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 Gage (Bounty, Nebraska, 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of I'rominent 
 and Representative Citizens of the County, 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL THE GOVERNORS OF THE STATE, AND 
 OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 
 CHAPMAN BROTHERS. 
 
 1888. 
 
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 §HE greatest of English historians, Macauley, ami one of the most brilliant writers 
 of the past century, has said : "The history of a country is best told in a record of the 
 lives of its people." In conformity with this idea the Poutkait and Biographical 
 Ai.iiUMOf this county has been prepared. Instead of gt)ing to musty records, and 
 taking therefrom dry statistical matter that can be appreciated by but few, our 
 corps of writers have gone to the people, the men and women who have, liy their 
 enterprise and industry, brought the county to a ranlc second to none among those 
 comin-ising this great and noble State, and from their lips have the story of tiieir life 
 struggles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelli- 
 gent public. In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the 
 imitation of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by 
 industry and economy have accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with limited 
 ^'-' ^ advantages for securing an education, have become learned men and women, with an 
 '".i^.Js^ iufliience extending throughout the length and breadth of the land. It tells of men who 
 have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence as statesmen, and whose names have 
 i.^^C^ become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and 
 •^ ^ records how that success has usually crowned their efforts. It tells also of many, very 
 
 many, who, not seeking the applause of the world, have pursued "the even tenor of their way," content 
 to have it said of them as Christ said of the woman performing a deed of mercy — "they have done what 
 they could." It tells how that many in the pride and strength of young manhood left the plow and the 
 anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's 
 call went forth valiantly "to do or die," and how through their efforts the Union was restored and peace 
 once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every woman is a lesson that should not 
 be lost upon those who follow after. 
 
 Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treasure, from the fact 
 that it contains so much that would never find its way into public records, and which would otherwise be 
 inaccessible. Great care has been taken in the compilation of the work and eveiy opportunity possible 
 given to those represented to insure correctness in what has been written, and the publishers flatter them- 
 selves that they give to their readers a work with few errors of consequence. In addition to the biograph- 
 ical sketches, portraits of a number of representative citizens are given. 
 
 The faces of some, and biographical sketches of many, will be missed in this volume. For this the 
 publishers are not to blame. Not having a proper conception of the work, some refused to "ive the 
 information necessary to compile a sketch, while otiiers were indifferent. Occasionally some member of 
 the family would oppose the enterprise, and on account of such opposition the support of the interested 
 one would be withheld. In a few instances men could never be found, though repeated calls were made 
 at their residence or place of business. 
 
 Chicaoo, November, 1888. CHAPMAN BROS. 
 
 
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 FIRST I'RESIDENT. 
 
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 HE Father of our Country was 
 ^born in Westmorland Co., Va., 
 22, 1732. His parents 
 were Augustine and Maiy 
 ^ (Ball) Washington. The family 
 to which he belonged has not 
 been satisfactorily traced in 
 England. His great-grand- 
 father, John Washington, em- 
 igrated to Virginia about 1657, 
 and became a prosperous 
 planter. He had two sons, 
 Lawrence and John. The 
 former married Mildred Warner 
 and had three children, John, 
 Augustine and Mildred. Augus- 
 tine, the father of George, first 
 married Jane Butler, who bore 
 him four children, two of whom, 
 Lawrence and Augustine, reached 
 maturity. Of si.x children by his 
 second marriage, George was the 
 eldest, the others being Betty, 
 Samuel, John Augustine, Charles 
 and Mildred. 
 Augustine Washington, the father of George, died 
 in 1743, leaving a large landed property. To his 
 eldest son, Lawrence, he bequeathed an estate on 
 the Patomac, afterwards known as Mount Vernon, 
 and to George he left the parental residence. George 
 received only such education as the neighlx)rhood 
 schools afforded, save for a short time after he left 
 school, when he received private instruction in 
 mathematics. His spcllinji v/as rather defective. 
 
 Remarkable stories are told of his great physical 
 strength and development at an early age. He was 
 an acknowledged leader among his companions, and 
 was early noted for that nobleness of character, fair- 
 ness and veracity which characterized his whole life. 
 
 When George was 1 4 years old he had a desire to go to 
 sea, and a midshipman's warrant was secured for him, 
 but through the opposition of his mother the idea was 
 abandoned. Two years later he was appointed 
 surveyor to the immense estate of Lord Fairfax. In 
 this business he spent three years in a rough frontier 
 life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very 
 essential to him. In 175 i, though only 19 years of 
 age, he was apixiinted adjutant with the rank of 
 major in the Virginia militia, then being trained for 
 active service against the French and Indians. Soon 
 after this he sailed to the West Indies with his brother 
 Lawrence, who went there to restore his health. They 
 soon returned, and in the summer of 1752 Lawrence 
 died, leaving a large fortune to an infant daughter 
 who did not long survive him. On her demise the 
 estate of Mount Vernon was given to (leorge. 
 
 Upon the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie, as Lieuten- 
 ant-Governor of Virginia, in 1752, the militia was 
 reorganized, and the province divided into four mili- 
 tary districts, of which the northern was assigned to 
 Washington as adjutant general. Shortly after this 
 a very perilous mission was assigned him and ac- 
 cepted, which others had refused. This was to pro- 
 ceed to the French post near Lake Erie in North- 
 western Pennsylvania. The distance to be traversed 
 was between 500 and 600 miles. Winter was at hand, 
 and the journey was to be made without military 
 escort, through a territory occupied by Indians. The 
 
i 
 
 -^•- 
 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
 trip was a perilous one, and several limes he came near 
 losing his life, yet he returned in safety and furnished 
 a full and useful report of his expedition. A regiment 
 of 300 men was raised in Virginia and put in com- 
 mand of Cul. Joshua Fry, and Major Washington was 
 commissioned lieutenant-colonel. Active war was 
 then begun against the French and Indians, in which 
 Washington took a most important part. In the 
 memorable event of July 9, 1755, known as Brad- 
 dock's defeat, Washington was almost the only officer 
 of distinction who escaped from the calamities of the 
 day with life and honor. The other aids of Braddock 
 were disabled early in the action, and Washington 
 alone was left in that capacity on the field. In a letter 
 to his brother he says : " I had four bullets through 
 my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet I escaped 
 unhurt, though death was leveling my companions 
 on every side." An Indian sharpshooter said he was 
 not born to be killed by a bullet, for he had taken 
 direct aim at him seventeen times, and failed to hit 
 him. 
 
 After having been five years in the military service, 
 and vainly sought promotion in the royal army, he 
 took advantage of the fall of Fort Duquesne and the 
 expulsion of the French from the valley of the Ohio, 
 to resign his commission. Soon after he entered the 
 Legislature, where, although not a leader, he took an 
 active and important part. January 17, 1759, he 
 married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, the wealthy 
 widow of John Parke Custis. 
 
 When the British Parliament had closed the port 
 »if Boston, the cry went up throughout the provinces 
 that "The cause of Boston is the cause of us all." 
 It was then, at the suggestion of Virginia, that a Con- 
 gress of all the colonies was called to meet at Phila- 
 delphia,Sept. 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties, 
 peaceably if possible. To this Congress Col. Wash- 
 ington was sent as a delegate. On May 10, 1775, the 
 Congress re-assembled, when the hostile intentions of 
 England were plainly apparent. The battles of Con- 
 cord and Lexington had been fought. Among the 
 first acts of this Congress was the election of a com- 
 mander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This high and 
 responsible office was conferred upon Washington, 
 who was still a member of the Congress. He accepted 
 it on June 19, but upon the express condition that he 
 receive no salary. He would keep an exact account 
 of expenses and expect Congress to pay them and 
 nothing more. It is not the object of this sketch to 
 trace the military acts of Washington, to whom the 
 fortunes and liberties of the people of this country 
 were so long confided. The war was conducted by 
 him under ever)' possible disadvantage, and while his 
 forces often met with reverses, yet he overcame every 
 obstacle, and after seven years of heroic devotion 
 and matchless skill he gained liberty for the greatest 
 nation of earth. On Dec. 23, 1783, Washington, in 
 a parting address of surpassing beauty, resigned his 
 
 commission as commander-in-chief of the army to 
 to the Continental Congress sitting at Annajx^lis. He 
 retired immediately to Mount Vernon and resumed 
 his occupation as a farmer and planter, shunning all 
 connection with public life. 
 
 In February, 1 7 89, Washington was unanimously 
 elected President. In his presidential career ht was 
 subject to the peculiar trials incidental to a new 
 government ; trials from lack of confidence on the part 
 of other governments ; trials from want of hamiony 
 between the different sections of our own country; 
 trials from the impoverished condition of the country, 
 owing to the war and want of credit; trials from the 
 beginnings of party strife. He was no partisan. His 
 clear judgment could discern the golden mean; and 
 while perhaps this alone kept our government from 
 sinking at the very outset, it left him exposed to 
 attacks from both sides, which were often bitter and 
 very annoying. 
 
 At the expiration of his first term he was unani- 
 mously re-elected. At the end of this term many 
 were anxious that he be re-elected, but he absolutely 
 refused a third nomination. On the fourth of March, 
 1797, at the expiraton of his second term as Presi- 
 dent, he returned to his home, hoping to pass there 
 his few remaining yeais free from the annoyances of 
 public life. Later in the year, however, his repose 
 seemed likely to be interrupted by war with France. 
 At the prospect of such a war he was again urged to 
 take command of the armies. He chose his sub- 
 ordinate officers and left to them the charge of mat- 
 ters in the field, which he superintended from his 
 home. In accepting the command he made the 
 reservation that he was not to be in the field until 
 it was necessary. In the midst of these preparations 
 his life was suddenly cut off. December 12, he took 
 a severe cold from a ride in the rain, which, settling 
 in his throat, produced inflammation, and terminated 
 fatally on the night of the fourteenth. On the eigh- 
 teenth his body was borne with military honors to its 
 final resting place, and interred in the family vault at 
 Mount Vernon. 
 
 Of the character of Washington it is impossible to 
 speak but in terms of the highest respect and ad- 
 miration. The more we see of the operations of 
 our government, and the more deeply we feel the 
 difficulty of uniting all opinions in a common interest, 
 the more highly we must estimate the force of his tal- 
 ent and character, which have been able to challenge 
 the reverence of all parties, and principles, and na- 
 tions, and to win a fame as extended as the limits 
 of the globe, and which we cannot but believe will 
 be as lastinu, as the existence of man. 
 
 The person of Washington was unusally tan, erect 
 and well proportioned. His muscular strength was 
 great. His features were of a beautiful symmetry. 
 He commanded respect without any appearance of 
 lunightiness, and ever serious without being dull. 
 
Jif^mJ^^am 
 
^ 
 
 SECOND PRESIDENT. 
 
 23 i i 
 
 
 
 ^-Ao^^ia^ 
 
 ^~m J®HN ADAMS- ^.r^^^ 
 
 m 
 
 
 OHN ADAMS, the second 
 J President and the first Vice- 
 " President of the United States, 
 was born in Braintree (now 
 Quincy ),Mass., and about ten 
 miles from Boston, Oct. 19, 
 1735. His great-grandfather, Henry 
 Adams, emigrated from England 
 about 1640, with a family of eight 
 , sons, and settled at Braintree. The 
 parents of John were John and 
 Susannah (Boylston) Adams. His 
 father was a farmer of limited 
 means, to which he added the bus- 
 iness of shoemaking. He gave his 
 eldest son, John, a classical educa- 
 tion at Harvard College. John 
 graduated in 1755, and at once took charge of the 
 school in Worcester, Mass. This he found but a 
 "school of affliction," from which he endeavored to 
 gain relief by devoting himself, in addition, to the 
 study of law. For this purpose he placed himself 
 under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. He 
 had thought seriously of the clerical profession 
 but seems to have been turned from this l)y what he 
 termed "the frightful engines of ecclesiastical coun- 
 cils, of diabolical malice, and Calvanistic good nature,'' 
 of the operations of which he had been a witness in 
 his native town. He was well fitted for the legal 
 profession, jxjssessing a clear, sonorous voice, being 
 ready and fluent of speech, and having quick percep- 
 tive i»wers. He gradually gained practice, and in 
 1764 married Abigail Smith, a daughter of a minister, 
 and a lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his 
 marriage, (1765), the attempt of Parliamentar)- taxa- 
 tion turned him from law to politics. He took initial 
 (Steps toward holding a town meeting, and the resol'i- 
 
 tions he offered on the subject became very jxapulai 
 throughout the Province, and were adopted word for 
 word by over forty different towns. He moved to Bos- 
 ton in 1768, and became one of the most courageous 
 and prominent advocates of the popular cause, and 
 was chosen a member of the General Court (the Leg- 
 lislature) in 1770. 
 
 Mr. Adams was chosen one of the first delegates 
 from Massachusetts to the first Continental Congress, 
 which met in 1774. Here he distinguished himself 
 by his capacity for business and for debate, and ad- 
 vocated the movement for independence against the 
 majority of the members. In May, 1776, he moved 
 and carried a resolution in Congress that the Colonies 
 should assume the duties of self-government. He 
 was a prominent member of the committee of five 
 appointed June 11, to prepare a declaration of inde- 
 pendence. This article was drawn by Jefferson, but 
 on Adams devolved the task of battling it through 
 Congress in a three days debate. 
 
 On the day after the Declaration of Independence 
 was passed, while his soul was yet warm with the 
 glow of excited feeling, he wrote a letter to his wife, 
 which, as we read it now, seems to have been dictated 
 by the spirit of prophecy. "Yesterday," he says, "the 
 greatest question was decided that ever was debated 
 in America; and greater, perhaps, never was or will 
 be decided among men. A resolution was passed 
 without one dissenting colony, ' that these United 
 States are, and of right ought to be, free and inde- 
 pendent states.' The day is passed. The fourth of 
 July, 1776, will be a memorable epoch in the history 
 of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated 
 by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary 
 festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of 
 deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty 
 (Iml. It ought to be solemnized with ]K)mp, shows. 
 
 i' 
 
u 
 
 A^ 
 
 24 
 
 JOHN ADAMS. 
 
 games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations 
 from one end of the continent to the other, from this 
 time forward for ever. You will think me transix)rted 
 with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of 
 the toil, and blood and treasure, that it will cost to 
 maintain this declaration, and support and defend 
 these States; yet, through all the gloom, I can see the 
 rays of light and glory. 1 can see that the end is 
 worth more than all the means; and that posterity 
 will triumph, although you and I may rue, which I 
 hope we shall not." 
 
 In November, 1777, Mr. Adams was appointed a 
 delegate to France and to co-operate with Bemjamin 
 Franklin and' Arthur Lee, who were then in Paris, in 
 the endeavor to obtain assistance in arms and money 
 from the French Government. This was a severe trial 
 to his patriotism, as it separated him from his home, 
 compelled him to cross the ocean in winter, and ex- 
 posed him to great peril of capture by the British cruis- 
 ers, who were seeking him. He left France June 17, 
 1779. In September of the same year he was again 
 chosen to go to Paris, and there hold himself in readi- 
 ness to negotiate a treaty of peace and of commerce 
 with Great Britian, as soon as the British Cabinet 
 might be found willing to listen to such pioix)sels. He 
 sailed for France in November, from there he went to 
 Holland, where he negotiated important loans and 
 formed important commercial treaties. 
 
 Finally a treaty of peace with England was signed 
 Jan. 21, 1783. The re-action from the excitement, 
 toil and anxiety through which Mr. Adams had passed 
 threw him into a fever. After suffering from a con- 
 tinued fever and becoming feeble and emaciated he 
 was advised to go to England to drink the waters of 
 Bath. While in England, still drooping anddespond- 
 ing, he received dispatches from his own government 
 urging the necessity of his going to Amsterdam to 
 negotiate another loan. It was winter, his health was 
 delicate, yet he immediately set out, and through 
 storm, on sea, on horseback and foot,hemade the trip. 
 
 February 24, 1785, Congress appointed Mr. Adams 
 envoy to the Court of St. James. Here he met face 
 to face the King of England, who had so long re- 
 garded him as a traitor. As England did not 
 condescend to appoint a minister to the United 
 States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he was acconi- 
 l^lishing but little, he sought permission to return to 
 his own country, where he arrived in June, 1788. 
 
 When Washington was first chosen President, John 
 Adams, rendered illustiious by his signal services at 
 home and abroad, was chosen Vice President. Again 
 at the second election of Washington as President, 
 .\dams was chosen Vice President. In 1796, Wash- 
 ington retired from public life, and Mr. Adams vvas 
 elected President,though not without much opposition. 
 Serving in this ofifice four years, he was succeeded by 
 Mr. Jefferson, his opponent in politics. 
 
 While Mr. .'\dams was Vice President the great 
 
 French Revolution shook the continent of Europe, 
 and it was upon this point which he was at issue with 
 the majority of his countrj'men led by Mr. Jefferson. 
 Mr. Adams felt no sympathy with the French people 
 in their struggle, for he had no confidence in their 
 power of self-government, and he utterly abhored the 
 classof atlieist philosophers who he claimed caused it. 
 ()\\ the other hand Jefferson's sympathies were strongly 
 enlisted in behalf of the French people. Hence or- 
 iginated the alienation between these distinguished 
 men, and two powerful parties were thus soon organ- 
 ized, Adams at the head of the one whose sympathies 
 were with England and Jefferson led the other in 
 sympathy with France. 
 
 The world has seldom seen a spectacle of more 
 moral beauty and grandeur, than was presented by the 
 old age of Mr. Adams. The violence of party feeling 
 had died away, and he had begun to receive that just 
 appreciation which, to most men, is not accorded till 
 after death. No one could look upon his venerable 
 form, and think of what he had done and suffered, 
 and how he had given up all the prime and strength 
 of his life to the public good, without the deepest 
 einotion of gratitude and respect. It was his peculiar 
 good fortune to witness the complete success of the 
 institution which he had been so active in creating and 
 supporting. In 1824, his cup of happiness was filled 
 to the brim, by seeing his son elevated to the highest 
 station in the gift of the people. 
 
 The fourth of July, 1826, which completed the half 
 century since the signing of the Declaration of Inde- 
 pendence, arrived, and there were but three of the 
 signers of that immortal instrument left upon the 
 earth to hail its morning light. And, as it is 
 well known, on that day two of these finished their 
 earthly pilgrimage, a coincidence so remarkable as 
 to seem miraculous. For a few days before Mr. 
 Adams had been rapidly failing, and on the morning 
 of the fourth he found himself too weak to rise from 
 his bed. On being requested to name a toast for the 
 customary celebration of the day, he exclaimed " In- 
 dependence FOREVER." When the day was ushered 
 in, by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannons, 
 he was asked by one of his attendants if he knew 
 what day it was? He replied, "O yes; it is the glor- 
 ious fourth of July — God bless it — God bless you all." 
 In the course of the day he said, "It is a great and 
 glorious day." The last words he uttered were, 
 " Jefferson survives." But he had, at one o'clock, re- 
 signed his spirit into the hands of his God. 
 
 The personal appearance and manners of Mr. 
 Adams were not particularly prejxjssessing. His face, 
 as his portrait manifests,was intellectual ard expres- 
 sive, but his figure was low and ungraceful, and his 
 manners were frequently abrupt and uncourteous. 
 He had neither the lofty dignity of Washington, nor 
 the engaging elegance and gracefulness which marked 
 the manners and address of Jefferson. 
 
"^^tTTZ, 
 
-4^ 
 
 THIRD FRB:SIDENT. 
 
 27 
 
 
 HOMAS JEFFERSON was 
 born April 2, 1743, at Shad- 
 ipwell, Albermarle county, Va. 
 His parents were Peter and 
 Jane ( Randolph) Jefferson, 
 the fonner a native of Wales, 
 and the latter born in Lon- 
 don. To them were born six 
 daughters and two sons, of 
 whom Thomas was the elder. 
 When 14 years of age his 
 father died. He received a 
 most liberal education, hav- 
 ing been kept diligently at school 
 from the time he was five years of 
 age. In 1760 he entered William 
 and Mary College. Williamsburg was then the seat 
 of the Colonial Court, and it was the obode of fashion 
 a.id splendor. Voung Jefferson, who was then 17 
 years old, lived somewhat expensively, keeping fine 
 horses, and much caressed by gay society, yet he 
 was earnestly devoted to his studies, and irreproacha- 
 able in his morals. It is strange, however, under 
 such influences, that he was not ruined. In the sec- 
 ond year of his college course, moved by some un- 
 explained inward impulse, he discarded his horses, 
 society, and even his favorite violin, to which he had 
 previously given much time. He often devoted fifteen 
 hours a day to haid study, allowing himself for ex- 
 ercise only a run in the evening twilight of a mile out 
 of the city and back again. He thus attained very 
 high intellectual culture, alike excellence in philoso- 
 phy and the languages. The most difficult Latin and 
 Greek authors he read with facility. A more finished 
 scholar has seldom gone forth from college halls; and 
 
 <■ 
 
 there was not to be found, perhaps, in all Virginia, a 
 more pureminded, upright, gentlemanly young man. 
 
 Immediately ujxjn leaving college he began the 
 study of law. For the short time he continued in the 
 practice of his profession he rose rapidly and distin- 
 guished himself by his energy and accuteness as a 
 lawyer. But the times called for greater action. 
 The policy of England had awakened the spirit of 
 resistance of the American Colonies, and the enlarged 
 views which Jefferson had ever entertained, soon led 
 him into active political life. In 1769 he was chosen 
 a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 
 1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beauti- 
 ful, wealthy and highly accomplished young widow. 
 
 Upon Mr. Jefferson's large estate at Shadwell, there 
 was a majestic swell of land, called Monticello, which 
 commanded a prospect of wonderful extent and 
 beauty. This spot Mr. Jefferson selected for his new 
 home; and here he reared a mansion of modest yet 
 elegant architecture, which, next to Mount Vernon, 
 became the most distinguished resort in our land. 
 
 In 1775 he was sent to the Colonial Congress, 
 where, though a silent member, liis abilities as a 
 writer and a reasoner soon become known, and he 
 was placed w\y3x\ a number of important committees, 
 and was chairman of the one apjxjinted for the draw- 
 ing up of a declaration of independence. This com- 
 mittee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, 
 Benjamin Franklin, Roger .Sherman and Robert R. 
 Livingston. Jefferson, as chairman, was appointed 
 to draw up the paper. Franklin and Adams suggested 
 a few verbal changes before it was submitted to Con- 
 gress. On June 28, a few slight changes were made 
 in it by Congress, and it was passed and signed July 
 4, 1776. What must have been the feelings of that 
 •► 
 
 
28 
 
 THOMAS JEFFERSON. 
 
 4- 
 
 man — what the emotions that swelled his breast — 
 who was charged with the preparation of that Dec- 
 laration, which, while it made known the wrongs of 
 America, was also to publish her to the world, free, 
 soverign and independent, ft is one of the most re- 
 markable papers ever written ; and did no other effort 
 of the mind of its author exist, tiiat alone would be 
 sufficient to stamp his name with immortality. 
 
 In 1779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to 
 Patrick Henry, e.s Governor of Virginia. At one time 
 the Britisii officer, Tarleton, sent a secret expedition to 
 Monticello, to capture the Governor. Scarcely five 
 minutes elapsed after tlie hurried escape of Mr. Jef- 
 ferson and his family, ere his mansion was in posses- 
 sion of the British troops. His wife's health, never 
 very good, was much injured by tliis excitement, and 
 in the summer of 1782 she died. 
 
 Mr. Jefferson was elected to Congress in 1783. j 
 Two years later he was appointed Minister Plenipo- 
 tentiary to France. Returning to the United States 
 in September, 1789, he became Secretary of State 
 in Washington's caljinet. This position he resigned 
 Jan. I, 1794. In 1797, he was chosen Vice Presi- 
 dent, and four years later was elected President over 
 Mr. Adams, with Aaron Burr as Vice President. In 
 1804 he was re-elected with wonderful unanimity, 
 and George Clinton, Vice President. 
 
 The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second adminstra- 
 tion was disturbed by an event which threatened the 
 tranquility and peace of the Union; this was the con- 
 spiracy of Aaron Burr. Defeated in the late election 
 to the Vice Presidency, and led on by an unprincipled 
 ambition, this extraordinary man formed the plan of a 
 military expedition into the Spanish territories on our 
 southwestern frontier, for the purpose of forming there 
 a new republic. This has been generally supposed 
 was a mere pretext ; and although it has not been 
 generally known what his real plans were, there is no 
 doubt that they were of a far more dangerous 
 character. 
 
 In 1809, at the expiration of the second term for 
 which Mr. Jefferson had been elected, he determined 
 to retire from jxjlitical life. For a period of nearly 
 forty years, he had been continually before the pub- 
 lic, and all that time had been employed in offices of 
 the greatest trust and resi^nsibility. Having thus de- 
 voted the best part of his life to the service of his 
 country, he now felt desirous of that rest which his 
 declining years required, and upon the organization of 
 the new administration, in March, 1809, he bid fare- 
 well forever to public life, and retired to Monticello. 
 
 Mr. Jefferson was profuse in his hospitality. Whole 
 families came in their coaches with their horses, — 
 fathers and mothers, boys and girls, babies and 
 nurses, — and remained three and even six months. 
 Life at Monticello, for years, resembled that at a 
 fashionable watering-place. 
 
 The fourth of July, 1826, being the fiftieth anniver- 
 
 ■^•^ 
 
 sary of the Declaration of American Independence, 
 great preparations were made in every part of the 
 Union for its celebration, as the nation's jubilee, and 
 the citizens of Washington, to add to the solemnity 
 of the occasion, invited Mr. Jefferson, as the framer, 
 and one of the few surviving signers of the Declara- 
 tion, to participate in their festivities. But an ill- 
 ness, which had been of several weeks duration, and 
 had been continually increasing, compelled him to 
 decline the invitation. 
 
 On the second of July, the disease under which 
 he was laboring left him, but in such a reduced 
 state that his medical attendants, entertained no 
 hope of his recovery. From this time he was perfectly 
 sensible that his last hour was at hand. On the next 
 day, which was Monday, he asked of those around 
 him, the day of the month, and on being told it was 
 the third of July, he expressed the earnest wish that 
 he might be permitted to breathe the air of the fiftieth 
 anniversary. His prayer was heard — that day, whose 
 dawn was hailed with such rapture through our land, 
 burst upon his eyes, and then they were closed for- 
 ever. And what a noble consummation of a noble 
 life! To die on that day, — the birthday of a nation,- - 
 the day which his own name and his own act had 
 rendered glorious; to die amidst the rejoicings and 
 festivities of a whole nation, who looked up to him, 
 as the author, under God, of their greatest blessings, 
 was all that was wanting to fill up the record his life. 
 
 Almost at the same hour of his death, the kin- 
 dred spirit of the venerable Adams, as if to bear 
 him company, left the scene of his earthly honors. 
 Hand in hand they had stood forth, the champions of 
 freedom ; hand in hand, during the dark and desper- 
 ate struggle of the Revolution, they had cheered and 
 animated their desponding countrymen; for half a 
 century they had labored together for the good of 
 the country; and now hand in hand they depart. 
 In their lives they had been united in the same great 
 cause of liberty, and in their deaths they were not 
 divided. 
 
 In person Mr. Jefferson was tall and thin, rather 
 above six feet in height, but well formed; his eyes 
 were light, his hair originally red, in after life became 
 white and silvery; his complexion was fair, his fore- 
 head broad, and his whole countenance intelligent and 
 thoughtful. He possessed great fortitude of mind as 
 well as personal courage ; and his command of tem- 
 per was such that his oldest and most intimate friends 
 never recollected to have seen him in a passion. 
 His manners, though dignified, were simple and un- 
 affected, and his hospitality was so unbounded that 
 all found at his house a ready welcome. In conver- 
 sation he was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic ; and 
 his language was remarkably pure and correct. He 
 was a finished classical scholar, and in his writings is 
 discernable the care with which he formed his style 
 upon the best models of antiquity. 
 
 f 
 
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 / (Z/o<-^'^^ ^^yCc ^t,.^^^ i?^ 
 
,t 
 
 FOURTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 3» 
 
 PEQES n]^DISO]].«^ 
 
 AMES MADISON, "Father 
 
 of the Constitution," and fourth 
 
 'President of the United States, 
 
 was born March i6, 1757, and 
 
 died at his liome in \'iri;inia, 
 
 Z"*^ June 28, 1836. The name of 
 James Madison is inseparably con- 
 nected with most of the imix)rtant 
 events in that heroic period of our 
 country during which tlie founda- 
 tions of this great republic were 
 laid. He was the last of the founders 
 of the Constitution of the United 
 States to be called to his eternal 
 reward. 
 
 The Madison family were among 
 the early emigrants to the New World, 
 landing u[X)n the shores of the Chesa- 
 jjeake but 15 years after the settle- 
 ment of Jamestown. The father of 
 James Madison was an opulent 
 planter, residing uix)n a very fine es- 
 tate called "Montpelier," Orange Co., 
 Va. The mansion was situated in 
 the midst of scenery highly pictur- 
 esque and romantic, on the west side 
 of South-west Mountain, at the foot of 
 It was but 25 miles from the home of 
 Jefferson at Monticello. The closest personal and 
 ]X3litical attachment existed between these illustrious 
 men, from their early youth until death. 
 
 The early education of Mr. Madison was conducted 
 mostly at home under a private tutor. At the age of 
 18 he was sent to Princeton College, in New Jersey. 
 Here he applied himself to study with the most im- 
 
 Blue Ridge. 
 
 prudent zeal; allowing himself, for months, l)ut three 
 hours' sleep outof tlie 24. His health thus becaineso 
 seriously impaired that he never recovered any vigor 
 of constitution. He graduated in 177 i, with a feeble 
 body, with a character of utmost purity, and with a 
 mind liighly disciplined and richly stored with learning 
 which embellished and gave proficiency to liis subsf 
 quent career. 
 
 Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study of 
 law and a course of extensive and systematic reading. 
 This educational course, the spirit of the times in 
 which he lived, and the society with which he asso- 
 ciated, all combined to inspire him with a strong 
 love of liberty, and to train him for his life-work of 
 a statesman. Being naturally of a religious turn of 
 mind, and his frail health leading him to think that 
 his life was not to be long, he directed especial atten- 
 tion to theological studies. Endowed with a mind 
 singularly free from passion and prejudice, and with 
 almost unequalled iwwers of reasoning, he weighed 
 all the arguments for and against revealed religion, 
 until his faith became so established as never to 
 be shaken. 
 
 In the spring of 1776, when 26 years of age, he 
 was elected a member of the Virginia Convention, to 
 frame the constitution of the State. The ne.xt year 
 (1777)) lie was a candidate for the General Assembly. 
 He refused to treat the whisky-loving voters, and 
 consequently lost his election ; but those who had 
 witnessed the talent, energy and public spirit of the 
 modest young man, enlisted themselves in his behalf, 
 and he was appointed to the Executive Council. 
 
 Both Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were 
 Oovernors of Virginia while Mr. Madison remained 
 member of the Council ; and their appreciation of his 
 
 n 
 
p 
 
 JAMES MADISON. 
 
 intellectual, social and moral worth, contributed not 
 a little to his subsequent eminence. In the year 
 1780, he was elected a member of the Continental 
 Congress. Here he met tlie most illustrious men in 
 our land, and he was immediately assigned to one of 
 the most conspicuous positions among them. 
 
 For three years Mr. Madison continued in Con- 
 gress, one of its most active and influential members. 
 In the year 1784, his term having expired, he was 
 elected a member of the Virginia Legislature. 
 
 No man felt more deeply than Mr. Madison the 
 utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no na- 
 tional government, with no power to form treaties 
 which would be binding, or to enforce law. There 
 was not any State more prominent than Virginia in 
 the declaration, that an efficient national government 
 must be formed. In January, 1786, Mr. Madison 
 carried a resolution through the General Assembly of 
 Virginia, inviting the other States to appoint commis- 
 sioners to meet in convention at Annapolis to discuss 
 this subject. Five States only were represented. The 
 convention, however, issued another call, drawn up 
 by Mr. Madison, urging all the States to send their 
 delegates to Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to draft 
 a Constitution for the United States, to take the place 
 of that Confederate League. The delegates met at 
 the time appointed. F.very State but Rhode Island 
 was represented. George Washington was chosen 
 president of the convention; and the present Consti- 
 tution of the United States was then and there formed. 
 There was, perha|)s, no mind and no pen more ac- 
 tive in framing this immortal document than the mind 
 and the pen of James Madison. 
 
 The Constitution, adopted by a vote 8i to 79, was 
 to be presented to the several States for acceptance. 
 But grave solicitude was felt. Should it be rejected 
 we should be left but a conglomeration of independent 
 States, witli but little \x)wer at liome and little respect 
 abroad. Mr. Madison was selected by the conven- 
 tion to draw up an address to the people of the United 
 States, expounding the principles of the Constitution, 
 and urging its adoption. There was great opposition 
 to it at first, but it at length triumphed over all, and 
 went into effect in 1789. 
 
 Mr. Madison was elected to the House of Repre- 
 sentatives in the first Congress, and soon became the 
 avowed leader of the Republican party. While in 
 New York attending Congress, he met Mrs, Todd, a 
 young widow of remarkable jwwer of fascination, 
 whom he married. She was in person and character 
 queenly, and probably no lady has thus far occupied 
 so iirominent a ]iosition in the ver)' peculiar society 
 which has constituted our republican court as Mrs. 
 Madison. 
 
 Mr. Madison served as Secretary of State under 
 Jefferson, and at the close of his administration 
 was chosen President. At this time the encroach- 
 ments of England had brought us to the verge of war. 
 
 British orders in council destioyed our commerce, and 
 our flag was exposed to constant insult. Mr. Madison 
 was a man of peace. Scholarly in his taste, retiring 
 in hi3dis[»sition, war had no charms for him. But the 
 meekest spirit can be roused. It makes one's blood 
 boil, even now, to think of an American ship brought 
 to, uix)n the ocean, by the guns of an English cruiser. 
 A young lieutenant steps on board and orders the 
 crew to be paraded before him. With great nonchal- 
 ance he selects any number whom he may please to 
 designate as British subjects ; orders them down the 
 ship's side into his boat; and places them on the gun- 
 deck of his man-of-war, to fight, by compulsion, the 
 battles of England. This right of search and im- 
 pressment, no efforts of our Government could induce 
 the British cabinet to relinquish. 
 
 On the 1 8th of June, 181 2, President Madison gave 
 his approval to an act of Congress declaring war 
 against Great Britain. Notwithstanding the bitter 
 hostility of the Federal party to the war, the country 
 in general approved; and Mr. Madison, on the 4th 
 of March, rgij, was re-elected by a large majority, 
 and entered upon his second term of office. This is 
 not the place to describe the various adventures of 
 this war on the land and on the water. Our infant 
 navy then laid the foundations of its renown in grap- 
 pling with the most formidable power which ever 
 swept the seas. The contest commenced in earnest 
 by the appearance of a British fleet, early in February, 
 1813, in Chesapeake Bay, declaring nearly the whole 
 coast of the LTnited States under blockade. 
 
 The Emperor of Russia offered his services as me 
 ditator. America accepted ; England refused. A Brit- 
 ish force of five thousand men landed on the banks 
 of the Patuxet River, near its entrance into Chesa- 
 peake Bay, and marched rapidly, by way of Bladens- 
 burg, upon Washington. 
 
 The straggling little city of Washington was thrown 
 into consternation. The cannon of the brief conflict 
 at Bladensburg echoed through the streets of the 
 metropolis. The whole population fled from the city. 
 The President, leaving Mrs. Madison in the White 
 House, with her carriage drawn up at the door to 
 await his speedy return, hurried to meet the officers 
 in a council of war. He met our troops utterly routed, 
 and he could not go back without danger of being 
 captured. But few hours elapsed ere the Presidential 
 Mansion, the Capitol, and all the public buildings in 
 Washington were in flames. 
 
 The war closed after two years of fighting, and on 
 Feb. 13, 1815, the treaty of peace was signed at Ghent. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 18 17, his second term of 
 office expired, and he resigned the Presidential chair 
 to his friend, James Monroe. He retired to his beau- 
 tiful home at Montpelier, and there passed the re- 
 mainder of his days. On June 28, 1836, then at tlie 
 age of 85 years, he fell asleep in death. Mrs. Madi- 
 son died July 12, 1849. 
 
 ■•►-■^ 
 
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 iA 
 
 /^^-'t^.^:7-g>'>^ ^:'^^_^ 
 
-4«- 
 
 FIFTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 35 
 
 ^m^^f^i 
 
 pn]ES n]oi]^OE. «sff»-^^- 
 
 '-.^ 
 
 1 
 
 AMES MONROE, the fifth 
 Presidentof The United States, 
 was born in Westmoreland Co., 
 Va., April 28, 1758. His early 
 life was passed at the place of 
 nativity. His ancestors had for 
 s many years resided in the prov- 
 ince in which he was born. ^Vhen, 
 at 17 years of age, in the process 
 t of completing his education at 
 William and Mary College, the Co- 
 onial Congress assembled at Phila- 
 delphia to deliberate upon the un- 
 just and manifold oppressions of 
 Great Britian, declared the separa- 
 tion of tlie Colonies, and promul- 
 gated the Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence. Had he been born ten years before it is highly 
 probable that he would have been one of the signers 
 of that celebrated instrument. At this time he left 
 school and enlisted among the patriots. 
 
 He joined the army when ever)'thing looked liope- 
 less and gloomy. The number of deserters increased 
 from day to day. The invading armies came pouring 
 in ; and the tories not only favored the cause of the 
 mother country, but disheartened the new recruits, 
 who were sufficiently terrified at the prospect of con- 
 tending with an enemy whom they had been taught 
 to deem invincible. To such brave spirits as James 
 Monroe, who went right onward, undismayed through 
 difficulty and danger, the United States owe their 
 ix)litical emancipation. The young cadet joined the 
 ranks, and espoused the cause of his injured country, 
 with a firm determination to live or die with her strife 
 
 -■ <•' 
 
 for liberty. Firmly yet sadly he shared in the mel- 
 ancholy retreat from Harleam Heights and White 
 Plains, and accompanied the dispirited army as it fled 
 before its foes through New Jersey. In four months 
 after the Declaration of Independence, the patriots 
 had been beaten in seven battles. At the battle of 
 Trenton he led the vanguard, and, in the act of charg- 
 ing upon the enemy he received a wound in the lefl 
 shoulder. 
 
 As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was pro- 
 moted a captain of infantry; and, having recovered 
 from his wound, he rejoined the army. He, however, 
 receded from the line of promotion, by becoming an 
 officer in the staff of Lord Sterling. During the cam- 
 paigns of 1777 and 1778, in the actions of Brandy 
 wine, Germantown and Monmouth, he continued 
 aid-de-canip ; but becoming desirous to regain his 
 position in the army, he exerted himself to collect a 
 regiment for the Virginia line. This scheme failed 
 owing to the exhausted condition of the State. Ujwn 
 this failure he entered the office of Mr. Jefferson, at 
 that period Governor, and pursued, with considerable 
 ardor, the study of common law. He did not, however, 
 entirely lay aside the knapsack for the green bag; 
 but on the invasions of the enemy, served as a volun- 
 teer, during the two years of his legal pursuits. 
 
 In 17S2, he was elected from King George county, 
 a member of the Leglislature of Virginia, and by that 
 body he was elevated to a seat in the Executive 
 Council. He was thus honored with the confidence 
 of his fellow citizens at 23 years of age ; and having 
 at this early period displayed some of that ability 
 and aptitude for legislation, which were afterwards 
 employed with unremitting energy for the public good. 
 
 ■A 
 
 f 
 
-4^ 
 
 36 
 
 JAMES MONROE. 
 
 i 
 
 he was in the succeeding year chosen a member of 
 the Congress of the United States. 
 Deeply as Mr. Monroe felt the imperfections of the old 
 J^onfederacy, he was opposed to the new Constitution, 
 ".hinkiiig, with many others of the Republican party, 
 that it gave too nnich power to the Central Government, 
 and not enough to the individual States. Still he re- 
 tained the esteem of his friends who were its warm 
 supporters, and who, notwithstanding his opposition 
 secured its adoption. In 1789, he became a member 
 of the United States Senate; which office he held for 
 four years. Every month the line of distinction be- 
 tween the two great parties which divided the nation, 
 the Federal and the Republican, was growing more 
 distinct. The two prominent ideas which now sep- 
 arated them were, that the Re[)uljlican party was in 
 sympathy with France, and also in favor of such a 
 strict construction of the Constitution as to give the 
 Central Government as little power, and the State 
 Governments as much |X)wer, as the Constitution would 
 warrant. The Federalists sympatiiized with England, 
 and were in favor of a liberal construction of the Con- 
 stitution, which would give as much power to the 
 Central Government as that document could jwssibly 
 authorize. 
 
 The leading Federalists and Republicans were 
 alike noble men, consecrating all their energies to the 
 good of the nation. Two more honest men or more 
 pure patriots than John Adams the Federalist, and 
 James Monroe the Republican, never breathed. In 
 building up this majestic nation, which is destined 
 to eclipse all Grecian and Assyrian greatness, the com- 
 bination of their antagonism was needed to create the 
 light equilibrium. And yet eacli in his day was de- 
 nounced as almost a demon. 
 
 Washington was then President. England had es- 
 poused the cause of the Bourbons against the princi- 
 ples of the French Revolution. All Europe was drawn 
 into the conflict. We were feeble and far away. 
 Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality be- 
 tween these contending powers. France had helped 
 us in the struggle for our liberties. All the despotisms 
 of Europe were now combined to prevent the French 
 from escaping from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse 
 than that which we had endured Col. Monroe, more 
 magnanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at 
 whatever hazard, we should help our old allies m 
 their extremity. It was the impulse of a generous 
 and noble nature. He violently opposed the Pres- 
 ident's proclamation as ungrateful and wanting in 
 magnanimity. 
 
 Washington, who could appreciate such a character, 
 developed his calm, serene, almost divine greatness, 
 by appointing that very James Monroe, who was de- 
 nouncing the policy of the Government, as the minister 
 of that Government to the Republic of France. Mr. 
 Monroe was welcomed by the National Convention 
 in France with the most enthusiastic demonstrations. 
 
 Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. Mon- 
 roe was elected Governor of Virginia, and held the 
 office for three years. He was again sent to France to 
 co-operate with Chancellor Livingston in obtaining 
 the vast territory then known as the Province of 
 Louisiana, which France had but shortly before ob- 
 tained from Spain. Their united efforts were suc- 
 cessful. For the comparatively small sum of fifteen 
 millions of dollars, the entire territory of Orleans and 
 district of Louisiana were added to the United States. 
 This was probably the largest transfer of real estate 
 which was ever made in all the history of the world. 
 
 From France Mr. Monroe went to England to ob- 
 tain from that country some recognition of our 
 rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against those 
 odious impressments of our seamen. But Eng- 
 land was unrelenting. He agam returned to Eng- 
 land on the same mission, but could receive no 
 redress. He returned to his home and was again 
 chosen Governor of Virginia. This he soon resigned 
 to accept the position of Secretary of State under 
 Madison. While in this office war with England was 
 declared, the Secretary of War resigned, and during 
 these trying times, the duties of the War Department 
 were also put upon him. He was truly the armor- 
 bearer of President Madison, and the most efficient 
 business man in his cabinet. Upon the return oi 
 peace he resigned the Deiiartment of War, but con- 
 tinued in the office of Secretary of State until the ex- 
 piration of Mr. Madison's adminstration. At the elec- 
 tion held the previous autumn Mr. Monroe himself had 
 been chosen President with but little opposition, and 
 uix)n March 4, 1817, was inaugurated. Four years 
 later he was elected for a second term. 
 
 Among the important measures of his Presidency 
 were the cession of Florida to the Ll^nited States; the 
 Missouri Compromise, and the " Monroe doctrine.'' 
 
 This famous doctrine, since known as the " Monroe 
 doctrine," was enunciated by him in 1823. At that 
 time the United States had recognized the independ- 
 ence of the South American states, and did not wish 
 to have European ixjwers longer attempting to sub- 
 due ixsrtions of the American Continent. The doctrine 
 is as follows: "Tliat we should consider any attempt 
 on the part of European powers to extend their sys- 
 tem to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous 
 to our peace and safety," and "that we could not 
 view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing 
 or controlling American governments or provinces in 
 any other light than as a manifestation by European 
 jxjwers of an unfriendly disposition toward the Lhiited 
 States." This doctrine immediately affected the course 
 of foreign governments, and has become the approved 
 sentiment of the United States. 
 
 At the end of his second term Mr. Monroe retired 
 to his home in Virginia, where he lived unril 1830, 
 when he went to New York to live with his son-in- 
 law. In that city he died, on the 4th of July, 1831. 
 
 -•►HI- 
 
 T 
 
J , .5 , cMcioy)y^ 
 
-^^ 
 
 SIXTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 30 
 
 V 
 
 A ^ /^/0;t\i^^ 
 
 30^]] Qnil]6Y ^D^ITQS. | 
 
 OHN QUINCY ADAMS, the 
 
 sixth President of the United 
 ^^tates, was born in tlie rural 
 liome of his honored father, 
 John Adams, in Quincy, Mass., 
 on the nth cf July, 1767. His 
 mother, a woman of exalted 
 worth, watched over his childhood 
 during the almost constant ab- 
 sence of his father. When but 
 eight years of age, he stood with 
 his mother on an eminence, listen- 
 ing to the booming of the great bat- 
 tle on Bunker's Hill, and gazing on 
 upon the smoke and flames billow- 
 ing up from the conflagration of 
 Charlestown. 
 
 When but eleven years old he 
 took a tearful adieu of his mother, 
 to sail with his father for Europe, 
 through a fleet of hostile British cruisers. The bright, 
 animated boy spent a year and a half in I'aiis, where 
 his father was associated with Franklin and Lee as 
 minister pienijxitentiary. His intelligence attracted 
 the notice of these distinguished men, and he received 
 from them flattering marks of attention. 
 
 Mr. John Adams had scarcely returned to this 
 country, in 1779, ere he was again sent abroad. Again 
 John Quincy accompanied his father. At Paris he 
 applied himself with great diligence, for six months, 
 to study; then accompained his father to Holland, 
 where he entered, first a school in Amsterdam, then 
 the University at Leyden. About a year from this 
 time, in 1781, when the manly boy was but fourteen 
 years of age, he was selected by Mr. Dana, our min- 
 ister to the Russian court, as his private secretar\-. 
 
 In this school of incessant labor and of enobling 
 culture he spent fourteen months, and then returned 
 to Holland through Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg and 
 Bremen. This long journey he took alone, in the 
 winter, when in his sixteenth year. Again he resumed 
 his studies, under a priv.Tte tutor, at Hague. Thence, 
 
 in the spring of 1782, he accompanied his father to 
 Paris, traveling leisurely, and forming acquaintance 
 with the most distinguished men on the Continent; 
 examining architectural remains, galleries of paintings, 
 and all renowned works of art. At Paris he again 
 became associated with the most illustrious men of 
 all lands in the contemplations of the loftiest temporal 
 themes which can engross the human mind. After 
 a short visit to England he returned to Paris, and 
 consecrated all his energies to study until May, 1785, 
 when he returned to America. To a brilliant young 
 man of eighteen, who had seen much of the world, 
 and who was familiar with the etiquette of courts, a 
 residence with his father in London, under such cir- 
 cumstances, must have been extremely attractive; 
 but with judgment very rare in one of his age, he pre- 
 ferred to return to .America to complete his education 
 in an .American college. He wished then to study 
 law, that with an honorable profession, he might be 
 able to obtain an independent support. 
 
 L'pon leaving Harvard College, at the age of twenty, 
 he studied law for three years. In June, 1794, be- 
 ing then but twenty-seven years 6f age, he was ap- 
 pointed by Washington, resident minister at the 
 Netherlands. Sailing from Boston in July, he reached 
 London in October, where he was immediately admit- 
 ted to the deliberations of Messrs. Jay and Pinckney, 
 assisting them in negotiating a commercial treaty with 
 Great Britian. After thus spending a fortnight in 
 London, he proceeded to the Hague. 
 
 In July, 1797, he left the Hague logo to Portugal as 
 minister plenipotentiary. On his way to Portugal, 
 upon arriving in London, he met with despatches 
 directing him to the court of Berlin, but requesting 
 him to remain in London until he should receive his 
 instructions. While waiting he was married to an 
 American lady to whom he had been ])reviously en- 
 gaged, — Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughter 
 of Mr. Joshua Johnson, American consul in London ; 
 a lady endownd with that beauty and those accom- 
 plishment which eminently fitted her to move in the 
 elevated sphere for which she was destined. 
 
46 
 
 /OI/JV QUINCY ADAMS. 
 
 He reached Berlin with his wife in November, 1797 ; 
 where he remained until July, 1799, when, having ful- 
 filled all the pur[X)scs of his mission, he solicited his 
 recall. 
 
