Georg Nenzel was born in Fulda, Germany and settled in Wisconsin  about 1880.  In 1885 he filed on a homestead 30 miles west of Valentine near the railroad grade.  He advertised in the Omaha paper for settlers to come and settle in this area.  He asked for Catholic families to come, so the Catholic church became an important part of  life in Nenzel.

Georg Nenzel built a frame building in 1886 that was to serve as store, hotel and living quarters.  Before the store was stocked a dance was held in the building, as was the custom.  In 1888 the post office was established in Nenzel's store with Georg Nenzel as postmaster.

In 1887 the school district was organized in Nenzel.  The village was incorporated in 1899.  The first school was a one room school house.  It burned down before it was used, and another one was built.  The first teacher was Ginny Satterlee.

In the fall of 1886 the Jesuit Fathers from St. Francis Indian Mission in South Dakota offered Mass in Nenzel.  About once a month Fr. Digmann, S.J. held Mass and taught catechism in the Nenzel home.

In March of 1890 Fr. Ferdindand Lechleitner arrived as resident pastor of Valentine and the area west to Merriman and east to Newport.  Now Mass was held twice a month in the Nenzel School house.  Fr. Lechleitner was succeeded by Fr. Henry Muyssen  in 1903 and then by Fr. Leo M. Blaere in 1907.

In 1907 Brother Andrew Hartmann of St. Francis Mission designed and built a frame church 30' by 50'  in Nenzel.  In December of 1907 it was expected to be ready for New Years Day services.  The church was dedicated June 5, 1908.

In 1915 the Catholic Church in Nenzel had its first resident pastor Fr. Henry Kiel.  The rectory was completed in 1916.

The C & NW railway built a depot in Nenzel in 1916.  Before that time the traveling priests and others had to flag down the train to catch a ride.

I had a chance to go through many old Valentine Newspapers of "The  Republican."   The papers never talked about hard times, but there seemed to be hard times in the later teens, probably not so bad with people who had established farms or businesses, but others seemed to have problems.  Numerous stories of people in trouble, stealing some small articles, saddles, etc.   WWI gave many of the young men employment, but after the war farm prices were down and hard times hit many.  Then came prohibition years, which began in 1920, and many turned to brewing illegal whiskey.  Large amounts of sugar were shipped into Cody.

John Nollette, a grandson of Georg Nenzel, died in the early part of 1918 in an army camp from symptoms that could have been the first of the influenza victims.

Influenza took its toll mostly in the late months of 1918 in Cherry County.

Now, a few articles from "The Republican" of Valentine, Nebraska:

April 1, 1889:
Albert Nenzel was tried before justice McKean on Wednesday of this week for embezzlement.  He is treasurer of the school district in which he resides, and has had in his possession several hundred dollars of the district's money.  It appears that he loaned his father in all about $700, which has been expended in fixing up the home of the latter.  The son was bound over in the sum of $1500 to appear before the District court, which convenes April 1, 1889. (Oct. 24, 1890. State vs. Albert Nenzel dismissed)

March 15, 1889:
The frame school building that had just been completed at Nenzel, was burned on Sunday night. it is believed to have been the work of an incendiary.

Nov 1, 1889:
Threshing machines are busy in the valleys of Cherry County, and oats, wheat and rye are being binned in large quantities.  Small grain has proven quite a success and will be raised in large quantities hereafter. (The Nollette brothers from the Kewanee-Sparks area threshed grain west from there, then south from Crookston into the German settlement and west to Nenzel.  This is thought to be how Joseph Nollette met Flora Nenzel.)

Friday, May 3, 1907
Joe Nollette, merchant at Nenzel, was a business visitor in this city the first of the week.   His brother, Felix Nollette, from near Sparks, was here at the same time which gave the brothers a brief visit with each other.

Friday, Dec 20, 1907:
A new Catholic church 30 X 50 feet is being built at Nenzel and it is thought it will be completed in time to hold New Years services.

Nov. 29, 1912
Joseph Nollettte made a business trip to Valentine Friday.  August Stasch and George and John Nollette were helping McKenna Bros. unload coal and lumber this week.

