Purple Cane is an unincorporated community in Dodge County, Nebraska, United States. [1]
Purple Cane is located at 41°31'30.0"N 96°53'28.1"W (41.5250052, -96.8911424) at an elevation of 1,381 feet (421 meters). [2] It is located five miles west and four miles north of North Bend [3] on the bluff north of the Platte River near the intersection of County Road P, and County Road 2 in Dodge County. [4] Between 1872 and 1902, Purple Cane appeared on most Nebraska maps. [5] All that remains of the community today is a cemetery and two historic markers. [3]
The site of Purple Cane was settled in 1858 by Irish immigrant Edward Johnson. [6] Johnson constructed a dugout on the south bank of Maple Creek and resided there during the winter of 1858–59. [3] He was soon joined by his brother Michael Johnson and brother-in-law David Scott. [6] Between 1861 and 1867, five additional households were established in the area. [6] The rural community was officially named in 1872 when Samuel R. Mason applied for a post office permit for the area. [7] Mason chose to name the community after the Purple Cane raspberries that grew in his garden. [6] In the 1870s most of the land in the area was claimed. [3]
In 1867, School District #7 was established [6] next to the Old Fur Traders Trail. [3] A school house was erected with lumber brought from Fremont, Nebraska. [6] Thomas Spence, was the first teacher. [6] In 1875 the school was relocated to the nearby Hughes farm, and enlarged in 1894. [6] In 1904, the school was moved to land owned by George Thrush [6] and a new school building was erected. [8] In 1932, the school had an enrollment of 9 students. [9]
Samuel R. Mason applied for a post office for the community in 1872. [7] The request was granted on April 15, 1872. [7] The post office was a box with a hinged lid that hung on the wall of the S. R. Mason Home. [7] Mail was delivered from nearby North Bend to Purple Cane twice weekly. [6] The post office was eventually moved to the home of Jane Avery [7] who acted as post master from 1886 [10] to 1892 when the post office was closed. [11] A monument marking the site of the original Purple Cane post office was erected in 1928. [5]
The Purple Cane Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1869. [3] Andrew Quigley donated land for the organization, and a church building was erected and dedicated in 1886. [3] The church was destroyed by fire in 1894, and rebuilt the same year. [6] In 1925 a large gymnasium was added to the property for community use. [6] By 1920, the church reported a membership of 160 people. [12] Declining membership caused the church to close in 1964. [3] The church and its contents were auctioned off on October 12, 1980. [13] The location of the church is marked by a stone marker. [3]
The Plymouth Presbyterian church was organized by Edward Johnson, John Ruff, and J. G. McVicker in September 1890 [14] and built on the Edward Johnson property. [6] It was an active church until 1912. [6]
The first burial at Purple Cane cemetery was of Mrs. John McCarthy in 1873. [15] The Purple Cane Cemetery Association was organized in 1881 and property for the cemetery was purchased just south of the site for the Purple Cane Methodist Episcopal Church. [15] In 1916, Alexander Legge, then president of the International Harvester Corporation, gifted $1,000 to the Purple Cane Cemetery Association to assist with the establishment of a perpetual care fund for the cemetery. [16] Residents raised matching funds, and the cemetery was improved with sidewalks and a fence. [6]
Alexander Legge (1866-1933), prominent American business executive. [17]