100 YEAR HOOKER COUNTY RANCH FAMILIES

by Hooker County Historical Society

Entry T107 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Chauncey Tucker came to what is now
Hooker County in 1884, settling at the Forks
of the Dismal River, living in a dugout on the
south side of the river. Placer (Pete) Tucker
was born October 4, 1886 in the dugout, the
first son of Chaucey and wife Nancy and one
of the first white children born in Hooker
County. Chauncey filed on a tree claim that
entitled him to 160 acres provided he planted
10 acres of trees. This he did and trees are still
there after 100 years. Placer Tucker assumed
control of the ranch after the death of his
parents. He retired in 1943 and sold the ranch
to his son Marvin. The ranch is presently
operated by Marvin's son Jack. (Read the
Chauncey, Placer and Marvin Tucker family
stories.)

Esquire and Martha Crain acquired a
ranch by a homestead and tree claim, 160
acres each in March of 1887. They came to
what is now Hooker County with teams and
wagons. Their first home was a dugout in the
hillside with a sod front near a permanent
water hole. In 1935, the ranch was sold to the
youngest daughter, Pearl and husband Lester
Harding. In 1950, they formed a partnership
with their sons, Forrest and Frank, known as
the Harding Cattle Company. In 1960 the
partnership was dissolved when Lester died
and then Crain's grandson, Forrest operated
the ranch. After Forrest's death in 1985, the
land was purchased by his son Michael
Harding. (Read Esquire Crain, Lester and
Pearl Harding and other Harding family
stories)

The Tucker and Harding families were in
attendance at the Hooker County 1988 Fair
and were honored with the Ak-Sar-Ben
Pioneer awards that indicated 100 years or
more of a ranch being owned by the same
family for several generations. The awards
were presented by Bob Volk representing Ak-
Sar-Ben.

Miss Jessie Shimmin, Mount Carmel
Home, Kearney, Nebraska wrote that her
parents, Robert Shimmin family came to
Hooker County in the spring of 1887, south
of the Dismal River. Jessie and twin brother
Frank operated the ranch after the death of
their parents. Allen Shimmin, now lives on
the ranch. (Read the Shimmin family sto-
ries.)