Feb 25, 1916
Nenzel now has a bank, the institution having opened for business Monday, February 21st.  It will be known as the Nenzel State Bank, and the original fixtures of the First National of Lincoln are being used; which with a new Ely & Norris safe and a Burroughs book-keeping machine, attest that the firm is well equipped to do business in a safe and up-to-date manner.  More than $1200 were deposited the first day, the honor of the first deposit belonging to J. D. Frost; the first draft was purchased by M. W. Ryan.  The officers are: Peter Hoffmann, president, C. A. Ruby, vice president, J. F. McKenna, Cashier.

March 16, 1917
Anton Schaefer and Christopher Schmit of Nenzel were business visitors Saturday.  Mr. Schaefer has been in the mercantile business for several years at Nenzel, but now finds that his business in buying and seling live stock and grain is becoming a competitor to the mercantile business.  Since the first of the year he has shipped out eight or ten cars of hogs and a larger number of cars of grain from his little village.

May 24, 1918
Hank Wilson was at Nenzel last week assisting Gus Erickson in putting up new garage, with hall overhead, which is said to be a credit to a place of that size.  The building has a stucco finish like the auditorium in this city. (The upstairs of this building was used as a dance hall.  The building was destroyed in the tornado in 1963.)

June 2, 1916
J. F. McKenna, banker and merchant of Nenzel, came in on the freight Wednesday afternoon. He is cheerful over business prospects at his little town, reporting the building of a big livery barn, and that the Northwestern will install a depot agent in the fall. (It was a common thing to ride on the freight train between towns.  Usually riding in the caboose.)

July 7, 1916
Big Doings at Nenzel
The application of M. W. Ryan for a renewal of his saloon license at Nenzel having been withdrawn from before the county commissioners, in the face of a protest, Nenzel's  booze emporium went out of business on the evening of the 30th of June.... Cody now has the doubtful honor of having the only remaining saloon in Cherry County.

March 8, 1918
Matt Boltz was down from Nenzel last Saturday and stated that he did not take any stock in the scare stories some farmers are handing out about the remarkable dryness of the subsoil. If the proper amount of rain comes this summer he thinks all will be well.

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There must have been several businesses in Nenzel in the late teens and early 20's.  Some people have been interviewed that tell about some of these.  Maybe when these tapes get written down and information compiled from them we can learn more.  I don't know when the bank closed, maybe late 20's or early 30's.  Farm prices were very low in 1932, although crops were raised, there was no market for them.  This was followed by drought in 1933 until about 1938. In 1962 a new church building was begun in Nenzel.  On June 15, 1962 a tornado struck Nenzel, destroying the old church, which had been moved aside and set on blocks and also destroyed much of what was started on the new church.  Many homes were also damaged.

This village, 30 miles west of Valentine, on highway No. 20 and also on the railroad, was established in 1885 by George Nenzel, upon whose homestead it is located. Mr. Nenzel built the first frame building in the town which was used as a store, post office, hotel and living quarters for his family. The village which he named was incorporated June 23, 1899. Mr. Nenzel was the first postmaster and he built the first school house that was destroyed by fire before it was completed. Another school building was constructed and served as both school and church until 1908 when St. Mary's Church was erected.

Most of the early settlers were of Catholic faith. They have had a resident pastor most of the time since their church was built. In 1896 Gotlieb Quade donated a plot of ground for a Catholic Cemetery. Later a plot was added for a Protestant Cemetery and the combined plots make up the present day cemetery.

The oldest house in the community, built by Joseph Wiser, is still standing about one mile northwest of Nenzel.

School District No. 47 was organized Nov. 12, 1887, with Miss Jennie Satterlee as its first teacher. The school now has a substantial school building with ten grades of school.

Nenzel is in the midst of a farming and ranching community; to the south farming and ranching are combined, while to the north there is mostly ranching.