 Soon after his return, in 1802, he was chosen to 
 the Senate of Massachusetts, from Boston, and then 
 was elected Senator of the United States for six years, 
 from the 4th of March, 1804. His reputation, his 
 ability and his experience, placed him immediately 
 among the most prominent and influential members 
 of that body. Especially did he sustain the Govern- 
 . ment in its measures of resistance to the encroach- 
 ments of England, destroying our commerce and in- 
 sulting our flag. There was no man in America more 
 familiar with the arrogance of the British court upon 
 these points, and no one more resolved to present 
 a firm resistance. 
 
 In 1809, Madison succeeded Jefferson in the Pres- 
 idential chair, and he immediately nominated John 
 Quincy Adams minister to .St. Petersburg. Resign- 
 ing his professorship in Harvard College, he embarked 
 at Boston, in August, 1809. 
 
 While in Russia, Mr. Adams was an intense stu- 
 dent. He devoted his attention to the language and 
 history of Russia; to the Chinese trade; to the 
 European system of weights, measures, and coins; to 
 the climate and astronomical observations ; while he 
 Kept up a familiar acquaintance with the Greek and 
 Latin classics. In all the universities of Europe, a 
 more accomplished scholar could scarcely be found. 
 All through life the Bible constituted an important 
 part of his studies. It was his rule to read five 
 chapters every day. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1817, Mr. Monroe took the 
 Presidential chair, and immediately ap|)ointed Mr. 
 Adams Secretary of State. Taking leave of his num- 
 erous friends in public and private life in Europe, he 
 sailed in June, 1819, forthe United States. On the 
 i8th of August, he again crossed the threshold of his 
 home in Quincy. During the eight years of -Mr. Mon- 
 roe's administration, Mr, Adams continued Secretary 
 of State. 
 
 Some time before the close of Mr. Monroe's second 
 term of office, new candidates began to be presented 
 for the Presidency. The friends of Mr. Adams brought 
 forward his name. It was an exciting campaign. 
 Party spirit was never more bitter. Two hundred and 
 sixty electoral votes were cast. Andrew Jackson re- 
 ceived ninety-nine; John Quincy Adams, eiglity-four; 
 William H. Crawford, forty-one; Henry Clay, thirty- 
 seven. As there was no choice by the people, the 
 question went to the House of Rejiresentatives. Mr. 
 Clay gave the vote of Kentucky to Mr. Adams, and 
 he was elected. 
 
 The friends of all the disappointed candidates now 
 combined in a venomous and persistent assault upon 
 Mr. Adams. Tliere is nothing more disgraceful in 
 the past history of our country than the abuse which 
 
 ■^« 
 
 was poured in one uninterrupted stream, upon this 
 high-minded, upright, patriotic man. There never was 
 an administration more pure in principles, more con- 
 scientiously devoted to the best interests of the coun- 
 try, than that of John Quincy Adams; and never, per- 
 haps, was there an administration more unscrupu- 
 lously and outrageously assailed. 
 
 Mr. Adams was, to a very remarkable degree, ab- 
 stemious and temperate in his habits; always rising 
 early, and taking much exercise. When at his home in 
 Quincy, he has been known to walk, before breakfast, 
 seven miles to Boston. In Washington, it was said 
 that he was the first man up in the city, lighting his 
 own fire and applying himself to work in his library' 
 often long before dawn. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1829, Mr. Adams retired 
 from the Presidency, and was succeeded by Andrew- 
 Jackson. John C. Calhoun was elected Vice Presi- 
 dent. The slavery question now began to assume 
 lX)rtentous magnitude. Mr. .Adams returned to 
 Quincy and to his studies, which he pursued with un- 
 abated zeal. But he was not long permitted to re- 
 main in retirement. In November, 1830, he was 
 elected representative to Congress. For seventeen 
 years, until his death, he occupied the post as repre- 
 sentative, towering above all his peers, ever ready to 
 do brave battle' for freedom, and winning the title of 
 "the old man eloquent." Upon taking his seat in 
 the House, he announced that he should hold him- 
 self bound to no party. Probably there never was a 
 member more devoted to his duties. He was usually 
 the first in his place in the morning, and the last to 
 leave his seat in the evening. Not a measure could 
 be brought forward and escape his scrutiny. The 
 battle which Mr. Adams fought, almost singly, against 
 the proslavery party in the Government, was sublime 
 in Its moral dating and heroism. For persisting in 
 presenting petitions for the abolition of slavery, he 
 was threatened with indictment by the grand jury, 
 with expulsion from the House, with assassination; 
 but no threats could intimidate him, and his final 
 triumph was complete. 
 
 It has been said of President Adams, that when his 
 body was bent and his hair silvered by the lapse of 
 fourscore years, yielding to the simple faith of a little 
 child, he was accustomed to repeat every night, l)efore 
 he slept, the prajer which his mother taught him in 
 his infant years. 
 
 On the 2istof February, 1848, he rose on the floor 
 of Congress, with a paper in his hand, to address the 
 speaker. Suddenly he fell, again stricken by paraly- 
 sis, and was caught in the arms of those around him. 
 For a time he was senseless, as he was conveyed to 
 the sofa in the rotunda. With reviving conscious- 
 ness, he opened his eyes, looked calmly around and 
 said " This is the e mi of earth .-"then after a moment's 
 pause he added, '' I am content'' These were the 
 last words of the grand " Old Man Eloquent." 
 
 '•^rf- 
 
'?fSS^-Jsif^^^., 
 
SEVENTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 43 
 
 l&w ASS-^^^-^-SfS^^^''*^ -^ Tj, 
 
 
 %% 
 
 NIIREW JACKSON, the 
 seventh President of the 
 ;^*L'nited btates, was born m 
 Waxhaw settlement, N. C, 
 March 15, 1767, a few days 
 after his father's death. His 
 parents were poor emigrants 
 from Ireland, and took up 
 their abode in Waxhaw set- 
 tlement, where they lived in 
 deepest poverty. 
 Andrew, or Andy, as he was 
 universally called, grew up a very 
 rough, rude, turbulent boy. His 
 features were coarse, his form un- 
 gainly; and there was but very 
 little in his character, made visible, which was at- 
 tractive. 
 
 When only thirteen years old he joined the volun- 
 teers of Carolina against the British invasion. In 
 1781, he and his brother Robert were captured and 
 imprisoned for a time at Camden. A British officer 
 ordered him to brush his mud-spattered boots. " I am 
 a prisoner of war, not your servant," was the reply of 
 the dauntless boy. 
 
 The brute drew his sword, and aimed a desperate 
 blow at the head of the helpless young prisoner. 
 .\ndrew raised his hand, and thus received two fear- 
 ful gashes, — one on the hand and the other upon the 
 head. The officer then turned to his brother Robert 
 with the same demand. He also refused, and re- 
 ceived a blow from the keen-edged sabre, which quite 
 disabled him, and which probably soon after caused 
 his death. They suffered much other ill-treatment, and 
 were finally stricken with the small-jx)x. Their 
 mother was successful in obtaining their exchange, 
 
 and took her sick boys home, .\fter a long illness 
 -Andrew recovered, and the death of his mother soon 
 left him entirely friendless. 
 
 .\ndrew supported himself in various ways, such as 
 working at the saddler's trade, teaching school and 
 clerking in a general store, until 1784, when he 
 entered a law office at Salisbury, N. C. He, however, 
 gave more attention to the wild amusements of the 
 times than to his studies. In 1788, he was apjwinted 
 solicitor for the western district of North Carolina, of 
 which Tennessee was then a part. This involved 
 many long and tedious journeys amid dangers of 
 every kind, but Andrew Jackson never knew fear, 
 and the Indians had no desire to repeat a skirmish 
 witti the Sharp Knife. 
 
 In 1791, Mr. Jackson was married to a woman who 
 supposed herself divorced from her former husband. 
 Great was the surprise of both parties, two years later, 
 to find that the conditionsof the divorce had just been 
 definitely settled by the first husband. The marriage 
 ceremony was performed a second time, but the occur- 
 rence was often used by his enemies to bring Mr. 
 Jackson into disfavor. 
 
 Daring these years he worked hard at his profes- 
 sion, and frequently had one or more duels on hand, 
 one of which, when he killed Dickenson, was espec- 
 ially disgraceful. 
 
 In January, 1796, the Territory of Tennessee then 
 containing nearly eighty thousand inhabitants, the 
 people met in convention at Knowille to frame a con- 
 stiturion. Five were sent from each of the eleven 
 counties. .Andrew Jackson was one of the delegates. 
 The new State was entitled to but one member in 
 the National House of Representatives. Andrew Jack- 
 son was chosen that member. Mounting his horse he 
 rode to Philedelphia, where Congress then held its 
 
 V 
 
 r* 
 
,t 
 
 -4*- 
 
 44 
 
 ANDRE \V JACKSON. 
 
 
 -^H^ 
 
 sessions, — a distance of about eight hundred miles. 
 
 Jackson was an earnest advocate of the Demo- 
 cratic party. Jefferson was his idol. He admired 
 Bonaparte, loved France and hated England. As Mr. 
 fackson took his seat, Gen. Washington, whose 
 second term of ofifice was then expiring, delivered his 
 hist speech to Congress. .\ committee drew up a 
 comi)limentary address in reply. Andrew Jackson 
 did not approve of the address, and was one of the 
 twelve who voted against it. He was not willing to 
 say that Gen. Washington's adminstration had been 
 '" wise, firm and patriotic." 
 
 Mr. Jackson was elected to the United States 
 Senate in 1797, but soon resigned and returned home. 
 Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Supreme Court 
 of his State, which position he held fjr six years. 
 
 When tlie war of 181 2 witii Great Britian com- 
 menced, Madison occu|)ied the Presidential chair. 
 Aaron Burr sent word to tlie President that there was 
 an unknown man in tlie West, Andrew Jackson, who 
 would do credit to a commission if one were con- 
 ferred u[)on him. Just at that time Gen. Jackson 
 offeied his services and tliose of twenty-five hundred 
 volunteers. His offer was accepted, and the troops 
 were assembled at -Nashville. 
 
 As the British were liouriy expected to make an at- 
 tack upon New Orleans, where Gen. Wilkinson was 
 in command, he was ordered to descend the river 
 with fifteen hundred troops to aid Wilkinson. The 
 e.xpedition reached Natchez; and after a delay of sev- 
 eral weeks there, without accomplishing anything, 
 the men were ordered back to their homes. But the 
 energy Gen. Jackson had displayed, and his entire 
 devotion to the comrfort of his soldiers, won him 
 golden opinions; and he became the most popular 
 man in the .State. It was in this expedition that his 
 toughness gave him the nickname of " Old Hickory." 
 
 Soon after this, wliile attempting to horsewhip Col. 
 Thomas H. Benton, for a remark that gentleman 
 made about his taking a part as second in a duel, in 
 which a younger brother of Benton's was engaged, 
 he received two severe pistol wounds. While he was 
 lingering upon a bed of suffering news came that the 
 Indians, who had combined under Tecumseh from 
 Florida to the Lakes, to exterminate the white set- 
 tlers, were committing the most awful ravages. De- 
 cisive action became necessary. Gen. Jackson, with 
 his fractured bone just beginning to heal, his arm in 
 a sling, and unable to mount liis horse without assis- 
 tance, gave his amazing energies to tlie raising of an 
 army to rendezvous at Fayettesville, .-\labama. 
 
 The Creek Indians had established a strong fort on 
 oneof the bendsof the Tallapoosa River, near the cen- 
 ter of Alabama, alnnit fifty miles below F"ort Strother. 
 With an army of two thousand men, (ien. Jackson 
 traversed the pathless wilderness in a march of eleven 
 (lays. He reached their fort, called 'I'ohopeka or 
 Horse-shoe, on tVie 27th of March. 1814. The bend 
 
 of the river enclosed nearly one hundred acres of 
 tangled forest and wild ravine. Across the narrow 
 neck the Indians had constructed a formidable breast- 
 work of logs and brush. Here nine hundred warriors, 
 with an ample suplyof arms were assembled. 
 
 The fort was stormed. The fight was utterly des- 
 perate. Not an Indian would accept of quarter. When 
 [jleeding and dying, they would fight those who en- 
 deavored to spare their lives. From ten in the morn- 
 ing until dark, the battle raged. The carnage was 
 awful and revolting. Some threw themselves into the 
 river; but the unerring bullet struck their heads as 
 they swam. Nearly everyone of the nine hundred war- 
 rios were killed \ few probably, in the night, swam 
 the river and escaped. 'I'his ended the war. The 
 ixjwer of the Creeks was broken forever. This bold 
 plunge into the wilderness, with its terrifific slaughter, 
 so appalled the savages, that the haggard remnants 
 of the bands came to the camp, begging for peace. 
 
 This closing of the Creek war enabled us to con- 
 centrate all our militia upon the British, who were the 
 allies of the Indians No man of less resolute will 
 than (Ien. Jackson could have conducted this Indian 
 campaign to so successtul an issue Immediately he 
 was apiKjinted major-general. 
 
 Late in .\ugust, with an army of two thousand 
 men, on a rushing march, Gen. Jackson came to 
 Mobile. ,\ British fleet came from Pensacola, landed 
 a force ujion the beach, anchored near the little fort, 
 and from both ship and shore commenced a furious 
 assault. The battle was long and doubtful. .-Vt length 
 one of the ships was blown up and the rest retired. 
 
 Garrisoning Mobile, where he had taken his little 
 army, he moved his troops to New Orleans, 
 And the battle of New Orleans which soon ensued, 
 was in reality a very arduous campaign. This won 
 for (ien. Jackson an imperishable name. Here his 
 troops, which numbered about four thousand men, 
 won a signal victory over the British army of about 
 nine thousand. His loss was but thirteen, while the 
 loss of the British was two thousand six hundred. 
 
 'i'he name of (ien. Jackson soon began to be men- 
 tioned in connection with the Presidency, but, in 1824, 
 he was defeated by Mr. .\dams. He was, however, 
 successful in the election of 18 28, and was re-elected 
 for a second term in 1832. In 1829, just before he 
 assumed the reins of the government, he met with 
 the most terrible affliction of Ins life in the death of 
 his wife, whom he had loved with a devotion which has 
 perhaps never been surpassed. From the shock of 
 her death he never recovered. 
 
 His administration was one of the most memorable 
 in the annals of our country; applauded by one party, 
 condemned by the other. No man had more bitter 
 enemies or warmer friends. .\t the expiration of his 
 two terms of office he retired to the Hermitage, where 
 he died |une 8, 1845. The last years of \\\. Jack- 
 son's life were that of a devoted Christian man. 
 
 -t 
 
^7 J^Ua^ ^^-i^J U^f^s^z.^ 
 
1 
 
 -■ <•• 
 
 EIGHTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 47 
 
 
 ARTIN VAN BUREN, the 
 eighth President of the 
 United States, was born at 
 Kinderhook, N. Y., Dec. 5, 
 1782. He died at the same 
 l>lace, July 24, 1862. His 
 body rests in the cemetery 
 at Kinderhook. Above it is 
 a plain granite shaft fifteen feet 
 high, bearing a simple inscription 
 about half way up on one face. 
 The lot is unfenced, unbordered 
 or unbounded by shrub or flower. 
 
 There is but little in the life of Martin Van Buren 
 of romantic interest. He fought no battles, engaged 
 in no wild adventures. Though his life was stormy in 
 political and intellectual conflicts, and he gained many 
 signal victories, his days passed uneventful in those 
 incidents which give zest to biography. His an- 
 cestors, as his name indicates, were of Dutch origin, 
 and were among the earliest emigrants from Holland 
 to the banks of the Hudson. His father was a farmer, 
 residing in the old town of Kinderhook. His mother, 
 also of Dutch lineage, was a woman of superior intel- 
 ligence and e.\enii)lary piety. 
 
 He was decidedly a precocious boy, developing un- 
 usu;il activity, vigor and strengtli of mind. At the 
 age of fourteen, he had finished liis academic studies 
 in liis native village, and commenced the study of 
 law. As he h.ad not a collegiate education, seven 
 years of study in a law-office were required of him 
 before he could be admitted to the bar. Inspired with 
 a lofty ambition, and conscious of his [xswers, lie pur- 
 sued his studies witli indefatigable industry. After 
 spending six years in an office in his native village, 
 -.<• 
 
 he went to the city of N'ew York, and prosecuted his 
 studies for the seventh year. 
 
 In 1803, Mr. Van Buren, then twenty-one years of 
 age, commenced the practice of law in his native vil- 
 lage. The great conflict between the Federal and 
 Republican party was then at its height. Mr. Van 
 Buren was from the beginning a ix)litician. He had, 
 perhaps, imbibed that spirit while listening to the 
 many discussions which had been carried on in his 
 father's hotel. He was in cordial sympathy with 
 Jefferson, and earnestly and eloquently espoused the 
 cause of State Rights; though at that time the Fed- 
 eral party held the supremacy both in his town 
 and State. 
 
 His success and increasing ruputation led him 
 after six years of practice, to remove to Hudson, th.. 
 county seat of his county. Here he spent seven years, 
 constantly gaining strength by contending in tht. 
 courts with some of the ablest men who have adorned 
 the bar of his State. 
 
 Just before leaving Kinderhook for Hudson, Mi. 
 Van Buren married a lady alike distinguished for 
 beauty and accomplishments. After twelve short 
 years she sank into the grave, the victim of consump- 
 tion, leaving her husband and four sons to weep over 
 her loss. For twenty-five years, Mr. Van Buren was 
 an earnest, successful, assiduous lawyer. The record 
 of those years is barren in items of public interest. 
 In 1812, wlien thirty years of age, he was chosen to 
 the State Senate, and gave his strenuous support to 
 Mr. Madison's adminstration. In 1815, he was ap- 
 ix)inted .Attorney-Oeneral, and the next year moved 
 to .Albany, the capital of the State. 
 
 While he was acknowledged as one of the most 
 lnoiiiinent leaders of the Democratic party, he had 
 
48 
 
 ,t 
 
 MARTIN VAN BUREN. 
 
 the moral courage to avow that true democracy did 
 not require that " universal suffrage " whicli admits 
 the vile, the degraded, the ignorant, to the right of 
 governing the State. In true consistency with his 
 democratic principles, lie contended that, while the 
 path leading to the privilege of voting should be open 
 to every man without distinction, no one should be 
 invested with that sacred prerogative, unless he were 
 in some degree quahfied for it by intelligence, virtue 
 and some property interests in the welfare of the 
 State. 
 
 In 182 I he was elected a member of the United 
 States Senate; and in the same year, he took a seat 
 in the convention to revise the constitution of his 
 native State. His course in this convention secured 
 the approval of men of all parties. No one could 
 doubt the singleness of his endeavors to promote the 
 interests of all classes in the community. In the 
 Senate of the United States, he rose at once to a 
 conspicuous position as an active and useful legislator. 
 
 In 1827, John Quincy Adams being then in the 
 Presidential chair, Mr. Van Buren was re-elected to 
 the Senate. He had been from the beginning a de- 
 termined opposer of the .\dniinistration, adopting the 
 "State Rights" view in opposition to what was 
 deemed the Federal proclivities of Mr. .Adams. 
 
 Soon after this, in 1828, he was chosen Governorof 
 the State of New York, and accordingly resigned his 
 seat in the Senate. Probably no one in the United 
 States contributed so much towards ejecting lohn Q. 
 Adams from the Presidential chair, and placing in it 
 Andrew Jackson, as did Martin Van Buren. Whether 
 entitled to the reputation or not, he certainly was re- 
 garded throughout the United States as one of the 
 most skillful, sagacious and cunning of politicians. 
 It was supixjsed that no one knew so well as he how 
 to touch the secret spiings of action; how to pull all 
 the wires to put his machinery in motion; and how to 
 organize a political army which would, secretly and 
 stealthily accomplisli tlie most gigantic results. By 
 these powers it is said tliat he outwitted Mr. Adams, 
 Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, and secured results which 
 lew thought then could be accomplished. 
 
 When Andrew Jackson was elected President he 
 apix-inted Mr. Van Buren Secretary of State. This 
 position he resigned in 1831, and was immediately 
 appointed Minister to England, where he went the 
 s.ime autumn. The Senate, however, when it met, 
 refused to ratify the nomination, and he returned 
 
 home, apparently untroubled; was nominated Vice 
 
 President in the place of Calhoun, at the re-election 
 of President Jackson ; and with smiles for all and 
 frowns for none, he took his place at the liead of that 
 Senate which hjd refused to confirm his nomination 
 as ambassador. 
 
 His rejection by the Senate roused all the zeal of 
 President Jackson in behalf of his repudiated favor- 
 ite ; and this, probably more than any other cause, 
 secured his elevation to the chau" of the Chief Execu- 
 tive. On the 2otli of May, 1836, Mr. Van Buren re- 
 ceived the Democratic nomination to succeed Gen. 
 Jackson as President of the United States. He was 
 elected by a handsome majority, to the delight of the 
 retiring President. " Leaving New York out of the 
 canvass," says Mr. Parton, "the election of Mr. Van 
 Buren to the Presidency was as much the act of Gen. 
 Jackson as though the Constitution had conferred 
 upon him the power to appoint a successor." 
 
 His administration was filled with exciting events. 
 'i'he insurrection in Canada, which threatened to in- 
 volve tliis country in war with England, the agitation 
 of the slavery question, and finally the great commer- 
 cial panic which spread over the country, all were 
 trials to his wisdom. The financial distiess was at- 
 tributed to the management of the Democratic jjarty, 
 and brought the President into such disfavor that he 
 failed of re-election. 
 
 With the e.xception of being nominated for the 
 Presidency by the "Free Soil" Democrats, in 1848, 
 Mr. Van Buren lived quietlv upon his estate until 
 his death. 
 
 He had ever been a prudent man, of frugal habits, 
 and living within his income, had now fortunately a 
 competence for his declining years. His unblemished 
 character, his commanding abilities, his unquestioned 
 patriotism, and the distinguished i>ositions which he 
 had occupied in the government of our country, se- 
 cured to him not only the homage of his party, but 
 the respect ot the whole community. It was on the 
 4th of March, 1S41, that Mr. Van Buren retired from 
 the presidency. From his fine estate at Lindenwald^ 
 he still exerted a powerful influence uixin thejwlitics 
 of the country. From this time until his deatli, on 
 the 24th of July, 1862, at the age of eighty years, he 
 resided at Lindenwald, a gentleman of leisure, of 
 culture and of wealth; enjoying in a healthy old 
 age, probably far more hap[)iness than he had before 
 experienced amid the stormy scenes of his active life. 
 
 n 
 
yUJ'. J^ f7GyiA-y>^^i'\^ 
 
-U 
 
 NINTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 ^^►Hh-^ 
 
 5' 
 
 
 ? » 
 
 j^ I 
 
 ILLIAM HENRY HARRI- 
 
 SOM, the ninth President of 
 the United States, was born 
 at Berkeley, Va., Feb. g, 1773. 
 His father, Benjamin Harri- 
 son, was in comparatively op- 
 ulent circumstances, and was 
 one of the most distinguished 
 men of his day. He was an 
 intimate friend of George 
 Washington, was early elected 
 a member of the Continental 
 Congress, and was conspicuous 
 among the patriots of Virginia in 
 resisting the encroachments of the 
 British crown. In the celebrated 
 Congress of 1775, Benjamin Har- 
 rison and John Hancock were 
 both candidates for the office of 
 speaker. 
 
 Mr Harrison was subsequently 
 chosen Governor of Virginia, and 
 was twice re-elected. His son, 
 i William Henry, of course enjoyed 
 
 in childhood all the advantages which wealth and 
 intellectual and cultivated society could give. Hav- 
 ing received a thorough common-school education, he 
 entered Hampden Sidney College, where he graduated 
 with honor soon after the death of his father. He 
 then repaired to Philadelphia to study medicine under 
 the instructions of Dr. Rush and the guardianship of 
 Robert Morris, both of whom were, with his father, 
 signers of the Declaration of Independence. 
 
 UlX)n the outbreak of the Indian troubles, and not- 
 withstanding the remonstrances of his friends, he 
 abandoned his medical studies and entered the army, 
 having obtained a commission of Ensign from Presi- 
 
 dent Washington. He was then but 19 years old. 
 From that time he passed gradually upward in rank 
 until he became aid to General Wayne, after whose 
 death lie resigned his commission. He was then ap- 
 pointed Secretary of the North-western Territory. This 
 Territory was then entitled to but one member in 
 Congress and Capt. Harrison was chosen to fill that 
 position. 
 
 In the spring of 1800 the North-western Territory 
 was divided by Congress into two portions. The 
 eastern portion, comprising the region now embraced 
 in the State of Ohio, was called '' The Territory 
 north-west of the Ohio." The western portion, which 
 included what is now called Indiana, Illinois and 
 Wisconsin, was called the "Indiana Territory." Wil- 
 liam Henry Harrison, then 27 years of age, was ap- 
 pointed by John Adams, Governor of the Indiana 
 Territory, and immediately after, also Governor of 
 Upper Louisiana. He was thus ruler over almost as 
 extensive a realm as any sovereign upon the globe. He 
 was Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and was in- 
 vested with jxjwers nearly dictatorial over the now 
 rapidly increasing white population. The ability and 
 fidelity with which he discharged these responsible 
 duties may be inferred from the fact that he was four 
 times appointed to this office — first by John Adams, 
 twice by Thomas Jefferson and afterwards by Presi- 
 dent Madison. 
 
 When he began his adminstration there were but 
 three white settlements in that almost boundless region, 
 now crowded with cities and resounding with all the 
 tumult of wealth and traffic. One of these settlements 
 was on the Ohio, nearly opposite Louisville; one at 
 Vincennes, on the Wabash, and the third a French 
 settlement. 
 
 The vast wilderness over which Gov. Harrison 
 reigned was filled with many tribes of Indians. About 
 
 _ ■► i <• 
 
I 
 
 <•• 
 
 .52 
 
 WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 
 
 the year 1806, two extraordinary men, twin brothers, 
 of the Shawnese tribe, rose among them. One of 
 these was called Tecumseh, or " The Crouching 
 Panther;" the other, OUiwacheca, or "The Prophet." 
 Tecumseh was not only an Indian warrior, but a man 
 of great sagacity, far-reaching foresight and indomit- 
 able perseverance in any enterprise in which he might 
 engage. He was inspired with the highest enthusiasm, 
 and had long regarded with dread and with hatred 
 the encroachment of the whites upon the hunting- 
 grounds of his fathers. His brother, the Prophet, was 
 anorator, who could sway the feelings of the untutored 
 Indian as the gale tossed tlie tree-tops beneath which 
 they dwelt. 
 
 But the Prophet was not merely an orator : he was, 
 in the superstitious minds of the Indians, invested 
 with the superhuman dignity of a medicine-man or a 
 magician. With an enthusiasm unsurpassed by Peter 
 the Hermit rousing Europe to tlie crusades, he went 
 from tribe to tribe, assuming that he was specially sent 
 by the Great Spirit. 
 
 Gov. Harrison made many attempts to conciliate 
 the Indians, but at last the war came, and at Tippe- 
 canoe the Indians were routed with great slaughter. 
 October 28, 18 12, his army began its march. When 
 near the Prophet's town three Indians of rank made 
 their appearance and inquired wliy Gov. Harrison was 
 approacliing tliem in so hostile an attitude. After a 
 short conference, arrangements were made for a meet- 
 ing the next day, to agree upon terms of peace. 
 
 But Gov. Harrison was too well acquainted with 
 the Indian character to be deceived by such protes- 
 tations. Selecting a favorable spot for his night's en- 
 campment, he took every precaution against surprise. 
 His troops were posted in a hollow square, and slept 
 upon their arms. 
 
 The troops threw themselves upon the ground for 
 rest; but every man had his accourtrements on, his 
 loaded musket by his side, and his bayonet fixed. The 
 wakeful Governor, between three and four o'clock in 
 the morning, had risen, and was sitting in conversa- 
 tion with his aids by the embers of a waning fire. It 
 was a chill, cloudy morning with a drizzling rain. In 
 the darkness, the Indians had crept as near as possi- 
 ble, and just then, with a savage yell, rushed, with all 
 the desperation which superstition and jjassion most 
 liighly inflamed could give, upon the left flank of the 
 little army. The savages had been amply provided 
 with guns and ammunition by the English. Their 
 war-whoop was accompained by a shower of bullets. 
 
 The camp-fires were instantly extinguished, as the 
 light aided the Indians in their aim. With hide- 
 Bus yells, the Indian bands rushed on, not doubting a 
 speedy and an entire victory. But Gen. Harrison's 
 troops stood as immovable as the rocks around them 
 until day dawned : they then made a simultaneous 
 charge with the bayonet, and swept every thing be- 
 ' fore them, and completely routing the foe, 
 
 Gov. Harrison now had all his energies tasked 
 to the utmost. The British descending from the Can - 
 adas, were of themselves a very formidable force ; but 
 with their savage allies, rushing like wolves from the 
 forest, searching out every remote farm-house, burn- 
 ing, |)lundering, scalping, torturing, the wide frontier 
 was plunged into a state of consternation which even 
 the most vivid imagination can but faintly conceive. 
 The war-whoop was resounding everywhere in the 
 forest. The horizon was illuminated with the conflagra- 
 tion of the cabins of the settlers. Gen Hull had made 
 the ignominious surrender of his forces at Detroit. 
 Under these despairing circumstances. Gov. Harrison 
 was appointed by President Madison commander-in- 
 chief of the North-western army, with orders to retake 
 Detroit, and to protect the frontiers. 
 
 It would be difficult to place a man in a situation 
 demanding more energy, sagacity and courage; but 
 General Harrison was found equal to the position, 
 and nobly and triumphantly did he meet all the re 
 sponsibilities. 
 
 He won the love of his soldiers by always sharing 
 with them their fatigue. His whole baggage, while 
 jHirsuing the foe up the Thames, was carried in a 
 valise; and his bedding consisted of a single blanket 
 lashed over his saddle. Thirty-five British officers, 
 his prisoners of war, supped with him after the battle. 
 The only fare he could give them was beef roasted v 
 before the fire, without bread or salt. 
 
 In 1816, Gen. Harrison was chosen a member of 
 the National House of Representatives, to represent 
 the District of Ohio. In Congress he proved an 
 active member; and whenever he spoke, it was with 
 force of reason and power of eloquence, which arrested 
 the attention of all the members. 
 
 In 1 81 9, Harrison was elected to the Senate of 
 Ohio; and in 1824, as one of the jiresidential electors 
 of that State, he gave his vote for Henry Clay. The 
 same year he was chosen to the United States Senate. 
 
 In 1836, the friends of Gen. Harrison brought him 
 forward as a candidate for the Presidency against 
 Van Buren, but he was defeated. At the close of 
 Mr. Van Buren's term, he was re-nominated by his 
 party, and Mr. Harrison was unanimou.sly nominated 
 by the Whigs, with John Tyler for the Vice Presidency. 
 The contest was very animated. Gen Jackson gave 
 all his influence to prevent Harrison's election ; but 
 his triumph was signal. 
 
 The cabinet which he formed, with Daniel Webster 
 at its head as Secretary of State, was one of the most 
 brilliant with which any President had ever been 
 surrounded. Never were the prospects of an admin- 
 istration more flattering, or the hopes of the country 
 more sanguine. In the midst of these bright and 
 joyous prospects, Gen. Harrison was seized by a 
 pleurisy-fever and after a few days of violent sick- 
 ness, died on the 4th of April ; just one month after 
 his inauguration as President of the United States. 
 
I 
 
 ^m-M^ 
 
 TENTH FRKSIDENT. 
 
 55 
 
 1^,1 OHN TYLER, the tenth 
 Presidentof the United States. 
 He was born in Charles-city 
 Co., Va., March 29, 1790. He 
 was the favored child of af- 
 fluence and high social po- 
 sition. At the early age of 
 twelve, John entered William 
 and Mary College and grad- 
 uated with much honor when 
 but seventeen years old. After 
 graduating, he devoted him- 
 self with great assiduity to the 
 study of law partly with his 
 father and ptrlywith Edmund 
 Randolph, one c-fthe most distin- 
 guished lawyers of Virginia. 
 
 At nineteen years of age, ne 
 commenced the practice of law. 
 His success was rapid and aston- 
 ishing. It is said that three 
 months had not elapsed ere there 
 was scarcely a case on the dock- 
 et of the court in which he was 
 not retained. \\ hen but twenty-one years of age, he 
 was almost unanimously elected to a seat in the State 
 Legislature. He connected himself with the Demo- 
 cratic party, and warmly advocated the measures of 
 Jefferson and Madison. For five successive years he 
 was elected to the Legislature, receiving nearly the 
 vmanimous vote or his county. 
 
 When but twenty-six years. of age, he was elected 
 a member of Congress. Here he acted earnestly and 
 ably with tlie Democratic party, oji]X)sing n national 
 bank, internal improvements by tlie General Govern- 
 
 HI-4^ 
 
 i 
 
 ment, a protective tariff, and advocatmg a strict con- 
 struction of the Constitution, and tlie most careful 
 vigilance over State rights. His labors in Congress 
 were so arduous that before the close of his second 
 term he found it necessary to resign and retire to his 
 estate in Charles-city Co., to recruit his health. He, 
 however, soon after consented to take his seat in the 
 State Legislature, where his influence was powerful 
 in promoting public works of great utility. With a 
 reputation thus canstantly increasing, he was chosen 
 by a very large majority of votes. Governor of his 
 native State. His administration was signally a suc- 
 cessful one. His popularity secured his re-election. 
 
 John Randolph, a brilliant, erratic, half-crazed 
 man, then represented Virginia in the Senate of the 
 United States. .\ portion of the Democratic party 
 was displeased with Mr. Randolph's wayward course, 
 and brought forward John Tyler as his op|X)nent, 
 considering him the only man in Virginia of sufficient 
 popularity to succeed against the renowned orator of 
 Roanoke. Mr. Tyler was the victor. 
 
 Li accordance with his professions, upon taking his 
 seat in the Senate, he joined the ranks of the opposi- 
 tion. He opposed the tariff; he spoke against and 
 voted against the bank as unconstitutional ; he stren- 
 uously opposed all restrictions upon slavery, resist- 
 ing all projects of internal improvements by the Gen- 
 eral Government, and avowed his sympathy with Mr. 
 Calhoun's view of nullification ; he declared that Gen. 
 Jackson, by his opposition to the nulJifiers, had 
 abandoned the principles of the Democratic party. 
 Such was Mr. Tyler's record in Congress,— a record 
 in perfect accordance with the principles which he 
 had always avowed. 
 
 Returning to Virginia, he resumed the practice of 
 his profession, There was a cplit in the Democratic 
 •► 
 
 r 
 
party. His friends still regarded him as a true Jef- 
 fersonian, gave hitii a dinner, and showered compli- 
 ments upon him. He had now attained the age of 
 forty-six. His career had been very brilliant. In con- 
 sequence of his devotion to public business, his pri- 
 vate affairs had fallen into some disorder; and it was 
 not without satisfaction that he resumed the practice 
 of law, and devoted himself to the culture of his plan- 
 tation. Soon after this he removed to Williamsburg, 
 for the better education of his children ; and he again 
 took his seat in the Legislature of Virginia. 
 
 By the Southern Whigs, he was sent to the national 
 convention at Harrisburg to nominate a President in 
 1839. The majority of votes were given to Gen. Har- 
 rison, a genuine Whig, much to the disapjxsintment ol 
 the South, who wished for Henry Clay. To concili- 
 ate the Southern Whigs and to secure their vote, the 
 convention then nominated John Tyler for Vice Pres- 
 ident. It was well known that he was not in sympa- 
 thy with the Whig i)arty in the North: but the Vice 
 President has but very little power in the Govern- 
 ment, his main and almost only duty being to pre- 
 side over the meetings of the Senate. Thus it hap- 
 pened that a Whig President, and, in reality, a 
 Democratic Vice President were chosen. 
 
 In 1 84 1, Mr. Tyler was inaugurated Vice Presi- 
 dent of the United States. In one short month from 
 that time. President Harrison died, and Mr. Tyler 
 thus found himself, to his own surprise and that of 
 the whole Nation, an occupant of the Presidential 
 chair. This was a new test of the stability of our 
 institutions, as it was the first time in the history of our 
 country that such an event had occured. Mr. Tyler 
 was at home in Williamsburg when he received the 
 unexpected tidings of the death of President Harri- 
 son. He hastened to Washington, and on the 6th of 
 .\pril was inaugurated to the high and responsible 
 office. He was placed in a position of exceeding 
 delicacy and difficulty. All his long life he had been 
 opposed to the main principles of the party which had 
 brought him into power. He had ever been a con- 
 sistent, honest man, with an unblemished record. 
 Gen. Harrison had selected a Whig cabinet. Should 
 he retain them, and thus surround himself with coun- 
 sellors whose views were antagonistic to his own? or, 
 on the other hand, should he turn against the party 
 which had elected him and select a cabinet in har- 
 mony with himself, and which would oppose all those 
 views which the Whigs deemed essential to the pub- 
 lic welfare? This was his fearful dilemma. He in- 
 vited the cabinet which President Harrison had 
 selected to retain their seats. He reccommended a 
 day of fasting and prayer, that God would guide and 
 bless us. 
 
 The Whigs carried through Congress a bill for the 
 incorporation of a fiscal bank of the United States. 
 The President, after ten days' delay, returned it with 
 his veto. He suggested, however, that he would 
 
 approve of a bill drawn up upon such a plan as he 
 proposed. Such a bill was accordingly prepared, and 
 privately submitted to him. He gave it his approval. 
 It was passed without alteration, and he sent it back 
 with his veto. Here commenced the open rupture. 
 It is said that Mr. Tyler was provoked to this meas- 
 ure by a published letter from the Hon. John M. 
 Botts, a distinguished Virginia Whig, who severely 
 touched the [iride of the President. 
 
 The ojiposition now exultingly received the Presi- 
 dent into their arms. The party which elected him 
 denounced him ijitterly. All the members of his 
 cabinet, excepting Mr. Webster, resigned. The Whigs 
 of Congress, both the Senate and the House, held a 
 meeting and issued an address to the people of the 
 United States, proclaiming that all political alliance 
 between the VVhigs and President Tyler were at 
 an end. 
 
 Still the President attempted to conciliate. He 
 appointed a new cabinet of distinguished Whigs and 
 Conservatives, carefully leaving out all strong party 
 men. Mr. Webster soon found it necessary to resign, 
 forced out by the pressure of his Whig friends. Thus 
 the four years of Mr. Tyler's unfortunate administra- 
 tion passed sadly away. No one was satisfied. The 
 land was filled with murmurs and vitujieration. Whigs 
 and Democrats alike assailed him. More and more, 
 however, he brought himself into sympathy with his 
 oW friends, the Democrats, until at the close of his term, 
 he gave his whole influence to the support of Mr. 
 Polk, the Democratic candidate for his successor. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1845, he retired from the 
 harassments of office, tothe regret of neither party, and 
 probably to his own unspeakable relief. His first wife. 
 Miss Letitia Christian, died in Washington, in 1842; 
 and in June, 1844, President Tyler was again married, 
 at New York, to Miss Julia Gardiner, a young lady of 
 many personal and intellectual accomplishments. 
 
 The remainder of his days Mr. Tyler passed mainly 
 in retirement at his beautiful home, — Sherwood For- 
 est, Charles-city Co., Va. A polished gentleman in 
 his manners, richly furnished with information from 
 books and experience in the world, and jxissessing 
 brilliant powers of conversation, his family circle was 
 the scene of unusual attractions. With sufficient 
 means for the exercise of a generous hosjjitality, he 
 might have enjoyed a serene old age with the few 
 friends who gathered around him, were it not for the 
 storms of civil war which his own principles and 
 policy had helped to introduce. 
 
 When the great Rebellion rose, which the State- 
 rights and nullifying doctrines of Mr. John C. Cal- 
 houn had inaugurated. President Tyler renounced his 
 allegiance to the United States, and joined the Confed- 
 erates. He was chosen a member of their Congress; 
 and while engaged in active measures to destroy, by 
 force of arms, the Government over which he had 
 once presided, he was taken sick and soon died. 
 
 :??r#-^ 
 
-U 
 
 RLE J 'RNTII PRESIDENT. 
 
 a 
 
 59 
 
 
 AMES K. POLK, the eleventh 
 
 PaPresident of the United States, 
 
 was born in Mecklenburg Co., 
 
 N. C.,Nov. 2, 1795. His par- 
 
 ^j ents were Samuel and Jane 
 
 (K.nox) Polk, the former a son 
 
 of Col. Thomas Polk, who located 
 
 at the above place, as one of the 
 
 first pioneers, in 1735. 
 
 In the year 1006, with his wife 
 and children, and soon after fol- 
 lowed by most of the members of 
 the Polk famly, Samuel Polk emi- 
 grated some two or three hundred 
 miles farther west, to the rich valley 
 oftlieDiick River. Here in the 
 midst of the wilderness, in a region 
 which was subsequently called Mau- 
 ry Co., they reared their log huls, 
 and established their homes. In the 
 hard toil of a new farm in the wil- 
 derness, James K. Polk spent the 
 early years of his childhood and 
 youth. His father, adding the pur- 
 suit of a surveyor to that of a farmer, 
 gradually increased in wealth until 
 he became one of the leading men of the region. His 
 mother was a superior woman, of strong common 
 sense and earnest piety. 
 
 Very early in life, James developed a taste for 
 reading and expressed the strongest desire to obtain 
 a liberal education. His mother's training had made 
 iiim methodical in his habits, had taught him punct- 
 uality and industry, and had inspired him with lofty 
 principles of morality. His health was frail ; and his 
 father, fearing that he might not be able to endure a 
 
 sedentary life, got a situation for him behind the 
 counter, hoping to fit him for commercial pursuits. 
 
 This was to James a bitter disappointment. He 
 had no taste for these duties, and his daily tasks 
 were irksome in the extreme. He remained in this 
 uncongenial occupation but a few weeks, when at his 
 earnest solicitation his father removed him, and made 
 arrangements for him to prosecute his studies. Soon 
 after he sent him to Murfreesboro Academy. With 
 ardor which could scarcely be surpassed, he pressed 
 forward in his studies, and in less than two and a half 
 years, in the autumn of 1815, entered the sophomore 
 class in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel 
 Hill. Here he was one of the most exemplary of 
 scholars, punctual in every exercise, never allowing 
 himself to be absent from a recitation or a religious 
 service. 
 
 He graduated in 1818, with the highest honors, be- 
 ing deemed the best scholar of his class, both in 
 mathematics and the classics. He was then twenty- 
 three years of age. Mr. Polk's health was at this 
 time much impaired by the assiduity with which he 
 had prosecuted his studies. After a short season of 
 relaxation he went to Nashville, and entered the 
 office of Felix Grundy, to study law. Here Mr. Polk 
 renewed his acquaintance with Andrew Jackson, who 
 resided on his plantation, the Hermitage, but a few 
 miles from Nashville. They had probably been 
 slightly acquainted before. 
 
 Mr. Polk's father was a Jeffersonian Republican, 
 and James K. Polk ever adhered to the same politi- 
 cal faith. He was a popular public speaker, and was 
 constantly called \\\yo\\ to address the meetings of his 
 party friends. His skill as a speaker was such that 
 he was popularly called the Napoleon of the stump. 
 He was a man of unblemished morals, genial and 
 
 n 
 
-4^ 
 
 6o 
 
 ^ ^^ m <• 
 
 JAMES K. POLK. 
 
 courteous in his bearing, and with that sympathetic 
 nature in the joys and griefs of others whichever gave 
 him troops of friends. In 1823, Mr. Polk was elected 
 to the Legislature of Tennessee. Here he gave his 
 strong influence towards the election of his friend, 
 Mr. Jackson, to the Presidency of the United States. 
 
 In January, 1824, Mr. Polk married Miss Sarah 
 Childress, of Rutherford Co., Tenn. His bride was 
 altogether worthy of him, — a lady of beauty and cul- 
 ture. In the fall of 1825, Mr. Polk was chosen a 
 member of Congress. The satisfaction which he gave 
 to his constituents may be inferred from the fact, that 
 for fourteen successive years, until 1839, he was con- 
 tinued in that office. He then voluntarily withdrew, 
 only that he might accept the Gubernatorial chair 
 of Tennessee. In Congress he was a laborious 
 member, a frequent and a popular speaker. He was 
 always in his seat, always courteous ; and whenever 
 he spoke it was always to the ix)int, and without any 
 ambitious rhetorical display. 
 
 During five sessions of Congress, Mr. Polk was 
 Speaker of the House. Strong passions were roused, 
 and stormy scenes were witnessed ; but Mr. Polk per- 
 formed his arduous duties to a very general satisfac- 
 tion, and a unanimous vote of thanks to him was 
 passed by the House as he withdrew on the 4th of 
 March, 1839. 
 
 In accordance with Southern usage, Mr. Polk, as a 
 candidate for Governor, canvassed the State. He was 
 elected by a large majority, and on the 1 4th of Octo- 
 ber, 1839, took the oath of office at Nashville. In 1841, 
 his term of office expired, and he was again the can- 
 didate of the Democratic party, but was defeated. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1845, Mr. Polk was inaugur- 
 ated President of the United States. The verdict of 
 the country in favor of the annexation of Texas, exerted 
 its influence upon Congress ; and the last act of the 
 administration of President Tyler was to affix his sig- 
 nature to a joint resolution of Congress, passed on the 
 3d of March, approving of the annexation of Texas to 
 the American Union. As Mexico still claimed Texas 
 as one of her provinces, the Mexican minister, 
 Almonte, immediately demanded his passports and 
 left the country, declaring the act of the annexation 
 to be an act hostile to Mexico. 
 
 In his first message. President Polk urged that 
 Texas should immediately, by act of Congress, be re- 
 ceived into the Union on the same footing with the 
 other States. In the meantime. Gen. Taylor was sent 
 
 with an army into Texas to hold the country. He was 
 sent first to Nueces, which the Mexicans said was the 
 western boundary of Texas. Then he was sent nearly 
 two hundred miles further west, to the Rio Grande, 
 where he erected batteries which commanded the 
 Mexican city of Matamoras, which was situated on 
 the western banks. 
 
 The anticipated collision soon took place, and war 
 was declared against Mexico by President Polk. The 
 war was pushed forward by Mr. Polk's administration 
 with great vigor. Gen. Taylor, whose army was first 
 called one of "observation," then of "occupation," 
 then of " invasion, "was sent forward to Monterey. The 
 feeble Mexicans, in every encounter, were hopelessly 
 and awfully slaughtered. The day of judgement 
 alone can reveal the misery which this war caused. 
 It v/as by the ingenuity of Mr. Polk's administration 
 that the war was brought on. 
 
 'To the victors belong the spoils." Mexico was 
 prostrate before us. Her capital was in our hands. 
 We now consented to peace upon the condition that 
 Mexico should surrender to us, in addition to Texas, 
 all of New Mexico, and all of Upper and Lower Cal- 
 ifornia. This new demand embraced, exclusive of 
 Texas, eight hundred thousand square miles. This 
 was an extent of territory equal to nine States of the 
 size of New York. Thus slavery was securing eighteen 
 majestic States to be added to the Union. There were 
 some Americans who thought it all right : there were 
 others who thought it all wrong. In the prosecution 
 of this war, we exjjended twenty thousand lives and 
 more than a hundred million of dollars. Of this 
 money fifteen millions were paid to Mexico. 
 
 On the 3d of March, 1849, Mr. Polk retired from 
 office, having served one term. The next day was 
 Sunday. On the 5th, Gen. Taylor was inaugurated 
 as his successor. Mr. Polk rode to the Capitol in the 
 same carriage with Gen. Taylor; and the same even- 
 ing, with Mrs. Polk, he commenced his return to 
 Tennessee. He was then but fifty-four years of age. 
 He had ever been strictly temperate in all his habits, 
 and his health was good. With an ample fortune, 
 a choice library, a cultivated mind, and domestic ties 
 of the dearest nature, it seemed as though long years 
 of tranquility and hap]iiness were before him. But the 
 cholera — that fearful scourge — was then sweeping up 
 the Valley of the Mississippi. This he contracted, 
 and died on the 15th of June, 1849, in the fifty-fourth 
 year of his age, greatly mourned by his countrymen. 
 
■^•- 
 
 ,t 
 
 TWELFTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 | ^VATOA^l«,^^.U'A^■■^'^■A.'W•t.J;TvA■Awv■v^^x:!^t^vT^■l^J^^A■A^A'lv.:y l■Am ^ ^ 
 liilll3 a a3 -\W-MU 'r3Pl?S ?^ 
 
 ACHARY TAYLOR, twelfth 
 President of the United States, 
 was born on the 24th of Nov., 
 1784, in Orange Co., Va. His 
 Jio father. Colonel Taylor, was 
 a Virginian of note, and a dis- 
 .^,^ tinguished patriot and soldier of 
 the Revolution. When /achary 
 was an infant, his father with his 
 wife and two children, emigrated 
 to Kentucky, where he settled in 
 the pathless wilderness, a few 
 miles from Louisville. In this front- 
 ier home, away from civilization and 
 all its refinements, young Zachary 
 could enjo) but few social and educational advan- 
 tages. When six years of age he attended a common 
 school, and was then regarded as a bright, active boy, 
 rather remarkable for bluntness and decision of char- 
 acter He was strong, fearless and self-reliant, and 
 manifested a strong desire to enter tlie army to fight 
 the Indians who were ravaging the frontiers. There 
 is little to be recorded of the uneventful years of his 
 childhood on his father's large but lonely plantation. 
 In t8o8, his father succeeded in obtaining for him 
 the commission of lieutenant in the United States 
 army ; and he joined the troops whicli were stationed 
 at New Orleans under Gen. Wilkinson. Soon after 
 this he married Miss Margaret Smith, a young lady 
 from one of the first families of Maryland. 
 
