Pilot 1912

(Photo)

Another Old Pioneer Gone!

Charles H. Burdick Died Sunday Night—He Was in His 90th Year—Came to Nebraska in 1854.

At the ripe old age of 90 years Charles H. Burdick passed away at about 12 o’clock last Saturday night, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. John Cameron, up near Herman. Death was caused from a hemorrhage of the stomach which could not be checked, though he was perfectly sound otherwise and had enjoyed good health practically all his life. His arteries were not hard, and a man is said to be as old as his arteries.

The funeral was held at 1 o’clock today at the Cameron home, interment being made in the Herman cemetery. The large number of friends and neighbors who came to pay their last mead of respect to the deceased shows something of the esteem in which he was held. Mr. Burdick was one of the oldest Masons in the state having been raised in Solomon’s lodge No. 10 in Ft. Calhoun Dec. 1, 1868. He later transferred to Landmark lodge No. 122 at Herman, under whose auspices the funeral was held.

He is survived by his second wife, his first wife having died in 1876, and four children by his first wife; William, of South Omaha, Edison, of Decatur and Mrs. J. H. Cameron and Mrs. Emma Spore, of Herman.

In the Herman Cyclone of March 22nd, 1906, we wrote the following story of Mr. Burdick’s pioneer days, as we secured it from his own lips:

“The editor of the Cyclone had a long chat with C. H. Burdick, proprietor of the Hotel Burdick the other evening, and learned a good many things about the early days that Cyclone readers might be interested in.

“Mr. Burdick will be 84 years of age on the 11th day of next November and is therefore one of the oldest men in the county. He, of course, shows his years somewhat but is still active and does his chores about the hotel just the same as though he were but forty.

“His memory of events is as clear as though they had just occurred yesterday, though names escape him to a certain extent. There are few people living today who can tell the story of the founding of Omaha and the first settlement of Nebraska from their own personal experiences.

The lips of those who took part in those events are mostly still and it cannot be long before the story of those early days must be read, not told.

“Mr. Burdick always insists on the “k”, being on the end of his name, though other members of the family leave the “K” off. He was born in Bridelborough, Vt., while James Monroe the fifth president was in the White House, and moved to Coldwater, Mich., in 1835 when he had just reached his teens. “Old Hickory” was then holding down the presidential chair and the banks. When he came to Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1854 during Franklin Pierce’s administration, he had to stage it all the way out from Rock Island, Ill. Council Bluffs was a small Mormon town called Kanesville then, Dr. Kane having helped the Mormons out of some serious difficulties. The town of Omaha was laid out in the fall of ’54. Mr. Burdick had been over there, but as there was no place to stay he went back to the Bluffs. In the fall of ’55 the first territorial election was held. The voters went over from Council Bluffs to vote.

“L. M. Kline, P. G. Cooper and a few others came up from the Bluffs and held the election in Washington county on York Creek, near the present site of Herman. Not a house was to be seen anywhere and not a soul really lived in the county at the time. They elected two of the number as territorial delegates from this county just the same.

“Governor Burt was the first territorial governor and he located at Bellevue then a missionary station. The first council would undoubtedly have been held there but for his sudden death six weeks after he took the office.

“His private secretary, Cumming, was an Omaha man and called the first council together there. There was great rivalry between the two towns over the location of the capitol and Omaha finally won out by giving a man by the name of Jim Mitchell 100 city lots for the deciding vote.

“Burdick worked for this same man, Mitchell, for about a year and Mitchell tried his best to get Mr. Burdick to take a lot or two for part of his wages. Had Mr. Burdick done so and held on to them he would not be running a hotel today.

“After quitting this job, Mr. Burdick went up near the present town of Florence and took a claim, where he remained for about seven years. Land was of little value those days for a man could go and “Squat” on a quarter section anywhere and hold it for one year against all comers.

Later he located on 300 acres of land near DeSoto. After about seven years he took a homestead about a mile south of Herman where he lived until about twelve years ago.

“Mr. Burdick has lived under twenty-one presidents altogether. He never had any taste for politics, and has never held a political office. He says he doesn’t expect to begin now either.”

Since then Mr. Burdick has lived under one more president, Taft. He moved to Omaha about four years ago, where he resided at 2424 Maple street. His mind was clear to the very last, which revealed the secret of his wonderful hold upon life.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~