The Methodist church of Long Pine was the second church in Brown County. It was organized by Rev. I. H. Skinner, Cornelius B. Morefort, Charles R. Glover W. E. Davis, Joseph E. Dunn and Benjamin Elliott, November 30,1883. (contributed by Mrs. W. M. Ely). One of the earliest Methodist, pastors, Rev. W. W. Thomas, often walked to Ainsworth and Johnstown and conducted services.
The earliest school in Long Pine was held in a building on Main street. Dr. Learn who was also one of the first dentists in Brown county, was the teacher. In 1882 a small frame school house was built.
On January 9, 1884, the county commissioners granted a petition signed by Long Pine citizens making it an incorporated village.
The following Indian story is taken from a collection of early Brown county history memories made in school district N. 18, Fern Keim, teacher.
“During these years of early settlements the Indians were frequent visitors, but seldom bothered people. Every spring they would travel from the Niobrara River to Moon Lake to fish. On one of these trips their chief, Warning Hawk, died from drinking poison whiskey. The Indian tribe started from Moon Lake with his body which was to be buried on their hunting ground along the Niobrara. During the entire trip from Moon Lake to the river, the Indians kept screaming their death cry which greatly terrified the settlers.”
From the same collection I took this “One crossing on Plum creek was known as Frame’s Crossing.” It was located on Frame’s homestead northwest of Johnstown. This crossing was used by the Indians on their trips from the Niobrara to Moon Lake.”
Mrs. Wm. P. S. Thompson, formerly Mrs. Charles Allen came to Brown County in 1881. She has many interesting memories of her life on the frontier. In a collection made by Mrs. Audrey Burge, for use in her school, I have taken these “There were hundreds of deer and antelope, and some elk were to be seen, but infrequently. Eb. Osborn, an old Indian scout, killed an elk whose antlers measured seven feet from tip to tip. These were sent to England. Some of the pioneers made their living by killing, dressing and shipping dressed prairie chickens and quail to the eastern people.
In 1887, John Anderson, a Danish farmer while repairing a curbing on a well was entombed for a period of nine days by the sliding sand over his head. He was rescued alive by his neighbors, Henry Archer and George Campbell. The story of this dramatic episode was often retold by the pioneers. It is given in detail in Mrs. Burge’s collection.
Rev. Elias Frame, who filed on a homestead near Johnstown on April 7,1880, some times held religious services after there were a few settlers in that locality.