 Immediately after the declaration of war with Eng- 
 land, in 18 1 2, Capt. Taylor (for he had then been 
 promoted to that rank) was put in command of Fort 
 Harrison, on the Wabash, about fifty miles above 
 Vincennes. This fort had i)een built in the wilder- 
 ness by Gen. Harrison, on his march to Tippecanoe. 
 It was one of the first points of attack by the Indians, 
 led by Tecumseh. Its garrison consisted of a broken 
 
 company of infantry luunbering fifty men, many of 
 whom were sick. 
 
 Early in the autumn of 1812, the Indians, stealthily, 
 and in large numbers, moved upon the fort. Their 
 approach was first indicated by tlie murder of two 
 soldiers just outside of the stockade. Capt. Taylor 
 made every possible preparation to meet the antici- 
 pated assault. On the 4th of September, a band of 
 forty painted and plumed savages came to the fort, 
 waving a white flag, and informed Capt. Taylor that 
 in the morning their chief would come to have a talk 
 with him. It was evident that their object was merely 
 to ascertain the state of things at the fort, and Capt. 
 Taylor, well versed in the wiles of tlie savages, kept 
 them at a distance. 
 
 The sun went down ; the savages disappeared, the 
 garrison slept uix)n their arms. One hour before 
 midnight the war-whoop burst from a thousand lips 
 in the forest around, followed by the discharge of 
 musketry, and the rush of the foe. Every man, sick 
 and well, sprang to his post. Every man knew that 
 defeat was not merely death, but in the case of cai> 
 ture, death by the most agonizing and prolonged tor- 
 ture. No pen can describe, no immagination can 
 conceive the scenes which ensued. The savages suc- 
 ceeded in setting fire to one of the block-houses- 
 Until six o'clock in the morning, this awful conflict 
 continued. The savages then, baffled at every point, 
 and gnashing their teeth with rage, retired. ■ Capt. 
 Taylor, for this gallant defence, was promoted to the 
 rank of major by brevet. 
 
 Until the close of the war, MajorTaylor was placed 
 in such situations that he saw but little more of active 
 service. He was sent far away into the depths of the 
 wilderness, to Fort Crawford, on Fox River, which 
 empties into Green Bay. Here there was but little 
 to be done but to wear away the tedious hours as one 
 best could. There were no books, no society, no in- 
 
-4^ 
 
 64 
 
 ZACHARY TAYLOR. 
 
 tellectual stimulus. Thus with him the uneventful 
 years rolled on Gradually he rose to the rank of 
 colonel. In the Black-Hawk war, which resulted in 
 the capture of that renowned chieftain, Col Taylor 
 took a subordinate but a brave and efficient part. 
 
 For twenty-four years Col. Taylor was engaged in 
 the defence of the frontiers, in scenes so remote, and in 
 employments so obscure, that his name was unknown 
 beyond the limits of his own immediate acquaintance. 
 In the year 1836, he was sent to Florida to compel 
 the Seminole Indians to vacate that region and re- 
 tire beyond the Mississippi, as their chiefs by treaty, 
 had promised tiiey should do. The services rendered 
 here secured for Col. Taylor the high appreciation of 
 the Government; and as a reward, he was elevated 
 to the rank of brigadier-general by brevet ; and soon 
 after, in May, 1838, was appointed to the chief com- 
 mand of the United States troops in Florida. 
 
 After two years of such wearisome employment 
 amidst the everglades of tlie peninsula, Gen. Taylor 
 obtained, at his own request, a change of command, 
 and was stationed over the Department of the South- 
 west. This field embraced Louisiana, Mississippi, 
 Alabama and Georgia. Establishing his headquarters 
 at Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, he removed his family 
 to a plantation which he purchased, near Baton Rogue. 
 Here he remained for five years, buried, as it were, 
 from tiie world, but faithfully discharging every duty 
 imposed upon him. 
 
 In 1846, Gen. Taylor was sent to guard the land 
 between the Nueces and Rio Grande, the latter river 
 being the boundary of Texas, which was then claimed 
 by the United States. Soon the war with Me.xico 
 was brought on, and at Palo Alto and Resaca de la 
 Palma, Gen. Taylor won brilliant victories over the 
 Me.\icans. The rank of major-general by brevet 
 was then conferred upon Gen. Taylor, and his name 
 was received with entiiusiasm almost everywhere in 
 the Nation. Then came the battles of Monterey and 
 Buena Vista in which he won signal victories over 
 forces much larger than he commanded. 
 
 His careless habits of dress and his unaffected 
 simplicity, secured for Gen. Taylor among his troops, 
 \k\t sobriquet of "Old Rough and Ready.' 
 
 The tidings of the brilliant victory of Buena Vista 
 spread the wildest enthusiasm over the country. The 
 name of Gen. Taylor was on every one's lips. The 
 Whig party decided to take advantage of this wonder- 
 ful popularity in bringing forward the unpolished, un- 
 lettered, honest soldier as their candidate for the 
 Presidency. Gen. Taylor was astonished at the an- 
 nouncement, and for a time would not listen to it; de- 
 claring that he was not at all qualified for such an 
 office. So little interest had he taken in politics that, 
 for forty years, he had not cast a vote. It was not 
 without chagrin that several distinguished statesmen 
 who had been long years in the public service found 
 their claims set aside in behalf of one *hose name 
 
 had never been heard of, save in connection with Palo 
 Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena 
 Vista. It Is said that Daniel Webster, in his haste re- 
 marked, " It is a nomination not fit to be made." 
 
 Gen. Taylor was not an eloquent speaker nor a fine 
 writer His friends took possession of him, and pre- 
 pared such few communications as it was needful 
 should be presented to the public. The popularity of 
 the successful warrior swept the land. He was tri- 
 umphantly elected over two opposing candidates, — 
 Gen. Cass and Ex-President Martin Van Buren. 
 Though he selected an excellent cabinet, the good 
 old man found himself in a very uncongenial position, 
 and was, at times, sorely perplexed and harassed. 
 His mental sufferings were very severe, and probably 
 tended to hasten liis death. The pro-slavery party 
 was pushing its claims with tireless energ)' , expedi- 
 tions were fitting out to capture Cuba; California was 
 pleading for admission to the Union, while slavery 
 stood at the door to bar her out. Gen. Taylor found 
 the political conflicts in Washington to be far more 
 trying to the nerves than battles with Mexicans or 
 Indians. 
 
 In the midst of all these troubles, Gen. Taylor, 
 after he had occupied the Presidential chair but little 
 over a year, took cold, and after a brief sickness of 
 but little over five days, died on the 9th of July, 1850. 
 His last woids were, " I am not afraid to die. I am 
 ready. I have endeavored to do my duty." He died 
 universally respected and beloved. An honest, un- 
 pretending man, he had been steadily growing in the 
 affections of the people; and the Nation bitterly la- 
 mented his death. 
 
 Gen. Scott, who was thoroughly acquainted with 
 Gen. Taylor, gave the following graphic and truthful 
 description of his character: — " With a good store of 
 common sense, Gen. Taylor's mind had not been en- 
 larged and refreshed by reading, or much converse 
 with the world. Rigidity of ideas was the conse- 
 quence. The frontiers and small military posts had 
 been his home. Hence he was quite ignorant for his 
 rank, and quite bigoted in his ignorance. His sim- 
 plicity was child-like, and with innumerable preju- 
 dices, amusing and incorrigible, well suited to the 
 tender age. Thus, if a man, however respectable, 
 chanced to wear a coat of an unusual color, or his hat 
 a little on one side of his head; or an officer to leave 
 a corner of his handkerchief dangling from an out- 
 side pocket, — in any such case, this critic held the 
 offender to be a coxcomb (perhaps something worse), 
 whom he would not, to use his oft repeated jihrase, 
 ' touch with a pair of tongs.' 
 
 "Any allusion to literature beyond good old Dil- 
 worth's spelling-book, on the part of one wearing a 
 sword, was evidence, with the same judge, of utter 
 unfitness for heavy marchings and combats. In short, 
 few men have ever had a more comfortable, labor- 
 saving contempt for learnirg of every kind." 
 
jCoi^^'j^'ix.crZjd 
 
u. 
 
 THIRTEENTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 67 < L 
 
 ^'MILLflRn FILLMnRE.-^ 
 
 ILLARO FILLMORE, thir- 
 teenth President of the United 
 ' States, was born at Summer 
 Hill, Cayuga Co., N. Y ., on 
 the 7th of January, 1800. His 
 ^^ father was a farmer, and ow- 
 ing to misfortune, in humble cir- 
 cumstances. Of his mother, the 
 daughter of Dr. Abiathar Millard, 
 ^\\5 of Pittsfield, Mass., it has been 
 said that she [wssessed an intellect 
 of very high order, united with much 
 l>ersonal loveliness, sweetness of dis- 
 position, graceful manners and ex- 
 (juisite sensibilities. She died in 
 1831 ; having lived to see her son a 
 ' young man of distinguished prom- 
 ise, though she was not permitted to witness the high 
 dignity which he finally attained. 
 
 In consequence of the secluded home and limited 
 means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender ad- 
 vantages for education in his early years. The com- 
 mon schools, wiiich he occasionally attended were 
 very imperfect mstitutions; and books were scarce 
 and expensive. There was nothing then in his char- 
 acter to indicate the brilliant career uixsn which he 
 was about to enter. He was a plain farmer's boy ; 
 intelligent, good-looking, kind-hearted. The sacred 
 influences of home had taught him to revere the Bible, 
 and had laid the foundations of an upright character. 
 When fourteen years of age, his father sent him 
 some hundred miles from home, to the then wilds of 
 Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier. 
 Near the mill there was a small villiage, where some 
 
 enterprising man had commenced the collection of a 
 village library. This proved an inestimable blessing 
 to young Fillmore. His evenings were spent in read- 
 ing. Soon every leisure moment was occupied with 
 books. His thirst for knowledge became insatiate; 
 and the selections which he made were continually 
 more elevating and instructive. He read history, 
 biography, oratory, and thus gradually there was en- 
 kindled in his heart a desire to be something more 
 than a mere worker with his hands; and he was be- 
 coming, almost unknown to himself, a well-informed, 
 educated man. 
 
 The young clothier had now attained the age of 
 nineteen years, and was of fine personal appearance 
 and of gentlemanly demeanor. It so happened that 
 there was a gentleman in the neighborhood of ample 
 pecuniary means and of benevolence, — Judge Walter 
 Wood, — who was struck with the prepossessing ap- 
 pearance of young Fillmore. He made his acquaint- 
 ance, and was so much impressed with his ability and 
 attainments that he advised him to abandon his 
 trade and devote himself to the study of the law. The 
 young man replied, that he had no means of his own, 
 no friends to help him and that his previous educa- 
 tion had been very imperfect. But Judge Wood had 
 so much confidence in him that he kindly offered to 
 take him into his own office, and to loan him such 
 money as he needed. Most gratefully the generous 
 offer was accepted. 
 
 There is in many minds a strange delusion about 
 a collegiate education. K j oung man is supposed to 
 be liberally educated if he has graduated at some col- 
 lege. But many a boy loiters through university hall ; 
 Hud then enters a law office, wlio is by no means as 
 
-4^ 
 
 68 
 
 MILLARD PILLMORE. 
 
 V he 
 
 well prepared to prosecute his legal studies as was 
 Millard Fillmore when he graduated at the clothing- 
 mill at the end of four years of manual labor, during 
 which every leisure moment had been devoted to in- 
 tense mental culture. 
 
 In 1823, when twenty-three years of age, he v/as 
 admitted to the Court of Common Pleas. He then 
 went to the village of Aurora, and commenced the 
 practice of law. In this secluded, peaceful region, 
 his practice of course was limited, and there was no 
 opportunity for a sudden rise in fortune or in fame. 
 Here, in the year 1826, he married a lady of great 
 moral worth, and one capable of adorning any station 
 she might be called to fill, — Miss Abigail Powers. 
 
 His elevation of character, his untiring industry, 
 his legal acquirements, and his skill as an advocate, 
 gradually attracted attention ; and he was invited to 
 enter into partnership under highly advantageous 
 circumstances, with an elder member of the bar in 
 Buffalo. Just before removing to Buffalo, in 1829, 
 lie took his seat in the House of Assembly, of the 
 State of New York, as a representative from Erie 
 County. Though he had never taken a very active 
 part in politics, his vote and his sympathies were with 
 the Whig party. The State was then Democratic, 
 and he found himself in a helpless minority in the 
 Legislature , still the testimony comes from all parties, 
 Ihat his courtesy, ability and integrity, won, to a very 
 unusual degrc e the respect of his associates. 
 
 In the autumn of 1832, he was elected to a seat in 
 the United States Congress He entered that troubled 
 arena in some of the most tumultuous hours of our 
 national history. The great conflict respecting the 
 national bank and the removal of the deposits, was 
 then raging. 
 
 His term of two years closed ; and he returned to 
 his profession, which he pursued with increasing rep- 
 utation and success. After a lapse of two years 
 he again became a candidate for Congress ; was re- 
 elected, and took his seat in 1837. His past expe- 
 rience as a representative gave hmi strength and 
 confidence. The first term of service in Congress to 
 any man can be but little more than an introduction. 
 He was now prepared for active duty. All his ener- 
 gies were brought to bear upon the public good. Every 
 measure received his impress. 
 
 Mr. Fillmore was now a man of wide repute, and 
 his [xjpularity filled the State, and in the year 1847, 
 he was elected Comptroller of the State. 
 
 Mr. Fillmore had attained the age of forty-seven 
 years. His labors at the bar, in the Legislature, in 
 Congress and as Comptroller, had given him very con- 
 siderable fame. The Whigs were casting about to 
 find suitable candidates for President and Vice-Presi- 
 dent at the approaching election. Far away, on the 
 waters of the Rio Grande, there was a rough old 
 soldier, who had fought one or two successful battles 
 with the Mexicans, which had caused his name to be 
 proclaimed in tiumpet-tones all over the land. But 
 it was necessary to associate with him on the same 
 ticket some man of reputation as a statesman. 
 
 Under the influence of these considerations, the 
 namesof Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore became 
 the rallying-cry of the Whigs, as their candidates for 
 President and Vice-Peesident. The Whig ticket was 
 signally triumphant. On the 4th of March, 1849, 
 Gen. Taylor was inaugurated President, and Millard 
 Fillmore Vice-President, of the United States. 
 
 On the 9th of July, 1850, President Taylor, but 
 about one year and four months after his inaugura- 
 tion, was suddenly taken sick and died. By the Con- 
 stitution, Vice-President Fillmore thus became Presi- 
 dent. He appointed a very able cabinet, of which 
 the illustrious Daniel Webster was Secretary of State. 
 
 Mr. Fillmore had very serious difficulties to contend 
 with, since the op[X)sition had a majority in both 
 Houses. He did everything in his power to conciliate 
 the South; but the pro-slavery party in the South felt 
 the inadequacy of all measuresof transient conciliation. 
 The population of the free States was so rapidly in- 
 creasing over that of the slave States that it was in- 
 evitable that the power of the Government should 
 soon pass into the hands of the free States. The 
 famous compromise measures were adopted under Mr. 
 Fillnicre's adminstration, and the Japan Expedition 
 was sent out. On the 4th of March, 1853, Mr. Fill- 
 more, having served one term, retired. 
 
 In 1856, Mr. Fillmore was nominated for the Pres- 
 idency by the " Know Nothing " party, but was beaten 
 by Mr. Buchanan. After that Mr. Fillmore lived in 
 retirement. During the terrible conflict of civil war, 
 he was mostly silent. It was generally supjXDsed that 
 his sympathies were rather with those who were en- 
 deavoring to overthrow our institutions. President 
 Fillmore kept aloof from the conflict, witiiout any 
 cordial words of cheer to the one party or the other. 
 He was thus forgotten by both. He lived to a ripe 
 old age, and died in Buffalo. N. Y., March S, 1874. 
 
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■<•■ 
 
 FOURTEENTH PRESIDENT. 
 
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 ^FHflNKLIN PIERCE. 
 
 
 RANKLIN PIERCE, the 
 irteenth President of the 
 ^"L'nited States, was born in 
 Hillsborough, N. H., Nov. 
 23, 1804. His father was a 
 RevoUitionarj' soldier, who, 
 with his own strong arm, 
 hewed out a home in the 
 wilderness. He was a man 
 of inflexible integrity; of 
 strong, though uncultivated 
 mind, and an uncompromis- 
 ing Democrat. The mother of 
 Franklin Pierce was all that a son 
 could desire, — an intelligent, pru- 
 dent, affectionate, Christian wom- 
 an. Franklin was the sixth of eight children. 
 
 Franklin was a very bright and handsome boy, gen- 
 erous, warm-hearted and brave. He won alike the 
 love of old and young. The boys on the play ground 
 loved him. His teachers loved him. The neighbors 
 looked upon him with pride and affection. He was 
 by instinct a gentleman; always speaking kind words, 
 doing kind deeds, with a peculiar unstudied tact 
 which taught him what was agreeable. Without de- 
 veloping any precocity of genius, or any unnatural 
 devotion to books, he was a good scholar; in body, 
 in mind, in affections, a finely-developed boy. 
 
 When sixteen years of age, in the year 1820, he 
 entered Bowdoin College, at Brunswick, Me He was 
 one of the most popular young men in the college. 
 The purity of his moral character, the unvarying 
 courtesy of his demeanor, his rank as a scholar, and 
 
 genial nature, rendered him a universal favorite. 
 There was something very peculiarly winning in his 
 address, and it was evidently not in tlie slightest de- 
 gree studied : it was the simple outgushing of his 
 own magnanimous and loving nature. 
 
 Upon graduating, in the year 1824, Franklin Pierce 
 commenced the study of law in the office of Judge 
 Woodbury, one of the most distinguished lawyers of 
 the State, and a man of great private worth. The 
 eminent social qualities of the young lawyer, his , 
 father's prominence as a public man, and the brilliant 
 political career into which Judge Woodbury was en- 
 tering, all tended to entice Mr. Pierce into the faci- 
 nating yet perilous path of jwlitical life. With all 
 the ardor of his nature he es|)oused the cause of Gen. 
 Jackson for the Presidency. He coinmenced the 
 practice of law in Hillsborough, and was soon elected 
 to represent the town in the State Legislature. Here 
 he served for four yeais. The last two years he was 
 chosen speaker of the house by a very large vote. 
 
 In 1833, at the age of twenty-nine, he was elected 
 a member of Congress. Without taking an active 
 part in debates, he was faithful and laborious in duty, 
 and ever rising in the estimation of those with whom 
 he was associatad. 
 
 In 1837, being then but thirty-three years of age, 
 he was elected to the Senate of the United States; 
 taking his seat just as Mr. Van Buren commenced 
 his administration. He was the youngest member in 
 the Senate. In the year 1834, he married Miss Jane 
 Means Appleton, a lady of rare beauty and accom- 
 plishments, and one admirably fitted to adorn every 
 station with wiiich her husband was honored. Of the 
 
 
PRAJSTKLIN PIERCE. 
 
 three sons who were born to them, ail now slee[) with 
 their parents in the grave. 
 
 In the year 1838, Mr. Pierce, with growing fame 
 and increasing business as a lawyer, took up his 
 residence in Concord, the capital of New Hampshire. 
 President Polk, u[X)n his accession to office, appointed 
 Mr. Pierce attorney-general of the United States ; but 
 the offer was declined, in consequence of numerous 
 professional engagements at home, and the precariuos 
 state of Mrs. Pierce's health. He also, about the 
 same time declined the nomination for governor by the 
 Democratic party. The war with Mexico called Mr. 
 Pierce in the army. Receiving the appointment of 
 brigadier-general, he embarked, with a portion of his 
 troops, at Newport, R. I., on the 27th of May, 1847. 
 He took an imixirtant part in this war, proving him- 
 self a brave and true soldier. 
 
 When Gen. Pierce reached his home in his native 
 State, he was received enthusiastically by the advo- 
 cates of the Mexican war, and coldly by his oppo- 
 nents. He resumed the practice of his profession, 
 very frequently taking an active part in political ques- 
 tions, giving his cordial support to tlie pro-slavery 
 wing of the Democratic party. The compromise 
 measures met cordially with his approval ; and he 
 strenuously advocated the enforcement of the infa- 
 mous fugitive-slave law, which so sliocked the religious 
 sensibilities of the North. He thus became distin- 
 guished as a "Northern man witli Southern principles.'' 
 The strong partisans of slavery in the South conse- 
 quently regarded him as a man whom they could 
 safely trust in office to carry out their plans. 
 
 On the I 2th of June, 1852, the Democratic conven- 
 tion met in Baltimore to nominate a candidate for the 
 Presidency. For four days they continued in session, 
 and in thirty-five ballotings no one had obtained a 
 two-thirds vote. Not a vote thus far liadbeen thrown 
 for Gen. Pierce. Then the Virginia delegation 
 brought forward his name. There were fourteen 
 more ballotings, during which Gen. Pierce constantly 
 gained strength, until, at tlie forty-ninth ballot, he 
 received two hundred and eighty-two votes, and all 
 other candidates eleven. Gen. Winfield Scott was 
 the Whig candidate. Gen. Pierce was chosen with 
 great unanimity. Only four States — Vermont, Mas- 
 sachusetts, Kentucky and Tennessee — cast their 
 electoral votes against him Gen. Franklin Pierce 
 was therefore inaugurated President of the United 
 States on the 4th of March, 1853. 
 
 His administration proved one of the most stormy our 
 country had ever experienced. The controversy be- 
 tween slavery and freedom was then approaching its 
 culminating point. It became evident that there was 
 an " irrepressible conffict " between them, and that 
 tliis Nation could not long e.xist " half slave and half 
 free." President Pierce, during the whole of his ad- 
 ministration, did every thing he could to conciliate 
 the South ; but it was all in vain. The conflict every 
 year grew more violent, and threats of the dissolution 
 of the Union were borne to the North on every South- 
 ern breeze. 
 
 Such was the condition of affairs when President 
 Pierce approached the close of his four-years' term 
 of office. The North had become thoroughly alien- 
 ated from him. The anti-slaver)- sentiment, goaded 
 by great outrages, had been rapidly increasing; all 
 the intellectual ability and social worth of President 
 Pierce were forgotten in deep reprehension of his ad- 
 ministrative acts. The slaveholders of the South, also, 
 unmindful of the fidelity with which he had advo- 
 cated those measures of Government which they ap- 
 proved, and perhaps, also, feeling that he had 
 rendered himself so unpopular as no longer to be 
 able acceptably to serve them, ungratefully dropped 
 him, and nominated James Buchanan to succeed him. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1857, President Pierce re- 
 tired to his home in Concord. Of three children, two 
 had died, and his only surviving child had been 
 killed before his eyes by a railroad accident ; and his 
 wife, one of the most estimable and accomplished of 
 ladies, was rapidly sinking in consumption. The 
 hour of dreadful gloom soon came, and he was left 
 alone in the world, without wife or child. 
 
 When the terrible Rebellion burst forth, which di- 
 vided our country into two parties, and two only, Mr. 
 Pierce remained steadfast in the principles which he 
 had always cherished, and gave his sympathies to 
 that pro-slavery party with which he liad ever been 
 allied. He declined to do anything, either by voice 
 or pen, to strengthen the hand of the National Gov- 
 ernment. He continued to reside in Concord until 
 the time of his death, which occurred in October, 
 1869. He was one of the most genial and social of 
 men, an honored communicant of the Episcopal 
 Church, and one of the kindest of neighbors. Gen- 
 erous to a fault, he contributed liberally for the al- 
 leviation of suffering and want, and many of his towns- 
 people were often gladened by his material bounty. 
 
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 FIFTEENTH PRESIDENT 
 
 
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 AMES BUCHANAN, tlie fif- 
 .teenth President of the United 
 States, was born in a small 
 frontier town, at the foot of the 
 eastern ridge of the Allegha- 
 nies, in FrankhnCo., Penn.,on 
 the 23d of April, 1791. The j.'lace 
 where the humble cabin of his 
 father stood was called Stony 
 « liatter. It was a wild and ro- 
 mantic sjxjt in a gorge of the moun- 
 tains, with towering summits rising 
 grandly all around. His father 
 was a native of the north of Ireland ; 
 a iX)or man, who had emigrated in 
 1783, with little property save his 
 own strong arms. Five years afterwards he married 
 Elizabeth Spear, the daughter of a respectable farmer, 
 and, with his young bride, plunged into the wilder- 
 ness, staked his claim, reared his log-hut, opened a 
 clearing with his axe, and settled down there to per- 
 form his obscure part in the d-rama of life. In this se- 
 cluded home, where James was born, he remained 
 (br eight years, enjoying but few social or intellectual 
 advantages. When James was eight years of age, his 
 father removed to the village of Mercersburg, where 
 his son was placed at school, and commenced a 
 course of study in English, Latin and Greek. His 
 progress was rapid, and at the age of fourteen, he 
 entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle. Here he de- 
 veloped remarkable talent, and took his stand among 
 the first scholars in the institution. His application 
 to study was intense, and yet his native powers en- 
 -.<• : 
 
 abled him to master the most abstruse subjects with 
 facility. 
 
 In the year 1809, he graduated with the highest 
 honors of his class. He was then eighteen years of 
 age; tall and graceful, vigorous in health, fond of 
 athletic sport, an unerring shot, and enlivened with 
 an exuberant flow of animal spirits. He immediately 
 commenced the study of law in the city of Lancaster, 
 and was admitted to the bar in 1812, when he was 
 but twenty-one years of age. Very rapidly he rose 
 in his profession, and at once took undisputed stand 
 with the ablest lawyers of the State. When but 
 twenty-six years of age, unaided by counsel, he suc- 
 cessfully defended before the State Senate oie of the 
 judges of the State, who was tried upon articles of 
 impeachment. .\t the age of thirty it was generally 
 admitted that he stood at the head of the bar; and 
 there was no lawyer in the State who had a more lu- 
 crative practice. 
 
 In 1820, he reluctantly consented to run as a 
 candidate for Congress. He was elected, and for 
 ten years he remained a member of the Lower House. 
 During the vacations of Congress, he occasionally 
 tried some important case. In 1 831, he retired 
 altogether from the toils of his jirofession. having ac- 
 ([uired an ample fortune. 
 
 Cen. Jackson, upon his elevation loihe Presidency, 
 appointed Mr. Buchanan minister to Russia. The 
 duties of his mission he performed with ability, which 
 gave satisfaction to all parties. Upon his return, in 
 1833, he was elected to a seat in the United States 
 Senate. He there met, as his associates, Webster, 
 Clay, Wright and Calhoun. He advocated the meas- 
 ures proposed by President Jackson, of making repri- 
 
 f 
 
76 
 
 4 
 
 JAMES BUCHANAN. 
 
 sals against France, to enforce the payment of our 
 claims against that country; and defended the course 
 of the President in his unprecedented and wholesale 
 removal from office of those who were not the sup- 
 porters of liis administration. Upon this question he 
 was brought into direct collision with Henry Clay. 
 He also, with voice and vote, advocated expunging 
 from the journal of the Senate the vote of censure 
 against Gen. Jackson for removing the deixjsits. 
 Earnestly he opposed the abolition of slavery in the 
 District of Columbia, and urged the prohibition uf the 
 circulation of anti-slavery documents by the United 
 States mails. 
 
 As to petitions on tlie suliject of slavery, he advo- 
 cated that they should be respectfully received; and 
 that the rejily should be returned, tliat Congress had 
 no power to legislate upon the suljject. " Congress," 
 said he, " might as well undertake to interfere with 
 slavery under a foreign government as in any of the 
 States where it now exists." 
 
 Upon Mr. Polk's accession to the Presidency, Mr. 
 Buchanan became Secretary of State, and as such, 
 took his share of the resixinsibility in the conduct of 
 the Mexican War. Mr. Polk assumed that crossing 
 the Nueces by the American troops into the disputed 
 territory was not wrong, but for the Mexicans to cross 
 the Rio Grande into that territory was a declaration 
 of war. No candid man can read with pleasure the 
 account of the course our Government [xirsued in that 
 movement 
 
 Mr. Buchanan identified himself thoroughly with 
 the party devoted to the pc^rpetuation and extension 
 of slavery, and brought all the energies of his mind 
 to bear agdinst the Wilmot Proviso. He gave his 
 cordial approval to the compromise measures of 1S50, 
 which included the fugitive-slave law. Mr. Pierce, 
 upon his election to the Presidency, honored Mr. 
 Buchanan with the mission to England. 
 
 In the year 1856, a national Democratic conven- 
 tion nominated Mr. Buchanan for the Presidency. The 
 political conflict was one of the most severe in which 
 our country has ever engaged. All the friends of 
 slavery were on one side; all the advocates of its re- 
 striction and final abolition, on the other. Mr. Fre- 
 mont, the candidate of the enemies of slavery, re- 
 reived 1 14 electoral votes. Mr. Buchanan received 
 174, and was elected. The [wpular vote stood 
 1,340,618, for Fremont, 1,224,750 for Buchanan. On 
 March 4th, 1857, Mr. Buchanan was inaugurated. 
 
 Mr. Buchanan was far advanced in life. Only four 
 years were wanting to fill up his threescore years and 
 ten. His own friends, those with whom he had been 
 allied in political principles and action for years, were 
 seeking the destruction of the Government, that they 
 might rear upon the ruins of our free institutions a 
 nation whose corner-stone should be human slavery, 
 tn this emergency, .Mr. Buchanan was hf>i)eicssly be- 
 >vildered He could not, with his long-avowed prin- 
 
 ciples, consistently oppose the State-rights party in 
 their assumptions. As President of the United States, 
 bound by his oath faithfully to administer the laws, 
 he could not, without perjury of the grossest kind, 
 unite with those endeavoring to overthrow the repub- 
 lic. He therefore did nothing. 
 
 The opixments of Mr. Buchanan's administration 
 nominal ed Abraham Lmcoln as their standard bearer 
 in the next Presidential canvass. The pro-slaverv 
 party declared, that if he were elected, and the con- 
 trol of the Government were thus taken from their 
 hands, they would secede from the Union, taking 
 with them, as they retired, the National Capitol at 
 Washington, and the lion's share of the territory of 
 the United States. 
 
 Mr. Buchanan's sympathy with the pro-slavery 
 party was such, that he had been willing to offer them 
 far more than they had ventured to claim. All the 
 .South had professed to ask of the North was non- 
 intervention upon the subject of slavery. Mr. Bu- 
 chanan had been ready to offer them the active co- 
 operation of the (jovernment to defend and extend 
 the institution. 
 
 As the storm increased in violence, the slaveholders 
 claiming the right to secede, and Mr. Buchanan avow- 
 ing that Congress had no ixjwer to prevent it, one of 
 the most [jitiable exhibitions of governmental im- 
 becility was exhibited the world has ever seen. He 
 declared that Congress had no ix)wer to enforce its 
 laws in any State which had withdrawn, or which 
 was attempting to withdraw from the Union. This 
 was not the doctrine of Andrew Jackson, when, with 
 his hand upon his sword-hilt, he exclaimed, " The 
 Union must and shall be preserved!" 
 
 SoiLth Carolina seceded in December, i860; nearly 
 three months before the inauguration of President 
 Lincoln. Mr. Buchanan looked on in listless despair. 
 The rebel flag was raised in Charleston; Fort Sumpter 
 was besieged ; our forts, navy-yards and arsenals 
 were seized ; our depots of military stores were plun- 
 dered ; and our custom-houses and post-offices were 
 appropriated by the rebels. 
 
 The energy of the rebels, and the imbecility of our 
 Executive, were alike marvelous. The Nation looked 
 on in agony, waiting for the slow weeks to glide away, 
 and close the administration, so terrible in its weak- 
 ness At length the long-looked-for hour of deliver- . 
 ance came, when Abraham Lincoln was to receive the 
 scepter. 
 
 The administration of President Buchanan was 
 certainly the most calamitous our country' has ex- 
 ])erienced. His best friends cannot recall it with 
 |)leasure. And still more deplorable it is for his fame, 
 that in that dreadful conflict which rolled its billows 
 of flame and blood over our whole land, no word came 
 from his lips to indicate his wish that our country's 
 banner should Iriumph over the flag of the rebellion. 
 H*" died at his Wheatland retreat, June i, 1868. 
 
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 -4•- 
 
 SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT. 
 
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 79 
 
 ' ABRAHAM > #i>f *^S <i!MLrL> i 
 
 /.'i 3r0.i^ j^..-l<kud 
 
 '^g^^iSaej^^KHEi: 
 
 
 BRAHAM LINCOLN, the 
 sixteenth President of the 
 ^United States, was born in 
 Hardin Co., Ky., Feb. 12, 
 1809. About the year 1780, a 
 man by the name of Abraiiam 
 Lincohi left Virginia vvitli liis 
 family and moved into the tlien 
 wildsof Kentucky. Only two years 
 after this emigration, still a young 
 man, while working one day in a 
 field, was stealthily approached by 
 an Indian and shot dead. His widow 
 was left in extreme jioverty with five 
 little children, three boys and two 
 girls. Thomas, the youngest of the 
 boys, was four years of age at his 
 father's death. This Thomas was 
 the father of Abraham Lincoln, the 
 President of the United States 
 whose name must henceforth foi-ever be enrolled 
 with the most prominent in the annals of our world. 
 Of course no record has been kept of the life 
 of one so lowly as Thomas Lincoln. He was among 
 the [xwrest of the [xjor. His home was a wretched 
 log-cabin ; his food the coarsest and the meanest. 
 Education he had none; he could never either read 
 or write. As soon as he was able to do anything for 
 himself, he was compelled to leave the cabin of his 
 starving mother, and push out into the world, a friend- 
 less, wandering boy, seeking work. He hired him- 
 self out, and thus spent the whole of his youth as a 
 laborer in the fields of others. 
 
 When twenty-eight years of age he built a log- 
 cabin of his own, and married Nancy Hanks, the 
 daughter of another family of poor Kentucky emi- 
 grants, who had also come from Virginia. Their 
 second child was Abraham Lincoln, the subject of 
 this sketch. The mother of Abraham was a noble 
 woman, gentle, loving, ])ensive, created to adorn 
 a palace, doomed to toil and pine, and die in a hovel. 
 "All that I am, or hope to be," e.'<claims the grate- 
 ful son "I owe to my angel-mother. 
 
 When he was eight years of age, his father sold his 
 
 cabin and small farm, and moved to Indiana. Where 
 two vears later his mother died. 
 
 Abraham soon became the scribe of the uneducated 
 community around him. He could not have had a 
 better school than this to teach him to put thoughts 
 into words. He also became an eager reader. The 
 books he could obtain were few; but these he lead 
 and re-read until they were almost committed to 
 memory. 
 
 As the years rolled on, the lot of this lowly family 
 was the usual lot of humanity. 'I'hi're were joys and 
 griefs, weddings and funerals. Abraham's sister 
 Sarah, to whom he was tenderly attached, was mar- 
 ried when a child of but fourteen years of age, and 
 soon died. The family was gradually scattered. Mr. 
 Thomas Lincoln sold out iiis sipiatter's claim in 1S30, 
 and emigrated to Macon Co., 111. 
 
 Abraham Lincoln was then twenty-one years of age. 
 With vigorous hands he aided his father in rearing 
 another log-cabin. .\l)raham worked diligently at this 
 until he saw the family comfortably settled, and their 
 small lot of enclosed prairie planted with corn, when 
 he announced to his father his intention to leave 
 hoine, and to go out into the world and seek his for- 
 tune. Little did he or his friends imagine how bril- 
 liant that fortune was to be. He saw the vahie of 
 education and was intensely earnest to improve his 
 mind to the utmost of his power. He saw the ruin 
 which ardent spirits were causing, and became 
 strictly temperate; refusing to allow a drop of intoxi- 
 cating licpior to pass his lips. And he had read in 
 (iod's word, " Thou shah not take the name of the 
 Lord thy God in vain;" and a jirofane expression he 
 was never heard to utter. Religion he revered. His 
 morals were pure, and he was uncontaminated by a 
 single vice. 
 
 Voting Abraham worked for a time as a hired laborer 
 among the farmers. Then he went to Springfield, 
 where he was employed in building a large flat-boat. 
 In this he took a herd of swine, floated them down 
 the Sangamon to the Illinois, and thence liy the Mis- 
 sissippi to New Orleans. Whatever Abraham Lin- 
 coln undertook, he performed so faithfully as to give 
 great satisfaction to hi> employers. In this adveii- 
 
 -<*■ 
 
«► i r ^« 
 
 A 
 
 80 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 
 
 eie 
 4 I'.oi 
 
 ture his employers were so well pleased, that ujxsn 
 
 his return tiiey placed a store and uiill under his care. 
 
 In 1832, at the outbreak of the Black Hawk war, he 
 enlisted and was chosen captain of a company. He 
 returned to Sangamon County, and although only 23 
 years of age, was a candidate for tlie Legislature, but 
 was defeated. He soon after- received from .'\ndrew 
 Jackson the appointmentof Postmaster of New Salem, 
 His only post-office was his hat. All the letters he 
 received he carried there ready to deliver to those 
 he chanced to meet. He studied surveying, and soon 
 made this his business. In 1834 he again became a 
 candidate for the Legislature, and was elected Mr. 
 Stuart, of Springfield, advised him to study law. He 
 walked from New Salem to Springfield, borrowed of 
 Mr. Stuart a load of books, carried them back and 
 began his legal studies. \Vhen the Legislature as- 
 sembled he trudged on foot with his pack on Jiis back 
 one hundred miles to Vandalia, then the capital. In 
 1836 he was re-elected to the Legislature. Here it 
 was he first met Stephen A. Douglas. In 1839 he re- 
 moved to Springfield and began tlie practice of law. 
 His success with the jury was so great that he was 
 soon engaged in almost every noted case in the circuit. 
 
 In 1854 the great discussion began between Mr. 
 Lincoln and Mr. Douglas, on the slavery question. 
 In the organization of the Republican party in Illinois, 
 in 1856, he took an active part, and at once became 
 one of the leaders in that party. Mr. Lincoln's 
 speeches in opposition to Senator Douglas in the con- 
 test in 1858 for a seat in the Senate, form a most 
 notable part of his history. The issue was on the 
 ;lavery question, and he took the broad ground of 
 .he Declaration of Independence, that all men are 
 created e(iual. Mr. Lincoln was defeated in tliis con- 
 test, but won a far Jiigher prize. 
 
 The great Republican Convention met at Chicago 
 on the 1 6th ot June, i860. The delegates and 
 strangers who crowded the city amounted to twenty- 
 five thousand. .\n immense building called "The 
 Wigwam," was reared to accommodate the Conven- 
 tion. There were eleven candidates for whom votes 
 were thrown. Wilham H Seward, a man wliose fame 
 as a statesman had long filled the land, was the most 
 urominent. It was generally supposed he would be 
 the nominee. Abraham Lincoln, however, received 
 the nomination on the third ballot. Little did he then 
 dream of the weary years of toil and care, and tlic 
 bloody death, to which that nomination doomed him: 
 and as little did he dream that he was to render services 
 to his country, which would fi\ upon him the eyes of 
 the whole civilized world, and which would give him 
 a place in the affections of his countrymen, second 
 only, if second, to that of Washington. 
 
 Election day came and Mr. Lincoln received 180 
 electoral votes out of 203 cast, and was, therefore, 
 I'.onstitutionjlly elected President of the United States. 
 The tirade of abuse that was poured upon this good 
 
 and merciful man, especially by the slaveholders, was 
 greater than upon any other man ever elected to this 
 high position. In February, 1861, Mr. Lincoln started 
 for Washington, stopjiing in all the large cities on his 
 way making speeches. The whole journey was frought 
 with much danger. Many of the Southern States had 
 already seceded, and several attempts at assassination 
 were afterwards brought to light. A gang in Balti- 
 more had arranged, upon his arrival to" get up a row," 
 and in the confusion to make sure of his deatli with 
 revolvers and hand-grenades. A detective unravelled 
 the plot. K secret and special train was provided to 
 take him from Harrisl.'urg, through Baltimore, at an 
 unexpected hour of the night. Tlie train started at 
 half-past ten ; and to prevent any possible communi- 
 cation on the part ot the Secessionists with theirCon- 
 federate gang in Baltimore, as soon as the train had 
 started the telegraph-wires were cut. Mr. Lincoln 
 reached Washington in safety and was inaugurated, 
 although great anxiety was felt by all loyal people. 
 In the selection (jf his cabinet Mr. Lincoln gave 
 to Mr Seward tlie Department of State, and to other 
 prominent opponents before the convention he gave 
 important [Kjsitions. 
 
 During no other administration have the duties 
 devolving upon the President been so manifold, and 
 the responsibilities so great, as those which fell to 
 the lot of President Lincoln. Knowing this, and 
 feeling liis own weakness and inability to meet, and in 
 his own strength to cope with, the difficulties, he 
 learned early to seek Divine wisdom and guidance in 
 determining his plans, and Divine comfort in all his 
 trials, bo'h personal and national. Contrary to his 
 own estimate of himself, Mr. Lincoln was one of the 
 most courageous of men. He went directly into the 
 rebel capital just as the retreating foe was leaving, 
 with no guard but a few sailors. From the time he 
 had left Springfield, in 1861, however, plans had lieen 
 made for his assassination, and he at last fell a victim 
 to one of them. April 14, 1865, he, with Gen. Grant, 
 was urgently invited to attend Fords' Theater. It 
 was announced that they would be present. Gen. 
 Grant, however, left the city. President Lincoln, feel- 
 ing, witli his characteristic kindliness of heart, that 
 it. would be a disappointment if he should fail them, 
 very reluctantly consented to go. While listening to 
 the play an actor by the name of John Wilkes Booth 
 entered the box where the President and family were 
 seated, and fired a bullet into his brains. He died the 
 next morning at seven o'clock. 
 
 Never before, in the history of the world was a nation 
 plunged into such deep grief by the death of its ruler. 
 Strong men met in the streets and wept in speechless 
 anguish. It is not too much to say that a nation was 
 in tears. His was a life which will fitly become a 
 model. His name as the savior of his country will 
 live with that of Washington's, its father; his country- 
 men being unable to decide which is the f;reater. 
 , .. .^ 
 
 I 
 
-f.-Cyc/"- 
 
 ^<^<^J-tP'^ 
 
u 
 
 SEVENTEENTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 83 
 
 f 
 
 NDREW JOHNSON, seven- 
 teenth President of the United 
 States. The early life of 
 Andrew Johnson contains but 
 the record of poverty, destitu- 
 tion and friendlessness. He 
 / was born December 29, 1808, 
 in Raleigh, N. C. His parents, 
 belonging to the class of the 
 "poor whites " of the South, were 
 V in such circumstances, that they 
 could not confer even the slight- 
 est advantages of education ujwn 
 their child. When Andrew was five 
 years of age, his father accidentally 
 lost his life while hevorically endeavoring to save a 
 friend from drowning. Until ten years of age, Andrew 
 was a ragged boy about the streets, supjxirted by the 
 labor of his mother, who obtained her living with 
 her own hands. 
 
 He then, having never attended a school one day, 
 and being unable either to read or write, was ap- 
 prenticed to a tailor in his native town. A gentleman 
 was in the habit of going to the tailor's shop occasion- 
 ally, and reading to the boys at work there. He often 
 read from the speeches of distinguished British states- 
 men. Andrew, who was endowed with a mind of more 
 than ordinary native ability, became much interested 
 in these speeches ; his ambition was roused, and he 
 was inspired with a strong desire to learn to read. 
 
 He accordingly applied himself to the alphabet, and 
 with the assistance of some of his fellow-workmen, 
 learned his letters. He then called upon the gentle- 
 man to borrow the book of speeches. The owner, 
 -^« 
 
 pleased with his zeal, not only gave him the book, 
 but assisted him in learning to combine the letters 
 into words. Under such difficulties he pressed on- 
 ward laboriously, spending usually ten or twelve hours 
 at work in the shop, and then robbing himself of rest 
 and recreation to devote such time as he could to 
 reading. 
 
 He went to Tennessee in 1826, ^nd located at 
 Greenville, where he married a young lady who pos- 
 sessed some education. Under her instructions he 
 learned to write and cipher. He became prominent 
 in the village debating society, and a favorite with 
 the students of Greenville College. In 1828, he or- 
 ganized a working man's party, which elected him 
 alderman, and in 1830 elected him mayor, which 
 position he held three years. 
 
 He now began to take a lively interest in political 
 affairs ; identifying himself with the working-classes, 
 to which he belonged. In 1835, he was elected a 
 member of the House of Representatives of Tennes- 
 see. He was then just twenty-seven years of age. 
 He became a very active member of the legislature, 
 gave his adhesion to the Democratic party, and in 
 1840 "stumped the State," advocating Martin Van 
 Buren's claims to the Presidency, in opposition to those 
 of Gen. Harrison. In this campaign he acquired much 
 readiness as a speaker, and extended and increased 
 his reputation. 
 
 In 1841, he was elected State Senator; in 1843, he 
 was elected a member of Congress, and by successive 
 elections, held that important post for ten years. In 
 1853, he was elected Governor of Tennessee, and 
 was re-elected in 1855. In all these resixDnsible posi- 
 tions, he discharged his duties with distinguished abii- 
 
 V 
 

 84 
 
 ANDRE U ' JOHNSON. 
 
 \ 
 
 t 
 
 ity, and proved himself the warm friend of the work- 
 ing classes. In 1857, Mr. Johnson was elected 
 United States Senator. 
 
 Years before, in 1845, he had warmly advocated 
 the annexation of Texas, stating however, as his 
 reason, that he thought this annexation would i)roh- 
 ably prove " to be the gateway out of which the sable 
 sons of Africa are to pass from bondage to freedom, 
 and become merged in a population congenial to 
 themselves." In 1850, he also supported the com- 
 promise measures, the two essential features of which 
 were, that the white people of the Territories should 
 be permitted to decide for themselves whether they 
 would enslave the colored people or not, and that 
 the free States of the North should return to the 
 South persons who attempted to escape from slavery. 
 
 Mr. Johnson was never ashamed of his lowly origin: 
 on the contrary, he often took pride in avowing that 
 he owed his distinction to his own exertions. "Sir," 
 said he on the floor of the Senate, " I do not forget 
 that I am a mechanic ; neither do I forget that Adam 
 was a tailor and sewed fig-leaves, and that our Sav- 
 ior was the son of a carpenter." 
 
 In the Charleston-Baltimore convention of 1800, ne 
 was the choice of the Tennessee Democrats for the 
 Presidency. In 1861, when the purpose of the South- 
 ern Democracy became apparent, he took a decided 
 stand in favor of the Union, and held that " slavery 
 must be held subordinate to the Union at whatever 
 cost." He returned to Tennessee, and repeatedly 
 imperiled his own life to protect the Unionists of 
 Tennesee. Tennessee having seceded from the 
 Union, President Lincoln, on March 4th, 1862, ap- 
 pointed him Military Governor of the State, and he 
 established the most stringent military rule. His 
 numerous proclamations attracted wide attention. In 
 
 1864, he was elected Vice-President of the United 
 States, and upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, April 15, 
 
 1865, became President. In a speech two days later 
 he said, " The American people must be taught, if 
 they do not already feel, that treason is a crime and 
 must be punished ; that the Government will not 
 always bear with its enemies ; that it is strong not 
 only to protect, but to punish. * * The people 
 must understand that it (treason) is the blackest of 
 crimes, and will surely be punished." Yet his whole 
 administration, the history of which is so well known, 
 was in utter iru-.onsistencv with, and the most violent 
 
 4> 
 
 opiX)sition to, the principles laid down in that speech. 
 
 In his loose policy of reconstruction and general 
 amnesty, he was opposed by Congress; and he char- 
 acterized Congress as a new rebellion, and lawlessly 
 defied it, in everything possible, to the utmost. In 
 the beginnirig of 1868, on account of "high crimes 
 and misdemeanors," the principal of which was the 
 removal of Secretary Stanton, in violation of the Ten- 
 ure of Office Act, articles of impeachment were pre- 
 ferred against him, and the trial began March 23. 
 
