Frontier County, Stockville

Text

When Frontier County was organized in 1872, Stockville became the county seat. During its first decade no real town existed, it being only a trading center for the ranchers of the region. It was not until the middle-eighties, when the county filled with homesteaders, that the town began to grow.

Near here is Medicine Creek, one of the most important water-ways of the region. It served as a natural highway between the Republican and Platte Rivers, first for the Indians, then for the whites. With the establishment of Fort McPherson, the Medicine route was regularly used by the military as they protected the frontier. In the heart of the buffalo county, the Sioux were partial to the Medicine Valley. In 1870, a band of former hostiles--the Whistler band of Cut-off Oglala, settled near here, living in peace with the early settlers for several years.

Among the notable frontiersmen of the region were outstanding figures Hank and Monty Clifford, John Y. Nelson, and Doc Carver. Regular visitors were Buffalo Bill Cody and Texas Jack Omohundro, as they guided the wealthy on buffalo hunts.