First Arrivals in Foster County

What is a "Pioneer"?  The World Dictionary describes a pioneer: "1. As a person who settled in a part of the country that has not been occupied before except by primitive tribes; 2. a person who goes first or does something first, and so prepares the way for others."

What was it like to be a pioneer in Foster County?  How did they survive all the hazards of living in an unsettled area?  How did they get here from all parts of the world?  How do you make a living from land that is all covered with virgin prairie?

Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 34