 It was very tedious, continuing for nearly three 
 months. A test article of the impeachment was at 
 length submitted to the court for its action. It was 
 certain that as the court voted upon that article so 
 would it vote upon all. Thirty-four voices pronounced 
 the President guilty. As a two-thirds vote was neces- 
 sary to his condemnation, he was pronounced ac- 
 quitted, notwithstanding the great majority against 
 him. The change of one vote from the not guilty 
 side would have sustained the impeachment. 
 
 The President, for the remainder of his term, was 
 but little regarded. He continued, though impotently, 
 his conflict with Congress. His own party did not 
 think it expedient to renominate him for the Presi- 
 dency. The Nation rallied, with enthusiasm unpar- 
 alleled since the days of Washington, around the name 
 of Gen. Grant. Andrew Johnson was forgotten. 
 The bullet of the assassin introduced him to the 
 President's chair. Notwithstanding this, never was 
 there presented to a man a better opportunity to im- 
 mortalize his name, and to win the gratitude of a 
 nation. He failed utterly. He retired to his home 
 in Greenville, Tenn., taking no very active part in 
 politics until 1875. On Jan. 26, after an e.xciting 
 struggle, he was chosen by the Legislature of Ten- 
 nessee, United States Senator in the forty-fourth Con- 
 gress, and took his seat in that body, at the special 
 session convened by President Grant, on the 5 th of 
 March. On the 27th of July, 1875, the ex-President 
 made a visit to his daughter's home, near Carter 
 Station, Tenn. When he started on his journey, he was 
 apparently in his usual vigorous health, but on reach- 
 ing the residence of his child the following day, was 
 stricken with paralysis, rendering him unconscious. 
 He rallied occasionally, but finally passed away at 
 2 A.M., July 31, aged sixty-seven years. His fun- 
 eral was attended at Geenville, on the 3d of .August, 
 with every demonstration of respect. 
 
-/- a,^^ 
 
-^•- 
 
 EIGHTEENTH PRESIDENT. 
 
 87 
 
 ItYSStB 
 
 
 LYSSES S. GR.\NT, the 
 eighteenth President of the 
 United States, was born on 
 the 29th of April, 1822, of 
 Christian parents, in a humble 
 home, at Point Pleasant, on the 
 banks of the Ohio. Shortly after 
 his father moved to George- 
 town, Brown Co., O. In this re- 
 mote frontier hamlet, Ulysses 
 received a common-school edu- 
 cation. At the age of seven- 
 teen, in the year 1839, he entered 
 the Military Academy at West 
 Point. Here he was regarded as a 
 solid, sensible young man of fair abilities, and of 
 sturdy, honest character. He took respectable rank 
 as a scholar. In June, 1S43, he graduated, about the 
 middle in his class, and was sent as lieutenant of in- 
 fantry to one of the distant military posts in the Mis- 
 souri Territory. Two years he past in these dreary 
 solitudes, watching the vagabond and exasperating 
 Indians. 
 
 The war with Mexico came. Lieut. Grant was 
 sent with his regiment to Corpus Christi. His first 
 battle was at Palo Alto. There was no chance here 
 for the exhibition of either skill or heroism, nor at 
 Resaca de la Palma, his second battle. .At the battle 
 of Monterey, his third engagement, it is said that 
 he performed a signal service of daring and skillful 
 h6rsemanship. His brigade had exhausted its am- 
 munition. .\ messenger must be sent for more, along 
 a route exposed to the bullets of the foe. Lieut. 
 Grant, adopting an expedient learned of the Indians, 
 grasped the mane of his horse, and hanging upon one 
 side of the aniro^l, ran the gauntlet in entire safety. 
 
 From Monterey he was sent, with the fourth infantry, 
 to aid Gen. Scott, at the siege of Vera Cruz. In 
 preparation for the march to the city of Mexico, he 
 was appointed quartermaster of his regiment. At the 
 battle of Molino del Rey, he was promoted to a 
 first lieutenancy, and was brevetted captain at Cha- 
 pultepec. 
 
 At the close of the Mexican War, Capt. Grant re- 
 turned with his regiment to New York, and was again 
 sent to one of the military posts on the frontier. The 
 discovery of gold in California causing an immense 
 tide of emigration to flow to the Pacific shores, Capt. 
 Grant was sent with a battalion to Fort Dallas, in 
 Oregon, for the protection of the interests of the im- 
 migrants. Life was wearisome in those wilds. Capt. 
 Grant resigned his commission and returned to the 
 States; and having married, entered upon the cultiva- 
 tion of a small farm near St. Louis, Mo. He had but 
 little skill as a farmer. Finding his toil not re- 
 munerative, he turned to mercantile life, entering into 
 the leather business, with a younger brother, at Ga- 
 lena, 111. This was in the year i860. As the tidings 
 of the rebels firing on Fort Sumpter reached the ears 
 of Capt. Grant in his counting-room, he said, — 
 "Uncle Sam has educated me for the army; though 
 I have served him through one war, I do not feel that 
 I have yet repaid the debt. I am still ready to discharge 
 my obligations. I shall therefore buckle on my sword 
 and see Uncle Sam through this war too." 
 
 He went into the streets, raised a company of vol- 
 unteers, and led them as their captain to Springfield, 
 the capital of the State, where their services were 
 offered to Gov. Yates. The Governor, impressed by 
 the zeal and straightforward executive ability of Capt. 
 Grant, gave him a desk in his office, to assist in the 
 volunteer organization that was being formed in the 
 State in behalf of the Government. On the 15 th of 
 
 HK-^ 
 
 I' 
 
h- 
 
 UL YSSKS S. GRA NT. 
 
 June, 1 86 1, Capt. (Irant received a commission as 
 Colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Vol- 
 unteers. His merits as a West Point graduate, who 
 had served for 15 years in the regular army, were such 
 that he was soon promoted to the rank of Brigadier- 
 General and was placed in command at Cairo. The 
 rebels raised their banner at Paducah, near the mouth 
 of the Tennessee River. Scarcely had its folds ap- 
 peared in the breeze ere Gen. Grant was there. The 
 rebels fled. Their ban^ier fell, and the star and 
 stripes were unfurled in its stead. 
 
 He entered the service with great determination 
 and immediately began active duty. This was the be- 
 ginning, and until the surrender of Lee at Richmond 
 he was ever pushing the enemy with great vigor and 
 effectiveness. At Belmont, a few days later, he sur- 
 prised and routed the rebels, then at Fort Henry 
 won another victory. Then came the brilliant fight 
 at Fort Donelson. The nation was electrified by the 
 victory, and the brave leader of the boys in lilue was 
 immediately made a Major-General, and the milit:ir_\- 
 district of Tennessee was assigned to him. 
 
 Like all great captains, Gen. Grant knew well liow 
 to secure the results of victory. He immediately 
 pushed on to the enemies' lines. Then came the 
 terrible battles of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, and tlie 
 siege of Vicksburg, where Gen. Pemberton made an 
 unconditional surrender of the city with over thirty 
 thousand men and one-hundred and seventy-two can- 
 non. The fall of Vicksburg was by far the most 
 severe blow which the rebels had thus far encountered, 
 and opened up the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf. 
 
 Gen. Grant was next ordered to co-operate with 
 Gen. Banks in a movement upon Texas, and pro- 
 ceeded to New Orleans, where he was thrown from 
 his horse, and received severe injuries, from which he 
 was laid up for months. He then rushed to the aid 
 of Gens. Rosecrans and Thomas at Chattanooga, and 
 by a wonderful series of strategic and technical meas- 
 ures put the Union Army in fighting condition. Then 
 followed the bloody battles at Chattanooga, Lookout 
 Mountain and Missionary Ridge, in which the rebels 
 were routed with great loss. This won for him un- 
 bounded praise in the North. On the 4th of Febru- 
 ary, 1864, Congress revived the grade of lieutenant- 
 general, and the rank was conferred on Gen. Grant. 
 He repaired to Washington to receive his credentials 
 and enter upon the duties of his new office. 
 
 \ 
 
 Gen. (Irant decided as soon as he took charge of 
 the army to concentrate the widely-dispersed National 
 troops for an attack upon Richmond, the nominal 
 capital of tlie Rebellion, and endeavor there to de- 
 stroy the rebel armies which would be promptly as- 
 sembled from all quarters for its defence. The whole 
 continent seemed to tremble under the tramp of these 
 majestic armies, rushing to the decisive battle field. 
 .Steamers were crowded with troops. Railway trains 
 were burdened with closely packed thousands. His 
 plans were comprehensive and involved a series of 
 campaigns, which were executed with remarkable en- 
 ergy and ability, and were consummated at the sur- 
 render of Lee, April 9, 1865. 
 
 The war was ended. The Union was saved. The 
 almost unanimous voice of the Nation declared Gen. 
 Grant to be tlie most prominent instrument in its sal- 
 vation. The eminent services he had thus rendered 
 the country brought him conspicuously forward as the 
 Republican candidate for the Presidential chair. 
 
 At the Republican Convention held at Chicago, 
 May 21, 1868, he was unanimously nominated for the 
 Presidency, and at the autumn election received a 
 majority of the popular vote, and 214 out of 294 
 electoral votes. 
 
 The National Couventiou of the Republican party 
 which met at Philadelphia on the 5th of June, 1872, 
 placed Gen. Grant in nomination for a second term 
 by a unanimous vote. The selection was emphati- 
 cally indorsed by the people five months later, 292 
 electoral votes being cast for him. 
 
 Soon after the close of his second term. Gen. Grant 
 started upon his famous trip around the world. He 
 visited almost every country of the civilized world, 
 and was everywhere received with such ovations 
 and demonstrations of respect and honor, private 
 as well as public and official, as were never before 
 bestowed upon any citizen of the United States. 
 
 He was the most prominent candidate before the 
 Republican National Convention in 1880 for a re- 
 nomination for President. He went to New York and 
 embarked in the brokerage business under the firm 
 nameof Grant & Ward. The latter proved a villain, 
 wrecked Grant's fortune, and for larceny was sent to 
 the penitentiary. The General was attacked with 
 cancer in the throat, but suffered in his stoic-like 
 manner, never complaining. He was re-instated as 
 General of the Army and retired by Congress. The 
 cancer soon finished its deadly work, and July 23, 
 1885, the nation went in mourning over the death of 
 ' the illustrious General. 
 
s 
 
 ^^^..e^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 xf 
 
^1 
 
 NTNETEENTH PRESIDKNT. 
 
 91 
 
 
 l'l^^t^'^'^'^^^^,;^■■w■l^;'■^;'■^.^^l■^^)'^.'a^'^ivi»jg'^:^ti&'.^:^^■;■H'^>n^r^^ 
 
 UTHERFORl) K. HAVES, 
 ^ the nineteenth President of 
 ' the United States, was born in 
 Delaware, O., Oct. 4, 1822, al- 
 most three months after the 
 "^"^ death of his father, Rutherford 
 Hayes. His ancestry on both 
 the paternal and maternal sides, 
 was of the most honorable char- 
 acter. It can be traced, it is said, 
 as far back as r28o, when Hayes and 
 Rutherford were two Scottish chief- 
 tains, fighting side by side with 
 Baliol, William Wallace and Robert 
 Bruce. Both families belonged to the 
 nobility, owned extensive estates, 
 and had a large following. Misfor- 
 tune overtaking the family, George Hayes left Scot- 
 land in 1680, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son 
 George was born in Windsor, and remained there 
 during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, mar- 
 ried Sarah Lee, and lived from the time of his mar- 
 riage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. Ezekiel, 
 son of Daniel, was born in 1724, and was a manufac- 
 turer of scythes at Bradford, Conn. Rutherford Hayes, 
 son of Ezekiel and grandfather of President Hayes, was 
 born in New Haven, in August, 1756. He was a farmer, 
 blacksmith and tavern-keeper. He emigrated to 
 Vermont at an unknown date, settling in Brattleboro, 
 where he established a hotel. Here his son Ruth- 
 erford Hayes the father of President Hayes, was 
 
 born. He was married, in September, 18 13, to Sophia 
 Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors emi- 
 grated thither from Connecticut, they having been 
 among the wealthiest and best famlies of Norwich. 
 Her ancestry on the male side are traced back to 
 1635, to John Birchard, one of the principal founders 
 of Norwich. Both of her grandfathers were soldiers 
 in the Revolutionary War. 
 
 The father of President Hayes was an industrious, 
 frugal and opened-hearted man. He was of a me- 
 chanical turn, and could mend a plow, knit a stock- 
 ing, or do almost anything else that he choose to 
 undertake. He was a member of the Church, active 
 in all the benevolent enterprises of the town, and con- 
 ducted his business on Christian principles. After 
 the close of the war of 181 2, for reasons inexplicable 
 to his neighbors, he resolved to emigrate to Ohio. 
 
 The journey from Vermont to Ohio in that day, 
 when there were no canals, steamers, nor railways, 
 was a very serious affair. A tour of inspection was 
 first made, occupying four months. Mr. Hayes deter- 
 mined to move to Delaware, where the family arrived 
 in i8t7. He died July 22, 1822, a victim of malarial 
 fever, less than three months before the birth of the 
 son, of whom we now write. Mrs. Hayes, in her sore be- 
 reavement, found the support she so much needed in 
 her brother Sardis, who had been a member of the 
 household from the day of its departure from Ver- 
 mont, and in an orphan girl whom she had adopted 
 some time before as an act of charity. 
 
 Mrs. Hayes at this period was very weak, and the 
 
 ^^ 
 
-4^ 
 
 92 
 
 MUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 
 
 subject of this sketch was so feeble at birth that he 
 was not expected to live beyond a month or two at 
 most. As the months went by he grew weaker and 
 weaker, so that the neighbors were in the habit of in- 
 quiring from time to time " if Mrs. Hayes' baby died 
 last night." On one occasion a neighbor, who was on 
 familiar terms with tiie family, after alluding to the 
 boy's big head, and the mother's assiduous care of 
 him, said in a bantering way, " That's right ! Stick to 
 him. You have got him along so far, and 1 shouldn't 
 wonder if he would really come to something yet." 
 
 " You need not laugh," said Mrs. Hayes. "You 
 wait and see. You can't tell but I shall make him 
 President of the United States yet." The boy lived, 
 in spite of the universal predictions of his speedy 
 death; and when, in 1825, his older brother was 
 drowned, he became, if possible, still dearer to his 
 mother. 
 
 The boy was seven years old before he went to 
 school. His education, however, was not neglected. 
 He probably learned as much from his mother and 
 sister as he would have done at school. His sports 
 were almost wholly within doors, his playmates being 
 his sister and her associates. These circumstances 
 tended, no doubt, to foster that gentleness of dispo- 
 sition, and that delicate consideration for the feelings 
 of others, which are marked traits of his character. 
 
 His uncle Sardis Birchard took the deepest interest 
 in his education ; and as the boy's health had im- 
 proved, and he was making good progress in his 
 studies, he proposed to send him to college. His pre- 
 paration commenced with a tutor at home; but he 
 was afterwards sent for one year to a jorofessor in the 
 Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn. He en- 
 tered Kenyon College in 1838,31 the age of sixteen, 
 and was graduated at the head of his class in 1842. 
 
 Immediately after his graduation he began the 
 study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, Esq., 
 in Columbus. Finding his opportunities'for study in 
 Columbus somewhat limited, he determined to enter 
 the Law School at Cambridge, Mass., where he re- 
 mained two years. 
 
 In 1845, after graduatmg at the Law School, he was 
 admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and shortly 
 afterward went into practice as an attorney-at-law 
 with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he re- 
 mained three years, acquiring but a limited practice, 
 and apparently unambitious of distinction in his pro- 
 fession. 
 
 In 1849 he moved to Cincmnati, where his ambi- 
 tion found a new stimulus. For several years, how- 
 ever, his progress was slow. Two events, occurring at 
 this period, had a powerful influence upon his subse- 
 quent life. One of these was his marrage with Miss 
 Lucy Ware Webb, daughter of Dr. James Webb, of 
 Chilicothe; the other was his introduction to the Cin- 
 cinnati Literary Club, a body embracing among its 
 r members such men as'^hief Justice Salmon P.Chase, 
 
 Gen. John Pope, Gov. Edward F. Noyes, and many 
 others hardly less distinguished in after life. The 
 marriage was a fortunate one in every respect, as 
 everybody knows. Not one of all the wives of our 
 Presidents was more universally admired, reverenced 
 and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and no one did 
 more than she to reflect honor upon American woman- 
 hood. The Literary Cluo brought Mr. Hayes into 
 constant association with young men of high char- 
 acter and noble aims, and lured him to disjilay the 
 qualities so louj; hidden by his bashfulness and 
 modesty. 
 
 In 1856 he was nominated to the office of Judge of 
 the Court of Common Pleas; but he declined to ac- 
 cept the nomination. Two years later, the office of 
 city solicitor becoming vacant, the City Council 
 elected him for the unexpired term. 
 
 In 1 86 1, when the Rebellion broke out, he was at 
 the zenith of his professional life. His rank at the 
 bar was among the the first. But the news of the 
 attack on Fort Sunqjter found him eager to take up 
 arms for the defense of his country. 
 
 His military record was bright and illustrious. In 
 October, 186 1, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and 
 in August, 1862, promoted Colonel of the 79th Ohio 
 regiment, but he refused to leave his old comrades 
 and go among strangers. Subsequently, however, he 
 was made Colonel of his old regiment. At the battle 
 of South Mountain he received a wound, and while 
 faint and bleeding displayed courage and fortitude 
 that won admiration from all. 
 
 Col. Hayes was detached from his regiment, after 
 his recovery, to act as Brigadier-General, and placed 
 in command of the celebrated Kanawha division, 
 and for gallant and meritorious services in the battles 
 of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, he was 
 promoted Brigadier-General. He was also brevetted 
 Major-General, "for gallant and distinguished services 
 during the campaigns of 1864, in West Virginia." In 
 the course of his arduous services, four horses were 
 shot from under him, and he was wounded four times. 
 
 In 1864, Gen. Hayes was elected to Congress, from 
 the Second Ohio District, which had long been Dem- 
 ocratic. He was not present during the campaign, 
 and after his election was importuned to resign his 
 commission in the army ; but he finally declared, " I 
 shall never come to Washington until I can come by 
 tlic way of Richmond." He was re-elected in 1866. 
 
 In 1867, Gen Hayes was elected Governor of Ohio, 
 over Hon. .\llen G. Thurman, a popular Democrat. 
 In 1869 was re-elected over George H. Pendleton. 
 He was elected Governor for the third term in 1875. 
 
 In 1876 he was the standard bearer of the Repub- 
 lican Party in the Presidential contest, and after a 
 hard long contest was chosen President, and was in 
 augurated Monday, March 5, 1875. He served his 
 full term, not, h. wever, with satisfaction to h'.s party, 
 but his admir'stration was an average v^ - 
 
 *r 
 
^ 
 
 ^ 
 
TiVENTIETH PRESIDENT. 
 
 95 
 
 -Vy^'rsx? 
 
 
 fc-^ • "-ift*-^'^--*-*-"^-* A*-'^'^-'»ff)'"';^-' 
 
 .-If 
 
 '<?<?n;^7^^p 
 
 AMES A. GARFIELD, twen- 
 tieth President of the United 
 States, was born Nov. 19, 
 I S3 1, in the woods of Orange, 
 Cuyahoga Co., O His par- 
 ,_ - -^ y ents were Abram and Eliza 
 
 e\jJ'^V|4) (Ballou) Garfield, both of New 
 ." . '. 1 England ancestry and from fami- 
 lies well known in the early his- 
 %, tory of that section of our coun- 
 try, but had. moved to the Western 
 Reserve, in Ohio, early in its settle- 
 ment. 
 
 The house in which James K. was 
 born was not unlike the houses of 
 poor Ohio farmers of that day. It 
 «,ds about 20x30 feet, built of logs, with the spaces be- 
 ivveen the logs filled with clay. His father was a 
 nard working farmer, and he soon had his fields 
 cleared, an orchard planted, and a log barn built. 
 The household comprised the father and mother and 
 iheir four children — Mehetabel, Thomas, Mary and 
 James. In May, 1823, the father, from a cold con- 
 tracted in helping to put out a forest fire, died. At 
 this time James was about eighteen months old, and 
 Thomas about ten years old. No one, perhaps, can 
 tell how much James was indebted to his biother's 
 toil and self-sacrifice during the twenty years suc- 
 ceeding his father's death, but undoubtedly very 
 much. He now lives in Michigan, and the two sis- 
 ters live in Solon, O., near their birthplace. 
 
 The early educational advantages young Garfield 
 enjoyed were very limited, yet he made the most of 
 rhem. He labored at farm work for others, did car- 
 [jenter work, chopped wood, or did anything that 
 would bring in a few dollars to aid his widowed 
 mother in he' struggles to keep the little family to- 
 
 gether. Nor was Gen. Garfield ever ashamed of his 
 origin, and he never forgot the friends of his strug- 
 gling childhood, youtli and manhood, neither did they 
 ever forget him. When in the highest seats of honor, 
 the humblest fiiend of his boyhood was as kindly 
 greeted as ever. The poorest laborer was sure of the 
 sympathy of one who had known all the bitterness 
 of want and the sweetness of bread earned by the 
 sweat of the brow. He was ever the simple, plain, 
 modest gentleman. 
 
 The highest ambition of young Garfield until he 
 was about sixteen years old was to be a captain of 
 a vessel on Lake Erie. He was anxious to go aboard 
 a vessel, which his mother strongly opposed. She 
 finally consented to his going to Cleveland, with the 
 understanding, however, that he should Xvj to obtain 
 some other kind of employment. He walked all the 
 way to Cleveland. This was his first visit to the city. 
 ,\fler making many applications for work, and trying 
 to get aboard a lake vessel, and not meeting with 
 success, he engaged as a driver for his cousin, Amos 
 Letcher, on the Ohio &: Pennsylvania Canal. He re- 
 mained at this work but a short time when he went 
 home, and attended the seminary at Chester for 
 about three years, when he entered Hiram and the 
 Eclectic Institute, teaching a few terms of school in 
 tlie meantime, and doing other work. This school 
 was started by the Disciples of Christ in 1850, of 
 which church he was then a member. He became 
 janitor and bell-ringer in order to help pay his way. 
 He then became both teacher and pupil. He soon 
 " exhausted Hiram " and needed more ; hence, in the 
 fall of 1854, he entered Williams College, from which 
 he graduated in 1856, taking one of the highest hon- 
 ors of his class. He afterwards returned to Hiram 
 College as its President. As above stated, he early 
 united with the Christian or Diciples Church at 
 Hiram, and was ever after a devoted, zealous mem- 
 ber, often preaching in its pulpit and places where 
 he happened to be. Dr. Noah Porter, President of 
 Yale College, says of him in reference to his religion : 
 
 ^ 
 
96 
 
 JAMES A. GARFIELD. 
 
 " President Garfield was more than a man of 
 strong moral and religious convictions. His whole 
 history, from boyhood to the last, shows that duty to 
 man and to God, and devotion to Christ and life and 
 faith and spiritual commission were controlling springs 
 of his being, and to a more than usual degree. In 
 my judgment there is no more interesting feature of 
 his character than his loyal allegiance to the body of 
 Christians in which he was trained, and the fervent 
 sympathy which he ever showed in their Christian 
 communion. Not many of the few 'wise and mighty 
 and noble who are called ' show a similar loyalty to 
 the less stately and cultured Christian communions 
 in which they have been reared. Too often it is true 
 that as they step upward in social and political sig- 
 nificance they step upward from one degree to 
 another in some of the many types of fashionable 
 Christianity. President Garfield adhered to the 
 church of his mother, the church in which he was 
 trained, and in which he served as a pillar and an 
 evangelist, and yet with the largest and most unsec- 
 tarian charity for all 'who love our Lord in sincerity.'" 
 
 Mr. Garfield was united in marriage with Miss 
 Lucretia Rudolph, Nov. 1 1, 1858, who proved herself 
 worthy as the wife of one whom all the world loved and 
 mourned. To them were born seven children, five of 
 whom are still living, four boys and one girl. 
 
 Mr. Garfield made his first political speeches in 1856, 
 in Hiram and the neighboring villages, and three 
 years later he began to speak at county mass-meet- 
 ings, and became the favorite speaker wherever he 
 was. During this year he was elected to the Ohio 
 Senate. He also began to study law at Cleveland, 
 and in i86i was admitted to the bar. The great 
 Rebellion broke out in the early part of this year, 
 and Mr. Garfield at once resolved to fight as he had 
 talked, and enlisted to defend the old flag. He re- 
 ceived his commission as Lieut.-Colonel of the Forty- 
 second Regiment of Oiiio Volunteer Infantry, Aug. 
 14, 1861. He was immediately put into active ser- 
 vice, and before he had ever seen a gun fired in aci^ion, 
 was placed in command of four regiments of infantry 
 and eight companies of cavalry, charged with the 
 work of driving out of his native State the officer 
 (Humphrey Marshall) reputed to be the ablest of 
 those, not educated to war whom Kentucky had given 
 to the Rebellion. This work was bravely and speed- 
 ily accomplished, although against great odds. Pres- 
 ident Lincoln, on his success commissioned him 
 Brigadier-General, Jan. 10, 1862; and as "he had 
 been the youngest man in the Ohio Senate two years 
 before, so now he was the youngest General in the 
 army." He was with Gen. Buell's army at Shiloh, 
 in its operations around Corinth and its march through 
 Alabama. He was then detailed as a memberof the 
 General Court-Martial for the trial of Gen. Fitz-John 
 Porter. He was then ordered to report to Gen. Rose- 
 crans, and was assigned to the " Chief of Staff." 
 
 The military l^Jstory of Gen. Garfield closed with 
 
 his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won 
 the stars of the Major-General. 
 
 Without an effort on his part Gen. Garfield was 
 elected to Congress in the fall of 1862 from the 
 Nineteentli District of Ohio. This section of Ohio 
 had been represented in Congress for sixty years 
 mainly by two men — Elisha Whittlesey and Joshua 
 K. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he 
 resigned his place in the army. At the time he en- 
 tered Congress he was the youngest member in that 
 body. There he remained by successive re- 
 elections until he was elected President in 1880. 
 Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says : " Since 
 the year 1864 you cannot think of a question which 
 has been debated in Congress, or discussed before a 
 tribunel of the American people, in regard to which 
 you will not find, if you wish mstruction, the argu- 
 ment on one side stated, in almost every instance 
 better than by anybody else, in some speech made in 
 the House of Representatives or on the hustings by 
 Mr. Garfield." 
 
 Upon Jan. 14, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elected to 
 the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of the 
 same year, was nominated as the candidate of his 
 party for President at the great Chicago Convention. 
 He was elected in the following November, and on 
 March 4, 1881, was inaugurated. Probably no ad- 
 ministration ever opened its existence under brighter 
 auspices than that of President Garfield, and every 
 day it grew in favor with the people, and by the first 
 of July he had completed all the initiatory and pre- 
 liminary work of his administration and was prepar- 
 ing to leave tlie city to meet his friends at Williams 
 College, While on his way and at the depot, in com- 
 pany with Secretary Blaine, a man stepped behind 
 him, drew a revolver, and fired directly at his back. 
 The President tottered and fell, and as he did so tiie 
 assassin fired a second shot, the bullet cutting the 
 left coat sleeve of his victim, but in.licting no further 
 injury. It has been very truthfully said that this was 
 " the shot that was heard round the world " Never 
 before in the history of the Nation had anything oc- 
 curred which so nearly froze the blood of the people 
 for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smit- 
 ten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his life, and 
 was at the summit of his power and hope. For eighty 
 days, all during the hot months of July and August, 
 he lingered and suffered. He, however, remained 
 master of himself till the last, and by his magnificent 
 bearing was teaching tlie country and the world the 
 noblest of human lessons — how to live grandly in the 
 very clutch of death. Great in life, he was surpass- 
 ingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept. 
 19, 1883, at Elberon, N. J., on the very bank of the 
 ocean, where he had been taken shortly previous. The 
 world wept at his death, as it never had done on the 
 death of any other man who had ever lived upon it. 
 The murderer was duly tried, found guillv and exe- 
 cuted, in one year after he committed the foul deed. 
 
 =t 
 
■ ^^s 
 
■<^ 
 
 TWENTY. FIRST PRESIDENT. 
 
 \ 
 
 99 
 
 % 
 
 HESTER A. ARTHUR, 
 
 >0 twenty-first Presir^m of the 
 
 ^United States, was born in 
 
 Franklin Cour ty, Vermont, on 
 
 J thefifthofOc'ober, 1830, andis 
 
 the oldest of a family of two 
 
 sons and five daughters. His 
 
 father was the Rev. Dr. William 
 
 Arthur, a Baptistd .rgyman, who 
 
 emigrated to tb.s countr)' from 
 
 \^ the county Antnm, Ireland, in 
 
 his 1 8th year, and died in 1875, in 
 
 Newtonville, neai Albany, after a 
 
 long and successful ministry. 
 
 Young Arthur was educated at 
 Union College, S( henectady, where 
 he excelled in all his studies. Af- 
 ter his graduation he taught school 
 in Vermont for two years, and at 
 the expiration of that time came to 
 New York, with $500 in his ix)cket, 
 and entered the office of ex-Judge 
 E. D. Culver as student. After 
 I being admitted to the bar he formed 
 a partnership with his intimate friend and room-mate, 
 Henry D. Gardiner, with the intention of practicing 
 in the West, and for three months they roamed about 
 in the Western States in search of an eligible site, 
 but in the end returned to New York, where they 
 hung out their shingle, and entered upon a success- 
 ful career almost from the start. General Arthur 
 soon afterward niarp-^d the daughter of Lieutenant 
 
 A* 
 
 Herndon, of the United States Navy, who was lost at 
 sea. Congress voted a gold medal to his widow in 
 recognition of the bravery he displayed on that occa- 
 sion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. Arthur's 
 nommation to the Vice Presidency, leaving two 
 children. 
 
 Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celebrity 
 in his first great case, the famous Lemmon suit, 
 brought to recover possession of eight slaves who had 
 been declared free by Judge Paine, of the Superior 
 Court of New York City. It was in 1852 that Jon, 
 athan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to New York with 
 his slaves, intending to ship them to Texas, when 
 they were discovered and freed. The Judge decided 
 that they could not be held by the owner under the 
 Fugitive Slave Law. A howl of rage went up from . 
 the South, and the Virginia Legislature authorized the 
 Attorney General of that State to assist in an appeal. 
 Wm. M. Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed 
 to represent the People, and they won their case, 
 which then went to the Supreme Court of the United 
 States. Charles O'Conor here espoused the cause 
 of the slave-holders, but he too was beaten by Messrs. 
 Evarts and Arthur, and a long step was taken toward 
 the emancipation of the black race. 
 
 Another great service was rendered by General 
 Arthur in the same cause in 1856. Lizzie Jennings, 
 a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth 
 Avenue car with violence after she had paid her fare. 
 General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a 
 verdict of $500 damages. The next day the compa- 
 ny issued an order to admit colored persons to ride 
 on their cars, and the other car companies quickly 
 
i 
 
 -4^ 
 
 CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 
 
 A 
 
 followed their example. Before that the Sixth Ave- 
 nue Conijiany ran a few special cars for colored per- 
 sons and the other lines refused to let them ride at all. 
 
 General Arthur was a delegate to the Convention 
 at Saratoga that founded the Republican party. 
 Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of the 
 Second Brigade of the State of New York, and Gov- 
 ernor Morgan, of that State, appointed hmi Engineer- 
 in-Chief of his staff. In i86i, he was made Inspec- 
 tor General, and soon afterward became Quartermas- 
 ter-General. In each of these offices he rendered 
 great service to the Government during the war. At 
 the end of Governor Morgan's term he resumed the 
 practice of the law, forming a partnership with Mr. 
 Ransom, and then Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney 
 of New York, was added to the firm. The legal prac- 
 tice of this well-known firm was very large and lucra- 
 tive, each of the gentlemen composing it were able 
 lawyers, and possessed a splendid local reputation, if 
 not indeed one of national extent. 
 
 He always took a leading part in State and city 
 politics. He was appointed Collector of the Port of 
 New York by President Grant, Nov. 21, 1872, to suc- 
 ceed Thomas Murphy, and held the office until July, 
 20, 1878, when he was succeeded by Collector Merritt. 
 
 Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential 
 ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the famous 
 National Republican Convention held at Chicago in 
 June, 18S0. This was perhaps the greatest political 
 convention that ever assembled on the continent. It 
 was composed of the leading politicians of the Re- 
 publican party, all able men, and each stood firm and 
 fought vigorously and with signal tenacity for their 
 respective candidates that were before the conven- 
 tion for the nomination. Finally Gen. Garfield re- 
 ceived the nomination for President and (ten. Arthur 
 for Vice-President. The campaign which followed 
 was one of the most animated known in the history of 
 our country. Gen. Hancock, the standard-bearer of 
 the Democratic party, was a popular man, and liis 
 party made a valiant fight for his election. 
 
 Finally the election came and the country's choice 
 was Garfield and Arthur. They were inaugurated 
 March 4, 188 r, as President and Vice-President. 
 A few months only had passed ere the newly chosen 
 President was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then 
 came terrible weeks of suffering, — those moments of 
 anxious suspense, when the hearts of all civilized na- 
 
 tions were throbbing in unison, longing for the re- 
 covery of the noble, the good President. The remark- 
 able patience that he manifested during those hours 
 and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suf- 
 fering man has often been called upon to endure, was 
 seemingly more than human. It was certainly God- 
 like. During all this period of deepest anxiety Mr. 
 Arthur's every move was watched, and be it said to his 
 credit that his every action displayed only an earnest 
 desire that the suffering Garfield might recover, to 
 serve the remainder of the term he had so auspi- 
 ciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested 
 in deed or look of this man, even though the most 
 honored ixssition in the world was at any moment 
 likely to fall to him. 
 
 At last God in his mercy relieved President Gar- 
 field from further suffering, and the world, as never 
 before in its history over the death of any other 
 man, wept at his bier. Then it became the duty of 
 the Vice President to assume the responsibilities of 
 the high office, and he took the oath in New York, 
 Sept. 20, 1 88 1. The position was an embarrassing 
 one to him, made doulily so from the facts that all 
 eyes were on him, anxious to know what he would do, 
 what policy he would pursue, and who he would se- 
 lect as advisers. The duties of the office had been 
 greatly neglected during the President's long illness, 
 and many important measures were to be immediately 
 decided by him ; and still farther to embarrass him he 
 did not fail to realize under what circumstances he 
 became President, and knew the feelings of many on 
 this point. Under these trying circumstances President 
 Arthur took the reins of the Government in his own 
 hands ; and, as embarrassing as were the condition of 
 affairs, he happily surprised the nation, acting so 
 wisely that but few criticised his administration. 
 He served the nation well and faithfully, until the 
 close of his administration, March 4, 1885, and was 
 a popular candidate before his party for a second 
 term. His name was ably presented before the con- 
 vention at Chicago, and was received with great 
 favor, and doubtless but for the personal popularity 
 of one of the opposing candidates, he would have 
 been selected as the standard-bearer of his party 
 for another campaign. He retired to private life car- 
 rying with him the best wishes of the American peo- 
 ple, whom he had served in a manner satisfactory 
 to them and with credit to himself 
 
 t 
 
'y^-t^-t^^ C/c<y(://^^y\^£/ 
 
-4•- 
 
 TIVEN TV -SECOND PRESIDENT. 
 
 1=3 
 
 
 
 OOP 
 
 ""o25o~ 
 
 lEPHEN GROVER CLEVE- 
 LAND, the twenty- second Pres- 
 ident of the United States, was 
 lorn in 1S37, in tlie obscure 
 town of Caldwell, Essex Co., 
 N. J., and in a little two-and-a- 
 half-story white house which is still 
 standing, characteristically to mark 
 the humble birth-place of one of 
 America's great men in striking con- 
 trast with the Old World, where all 
 men high in office must be high in 
 origin and born in the cradle of 
 wealth. When the subject of this 
 sketch was three years of age, his 
 father, who was a Presbyterian min- 
 ister, with a large family and a small salary, moved, 
 by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to 
 Fayetteville, in search of an increased income and a 
 larger field of work. Fayetteville was then the most 
 straggling of country villages, about five miles from 
 Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour was born. 
 
 At the last mentioned place young Grover com- 
 menced going to school in the " good, old-fashioned 
 way," and presumably distinguished himself after the 
 manner of all village boys, in doing the things he 
 ought not to do. Such is the distinguishing trait of 
 all geniuses and independent thinkers. When he 
 arrived at the age of 14 years, he had outgrown the 
 capacity of the village school and expressed a most 
 
 emphatic desire to be sent to an academy. To this 
 his father decidedly objected. Academies in those 
 days cost money; besides, his father wanted him to 
 become self-supiwrting by the quickest possible 
 means, and this at that time in Fayetteville seemed 
 to be a position in a country store, where his father 
 and the large family on his hands had considerable 
 influence. Grover was to be paid $50 for his services 
 the first year, and if he proved trustworthy he was to 
 receive $roo the second year. Here the lad com- 
 menced his career as salesman, and in two years he 
 had earned so good a reputation for trustworthiness 
 that his employers desired to retain him for an in- 
 definite length of time. Otherwise he did not ex- 
 hibit as yet any particular " flashes of genius " or 
 eccentricities of talent. He was simply a good boy. 
 But instead of remaining with this firm in Fayette- 
 ville, he went with the family in their removal to 
 Clinton, where he had an opportunity of attending a 
 high school. Here he industriously pursued his 
 studies until the family removed with him to a point 
 on Black River known as the " Holland Patent," a 
 village of 500 or 600 people, 15 miles north of Utica, 
 N. Y. At this place his father died, after preaching 
 but three Sundays. This event broke up the family, 
 and Grover set out for New York City to accept, at a 
 small salary, the position of " under-teacher " in an 
 asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully for two 
 years, and although he obtained a good reputation in 
 this capacity, he concluded that teaching was not his 
 
 -J- 
 
-4^ 
 
 104 
 
 ,t 
 
 S. GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 calling for life, and, reversing the traditional order, 
 
 he left the city to seek his fortune, instead of going 
 
 to a city. He first thought of Cleveland, Ohio, as 
 
 there was some charm in that name for him ; but 
 
 before proceeding to that place he went to Buffalo to 
 
 isk the advice of his uncle, Lewis F. Allan, a noted 
 
 stockbreeder of that place. The latter did not 
 
 speak enthusiastically. " What is it you want to do, 
 
 my boy?" he asked. "Well, sir, I want to study 
 
 law," was the reply. " Good gracious ! " remarked 
 
 the old gentleman ; " do you, indeed ? What ever put 
 
 that into your head? How much money have you 
 
 got?" "Well, sir, to tell the truth, I haven't got 
 
 II 
 any. 
 
 After a long consultation, his uncle offered him a 
 place temporarily as assistant herd-keeper, at $50 a 
 year, while lie Could " look around." One day soon 
 afterward he boldly walked into the office of Rogers, 
 Bowen & Rogers, of Buffalo, and told tliem wliat he 
 wanted. A number of young men were already en- 
 gaged in the office, but Grover's persistency won, and 
 he was finally permitted to come as an office boy and 
 have the use of the law library, for the nominal sum 
 of $3 or %\ a week. Out of this he had to pay for 
 his board and washing. The walk to and from his 
 uncle's was along and rugged one; and, although 
 the first winter was a memorably severe one, his 
 shoes were out of repair and his overcoat — he had 
 liOne — yet he was nevertheless prompt and regular. 
 On the first day of his service here, his senior em- 
 ployer threw down a copy of Blackstone before him 
 with a bang that made the dust fly, saying "That's 
 where they all begin." A titter ran around the little 
 circle of clerks and students, as they thought that 
 wjs enough to scare young Grover out of his plans ; 
 but in due time he mastered that cumbersome volume. 
 Then, as ever afterward, however, Mr. Cleveland 
 exhibited a talent for executiveness rather than for 
 chasing principles through all their metaphysical 
 possibilities. " Let us quit talking and go and do 
 it," was practically his motto. 
 
 The first public office to which Mr. Cleveland was 
 elected was that of Sheriff of Erie Co., N. Y., in 
 which Buffalo is situated; and in such capacity it fell 
 to his duty to inflict capital punishment upon two 
 criminals. In 1881 he was elected Mayor of the 
 City of Buffalo, on the Democratic ticket, with es- 
 IX Hiec.ial reference to the bringing about certain reforms 
 
 in the administration of the municipal affairs of that 
 city. In this office, as well as that of Sheriff, his 
 performance of duty has generally been considered 
 fair, with possibly a few exceptions whicli were fer- 
 reted out and magnified during the last Presidential 
 campaign. As a specimen of his plain language in 
 a veto message, we quote from one vetoing an iniqui- 
 tous street-cleaning contract : " This is a time for 
 plain speech, and my objection to your action shall 
 be plainly stated. I regard it as the culmination of 
 a mos bare-faced, impudent and shameless scheme 
 to betray the interests of the people and to worse 
 than squander the people's money." The New York 
 Sun afterward very highly commended Mr. Cleve- 
 land's administration as Mayor of Buffalo, and there- 
 upon recommended him for Governor of the Empire 
 State. To the latter office he was elected in 1882, 
 and his administration of the affairs of State was 
 generally satisfactory. The mistakes he made, if 
 any, were made very public throughout the nation 
 after he was nominated for President of the United 
 States. For this high office he was nominated July 
 ri, 1884, by the National Democratic Convention at 
 Chicago, when other competitors were Thomas F. 
 Bayard, Roswell P. Flower, Thomas A. Hendricks, 
 Beniamin F. Butler, Allen G. Thurman, etc.; and he 
 was elected by the people, by a majority of about a 
 thousand, over the brilliant and long-tried Repub- 
 lican statesman, James G. Blaine. President Cleve- 
 land resigned his office as Governor of New York in 
 January, 1885, in order to prepare for his duties as 
 the Chief Executive of the United States, in which 
 capacity his term commenced at noon on the 4th of 
 March, 1885. For his Cabinet officers he selected 
 the following gentlemen: For Secretary of State, 
 Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware ; Secretary of the 
 Treasury, Daniel Manning, of New York ; Secretary 
 of War, William C. Endicott, of Massachusetts ; 
 Secretary of the Navy, William C. Wliitney, of New 
 York; Secretary of the Interior, L. Q. C. Lamar, cf 
 Mississippi; Postmaster-General, William F. Vilas, 
 of Wisconsin ; Attorney-General, A. H. Garland, of 
 .Arkansas. 
 
 The silver question precipitated a controversy be- 
 tween those who were in favor of the continuance of 
 silver coinage and those who were opposed, Mr. 
 Cleveland answering for the latter, even before his 
 inauguration. 
 
 
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 L. 
 
 DAVID BUTLER 
 
 crnor's chair. 
 
 UIE HON. DAVID BUTLER, 
 
 the first Goveniov of the 
 State of Nebraska, is to-day 
 one of the well-known and 
 active business men of the 
 State. Oliio has furnished 
 the countrj' with some of 
 its best leaders in military and 
 diplomatic circles and an innumer- 
 able number of its most valued 
 private citizens. It was the pleas- 
 ure of the peojjle of this State to 
 honor with their confidence one 
 of Ohio's sons in the above- 
 named gentleman, who was the 
 first called b}- the citizens of the 
 newly formed State to the Gov- 
 Elccted with enthusiasm in 1866, 
 re-elected with eclat at the next election in 1868, 
 and at the end of that term once more returned to 
 office by an intelligent and satisfied people. 
 
 The town of Lenton, Greene Co., Ohio, claims the 
 honor of the birthplace of Gov. Butler, the date of 
 his nativity being the 15th of December, 1829. He 
 was the eldest of a family of ten children boru to 
 his parents, of whom only six now survive. He is 
 the son of George AVashington and Nancy (Christy) 
 Butler. 
 
 The family of which Mr. Butler is a representa- 
 tive and member is not unknown to the annals of 
 other States in political positions of honor, and the 
 name is one that has been worn by his ancestors, 
 and by their successful lives and patriotism they 
 have made it a name respected and honored. Thomas 
 Butler, the grandfather of our subject, was a native 
 
 of Virginia, and after serving his fellow-citizens in 
 various capacities, was called upon to act as a mem- 
 ber of the Constitutional Convention of that State 
 in 1805. Becoming a pioneer of Ohio long before 
 it was a State, he was soon ranked among the prom- 
 inent citizens of the district in which he lived, and 
 was not infrequently' called upon whenever matters 
 of importance had to be considered or decided. The 
 maiden name of his wife, a noble woman, who 
 shared her husband's life most completeh', being at 
 once his closest confidant and counselor, was Maiy 
 Rol)inson. She became the mother of a large family, 
 her son, George Washington, the father of our sub- 
 ject, being the eldest of the family. 
 
 The father of our subject was born in ISOD, in 
 Ohio, was reared upon the pioneer farm of his 
 father, and grew up amid surroundings that would 
 to-day be anything but congenial by reason of the 
 primitive condition. He became an enterprising 
 and prosperous farmer, and also dealt very extens- 
 ively in cattle. He became the husband of Nancy 
 Christy, the daughter of Joseph Christy, Esq. J, ike 
 her father, she was born in North Carolina, the 
 3-ear of her nativitj' being 1811. She became the 
 mother of our subject, and her life, character and 
 influence were such as to leave a bright and happy 
 memory that will remain so long as the powers of 
 recollection exist. 
 
 The early life and boyhood of our subject were 
 spent amid agricultural surroundings, and such 
 education as he obtained was received first in a 
 private school, where he was prepared for the pub- 
 lic institution, in both of which he made rapid prog- 
 ress, and drank as deeply as was permitted at the 
 fountain of knowledge. He remained upon the 
 
»► i r ^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 112 
 
 DAVID BLTLER. 
 
 farm until he was twenty-one years of age, but long 
 before attaining his majority was a thorough, prac- 
 tical farmer, and understoorl all that was necessary 
 in regard to the management of stock. In his 
 youth he had given promise of powers and intelli- 
 gence, and though they lay dormant for many years, 
 were bound to make themselves known and felt, as 
 had been the case of the Virginian pioneer in Ohio, 
 to whom reference was made above. 
 
 Upon reaching man's estate Mr. Butler launched 
 into the serious l)usiness of life upon his own ac- 
 count b3' taking as his chosen occupation that with 
 which he was liest acquainted and in which he felt 
 most assured of success, viz., agriculture and the 
 breeding of and traffic in stock. The latter depart- 
 ment of his business frequently' called him away 
 from liome, and he - has traveled far and wide 
 throughout the Great West while thus engaged. His 
 ]ircvious experience, natural ability, iniierent enter- 
 prise and American push made him even more pros- 
 perous in his dealings and various undertakings 
 Ihnn his most sanguine hopes had conceived, but 
 he did not halt with the first flusii of his success, 
 but continued to go on to even greater. 
 
 In 1852 Mr. Butler embarked in mercantile pur- 
 suits, but did not sever his connection from what 
 had l)econie a very extensive trade in cattle and 
 liogs. Both branches were carried on with a grow- 
 ing financial success until the crash of 1857, wlien, 
 owing to the failure of the National Bank at Gos- 
 port, Ind., he lost a very large sum, and was fur- 
 ther crippled financially })y the failure of a large 
 number of his creditors to meet their obligations; 
 but he was determined no one should be the loser 
 u|)on his account. He settled up business satis- 
 factorily, paid dollar for dollar of everything held 
 against him and interest where it was due. 
 
 In the fail of 1859 Mr. Butler removed to Paw- 
 nee Citj', Neb., and tiiere associated himself with 
 the Hon. W. B. Raper, and with that gentleman 
 embarked again in business; but even here he re- 
 tained his interest in the cattle trade, and was very 
 shortly gratified to see his earnest efforts rewarded 
 and to be able to fill a larger place than iiad been 
 possible before his trials in 1857. This partnership 
 lasted until 18()1, when Mr. Butler was elected a 
 ' member of the Territorial Legislature, and was 
 
 after that nominated for Senator liy the Repu'i- 
 licans; but there being three candidates already ia 
 the field our subject withdrew in favor of Mr. 
 Mack. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Butler was elected State Senator for 
 a term of two years, representing the First District, 
 which comprised the counties of Richardson, Paw- 
 nee, Johnson, Gage, Clay, Jefferson and all the un- 
 organized territory lying to the westward. Both 
 in the House and Senate Mr. Butler made his 
 mark, and did good service for his constituents 
 and the State, and it was as a result of the ability 
 then manifested and recognized, the personal wortli 
 and high character sustained by him, that he was 
 nominated and by a large majority vote passed by 
 the hand of the people to the highest chair of 
 office within the gift of the people. 
 
 Among the services rendered the State by Mr. 
 Butler while in the Legislature may be mentioned 
 the introduction of a bill for the reapportioning of 
 Nebraska, the passage of which he worked very 
 hard to procure, but in Legislative halls as in everj' 
 other the green eyed monster of jealousy is bound 
 to find admittance. It was so in this case, and to 
 this was due the failure of our subject in spite of 
 his hard work; but upon renewing the fight in tiie 
 Senate he was successful and the bill went through 
 intact. 
 
