TUCKER, JACK A. AND LINDA L. (SLOCUM)

by Linda Tucker

Entry F426 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Jack and Linda Tucker

Chauncey Tucker was born in Ohio in 1846.
He settled in what later was Saline County
Nebraska in 1860. John S. Tucker (Father of
Chauncey Tucker) helped organize Saline
County and served as the first County
Treasurer in 1862.

Chauncey Tucker moved from Saline
County to Frontier County in 1869 and filed
on a Homestead in Frontier County in 1874.
His Father and Mother and family also
moved to Frontier County in 1874.

Chauncey was married to Nancy Bell Keith
on August 1, 1882. His cattle herd by this time
had grown in numbers so he decided to
explore the Sandhills for more room to run
cattle as Frontier County was settling up fast.

He selected a place at the forks of the
Dismal. He constructed a dugout on the
South side of the river and moved his family
there in 1884. He milked cows and raised
horses. He retained his land in Frontier
County and didn't move his cattle to the
Sandhills until 1888.

The family lived in the dugout on the
Dismal until October 1886. Chauncey by then
had filed on a Tree Claim in 1885 on the head
of the South Fork of the Dismal. The
Government would grant him 160 Acres for
planting 20 acres of trees. He could not file
for a Homestead as he had used this Grant
in Frontier County. He built a sod house on
the tree claim and moved there in October
1886. His family had grown to three children
by this time. Elvira, born 1883, Edith, born
1885, Placer (Pete) born in the dugout in
1886. Elvira was born in Frontier County,
Edith was born in Frontier County when the
family returned to Frontier County for a time
in the winter of 1885. Chauncey and Nancy
raised a family of nine children - 5 boys and
4 girls. All the children were born in Hooker
County with the exception of the two older
girls.

Susie (Tucker) Barnett is the lone survivor
of the Chauncey Tucker Family. Now 92
years old and lives at Pittsburg, Kansas.

The Tree Claim was the beginning of the
Tucker Ranch which is being operated by the
fifth generation of the Chauncey Tucker
Family.

Living in the Sandhills was not easy in the
early 80's. The nearest town was North
Platte. No Mullen or Burlington Railroad in
those days. Chauncey Tucker would go to
North Platte twice a year - in the fall and
spring for supplies. He would take a load of
red cedar posts to North Platte and sell them
for 10 cents each. The trip to North Platte
and return would take 5 days. Two days to
the head of the White Horse Creek and one
day on to North Platte. He would sell the
posts, load the supplies and back to White
Horse Creek then two days back to the
Dismal. There was no natural water from the
Dismal to White Horse Creek. No lakes or
streams, all dry country. The water had to be
hauled in barrels on the wagon for the horses.

The coming of the Burlington Railroad and
the starting of town's Mullen and Whitman
were a great asset to the area. This eliminated
the long trips to North Platte for supplies.

During the 1880's several families took
Homesteads on the South Creek. Some
stayed and some left and moved on. Chuan-
cey Tucker, The Quinn's, Bassett's, and the
Haney's to name a few, stayed and estab-
lished ranches that were a great benefit to the
generations that followed.

To these sturdy pioneers we will always
owe a debt of gratitude.