Chapter I.
OX TEAM DAYS.
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In the days prior to the placing of the county seat of Nuckolls county at Nelson, in fact before Nelson was even large enough to scarcely be called a hamlet, there moved to this section from the eastern part of the state one Joseph Van Valin together with his family, consisting of a wife and three sons. This was in '73.
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Mr. VanValin settled on a tract one mile east of Nelson, which he put into cultivation.
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In those days a house in this section was a luxury enjoyed by a few. The dug-out was the usual place of abode, and in such Mr. VanValin and family continued to reside for some six years. These dug-out dwellings were not very substantially built, nor were they as rainproof as the modern houses which are now our homes. In speaking of those days, long since past, with the estimable wife of the pioneer, she laughed at the many “soakings" they received during those six years, as the scenes of by-gone days passed before her mind. Every rain played havoc with the dirt roof until finally Mr. Van Valin went to Edgar and procured lumber and shingles and built a much better roof to his under-ground home.
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In those days horses were scarce, and the hardy pioneer used oxen in their stead. An ox team now would be an interesting and amusing sight to the present inhabitants of Nelson and vicinity. But in the 70's the ox was it. So, of course, Mr. Van Valin had such a team; one of which was “muly" had no horns.
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During one nice day in the summer of ’74 Messrs. Van Valin and Byron Adkisson were to work the public road about two miles west of our present Nelson. On the way as they passed through the little settlement, Mrs. VanValin accompanying them, they went to each house and gathered up the women folks to go along and spend the day with the wife of Mr. R. M. Gourley, who livt^d near where the road work was to be done.
The entire female population of the little burg were soon on the ox-wagon excursion— viz: Mesdames Adkisson, Ritterbush and Follmer and Miss Josie Adkisson (now the wife of Judge Hall).
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The start was made and everything was going smoothly until the team started down the hill near the Gray place a mile west of Nelson, when something happened. In going down hill the oxen tried to hold back, and as the “muly” one pulled back the absence of the horns let the yoke slip over his head, which put the party in a very peculiar predicament, and caused the two gentlemen quite a bit of trouble in getting the ox back in place and moving the wagon safely down the hill. But all were glad that the accident did not prove disastrous. They continued the journey, spent an enjoyable day with Mrs. Gourley and in the evening returned home, each feeling refreshed by the outing and a chance to enjoy a few hours together socially.
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Game was quite plentiful at that time— deer, turkeys, prairie chickens, quail, etc. One evening Mr. VanValin while on his way home passed the place east of town now owned by Mr. Scherzinger when he saw a number of wild turkeys alight in a tree, and not having a gun to shoot them with he proceeded to throw a club at them and succeeded in knocking one out, which he secured and took home with him and on the next day had turkey for dinner. Now the dug-out is gone; the game is here no mere; and the oxen has been replaced by the horse and foul smelling automobile.