 Upon retiring from public life Mr. Butler re- 
 turned to his mercantile pursuits with renewed 
 ardor and prosperit}', and he has continued to live 
 in Pawnee City or its immediate vicinity since. 
 
 Gov. Butler was, in January, 1860, united in 
 marriage to Miss Lydia Storej% of Bloomington, 
 Ind., and who is the daughter of Harrison Storey, 
 Esq. Of this happy union there have been born 
 four children, to whom were given the names : 
 Violet E., Seth D., Durias and Paul. 
 
 Gov. Butler is a genial, affable gentleman of 
 large intelligence, higii character and undoubted 
 popularity. Upon the 4th of September, 1888, he 
 was nomin.ated for Governor on the Union Labor 
 ticket, and is now stumping the State in behalf of 
 that movement. In the special order of Odd Fellow- 
 ship Gov. Butler is prominent and also ver^- highly 
 esteemed. He is affiliated with Interior Lodge 
 No, 9, at Pawnee City. 
 
 -^*- 
 
 -•► 
 
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 V\/)ry^C4j^ 
 
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 4-3-5 
 
 »f{OBERT W, FURNAS,-:^ m- 
 
 t 
 
 ROBERT WILKIN- 
 SON FURNAS was tlic 
 second gentleman to re- 
 ceive from the people of 
 the State the high honor 
 of being elected Gover- 
 nor. He was chosen to fill this i)o- 
 sition in the year 1873, and retired 
 ®^£^&2? tit the close of his term, havin; 
 
 earned the good-will, respect and 
 admiration of tiie whole people i)y 
 reason of his excellent administra- 
 tion. He was born in Tro}', Miami 
 Co., Ohio, on the .ith of May. 1 824. 
 His parents were natives of South 
 Carolina, in which State also the grandfather had 
 lieen born. His great-grandfather was a member of 
 a good old English family, and was born at Stand- 
 ing Stone, in the count}' of Cumberland, England. 
 lie was brought np and educated in iiis native place, 
 an<l when a young man was there married, and then 
 started with his wife for the New World. They 
 landed in .South Carolina about the 3-ear 1762. 
 Thomas Furnas, the third child of John and Mary 
 Furn.as, was born in 1768, six years after the settle- 
 ment of his parents in America, as above noted. 
 William Furnas was the fifth child and only son of 
 Thomas and Esther Furnas. The chosen occupa- 
 tion of this interesting famil}' for several genera- 
 tions has been that of farming. The chief institu- 
 tion, at that time, of the South, in connection with 
 all labor, especially field work, was that of slaverj', 
 and the members of the early generations of this 
 — 
 
 family were most conscientious members of the 
 Quaker Church, v,hich looked upon it as an abomi- 
 nation. This was the occasion finally of their re- 
 moval to Ohio, which they did in 1804, settling in 
 the Jliami Vallej-. It was in the home there estab- 
 lished that the subject of this sketch was born. He 
 is the eldest of a family of three children, and the 
 only one now living. His twin brother died in in- 
 fancy, and his younger sister at the age of fifteen. 
 
 In 1832 the parents of our subject were stricken 
 down by the ravages of that dreaded plague, the 
 cholera, which swept over the country at that time, 
 taking in its course, old and young, rich and poor, 
 without distinction. In this trj-ingtime the natural 
 guardians of tiie life of our subject, the directors 
 of his footsteps, the instructors of his life, were re- 
 moved, and lie was left to struggle and battle in 
 the conflict of life unaided bv them. Then, when 
 the clouds seemed darkest and thickest, his grand- 
 father stepped forward in order to supply, at least 
 in some measure, the place thus left vacant, and 
 with him he remained until he reached his seven- 
 teenth j'ear, working on the farm during the sum- 
 mer, and during the winter attending school. He 
 seized every opportunity afforded for the increase 
 of knowledge, and has ever continued to add to his 
 store, and his reputation is that of a well-read, 
 thoroughl}' educated gentleman. 
 
 As soon as our subject attained the above-men- 
 tioned age, he went to Covington, Ky., and there 
 served an apprenticeship to the jirinting business, in 
 the office of the Licking Valley lieyister, published 
 by Richard C. Langdon. It was at that time one 
 
 ^1 » ^ B <• 
 
«► i r^ 
 
 iif) 
 
 ROBERT AVILKINSON FURNAS. 
 
 h ' aiu 
 
 of the most noted newspapers, and its editor, one 
 of the first newspaper men in the West or South. 
 Young Furnas remained in this office until 1843, 
 and acquired a large store of practical knowledge 
 of trade, general business, and life, as well as con- 
 siderable information upon all ordinary topics, be- 
 sides the specific attainment desired in the knowl- 
 edge of the business. The benefit of this schooling 
 is perhaps clearly traceable even in the present, and 
 tlie immediate past. Leaving Covington he pro- 
 ceeded to Cincinnati, opened a book and job office, 
 and continued in the printing business at that place 
 for two years with good success. 
 
 Near the close of that time, and in the 3'ear 1845, 
 our subject was united in marriage with Mar}- S. 
 McComas, a native of Ohio, and a most excellent 
 lad}', one who has the power and ability to assist 
 him in life, and fitted to grace any position in so- 
 ciety, however high. There have been born of this 
 union five children. 
 
 One of the first public engagements entered into 
 by our subject when he became a voter was when, in 
 company with several other young men, he felt the 
 necessity of education as the means necessary to 
 power in this life in any of its relations. They 
 bound tliemsclves to advocate the building of the 
 school-house in Troy, and a lot was reserved for 
 that purpose. Older citizens, perhaps not so well 
 alive to the progressive spirit of tlie age, thought it 
 unnecessary, and threw in the way a thousand ob- 
 jections. The young men were defeated at the 
 poles the first year, but nothing daunted continued 
 the contest, and the next year carried their point 
 by a small majority, with the result that a $17,000 
 school-house was erected, and has stood a monu- 
 ment to the enterprise and foresight of these young 
 men. Upon the success of the above undertaking, 
 Mr. Furnas was elected one of the School Directors, 
 which he continued to be until his removal to Ne- 
 braska, when he resigned. 
 
 Our subject was only twenty-three years of age 
 when he became proprietor of the Ti-oy Times, an 
 organ of the Whig party, of which also he was the 
 editor and publisher, and by his trenchant articles 
 did much service in the Taylor campaign. In 1852 
 he sold this paper, and was engaged first as Freight 
 and Ticket Agent, afterward as conductor for the 
 
 Dayton & Michigan Railroad, continuing until 1856. 
 In March of that year he eniigrated to this State, 
 established him.sclf at Brownvillc, and in Jul}- of 
 the same year established the Brownville Adcertiser, 
 and entered the arena of political life. He became 
 a very zealous advocate of the agricultural and edu- 
 cational interests of the State, and in the fall of 
 that year was elected to the Territorial Legisl.ature. 
 Here the masterly qualities that have since distin- 
 guished him before the State were made manifest. 
 
 During his term of office, as noted in the foregoing 
 paragraph, our subject originated the school system 
 of the Territorj', which was modeled in its general 
 features after the system of Ohio. In the year 1858 
 he was re-elected and again took his seat in the 
 Legislature. In 1861 he was elected Chief Clerk, 
 and early in the spring was commissioned Colonel 
 in the United States Regular Army, and received 
 ordei'S from the Secretarj- of War to organize the 
 loyal Indians and have them mustered into the serv- 
 ice. He was successful in his mission and raised 
 three regiments. These were fully equipped, and 
 Col. Furnas commanded them in the Southern ex- 
 pedition under Gen. Blunt, which took in the bor- 
 ders of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansns and the Indian 
 Territory. Resigning his commission after having 
 done splendid work with his command, he returneil 
 and went to work to recruit, and established the 
 2d -Nebraska Cavalry, and added fresh glories to 
 the already brilliant record of military achieve- 
 ment. With this command he served under Gen. 
 Sully in the now renowned "Sully expedition" 
 against the Sioux Indians, wherein thej- were pursued 
 to British Columbia. 
 
 The next four years our subject was employed 
 as Indian Agent for the Omaha and Winnebago 
 Indians, which he resigned to take his place at the 
 helm of the State as already recorded. Among the 
 many honors worn so gracefully, and in such manly 
 spirit, arc : Regent of the State University, Presi- 
 dent of the State Board of Agriculture, President 
 of the State Agricultural Society, President of the 
 Stiite Soldiers' Union, Vice President of the National 
 Pomological Association, Past Grand Master of 
 the I. O. O. F., Past Grand High Priest, and Past 
 Grand Commander of the Masonic bodies of the 
 State of Nebraska. 
 
I^ 
 
 «•► 
 
 
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 SIIL..A.S O-^IRBEI^ 
 
 ••o*o.@v><^^-.o«o.- 
 
 I LAS GARBER. This dis- 
 tinguished and well known cit- 
 izen of Nebraska served the 
 State most acceptablj as its 
 Governor for the two terms, 
 from 1874 to 1878. He was 
 born in Logan County, Ohio, 
 21, 1833. There he passed 
 his bojhood davs, attending the 
 common schools and developing 
 into a sturdy and promising joung 
 man. At the early age of .seven- 
 teen years he was determined to 
 strike out for himself and see what 
 he could do toward making his own 
 living. He was ambitious, yet we 
 very much doubt whether the beard- 
 less young man who turned his face Westward in 
 1850 ever had the remotest idea that ho would 
 himself some day be at the head of a great com- 
 monwealth, that would be created still further 
 toward the setting sun. At that time he came into 
 Iowa, which was receiving such floods of emigrants 
 from the older settled States. He located in Clay- 
 ton County and engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
 the occupation which has done so much toward de- 
 velo|)ing some of the best men our Nation has 
 l)roduced. His life for some years was uneventful. 
 
 yet he was being disciplined and prepared for the 
 honorable and useful positions he was to lill in 
 after years. He took an .active interest in all pub- 
 lic matters, and was a well-informed, hard-working 
 young man. 
 
 When the stars and stripes which had so long 
 floated above Ft. Sumter were fired upon and the 
 little garrison compelled to surrender, the patriot- 
 ism of the North was aroused as never before in the 
 history of the Cf)untr3'. Thousands of the best 
 men of the Nation immediatelj^ volunteered their 
 services to aiil in suppressing the monstrous rebell- 
 ion, which had replaced the American banner with 
 the stars and bars. Among this vast arm}' of pa- 
 triotic men might have been found Silas Garber. 
 He was mustered into the 3d Missouri Infantrj', 
 which was known as the famous Lyon Regiment. 
 He served with this regiment for one year, when 
 he was mustered out and returned to Clayton 
 Count}'. He, however, did not long remain in the 
 quiet of that peaceful section, for we soon again 
 find him at the front. Now he is First Lieutenant 
 of Compan}' 1), 27th Iowa Infantry, which he 
 raised. His valiant services soon received recogni- 
 tion, and he was promoted to be Captain of the 
 company, which i)osition he faithfully and abl}- 
 tilled until the close of the war. He participated 
 in all the Ijatlles of the Red River campaign, and 
 
 •^^^f-^ 
 
u 
 
 120 
 
 SILAS GARllKR. 
 
 ■•"^^TT^ 
 
 Pleasant Hill.. La., the battles of Old Oaks. Miss., 
 Nashville, Tenn., and others iiner the coiDinand of 
 Gen. A. J. Smith. 
 
 U|)on being mustered out of military service 
 Capt. tiarbcr returned to Clayton Count}', but soon 
 thereafter went to California, where he passed the 
 next four years. He came to Nebraska in the early 
 part of 1870, and found a suitable location in AVeb- 
 ster County, where he still resides, being the oldest 
 resident in Red Cloud. He was indeed a pioneer 
 of the Great West, for when he located in Webster 
 County there were but two settlers in the count}'. 
 
 Upon locating in Red Cloud and ever since Mr. 
 Garber has taken a most important part in both 
 her business and political affairs. He engaged in 
 farming and merchandising, and is to-day Presi- 
 dent of the Farmers' it Merchants' Banking Com- 
 
 pany of that city, and also largely identified with 
 its material interests. He was cliosen the first 
 l^robate Judge of the county, and also represented 
 his district in the Legislature, and served for one 
 year as Register of the United States Land Office 
 at Lincoln. 
 
 Capt. Garber became popular both with the peo- 
 ple and the politicians, and was nominated for 
 Governor by the Republican Convention, which 
 assembled at Lincoln Sept. .j, 1874, and was elected 
 by a handsome majority. He served so acceptably 
 that he was renominated by the convention which 
 met Sept. 26, 1876. He was again endorsed at the 
 polls ill November, and served until the close of 
 his term in 1878. He then retired to his home at 
 Red Cloud, where he has since resided, a highly 
 respected and useful citizen. 
 
 
 
 
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 «i^<fe-^e£j2i2rigig-'S-*^»'^f ---^JC^fSSrviY -.i^^^ 3t^^-g^ T) J,-^ JSgi^CWS*^ eo^^^^^'S-M^ii/ffSWJr^^i*' 
 
 ■*a^iil5%2i>" 
 
 ' o<:io 
 
 ALBINUS NANCK, 
 Foiirtli Governor of the 
 Slate of Nebraska, and in 
 that connection tiie recip- 
 ient of the confidence, ad- 
 miration and liighest es- 
 teem of the people, not simply of 
 Xebraska, but wherever his most ex- 
 cellent administration is known. If, 
 however, it be but borne in mind 
 that Gov. Nance is a descendant of 
 a long line of noble representatives 
 of a certain Huguenot family, whose 
 members were of the stamp and 
 stuff of which martyrs and heroes 
 are made, and therefore persons of thought, con- 
 viction and strength of character, it is not surpris- 
 ing that lie should possess the same, which under 
 tlie more happy regime of present government and 
 liberality of opinion, should Ijring him into promi- 
 nence and enable him in his high station to sustain 
 a reputation most brilliant. 
 
 The ancestors of (iov. Nance on his father's side 
 were of that number driven from France b^' the 
 religious intolerance and persecution that followed 
 the revocation of tiie Fldict of Nantes. With many 
 others .similarly silu.ated they came to the New 
 World and formed what became a very prosperous 
 community in the Slate of North Carolina, their 
 descendants moving North and Westward, ever 
 
 in tiic vanguard of |>rogress, as section after sec- 
 tion and district after district were located. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was born on the 30th 
 of March, 1848, at Lafayette, Stark Co., 111., and 
 he is the oldest son of Dr. Hiram Nance, for many 
 years one of the most successful phj-sicians and 
 able surgeons in Central Illinois. His settlement 
 in that State dates back to 1836. It was the P\ar 
 West of that period, and was filled with far more 
 of danger, difficulty and hardship, and demanded 
 more spirit, bravery and self-denial than is con- 
 ceivable in these days, when the bands of steel pass 
 by the door of the Western pioneer, and thus 
 bring him into almost immediate contact with the 
 great world of civilization. The ancestry of Gov. 
 Nance upon the maternal side of the family was 
 P^nglisb. The maiden name of his mother was 
 Sarah R. Smith, who was born in the State of Ohio. 
 
 At the outbreak of the Civil War Albinus was 
 but a lad of thirteen, but his patriotic soul was 
 fired with loyal enthusiasm, and he chafed severely 
 at the restraint of j-ears that prevented him taking 
 a more able stand in defense of the Union. At a 
 later period of the struggle and when just sixteen 
 years of age, he enlisted in the 9th Illinois Cavalry. 
 The j'outhful defender and intrepid young soldier 
 was mustered in contrary to lioth the wishes and 
 continued earnest protests of his parents and friends. 
 But he could know no restraint in this matter, ami 
 was determined to follow the stars and stripes. 
 
 ^ m M » 
 
-•► 
 
 124 
 
 ALBINUfS NANCE. 
 
 I': 
 
 unci to defend them if so needed until the deatli. 
 
 Ho continued in the service until the closeof the 
 war, and participated as an active coniliatant in 
 the battles of Guntown, Hurricane Creek, Franl<lin, 
 Nashville, Tupelo, Spring Hill and Columbia, Tenn. 
 He was one in the line that made one of the most 
 daring and gallant charges at the battle of Nash- 
 ville, and was slightly' wounded in the same. 
 
 The necessity for war being passed. Cavalryman 
 Nance returned his saber to its sheath, and when 
 the regiment disbanded returned to his home and 
 became a student at Knox College, Galesbui-g, 111., 
 where he took part of the classic course. Soon 
 after leaving college he commenced the stud}' of 
 law, and in 1870 was admitted to the bar by the 
 Supreme Court of Illinois, after passing in the best 
 possible manner a very rigid examination. 
 
 Standing upon the threshold of life, the future 
 stretching before him, animated by the grandeur 
 of the prospect supplied by hope and ambition, the 
 suliject of our sketch was more fascinated and im- 
 pressed by the opportunities and inducements held 
 out by the newer countrj', and pursuant thereto he 
 decided to come to Nebraska, as the most promis- 
 ing of all the States and Territories of that mag- 
 nificent field. This was in 1871. Ho secured a 
 homestead in Polk County, devoting part of his 
 time to farming, but the larger part to the practice 
 of his chosen profession; but his experience was 
 such as almost invariably follows — his ability was 
 speedily recognized and his legal work rapidly 
 grew upon his hands, and before long he left his 
 farm to sow and reap in other fields, at once more 
 congenial and lucrative. 
 
 In accordance with the decision leforred to in 
 the above paragraph, Mr. Nance removed to Osce- 
 ola, the county seat of I'olk County, where before 
 ver3' long he was fully established in legal i)ractice. 
 In 187.'i his friends submitted his name to the 
 Kcpublicau Convention of the Thirteenth Dis- 
 trict fur Representative in the State Legislature. 
 The counties of Adams, Butler, Clay, Fillmore, 
 Hamilton, I'latte, I'olk and York sent their dele- 
 gates, and these gentlemen thus representing the 
 interests of a large body of citizens in those coun- 
 ties, comprised the convention to which his name 
 was presented. There were seven candidates in 
 -^« 
 
 all, and each candidate had his circle of friends; 
 these were diligent in season and out of season to 
 advance the interests of the several candidates. 
 Natural!}- a long and exciting contest was sjieedily 
 commenced, and watched with deep interest by all. 
 In order that the reader may appreciate the posi- 
 tion occupied by the j'oung lawyer in the estima- 
 tion of the people, and the impress his character 
 and aliility had already made, we would notice 
 that after several ballots had been taken the an- 
 nouncement was made that Alliinus Nance had 
 received the nomination, and thus began his po- 
 litical career with a clear sun and a fair sky. 
 
 The principal opponent of our subject in the 
 convention, urged by his friends, and spurred on by 
 his own, doubtless, laudable ambition, determined to 
 enter the field as an independent candidate, and 
 the most strenuous efforts were made to defeat the 
 regular candidate of the convention, but without 
 success. The election showed a majority of about 
 2,000 in favor of the subject of this writing. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Nance was one of the six delegates 
 chosen by the Republican State Convention to 
 represent this State at the National Convention at 
 Cincinnati, and was by his fellows elected Chair- 
 man of the delegation. During that year he was 
 renominated for the Legislattu'e, indeed, almost 
 without opposition, and at the opening session of 
 the Legislative body he was elected Speaker of the 
 House. If he had made a reputation and record as 
 a member, he more than established it, and added 
 fresh luster in his more advanced position, thus 
 necessarily bringing himself before the people, who 
 at once recognized in him one worthy of additional 
 honors. In 1878 the Republican Stale Convention 
 nominated him for Governor, and he was elected 
 by a large majority. In 1880 he was renominated 
 by acclamation and with wild enthusiasm, and re- 
 elected b}- a majority greatly in excess of any other 
 candidate on the State ticket. 
 
 One of the happiest steps ever taken by Gov. 
 Nance was that of his union in matrimony in 1875, 
 when he became the husband of Miss Sarah White, 
 daughter of Egbert and Mary White, of Farragut, 
 Iowa, who presented her husband with a bright and 
 beautiful little daughter, who bears the name of 
 Nellie. 
 
 =-=j/-<« 
 
i^i-^Vi/^-C^Q 
 
^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 ^ James W 
 
 
 is^ > A 
 
 
 Dawes. 
 
 
 ••o«o.@^>YfQ)-o*o.. 
 
 4 
 
 1" 
 
 ^ 
 
 Oiir^-' 
 
 <r^^^ "; AMES AV. DAWKS. This gentle- 
 ^,' -^ '■ • man was elected Governor in the 
 ycjir 1S83, and such was his of- 
 ficial deportment that he was 
 renominated with enthusiasm, 
 and re-elected by an apijrccia- 
 tive people. He continued to 
 occupy his high position in tlic 
 service of the State until tlio 
 year 1887, and during the time 
 gave every evidence that the 
 confidence of those who had 
 elected him in his honor, man- 
 hood and abilit}', was indeed 
 well founded. He was the fifth 
 Governor of the State. Gov. 
 Dawes was born at JlcConuelsville, Morgan Co., 
 Ohio, on the 8th of January, 1845. He went with 
 his parents when they removed to AVisconsiu in 
 1856. The rudiments and foundation work of his 
 education were received in Ohio, but in the Wiscon- 
 sin schools the major part of the work was done, and 
 from them our subject was graduated with a good 
 practical English education, such as would serve in 
 the dail^' affairs of life. As he advanced in years and 
 was callable of doing more service upon the farm, 
 he attended school only in the winters, devoting 
 the summers to husbandry-. In October, 1864, he 
 was engaged in clerking for G. J. Hansen <fe Co.. 
 who were engaged as general merchants at Kilbourn 
 
 City, "Wis., where he continued imtil October, 1868, 
 and in these four }cars gained invaluable experience 
 of men and business, adding materially to his store 
 of information, and, unknown to himself, but none 
 the less reall3% preparing for days of larger oppor- 
 tunity and more important engagements. 
 
 The nest employment taken up by our subject 
 was that of the study of law, which he began and 
 carried on with his cousin, Julius II. Dawes, P^sq., 
 of Fox Lake, AVis., a prominent and successful 
 lawyer. Here our subject devoted every atten- 
 tion, and became a careful, persevering and diligent 
 student, so much so that his examination, which de- 
 termined his admission to the bar, was unusually 
 brilliant, and he was accordinglj- admitted with 
 congratulations upon tlie 10th of January, 1871, 
 and began the practice of his chosen profession, 
 which, from its being eminently- congenial and pe- 
 culiarly well adapted to one of his ability and 
 mental cast, was that in which success in life was 
 more completely assured him. 
 
 Not long after the admission of our subject to 
 the bar another, and if anything more important, 
 event occurred. It was that of his marriage. In- 
 stances are far too common where an error of judg- 
 ment or a misplaced confidence at such time has 
 been fraught with disastrous results to both con- 
 tracting parties; results all the more serious because 
 of the nature and faults of the contract. It was the 
 — 1^ 
 
 r 
 
_t 
 
 128 
 
 JAMES W. DAWES. 
 
 happiness of Mr. Dawes and the lady of his choice 
 to be mutually compatible in disposition, tastes, 
 desires, and in fact all the varied points where dif- 
 ference of sentiment would in all probability lead, 
 sooner or later, to a breach of confidence or worse. 
 This union, therefore, has brought a more comi)lete 
 iiappiness,amore perfect felicity, into both lives, and 
 has made the home all that could be desired. This 
 interesting event occurred at Fox Lake, and was 
 celebrated on the 11th of Jlay, 1871. 
 
 Our subject located in Crete, of this State, on 
 the 5th of September, 1871, with the intention of 
 engaging for a time in mercantile pursuits. For 
 some years he continued in this line of business 
 with an ever-growing success and enlarging [)ntron- 
 age. In March of 1877 he transferred his energies 
 from commercial pursuits to the legal profession, 
 opening a law office at Crete, and has since been 
 one of the leading lights ot the Nebraska bar. He 
 became a member of the Nebraska Constitutional 
 Convention of 1875, and the following 3-ear was 
 elected State Senator. During his term of olHce 
 he won from all golden opinions of his ability and 
 power, and his sojourn in Senatorial halls was, if 
 anything, more pleasant than usual, owing to his 
 genial, affable and courteous manner, which won 
 and retained many much valued friendships, and 
 which was the means of affording him larger oppor- 
 tunities than miglit have otherwise been possible. 
 His record in tiiis connection is upon the books of 
 the session, and is well known, and does not there- 
 fore call for detailed mention in such a writing as 
 the present; suffice it here to remark that it was such 
 as to ullinintely lead to his election to the higiiest 
 official chair in the State.. 
 
 From May, 1876, to September, 1882, inclusive, 
 the subject of this sketch continued to iiold the po- 
 sition as Chairman of the Republican State Central 
 Committee of Nebraska. The long continuance and 
 the number of consecutive terms embraced within 
 the above dates speak more clearly and emphaticallj' 
 his ability and power tlian anj'thing tliat might be 
 said in addition. Mr. Dawes was further honored 
 by being elected delegate to the Republican Na- 
 tional Convention at Chicago, in June of 1880. 
 Tills it will he remembered was the convention that 
 nominated the nobk', but ill-fated. James A. Gar- 
 
 field. The delegation of which he was a member 
 at this time unanimously named him as a member 
 of the National Republican Committee for Nebraska 
 for a term of four years, which it was his privilege 
 to serve with every satisfaction to all parties con- 
 cerned for that period. 
 
 Few men ever felt more the need of education 
 for a people who governed themselves than Gov. 
 Dawes. The absolute necessity of universal educa- 
 tion, wide in scope, complete in curiiculum, ex- 
 haustive in detail, practical in its aim and general 
 utility, was evident to him, and he was therefore 
 deeply interested in educational matters, and his 
 sympathies were always assured for matters con- 
 nected therewith. He has served in several offices 
 connected with this department, the most iniportant, 
 perhaps, being those of Trustee and Secretary of the 
 Doane College, which is situated at Crete. The 
 duties of these offices have engaged his attention 
 since the year 1875. 
 
 The crowning glory of the official life and public 
 service of the subject of our sketch was that which 
 identified him with the chief office of the State. In 
 the year 1882 he was nominated b}' the Republican 
 party for Governor. His life was well known, his 
 character thoroughly understood, his past services 
 remembered and appreciated, and accordingly he 
 was received with much favor, and elected amid the 
 plaudits of the whole people. He entered upon the 
 duties of his high office in Januar}', 1883, continu- 
 ing to discharge the same throughout the usual pe- 
 riod of two years. At the expiration thereof he 
 was again nominated by his party and re-elected 
 by the people, and for a second term continued to 
 discharge his duties as before. Is any further 
 proof of his ability, honor, manhood and faithful- 
 ness demanded.'' Can any mere verbose compli- 
 mentary eulogium express as much as this, especially' 
 when it is reinforced by all the accompanying marks 
 of confidence and regard of the people ? Gov. Dawes 
 will long be remembered, having won a warm place 
 in the hearts and memories of the people, together 
 with his most excellent administration of affairs, 
 which from first to last materially assisted the onward 
 march and development of Nebraska as a State, and 
 aided in placing her among the very first of all States 
 of liie greatest Republic the worlil has ever known. 
 
 I 
 
•v-^ 
 
 
 
 p xJOHM M. "TH AYElPi. 
 
 'i^m- 
 
 -f 
 
 ox. JOHN M. THAYER. 
 This clistinguished gentle- 
 man, whom 2Cebraska de- 
 lighted to honor by the 
 gift of the highest office 
 in its power to bestow, was 
 elected thereto by an overwhelming 
 majority in the autumn of 1 886, and 
 *^r^^P-^ b^' his wise administration of affairs, 
 his excellent executive abilitj-, has 
 since fully justified this enthusiastic 
 choice. The place of the nativity of 
 our subject is Bellingham, Norfolk 
 Co., Mass. ;he is the son of Elias and 
 Ruth (Staples) Thayer. The chosen 
 occupation of the father was farming, and in the 
 physical and moral healthful environment of pasto- 
 ral life our suliject was brought up. 
 
 The smallest part of man is the physical, that can 
 be weighed avoirdupois and measured with a tape 
 line; a far greater and nobler is that of stamp di- 
 vine — the mind, which is the true "standard of the 
 man.'' Having in mind the importance of proper 
 instruction, in order to the proper use of this most 
 wonderful in.strument, our subject, after the usual 
 preparatory' instruction, attended the classes at 
 Brown Universit3-, from which institution he was 
 graduated in 1 S47. The law was the chosen profession 
 of our subject, and at It he worked assiduously un- 
 til the }'ear 18.54, still continuing a resident of his 
 native State, and at that time he removed to the 
 State of Nebraska. 
 
 Omaha, then a rising young town, with a newly 
 opened and undeveloped terrritory all around it, 
 afforded a good field for a 3'oung man of education, 
 enterprise, enthusiasm and energy, to " rise up with 
 the country." In the j'ear 1 855 the political arena 
 was entered. Mr. Tha^-er became one of four can- 
 didates for Congressional honors; a splendid run for 
 the office, however, resulted onl}- in defeat, the suc- 
 cessful candidate being Fenner Ferguson. The fol- 
 lowing year was remarkable as that in which the 
 now "grand old p.arty" was organized. The con- 
 vention was held at Bellevue, and our subject was 
 a candidate for the party nomination, Ijut was de- 
 feated by Mr. Dailj-. This experience was repeated 
 in every particular in June of 1860. He was suc- 
 cessful in receiving the nomination to the Territorial 
 Legislature, and served the session of 1860-61. 
 
 Our subject entered the service of the United 
 States at the beginning of the Civil War, and re- 
 ceived the commission of Colonel of the 1st Ne- 
 braska Infantry. In the j-ear 1855 he had been 
 elected b)' the Territorial Legislature Brigadier 
 General of the Territorial Militia, and afterward 
 promoted to that of Major General of the militia. 
 AVhile in these positions he was frequently led into 
 engagements more or less serious on the frontier, 
 the enemies being the aborigines of that section, 
 who at that time had not entirely ceased their old 
 habits of depredation. The intimate knowledge of 
 our subject concerning the Indians, their surround- 
 ings, their attitu<lc. their feelings, and their chiefs, 
 were all of immense value to him. As a case in 
 m^ 
 
' m ^ 
 
 ,t 
 
 132 
 
 JOHN M. THAYER. 
 
 4 
 
 point, which we might mention, our subject was ap- 
 pointed by Gov. Izard to act in conjunction with 
 Gov. O. D. Richardson, to inquire into certain out- 
 rages by Pawnees, to meet them in council and ef- 
 fect a treaty with them ; in this they were fairly ■ 
 successful. But later events proved the lesson was ' 
 but poorly learned by the Indians. In 1858, with j 
 a command of 194 volunteers, our subject went out 
 after the same tribe, certain of their number having 
 murdered, maltreated and robbed the settlers. He 
 captured the entire tribe after a stubbornly con- 
 tested battle, which was fought on the grounds oc- 
 cupied by the town of Battle Creek, which derives 
 its name from that event. 
 
 As Colonel of the 1st Nel)raska Infantry, our 
 subject did good work in behalf of the Union, and 
 it was not long before his superior military powers 
 attracted attention, and he was promoted to be 
 Brigadier General and breveted Major General. At 
 Ft. Donelson and Shiloh he commanded a brigade 
 in such excellent manner as led to the above honor. 
 Tinough the siege of Vicksburg and the capture of 
 Jackson, Miss., he also commanded a brigade, and 
 for a time a division. The confidence of tiie com- 
 manders in him was such that at the assault at 
 Chickasaw Bayou, one of the storming columns was 
 confided to his care. In this fight he had his horse 
 shot under him, and again while leading a charge at 
 Arivansas Tost. All the essential features, charac- 
 teristics and traits of the successful soldier were 
 possessed by him, and this being recognized resulted 
 in the Army of the Frontier being given him to 
 command. Throughout his service in military life 
 he was a true soldier, a favorite with his men, who 
 were confident that he would lead them to success 
 and victory; respected by his oflicers, who well 
 knew his sagacity and military genius, largely the 
 result of his long experience on the frontier. 
 
 In political matters our subject was a Democrat 
 until the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. He 
 sympathized with the Free-Soil movement, but be- 
 ing in tlie Territory he could not vote. In the year 
 1856 he supported Fremont, and since that time has 
 continued a stanch Republican. Upon the admis- 
 sion of Nebraska as a State, Mr. Thayer was elected 
 United States Senator in the election of 18G6. and 
 served faithfully until the close of his term. Ai the 
 
 expiration thereof he was appointed by Gen. Grant 
 the Governor of Wyoming Territory. In this office 
 the qualities that had made him successful in civil 
 life, that had made him a military leader and com- 
 mander, the ability that had been developed for the 
 handling of large bodies of men, the harmonizing 
 of heterogeneous elements, combined to make his 
 Governorship one worthy of note, and, doubtless, 
 was the cause of the confidence expressed by the peo- 
 ple of Nebraska in after da3-s. 
 
 The home of our subject is one that bears in its 
 every-day life and happiness a brightness and com- 
 pleteness that is more to be desired than the amass- 
 ing of riches, the accumulation of power, or the 
 right to sway the scepter of authority. He was 
 united in the holy bonds of matrimony with Mary 
 T. Allen, a lad}^ possessing a disposition, character 
 and intelligence, most beautiful, admirable and clear, 
 one who has been trained to follow closely the Great 
 Exemplar of the true life. She is the daughter of 
 the Rev. John Allen, a clergyman of the Baptist 
 Church, a native of Massachusetts. 
 
 Gov. Thayer, though not a member of any spe- 
 cial denomination, is a firm believer in the Christian 
 religion, and always has been. His family adhere 
 to the faith of the Baptist Church, of which also his 
 parents were members. In that communion, also, 
 he was trained and brought up, and he has al- 
 ways retained a great desire to lielp forward every 
 movement of religious nature; whenever it has been 
 possible to elevate the moral standard of the people, 
 his active sympathies were engaged. One feature 
 of his Governorship has been his evident anxict}' 
 that a more general and hearty acquiescence to a 
 higher moral and religious standard should obtain, 
 and whatever enterprises, projects, societies or asso- 
 ciations, looked to this as their aim jud object, wore 
 at all times sure of his hearty sympathy and support. 
 
 As noted above, our subject stood before the 
 people of Nebraska in the 3'ear 1886 as candidate 
 for Governor. He was warmly received, actively 
 and heartily supported, and enthusiastically elected 
 by a majority of 25,000, in which he ran about 2,000 
 ahead of his ticket. His administration has revealed 
 the wisdom of this choice, and it is not too much to 
 say that the citizens of Nebraska liave at no time 
 had occasion to repent of tlieir choice. 
 
 i 
 
•»-HH4^ 
 
 
 
•^T^ 
 
 
-*•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY, 
 
 NEBRASKA, 
 
 ^^^^^^^^ 
 
 *t 
 
«► ir^ 
 
 ^^K^ 
 
 'S,^' 
 
 
 
 *t 
 
 ■<•■ 
 
 ■*^l^ 
 
•^f^ 
 
 ■*► "■ -< ■ 
 
 '^-^^-i 
 
 iM;^ 
 
 m IN"rRODUCT:"ORY.»s 
 
 
 H>t;:HE time has arrived wItcu it 
 becomes the duty of the 
 people of this county to per- 
 petuate the names of their 
 pioneers, to furnisli a record 
 of their early settlement, 
 and relate the story of their 
 progress. The civilization of our 
 day, the enlightenment of the age 
 and the duty that men of the pres- 
 ent time owe to their ancestors, to 
 themselves and to their posterity, 
 demand that a record of their lives 
 and deeds should be made. In bio- 
 graphical history is found a power 
 to instruct man by precedent, to 
 enliven the mental faculties, and 
 to waft down the river of time a 
 safe vessel in which the names and actions of the 
 people who contributed to raise this country from its 
 primitive state may be preserved. Surely and rapidly 
 the great and aged men, who in their ]jrime entered 
 the wilderness and claimed the virgin soil as their 
 heritage, are passing to their graves. The number re- 
 maining who can relate the incidents of the first days 
 of settlement is becoming small indeed, so that an 
 actual necessity exists for the collection and preser- 
 vation of events without delay, before all the early 
 settlers are cut down by the scythe of Time. 
 
 To be forgotten has been the great dread of mankind 
 from remotest ages. All will be forgotten soon enough, 
 in spite of their best works and the most earnest 
 efforts of their friends to perserve the memory of 
 their lives. The means employed to prevent oblivion 
 and to perpetuate their memory has been in propor- 
 tion to the amount of intelligence they possessed. 
 The pyramids of Egypt were built to perpetuate the 
 names and deeds of their great rulers. Tlie exhu- 
 'mations made by the archeologists of Egypt from 
 buried Memphis indicate a desire of those people 
 
 to perpetuate the memory of their achievements 
 The erection of the great obelisks were for th.e same 
 purpose. Coming down to a later period, we find the 
 Greeks and Romans erecting mausoleums and monu- 
 ments, and carving out statues to chronicle their 
 great acliievements and carry them down the ages. 
 It is also evident that the Mound-bu'lders, in piling 
 up their great mounds of earth, had but this idea — 
 to leave something to show that they had lived. All 
 these works, though many of them costly in the ex- 
 treme, give but a faint idea of the lives and charac 
 ters of those whose memory they were intended to 
 perpetuate, and scarcely anything of the masses of 
 the people that then lived. The great pyramids and 
 some of the obelisks remain objects only of curiosity ; 
 the mausoleums, monuments and statues are crum- 
 bling into dust. 
 
 It was left to modern ages to establish an intelli- 
 gent, undecaying, immutable method of perpetuating 
 a full history — immutable in that it is almost un- 
 limited in extent and perpetual in its action ; and 
 this is through the art of printing. 
 
 To the present generation, however, we are in- 
 debted for the introduction of the admirable system 
 of local biography. By this system every man, though 
 he has not achieved what the world calls greatness, 
 has the means to perpetuate his life, his history, 
 ilirough the coming ages. 
 
 The scythe of Time cuts down all ; nothing of the 
 physical man is left. The monument which his chil- 
 dren or friends may erect to his memory in the ceme- 
 tery will crumble into dust and pass away; but his 
 life, his achievements, the work he has accomplished, 
 which otherwise would be forgotten, is perpetuated 
 by a record of this kind. 
 
 To preserve the lineaments of our companions we 
 engrave their portraits, for the same reason we col- 
 lect the attainable facts of their liislory. Nor do we 
 think it necessary, as we speak only truth of them, to 
 wait until they are dead, or until those who know 
 them are gone: to do this we are ashamed only to 
 publish to the world the history of those whose lives 
 are unworthy of public record. 
 
 ■ » 
 
 h 
 
■► i r^ 
 
 i- 
 
 
 ■♦■ 
 

 j\..s .pj\pdock: 
 

 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 143 
 
 (on rimipfpwamijf. 
 
 ON. AUiEKNON SIDNEY 
 PADDOCK. Every ex- 
 pression of life, and even 
 tlie veiy secret thoughts 
 of the soul, are revealed 
 through the light and 
 shade and form of the human brain, 
 face and figure. We have in this 
 
 f 
 
 '^r^i^i^ instance an expressive, not to say 
 
 speaking, countenance. Through it 
 we have a sure and complete reve- 
 lation of character. Mr. Paddock 
 has a large head, supported by a 
 robust, athletic frame. The mass 
 of brain occu|)ies the frontal or, in- 
 tellectual cavit}'. Broad between the ears indicates 
 a degree of hitcceitj" that insures him against all 
 unnecessary encroachments; is rather neurotic for a 
 man of lymphatic temperament: prefers some noetic 
 pursuit to manual labor without a tinge of the 
 groutnol; is jocose without being battle, and de- 
 spises nugaeity in every form. In disposition he 
 is temperate with a liberal degree of jocunditj', 
 and is inclined to the sunny side of life; a little 
 tinged wiili adiaphorous tendencies, but large per- 
 ceptive faculties insure accretive results. ludivid- 
 ualit3% eventuality and human nature are strongly 
 marked, with scarcely a tinge of the marvelous, 
 •and a reverence for only what is right and true. 
 His religious professions would be from association 
 rather than inclination. He is no political kablah, 
 
 assuming a rccuniljenl [xisitiim ;a the feel of jjolili- 
 cal blatherskites. He would .'is soon beg for bread 
 as for olHce, and detests the one as he justly loathes 
 the other. In life he has but one course, and that 
 is indicated by the word manhood. If he obtains 
 an ollice it must seek the man. A thick upper !![) 
 and full eyes indicate a frank, generous nature; an 
 aquiline nose and a well set brow indicate firmness 
 and decision. He has a wonderful degree of con- 
 fidence in man, and does not believe his condition 
 to be as deplorable as represented in the creeds of 
 the churches. He interi)rets God by the light of 
 nature, and the Bible by the rule of Uuiversalisni, 
 although he may be ignorant of the name or tenets 
 of that faith, yvl his head and his heart lu-e full of 
 it, and outward forms cannot disguise the fact. In 
 his mental composition there is a good share of the 
 poetry of life; is possessed of good language, and 
 a little more self-confidence, with the necessar3' ^^- 
 perience, would make him a successful public speaker. 
 The magnetism of his [jresence alw.a^s commands 
 respect; his earnest expression secures friends, and 
 his free and social nature retains them. Opposite 
 his name we write "success," be his undertaking 
 what it may. 
 
 A. S. Paddock is a native of the Empire State, 
 and was born at Glens Falls, Warren County, Nov. 
 5, 1830. He is of English ancestry, on his father's 
 side springing from the early Puritan colonists of 
 Connecticut; on his mother's side he is also of 
 Puritan blood, her name being AVells and a dc- 
 
i 
 
 144 
 
 • ^n ^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 scendant of the Sherman family, being through his 
 ancestors remotely connected on one side with Gid- 
 eon Wells, and on the other with Gen. W. T. Sher- 
 man. Ira A. Paddock, the father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was a native of Glens Falls, where his 
 father lived for many years, lint removed to the 
 (Jreen Mountain State when Ira was a mere lad. 
 Growing to manhood he began life for himself, 
 settled in Glens Falls, married him a wife, and en- 
 gaged in the practice of law as a means of liveli- 
 hood, which he followed for thirty years. He was 
 a man of marked character and abilitj^ one of the 
 most prominent leaders of the old Whig party in 
 Northern New York, and assisted in organizing the 
 Republican party afterward. He died where he 
 had spent the vigor of a lifetime, in August, 1862, 
 full of the glory that crowns a royal life. 
 
 Young Paddock entered Glens Falls Academ}' 
 at' the age of thirteen j'ears, and pursued the usual 
 academical studies until his eighteenth year. During 
 this time he paid his own tuition by sweeping and 
 keeping otherwise in order the rooms occupied by 
 the male department of the academy. He made ar- 
 rangements to enter Union College, advanced to 
 the senior j'ear, but finally gave it up and turned his 
 face westward, locating in Detroit, Mich., to which 
 place an elder brother had preceded him, a grad- 
 uate of Union College and now a prominent law3'er 
 in New York City. In Detroit he assisted his 
 brother for eight months in the schot)l-room, and 
 then returned to New York and engaged in teach- 
 ing in a district school with marked suceees. Dur- 
 ing his term of teaching he devoted his leisure time 
 to the study of law. He continued his readings for 
 over a year, but not with the full intention of en- 
 tering ttie pri>fession. In May, 1857, Mr. Paddock 
 came to Nebraska and pre-empted a beautiful farm 
 at Ft. Callu)un, which be yet retains. He took 
 an interest in the growtli and development of 
 that town, wjth which he was closely identified for 
 several years. In 1850 he worked and voted for 
 Fremont for President. lie was also a participant 
 in the organization of the Republican part}' in Ne- 
 braska, arid has ever been devoted to its policy as 
 enunciated by jwrty [jlatforms from time to time. 
 Mr. Paddock engaged on the editorial department 
 of the Omaha liepuhlican, for which he was a regu- 
 
 lar contributor, doing a liberal share of the edito- 
 rial work during a part of the years 1858 and 185'J, 
 and for some time afterward. He attended the 
 first informal meeting of Republicans in 1859, for 
 the purpose of a permanent organization, and was 
 a delegate from Washington County in the conven- 
 tion for the perfection of the work. This conven- 
 tion, held at Bellevue, nominated S. G. Daily for 
 Congress, supported him earnestly, canvassing the 
 entire North Platte country with him. After the 
 certificates of election had been given to Experience 
 Estabrook, he superintended the getting of testi- 
 mony for a contest, and furnished the means to 
 defray the expenses of the same. Mr. Daily was 
 successful and obtained his seat. Mr. Paddock 
 was a delegate to the Chicago Convention that 
 nominated Abraham Lincoln for President in 1800, 
 but voted for W. II. Seward on every ballot. After 
 the nomination of Lincoln he went to New York 
 and spent three months in canvass and work for 
 the success of the Republican party. The papers 
 were exceedingly complimentary of his efforts in 
 the city and northern counties of the. State. 
 
 Through the influence of the members of the New 
 York Legislature, United States Senators, Presi- 
 dential Electors and Central Committee, he was 
 nominated for tlie position of Secretary of Nebraska 
 Territory. Tiiis nomination was endorsed by Sec- 
 retary Seward, a warm personal friend, and his 
 nomination confirmed by the Senate. He entered 
 upon the discharge of his duties April 1, 1801. 
 He attended faithfully to business, and during the 
 frequent absence of Gov. Saunders performed tlie 
 duties of Governor. He tooiv an active part in 
 the organization of the 1st Nebraska Regiment; 
 bonded the Territorial debt, raising the value of 
 l)onds from thirty cents to par; obtained orders for 
 organizing two companies of cavalry, and after- 
 ward the 2d Nebraska Cavalry. In 1864 he re- 
 ceived a m.'ijority of votes in the convention for 
 nomination as delegate to Congress, but was de- 
 feated by a mistake in the counting of votes, which 
 was afterward discovered and admitted. He was 
 a delegate to the Baltimore Convention, which re- 
 nominated Lincoln for the Presidencj'. He took 
 an .active part in the canvass for the organization 
 of a .State government. The nomination for Gov- 
 
I 
 
 '^•• 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 1 IS 
 
 ernor was unanimously tendered to Mr. Paddock, 
 but was declined and Butler placed on the ticket. 
 He was the first choice of six votes, and the second 
 choice of a majority in the Republican caucus for 
 United States Senator, but was finally defeated by 
 John M. Tiiayer. The known conservatism of Mr. 
 I'addock had much to do with this result. He was 
 afterward nominated for Congress, but defeated by 
 John Taffe. No supporter of Joliu Taffe, in i)ul)Iic 
 speech or otherwise, ever complimented liiui nu^re 
 highly* than did Mr. Paddock. Mr. PadiUjck was 
 nominated liy President Johnson for Governor of 
 Wyoming, but the nomination was withdrawn on 
 account of there being no appropriation to defray 
 the expenses of a Territorial Government. This 
 nomination was confirmed at an extra session of 
 Congress in July, 1868, before the withdrawal of 
 his name. When Congress met again in Decem- 
 l)er, Mr. Paddock wrote to the President declining 
 the appointment. In 1868 lie worked for the elec- 
 tion of Grant, and for the re-election of Taffe for a 
 third Congressional term. He has always been a 
 consistent, conservative Republican, doing what he 
 deemed to be for the best good of the country, in 
 wliose prosperity he felt an abiding interest. 
 
 In the absence of the chief executive of the Ter- 
 ritory, it became the duty of the Secretary to as- 
 sume the duties of the executive ollice, and in tiiis 
 capacity he served during the Twelfth Territorial 
 Council, convened at Omalia, Jan. 10, 1867. His 
 message to the Legislature was judiciously framed, 
 setting forth plainly the varied interests of the 
 3'oung Territory. He considered a union of Noi th 
 and South Platte of paramount interest, in refer- 
 ence to which he said : 
 
 '•The construction of a bridge over the Platte 
 River is a much needed improvement. The cross- 
 ing of this stream, alwa3's difticult, is at certain 
 seasons of the year an utter impossil)ilily, and com- 
 munication between two great sections of tiie Terri- 
 tory for this reason extremely limited. A journey 
 to the Territorial cai)iUil from some of the most 
 populous counties south of tiie Platte is considered 
 quite as ditfieult to perform, on acuount of the 
 dangers and delaj-s in crossing the Platte, as one to 
 8 St. Louis, oOO miles distant, and from tlie N(jrth 
 X Platte the journey to Chicago is quite as cheerfully 
 
 undertaken as one across the Platte into the rich 
 grain-growing districts below it. Such an obstacle 
 to commercial intercourse between the two sections 
 should be immediately removed, if it is in the power 
 of the people to do it. It is not at all strange that 
 with such a barrier in the way of travel and com- 
 merce, the people of both sections should not only 
 lose their active sympathy for and interest in each 
 other, but that they should be casil}' led into mis- 
 understandings and jealousies, rivalries and strife. 
 The whole Territory would be inconceivably bene- 
 fited liy this improvement. The people have it in 
 their power to accomplisli it witiiout an additional 
 dollar of taxation, and I tliink we may, during this 
 session, very easily and vcvy properly fix the day 
 for the celebration of the union of the two sections 
 by a good and substantial free bridge over the 
 Platte. I urge upon 3'ou, therefore, the early con- 
 sideration of this important subject, with the as- 
 surance that you will have the hearty concurrence 
 of the Executive in any well considered measure 
 which will result in securing this great improve- 
 ment to the Territory. In my opinion this bridge 
 should be free to all who may desire to use it. If 
 we were obliged to borrow money for its construc- 
 tion, thereby entailing a debt uijon the Territory 
 with annual payment of interest, the case would be 
 different; but, having the money in hand, and 
 knowing as we do that the interests of all sections 
 are involved, I think there can be no good reason 
 offered against a free bridge. The revenues from 
 Government toll bridges are not infrequently less 
 than the expense of collection, and a bridge over 
 the Platte, at best, could not be expected to yield 
 any considerable revenue; but even if it were sure 
 to do so, it would be more in consonance with the 
 liberal and progressive spirit of our people to make 
 it free to all." 
 
