History:

In the year 1887 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad made it to the little settlement of Thedford. Many hopeful settlers arrived hoping to claim 160 acres of free land. This quickly proved to be inadequate in the semi-arid regions of the Sandhills, which was not suitable for cultivation. When the Kinkaid Act passed in 1904, 640 acres was allowed. By 1914, when Thedford was incorporated, the population was 138.

"Guarantee of a job" brought many school teachers to the county. Little did they know that the job meant they would go out into the hills where they would stay for the entire school term with a family, eat with them, and sometimes sleep with some of the children. In the end, most married local cowboys and stayed on in the community.

These were glorious days! Church and family gatherings were special. Married couples had dinners, played cards, or would even go to the lake, rent a cabin, and go boating or swimming. There were cots for the women, but the men slept on the floor, and the chickens, living under the cabin, cackled and crowed come morning. Teenagers in Thedford rode the train to Seneca on Sundays, roller skated for 25 cents and, if they had the money, had a snack about midnight, then waited at the depot for the early morning train to take them back home.

Ranchers worked alongside each other with mutual support, understanding, and sharing their common needs -- food, clothing, and feed and water for the cattle. Staying in touch was difficult until there were better roads, telephones, and mail service. Neighbors came to help in time of sickness. A doctor, if available, came by buggy, often with a driver so that the doctor could sleep along the way. In 1942 the Sandhills Health Foundation was formed, bringing a nurse and doctor to the hills, and gallon jars of aspirin -- yellow, green, and pink. "Sulfa," just new, was a miracle drug against many infections. Before this, more serious cases went to Grand Island or Alliance by train.