Sandhills Own History

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Settling the Sandhills

The Abbott family has been in the ranching business in the Nebraska Sandhills for well over a century. Back in the late 1800's, the Sandhills of Nebraska were considered no mans land, and would eventually be the last place to be settled by mankind on American soil besides the state of Alaska. The only human life that existed were tribes of Native Americans, mainly Sioux, that crisscrossed the Sandhills from their summer home in the Dakotas to the North Platte Valley in Nebraska where they survived during the winter months. The only remnants seen today left by the Sioux tribe are the campgrounds, of which there are three on the Abbott ranch. Arrowheads and flint are still found today at these sites, which is a distinctive preservation of that early American history.

First and Second Generations

Young Arthur Abbott, 2nd generation, along with his father Christopher and brother Harrison, went into the ranching business by purchasing 100 head of Hereford cows. They settled on the headwaters of Beaver Creek in northwest Kansas near the small town of Herndon. To make ends meet financially, Arthur hired on as a cowboy trailing cattle from Texas to South Dakota in the mid 1880's when the U.S. government confined the Native Americans to live on reservation land. Arthur would join these cattle drives at Dodge City, Kansas, and help trail them to their destination in South Dakota. Upon returning home he would ride across the Sandhills of Nebraska. In those days, sand made up the majority of the hills, but the flats and valleys were beginning to hold much grassland and water seemed to be quite plentiful. Arthur eventually married Hannah Minor, one of the neighbor girls, and brother Harry was bushwhacked and killed by the Indians wrangling horses one morning on the Beaver Creek.

Longing to relocate in the Sandhills, in 1889 Arthur loaded the wagon with his life belongings, along with his aging father and young family, and pointed their small herd of cattle north to the upcoming village of Hyannis. The Abbott’s settled several miles northeast of Hyannis in a valley, which would later on become the southern part of Cherry County. At that time, cattle grazed on open range along with other early settlers’ cattle, so the brand became an important factor in identifying each rancher's herd.

Third and Fourth Generations

Through Arthur's union in marriage to Hannah, three children were born. Christopher, Dorothy, and Leroy would be the 3rd generation of Abbott’s to carry on the ranching tradition. Progressing through the early 1900's, the Abbott's entered into the banking business and expanded their ranching operation in the Sandhills. Christopher married Helen Sears, whose father was well known for his building construction in the Hyannis area. Through this union the 4th generation would be born. Arthur, Glaidith, and Phylis would continue to carry on the ranching and banking heritage of the Abbott family.

Fifth and Sixth Generations

Hard times hit the U.S. through the 1930's and 40's, as several years of drought plagued the area and money became very scarce because of the economy. The Abbott's managed to survive those times, and Arthur married Patricia Frank from Scottsbluff, NE. Through this union the 5th generation of Abbott's were born in the 1950's. Andrea, Diane, Christopher, Helen and Mike would continue to carry on the ranching heritage as the banks were eventually sold off. In 1977, Christopher married Kim Brennemann whose family also ranched in the Hyannis area. Through this union the 6th generation of Abbott's have emerged. A.J. (Arthur), Alicia, and Carver were born in the early 1980's. All three children have pursued separate careers in addition to ranching, but have recently purchased cattle and have a strong desire to carry on the ranching tradition of the Abbott family.

The Future: Abbott’s Sandhills Own

The 21st century has come and the beef industry is going through the same trials and tribulations it went through 100 years ago. The slaughter and packing segment of the industry has taken control of the marketplace through consolidation and captive supply of cattle, thus reducing the price paid for cattle to the rancher for producing their product. The American rancher is becoming an endangered species as an average of 1,000 American ranches per month are going out of business. The 6th generation of Abbott's have come to realize that in order to take this business into the future, they need to blaze a new trail…very much like their Great-Great Grandfather, Arthur, who blazed a new trail into an unknown wilderness called the Nebraska Sandhills. Thus, Abbott’s Sandhills Own was born, with the hope that in the future, ranching will again become as rewarding as it once was.