 This lesson is still a necessity, as the causes that 
 produced the alienation have not yet been removed, 
 although somewhat lessened in degree of antipathy. 
 His conservatism may be more readily' under- 
 stood by the following extract from the same mes- 
 sage. He s.ays : 
 
 "Unhappilj- the Nation has not yet experienced 
 the full fruition of |)erfect peace. True, the armies 
 of rebellion were long since disbanded, and the 
 
 i 
 
 • :^^ m ■^* 
 
h 
 
 ik 146 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -t 
 
 old flag floats over all, the same glorious ensign 
 of one Government and one Union, but fraternal 
 love does not return to tlie people of tlie two sec- 
 tions so recently arrayed against each other in civil 
 strife. The kind oflices of the peace-maker avail 
 not, and the olive brancliis cast aside, a withered 
 and useless thing. How can our beloved country 
 he reunited in fact as well as in form.' How can 
 the Union be securely re-established in the hearts 
 and affections of the peoi)le of all sections.' For the 
 patriotic love of the people is the soul of the Union, 
 its preservation is essential to llie ver^' life of the 
 Nation itself. I do not think this can be done by 
 indulging the spirit of crimination and recrimination 
 for the errors, the weaknesses, or the crimes of the 
 past. I do not believe it can be done by dejiriving 
 eleven States of loyal representation in the National 
 Congress, when representation is the verj' germ and 
 essence of union. It certainly cannot be done by 
 extreme and irritating demands on the one side, 
 which are sure to be followed by increased contu- 
 macy on the other. 1 fear it will never be done by 
 constitutional amendments containing what are con- 
 sidered impossible requirements by those most 
 deeply interested. But, whicliever way it is to be 
 done, it must be done speedily. Evils, disasters 
 and ruin wait not for the termination of long con- 
 tentions in a house divided against itself. The 
 energies, the productive industries of the South, are 
 paralj'zed by the incertitude of its political situa- 
 tion. This unsettled condition of affairs not only 
 intensifies the feeling of hatred for tlie Govern- 
 ment and for the Union there, but it seriously 
 affects the commercial prosperity of the whole 
 country. Every motive of patriotism, and every 
 consideration of political economy, demand an 
 immediate termination of this unhappy condition 
 of things. If the constitutional amendment will 
 not accomplish this, but if, on the contrary, it 
 threatens to perpetuate hatreds, strife and dis- 
 cord, it should be abandoned at once, whatever 
 sacrifice of cherished political dogmas or partisan 
 prejudices are involved. However wise, just and 
 necessary the guaranties sought to be obtained by 
 this amendment may now appear to be, if thej' can 
 only be secured by the entailment upon the Union 
 of the eternal hostility of eleven States, they will 
 4« 
 
 f 
 
 certainly prove a source of sorrow and trouble to 
 the Nation. Only that which will win back the 
 hearts of the Southern jieople will give stability and 
 enduring peace to the Republic. If the constitu- 
 tional amendment will do this, and do it speedily, 
 I will cheerfully- unite with you in giving to it a 
 cordial and earnest endorsement." 
 
 At the close of the session the council recognized 
 the efllcienej- of a faithful officer in the following 
 resolution passed unanimously: 
 
 '■'■Resolved, That the thanks of this council be, 
 and the same are hereby tendered to the Hon. A. 
 S. Paddock, Secretary of the Territory, for his 
 uniform courtesy and kindness extended to the 
 members of this bod^' in his official communications 
 with the members thereof. 
 
 "O. B. Hkwett, Chief Clerk." 
 
 Mr. Paddock was married to Miss Emma L. 
 Mack, formerly of St. Lawrence Count}', N. Y., 
 Dec. "22, 1809, daughter of Daniel Mack, of Can- 
 ton, N. Y., who was a prominent citizen and an 
 eminent Mason ; an intimate, personal and politi- 
 cal friend of Silas Wright, and a man of great 
 worth and intelligence. 
 
 E5i^*tMi 
 
 ^^EORGE GALE, of Adams Township, de- 
 jll ,— , serves special mention as one of the pioneer 
 *^^5) settlers of this county, having come here as 
 early as 1858, at the very commencement of its 
 development. His has been the career of an honest, 
 upright, self-reliant man, who, all his life dependent 
 upon his own resources, learned at an early age the 
 art of " paddling his own canot," and also to be of 
 material service to those less gifted by nature for 
 battling with the elements of the world. 
 
 Mr. Gale is the oft'spring of a substantial faniil}' 
 of the Empire State, his parents, Alonzo and Phebe 
 (Peck) Gale, having been Ijorn in Dutchess County, 
 the former in time to take an active hand in settling 
 the troubles of 1812. He was of Irish descent, 
 while the mother traced her ancestry to England 
 and Holland. Alonzo Gale was a farmer b}' oc- 
 cupation, and only lived to be middle-aged, his 
 death occurring in Salisburj', Conn., when he was 
 fort3'-four years old. The mother only survived a 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 147 4 
 
 few years, her death taking: place in Eaton County, 
 Mich., in 1 854, at the aye of fifty-two. They were the 
 parents of seven chiUlrcn, all of whom lived to 
 mature j'cars. four sons and three danghtors. Of 
 these three arc now living, and arc residents of Ne- 
 braska and Michigan. 
 
 The subject of tliis biographj- was the eldest 
 child of his parents, and was born May 27, 1828, 
 in Columbia County, N. Y.. twelve miles from the 
 beautiful Hudson. When about six years of age 
 his parents removed to Connecticut, where he was 
 reared and educated. He was a youth of sixteen years 
 at the time of his father's death, and remained 
 thereafter the support of his widowed mother until 
 his marriage at the age of twenty-two. Soon after 
 this event he emigrated with his young wife to 
 Eaton County, Mich., where he rented a tract of 
 land, and cultivated it for a term of years. The 
 death of his mother occurred at Delta, Eaton Co., 
 Mich., in 1854, and George thereafter provided a 
 home for his brothers and sisters, who removed 
 with him to Kenosha Count}-, Wis., in 1854. 
 
 lu what is now the Badger State Mr. Gale oper- 
 ated a small farm for a party there four years, but 
 believing he could do better upon the soil of Ne- 
 braska he disposetl of his interests in Wisconsin, 
 and, with his wife and three children, crossed the 
 Mississippi and landed in Nebraska City on the 
 14th of November, 1858. lie made his home with 
 his brother a part of the time that winter, chopping 
 wood, and earned $13 and his board. The people 
 of this region had suffered with others the results 
 of the panic of 1857, and many were the shifts and 
 turns they were obliged to make to keep their 
 heads above water; but perseverance with our 
 subject met its legitimate reward, and he made 
 sure, if slow, progress toward the goal of his am- 
 bition, which was to establish in earnest the basis 
 of a future home and competence. 
 
 In the fall of 1860 Mr. Gale made his first pur- 
 chase of land — forty acres at §1.25 per acre. The 
 Homestead Law going into effect about this time 
 allowed him an additional 120 acres, the patent 
 
 - being signed by Abraham Lincoln. There was, 
 however, with this stroke of fortune the great draw- 
 back of the war, which kept the pioneers of .South- 
 
 ' ern Nebraska in constant dread of being surprised 
 
 ^« 
 
 or overrun by rebels or Indians, one to be dreaded 
 about !is much as the other. This period passed, 
 however, without the disasters they apprehended, 
 and in 18G.'), besides effecting many improvements 
 on the property already secured, JMr. Gale added 
 forty acres to that which he had ahead}-, and thus 
 gradnallj' enlarged the sphere of his labors, to- 
 gether with his income. 
 
 The farm of Mr. Gale lies along Nemaha Creek, 
 thus being well watered, and producing in abun- 
 dance the rich crops of Southern Nebraska. At the 
 time of his taking possession there were only a few 
 small trees, which have now developed into valua- 
 ble timber, and besides these he has planted quite 
 a large number which have become an item of value 
 on the farm. Besides the family residence Mr. 
 Gale has erected a tenement house, barns, sheds, 
 and the other siructures necessar}- for the carrying 
 on of the modern and well-regulated farm. A fine 
 orchard of about seventy trees in good bearing 
 condition adds to the enjoyment of the family pro- 
 visions, and leaves something over for the market. 
 He has also instituted a vineyard of probably 150 
 vines. 
 
 One of the most interesting and important events 
 in the life of our subject was his marriage, which 
 was celebrated in Salisbury Township, March 26, 
 1850, with Miss Margaret A. Shaw, who was born 
 Oct. 16, 1827. and is the daughter of the well- 
 known Stephen F. Shaw, one of the honored pio- 
 neers of this county, whose iiistory appears elsewhere 
 in this work. 
 
 The 200-acre farm of Mr. Gale, situated in a 
 region which at one time was looked upon as lack- 
 ing the elements of the fertility of the lanil of Illi- 
 nois and Iowa, now yields its full quota of the 
 products of either region. Much is due to the 
 careful and judicious manner in which it has been 
 operated, and the perseverance of Mr. Gale in 
 fighting drouth, prairie fires, and the other little 
 diversions generously furnished the farming com- 
 munity. The harvests of 1862-63 brought in ex- 
 ceptionally heavy yields, and their proportionate 
 encouragement to the agriculturists of the Nemaha 
 Valley. 
 
 Mr. Gale, aside from distinguishing himself as a 
 thorough and skillful farmer, has kept pace with the 
 
 !?Ml^^ 
 
148 
 
 ^^►Hl- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 world's progress, and porhaps has collected the 
 best array of facts in regai'd to the early settlement 
 of this county in existence. In 187C he prepared 
 an extensive liistory of Clay County, in the 
 shape of an address delivered by him at the cen- 
 tennial celebration, July 4 of that year. This em- 
 bodied many incidents of great interest and not 
 commonly' known. He states that his first experience 
 with grasshoppers was in 1866, and the}' visited 
 this region also the following year. In 1874 they 
 rei)eated their ravages, and were also accompanied 
 by a drouth, which incurred great loss to the far- 
 mers, and had its effect upon business generally. 
 
 The Indians, also, during the early settlement of 
 Mr. Gale in this county, frequently relieved the 
 monotony bj' their thievery and general mischief. 
 Seven representatives of the Otoe trilje came upon 
 one occasion to his farm with the intention of carry- 
 ing off something valuable, but their reception by 
 our suljject was such that thej' decided discretion 
 was the better part of valor, and quietly retired 
 before his leveled musket. 
 
 Mr. Gale in 185G voted for John C. Fremont, 
 and since that time has lieen a stanch supporter of 
 ReiHibliran princii)les, although now identified with 
 the Frohibitiiinisls. No man has been more warmly- 
 interested in the establishment of schools, churches, 
 and the various other institutions calculated for 
 the moral and intellectual welfare of the people. 
 He has been a member of the School Board of his 
 district for a period of twenty years. He was the 
 second County Assessor of Gage County, being 
 elected to the oflicc in 18(j'.); he has held the same 
 oflice in Adams Township. The result of his up- 
 right life and his arduous laliors in the communitj', 
 wlio have known him to his credit so long and well, 
 will shape the course of those who shall come after, 
 long after the mortal semblance of this excellent 
 njan shall have crumbled into ilust. 
 
 ^ I^ILLIAM C. HILL. In the early years 
 \/\J// there resided in Eastern Pennsylvania Mr. 
 Wi Nathan Hill, who for the benefit of his 
 family moved westward to the then developing Ter- 
 ritory of Ohio: he suttleil finally in what is now 
 
 Miami County. Here he was one of the first of the 
 pioneers and settlers. In the Miami Count}' home- 
 stead of this gentleman there was born to him a 
 son, who received also the name Nathaniel. As this 
 son grew to years of manhood he took bis place 
 with his fellows, and became a prosperous farmer 
 and merchant. He was united in marriage with a 
 most estimable lady, Martha Jones, a native of 
 Nashville, Tenn. To them was born a son, who 
 received the name William C, and in this sketch it 
 will be the endeavor succinctly to state some of the 
 more prominent points in his life. 
 
 Our subject was bornin the above-named county 
 on the 2Ist of November, 1849. He was educated 
 in the usual institution of his native county, .and 
 continued with his father in farming until about 
 1809, then started in life for himself. In 1873 he 
 came to this county, and settled in Blue Springs 
 Township, taking up 160 acres on section 18, where 
 he engaged in gcner.al farming, and has so continued 
 until the present. In August of 1888 he began 
 business as a coal merchant, and later also launched 
 into the business of a real-estate and loan agent. 
 In his coal trade, which h.as become quite extensive, 
 he supplies all kinds of anthracite and bituminous 
 coal, and also the usual varieties of wood handled 
 in connection therewith. 
 
 Our subject was elected County Supervisor in 
 1885 and served one year; then, in 1887, was again 
 elected. For the past three years he has been 
 School Treasurer of Blue Springs, and is at present 
 before the people as candidate for their suffrage 
 for the olHce of Representative to the Legislature 
 from Gage County, and it is confidently expected 
 that he will be elected by a very large majority, as 
 he is the Republican candidate, which party is very- 
 strong in the district. 
 
 Our subject entered into a matrimonial alliance 
 with Lula B. McCurdy, the amiable, refined and 
 estimable daughter^of James (deceased) and Mary 
 McCurdy. This lady was born in Miami County, 
 Ohio, Feb. 18, 1852, and made her home with her 
 parents until her marriage. Of this union there 
 have been born three children, two of whom sur- 
 vive, viz: Harry L., aged seventeen years, and 
 Leafie F., .aged nine. Harry, who has developed 
 ioraewhat of an inclination for commercial life, 
 
 f 
 

 ^^^i^^/ 
 
^^- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 151 
 
 4- 
 
 usually clerks in the bank during; his vacations, and 
 has also remained there for one year. 
 
 Besides the 280 acres of land in Bine Springs Mr. 
 Hill lias a half-interest in ciglity more, and is the 
 owner of 320 acres in Kans.ns. Mrs. Hill has for 
 many years been a member of tlie Methodist Ei>is- 
 copal communion, and still continues an active 
 member of the same. .She is alliliated with tlie 
 church at Blue Springs, and is held in highest 
 esteem as a most ardenl, friend and earnest sup- 
 porter. Our subject is a member of the 1. O. O. F. 
 and .also of the Masonic fraternity. In the various 
 relations of life he is held in high regard as a man 
 of honor, and a friend of good morals. He is quite 
 popular in the community, and with his family 
 moves in the best circles of society. 
 
 ON. SETH H. CRAIG, M. D. The gentle- 
 man whose biograjjliy is herein briefly 
 sketched, and whose portrait we present, is 
 pj too well known to need an introduction to 
 any student of Nebraska's liistor3-, or one at all ac- 
 quainted with her politics, he being one of the early 
 settlers in and most prominent men of the city of 
 Wymore. lie is the son of James Craig, who was 
 born in Washington County. Pa., in February, 179;5, 
 and coming to |)roper age received a common- 
 school education, and then was apprenticed to learn 
 the trade of a bailor, which he continued to fol- 
 low until he was about twentj'-five years of age, 
 
 ' when lie removed to Ohio, and began the study of 
 law in the town of Millersburg, in the office of Gen. 
 Glasgow. He was diligent and careful in his 
 studies, passed a good examination, was admitted 
 to the bar before his thirtieth birthilay, began the 
 [uacticc of his profession in the same town, con- 
 tinuing until 18(2. and for many years had en- 
 J03ed a verj' lucrative practice. In that year he 
 visited Iowa, anil taking quite a fancy to the Ter- 
 ritory removed there with his faniil}'. and engaged 
 in the practice of law at Farmington, Van Buren 
 - County, and there remained until the death of his 
 wife in 185,5, when he removed to Louisville, Ky., 
 and St. Joseph, Mo., and lived with our subject and 
 
 r an elder brother, spending the major portion of 
 
 his time with his son Seth, and died in St. Joseph 
 in the month of August, 1874. 
 
 .lames Craig was married to Miss Margaret Sla- 
 ter, in the year 1814. Their family circle included 
 sixteen children, of whom ten c^ame to j'ears of 
 maturity, and our subject was the eighth son. Mrs. 
 Craig died in the mouth of June, 1855, as noted 
 above. She was the daughter of Joseph and Mar- 
 garet Slater, and was born near West Alexander, 
 Washington Co., Pa., aliout 1794. Her father, 
 who was quite prosperous as a farmer, vi'ns unfort- 
 unatelj' removed from his family by death while 
 still a j'oung man. 
 
 The grandfather of our subject, Alexander Craig, 
 was born in the North of Ireland, but was of 
 Scottish descent. lie was married to Miss Hannah 
 Murry, and they became the parents of seven boys 
 and one girl. lie came to America while quite a 
 young man, and all his children were born in this 
 countrj', but it was their misfortune to lose their 
 father when he was about thirty-six j-ears of age. 
 
 Our suliject was l)orn in Millersburg, Holmes 
 Co., Ohio, on the 14th of February, 1825, and there 
 remained until he was about eighteen years of age, 
 received his education in the common school, and 
 afterward was initiated into the technique of farm- 
 ing. About 1843 he removed with his parents to 
 Farmington, Iowa, where his edueation was finished 
 in the common school. Our subject enlisted in the 
 army July 4, 1847, as a [irivale, Init it was not 
 long before he was promoted, and received the 
 commission of Lieutenant for exceptional ability 
 and distinguished bravery. He served chiefly in 
 the Northwest among the Indians, and remained in 
 the service until November 12 of the following 
 year, when he was mustered out at Ft. Leaven- 
 worth. 
 
 AVhilc our subject was residing in Farmington, 
 Iowa, previous to his military life, he had studied 
 medicine in the ollice of Dr. J. F. Sanford, and to 
 these studies he returned when innstered out, and 
 remained until the opening of lectures at Rock 
 Island, where he attended the course of 1848-49. 
 During the vacation he returned to his jn-eceptor, 
 and spent the next season in the medical college at 
 Davenport, Iowa, from which he was graduated in 
 1850. He then returned to Farmington. legallv en 
 
 I 111 
 
-^•- 
 
 .t 
 
 152 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 titled to coraiuence the pr;ictice of inedieine, ami 
 soon settled in St. P'rancisville, Mo. 
 
 Before beginning the practice of medicine Dr. 
 Craig was united in marriage with Miss Siisau M. 
 Dunning, upon the 28th of March, 1850. The lad}' 
 of his choice was the daughter of Festes and Caro- 
 line Dunning. Their family circle was extended 
 at various times until it included six children, five 
 of whom are still living. Their names are recorded 
 as follows: Clarence F., Herbert D., Charles S., 
 Willard C, Frank B., and Edgar L., who died .aged 
 two years, about 1859. Clarence is the husband 
 of Maggie Winther, of Madison, and is the father 
 of four children; he is engaged in the hardware 
 business at Wymore. His brother Herbert m.ar- 
 ried Miss Katy Wilcox, but h.as no family : the other 
 children are still at home. Mrs. Susan Craig 
 departed this life on the 15th of November, 1872, 
 and nearly ten months afterward, upon the 19th of 
 August, 1873, our subject became the husband of 
 Mrs. Sarah A. Winther, by whom there have been 
 born three children — Sadie L., Clara M. and Hugh 
 C. All the older t'hildren have received a good 
 practical education, and have given every evidence 
 of becoming successful business men and honorable 
 citizens, following in the footsteps of their father. 
 
 The practice of medicine established by our sub- 
 ject at St. Francisville si)eedily became both ex- 
 tended and lucrative, owing to his skill, more 
 especially, perhaps, in surgery, as he was the only 
 surgeon of marked talent for many miles around 
 St. Francisville, but he only remained a little over 
 twelve months, when he removed to \'an Bureu 
 County, Iowa, and settled upon the farm that he 
 had purchased in that district. The farm was al- 
 ready imiiroved, and provided with suitable build- 
 ings and residence. Leaving his family here, in the 
 year 1852 he started upon an excursion to C.alifor- 
 nia, traveling by means of an ox-tcam,and occupy- 
 ing a little over four months in the journey, which 
 was undisturbed by any hostile advances on the 
 l)art of Indians or other |)ersons. Sacramento was 
 reached on the 1st of September, 1852, and much 
 time was spent in the Yuba country, which is be- 
 tween the Middle and North Yuba, at Smith's Flat, 
 where he was very successful in mining operations, 
 coupled with the practice of his profession, which 
 
 was very remunerative, he being the onl}' phj'si- 
 cian and surgeon within a circuit of many miles. 
 He continued thus successfully engaged until the 
 summer of 1853, when he returned to his family 
 in Iowa, via the Nicaragua route, of Central America. 
 The following year he removed to Keokuk, and en- 
 tered into partnership with his former preceptor 
 until the fall of 1855, when he gave up the practice 
 of medicine. 
 
 Upon retiring from his profession our subject re- 
 moved to Council Bluffs and engaged in real-estate 
 and mercantile transactions, which resulted very 
 favorably to him. Here he vvas appointed to fill a 
 vacancy in the Sheriff's office, being afterward 
 elected in due form to the same. This was at the 
 time of Lincoln's first campaign in 1860, and our 
 subject held this office until he resigned in order to 
 enlist in defense of the Union. He j(jined the 4th 
 Iowa Regiment and was commissioned Captain of 
 Company B, and served as such until he was trans- 
 ferred to staff duty, and was ordered to the North- 
 west, with his headquarters at Ft. Laramie. During 
 this time there was considerable trouble among the 
 Indians. He remained at this post until Novem- 
 ber of 1863, when he returned to St. Louis, resigned 
 his commission, and returned to his family, who in 
 the meantime had been at Farmington, Iowa. At 
 that place he rejoined them and stopped for a short 
 time. 
 
 Our subject now purchased a farm in that county, 
 and engaged in general farming with abundant 
 success for about three years, when he sold out and 
 purchased a i)aiH'r-mill at Bentonsport, Iowa, and 
 operated this until 1868, during which time the 
 business largely increased. In 18G7 our subject 
 was elected by the Republican party to the Legisla- 
 ture. The election aroused unusual interest, and 
 such was his character and popularity that he ran 
 far ahead of his ticket and had an overwhelming 
 majority. He was in the session of 1867-68, which 
 was one of the most important and exciting, be- 
 cause of the subject under discussion being the re- 
 suming of laud grants and reletting of the land. 
 The Legislature finall}' settled the m.atterby resum- 
 ing the land and reletting it under additional con- 
 ditions. These were accepted by the railroads and 
 since fulfilled. Also, because this was the first 
 •^ 
 
 i 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 '• T. '• 
 
 153 -k 
 
 Legislature to take cognizance of railroad freight, 
 transportation and rates, fixing the maximum of the 
 rate. Our subject by the same powers which had 
 made liim a successful army officer soon became a 
 recognized leader of ins bodj-, as many of his col- 
 leagues still testify. The above matters, with the 
 bills naturally s|)ringing from them, made this ses- 
 sion exceedingly important in the liislorv of the 
 State. 
 
 Upon returning from the Legislature our subject 
 went to Council Bluffs, and engaged in obtaining 
 right of waj', depot ])rivilcgos, subscriptions, etc., 
 for the St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad 
 Company, following this by a similar position for 
 what IS now the Wabash Railroad, to the Iowa and 
 Missouri State line. The trains of that railroad 
 are at present running over the ground thus secured 
 bj' our subject. This had brought him on to the 
 j'ear 1870, and for about two years he confined his 
 work more especially within the usual boundaries 
 of the real-estate business. In 1872 he was elected 
 Warden of the Iowa Penitentiary at Ft. Madison, 
 and continued to hold the same for three terms, 
 each of two years, and is held by all to have been 
 the best disciplinarian with the minimum of punish- 
 ment up to that period of the history of the insti- 
 tution. His government was in excellent favor 
 among the inmates, and gained for him quite a 
 large and favorable reputation throughout the 
 State and elsewhere, so much so that many i)romi- 
 nent men consulted him regarding his methods; 
 among the States thus consulting him were South 
 Carolina, Texas, California, Missouri and Indiana. 
 
 Tiie term of our subject as Warden expired in the 
 spring of 1878. He then purchased a farm of 240 
 acres in Fremont County, Iowa, and engaged in 
 general farming, but also gave much tiiought and 
 attention to the higher grades of stock, including 
 horses, cattle and hogs. The horses were chiefly 
 those adapted for general road purposes, and were 
 of the Haml)letonian order. His cattle were upon 
 the line of the Short-horns and Jerseys, the rest of 
 them being registered. This he followed until 
 1 883, when he sold out and came to this place to 
 live. He had visited it in 1882 and was much pleased 
 with the country. Since the above time he has 
 made his residence here continuously, and is held 
 
 by the citizens as one of the most prominent and 
 honorable citizens. He is often selected to repre- 
 sent Wymore in conventions and other gatherings. 
 He is at present serving as Supervisor of Wymore 
 Township, bping elected in 1886 and re-elected in 
 1887. 
 
 Dr. Craig's enthusiastic patriotism and military ex- 
 periences lead him to a prominent position in the G. 
 A. R., with wiiich he is connected. He is also 
 identified with the I. O. O. F., Knights of Pythias, 
 and in the Masonic fraternity has taken the degree of 
 a Knight Templar. In all these societies our sub- 
 ject takes the deepest interest, and is regarded by 
 all his fellow-members with unusually high esteem. 
 
 ^W NDREW B. PIRIE is the master mechanic 
 ®lUl fur the Southern Division of the Burling- 
 ton & Missouri River Railroad at Wy- 
 (^ more. His father, Andrew B. Pirie, Sr., 
 
 was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in the year 182.'3, 
 and having learned to take charge of engines and 
 machinery, he sailed between the East Indies and 
 Scotland with the Peninsula & Oriental Company. 
 He remained in the employ of that company until 
 the time of his death, in 1879, aged fifty-four years, 
 having spent about twenty-five years in the service 
 of the company. His wife died when our subject 
 was about six years old. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 3d of Januarj', 1818, 
 in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he received his edu- 
 cation, attending school at Gordon's Hospital, a 
 regular High School. He finished his course of 
 study, and at the age of sixteen years he began to 
 serve an apprenticeship as a machinist, which lasted 
 for six years, in that time making a voyage to South 
 Africa. Afterward he came to New York City, 
 and thence to Chicago and direct to Burlington, 
 Iowa, where he began to work for the Chicago, 
 Burlington A (^uincy Railroad in 1867. He has 
 since that time remained in the employ of this com- 
 pany, having frequently l)eon promoted because of 
 his competence and ability; going first from Bur- 
 lington to Plattsmoutli, Cass Co., Neb., and then 
 to Red Cloud, Webster County, vvhen they were 
 building the Denverextensionof the road, and then 
 
-4^ 
 
 154 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 coming to Wymore, where he put in all of the 
 niachineiy, and started the shops. He has since had 
 fliarge of all the locomotives and cars here. 
 
 The Burlington & Missouri River locomotive and 
 car shops of the South Division were built in 1881, 
 the niaehiner}' of which was put in under the direc- 
 tion of our subject. The shop proper is 60x100 
 feet, and contains four lathes, planer, one sloating- 
 niachine, one drill press, one bolt cutter and two 
 circular saws. About 1 10 men are emplo3'ed here, 
 who are kept busy repairing the thirtj^-six engines 
 of this division. There is also a roundhouse of 
 fifteen stalls, ten stalls being built at the same time, 
 and afterward an addition of five stalls made under 
 the direction of Mr. I'irie last year. This being 
 the central point for all this division, there are on 
 an average eighteen locomotives here every night. 
 It is needless to speak further in praise of Mr. 
 Pirie's ability, as the position which he holds is a 
 great compliment to it. 
 
 On the 28th of November, 1S77, our subject was 
 united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth L. Calder, who 
 was born in Arbroath, Scotland, on the 24tli of 
 May, 18.')8. She came to America in 1874, and 
 went for awhile to Kingston, Canada, thence to 
 Plattsmouth, where our subject made her acquaint- 
 ance. They are the parents of two children, both 
 of whom were taken from them by an early death. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Pirie arc esteemed members of 
 the Episcopal Church. 
 
 -►^l-S^^H 
 
 •^":^?r 
 
 R. EZRA WONDER, practicing piiysician. 
 ^^ and prominent among the business men of 
 Blue Springs, has followed the practice of 
 medicine for a period of fourteen years in 
 this place, and is in the enjoyment of a good 
 l)atronage. He is also conducting a drug-store, and 
 is joint owner of the Opera House Block. Dr. 
 Wonder came to this county in the summer of 
 1874, arriving at VAue Springs on the ICtii of 
 August, when there were not more than 150 inhabit- 
 ants in the place. Most of these have now dis- 
 appeared, having been removed by death or other 
 circumstances. lie was called upon that very day 
 to attend a patient, altiiough there were four other 
 
 physicians. These soon left the town, and Dr. 
 Wonder was thus in possession of the entire field. 
 He has made good use of his time and opportuni- 
 ties, and is one of the most popular members of 
 his profession in Southern Nebraska. 
 
 Seneca County, Ohio, was the birthplace of our 
 subject, and where he first opened his eyes to the 
 light Sept. 17, 1833. He completed his education 
 in the High School of that place, began the study 
 of medicine, and subsequently entered the oflice of 
 Dr. J. Myers, in Care}', Ohio, under whose instruc- 
 tion he remained for a period of four years. lie 
 then entered upon a course of lectures in tiie Cin- 
 cinnati Medical College, and began the practice of 
 his profession at New Riegel, in Seneca County. 
 There he remained two years, then returning to 
 Carey, became the partner of his former tutor. Dr. 
 IVIyers, with wiiom lie remained until the spring of 
 18G1. 
 
 Our subject now changed iiis residence from the 
 Buckeye State to Wakarusa, Ind., where he so- 
 journed for a period of four 3'ears. Thence he 
 returned to Carey, Ohio, where he established a 
 drug-store and followed his profession successfully 
 until 1874. His next removal was to this State, 
 where he enjoys a fine reputation and the confi- 
 dence of a large patronage in a marked degree. 
 Dr. AVonder was married in Carey, Ohio, Oct. 1 , 
 1857, to Miss Mary A. Kimball, and they are now 
 the parents of six children, the j'oungest of whom, 
 Eddie, died at the age of three years and nine 
 months. The survivors have reached mature years, 
 and are named respectivelj- : Ruah Alma. Nathan 
 D., Elmer E., Addie May and Edith M. Mrs. 
 Wondei' is the daughter of Capt. Natiian Kiniliall, 
 a farmer l\y occupation, and a resident of Care}', 
 Ohio. She was born there Feb. 22, 1836, and con- 
 tinued under the parental roof until her marriage. 
 Capt. Kimball was a native of Maine, and earned 
 his military title in the War of 1812. After the 
 conflict had ended he settled in tiie Buckeye Stale, 
 of whicli he remained a resident until his death. 
 The mother, Mrs. Mary Ann Kimball, resides in 
 Wakarusa, Ind., in her eiglity-fuurth year. 
 
 Daniel Wonder, the father of our subject, was 
 born in I\Iifllin County, Pa., April 12. 1791, and 
 upon reaching manhood was there married to Miss 
 
-•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 15.-, 
 
 Catlieiine Harpster. Thej- became the parents of 
 nine children, and in middle life left the Keystone 
 State with their little famil}' and settled amoniz' the 
 pioneers of Staric County, (Ihio. The father cleared 
 a tract of land, making considerable improvements, 
 but seven years later went into Seneca County, and 
 entered a quarter-section from the Government. 
 From this he built up one of the finest farnas in that 
 region, erected a large l)arn and a commodious 
 brick house, the latter the first of its kind in that 
 region, and the brick of which he manufactured 
 himself. This structure is still standing, and is 
 often pointed out to tiie passing traveler as one of 
 the landmarks of the early days. Daniel Wonder 
 became prominent in the affairs of Seneca County, 
 holding township offices, and being generallj' inter- 
 ested in the enterprises calculated for the advance- 
 ment of the people. He was identified with the 
 Evangelical Association, and died on the "iOth of 
 February, 1887, after reaching the advanced age of 
 ninety-five years, ten months and eight daj's. The 
 mother died in 18C3. 
 
 Mathias Wonder, the great-grandfather of our 
 subject, belonged to the German nobility, and was 
 born in the Kingdom of Wurtemberg. He came 
 of a very wealthy family, and emigrated to Amer- 
 ica when his son Andrew w\as a little lad seven 
 j'ears of .age. They made the ocean voyage in a 
 sailing-vessel, and were nine months crossing the 
 Atlantic. They landed at Philadelphia and settled 
 in York County, Pa., where the great-grandfather 
 died in middle life when only fort}' j'e.ars old. His 
 son An<b'ew was the eldest of the family, and mar- 
 ried Miss Catherine Swartz. of Little York, Pa. To 
 them were born twelve children. The}- lived within 
 five miles of Little York seven years, then removed 
 north fifty miles to Chiraoke. Later they went 
 into Miftlin County, and afterward lived in differ- 
 ent portions of the Keystone State, where Grand- 
 father Wonder followed his trade of wheelwright. 
 He finally settled in Wayne County, Ohio, and with 
 his wife lived to a great age. his death occurring 
 when he w.as eighty-four years and six months old. 
 He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, 
 receiving an honorable wound, and thereafter drew 
 a pension. 
 
 Among the chihb-en of Andrew and Catherine 
 
 Wonder was Daniel, who became the father of our 
 subject. He was born five miles from Little York, 
 Pa., April 12, 1792, and w-as a babe of five months 
 when his parents settled in Chimoke. When they 
 left there he was a lad of nine years. The country 
 at'iint time was wild and uncultivated, and in- 
 fested with bears, wolves, panthers, catamounts, 
 etc., of which the father trapped and shot many. 
 The school jirivileges of those d.ays were exceed- 
 ingly limited. After going to Mifllin County young 
 Daniel was converted to religion through the preach- 
 ing of Revs. AUbright and Miller. Six years later 
 he removed with his parents across the mountains 
 to Lost Creek Valley, where he lived until reaching 
 his majority. Then obtaining permission from his 
 f.atlier to take his ax and mattock, he left home 
 and commenced in earnest the struggle of life on 
 his own account. A year later, visiting his parents, 
 he found them greatly in need of money, and gave 
 them $4 in consideration of the tools which he had 
 taken. He thus commenced in life with absolutely 
 nothing. Returning to Jackson Valley he com- 
 menced making shingles at the rate of fifty cents 
 per day in the summer season, and thirty-five cents 
 in the winter. Notwithstanding these small wages 
 he managed to Lay by a snug sum of money for 
 those times, and shortly afterward beg.an the estab- 
 lishment of a home of his own by his marriage, 
 April 12, 1814, with Miss Catharine Harpster. The 
 young people commenced life together in a manner 
 suitable to their means and position, and lived in 
 the valley six years. There were born to them 
 three sons, John, Matthias and George, but not- 
 withstanding the increase in the family, wages re- 
 mained the same. 
 
 Daniel AVonder, about 1820, removed to Ohio, 
 and there were afterward added six children to the 
 family circle. His industry and perseverance in 
 due time met with their reward, and he was enabled 
 to do as he had always desired, viz: devote the 
 balance of his life to the spreading of the Gospel. 
 He had at an early age identified himself with the 
 Evangelical Associ.ition, and remained connected 
 with this until his death, which took place in 
 1887. 
 
 Dr. Ezra Wonder, in 1 880, put up his business 
 block, which is two stories in height, and occupies 
 
-4^ 
 
 156 
 
 4 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 We 
 
 .111 area SSxOO feet. In 18S2 lie erected another 
 store building by its side and of corresponding size. 
 The upper half of the latter building comprises the 
 Opera House. In 18S1 he built a fine residence 
 located in the northeastern part of the town, which 
 with its gronnds is an ornament to the city. He is 
 recognized as one of the most liberal and public- 
 spirited men in the place. Politically, Dr. Wonder 
 is a stalwart Republican. 
 
 TEPHEN V. SHAW. The subject of this 
 siietch, who now owns and occupies a good 
 farm on section 21 . Adams Township, came 
 to Nebraska witli his parents when a boy, 
 and since that time has been closely connected with 
 its growth and development. He was the j'oungest 
 of a family of ten children, and was born in Dutchess 
 County, N. Y., Jan. 4, 1 844. His parents, Stephen 
 P. and Ilanna (Hicks) Shaw, were also natives of 
 Dutchess County, but removed with their family to 
 Litchfield County, Conn., when Stephen V. was a 
 child three years of age. 
 
 The first recollections of our suliject therefore are 
 of his adopted home in the Nutmeg State. There 
 began his primary education, but in ISoO the fam- 
 ily left New England, and after a journey' made in 
 true emigrant style to the State of Wisconsin, and 
 settlement in Somerset Township, Kenosha County, 
 lived there from the fall of 1 850 until the spring of 
 1857, when thej' again took up their line of march 
 for the new and undeveloped Territory of Nebraska. 
 Settling upon a squatter's claim, the father tilled 
 the soil, and the family lived there amid numerous 
 difficulties and hardships until his death, which oc- 
 curred April 1, 1803. 
 
 Mr. Shaw was a Ix)}- of thirteen years when he 
 made the journey from the Badger State to Ne- 
 braska, and being a bright boy and very observant, 
 the trip afforded him no end of amusement. They 
 passed through the embrj'o cities of Beloit, Wis., 
 Rockford, Dixon, Sterling, Moline and Rock Island, 
 111., through Davenport, Iowa City, Des Moines and 
 Gleuwood, Iowa, and thence south and westward to 
 Nebraska City, this State, where they crossed the 
 Missouri River on a flatboat. Thence the3' made 
 
 their way up Salt Creek, and proceeded westward 
 until they struck the edge of the Nemaha Valley, 
 arriving here Jul3' 6, 18.i)7. Young Stephen had 
 been blessed with good and sensible parents, who 
 realized the advantages of education, and gave to 
 the boy the best chance; for schooling which their 
 circumstances and surroundings permitted. He 
 completed his studies in the school at Nebraska 
 City when a youth of sixteen years, and thereafter 
 assisted his father on the farm until a short time be- 
 fore reaching his majority. In the spring of 1804 
 he left home, and making bis way to the central 
 part of Colorado, began prospecting and working 
 in the silver mines of Gilpin Count}', where he so- 
 journed about one year. Upon returning home he 
 engaged in various occupations until his marriage, 
 in the iiicantirae making preparations for the estal)- 
 lishment of a home of his own. 
 
 The maiden selected by our subject for his future 
 wife and helpmate, and to whom he was married 
 Nov. 8, 186G, was Miss Minerva, daughter of Will- 
 iam and Annie (Scott) Hand, who were natives re- 
 spectively of New York and Canada. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Hand after marriage .settled at Niagara, where 
 the father engaged in mercantile business, and 
 whence they removed four or live years later to 
 Kenosha County, Wis., where young Stephen Shaw 
 and Miss Hand made their first acquaintance. The 
 Hands in 1857 moved, like the Shaw famil}-, to this 
 State, settling near Nebraska Citj', where the father 
 pursued the vocation of a farmer, and is now de- 
 ceased. The wife of our subject was the only 
 daughter in a family of three children, the other 
 two being boj's, William H. and Nathaniel. She 
 was the second child, and was born at Niagara Falls, 
 N. Y., May 24, 1850. She was a little girl about 
 four years old when the family removed to Wis- 
 consin, and seven years of age when they came to 
 Nebraska. She received a common-school educa- 
 tion, and was trained bj' an excellent mother in 
 those housewifely arts a knowledge of which is so 
 essential in one presiding .as the mother of a family. 
 To IMr. and Mrs. Shaw there have been born the 
 following children : Louis, Katie, Elmira, Ada, Alice 
 and Charles. The eldest is twenty, and the young- 
 est two 3'cars of age. They form a household 
 group in which the parents take p.ardonable pride, 
 

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 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 159 
 
 and are being fitted out niili a good education and 
 the other qualities wliidi will make of them useful 
 niembei-s of the eommunit}'. 
 
 After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Shaw settled 
 in Adams Township, where our subject bad home- 
 Steaded 160 acres on section 21, and where he 
 has built up a good farm, which the}- still occupy. 
 He has a substantial residence, around which stand 
 the trees of his own planting twenty years ago or 
 more, and which are not only useful in warding off 
 the storms of winter and the heat of summer, but 
 add greatly to the value and beauty of his property. 
 While having his hands full in tilling the soil and 
 carrying on the improvement of his farm, Mr. Shaw 
 has been in nowise negligent in regard to the wel- 
 fare of the people about him, and has ever given 
 ready and cheerful assistance to the enterprises cal- 
 culated for the general w^elfare. He has served as 
 School Director a number of years in the district, 
 and with his estimable wife is prominently identi- 
 fied with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Adams, 
 to which he gives an able support. Sociallj', both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are members in good standing 
 of the I. O. G. T. Mr. Shaw voted the Democratic 
 ticket in support of Seymour in 18G8, and Tildeu 
 in 1876, but his warm interest in the cause of tem- 
 perance led him in 1880 to identify himself with 
 the Prohibitionists. 
 
 >^V^- 
 
 ARREN M. LaSELLE, senior member of 
 the firm of LaSelle, Fiske & Co., grocers at 
 Beatrice and also dealers in boots and 
 shoes, is numbered among the solid men of the 
 cit}'. He was born near Lebanon, in Madison 
 County, N. Y., April 7, 1833, and was the eldest 
 of eleven children, five sons and six daughters, ten 
 of whom are still living. The parents were Mason 
 A. and Mary A. (Grosvenor) LaSelle, also natives 
 of Madison Count}-, N. Y., the mother being the 
 }-oungest daughter of E. G. Grosvenor, who bore 
 the honor of being the first settler of that count)'. 
 The Grosvenors were of English descent, while the 
 ,LaSelles trace their ancestry to France. 
 
 The father of our subject was a farmer by occu- 
 pation, and after his marriage settled on a farm 
 in Madison County, N. V., where he lived until 
 
 1883. Tlien coming to Beatrice with his family, 
 he, after a brief sojourn in this citj\ located in 
 Cortland, where he engaged in general merchandis- 
 ing four j-ears. Then, disposing of a half-interest 
 in his business there, he returned to Beatrice, and 
 in company with a partner. Mr. P'iske, established 
 himself as a general merchant, and they have now 
 built up an extensive and lucrative trade. They 
 are prompt and relial>le in their business trans- 
 actions, and thus have obtained a good standing as 
 business men and citizens. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. LaSelle there have been born 
 four children, one son and three daughters, namely : 
 Addie M., now the wife of L L. Fiske; Adelia N., 
 Frank G. and Lizzie D. The family residence is a 
 neat and comfortable structure, and its inmates are 
 surrounded by all the comforts of life, enjoying 
 also many of its luxuries. Mr. LaSelle presented his 
 son Frank with a share in the business, and the latter 
 bids fair to emulate his father in point of business 
 principles and ability. They are both ardent sup- 
 porters of Republican principles. 
 
 R. JAMES T. ARMSTRONG, Superin- 
 tendent of the Nebraska Institution for 
 Feeble-Minded Youth, and which is lo- 
 cated in the eastern portion of the citj- of 
 Beatrice, assumed the duties of his responsible 
 position on the 12th of August, 1886, and is dis- 
 charging them with much efficiencj'. He is a man 
 of fine business and mental capacities, a native of 
 Columbiana Countj-, Ohio, and was born near Han- 
 overton, Dec. 28, 1856. When a child two years 
 of age, his parents came to Iowa, settling on a farm 
 in Jefferson County. The father, Titus Armstrong, 
 was a native of Ohio, and the mother, Anna M. 
 (Stever) Armstrong, was born near Carrolltown, Pa. 
 Their family consisted of two children only, our 
 subject and his brother Willard. The latter died 
 when four years old, and his father died in 1858. 
 His mother is living in Washington Count)-, Iowa. 
 The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood, 
 passing his boyhood and youth after the manner of 
 most farmers' sons, and acquiring his early educa- 
 tion in the district school. Later he attended the 
 academy at Fairfield, Iowa, and then he entered 
 Pars<jns' College at that place. After emerging 
 
■ ► % r <i- 
 
 IGO 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 thence he became a stiulent of the State University 
 at Iowa Citj', where he continued two years. He 
 then tooJc up the study of medicine under the in- 
 struction of Dr. O. W. Archibald, of Glenwood, 
 and subsequently entered the medical department 
 of the State Univcrsitj', from which he was gradu- 
 ated March 5, 1879. 
 
 Dr. Armstrong began the practice of his pro- 
 fession in Southwestern Iowa, and during his four 
 years' residence there luiilt up a good business 
 among the people of that region. Afterward chang- 
 ing his residence to Omaha, lie practiced there until 
 assuming charge of the institution with which he is 
 now connected. The buildings of this were com- 
 pleted during the year 188G, and Dr. Armstrong 
 was installed as its first Superintendent. He main- 
 tains a careful oversight of every department, and 
 has chosen au efficient corps of assistants, so that 
 the domestic arrangements, as well as those relating 
 to the education of the inmates, closely approach 
 perfection. In the development of the darkened 
 intellects under his charge Dr. Armstrong takes 
 the keenest interest, and his ingenuity is often 
 taxed to the utmost to devise the best methods for 
 their well-being, morally, mentally and physically. 
 
 The marriage of Dr. James T. Armstrong and 
 Miss Maude Archibald, of Glenwood, Iowa, was 
 celebrated at the home of the bride, June 30, 1881. 
 Mrs. Armstrong was born in Nova Scotia, and was a 
 daughter of E. T. Archibald. The parents of Mrs. 
 Armstrong still reside in Nova Scotia. Of this 
 union there have been born two sons — Paul C. and 
 Osborn A. Mrs. Armstrong departed this life at 
 her home at the institution, Sept. 27, 1887, and the 
 Doctor's son, Osborn A., died Oct. 19, 1888, aged 
 four }'ears and three days. 
 
 Among the representative men of the State we 
 are pleased to present the portrait of this well- 
 known gentleman. 
 
 ENRY ARLINGTON LaSELLE. The 
 name of this gentleman is recognized as 
 that of one of the leading business men of 
 Beatrice, Neb., of which he has been a resi- 
 dent since the spring of 1867. A native of the 
 
 H-^h^: 
 
 Empire State, he was born in Lebanon, Madison 
 Co.. N. Y., Aug. 5. 1838. 
 
 Our subject was the third son and fourth child 
 of Mason A. and Dorcas (Conant) LaSelle, whose 
 family included eleven children, six sons and five 
 daughters, viz: W. M. LaSelle, of Beatrice; Cor- 
 nelia, now Mrs. Dr. LaSelle Hutchings, of Brooklyn, 
 N. Y. ; Webster, deceased ; Henry A., the subject of 
 this sketch; Mary, now Mrs. M. E. Richmond, of 
 St. Louis; Ophelia, now Mrs. Edwin Oatraan, of 
 Lawrence, Neb.; Flora, now Mrs. D. C. Humphrey, 
 of Los Angeles. Cal. ; Albert E. LaSelle, of George- 
 town, N. Y. ; L. F. LaSelle, of Beatrice, Neb. ; Ellen, 
 now Mrs. E. C. Salisbury, of Beatrice; and Frank 
 C. LaSelle, of Herndon. Kan. 
 
 Mason A. LaSelle, the father of our subject, was 
 born in M.adison County, N. Y., and died at his 
 home there March 18, 1875, at the age of sixty- 
 seven years. He followed farming his entire life, 
 and was a plain, solid, unobstrusive citizen, who 
 pursued the even tenor of his wa}', performing 
 life's duties creditablj', and living at peace with all. 
 The mother, also a native of Madison County, N. 
 Y., was the daughter of Deacon Conant, of Eaton, 
 N. Y. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, Josiah 
 LaSelle. was a native of Connecticut, and married 
 Miss Eunice Webb, of Hartford ; they moved to 
 Lebanon, N. Y., in 1802, and consequently were 
 pioneers. He was quite a boy when the Revolu- 
 tionary' War broke out, and lived to the advanced 
 age of ninety-three years, his death taking place at 
 Lebanon, N. Ye, in August, 1865, having lived to 
 see the beginning and close of every war of the 
 United States. 
 
