washington a remonstrance signed by nearly every settler in the country and succeeded with the assistance of our representatives in congress, in having the name changed to Chadron.