Hon. Henry Sprick of Fontanelle died last Saturday as a result of a paralytic stroke received June 14 at the advanced age of 84 years. He had been exceptionally vigorous for a man of his years until a couple of years ago when his son was killed in a runaway accident, since which time he had broken perceptibly. Mr. Sprick was one of the original colony which laid out the town of Fontanelle and had lived on the farm on which he died for fifty one years. Before the days of the railroad Fontanelle was one of the most promising towns in Nebraska and was a strong competitor for the location of the state capital. With the building of the railroads, leaving Fontanelle to one side, the town dwindled, but Mr. Sprick not only held onto his land, but bought more until he was one of, if not the largest, owner of real estate in the county. He served the county in the state legislature several terms and was always known as the honest and honorable man. Such a life has not been lived in vain, for his good example will undoubtedly bear fruit in better lives for all that knew him. A number of prominent citizens went out from here to attend the funeral on Monday, and many also were present from Fremont. The funeral was held in the German Lutheran church and the local pastor was assisted by Rev. Kahlman, a former pastor and friend of the deceased.

#2-26 July, 1906 - The Blair Democrat

HENRY SPRICK PASSES AWAY

Was a Pioneer and one of the Wealthiest Men in Washington County.

News reached Blair last Saturday of the death of Hon. Henry Sprick of Fontanelle, one of the best known and wealthiest pioneers of Washington county. About five weeks ago Mr. Sprick suffered a stroke of paralysis and hovered between life and death until Saturday morning at five o’clock when death came to his relief. Most of the time since his illness he had been unconscious and as the end was expected at most any time the members of his family were summoned to his bedside and were with him until the end.

Deceased was born in Westphalin, Germany March 1, 1826, and came to America in 1853, settling at Quincy, Ill. where he remained a year and a half and then came to Nebraska, settling at Fontanelle on the same section of land on which his death occurred. He later returned to Quincy and returned with a number of German colonists who settled around what is now Fontanelle and later were instrumental in starting a state university at that place.

In 1873 Mr. Sprick was elected to the legislature, re-elected in 1875, again in 1877 and in 1881. In 1884 he was a presidential elector from Nebraska and voted for James G. Blaine for president. In 1887 he was elected to the state senate.

Mr. Sprick was married in March, 1858 to Sophia, daughter of Henry Wilkening of Quincy, Illinois, and to them ten children have been born, of whom seven are living, namely: Mary, married to Rev. Christian Sick of Fontanelle; Henry, married to Clara Heidbreder of Quincy, Ill.; Sophia, wife of Rev. Carl Krueger of Aitchison, Kans.; Anna, wife of Ed. Niebaum; and Albert, Emma and Clara, who live a home. Louisa, the first born, died at the age of fifteen years. Diedrich, the sixth child, died in infancy and Alfred, the youngest son, died at the age of twenty three. The funeral was held Monday afternoon at Fontanelle and was largely attended.

#3-1 Aug., 1906 - The Pilot - Henry Sprick

HON. HENRY SPRICK AND FONTANELLE

The death of Henry Sprick at the village of Fontanelle, Washington county last week recalls the life of a sterling type of Nebraska pioneer. Mr. Sprick passed away at the ripe age of 79, rich in the happiness that usually comes to well ordered and honorable endeavor and the will to make the best of circumstances no matter what whey may be.

He had dreamed when he came to Nebraska in 1885 of founding the metropolis and capital of the state. With others he had planned such an enterprise before departing from Illinois. Every precaution in selecting the site of Fontanelle was taken to insure its geographical advantage for such honors. But destiny held another fate for the village of Fontanelle. Instead of tall buildings, paved streets and many people, most of the townsite was to be the location of profitable farms in one of the most fertile sections of Nebraska. Of the band who saw its hopes go to pieces, only Mr. Sprick remained. He quietly did what lay to his hand and passed his declining hears in comfort and ease, secure in the possession of a sufficient competence.

PATRIARCH OF THE COMMUNITY

Representing the only resident remaining of the original company that laid out Fontanelle, Mr. Sprick for years was regarded as the patriarch of the community. He was a man of strong fiber, entirely capable of subduing the natural difficulties of the virgin plain and surviving the vicissitudes of the first settler. He was always more or less of an active leader in politics and affairs in Washington county and the townsite of Fontanelle. His lifelong political affiliation was with the republican party, carrying among his convictions a strong hatred of monopoly and uncontrollable power by mere wealth. He was elected to the lower house of the legislature in 1873, 1877 and 1881, and to the state senate from Washington and Dodge counties in 1887. He was recognized as a leading force in all of these bodies and served with credit.

Mr. Sprick had two political hobbies which he pressed at every opportunity. One was the firm belief that all good government must come from the proper education of the masses of the people, and the other that it is the plain duty, under all circumstances, for every citizen to cast his ballot whenever an election is held in his community. Carrying out these plainly conceived theories, he was a power in providing an excellent public school system in the township. From 1855 to the day of his death he had never failed to vote at an election whenever it was possible for him to do so.

