Moved to CA bet 1848-1850 looking for gold
Widowed abt 1848, WI
1880 U.S. Census, Roll #752, Family #32, Silver Creek, Merrick Co., NE
Silver Creek Sand Newspaper, James Kilby Sprague Obituary.
ID: I12
Name: * James Kilby SPRAGUE
Given Name: James Kilby
Surname: SPRAGUE
Suffix: [S162]
Sex: M
Title:[S162]
Birth: 8 FEB 1826 in Shoreham Twnshp, Addison Co., VT
Death: 7 MAR 1894 in Silver Creek, Merrick Co., NE
Occupation: Owner of livery and blacksmith shop. FROM 1872 TO 1889 Silver
Creek, Merrick Co., NE
Occupation: ownerthe Feed Stable 1890 3
Event: Relocated BET 1848 AND 1850 California lookingfor gold 4
Event: Relocated 1872 Silver Creek, Merrick Co., NE
Monument ofJames K. Sprague is probably incorrect. It has James' birth
year as 1829 thatcoincides with Mary E. Sprague's notes. I believe that
the 1880 census andobituary are correct with his birth year being 1826.
Records for the Silver Creek Cemetery are in the Silver Creek Methodist
Church.
The History of Merrick County, NE describes the following:
SILVER CREEK.
Silver Creek was plattedby the Union Pacific in November 1866. With
the exception of the section house, the first building erected at the new
station appears to have been built by Mr. B. F. Hobart. In September
1870, Mr. Cyrus Lee erected a hotel called the "Lee House," which was the
first semi-public building of which the littlevillage boasted. Among the
earliest settlers in and around Silver Creek werethe Shaw brothers, Mr.
Lathrop (who kept a ranch two miles below the town), J. and Ed Howland
(who located a mile and a half north) and James Brown. [J. or Jethro
Howland was the father of Melissa Howland, James Kilby's 3rd wife,who he
married in 1885]. During the year 1870, Rev. H. C. Shaw, one of the
pioneer Episcopalian ministers, organized the society that still holds
its regular sessions there. A district school was organized in 1871. In
1874 the Congregational church was organized and has grown in numbers and
strength sincethat day.
Silver Creek's newspaper history, so far as we are able to learn, is
contained in the record of the life of the Silver Creek Times, originally
a Republican paper, but at the present time, under the editorship of the
Hon. Chas. Wooster, a representative of the Fusionists.
Silver Creek derived itsname from the clearness, sparkle and color of
the little stream that meandersover the prairie near the town. Its
growth in the twenty-one years since itwas platted has not yet brought
it into serious competition with the other towns of the county, but has
nonetheless made it a substantial little country settlement.
By 1852, the census of Yolo County included 1,085 white males and 189
white females. Cacheville, on Cache creek, became the county seat in 1857
because it was centrally located. In 1860 the county seat was moved
again.Cacheville is now know as Yolo, a small town of 600 people.
Monument of JamesK. Sprague is probably incorrect. It has James'birth
year as 1829 which coincides with Mary E. Sprague's notes. Ibelieve that
the 1880 census and obituaryare correct with his birthyear being 1826. 1
2
Note:
The History of Merrick County, NE describes the following:
SILVER CREEK.
Silver Creek was platted by the Union Pacific in November, 1866.With the
exception of the section house, the first building erected at the new
station appears to have been builtby Mr. B. F. Hobart. In September,
1870, Mr. Cyrus Lee erected a hotel called the "Lee House,"which was the
first semi-public building of which the little village boasted. Among the
earliest settlers in and around Silver Creek were the Shaw brothers, Mr.
Lathrop (who kept a ranch two miles below thetown),J. and Ed Howland
(who located a mile and a half north) and James Brown. [J.or Jethro
Howland was the father of Melissa Howland, James Kilby's 3rd wife,who he
married in 1885]. During the year 1870,