In 1871 Nebraska passed a "herd law," which required cattlemen to fence cattle grazing land -- unless the voters of counties passed a "fence law." This, in effect would repeal the "herd law" and put the burden of fencing on the settlers, who would be required to fence their fields to keep roving herds of cattle out of their crop land.

John Bratt was a large rancher in the North Platte area who bore the title of "Cattle King." He realized that it would be a huge disadvantage for him and the other stock men in the vicinity if the "herd law" went into effect, so with his friends, Monte and Hank Clifford, W.H. (Paddy) Miles and a few others, he took it upon himself to organize his own County, which he proposed to call Frontier, and its County Seat, appropriately enough would be called Stockville.

The only real problem for Bratt was that there were so few white men living in the area of Frontier County that there was a problem to get enough living bodies to fill the County offices. John Bratt was a man of great determination and he was not about to let a few trifling difficulties deter him. If he could not round up enough people living in the vicinity he would import some. The official date of the County organization was set for January 17, 1872, at the tepee of Hank Clifford, the most spacious place in the area.

On the night of the 16th Bratt picked up John Kirby, who had been sworn in as (Frontier) County Clerk, at Fort McPherson, and the two men set out on horseback for the trip to Bratt's ranch and subsequently to the Hank Clifford residence. The week before, the weather had been unusually warm, making ideal conditions for the last days of the Grand Duke Alexis hunt at nearby Red Willow Creek. But by the night of the 16th it was bitterly cold, and the trail to Bratt's ranch was covered with ice and snow.

The horse, which Bratt had given to Kirby was a good one, but fell repeatedly on the ice, and it was only with great difficulty (and the contents of a canteen of whiskey) that Mr. Kirby was persuaded to continue the journey to the ranch on Fox Creek.

The two set out after breakfast the next to a day "bright, but stinging cold, with a sharp wind blowing." Bratt and Kirby continued their journey with a team and wagon for the Clifford tepee, carrying the books and papers necessary for the county's organization. There were no roads and the buffalo trail that they followed between the hills was covered with ice and it was difficult and rough going, even for an experienced driver like John Bratt.

At one particularly difficult hill Bratt advised Kirby to get out of the wagon and walk, as he was afraid that the wagon was in danger of upsetting. Kirby would have none of it. He was a "Missourian and knew no fear," and after another long pull on the liquor in his canteen he insisted on sticking with the wagon. Bratt used all the precaution he could, but part way down the hill the horses lost their footing and "the wagon likewise." "The dashboard was on my neck and both horses … were making a target of my head with their hind feet." Bratt held on to the reins and was dragged under the buggy for about 200 yards. He was unhurt, but "Alas, poor Kirby lay groaning where he had fallen."

John Kirby suffered a broken arm and a broken collar bone. He kept uttering the words, "Let me die right here," over and over. Bratt and his ranch hands succeeded in patching up the wagon and lifted Mr. Kirby into the wagon, despite his protests, then led the team and wagon back to the Fox Creek Ranch. There Kirby swore Bratt into the office of County Commissioner -- and County Clerk. Bratt issued orders to his ranch hands to transport Mr. Kirby back to the doctors at Fort McPhearson, "as quickly and comfortably as they could."

Then John Bratt started out again, alone, in another wagon, with the box of official papers, for the tepee of Hank Clifford. He arrived at about 6 in the evening to find the future Frontier County fathers already assembled and impatiently waiting.

W.H. (Paddy) Miles recorded the event in his journal, "We organized a county, seven of us and named it Frontier, and the county seat in Stockville. The county officers … were: John Bratt, W.H. Miles, M.H. Clifford, commissioners; Sam Watts, Judge probate; John Y. Nelson, Surveyor; John Kirby, Clerk; E.G. Nesbitt, Superintendent of public instruction … Hank Clifford, Sheriff. We did not have enough men to fill all the offices, but we got along fine. There was no opposition to anything."

"When it came time to sign our names, we had neither ink pen or pencil. Necessity, the Mother of Invention, came to our rescue. A stick was sharpened, some soot was scraped off some of the tepee poles (and mixed with water to made ink), our names signed, and the organization of Frontier County was complete."

John Y. Nelson, Hank and Monte Clifford all married Sioux Indian wives, lived in Indian tepees, and reared large families. They got along with the Sioux very well. When a celebration was held later in the spring in observance of the completion of Frontier County's first Courthouse (a log structure), Miles reported that they had a big feast. Miles himself killed two deer for the dinner. "The Indians killed and ate five dogs."

Note: Though John Y. Nelson had no surveying experience he filled that office for some time. His wife was Jennie, a close relative of the great Chief of the Oglala Sioux, Red Cloud. In 1887, Nelson and his Sioux family joined William Cody's Wild West Show for a very successful tour of European capitals. In England they were formally presented to Queen Victoria.

And poor John Kirby? John Bratt wrote, "Returning to Fox Creek Ranch the next day, I was almost paralyzed to find my friend Kirby yet on the bed where I had laid him, his arm and shoulder swollen to an enormous size. He had a six-shooter at his side and threatened to shoot anyone who disturbed him. Under the pretense of putting another cover on him I got the revolver away from him unnoticed.

"Meantime, I had our men prepare a wagon with hay and quilts, into which it took six of us to handle and lay him. We got him into the hospital at Fort McPhearson at about three o'clock the next morning. Dr. Elbery, one of the Army's most efficient surgeons attended him, and I am pleased to say, saved his life." Blood poisoning had set in and it took several months of skillful care by Dr. Elbery before John Kirby could return to Stockville, to resume his duties as County Clerk, the only "paid" County office. Kirby served as County Clerk for several years, "devoted to Frontier County." He eventually returned to his native Missouri, where he passed away.

Source: W.H. Paddy Miles papers, John Bratt's memoirs. Medicine Creek Journals, by D. Jean Smith