Covington
History – Covington Village (now South Sioux City) in Nebraska |
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Map:
Official Geographical Location:
42.46558 North, 96.48003 West
Population in 1990: 2,366
Land area: 59.321 sq. kms.
Geographical Description:
Covington is situated on the
Missouri River, five miles north of Dakota City, and directly opposite Sioux
City, Iowa
History:
It was first taken as a town
site by the old Sioux City Company, of which J. K. Cook was President. It was
laid out and called Harney City, after Gen. Harney, who at the time was in charge of the troops in the
vicinity. In 1856 the town site was jumped by a company composed of Gustave Pecant, Thomas L. Griffey, J. Ludwig, William Rapp, Culver,
Betts, White
and Copelan, and called Newport, but before electing
town officers, the name was changed to Covington.
After organization, the lots
were deeded to the members of the company by Thomas L. Griffey, as Chairman of
the Board of Trustees.
The first settler in this
vicinity was Gustave Pecant, in 1856; who with John Feenan, James Farrell, John Stranney,
D. Caughlin and James McKinney, were among the first
settlers in the town of Covington; and the first settlers in the immediate
vicinity were James Stott, Dr. Pinkerton, J. Fitzpatrick, William Farrell,
Eugene L. Wilbur, R. R. Kirkpatrick, and C. D. Martin, all in 1856.
C. D. Martin, on the 11th of
September of this year, moved into his log cabin, adjacent to the town, which
in 1881, is still standing. In the ensuing winter, he ran a hand shingle
factory, employing four men, making cottonwood shingles, which sold for $7 per
1,000, and in the fall of 1858, R. R. Kirkpatrick built a steam mill for the
exclusive grinding of corn meal.
The first school taught in
Covington was by Miss Mary Pinkerton, sister of Dr. Pinkerton, and the first
preaching was by Rev. Thomas M. Chestnut, a Presbyterian clergyman, of Sioux
City, each alternate Sunday. The Methodists built the first church edifice here
in 1871.
Covington is the northern
terminus of the Omaha division of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis &
Omaha Railroad, and also of the Ponca, and of the Norfolk branch of the same
road. It contains one grocery store, one blacksmith shop, one drug store, one
school building, two hotels, two physicians, and four church organizations, all
of which use the only church building in the town, which belongs to the
Methodists. The village contains about one hundred and seventy-five
inhabitants.
The first child born in
Covington was John Quinn, in 1857.
The first marriage was that of
John Feenan to Miss Margaret Boyle, in the same year,
and the first death was that of an old man, found dead near the river.
Elk Valley is located between the two branches of the
railroad, about five miles west of Hubbard, and eight miles north of Emerson.
There is here only a post office, J. M. Winter being Postmaster.
The first railroad built in
Dakota County was the Covington, Columbus & Black Hills Railroad, in 1876.
The gauge was three feet six inches. The county voted bonds to the amount of
$95,000, which were given to the company on the completion of its contract,
viz.: The building of the road from Covington to the northern boundary line, a
distance of twenty-two and a quarter miles.
In the fall of 1880 the
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad Company completed its line
to Cobrom Junction, five miles west of Dakota City,
and having in the meantime purchased the Covington, Columbus & Black Hills
Railroad, and changed it to a standard gauge. The purchasing company now has
thirty-eight miles of railroad in the county, valued at $384,000.
Recent History:
Covington Links Golf Course,
497 Golf Rd, South Sioux City, NE 68776-5201, United States. P: (402) 494-9841,
F: (402) 494-0816
Covington Links Golf Course | Facebook
The 18-hole "Covington Links" course at the Covington Links Golf Course
facility in South Sioux City, Nebraska features 5,977 yards of golf from the
longest tees for a par of 71. The course rating is 68.8 and it has a slope
rating of 130. Designed by Martin Johnson, the Covington Links golf course
opened in 1977
Links to other websites:
Covington,
Nebraska’s Sinful City | History Nebraska
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