William and Livinia (Russ) Austin came to Valley Township, Barber
     County, in the summer of 1884. They were married at La Porte, Indiana,
     and later lived at Grant City, Missouri.
          They took a claim on government land, open for preemption. A settler
     had to put up a house, break sod, and make other improvements, valued at
     $200.oo and the land was his. The $200.00 could be paid all at once or 
     $50.00 for four years.
          Many pioneers came by emigrant car to Harper, the end of the railroad
     by 1884, by 1885 the railroad had come to Medicine Lodge, 15 miles from
     the Austins. Now they could go to a railroad and back in the same day!
     When the Englewood line came through in 1887, their son, George, got a job.
     For working 10 hours a day with his team, he earned a fantastic $1.50 a day!
          William and Mary had 5 children. Hattie studied art and music in
     Chicago. She married Jim Bird. They raised 12 children 1 mile north of her
     parents, later moving 1 mile east. Albert became a lawyer at Everett, 
     Washington. Frank took a claim 2 miles north of his parents. He later made
     the Oklahoma Land Run, settling near Carmen, Oklahoma. Charlie died at 17
     years in 1888 of a ruptured appendix. George had come to the area in 1883
     taking a claim about 5 miles north of Old Bross.
          Old Bross was about 3 miles northeast of the present Nashville. It
     boasted a store and post office, a hotel, school house, blacksmith shop,
     and land office. The daily stage from Kingman to Medicine Lodge stopped there
     for dinner. In 1887 when the railroad went through, Nashville and Isabel
     were started. The few houses that were at Old Bross were moved to Nashville.
     All that remains is the cemetery.
          In 1896 Mary Austin died of pneumonia. Because of crippling rheumatism,
     William then lived with his son, George and Emma (Strohl) Austin. They
     added on a room for him. He died in 1907 and wis buried by his wife and son,
     Charley, at Old Bross.
             
     Source: Isabel, Kansas - The First 100 Years, 1887 - 1987,  pg. 36
     
     Submitted by: Wilma Austin Bell