SOME HISTORY OF FONTANELLE

When Mr. Sprick first settled in Fontanelle he and five young men who were his companions in the expedition to a new land built a log cabin, the first house erected in Fontanelle. Some remains of the cabin still exist, but in 1865 a more comfortable frame dwelling was built, proof of the fruits of Mr. Sprick’s labor. In 1883 the brick home which he tenanted the remainder of his life was constructed and the trees and shrubs about it were planted at the same time.

There is more historic interest to the village of Fontanelle than the mere fact that it set out to be the bigger town in the state and possessor of the capitol. So well were its claims pressed that Fontanelle lacked but one vote less than Omaha in the race for the location of the capitol of the territory of Nebraska. At that time Omaha and Fontanelle had about the same population. Possession of the capital then meant the impetus that would make a metropolis.

Omaha secured the prize, relinquished it when it was no longer indispensable, and is the principle city of the state with 135,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, not more than 150 persons live in Fontanelle. These, without exception, are in good circumstances. No poverty of want is known there. The claim is made, and with a good deal of reason, that the township is the most productive of the soil of any in the commonwealth. No one is inordinately rich, but a satisfactory abundance exists which blights envy and life-wracking striving.

COLONY THAT DIDN’T GROW

The idea that resulted in Fontanelle had its organization in the Quincy Colonization society, organized at Quincy, Ill. in 1854. The society sent a committee to Nebraska to select a site for a town, it being the avowed intention to make this town the capitol. In Omaha the committee was urged by the few inhabitants to cast their lot with them, but declined. They looked over the ground as much as possible and decided that the ideal situation for a great town was at the juncture of the Platte and Elkhorn rivers. They chose for the townsite a section of land on a bluff overlooking the valley, two miles from the present town of Nickerson and nine miles from Fremont. It was fully expected that the Union Pacific would be run up the selfsame valley when the railroad was built - if it was built. This bit of foresight seems to have been good, though defective, for the Union Pacific did run up the valley, but on the opposite side of the river.

The colonization society had fifty members and most of them came to Fontanelle along with others. With a mighty eye to the future and sound intentions, ample plots of ground were set aside for college, for a courthouse and for the capitol that never came. The streets were made broad and regular, which was very easy to do on blue prints and clean prairies. It was asserted with truth that the place was ideal for a city to build on, and there is today no gainsaying that the place is wholly beautiful and attractive.

SPRICK IN THE VANGUARD

The first settlement was made in 1855, and Mr. Sprick was in the vanguard. With him were Henry Brenkman, William Lusing, Henry Stork, Frederick Haybrook and William Moscha. The township is now practically all settled by these six men and their descendants and friends. As showing the spirit of the community which grew rapidly for awhile, it is to be remarked that soon after providing themselves with shelter, the task of insuring education for the generation to come was undertaken. A college was contemplated by the society, and an organization formed which erected a building in 1859. It was called the University of Nebraska and was doubtless the first school anywhere to have this name applied. The original buildings were burned, but were replaced. It was necessary for Mr. Sprick and three other trustees of the college to secure the lumber bill. After Fontanelle had lost out on the capitol proposition the four paid the bill out of their pockets. The school was controlled by the Congregational church and removed to Crete. It is now the flourishing Doane college.

KNOCKOUT FOR FONTANELLE

The territorial legislature, which planted the solar plexus on Fontanelle’s ambition, met at Florence. Losing the capital, Fontanelle fell back on its possessing of the seat of Dodge county for prestige, but another legislature spoiled that plan. Fremont had jealous eyes on the county seat and determined to have it. Washington county was a small strip along the Missouri river. A plan was solved to detach the part of Dodge county in which Fontanelle lay and attach it to Washington county. As the people of Fremont wanted the county capital and the people of Washington county wanted more territory, the deal was put through the legislature, not, however, without protests of fraud in presenting petitions from voters, the allegations coming from the vicinity of Fontanelle.

The last blow at the little hamlet was struck when the Union Pacific failed to come up the right side of the Elkhorn valley. With other towns having a railroad and Fontanelle off the line, the last legs of its glorious aspirations were knocked out from under. Years later the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley road built up along the Elkhorn river valley, Fontanelle had subsided into a peaceful, rural calm, scarce desirous of whether a railroad came or not.

BACK TO THE LAND

The successions of misfortune caused the founders to abandon the village one by one, taking up and developing farms in the vicinity until only Mr. Sprick remained. He purchased the town lots from owners when they wished to sell and the tax titles of others who had abandoned their property. Later he hunted them up and secured quit claim deeds and contrived to make his arrangements so there was never any litigation or trouble of any kind. He secured the consent of other owners and had streets and alleys not needed for highways vacated, and the greater part of the townsite turned into revenue producing farm land. Thus passed the metropolis and capital of Fontanelle. The village has a store, a school house, blacksmith shop, creamery, two churches and the dwellings of the small population, which includes a number of retired farmers. The buildings are well painted, the gardens and lawns neatly kept, the pastures sleek with fine stock and the fields well tilled. There are no signs of despair or blasted hopes, as neither was there in the life of Henry Sprick, in the simple annals of the village lies a story of profound truth, namely, that fate cannot wring happiness rom those who have strength of will to be content.

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

Find a Grave Memorial #127669387