On Aug. 28, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition camped at Calumet Bluff in Cedar County, Nebraska, where they held a great council with the Sioux Indians under a large oak tree. Many Indians roamed the county and caused the early settlers no end of trouble. One well known incident took place in 1863. Mr. Wiseman was called to duty in the Company 1, of the Second Nebraska Cavalry. A party of Yankton and Santee Sioux Indians attacked his five children, who were at home alone, and killed them all. Mrs. Wiseman was that day in Yankton purchasing supplies. In 1926 the monument to the murdered children was erected on a spot as near as possible to the scene of the massacre. Just north of the spot where the marker stands is a one room log cabin built by John Wiseman the elder son who was away at the time of the massacre. The monument stands yet this day.

The settlers coming in our county and spreading out, making their homes and farming the land. In the early 1880's there was a big Elkhorn Ranch or better known as the "Butterfield Ranch". Fifteen thousand sheep, a thousand cattle and between one hundred and two hundred horses were herded on the ranch. There were at least eighteen men hired at all times. During the busy season as many as 36 men were employed. This ranch located 2 miles west of Magnet.

Many small farms were growing and where we find farms there were families with children. Of course they must have schools to teach these children and also a town nearby for farmers to buy supplies. Here we find a one room school which was built a few years before the town of Magnet.

Magnet was established in 1893 and named by the owner of the townsite, a B. E. Smith in hopes that the name would "attract" people to the town. Which it surely did. Mr. Enoch Adkins ran the first store and hotel and the Blinkiron Bros., the first lumber yard. These were the first buildings in Magnet along with the railroad. In 1891 the Bloomfield branch was built striking Randolph and Magnet in Cedar County. A box car was used as a depot until 1900 when one was built. Other buildings were the livery stable, hog barns and the railroad stock yards. There were two shovel houses. The grain was (cont.)