Poatcard from the Past: New Road to Brush Creek

By: Dick Perue

The following was reported in the Grand Encampment Herald on Jan. 13, 1905:

Petitions to the Board of County Commissioners are again being circulated, asking the board to construct a county road from Encampment to Brush Creek.

The main object of this move is to place the Butler Bridge over the Platte River into the hands of the board, eliminating the toll feature which now prevails.

The Butler Bridge was built by popular subscription, to which the Encampment merchants liberally contributed. It seems ex-commissioner Maxfield fought against the making of a county road between Brush Creek and Encampment, as the scheme directly interfered with the interests of his constituents at Saratoga.

While it is fact such a road would be of special advantages to Encampment merchants, it must be remembered it would be as great an advantage to Brush Creek ranchmen and to ranchmen in this section of the North Platte Valley. 

If a Brush Creek ranchman drives to Saratoga, he has a good day’s trip before him, for it is a 40-mile round trip from the Bennett Post Office. He can never make the trip in a day if he has any great amount of business to transact. If he takes his wife along and remains overnight, he spends several dollars in feed and hotel bills.

There is a reason then why the Brush Creek ranchman prefers to come to Encampment. He can hitch up and bring the whole family, do his trading, gossip with his friends and be home in good season in the afternoon.

The ranchmen of Brush Creek and the people of Encampment are deserving of a county road between the two objective points, and it will not be Commissioner Smith’s fault if they do not get it. However, the Brush Creek people must not expect too much in the way of “damages.”

The following was reported in the Grand Encampment Herald on May 26, 1905:

Right-of-way over bridge 

The board of county commissioners, through T.R. Smith, the member of the board from this end of the district, has secured right-of-way for a county road through W.H. Butler’s ranch for one and one-half miles, including the toll bridge. 

Mr. Butler, for a consideration of $2,200, gives the right-of-way and agrees to re-plank the bridge with three-inch planks and to build bridges over Beaver Creek and Summers’ ditch. The settlement of the Butler Bridge question is very satisfactory all around.