Franklin A. Bidwell [RG4984.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG4984.AM:  Franklin A. Bidwell

Survey books:  ca. 1871

York County, Neb.:  Farmer, land agent

Size:  1 reel of microfilm

BACKGROUND NOTE

The 1870 Nebraska census lists Frank A. Bidwell, a native of New York, as a 34-year old farmer in Lancaster County. Histories of York County indicate that he arrived there in the early 1870s. He was a charter member of the First Congregational Church of York, organized in May of 1872, and one of four trustees appointed when the city of York was incorporated on September 5, 1875. Also during the early 1870s, Bidwell served as a land agent for the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad. In this capacity he sold railroad land to incoming York County residents. By 1880 Frank and his wife, Maria, and children lived on a farm in Lockridge Township, York County. They were still there in 1885, when the value of their farm was listed at $10,000. The family was not in Nebraska when the census was taken in 1900.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of one reel of microfilm containing fourteen volumes of manuscript material in one series: 1) Surveyor’s Books, ca. 1871. Received by Frank A. Bidwell while he worked as land agent for the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, these volumes are arranged by legal description, i.e. range, township, and section. A map is provided for each section showing topographical features, as well as narrative material describing soil, water and wood availability, and evaluations of the land.

This collection is available only on microfilm; the originals are not in the NSHS collections.

DESCRIPTION

Series 1 – Surveyor’s Books, ca. 1871

1. 1. Township 9, Range 1 West

1. 1. Township 10, Range 1 West

1. 1. Township 11, Range 1 West

1. 1. Township 12, Range 1 West

1. 1. Township 9, Range 2 West

1. 1. Township 10, Range 2 West

1. 1. Township 10, Ranges 2 and 3 West (partial)

1. 1. Township 11, Range 2 West

1. 1. Township 9, Range 3 West

1. 1. Township 10, Range 3 West

1. 1. Township 11, Range 3 West

1. 1. Township 12, Range 3 West

1. 1. Township 9, Range 4 West

1. 1. Township 10, Range 4 West

Bidwell, Franklin A.

Land agents

Land settlement

Surveying

Surveyors

York County (Neb.)

AIF   05-16-1997

02-23-2010   Revised TMM