Securing water was a most serious problem for the first settlers. Until wells were dug, water was hauled to the homes from the nearest supply which meant trips as far as twelve miles for water. Sometimes water was hauled by oxen from the Niobrara River. In 1886 George Nenzel, and his sons, dug a deep well on each of their homesteads. Later Emil Rexelious took over the job of digging most of the deep wells around Nenzel.

George Nenzel's daughter, Mrs. Flora Nollette, whose name is on the Honor Roll, rendered service as a nurse and at times as an undertaker. Mrs. Rosa Nollette Boltz was the first woman to cast her ballot in Nenzel Precinct when women were given the right to vote.

The pioneers of Nenzel were: George Nenzel and sons, Valentine, Albert, Theresin, and daughter, Anna, A. F. Childers, Peter Hoffman, Andrew and Valentine Koralewski, Stanislow Krajewski, Francis and George Lorenz, George Moss, Joseph Nollette, R. K. Rainsford, Fred Robeler, Ed and Fanny Satterlee, Joseph and August Stasch, Julius and Wencel Schrom, Joseph and Mary Wisser, Joseph Schaefer, E. R. Barnes, Dan Barnes, Elmer and Howard Barnes.

Edward Satterlee became a merchant and conducted a general merchandise store in the town for many years.

The school district of this neighborhood is No. 91 which was organized in 1899. The first school building was constructed of native lumber, and it had home made seats and desks. Miss Myrtle Gardiner was the first teacher, and her salary was $25.00 per month and board, which was furnished by the families having children in school. The school house became a community center where school entertainments were given at the close of each school year, and people came for miles around to attend, and camped there for the night. This custom was continued for nineteen years without missing an entertainment. The school house was also used for any public meeting and church service. Reverend Bazil Hunt, a pioneer minister, who lived near Eli, held services for several years.

School District No. 166 of this community was organized in 1913, with Jack Aspinall as Director, J. E. Scott, Treasurer, and M. I. Wilkins, Moderator. Being one of the later districts organized in the county, it reflects the improved conditions the years have made. A. H. Keach was the first teacher and his salary was $50.00 per month.

Coal was used for fuel. There were nine sod houses built in this district in 1911 and 1912. In striking contrast to this district, was District No. 131. The school house was made of sod, 10 by 12 feet in size. The seats and desks were made of grocery boxes, with legs nailed on them. Cowchips were used for fuel. The teacher and the pupils gathered them during noon and recess. Miss Kime's salary was $3.00 per week and she boarded around among the families having children in school.

Covering a large territory, the Nenzel Community has both ranch and farm land. As in all other sections of the county, more attention is being given to the raising of livestock.

Cowchips were the common fuel of the settlers for a number of years. This was especially true during the hard years of the nineties, when it was a common sight to see large bricks of them around the homes for winter use.

To the south of Nenzel, across the Niobrara River, is the Niobrara Division of the Nebraska National Forest. A very good highway connects Nenzel with the headquarters buildings. This section of the Nebraska National Forest has been described in another chapter.

Going south from the forest reservation we pass near the Diamond Bar Ranch before coming to the Snake Fiver. This ranch was established by Anderson and Hoffaker and later sold to Dan Adamson who became one of the prominent ranchmen of the county. He transferred the ranch to his son, Walter, now deceased. The ranch is now operated by Mr. Adamson's daughter-in-law and her son.

Coming to the Snake River, we find the home ranch of E. R. Barnes, who with his brother, Daniel, came to Cherry County in 1888. His family consists of his two sons, Elmer and Howard, and a daughter, Eva, now Mrs. Joseph Andrews. In 1897, E. R. Barnes and his brother, Dan, established a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle by using long horned cows as a foundation, which they were keeping on a share basis. Mr. Barnes continued in the business after his brother passed way and this herd became one of the outstanding herds of the county. His sons, Elmer and Howard, are both ranchmen, each having an Angus herd of his own, and his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Andrews, and her husband now live on the home ranch which they have taken over from her father who has retired.

Elmer Barnes is a veteran of World War I. He was gassed while in action which has impared his health to quite an extent. He served in the Legislature of Nebraska a, Representative from Cherry County during the 1933 and 1935 sessions.