John Mitchell Langdon, 1852-1950 [RG4241.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG4241.AM:  John Mitchell Langdon, 1852-1950



Reminiscences, etc. (photocopies only):  

Lincoln, Lancaster County and Oak Grove, Seward County, Neb.:  Pioneer

Size:  0.25 cu.ft.; 1 box



BACKGROUND NOTE



John Mitchell Langdon, son of (Joshua) Milton and Anna (Mitchell) Langdon was born in Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin in 1852. With his family, he came to the Salt basin area of Lancaster County in 1858. Milton Langdon manufactured salt in the early 1860s and later became the first Lancaster County treasurer. In 1872, the Langdon family moved to Seward County, settling in “A” Pct., in what was known as the Oak Grove settlement. Here Milton went into the lime and brick manufacturing business. In 1882, two years after the death of his father, John M. Langdon moved to Seward where he purchased a home and took care of his mother until her death in 1884. He married Lucy Manning daughter of Edward and Alice Manning on December 10, 1885. One daughter, Grace, was born to them.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of one box of manuscript material arranged in two series: 1) Reminiscences; and 2) Genealogical material. This collection relates primarily to John Langdon’s memories of life on the Nebraska frontier in the late 1850s, 1860s and early 1870s when his family was among the earliest settlers in Lancaster County. The reminiscences of Series 1 were written by John M. Langdon in the 1940s. Recalling life around the salt basin area of Lancaster County, Langdon described hardships experienced by the pioneers, the frontier environment, lifestyles of early settlers, and experiences with Indians. Langdon’s writings are either in handwritten or typescript form. All of the reminiscences are photocopies from the original handwritten or typescript version. The Genealogical Material (also photocopies) of Series 2 consists of lineage sheets and correspondence pertaining to the Langdon and related families.



Note:  See the photo component [RG4241.PH] for related images.



DESCRIPTION



Series 1 – Reminiscences (photocopies)


Box 1

Folder

    1. Listing of John M. Langdon writings

      General information of family (typescript)

      Letter to Grace Langdon (handwritten)

      Shooting The Dip (3 versions: 1 handwritten and 2 typescripts)

    1. Making or Building a Dug-Out (handwritten and typescript)

      The Flood (typescript)

      Protecting a neighbor (typescript)

      A Tense Moment (typescript)

      Fruits, Vegetables and Wild Life (typescript)

      Playing With the Indian Boys (typescript)

    1. An Indian Scare (handwritten)

      An Old Time Blizzard (typescript)

      Treachery and Revenge (typescript)

      In Out of the West (typescript)

      A Sunrise Service (typescript)

      Raw Hide Creek (typescript)

      Learning to Swim (typescript)

      Lost on the Prairies (typescript)

      The Scout (typescript)

      Buffalo Saddles (handwritten and typescript of excerpt)

    1. The Salt Basins (handwritten and typescript of excerpt)

      Mother’s Heating Store (typescript)

      Getting Settled in a New Country (typescript)

      Father and Mother Go Calling (typescript)

      The Passing of the Indian (handwritten and typescript of excerpt)

    1. The Passing of the Indian, Part II (handwritten and typescript of excerpt)

      The Buffalo (typescript)

      Buffalo Meat (typescript)

      A Buffalo Stampede (typescript)

      The Homesteader (typescript)

      The Scout (typescript)

      How a Salt Furnace Was Made (typescript)

      Fishing (typescript)

    1. The Settlement (handwritten and typescript of excerpt)

      During a Blizzard (typescript)

      How people Freeze to Death (handwritten and typescript of excerpt)

      An Old-Fashioned Fireplace (typescript)

    1. The Indian’s Bow and Arrow (typescript)

      Father and Mother Go Calling (handwritten)

      The Indian and His Family (handwritten)



Series 2 – Genealogical Material (photocopies)




    1. Lineage Sheets and correspondence pertaining to the Langdon and related families



 



ADDED ENTRIES:



Bison — Nebraska

Frontier and pioneer life — Nebraska

Indians of North America

Lancaster County (Neb.) — History

Langdon, John Mitchell, 1852-1950

Langdon, (Joshua) Milton, 1823-1880

Langdon family

Lincoln (Neb.) — History

Reminiscences

Saline lands — Nebraska

Sod houses — Nebraska



 



AIP/pmc   10-13-1987

Encoded TMM   05-26-2010

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

The Birth of the South Omaha Stockyards

The Birth of the South Omaha Stockyards

The 1918 Flu Pandemic in Nebraska

The 1918 Flu Pandemic in Nebraska

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.