West Point High School - Cadet Yearbook (West Point, NE)

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Of different creeds and races. Peacefully are residing here. Gitche Manito, the Mighty, The Great Spirit of the Red Man. Listen, to the White Man’s plead. Listen, to his words of wisdom. As they ascend to Thee, on High. We blame not your own red children, We blame not their natural love For their hunting grounds and prairies hilled by Thee with countless thousands Of the wild game for their taking. Know thee, that for countless ages Roamed the Indian o’er this soil. Little dreaming that within it There was food, and food a-plenty To support a mighty nation. For their homes, they were a-battling. hor their land, they were protecting From ruthless civilization So we blame them not for this. But the White Man must go onward. With the wheels of progress, turning To his piophetic destiny. And the lied Man was a barrier, Standing squarely in his pathway. Vet we honor Thee. Great Spirit. Gitche Manito. the Mighty. —T. 11.

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fainting (Udnarite Blest Hark! the Pioneer is coming. Bringing lowly oxen with him To Nebraska’s fertile prairies. Along the Elkhorn’s winding course. Brings he the plow, cart, and cattle. Puts up the cabin on his homestead. Carving out a western empire From this virgin soil of promise. Way b ick in eighteen fifty-six— (Tame a settler, Benjamin Moore. Came he fearless, and undaunted With his family, to Dead timber, lie, the first of all the settlers. Had the vision of this Eden, Had the courage to settle here. 'Twas a hard and snowy winter. And the hardships then were crushing. But of wild game there was plenty. For the Great Spirit, had well blessed This fair valley with the red deer. And the antelope and bison, Furnishing them their sustenance. Then in the year of fifty-seven Our West Point village was laid out. Philadelphia at the first. As its maiden name was given. Fifty-eight brought our John Neligh And James C. Crawford to this spot. These first two then bought a sawmill. And the claim to this fair townsite. Traveling back to Omaha, John D. Neligh met some settlers With their ox-teams coming this way. Met he them upon the prairie, And he coaxed them and cajoled them To come to this new settlement. So came they to our eastern hill. And as they glimpsed this promised land. Down on their knees, those settlers went. Thanking God for John D. Neligh. In the summer of fifty-nine. Came three thousand of the Pawnee Up the Elkhorn valley creeping. On a plundering raid they were. Then was heard the dreaded war whoop And the rush and tramp of battle. While the terror stricken women And the children, feared the scalp knife; Fled for safety did the people. Gone, were they for several days. Till the white men had defeated And drove the red men all away. Came then two long years of famine. Many then left Cuming county. Now comes the time of sixty-eight When the grist mill was completed. And the boom did start to coming. Which increased the population. When his Spirit fled John Neligh, West Point had one thousand people. Pioving soundly his conviction. Pro ing his prophetic vision. Came the need of education And the teacher Mis. Crawford, With the number of tw’elve pupils. Now the iron horse comes creeping. Up the valley, see it coming; Carrying settlers ever faster, And reaching here in seventy. Now come the Germans and the Swedes. The Bohemians and the Danes, Seeking homesteads, and their freedom. To the melting pot of races. Cuming county's fifteen thousand

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