South of the Middle Loup River, near Berwyn, Custer County, Nebraska.

summary: Note: This is a transcript of a letter from James Klase concerning RG2608-1377<p>Gentlemen:<p>On June 25 the Omaha World Herald ran a special farm issue of the past fifty years and also shows a picture of a sod house taken south of the Middle Loup River in Custer County, Nebraska. This ranch is unidentified according to the article in the paper.<p>I am going to give you a little light on this picture, the man with the gun on his shoulder standing by the well is James McCrea, the lady sitting on the chair is Mrs. McCrea, and the boy standing is George McCrea, a, grandson of the older McCrea's. The man on the reaper is Mr. Juker, I don't recall his first name. At first glance at the reaper one would think it was a grain binder but that was a picture of an old reaper.<p>Mr. and Mrs. McCrea are my grandparents. I have one of the original photographs and it is marked 1890 but I believe It was taken a year or two earlier than that. This picture is quite badly faded and three years ago I had some new photographs taken off from the original.<p>Mr (sic) grandfather, Mr. McCrea was a soldier in the Civil War, after the Civil War he drove a yoke of cattle from Flint, Michigan, his old home and lived two years at Sibley, Iowa. Then drove the yoke of cattle to Jefferson County, Nebraska and homesteaded forty acres in the west part of Jefferson County near the old Rose Town Mill. In the early 80's he homesteaded the one hundred and twenty acres in Custer County where this picture was taken, The old homestead was a half mile east of Berwyn, Nebraska and about a mile south on the south side of the Muddy River. The three McCreas in this picture are all buried in the Berwyn Cemetery. Mr. McCrea was a preacher and preached in the sod church which used to be a half mile straight east of Berwyn.<p>The thought occurred to me that you might want this information and if I can be of any more service to you I would be glad to help you out.<p>James Klass<br>Klase Implement Company<br>Gering, Nebraska<br>June 26, 1950
original size: 6x8