 The parents of our subject soon after their mar- 
 riage settled in Madison County, N. Y., and there 
 Henrj' A. spent his boyhood and youth on the old 
 homestead. He pursued his studies first in the 
 district school, and later attended Hamilton Acad- 
 emy. At the age of eighteen he went west with 
 an uncle, and spent two years in Fayette Count}', 
 Iowa, where he taught his first school, and assisted 
 his uncle in opening up a new farm ; returning home 
 in 1859 he completed his studies at Oneida Confer- 
 ence Seminarj', at Cazenovia, N. Y., where he spent 
 two years. Soon after, the Civil War being in \nvg- 
 
>► 1 1^^ 
 
 ■•►Hl-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 161 
 
 ress, he eiilisterl in Company D, I14tli New York 
 Stale Volinileers. undt'i- uoiiimanfl of Col. Elislia }i. 
 Smith. In the cap.icity of a soldier j-oung LaSelle 
 acquitted himself creditably as a non-commissioned 
 officer, receiving manj' evidences of the esteem and 
 confidence of his superior officers, and was finally 
 assigned to detached commissar}' duty at New Or- 
 leans, La., having in charge a body of 1,300 men. 
 and near the close of the war i-ejoined his command 
 in tlic Shenandoah Valley, Va.. under Gen. Hancock, 
 and after tile assassination of Lincoln went imme- 
 diately to Washington, vvhere his regiment formed 
 a part of the grand guard around the city during 
 the capture of Booth and the trial of the assassins, 
 finally taking part in the grand review of the 
 armies of the Union at the close of the war. Capt. 
 LaSelle received his honorable discharge at Elmira, 
 N. Y., in June, 1865. During his services in the 
 war he bore an honorable part in Gen. Banks' expe- 
 dition to the Gulf, also in the Teche campaign 
 west of New Orleans, was fort3'-two da3's under fire 
 at the siege and final capture of Port Hudson ; took 
 part in the battle of Donaldson ville, and in the 
 Franklin expedition on the Gulf to Sabine Pass, 
 and other minor engagements. He was one of the 
 fortunate ones of some 300 who were left of the 
 114th that went out full 1,000 strong, to reach 
 home. The following winter he spent in New 
 York City, but in the early spring of 1866 was 
 called home to the bedside of his dying mother, 
 and in April set his face toward the then Far West. 
 Crossing the Missouri River he took up his abode 
 at St. Joseph, Mo., where he spent about a year en- 
 gaged in real-estate and railroad work, in the mean- 
 time visiting Nebraska, then a Territory, for the 
 first lime, and entered a quantity of Government 
 laud near Beatrice, and settled in Beatrice in the 
 spring of 1887, then a small outpost town of about 
 twent}' buildings. He secured by homestead and 
 by purchase other tracts of land, and also invested j 
 a portion of his capital in a stock of general mer- 
 chandise, which he opened up in a little log store- 
 room near the present track of the Burlington & 
 Missouri River Railroad. For a period of fifteen 
 years he thus engaged in trade with quite satisfactory 
 results, but about 1882, through natural desire for 
 change, branched out into the real-estate and loan 
 
 business, and withdrew from merchandising, con- 
 fining his attention to his new business, in whicii 
 he has also met with success. 
 
 In April, 1875, Mr. LaSelle married a most es- 
 timable lady, Mrs. Elizabeth Crawford, of Council 
 Bluffs, Iowa. Their marriage took place atPough- 
 keepsie, N. Y., where she had taken up her resi- 
 dence after the death of her husband, William G, 
 Crawford, for the purpose of educating her daugh- 
 ter. Mr. Crawford resided for a time in Nebraska, 
 iu Territorial <lays, and was a member of the Legis- 
 lature during'the term of 1857-58, but soon after 
 removed to Council Bluffs, where he became a 
 prominent member of the Iowa bar. His death 
 took place Nov. 14, 1870, at Council Bluffs. 
 
 Mrs. LaSelle was born in Riple}-. Brown Co., 
 Ohio, May 19, 1838, and is the daughter of M. M. 
 and Sarah B. (Walker) Campbell, who were natives 
 of Virginia, and spent their last years in Iowa and 
 Nebraska. Of her first mariiage there was born 
 one child only, a daughter, Kittie C, who is now 
 the wife of Joseph B. Buchanan, of Beatrice. Mr. 
 LaSelle, politically, gives his support to the Repub- 
 lican party, and has been quite prominent in local 
 affairs. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. LaSelle are members of the Pres- 
 byterian Church. He became identified with the 
 Beatrice church at its organization in 186!*, is a 
 Trustee and one of its chief [jillars. Socially, he is 
 a member of Rawlins Post, G. A. R., and the I. O. 
 O. F., having p.assed the chairs in the lodge at 
 Beatrice. His familv residence is at No. 623 
 North Fifth street, corner of Washington street. 
 
 /^ HRISTOPHER KNOCIIE is widely and fa- 
 (/(^.^ vorably known in the county as one of the 
 '^^^ progressive and successful farmers and stock- 
 raisers of Lincoln Township, where his beautiful 
 farm of 160 acres is located on section 16. This 
 property is part of the school land which he first 
 leased in 1874. and continued under that arrange- 
 ment until 1882, wiien he purchased it. and has 
 continued to improve it until the present high 
 state of cultivation has been reached. His home is 
 among the most pleasant, commodious and com- 
 
 »► ■ ^> 
 
 4 
 
» ► i r^ 
 
 ■*►■ 
 
 1G2 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 fortable, and his farm buildings are substantial, well 
 and fonvenientiy arranged, admirably adapted to 
 the various uses and necessities. 
 
 Our subject came to the State and county in 
 1872, and for four years rented a farm, and was so 
 pleased with the climate, surrounding soil and pro- 
 duction, that he deteiniined to make it his home, 
 with the above-mentioned result. The secret of his 
 success lies in the fact that he thoroughly under- 
 stands his work, that he knows both what is re- 
 quired, and the best methods by which the purpose 
 ma}' be effected, which knowledge, coupled with 
 the patience, thrift and large aptitude for industri- 
 ous effort, has been productive of the prosperity 
 which he to-day enjoj's. and other things being 
 equal, like effects will proceed from like causes in 
 every instance. 
 
 Mr. Knoche is a native of Germany, and was 
 born on the 28th of September, 1835, to Henry and 
 Mary (Orendorff) Knoche. The father of our sub- 
 ject, who never left his native countr}', followed the 
 occupation of a blacksmith, and was considered a 
 skilled worker. Our subject came to the United 
 States in the year 1850, and was followed some 
 years after by his mother, vcho is now residing 
 with her daughter, Mrs. Shelhorn, and has reached 
 the advanced age of seventy-three years. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Knoche, Sr., vi'ere both members of the Lu- 
 theran Church, and were brought up in its com- 
 munion from infancy. 
 
 Our snliject is the eldest of three .sons and one 
 daughter; besides these the family circle included 
 one half-sister. With the exception of this lady 
 and one brother, all the family have become resi- 
 dents of this country. Mr. Knoche was brought up 
 in Germany, and there received his education. 
 Upon coming to this country he first settled in 
 Chicago, 111., and then engaged as a farm hand. 
 He was quite careful and saving, and at that time 
 engaged in laying the foundation for the success of 
 these later years. 
 
 Upon the 17th of .I.anuary, 1859, at Black Walnut, 
 which is about thirty miles south of Chicago, 111., 
 our subject was united in marriage with Miss Mary 
 Hottendorf, who was born at Riepen, May 3, 1836, 
 and is the daughter of Fred and Mary Hottendorf. 
 She came to this country when about twenty-two 
 
 i* 
 
 years of age, accompanied by her uncle, and lo- 
 cated near Chicago, where she met our subject. 
 She has presented her husband with eight children, 
 whose names are recorded as follows: Sophia, the 
 wife of Dan Moshel; Henry, who is the husband 
 of Minnie Turner, and whose farm is southwest of 
 Beatrice; Mary is the wife of Fred Shimel, of Jef- 
 ferson County ; Otto, who is his father's assistant 
 upon the farm; Minnie, happily married to Fred 
 Yarko, also of Jefferson Count)'; Christ, Joseph 
 and Lotta, ail of whom are at home. 
 
 The religious connections of our subject and his 
 wife are in the Lutheran Church, of which they 
 h.ave been adherents since their confirmation. In 
 political matters our subject is in harmony with 
 the Democratic party, of which he has for years 
 been a supporter. This interesting familj' is much 
 respected in the communitj', and our subject is 
 among the leading German-American citizens of 
 the township. 
 
 ^-^- 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ OHN AVOLFE was born in Coshocton County, 
 Ohio, in White Eyes Plains, on the 12th of 
 June, 1839, and is a son of David and Eliza 
 Wolfe, who were natives of the same State. 
 The father was a son of one of the early pioneers 
 of White Eyes Plains, who settled there before the 
 War of 1812. and about the time Ohio was admitted 
 as a State into the Union. Our subject spent his 
 early years on the old homestead which had been 
 in the family possession for a great many years. 
 During his school days he received the educational 
 advantages offered by the common schools, though 
 they were but meager, and after that time he as- 
 sisted his father in the work of the farm, develop- 
 ing physical strength and intellectual abilities as he 
 advanced to manhood's years, and thus the time 
 passed until the breaking out of the war. 
 
 When our subject was about twenty-two years 
 old he enlisted in Company C, 51st Ohio Infantry, 
 under Capt. Benjamin F. Heskett, whose place was 
 supplied after his death by Carter B. Harrison. He 
 participated with his regiment in the battles of 
 Stone River and Chickamauga, at the latter place 
 being taken prisoner by Longstreet's men, but was 
 
 4^ 
 
1 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 163 
 
 i' 
 
 exchangerl and sent to Columbus. He then par- 
 ticipated in tlie battles of Ringgold, Resaca, Peach- 
 tree Creek, and in others, distinguishing himself 
 for his courage and bravery, and his loy.alty to the 
 cause for which so man}' valiant men battled, and 
 for which so many perished ; our subject fortunately 
 was but slightly wounded at the battle of Chicka- 
 mauga. He was honorably' discharged in 1864, 
 after which he returned to his home and again en- 
 gaged in the duties of a civilian. In March, 1865, 
 he moved to Henderson County. 111., where he 
 continued the occupation which he had learned 
 when a bo3' until 1879, in which year he moved to 
 this countj' and made his home on his present farm. 
 He now owns eight3' acres of good farming land on 
 section 28, Barneston Township, on which he has 
 made very many improvements, and which, in re- 
 turn for his diligence and the labor expended on it, 
 j'ields a fair crop of cereals and general farm prod- 
 uce. He also gives some attention to the raising 
 of live stock, cattle, horses and hogs, and has been 
 generally successful. 
 
 On the 17th of March, 1864, after his return 
 from the service as a prisoner of war, our subject 
 was united in marriage with Miss Matilda F. Graj', 
 a daughter of David J. and Henrietta Gray, who 
 also lived in White Eyes Plains, in Ohio. The 
 father had enlisted as a Union soldiei' in the late 
 war, and was nobly engaged in defending his 
 countrj' when he lost his life near Vicksburg, being 
 among the large number of valiant soldiers who 
 died far from home amid the cruel scenes of the 
 battle-field. The mother died in AVhite Eyes 
 Plains, Ohio, March 27, 1855. Mrs. Wolfe was 
 born in White Eyes Plains on the 4th of Septem- 
 ber, 1839, and by her marriage with our subject 
 has become the mother of five children, who bear 
 the names of Anna L., Gertrude, Clara A., Orvil 
 G. .and Elmer E. Anna married Francis E. God- 
 frey, of this township, and has one child, named 
 Gertrude Iv ; the remaining members of the family* 
 are at home. 
 
 The war career of our subject entitles him to an 
 honorable membership in the Colman Post No. 
 115, G. A R., of Wymore, which is an .active or- 
 ganization, and h.is a membership of about ninety. 
 While he is interested in the state of politics and 
 
 ■<• 
 
 is concerned for the welfare of the country he does 
 not take an active part in .advocating the polic3' of 
 any one of the parties, though he is a member of 
 the Republican organization, and generally votes 
 for the candidates of that party. He and his wife 
 are esteemed members of the United Brethren 
 Church, of Olive Branch, and as progressive and in- 
 telligent citizens they are entitled to honorable 
 mention among the well-respected families of their 
 township. 
 
 ^OHN ALSBACH, M. D.. widely and f.avor- 
 ably known as one of the most efficient 
 surgeons and physicians of Beatrice, was 
 / born in the city of St. Gallen, Switzerland 
 March 19, 1827, and is the son of Jacob and Eliza- 
 beth Alsbach, who were also of Swiss birth and 
 parentage, and whose family consisted of five sons. 
 The parents spent theii- entire lives upon their native 
 soil. 
 
 At the age of six j'ears oursubject, in accordance 
 with the lavvs and customs of his native country, 
 was placed in school and pursued his studies until 
 a youth of fifteen. He was then required to con- 
 fine his attention strictly' to farming, and was thus 
 emploj'ed until twenty j'ears old. In the summer 
 of 1853, impatient of the restraints which would 
 not allow him to branch out as he desired, he set 
 sail for America, and after a voyage of forty-seven 
 days landed safely in New York Cit^'. Not long 
 afterward, however, he proceeded southward .to 
 New Orleans, where he engaged in the practice of 
 medicine, and lived until the year 1864. During 
 the war he was occupied at New Orleans, and after 
 its close migrated north to Marietta, Ohio, of which 
 he remained a resident for sixteen }'ears,aud occu- 
 pied himself at iiis profession. In the year 1873 he 
 removed to Lincoln, 111., and in the fall of 1877 
 turned his steps still further westward, and coming 
 to this count}- located in the cit}' of Beatrice, and 
 was soon recognized as one of its most practical 
 and skillful physicians. He follows the Old School 
 system, and has for his partner his step-daughter, 
 Miss Elizabeth Grabe, who possesses fine capabili- 
 ties, and seems particularly adapted to the profes- 
 sion. The wife of our subject, formerly Mrs. Louisa 
 
u 
 
 -•► 
 
 IGl 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Grabe. was born in Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 
 in l^!37,anrl was married to Dr. Alsbach atLincohi, 
 111., in March. 1S78. Her first husband. August 
 Grabe, died at Marietta, Ohio, leaving two daughters. 
 The widow, with her children, not long afterward 
 moved to Lincoln. III. 
 
 The family residence of our subject is a tasteful 
 and substantial structure, located in the eastern 
 part of the cit}', and is one of its mo.st attractive 
 and comfortable homes. Ur. Alsbach in the winter 
 of lcS84-85 took a course of lectures in the College 
 of Physicians and Surgeons at St. Louis, Mo., from 
 which he was graduated with honors; he is now in 
 the thirty-third year of his practice. Miss Elizabeth 
 Grabe is a regular graduate of the Woman's Medi- 
 cal College, of Philadelphia, Pa., in the class of '84, 
 and is a lad3^ of more than ordinary capabilities, 
 one who has established herself in a m.arked degree 
 in the confidence and esteem of the people, among 
 whom she labors in a faithful and conscientious 
 manner. Her sister Lorena E. is a compounder and 
 pharmacist of the office, and is also a young lady 
 more than ordinarily bright, and finely adapted to 
 the duties which she lias assumed. 
 
 * ft-ILLIAM W. 
 \jj/! years been id 
 V^ of Highland 
 
 >ILLIAM W. CLOUGH has for fourteen 
 identified with the public affairs 
 (1 Township, and has proved 
 himself an enterprising citizen of the same. He is 
 a native of Venango County, Pa., and was born on 
 the 24th of Februar}', 1846, his parents, Horace P. 
 and Anna Clough, having been natives of New 
 York, who had made their home in Pennsylvania. 
 His mother died in the year 18GG, when she was 
 fifty-four jears old, and the father is now residing 
 in this county, having reached the age of about 
 sevent3'-two years. In their family there were nine 
 children, of whom the following survive: Marion 
 M., in Nemaha Township, this county; Levi D., in 
 Cortland, the editor of the Cortland Herald; Hor- 
 ace J., also in the same city; Lucy M., the wife of 
 R. G. Gilmore, of Highland Township; Otis R.. in 
 Peoria, 111. ; William AY., our subject; Josephine, the 
 wife of Lee Johnson, of Pennsylvania, and Celeste 
 ^» 
 
 A., the wife of Enos Barkey, Jr.. of Highland 
 Township. 
 
 Our subject spent the first twenty years of his 
 life in his native State, after which he took the re- 
 sponsibility' of shaping his future course in life into 
 his own hands, and thinking that he would take 
 advantage of the inducements offered by the rap- 
 idlj' developing Western country, he went to Henr}' 
 County, 111., where he resided a number of yeais 
 and successfujlj- managed a farm which he rented. 
 He was married, in Henry County, 111., on the 23d 
 of June, 1868, to Miss Frances Welch, who was 
 born in Philadelphia, Ohio, on the 15th of June, 
 1848, and is a daughter of Zachariah and Anna 
 AYelch, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio 
 respectively. Her father died in the year 187G, 
 when he was about sixty years old, and her mother 
 is still residing in Henry County, 111. Bj' tlieir 
 marriage our subject and his wife have become the 
 parents of seven children, whose names and the 
 d.ates of their birth are appended as follows : Claude 
 A. was born Nov. 1, 1869; Ella A., June 4, 1872; 
 Bessie A., Nov. 13, 1873; Ralph Z., Aug. 27, 1875; 
 Harry G., Jan. 6, 1877; Ray, in September, 1878; 
 Ira. Aug. 27, 1883. 
 
 In the spring of 1874 our subject brought his 
 family to this county, and bought 160 acres of land 
 of the Burlington & Missouri River Land Company, 
 at $6 per acre, and made his home on it ere there 
 had been a furrow turned. He began at once to 
 put it in a condition for cultivation, and gradually 
 has worked it up to its present splendid condition, 
 having made many noticeable improvements which 
 could have been accomplished only by much hard 
 labor .and industry. He has endured the usual hard- 
 ships and self-denials which seemed a necessary 
 accompaniment of an early settler's life, although 
 he has enjoyed the societj* of many other residents 
 who were here before him, and in that respect he 
 had a great advantage over the first settlers, who 
 came when Indians and wild animals claimed this 
 section for their home, and if there were any white 
 neighbors the}' were many miles distant. When our 
 subject arrived in this countj' he had one wagon and 
 team, his household goods, and what money there 
 was left of the $25 with which he started. He has 
 seen the vast changes which have been wrought in 
 ^ 
 
 r 
 
,!- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 1G5 ' ' 
 
 one and a half decades, and he has contributed his 
 share of labor and funds toward the public improve- 
 ments. He is a Republican in politics, and has 
 ahva3's favored the measures by which the good of 
 his country and the interests of his community might 
 be secured, and is anxious that its advantages, edu- 
 cationally and religiously, may rank with those of 
 the surrounding coniinunities. 
 
 *— *^»ii>-»^^<=;^- * 
 
 UGUST ZAIILTEN. In the subject of 
 this biographical compendium is found a 
 worthy representative of that Kingdom now 
 absorbed in the German Empire, Prussia, 
 that has in the past played no unimportant part in 
 the history of Europe. Its people are of Teutonic 
 origin, and possess the solid, sterling and unassum- 
 ing qualities distinctive of the race. His father, 
 Frank Zahlten, was born in Oberschwedeldorf, 
 Prussia. The maiden name of his wife was Beata 
 Habel, who was born in the same place. Her hus- 
 band was by occupation a grocer, and followed that 
 business until the 1st of August, 1886. when he 
 died at his home. The family of which our sub- 
 ject was a member numbered seven sons and one 
 daughter, all of whom attained to 3'ears of ma- 
 turity. Of these the only member of the family who 
 came to the United States was our subject. 
 
 Mr. August Zahlten was born on the 6th of Jan- 
 uary, 1846, in Oberschwedeldorf, and continued to 
 reside at home until he reached the age of nine- 
 teen years, which were occupied from arrival at the 
 usual age in the various duties of school, which 
 was followed for a period of four years in learning 
 the trade of a miller, which he continued to follow 
 for about three years. In April of 18G6 he left 
 Prussia and came to America, for a time making 
 his home in Brooklyn, thence migrating to Algona, 
 Iowa, where an uncle was living. With him he 
 emained one year, working upon the farm ; he then 
 engaged in a flouring-mill, and worked in the same 
 for about eight years. 
 
 In 1872 our subject entered into wedlock with 
 Mary Sophia Apei, daughter of John Julius and 
 Elnora (Burckhart) Apel. Her father was born in 
 Germany in 1825, and came to this countr3' when 
 
 fifteen years of age, and was engaged with much 
 prosperity in farming until his deatii, April 30, 
 1888. His wife, a native of the same country, was 
 born upon the 6th of May, 1830, and now lives in 
 Arkansas. Their family included eight children, 
 seven of whom are now living. Their names are 
 recorded as follows: John, a farmer of Thayer 
 County, Neb.; William, of Arkansas County, Ark., 
 in which place each of the succeeding members of 
 the family reside, excepting only Sophia, the wife 
 of our subject. These are Nora; Rosetta, now 
 Mrs. Uriah Hawkins; Lewis and August, both of 
 whom are agriculturists. 
 
 The birth of Mrs. Zahlten occurred upon the 12th 
 of March, 1 850, in Crawford Couutj% Ohio, and she 
 was married at Algona, Kossuth Co., Iowa, April 
 13, 1872. For'two years after this event our sub- 
 ject continued to follow his employment at the 
 mill, but in 1874 he removed to Saline County, in 
 this State, and for three and a half years followed 
 the same employment. At the end of that period 
 the removal to this county was effected, where he 
 leased 200 acresof school land for twenty-five years, 
 and commenced farming, making stock-raising the 
 special feature thereof. In 1884 he had prospered 
 so that he was able to purchase a quarter of section 
 24, Sherman Township, paj'ing for the same SI 2 per 
 acre. At that time it was all wild, uncultivated 
 and undeveloped land, but thanks to his industry 
 it is now well improved and brought to a high state 
 of cultivation. Upon it he has seldom, if ever, less 
 than 100 head of cattle, and from fifty to 100 hogs. 
 In 1879 he suffered an exceedingly heavy loss by 
 prairie fires, that destroyed everything save only 
 his house and buildings, but despite this and every 
 other reverse and difficulty, he who but a fewj'ears 
 ago had not even sufficient to take him to his 
 uncle, .as previouslj' mentioned, has accumulated a 
 fair competency and acquired a handsome property. 
 
 In his religious convictions our subject follows 
 the teachings of the Catholic Church, of which he 
 is a devout member. His wife walks in the light 
 of the instructions of the Lutheran Church, in 
 which she was brought up. Their family includes 
 five children, who are all still at home. Their 
 names are as follows: Richard J., born in the year 
 1873; Joseph A., Jan. 29, 1876; Ernest A., April 
 _ ■» 
 
u 
 
 \ H ^ ll ^ 
 
 166 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 1. 187S; Bertlia M., May 2, lSSO,'anrl Clara Ame- 
 lia, Jan. 3. 1S84. 
 
 P^or a period of nine years Mr. Zaiilten has lieen 
 School Treasurer, and also for several years a 
 member of the School Board. These offices, en- 
 tirely unsought by him, are all he has ever held. 
 In matters political he is strictly independent: the 
 question of party does not influence him a particle. 
 His vote is jjiven only to that candidate who in 
 his judgment is capable, and who will best serve 
 the interests of the people. 
 
 ENRY C. STOLL. Gage County has few 
 more prominent and honorable citizens than 
 Henry C. Stoll, whose biography is here pre- 
 sented in condensed form. He was liorn in 
 Nassau, Germany, on the 23d of February, 1830. 
 When sixteen years of age he came to this coun- 
 try, and located in New York City, and there made 
 his home until 1853, engaged in the confectionery 
 business. In AYill County, III., he engaged in farm- 
 ing until 1858, and then built a flouring-mill at 
 Mokena, 111 This was burnt in 18(10, and resulted 
 in a loss to him of $10,700. This swallowed up in 
 one conflagration all he had saved, and left him in 
 debt at least $1,G00, almost all due to Messrs. Fair- 
 banks & Co. This amount he paid in the fall, eioht 
 years later. 
 
 From Illinois our subject went to Crawford 
 County, Mo., in 18G1. There he engaged in farm- 
 ing, but in August of the following year he re- 
 turned to niinois. There he took land and followed 
 farming, which was supplemented by a creamery 
 business, and every year saw him more truly suc- 
 cessful. In 1867 he became a stock farmer, and be- 
 gan the breeding of thoroughbred hogs, continuino- 
 in this line of business until the fall of 1878, enjoy- 
 ing every year most gratifying financial success. 
 At the end of that period he came to this State, and 
 located upon the farm he still occupies. He pur- 
 chased the whole of section 17, Riverside Town- 
 ship then an unbroken stretch of prairiel and, and 
 was most uninviting, but he had faith in the out- 
 look, and went to work. To-d,ay it were no easy 
 task to find a better cultivated farm, a more com- 
 
 plete set of farm buildings, or more adapted to the 
 varied uses desired, than those of our subject. Ref- 
 erence to the view of the farm, etc., in this volume, 
 will doubtless make this more clear. His dwelling 
 is a splendid specimen of the architect's and mason's 
 art, and was erected at a cost of not less than ^5,000. 
 It is of modern design and style, and is constructed 
 of limestone, and the interior finished in hardwood, 
 and the whole handsomel}' decorated. 
 
 Our subject has been very careful in thelniilding 
 of his stock houses, and has given them his special 
 care and personal supervision, both before and dur- 
 ing their erection. His pig-pens consist of half-acre 
 lots, and one jiig-house stands 24x100 feet, and is 
 a stont frame building lined with brick, lathed and 
 plastered. This is designed for the accommodation 
 of the smaller pigs during winter, and for their 
 further comfort this house is he.ited by two stoves 
 throughout the more severe months. Each of the 
 above referred to pig-pens is provided with good, 
 stoutly built and warm sheds, sutHciently large to 
 accommodate all the pigs that would be in the pens 
 at one time. At feeding time the hogsare provided 
 for by a wagon especially designed, and built for 
 the purjiose of handling their feed with the least 
 possible inconvenience, waste or objectionable feat- 
 ure. Our subject raises Poland-China, Chester- 
 White, small white Yorkshire, and Black Essex hogs, 
 raising not less than 400 head per annum. His 
 reputation in this branch of industry is full}^ estab- 
 lished in everjMiog market throughout the country, 
 and wherever he is known in business his character 
 is such that his word is taken in numerous instances 
 as a sufHcient guarantee, where usually something 
 more tangible is required. 
 
 Although giving attention chiefly to hogs, our 
 subject raises quite a number of Holstein and 
 high-grade cattle, and the same care and provision 
 are given to their requirements as to the smaller 
 stock. Water is supplied to the various sheds, 
 pens and tanks, and even to his residence, by a very 
 powerful windmill pump, that keeiis the farm thor- 
 oughly supplied with all the water that is required. 
 Without doubt this is one of the best arranged and 
 most thoroughly equipped stock farms in the county, 
 besides being from the natural situation one of the 
 most delightful places for residence. Being Init 
 
 M^H^ 
 
 -►^i-^ 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 1 00 ,v 
 
 two and a lialf miles southwest from Beatrice, it is 
 possible to enjo_v fully the various society events of 
 that beautiful city. 
 
 Mr. Stoll, while in New York City, was united 
 in marriage with Miss Barbara Schieck, April 18, 
 1 852. This lady is a native of German}', and came 
 to this country in the year 1848, when about thir- 
 teen years of age. She was born April 17, 183o, 
 in Baden, near Heidelberg; she is the daughter of 
 Henry George and Julia .Schieck. They had a fam- 
 ily of eleven children, seven of whom grew to ma- 
 turity, and in the year 1848 they emigrated to 
 America, landing in New York. From there they 
 made their way to Will Countj', III., and settled in 
 Mokena, that county, where the father bought a 
 farm, and continued to farm until his death, which 
 took place in 1885, aged a little over ninety years, 
 The mother died in 1886, also at the age of ninety 
 years. They became well-to-do, and assisted all 
 their children in life. Mrs. S. has presented her hus- 
 band with seven bright, healthy boys, and five girls, 
 equally well endowed. Matilda, now Mrs. Roemer, 
 of Kansas City; Charles M., Henry A., Albert F. ; 
 Malena J., now Mrs. Cunningham, of Marj'sville, 
 Kan.; Louis J., William A.. Ferdinand H., Nettie 
 E., Barbary A., Mary H. and Edward J. All of 
 these survive. During the past seven years our 
 subject has not had a doctor's bill to the amount of 
 $5 presented to him on their account. Our subject 
 and wife were both brought up in the Lutheran 
 Church, and have ever continued their membership 
 ill that communion. Their children also are being 
 reared in the same faith. The}- are attendants at 
 the church at Beatrice. 
 
 Socially, our subject is connected with the I. O. 
 O. F., and is a member of Beatrice Lodge No. 19, 
 and also of the Encampment No. 16, at the same 
 place. As a result of his experiences he has since 
 the war been a Republican, although formerly he was 
 a Democrat. In Missouri, whither he went after his 
 mill burned, he was compelled to trade a $50 gun 
 for a sack of meal, in order to keep his family from 
 starving until he could get something to do. Such 
 ■was the public sentiment at that time that he was 
 obliged to hide in the brush for over two weeks in 
 order to prevent being killed by reliels, who had 
 threatened his life. LTi)on another occasion they 
 
 M* 
 
 called ui)on him to help raise a pole on which they 
 had put a rebel flag, but he refused utterly, saying, 
 "You may put a rope around my neck and pull me 
 up to where you put the Hag, but I will not give so 
 much as the strength of my little linger in assisting 
 to raise that pole or flag." This act of loyalty was 
 the occasion of such an outburst as to make him 
 leave the State. This, and also numerous other in- 
 cidents upon the same line, have made him an im- 
 faltering Republican. 
 
 This history of our subject presents many features 
 of encouragement to those who are still engaged in 
 the upward struggle. Not only was the first start 
 in life due to his own effort, but each of the three 
 recommencements he has since made; for his mis- 
 fortunes have been many, and upon three different 
 times he has been reduced to the necessity of prac- 
 tically beginning life anew. Then again he has lost 
 considerable money at various times by notes he 
 had endorsed for friends, who failed to pay the 
 same when due. However, his industry, push and 
 good management have enal)led him to survive 
 every disaster, surmount every obstacle, and attain 
 this ultimate unqualified success. Mr. Stoll has a 
 section of land in Ilarlan County, this State, where 
 it is his intention to start four of his sons in stock- 
 raising in the coming season, and their success is 
 well-nigh assured, seeing they have manifested the 
 same high character and many of the noble per- 
 sonal traits possessed by their father. 
 
 One of the most delightful rural views the pub- 
 lishers have presented to the public in many years 
 is the full-page view of Mr. Stoll's residence, and 
 some of the magnificent animals which he makes 
 a specialty in raising. 
 
 EMPTSY II. TROWBRIDGE. Among the 
 inspiring and elevating influences which 
 act upon the soul in this life, few are more 
 potent than that of harmony, especially as 
 rendered by a well -trained orchestra, or breathed 
 from the soul of an organ. The sketch of the 
 salient features in the life of the gentleman whose 
 name st.ands at the head of this ])aper presents the 
 history of the first trained and fully educated 
 
 
-A 
 
 170 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 nuisician established in Wyraore. Mr. Trowbridge 
 has been from his youth up a teacher of instru- 
 mental and vocal music, and received his musical 
 training from Prof. George F. Root and Dr. Pal- 
 mer, both of international reputation. 
 
 Demptsy Trowbridge, the father of our subject, 
 was born in Bourbon County. Ky., Nov. 11, 1801. 
 In the same place he was reared, received acoinmon- 
 sciiool education, and afterward learned the trade 
 of a blacksmith, after which he taught school in 
 Washington County, Ind., and there became ac- 
 quainted with, and finall}' married Miss Edith Skel- 
 ton, which event took place Nov. 27, 1823. They 
 became the parents of eleven children, six of whom 
 were sons. One of their children died in early 
 childhood. Our subject was the youngest child of 
 the family. During the term of his teaching school, 
 the father of our subject was impelled by his relig- 
 ious convictions to enter the ministry, and during 
 the latter years of his life served in that office in 
 the Christian Church. He was a man of large 
 pbj'sical power, and well-developed, active brain, 
 rapid and accurate in thought. When he had 
 reached the age of thirty-eight years he was stricken 
 with fever, and after a very brief illness was de- 
 feated in the battle of life, and fell under the keen 
 sickle of the "Reaper," on the 31st of March, 1839, 
 just six d.a3-s before our subject was born, leaving 
 his widow and family in a financially destitute con- 
 dition. He h.ad become quite prominent as a minis- 
 ter, and large things were expected from him should 
 he have survived. 
 
 Mrs. Trowbridge, the mother of our subject, was 
 born at Wheeling, W. Va., on the 1 2th of October, 
 1807. When twelve years of age she went to 
 Washington Count}', Ind., with her parents, and 
 made her home with them until her marriage. She 
 was the daughter of John Skelton, a native of West 
 Virginia, as was also his wife. Her father died in 
 Owen County, Ind., at the age of sixty-five years. 
 Mrs. Trowbridge was thirty-two years of age when 
 her husband was taken from her, and was left with 
 her ten children, under the circumstances above 
 noticed, to face the hard, matter-of-fact world, but 
 with the heroism of motherhood she nobl}- faced 
 the situation and kept her children with her, feed- 
 ing, clothing, educating and preparing them to 
 
 take their places in life's struggle. This alone 
 speaks most em[)hatically as to her noljle woman- 
 hooil, strength of character, sound judgment and 
 affection. It has been her joj- to see all her chil- 
 dren enter into life, not simpiv in honorable callings, 
 but with that strength and power which come from 
 communion with the Divine, which is at once the 
 privilege and part of the Christian. All her sons 
 at some time in their life have been teachers of 
 music; one of them, the subject of this sketch, has 
 made it his chosen profession. Two of her daugh- 
 ters taught in the public schools, as did also two of 
 the boys. In 1857 she, with the youngest children, 
 went to Marshall County, 111., and there made her 
 home until Oct. 31, 1866, when she died, after a 
 widowhood of twentj'-seven years. 
 
 Our subject was born in Washington County, 
 Ind., on the Glh of April, 1839, and afterward lived 
 in Owen and Morgan Counties of the same State. 
 In the two latter he received his education in the 
 common schools. In 1857 he went to Illinois with 
 his mother, who made arrangements for him to 
 enter Eureka University, where he remained for 
 one year, after which he tauglit in the public schools 
 for five years, and in addition throughout the same 
 period giving instruction in music. This was fol- 
 lowed bj' his entrance into the cl.asses of the State 
 Normal School at Normal, McLean Co., 111., where 
 he staid for one year, taking advantage of every 
 opportunit}' offered to perfect himself in his pro- 
 fession, then he returned to school teaching until 
 1869, in that time serving at Washburn. Belle 
 Plain and different points in thecountrj-. He then 
 attended the Normal School for Music at Janesville, 
 Wis., conducted by Profs. Palmer and Root, at the 
 end of the term receiving a certificate bearing the 
 names of the following renowned musicians: W. 
 Ludden, W. S. B. Mathews, C. G. Titcomb, E. H. 
 Nourse and H. II. Palmer. During all of this time 
 he was a classmate of the world-renowned P. P. 
 Bliss, also S. AV. Straub and C. E. Leslie. Al- 
 though our subject had taken such a thorough 
 course in music he continued under the instruction 
 of Profs. Palmer and Root for full}' two years 
 longer, with them attending and instructing at 
 musical conventions. Coupled with his natural 
 talent and love of harmonics, these unusually fa- 
 
 n 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 171 
 
 vorable opportunities to train and mature his ability 
 as a teacher insured his success beyond question. 
 
 Ul)on leaving his instructors our subject taught 
 at Atlanta, Lincoln, Broad well, Elkhart, of Logan 
 Count}', Willinmsville and Springfield in Sangamon 
 Count}'. lie spent ten j'cars in Lincoln, 111., and 
 in that period gave over 4.000 lessons, for which 
 he received between $8,000 and $10,000. He next 
 settled in Minonk, AVoodford Co., 111., and made 
 it his headquarters for four years, having large 
 classes at Metamora, Roanoak, Benson, Rutland, 
 Dana and Ancona. In the year 1884 he settled 
 in Wymore, and has since taught for nine terms 
 his chosen art. He is held in the highest regard 
 in the community as a professor of music, both in 
 regard to his knowledge and his ability to impart 
 instruction, and no less so because he is in every 
 relation of life an honorable. Christian gentleman. 
 
 While residing at Minonk. April 13, 1870. our 
 subject became the husband of Carrie Leslie, a 
 lad}' in every way in harmony with his own tem- 
 perament and professional aspirations. This lady 
 was born in Madison County, Ky., Sept. 12, 1842. 
 She is the daughter of Isaiah Webb, and lived 
 with her parents until the date of her marriage with 
 Alexander Leslie, and during her widowhood re- 
 sided at Lincoln, where she met our subject. To 
 Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge have been born three 
 children, whose names are as subjoined: Demptsy 
 L., who was born on the 14th of May, 1872; Pearl 
 M. E., Feb. 25, 1877, and Elmer Garfield, who 
 was born on the 24th of February, 1880. The 
 great shadow in the life of our subject, and one 
 from which he has never seemed fully to emerge, 
 made its presence felt in September, 1881. Upon 
 the 20th of that month his daughter Pearl was 
 taken by death after a very brief illness with scar- 
 let fever, and ten days later his youngest child, 
 Elmer, followed her, leaving the parents face to face 
 with a sorrow that nothing upon earth can remove. 
 The eldest son, Demptsy, was spared to his parents, 
 however, and develops a character that promises a 
 most honorable career. 
 
 Our subject and wife are both members in good 
 standing of the Wymore Christian Church, and are 
 among the most .active and consistent members. 
 Mr. Trowbridge is also one of the Elders, an office 
 
 which he has filled since the organization of the 
 church ill February, 1886. He has been very 
 energetic and enthusiastic in Sunday-school work, 
 and has held the office of Sunday-school Superin- 
 tendent for a like period. The standing of our 
 subject and his family in the community is excep- 
 tionally high in every relation. 
 
 %r 
 
 
 IRAM LACY. Among the representative 
 11 farmers and stock-raisers of the southern 
 part of Gage County no one h.as been more 
 successful in his chosen calling than our 
 subject, as is denoted by his valuable farm, finely 
 located on section 2, Paddock Township, embracing 
 240 acres of exceedingly fertile land, all fenced and 
 under good cultivation, and well stocked with herds 
 of sleek, well-fed cattle and swine. He is one of the 
 early settlers of this township, and has been active 
 in promoting the development of its agricultural 
 facilities. AVhen he began life he had no money, but 
 sound, common sense, a good, practical knowledge 
 of agriculture and an industrious disposition have 
 stood him in good stead, for by the exercise of 
 these he has gained an independent competence, 
 and can support his family in comfort and ease. 
 Mr. Lacy naturally takes much pride in his success 
 as a farmer, and he is proud of his fine looking cat- 
 tle, which compare favorably with any in the county ; 
 he is p.aying attention chiefly to raising cattle and 
 hogs, selling about forty head of the former each 
 year, and from seventy-five to a hundred of the 
 latter, feeding all the grain that he raises. 
 
 Mr. Lacy is a native of Davenport, Iowa, his 
 birth taking place in that city April 24, 1850. His 
 parents, Hiram and Anna (Workman) Lacy, were 
 natives of Kentucky and Tennessee. AVhen our 
 subject was five years old they left the city of his 
 birth and went to Atchison, Kan., where they lived 
 for awhile. The father of our subject subsequently 
 died in Henry County, Iowa, in .June, 1857. He 
 was a farmer by occupation, and was a man of ster- 
 ling worth and sound integrity, commanding the 
 respect of all with whom he came in contact, cither 
 in a business or in a social way. In 18G1 our sub- 
 ject and his mother came to Nebraska and located 
 
-^•- 
 
 ,t 
 
 'ii 172 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 in Richardson County, where they lived for several 
 years. Mrs. Lacy is now spending the declining 
 years of her life in the home of her son John, in 
 Colorado, near Colorado Springs. She is the mother 
 of five children now living, of wiiom Hiram, of this 
 sketch, is the third in order of birth. 
 
 Our subject came to Gage County in March, 
 1878, and located on the farm where he now lives. 
 To the wife wiio presides over his home and makes 
 it comfortable and cozy, he was united in marri.age 
 in Falls City, Neb., Sept. 16, 1873. Mrs. Lacy was 
 formerly Miss Fannie Johnson, and she is a daugh- 
 ter of the late Alexander and Marj' Johnson, natives 
 of Kentuck\-. Mrs. Johnson died when her daugh- 
 ter was about nine years old; Mr. Johnson died in 
 Washington County, Ark., in February, 1888. The 
 pleasant household circle of our subject and his 
 wife is completed by the seven children who sur- 
 vive the nine liorn to them. Mr. Lacy is an inde- 
 pendent, capable, self-reliant man, possessing much 
 shrewdness and forethought; he is frank and open- 
 hearted, and is well liked by his neighbors, as he is 
 always obliging and helpful. 
 
 =^EORGE McCLUNG is one of the early set- 
 II <^i? '^'"^ *^^ Paddock Township, and hascontrib- 
 ^^Sl uted his share toward its development and 
 improvement. He is activel3' and prosperously 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits on his farm on sec- 
 tion 34, which he has improved from the wild, un- 
 broken prairie to one of the best tilled farms in this 
 locality. He is a native of Ohio, first opening his 
 eyes to the light of daj' in Jefferson County, May 
 2, 1855. His parents, Archibald and Lucinda (Car- 
 den) McClung, natives of New York and Ohio, 
 moved to Van Wert County, Ohio, when our subject 
 was a mere child. From there thej' went to Clinton 
 County, Iowa, in 1865, and in 1869 removed to 
 Grundy County, in the same State, and there the 
 family was bereft of the faithful wife and devoted 
 mother, who died Oct. 2, 1876, at the age of fifty- 
 two, lamented by man}', as she was a woman of ster- 
 ling virtues and of a kindly disposition. In 1878 
 the father came with his children to Gage County, 
 and purchased his present farm of 160 acres in Pad- 
 
 dock Township, and he has since been a respected 
 resident of this township. 
 
 George McClung was reared partly in his native 
 State and partly in Iowa, and he grew to be a strong 
 and capable lad, and early put his shoulder to the 
 wheel to assist his father in carrying on his farm; 
 thus he gained a sound, practical knowledge of 
 agriculture, which has been of great benefit to him 
 since he has had a farm of his own. July 23, 1876, 
 he was married to Miss Margaret, daughter of Rob- 
 ert and Mary A. (Brown) Dick. Mrs. McClung's 
 mother died in Linn Count}', Iowa, in 1869, and 
 her father is now living in Dakota. To our subject 
 and his wife have been born six children, one of 
 whom, Desie, is deceased. The others are Mar}' L., 
 Archibald W., Elizabeth J., Emma M. and Agnes A. 
 
 Mr. McClung came to Gage County with his fam- 
 ily in 1 878, and bought eighty acres of land on sec- 
 tion 34, Paddock Township, comprising his present 
 farm; he is now fencing 240 acres, including his 
 father's 160-acre farm. He has his land well im- 
 proved; he is engaged in general farming, but each 
 year confines his attention more and more exclusively 
 to stock-raising, in which department he is meeting 
 with marked success. When Mr. McClung first 
 came here this township was not laid out, and it 
 may well be his pride that he has been privileged 
 to aid it in its development and to watch its growth. 
 He is a shrewd, far-seeing man, of good business 
 habits, with a fine reputation, friendly and obliging 
 in his relations with his neighbors, and in his fam- 
 ily a kind husband and devoted father. He is a 
 stroufc Prohibitionist. 
 
 ■^^s^- 
 
 sa^^ 
 
 <«?«^H■ 
 
 yfelLLIAM YOUNG. This gentleman is per- 
 / haps one of the largest stock-raisers of 
 W^ Highland Township. He resides upon his 
 ranch on section 1, where he owns 320 acres of very 
 excellent land, admirably suited to his purpose. 
 As will be noticed, he is one of the pioneers of this 
 county. Mr. Young was born in County Tyrone, 
 Ireland, on the 20th of July, 1843, and is the son 
 of Edward and Jane Young, both of whom were of 
 Scotch descent, but natives of Ulster, North Ireland 
 
ooCo(^<^ ^ <^^^^^:<^^^i^2i^i^^^>^y'^ 
 
-4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•»• 
 
 175 
 
 V 
 
 He remainod in his native countiT until 18G2, when 
 he removed with iiis parents to Glasgow, Scotland. 
 From that city he embarked in 1862, in a sailing- 
 vessel, fur America, where he arrived seven weeks 
 and three days from the date of starting. 
 
 Landing in New York City, Mr. Young proceeded 
 to Philadeipiiia, and lliere resided for several years, 
 working as a bricklayer. About 18G8 he came to 
 West Lincoln, Neb., and there worked at his trade, 
 brickraaking, until 1872, when he came to this 
 county and settled T.ipon section 4 of Highland 
 Township, where he pre-empted a quarter-section of 
 land in its original wild, prairie state. He put in 
 agreat deal of hard work during the next few j-ears, 
 and brought it to a verj- high state of agricultural 
 efficiency. It was a thorough transformation and 
 had become, quite a valuable propert}'. During 
 this time his father and motlier lived with him on 
 the farm, and owing to this he was enabled fre- 
 quently to absent himself from the farm in order to 
 work at his trade at Lincoln, which under other 
 circumstances would have been impossible. 
 
 In 1884 Mr. Young settled upon his present farm 
 on section 1, adjoining Cortland, where he was en- 
 gaged in stock- farming, although necessaril}' giving 
 considerable attention to the raising of corn, grain, 
 hay, etc., for feed purposes. His specialty would 
 appear to be the raising of Short-horn cattle and 
 the breeding of high-grade horses, such as the 
 Clydesdale, English thoroughbreds, and the better 
 class of American horses. In this occupation he 
 has had unusual success, and has built up a very 
 large and favorable reputation in connection there- 
 with. 
 
 On the 1st of October, 1874, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Sarah Calathan, like him- 
 self a native of North Ireland. This lady is a 
 daughter of James and Margaret Calathan, and was 
 ushered into life June 1, 18ol, and made her home 
 with her parents until her marriage, coming to the 
 United States in the year 1869 with some of her 
 relatives, settling in Philadelphia. This union has 
 been more complctelj' cemented by the birth of 
 nine children, viz: Sarah J., Robert R., Maggie T., 
 Fred W., Jay W., Ette, Lora, also Willie and John, 
 both of whom are deceased. In political matters 
 our subject is independent, always voting according 
 
 « ► 11 ^ ^* 
 
 to the principles of right rather than part}'. Dur- 
 ing his residence on section 4 he filled the office of 
 School Treasurer for several years, and has also held 
 other offices. He is a man who enjoys the fullest 
 confidence and respect of the community, as do also 
 his family. His history shows what may be done 
 by determination, energy and hard work, despite 
 poverty of early opportunity. 
 
 
 \fJULIUS NEUMANN, Mayor of Wymore,and 
 engaged in general merchandising, besides 
 having other important interests in the city, 
 ,^,^J^ and whose portrait is herewith presented, is 
 one of its most prominent and influential business 
 men. Besides his proprietorship in the W^'more 
 Rolling Mills, he owns the Neumann Block, a beau- 
 tiful residence on Newton street, and other valua- 
 ble city property. He holds the warranty deed to 
 a fine farm of 160 acres in Pawnee County, and a 
 whole section in this State and Kansas. 
 
 The Neumann family is of pure German ancestry, 
 William G., the father of our subject, having been 
 born July 26. 1790. In 1812 he was drafted into 
 the German army. The mother, Mrs. Catherine 
 (Kehl) Neumann, was born March 18, 1805,atMeis- 
 enheim, and was the daughter of well-to-do parents, 
 with whom she was reared, and remained with them 
 until her marriage. She became the mother of 
 twelve children, nine sons and three daughters, all 
 of whom lived to mature years, and of whom our 
 subject was next to the youngest. After the return 
 of the father from the wars he removed to Meisen- 
 heim, where he marric<l, then settled at Langen- 
 lonshime, where he held a Government position 
 until sixty-eight j'ears of age. 
 
 In the fall of 1857 Mr. Neumann with his family 
 emigrated to America, settling first in Henry 
 County, III., where he secured a tract of land, upon 
 which he followed farming until his death, which 
 occurre<l on the 25th of December, 1861. The 
 mother survived until Aug. 4, 1880, making her 
 
J^ 
 
 17G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 home with her son, our subject, the last six years 
 of her life. All of their children had been given 
 a good education, and with their parents were mem- 
 bers of the German Lutheran Church. The sons 
 are generalty engaged in merchandising, and hold 
 good positions in their community. 
 
 Julius Neumann was born in Langenlonshime, 
 July 7, 1848, and there remained until a lad nine 
 years of age, when he came with his parents to the 
 United States. His education was completed in the 
 schools of Henry County, 111.; he was for a time a 
 student at the Cambridge High School. Afterward 
 he worked on the far'n with his father until seven- 
 teen years old, and then started in business for 
 himself, establisliing a hardware store at Bishop Hill, 
 which he carried on successfully for a period of 
 three years. Next he embarked in the dry-goods 
 trade at San Jose, 111., and since that time has been 
 in this business, having now an experience of 
 twenty years. 
 
