KIDDER, WILLIAM P. AND MILTON 'POLK'

by Helen Kidder Amsberry

Entry F240 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Mullen has always been `Town', even
though we lived thirty-five miles northeast in
Cherry County. All our family freighted
supplies from Mullen, as it was nearer than
Valentine by twenty miles and by horse
power, every mile counted, also the traveling
was easier.

My grandfather, William P. Kidder and my
father Milton `Polk' Kidder moved onto
grandfather's Kinkaid October 12, 1909 in
Cherry County. My grandmother had died in
Oklahoma in 1903. My grandfather was sixty-
five. He was a Civil War Veteran. My Dad was
fourteen at the time.

The first winter, Dad went to school in
Broken Bow, Nebraska where he stayed with
my Aunt and her husband, Bill and Maud
Mock. At Christmas time they moved ot
Mullen. Uncle Bill was working for the
Railroad carpenter gang, building the depots.
He worked in Mullen until spring when they
moved onto their Kinkaid. It was near my
grandfather's in Cherry County. Dad finished
the school term in Mullen that year. I think
that the Mullen school had four months term
then.

The second year, grandfather and Dad
were in Nebraska, Dad stayed in Mullen for
school in the place where Judy Ridenour's
house in now. He cared for a team of horses
and milked a cow. All the water was pumped
by hand for the house use and for the
livestock.

My Dad's brother, Will I. Kidder came to
Mullen the spring of 1911. He took a Kinkaid
near grandfather. This land along with
grandfather's is still in the Kidder family.
Uncle Will had a jewelry store where he did
mostly watch and clock repair. His shop was
on the corner where the Mullen Feed and
Supply are now. His wife and son lived on the
Kinkaid and she taught school. The boy
stayed with granddad, he was two years old.
Uncle Will kept a horse in town and went
home only once a month as people usually
brought their possessions in to be repaired
and wanted them done while they were in
town, which was usually only a few hours.

Six of my sisters and my brother attended
school in Mullen. Four of my sisters graduat-
ed from the Mullen High School.

My husband, Arthur Amsberry and our
family moved to Hecla, Nebraska in January
of 1949. Our children attended the Mullen
School. Arthur worked for the railroad. We
moved to Mullen in December 1959. It is still
our home. All of our children graduated from
the Mullen High School.