 Mr. Neumann came to this county in the spring 
 of 1882, and that same year put up a fine brick 
 block on Niagara avenue. In partnership with A. 
 E. Winter he conducted a successful business until 
 the spring of 1888, then, desiring a rest, sold out. 
 Among the men most largely' engaged in those 
 enterprises which have furnished an impetus to the 
 business interests of the town, the subject of this 
 sketch has occupied no unimportant position. He 
 has been a member of the School Board most of 
 the time since coming here, and holds the office of 
 President, both of the Building and Loan Asso- 
 ciation and the Board of Trade. Of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church he has been a generous contrib- 
 uting member for j'ears, also holding the office of 
 Trustee, and serving on tlie Building Committee 
 and in other positions where he could do effective 
 work. 
 
 The marriage of our subject and Miss Amelia 
 Wellmeyer, of Wapello, Iowa, was celebrated at the 
 home of the bride. June 3, 1874. Mrs. Neumann 
 was born Sept. 1, 1854, in Iowa, and is the daughter 
 of W. H. and Elizabeth Wellmeyer, who were na- 
 tives of Germany. Of this union there have been 
 born six children: Clarence, who died in 187'J, at 
 tlie age of six years; Rawley W., Clarice, Mahlon, 
 Gertrude and Wilhemina. The eldest is tvvelve 
 
 years of age and the youngest two. They are being 
 carefully trained and educated, and there is every 
 reason to suppose will grow up an honor to tiieir 
 parents and ornaments to societj'. 
 
 IL^ SIZER BARNUM, proprietor of the Pio- 
 neer Livery Stable, is also the owner of a 
 t^ fine stockfarm of 120 acres lying two miles 
 (!^ north of the city of Blue Springs. He gives 
 his attention mostly to the breeding of fine hors'is, 
 having two imported stallions, and is a member of 
 the Imported Horse Society. There are few men 
 who have been more industrious or energetic in the 
 building up of this important industr3' in this sec- 
 tion. 
 
 Hiram, the father of our subject, was born in 
 Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1811. There also he 
 was educated, studied law, and upon reaching man- 
 hood made his way to Buffalo, N. Y., where he was 
 married to Miss Irena H. Howard. They became 
 the parents of five children, two of whom died at 
 an early age. The father of our subject operated 
 as a broker, but left Buffalo in 1838, and returning 
 to his native State, lived there for a time in Trum- 
 bull County, then removed to Akron, Summit 
 County, and was engaged in the practice of law for 
 a number of years. He finally returned to his na- 
 tive county, and settling down upon a farm there 
 spent the remainder of his life, passing awa}" .it the 
 ripe old age of seventy-six years. 
 
 Hiram Barnum was a man of fine cap.acities. 
 prominent in local and political affairs. He held 
 the various offices of his own township in Trumbull 
 County, and was widely and favorably known 
 throughout that region. His wife, Irena, was born 
 in New York in 1807, and is still living at the ohl 
 homestead in Trumbull Count}-, Ohio. This tract 
 of land was cleared from the wilderness by Eli 
 Barnum, the grandfather of our subject, who w.as a 
 native of Danbury, Conn. He continued a resi- 
 dent of New England until his marriage, then emi- 
 grated to Ohio, and in the woods of Trumbull 
 County purchased land three miles from any other 
 settlers. From this he built up a fine farm and 
 erected a flouring-mill on Eagle Creek. Later lie sold 
 
-4»- 
 
 ^ii^K-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 i; 
 
 a part of this property to a colony called the Trum- 
 bull Phalanx. He spent iiislast years in Trumbull 
 County, and died at the ripe old age of seventj'- 
 five years. The house where he last lived was a large 
 frame structure, the first frame house built in Brace- 
 ville Township with an '• L," and had within it the 
 huge fireplace common to those daj's. It was the 
 resort of the people of that region for miles around, 
 and witnessed manj' a cheerful gathering. 
 
 The patern.al grandmother of our subject was in 
 her girlhood Miss Mary Dibble. She became the 
 mother of nine children, all of whom lived to ma- 
 ture j-ears. Grandmother Barnum survived her 
 husband for a period of ten years, dying at the ad- 
 vanced age of eightj'-flve. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in Buffalo, 
 N. y., Nov. 11, 1837. He was but one j'ear old 
 when his parents moved to Ohio, settling in Brace- 
 ville Township. His education was continued in 
 the schools of Akron, Summit County, and after 
 their removal to the farm he became familiar with 
 its various labors. He remained with his parents 
 until the spring of 1859, then coming West, crossed 
 the Missouri River at Nebraska Cit}' on the 20th of 
 Ai)ril of that j-ear. He took up his location in this 
 county on the 24lh of Ma}' following, thus being 
 one of the earliest pioneers of .Southern Nebraska. 
 In Blue Springs Township there were then only 
 Henry Elliot, with his father and brother, a family 
 by the n.amc of Eavener, and another by the name 
 of Foff. His nearest neighbor was two miles dis- 
 tant from the tract of land which he secured from 
 the Government. 
 
 The Indians had not then left this section of 
 country, being settled on a reservation, and caused 
 the settlers much apjjrehension on account of their 
 depredations and hostility to the whites. Wild ani- 
 mals also were abundant. For fifteen years Mr. 
 Barnum contended with the elements of the soil 
 and other inconveniences attendant upon pioneer 
 life, then began to realize the fruits of his labors. 
 By careful cultivation his land j-ielded abundantly, 
 and he erected the buildings necessary for his con- 
 venience and comfort. He occupied this home un- 
 til 1871. In the meantime, after the outbreak of 
 the late Civil War, he enlisted on the 1st of Septem- 
 ber, 1861, in the 1st Battalion of Nebraska Cavalry, 
 
 afterward transferred to the 5th Iowa Cavalry, and 
 did good service as a soldier in the States of Ken- 
 tuck}' and Tennessee until Nov. 11, 1862, when he 
 was compelled to accept his discharge on account 
 of disability. Two brothers of Mr. Barnum were 
 also in the late war. One, Samuel H., was wounded 
 at the battle of Chancellors ville, and died soon after 
 from his wounds. The daughter Kate is a teacher 
 in the grammar school at Blue Springs. 
 
 Mr. Barnum was married April 19, 1863, to one 
 of the most estimable ladies of Blue Springs, 
 Mrs. Mj'ra H. Rappleye, and of this union there 
 were born four children, one of whom died in in- 
 fancy; those surviving are Kate, Eli H. and Roza. 
 The famil}' in the winter of 1871 left the farm .and 
 removed to Blue Springs, where Mr. Barnum put 
 up a small house and a haj' stable, and thus inau- 
 gurated the business from which he now derives a 
 handsome income. He went to Bloomingtou, Neb., 
 in 1873, laid the foundations for the second build- 
 ing in the town, and also established a livery stable 
 there later, which he operated three years. He 
 deals largely in Clyde, Norman and Percheron 
 horses, and exhibits some of the finest animals in 
 Southern Nebraska, of immense size and great 
 beauty. His farm furnishes fine pasturage for these 
 animals, and he also has convenient stables, and all 
 the other appliances necessary' for the successful 
 prosecution of his calling. His stables contain some 
 high-bred trotting stock, in the care and training of 
 which he exercises the most excellent judgment, and 
 has gained for himself an enviable reputation 
 throughout the State. His brood mare stands sec- 
 ond to none in the country. 
 
 Mr. Barnum in addition to his extensive private 
 interests has held the various township offices, and 
 is everywhere spoken of as one of the liberal and 
 public-spirited men of Gage County. Quiet and 
 unassuming in his manners, he is one of the few who 
 gain hosts of friends who respect him for his good 
 qualities alone. He still has in his possession a cer- 
 tificate of election to the office of the Register of 
 Deeds in Gage County, before its organization, and 
 which had to be aeknowleged in Pawnee Count}'. 
 This bears the date July 16, 1859, and was signed 
 by Julius Tyler, Clerk. It is a document careful!}' 
 preserved, and one with which he would not part 
 
 •> J t <• 
 
■^^ 
 
 178 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 for considerable money. In Blue Springs Town- 
 ship he has served as Assessor, Supervisor and 
 Treasurer of the School Board. 
 
 Mrs. Barnnm was born in Derbyshire, England. 
 Her mother was Frances (Hollingwortli) Shelley, 
 and the parents emigrated to America when she was 
 a young girl of fourteen years. They settled on a 
 tract of land In Portage County, Wis., and Mj'ra 
 remained under the parental roof until her marriage 
 to L. C. Rappleye, who died in 1861. Her father 
 followed farming until his death, which occurred 
 about 1884. The mother resides with her son, R. 
 E. Shelle^', in Holmesville, Gage Co., Neb., and has 
 arrived at the ripe old age of seventy-two years. 
 
 ^N HRISTIAN C. MOWRY was early identified 
 _ with the pioneers of Gage Countjs coming 
 i^y here in the very prime of early manhood, 
 and devoting his energies to assist in the develop- 
 ment of the wonderful agricultural resources of 
 this exceedingly fertile and productive region. He 
 is an intelligent, enterprising man, of honorable 
 character and good business habits, and is vvell de- 
 serving of the good fortune that has come to him 
 through his persistent toil. He now owns a good 
 farm on section 12, Paddock Township, that in cult- 
 ure and productiveness compares favorablj- with 
 any other farm in the township. 
 
 Our subject was born in Darke County, Ohio, 
 Oct. 17, 1844, to Jacob and Susanna (Cring) Mowry. 
 His father was a man of good standing in his com- 
 munity, both as a man and as a citizen, and his 
 death, in 1857, was felt to be a loss beyond the 
 home circle. The mother of our subject, an esti- 
 mable, capable woman, now lives in Blue Springs, 
 this eount3'. Christian C. was twelve years old 
 ■when his parents removed from the place of his 
 birth to make their home in Sandusky County, 
 Ohio, and there the remaining years of his boyhood 
 were passed. There he was living quietly when 
 the Rebellion broke out, a youth of sixteen years, 
 too young to enlist, but he watched with intense in- 
 terest the course of the contending armies, and at 
 length the longed-for opportunity to take an active 
 
 part in the conflict offered, and he gladly seized the 
 chance to go as a substitute, becoming a member 
 of the Ohio National Guards, May 2. 1864, and 
 served with the regiment about 100 da3-s. In Feb- 
 ruary, 1865, he enlisted in Company B, 195th Ohio 
 Infantry, and was a member of that company until 
 the close of the war. He was on guard duty until 
 about Christmas, 1865, and proved himself to be 
 a capable, trusty soldier. 
 
 Mr. Mowry was united in marriage to Miss Lu- 
 cinda Haupster, Feb. 27, 1868, and he owes much 
 of his present prosperity to her wise and readj' help. 
 Her parents, Thomas and Catherine Haupster, of 
 Richardson Count}', Neb., came to Gage County' 
 the next spring after she and her husband settled 
 here, and her father died here in 1884. Her mother 
 now makes her home in Falls City, Neb. The union 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Mowry has been blessed to them 
 by the birth of seven children, namely : William 
 H., Charles A., Effa E., Sarah L., twins who died 
 in infancy, and John F. Mrs. Mowry is a valued 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Blue 
 Springs. 
 
 In the fall of 1868 Mr. Mowry decided to make 
 his home in Nebraska, where he thought he could 
 establish a comfortable home for himself and his 
 young wife in this new and rapidly' growing State, 
 and be able sooner to gain a competence than in the 
 older and more densel}- populated States in the 
 East. After his arrival he located about three 
 miles north of Blue Springs, in this county. Ne- 
 braska was not then what it is now; it had but re- 
 cently been admitted into the Union, and gave but 
 little indications of its present wealth and high 
 standing among its sister States. Gage County 
 was then but sparsely inhabited, there were but 
 few houses in Blue Springs, and Beatrice was but a 
 village; its pioneers had scarcely more than entered 
 upon the development of its resources; the sur- 
 rounding country was in a very wild condition ; In- 
 dians were here in great numbers, and wild game, 
 such as deer, antelope, wild turkej', etc., was abun- 
 dant. In March, 1880, Mr. Mowry came to Pad- 
 dock Township and purchased his present farm, and 
 he thus became one of the early settlers of tbis 
 township. His farm comprises 120 acres of land, 
 on which but few improvements had been made 
 
EBRA5KA FaRM &. 
 
 ^PROVEMENT COS. 
 
 ECDiNG Farm 
 '3220 Ac R £5,) IN I 
 
 lAGE&JEFFERSONCof/ 
 
 Nebraska. 
 
 'ILPATRICKBRO.'/' 
 
 Proprietors 
 HQDUCZD //v 
 
 ^0000 BU. 
 orn^Oats. 
 
 Sec.35 
 
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 Corn. 
 
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 Corn 
 
 .-i-M-^^^^^ 
 
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 Corn 
 
 Corn. 
 
 
 OH School-land 5cc.3G. 
 
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 V ^^*W*^, 
 
 ii*i=» 
 
 130/ 
 
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 Centrcof X- 3ec 26 
 
 Feeding Farm of. Nebraska Farm &. Improvement Co =KilpatrickBro's,Propr's 
 
5. 25. 26. 35.36.(1.4. RA.) Jefferson Co,&.5ec's.19.30.&3I.Gage Co, Nebraska 
 
-<^ 
 
 ,t 
 
 \ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 when he became tlie possessor of it. He now has 
 it iiixler :i high state of cultivation, and iiis patient 
 labors are rewarded by abundant harvests. A part 
 of his farm is devoted to pasturage and mowing 
 land, as he pays much attention to raising stoclv. 
 
 IlL^ILPATRICK BROS. As a firm of railroad 
 (3<\ contractors, that of Kilpatrick Bros, is one 
 
 iii^l^ of the largest in the countrj', and has an 
 ^^ unsullied reputation for business integrity, 
 honor, efHeiency and promptness. These qualities 
 ■ have brought them after eighteen j'ears of busi- 
 ness life to the front rank in their line. The firm 
 consists of four brothers, sons of Samuel and Rachael 
 Kilpatrick, who came originally from Ohio, and set- 
 tled in the western part of Gage County in June, 
 1859. Here they resided upon the home farm pur- 
 chased at the time of settlement until February, 
 1873, when Samuel Kilpatrick died; since that time 
 his widow has continued to make her home there. 
 They were the parents of six sons, viz: John D., 
 Henry C. William H., Robert J., Samuel D. and 
 Joseph M. The first four sons were born in Jasper 
 County, Mo.; Samuel in Iowa, and the youngest in 
 this county. They have followed continuously, and 
 with s|)lendid success, stock farming and railroad 
 construction. 
 
 The originator of the firm was the eldest son, who 
 began his life as a railroad contractor in I8G7, by 
 working on the Union Pacific Railroad for two 
 years. This was followed in 1869 b}^ a contract to 
 build part of the Texas it El Paso Pacific, thence 
 he went to work on the New Orleans, Jlobile & 
 Chattanooga. The following 3ear found him at 
 work under contract on the International & Great 
 Nortiiern Railroad, and after two years he began to 
 build sixty-three miles of the Galveston, Colorado 
 <fc Santa Fe, and 1879 found him back in Nebraska 
 laying the steel l)ands from IMarysville to Beatrice. 
 Thus the business grew continuously with the widen- 
 ing circle of its influence, and enriching its circula- 
 tion. 
 
 The partnership was a*anged, and work begun 
 under its provisions in 1881, and without doubt 
 there is not a more united and inntually loyal firm 
 
 in the countr}'. From April, 1882, to the close of 
 1883, the firm w.as engaged in constructing the 
 railroad in Idalio and Oregon; iu 1883 they began 
 to work on w'hat is known as the High Line of the 
 Denver ik South Park Railroad, between Frisco and 
 Leadville. During 1884 and 1885 contracts were 
 filled iu the States of Wisconsin, Dakota and Kan- 
 sas, and from that on they have been constantly and 
 fulh' employed in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, 
 AVyoming, Idaho, Washington Territory and Ore- 
 gon. The commercial standing of this firm with 
 the chief railroad corporations of the countr3' is 
 the ver}- highest, and they are now at work upon 
 contracts for some of the largest and wealthiest of 
 these. Since the firm was established they have 
 constructed not less than 3,000 miles of railway, 
 beside erecting a large number of buildings, and 
 carrjing on their extensive real-estate interests. 
 They are the owners of a farm in Gage County, con- 
 sisting of over 3,000 acres in pasture and under cul- 
 tivation. This propert)' is a veritable model farm, 
 complete in all points of its equii)racnt. One corn 
 field is of the modest extent of 1,200 acres. Upon 
 tiieir farm they fatten from 300 to 500 head of 
 steers for the Eastern market every year, and dur- 
 ing the winter months take care of from 200 to 300 
 mules; these and some 300 horses are at other sea- 
 sons kept fully employed in their railroad work. 
 The brothers also own an extensive horse and cattle 
 ranch in Ch.ase Count}-, Neb., known as "the quar- 
 ter circle W." It comprises a large tract of land, 
 and much of it has been cultivated, and crops of 
 millet, cane and corn, successfully raised. Upon the 
 ranch are between 3,000 and 4.000 head of cattle, 
 and about 350 head of well bred horses. Thej' are 
 breeding largelj- of the Norman stock. In this re- 
 spect they are pioneers in the western part of the 
 State, in that they are opening up and developing 
 a new counUy, thereby encouraging emigration to 
 that jtart of the State. 
 
 Several' years .ago the brothers erected a very 
 comfortable modern residence, pleasant in situation 
 and convenient in arrangement, which was designed 
 for the especial use of their mother, who is held in 
 most affectionate veneration by her sons, who con- 
 sider nothing too good or too beautiful for her 
 use. Athough aged, she is still a bright, active and 
 
«► ir^ 
 
 1^2 
 
 GAGE COUJSTY. 
 
 healthful lacl_y, retaining possession of all her pow- 
 ers and faculties, and jnstly proud of her sons, to 
 whose interests she is enlirel}- devoted, and whose 
 confidant she has been for so many j'ears. John 
 D., Henry and Robert are each married, and have 
 families of their own; Joseph makes his home upon 
 the farm, which is under his care and supervision. 
 
 The homes of John and Robert Kilpatrick are 
 among the finest in the city of Beatrice, and their 
 architectural elegance is well set off by the ex- 
 tensive well-kept lawns that surround them. The 
 firm is at present erecting a three-story brick build- 
 ing in one of the best business localities of the eitj', 
 their own offices being situated in a fine stone build- 
 ing on the corner of Court and Fifth streets. These 
 aie splendidly arranged and well fitted, no conveni- 
 ence or healthful arrangement seemingly having 
 been omitted. The Kilpatrick brothers are Repub- 
 licans in politics. 
 
 We invite the reader's attention to the splendid 
 double-page engraving of the fine stock farm be- 
 longing to these gentlemen. Some specimens of 
 the fine stock they own are also shown. 
 
 4: 
 
 /p^ AMUKL D. AVRIGHT, A. M., LL. B., one 
 
 ^^;^ of the most cultured men of Gaije County, 
 m^)j) endowed with more than ordinary capabili- 
 ties and a fine intellect, has been identified 
 with tlie business interests of Blue Sin-ings since the 
 winter of 1887-88. He is engaged in the grocery 
 trade, having a large and fine store building, and 
 carrying a full assortment of everything pertaining 
 to this line of merchandise, including queensware 
 and the other articles most extensively used, both 
 in tlie farm and village household. In addition to 
 his store and stock he has a neat and tasteful farm 
 residence situated on a fine tract of land three miles 
 noitheast of Blue Springs, and comprising eight}' 
 .acres under a thorough state of cultivation. Here 
 he lives with his family, driving to and from the 
 city morning and evening. 
 
 JMr. Wright is a native of Van Buren County, 
 Iowa, where he was born Jan. 9, 1847, and where 
 he lived until 1865. Then, a youth of eighteen 
 years, and his father having sold the farm, he re- 
 
 paired to Mt. Pleasant, and entering the Iowa 
 Wesleyan Universitj-. was a student of that institu- 
 tion for a period of five 3'ears, at the expiration of 
 which he was graduated with the degree of A. B. 
 Soon afterward he was tendered the position of 
 teacher in the High School of that place and was 
 thus occupied one year; then, entering the Iowa 
 State University at Iowa Cit}', he was graduated a 
 year later with the title of LL. B. 
 
 The year following, 1872, Mr. Wright left his 
 native place and repaired to Osage County, Kan., 
 locating in Burlingame, vvhere he commenced the 
 practice of his profession, and was thus occupied 
 there for a period of eight years. In the mean- 
 time he was made Prosecuting Attorney for that 
 countj- a number of terms and held various citj' 
 offices. In 1880 he came to this State, sojourning 
 two years in the city of Lincoln, and in the mean- 
 time looking about for a different location. He 
 finally drifted into the stock business, having his 
 headquarters in Richardson County. At the time 
 of the sale of the Indian Reservation he purchased 
 a quarter-section of land in Barneston Township, 
 and since that time he has been a resident of this 
 county. He has brought his laud to a fine state of 
 cultivation, erected neat and substantial buildings, 
 and has a residence which, with its surroundings, 
 forms one of the finest homes in this region. At 
 present his stock consists mostly of draft horses, to 
 which he pays i^articular attention, and has some of 
 the choicest animals in Southern Nebraska. 
 
 In January. 1888, Mr. Wright invested a portion 
 of his capital in a stock of groceries, from which 
 he has built up a profitable and extensive trade. 
 His i)romptness in meeting his obligations and his 
 straightforward methods of doing business have 
 secured him the esteem and confidence of the best 
 jjeople of the county, who are his vvarni friends as 
 well as being his generous patrons. Amid the 
 mutii)licity of his business cares he has alwaj's found 
 time to keep himself posted upon current events, 
 and has followed a thorough and instructive course 
 of reading, and as a conversationalist is more than 
 ordinarily intelligent and interesting. In 1882 he 
 was chosen as a candidate of the Republican part}' 
 to represent Richardson County in the Nebraska 
 Legislature, but was defeated on .account of his 
 
-^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 183 
 
 strong Pi'ohiliition piinfiplcs, principally by the 
 German clonicnt. 
 
 At the age of twenty -seven years Mr. Wright 
 establisiieil domestic ties of liis own l)y liis marriage, 
 .Sept. 10, 11S7;5, with Miss Ella Johnson, of Henry 
 Count}', Iowa. Of this union tliore were born four 
 children, three living, viz: Carrie B., Dillon E. and 
 Joseph G. Lewis, a bright boy nine j^ears of age, 
 died March 12, 1883. The other children still re- 
 main under the iiome roof, receiving the advan- 
 tages of a good education and careful parental 
 training. Mrs. Wrigiit was born in Pennsylvania, 
 June 9, 1850, and when quite young removed 
 with her parents to Iowa, where she was reared to 
 womanhood, acquiring a fair education in tiie com- 
 mon schools. Her father, Lewis Johnson, was also 
 a native of tlie Ke3-stone State, and a farmer by oc- 
 cupation. He is now retired. The mother, Mrs. 
 Mary A. (Patteison) Johnson, is still living. The 
 parental household included five children, two only 
 of whom are living. 
 
 The father of our subject, "William S. Wright, 
 was born in Washington County, Pa., Feb. 8, 1809, 
 where he was reared and educated in the common 
 schools. Upon approaching manhood he served an 
 apprenticeship as a brickmasoti and later operated 
 as a contractor. Finally abandoning his trade he 
 engaged in mercantile business at Bloomington, 
 Ind., of which he became a I'esident at an early 
 da}'. He sold out in 1840, and crossing the Missis- 
 sippi cast his lot among the pioneers of Van Burcn 
 County, Iowa, during its Territorial days. Taking 
 up a tract of land he superintended the cultivation 
 of the soil, from which was built up an extensive 
 farm, the latter being managed mostly by his sons. 
 He became interested in stock-raising, and also 
 bought and shipped large numbers of cattle to the 
 Eastern market. Tliis latter business he followed 
 until his death, wliich occurred in Iowa in Jiuie, 
 1865. Ilis last illness was contracted while on his 
 journey to Garden Grove, Iowa, for the purpose of 
 looking after an extra large herd of cattle. 
 
 The mother of our subject, who in her girlhoo<l 
 . was Miss Margaret S. llitc, was born in Kentucky. 
 April 14, 1814. and removed with her parents to 
 Indiana about IH'24. Of her marriage with Will- 
 iam S. Wright there were born thirteen children, 
 
 seven sons and six daughters, and twelve of them 
 lived to mature years. The mother is now deceased. 
 The subject of this sketch, always a thoughtful and 
 serious lad, at the age of eighteen years identified 
 himself with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
 transferred his membership to the Blue Springs 
 Society in 1884. He is now accounted one of its 
 most prominent and useful members, serving as 
 Steward, and ever laboring earnesti}' in the building 
 up of its best interests. Near his residence he has 
 established a Sunday-school, in which he ofliciates 
 as Superintendent, and is a general favorite with 
 both young and old. Socially, he belongs to the 
 Masonic fraternity, and was formerl}- a Knight of 
 Honor. 
 
 The maternal grandfather of our subject spent 
 the last years of his life with the latter, dying at 
 the advanced age of ninety-three years. He had 
 served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and pos- 
 sessed many excellent qualities. Grandmother 
 Hite was a lineal descendant of Chancellor Kent, 
 whose name is familiar to all readers of history and 
 theology. Joseph A. Wright, a paternal uncle of 
 our subject, was during the late Civil War Gover- 
 nor of Indiana, and did efficient service in ])romot- 
 ing the principles of union and freedom throughout 
 that State, probably more than any other man in 
 the State at that time, although during his early 
 manhood he had been a supporter of the Democratic 
 party. He was at one time appointed Minister 
 Plenipotentiar}' to the court of Russia, by Presi- 
 dent Buchanan, and re-appointed by President 
 Lincoln. George G. Wright, another uncle, was a 
 Judge for a long period of the Supreme Court of 
 Iowa, and United States Senator. He is now a 
 resident of Des Moines, Iowa, where he is often 
 visited liy his nephew, Samuel D., of this sketch. 
 
 ^fJAMES E. POWELL. In the present bio- 
 graphical sketch it will be the endeavor suc- 
 cinctly to present an outline of the life of 
 the genial and popular Clerk of Nemaha 
 Township, who is also the owner of a fine farm on 
 section 11, where in general farming and stock- 
 raising he is rapidly bcct>n)ing one of the leading 
 
 ^ 
 
>► i r^ 
 
 184 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 farmers. He is the son of Henry and Marg.iret 
 (Austin) Powell, natives of Virginia and ilarjland 
 respectively. Horatio Powell, the grandfather of 
 our subject, was likewise a Viiginian. The jiarents 
 of our sulijeet were married at Moline, 111., in the 
 year 1854. where Mr. Powell was interested in the 
 lumber trade, b^ing part owner of one of the saw- 
 mills on the banks of the Mississippi, .and was also 
 engaged as a sawyer. His death was the result of 
 an unfortunate, and to his familj' terrible, accideut, 
 and occurred as the result of a severe blow upon 
 the thigh, received from a bounding scantling. 
 He onl}' lingered two or three days, and then died, 
 being at the age of about thirtj'-fonr j-ears. This 
 sad event occurred in 1858, leaving his widow with 
 three children, who were named as follows: James 
 E., Mary E. and Sarah B. His widow, the mother 
 of our subject, still lives at Grand Island, Neb., 
 and is aged fifty-five years. 
 
 Our subject was born at Moline, and his earl}' 
 recollections gather round that place, although, be- 
 ing but four years of age when his father met his 
 death, his memory supplies no entableture of him. 
 After the death of his father our subject lived for 
 a short time with his grandparents, and when his 
 mother married again he returned home. From 
 the age of eighteen he resided with his grandparents 
 until 1880. During this time he had received a 
 practical, common-school education. Upon leavino' 
 them he went to Bedford, Iowa, and farmed for 
 one 3'ear, and from there went to Conway, where 
 his mother came to keep house for him, her second 
 husband having died. She was accompanied b}' the 
 four children born of her second marriage, whose 
 names are as here recorded : Anna R. Goldsberry, 
 Romance, John and Flora. 
 
 At Conwaj', Iowa, Mr. Powell purchased a farm, 
 which was afterward sold and another purchased. 
 This process was repeated two or three times dur- 
 ing his residence in that place. In Sei)ten)ber, 
 1883, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary 
 Chiles, a daughter of Henry and Dica (Kennedj-) 
 Chiles, both of whom were natives of the Eastern 
 States. Mr. Chiles was assassinated in Texas by 
 political opponents, he being a strong Republican 
 and anti-slavery man, neither of which would serve 
 as favorable credentials there at that time. His 
 
 widow is still living at Conway, and is aged sixty 
 years. She became the mother of eight children, 
 five of whom are living, Mrs. Powell being the 
 youngest. She was born Sept. 14, 1862, at Paris, 
 Tex. ; her father's death occurring so soon after, she 
 has no recollection of him whatever. Shortly after 
 the death of her husband Mrs. Chiles returned with 
 her children to Illinois, and settled in Knox and 
 Mercer Counties, and in 1881 removed to Iowa. 
 Mrs. Powell, who received a good education in the 
 Illinois schools, made the acquaintance of our sub- 
 ject there; this friendship was renewed subsequently' 
 iu Illinois, and under such circumstances that its 
 rapid growth demanded satisfaction in the more 
 complete union of wedded life. They have one son, 
 Claude, born in the year 1884. 
 
 Shortly after his marriage our subject came with 
 his wife to this count}-, and took up 120 acres of 
 land on section 1 1 of Nemaha Township. This 
 removal has been shown by the results to have been 
 the right step, for success has smiled upon them 
 from the first. Additional purchases have been 
 made from time to time, of 200 acres. The atten- 
 tion of our subject is chieflj' given to stock-raising, 
 and besides his regular stock and herds he has a half- 
 interest in the well-known stallion, "Westland 
 Chief,'' of English shire strain. 
 
 In 1887 our subject was elected Road Supervisor, 
 and the following year Clerk of the township and 
 School Director; at the same time he is by no means 
 an office-seeker. In his political tendencies our 
 subject is a decided Democrat, but always gives 
 his vote to the candidate in his judgment best quali- 
 fied to fill the ofHce, without regard to party lines. 
 Socially, he is connected with the I. O. O. F., and 
 is regarded as one of its most faithful and praise- 
 worthy members. 
 
 Our subject is an illustration of American West- 
 ern life and success. Owing, perhaps, to the en- 
 thusiasm and far-sight of certain lecturers who are 
 interested in schemes of immigration, the idea seems 
 to have got abroad that in the West nothing is 
 required excepting to take up land and supervise 
 the work of Nature, who almost supplies the capital 
 and raises the crop; the actual facts in the matter 
 are diametrically opposite; AVesteru farming requires 
 just as much or more intelligence, energy, irre- 
 
 — — — — ^ . 4^ 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 \ 
 
 pressible courage and patient cnlbiisiasra, as any 
 other place on earth, and wherever there is success 
 these qualities must be possessed. Whether our 
 subject would have been as successful, or in any 
 such measure prosperous, without the cora|)anionship 
 of his estimable wife, is questionable. He who 
 said "It is not good for man to be alone," knew the 
 creature He had formed better than the creature 
 could possibly know himself, and He had so ar- 
 ranged His plans and effected Flis work as to make 
 the wife the complement of her husband, and those 
 lives are the most beautifully complete and happily 
 successful that are in harmon3^ with this law of 
 being, as in the case before us. 
 
 ^ -^.^ ^ 
 
 '.t 
 
 =^\ AMUEL KIESS is a son of Leonard aud 
 Elizabeth Kiess, both natives of Williams- 
 port, Pa., at which place they were reared, 
 married, and gathered about them a familj', 
 and at which place they died. The father was en- 
 gaged in farming, and he died in the year 1858, at 
 the age of fifty-one years. The mother died in 
 June, 1863, she and her husband having been mem- 
 bers of the Allbright Church. There were nine 
 children in their family, seven of whom are still 
 living, our subject being the third child. The 
 grandparents of our subject were natives of Ger- 
 many, his paternal grandparents having come to 
 America in about the j-ear 1790, and located in Lj'- 
 coming Count}', Pa., when that country was an un- 
 broken forest. They remained in Pennsj'lvania 
 until their death, and at the death of the grand- 
 father there was a posterit}' of sixtj'-three grand- 
 children living, six others being deceased. 
 
 The maternal grandparents of our subject were 
 also natives of Germany, who came to America 
 about the year 1790, and located in Lycoming 
 County, Pa. The}' were among the earliest settlers, 
 and took ai^ active part in developing that countrj', 
 Williamsport at that time consisting of only a few 
 log houses, a little log house doing duty for a 
 court-house. Almost a century of years has passed 
 since that time, and couhl the former inhabitants of 
 that section of the country' be permitted to visit 
 their old home, they woulil doubtless be .astonished 
 
 beyond all measure at the appearance which it now 
 presents 
 
 On the 17th of November, 1863, the subject of 
 our sketch was married to Miss Sallie Burkard, of 
 Crawford County, Ohio, a daughter of Tobias and 
 Christina (Kiess) Burkard. The parents came from 
 Pennsylvania in 1848, and lived in Ohio until their 
 death, that of the father occurring in August, 1876, 
 at the age of eighty-one years, and that of the 
 mother taking place on the 1 1 th of January, 1 887, at 
 the .age of eighty-thi'ee years. They had a famil}^ 
 of seven children, of whom six survive, Mrs. Kiess 
 being the fourth child. To our subject and wife 
 have been given a family of six children, namely: 
 Daniel W. ; Jacob, who died on the 3d of August, 
 1869, at the age of two years; David T., Edward 
 T., Thomas S. and Elizabeth R. 
 
 Mr. Kiess came to Nebraska on the 1st of May, 
 1833, and located in Richardson County, where he 
 remained about tweut}' months, and then came to 
 the farm on which he now lives. His farm consists 
 of 160 acres of well-improved land on section 27, 
 Sicily Township, on which there is a good house, 
 barn and other buildings. The farm is well fenced 
 into fields, and is in a high state of cultivation, and 
 on it is a nice fish pond and plenty of running 
 water for the stock. Our subject has a beautiful 
 home and is in every way admirably situated. He is 
 a member of no political party, but invariably votes 
 for the man whom he thinks to be best qualified for 
 office, regardless of the party to which he belongs. 
 Mrs. Kiess is an esteemed member of the Evangeli- 
 cal Church. 
 
 Our subject has quite a rare collection of bric-a- 
 brac, which is of very great value to a lover of relics 
 as he is. He has a Bible, the former property of a 
 German in New York, that was printed in the year 
 1668, and for which he has been offered §3,000, re- 
 fusing to take that amount. It is about seventeen 
 inches long, ten and a half inches wide, and six 
 inches thick, and is bound in what is supposed to be 
 leather made from the skin of a hog, with heavy 
 brass corners and clasps, and was printed in Frank- 
 fort, Germany. Our subject also has a fine col- 
 lection of ancient coins and currency, among which 
 is a three cent piece issued by the West Branch Bank 
 of Williamsport, Pa., on the 1st of January, 1863; 
 
 •► 
 
 f 
 
-4«- 
 
 l.sG 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 a ten-pent piece from Williams County, Ohio, and 
 also some from the State Bank of Ohio, bearing an 
 early date. 
 
 Another of the valnal)le relics owned by our sub- 
 ject is a badge worn by some one who fought in the 
 battle of Waterloo, when Napoleon I was conquered, 
 for which he has been offered i;100. He has trav- 
 eled over a great extent of the country, making a 
 distance of at least 22,000 miles by rail through the 
 States of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Dela- 
 ware, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Iowa, 
 Missouri, Arkansas, Indian Territory, Kansas and 
 Nebraska, and has taken two trips to Canada. He 
 has had ample opportunity to indulge in his love of 
 relic hunting, and has made good use of the oppor- 
 tunitj' thus afforded, besides making the acquaint- 
 ance of a large part of the country. 
 
 -^-^-i-^^^^fH-^- — 
 
 EV. GERHART PENNER has for a num- 
 yy ber of years been closely identitied with 
 
 -^ 
 
 the Mennonite Church, which was also the 
 ^) church of his father, and in which both of 
 them have been ordained ministers. The Mennon- 
 ite Church derived its name from Menno Sj-mons, 
 who was born in Frieslaud in 1496. Menno was a 
 Boman Catholic priest, and a m.an of studious char- 
 acter and great learning, but he left his mother 
 church and devoted himself to theological studies, 
 publishing his book of doctrine in 1539. The fol- 
 lowers of his teachings are sometimes called the 
 later school of Anabaptists. After the taking of 
 Muenster and the execution of the leaders of the 
 Anabaptists, Menno Symons gave himself to the 
 winning of the remnants of those deluded people 
 from the lawless fanaticism into which they had 
 fallen, or had been led, and with older and purer 
 elements united them in the Netherlands and in 
 North Germany, and these .adherents of his views 
 were known henceforth as Mennonites. They were 
 carefully organized after what was regarded as the 
 primitive congregational model, having ministers 
 and deacons, and following a ver^' strict discipline. 
 They take the Scripture as their only rule of faith, 
 think that the terms person and trinity ought not to 
 be applied to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, that 
 
 < • 
 
 there is no original sin, and that infants ought not 
 to be baptized. They maintain also that Chris- 
 tians sliould not take oaths or serve as soldiers. 
 
 In 18G7 they lost their privilege from military 
 service, and the alternative was given them be- 
 tween conscription anfl emigration, and they were 
 allowed ten years to decide. They chose the latter, 
 and in 1^73 their first body left Prussia, and from 
 there proceeded to New York, whence they went to 
 Kansas and Nebraska and made a settlement. The 
 exodus became so great that the Emperor was com- 
 pelled to change his order to stop the movement. 
 Before this time, however, manj' Mennonites had 
 emigrated to the United States, and thrifty societies 
 had been established. Upon the invitation of Will- 
 iam Penn in 1683, many came over and founded a 
 settlement at Germantown, near Philadelphia. They 
 have since made their homes in many States, and 
 there are now six of their ministers in this count}'. 
 They have but one church, but sometimes they hold 
 services in the city of Beatrice. There are sixty- 
 nine families, which form a membership of 320 in 
 this church. No better citizens are to be found in 
 any community than those connected with this de- 
 voted religious body. Fidelity to promises and 
 obligations, coupled with ceaseless industry, strict 
 honesty, the quiet and gentle spirit, and the highly 
 commendable disposition to leave the business of 
 others alone, make them desirable neighbors and 
 profitable and worthy citizens. Among these people 
 our subject has been engaged in the spreading of 
 religious truths and principles, and he is a gentle- 
 man worthy to be admired. 
 
 Mr. Penner resides on section 29, Midland Town- 
 ship, where he has a farm of 750 acres, and owns 
 besides another farm of 400 acres, both of which 
 are devoted to farming and stock-raising. He is a 
 native of Prussia, Germanj", and was born on the 
 14th of July, 1836 ; his parents, Gerhart and Agatha 
 Penner, were also natives of the same countrj'. The 
 family were engaged in agricultural pursuits, and 
 the father was also a brewer and the owner of a 
 mill. The mother died in 1875 in her native country, 
 and two years later the father came to the United 
 States and made his home in Nebraska, where he 
 died in the following year. There were three chil- 
 dren in their famil}-, of whom Henry still resides ia 
 •► 
 
 T 
 
t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 187 
 
 Prussia, and owns the hrewery whicti formerly be- 
 longed to liis father; Gerhart and John are resi- 
 dents of tiiis comity. 
 
 In the year 1876 eighteen families emigrated 
 from Prussia to the United States, and cast about 
 for a pleasant location in which they could make 
 their future home. They stopped for awhile at 
 Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, but after looking farther thej' 
 chose this county as one offering the greatest in- 
 ducements, and thus, in 1877. they all came to this 
 place. Our subject spent his earlj' life on a farm, 
 and when he grew to manhood he and his brother 
 Henry were engaged in buying and selling grain. 
 On his arrival in this county he purchased about 
 600 acres of land but slightly improved, paying $2.5 
 per acre for 280 acres, and $12.50 per acre for the 
 remainder. He has erected a good residence and 
 farm buildings, and has m.ade many improvements 
 on the home place now containing 7.50 acres. 
 
 Our subject was married, on the 13th of June, 
 1867, to Miss Anna Froese, who was also from 
 Prussia, and was born on the 13th of December, 
 1846. They became the parents of eight children, 
 two of whom are deceased, and the remaining six 
 are named Cornelius. Henry, Louis, Agathe, Anna 
 and Marie. The father of our subject was a min- 
 ister of the Mennonite Church, and for twenty-eight 
 years he was engaged in spreading the truths and 
 principles of that religion. Our subject grew up 
 under that religious influence, and as he had re- 
 ceived a very good education, he also consecrated 
 his life to the work of the church, ami after coming 
 to the United States he became a minister. He is 
 an intelligent, enterprising gentleman, surrounded 
 in his home by the refinement of wealth ; is pleas- 
 ing and aff.able in manner, and the center of a circle 
 of warm and admiring friends. 
 
 ^IBA S. YARNALL, Esq., is a representative 
 citizen of Highland Township, residing on 
 section 4. He was born in Harrison County, 
 Oliio, Aug. 28, 1841, and is a son of Aaron and Har- 
 riet Yarnall, the former of whom was a native of 
 Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. The paternal 
 ancestors came to America from Scotland previous 
 
 i' 
 
 to the Revolutionary War. and the m.iternal ances- 
 tors were from Wales. Our subject was the second 
 son and tiiird child in his father's family, and he 
 spent his early life on a farm, engaged in the various 
 duties of a rural life, and received a good academic 
 education. The time passed quickly until he be- 
 came about twent}' j'ears old, at which time the 
 war began, and he enlisted, on the 19th of Decem- 
 ber. 1861, in the 6th Ohio Independent Light 
 Artillery. He participated in tlie battles of F'arm- 
 ington. Mo., Island No. 10, New Madrid, the bat- 
 tle of Farmington near Corinth, Miss., Stone River, 
 McMinnville, Tenn., and Chickamauga, where he 
 received a wound in the left leg, which disabled 
 him so much that he was obliged to have it ampu- 
 tated in 1882; He was honorably discharged on the 
 18tli of November, 1864, after having given proof 
 of a valiant and courageous spirit. 
 
 After his release from the service of iiis country, 
 our subject returned to Harrison County, Ohio, 
 where he was married, on the 6th of September, 
 1866, to Miss Martha Logan, a daughter of Samuel 
 and Eliza Logan, who was born in Pennsylvania on 
 the 28th of May, 1830. By their marriage they 
 have become the parents of four children, of whom 
 we have the following record: Mary is the wife of 
 Henry M. Heustis, of Chase County, tliis State; 
 John B. and Hattie N. are at home; William T. is 
 deceased. In the spring of 1867 our subject re- 
 moved to Marion County, Iowa, where he resided 
 until the fall of 1871, when he removed to Powe- 
 shiek County. There he remained until the fall of 
 1883, when he once more changed his residence and 
 came to Gage County, making his home on his 
 present farm on section 4. The home farm con- 
 tains eighty acres of land, which has been well im- 
 proved and yields abundant harvests of cereals and 
 general farm produce. 
 
 Our subject is prominently connected with the 
 G. A. R., Monitor Post No. 184, of Cortland, and is 
 now serving as Senior Vice Commander, liis honora- 
 ble war record entitling him to a prominent place in 
 the order. lie and his wife and family are mem- 
 bers of the Congregational Church, and are active 
 members of society, respected by all who know 
 them. During his residence in I'owcshiek County 
 he served for three years as Justice of the Peace, 
 
h 
 
 -•► 
 
 188 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 anfl is now servino; liis third term of the same 
 office in Highlanri Township. He has serverl as a 
 Sciiool Director, and is now serving his second 3'ear 
 as Treasurer of his sciiool district. In recompense 
 for his sei'vice in behalf of the countr}' he receives 
 from tlie Government a pension of S30 per month, 
 which, altliongh it by no means compensates him 
 for the loss of so valuable a member of the bodj', 
 is yet a mark of appreciation which should not be 
 withheld from any wounded sohlier. He is a Re- 
 publican in politics, and one of the leading citizens 
 of his township. 
 
 Mrs. Yarnall is a native of Allegheny County, 
 Pa., of which State her parents, Samuel and Eliza 
 Logan, are also natives. Her paternal grandfather, 
 John Logan, was a native of North Ireland, of 
 Scottish ilescent, who came to America and settled 
 in Kenluck}' about the time Daniel Boone made 
 his residence there. He was one of a military com- 
 pany who went out with the intention of driving 
 away the Indians who had proved very troublesome, 
 but unfortunately all the compan}' were killed with 
 the exception of two men, one of whom was the 
 grandfather of Mrs. Yarnall. Hc'subsequentjy re- 
 moved to Pennsylvania, and to him does this bVanch 
 of the Logan family trace their ancestry-. The 
 maternal grandfather of Mrs. \arnall, James Ful- 
 ton, was a n.ative of the United States, but his 
 father was a native of Ireland and of Scotch de- 
 scent. Her mother's uncle, William Fulton, was a 
 soldier in the Revolutionary War, and was killed in 
 the battle in which Gen. Harmer was defeated. Her 
 mother's brother, Samuel Fulton, was a soldier in 
 the War of 1812. and yet still farther has this fam- 
 ily been distinguished by the possession of military 
 heroes, her great-great-great-grandfather having 
 been a soldier under William, Prince of Orange, 
 and fought at the battle of the Boyne (so tradition 
 says), and was a Scotchman by birth. Her brothers, 
 Harvey and Bennington Logan, were soldiers in the 
 late War of the Rebellion, as were also two brothers 
 of Mr. Yarnall, named James and John. 
 
 When she was about twelve years old Mrs. Yar- 
 nall, with her parents, moved to Harrison County, 
 Ohio, where they remained until their death, that 
 of the father occurring in 186,5, at the age of sixty- 
 three years, and thatof the mother in the year 1877, 
 
 .^ 
 
 when she was seventy-four years old. Of ten chil- 
 dren born in their family seven survive, and of 
 them we have the following'i'ecord : Alexander re- 
 mains in Harrison County, Ohio; Martha, the wife 
 of our subject: Lucinda, wife of J. M. Ross, of 
 Smith County, Kan. ; William D., of Tuscarawas 
 Count}', Ohio; Harvey, of Cowlej' County, Kan.; 
 Bennington T.. of Muskingum Countj'. Ohio, and 
 Sarah, also in Tuscarawas County. The three mem- 
 bers of the famil}' who are deceased bore the names 
 James, John and Thompson. 
 
 -^1^'« J»ti> 
 
 «^*s^-»^^*f— 
 
 ^j UGUST STRUCKMEIER, one of the ear- 
 liest settlers of ClatoniaTo\vnship,"is pleas- 
 antly located on section 24, where he owns 
 (§y a fine body of land which he developed 
 
 from the primitive soil into one of the most desir- 
 able farms of this region. A native of Germany, 
 he was born Sept. o, 1843, and is the son of Henry 
 and S()phia Struckmeier, who were also of pure Ger- 
 man ancestrj'. 
 
 Our subject was the third son of his parents, and 
 received the excellent education usually bestowed 
 upon the German youth. He lived amid the scenes 
 of his boyhood until a man about twenty-eight 
 j'ears old, then resolving upon a change, took pass- 
 age on a steamer bound from the port of Bremen 
 to New York City. After an ocean voyage of 
 thirteen daj's he set foot on American soil, and pro- 
 ceeding directly westward, came into Otoe County, 
 this State, and secured employment as a farm la- 
 borer. He worked thus about two years, in the 
 meantime saving what he could of his earnings, and 
 in 1873 pre-empted 160 acres of land on section 30, 
 in Highland Township, this county. This was in a 
 wild, uncultivated state, a furrow never having 
 been turned, and not the least indication of any 
 improvement whatever. Upon this Mr. Struck- 
 meier labored until 1883, when he sold out to a 
 good advantage, and secured his present property 
 in Clatonia Township. His farm now comprises 
 240 acres, all of which he has brought to a good 
 state of cultivation. In his labors he has been ably 
 assisted for the last fifteen years by the lady who 
 became his wife in 1873. The maiden name of 
 
i 
 
r<N 
 
 
 
 Va^' 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 191 , , 1 
 
 ]Mrs. Strnekmeier was Katie Albert, and she is the 
 sister of Eberhart Albert, a well-to-do fanner of 
 Clatoiiia Township, a sketch of whom will be found 
 elsewhere in this volume. 
 
 To our subject and his wife there have been bf)rn 
 eight children, seven living, namely: Ella, Jlinnie, 
 Ilenrj-, Otto, Anne, Lydia and a babe unnamed. 
 Mr. Struckmeior many years ago identified himself 
 with the Reiniblican part}-, which he still supports, 
 and he is a member in good standing of the German 
 Methodist Church. As an agriculturist he has been 
 thorough and skillful, and as a member of the cora- 
 munit}'. is numbered among its most valued men. 
 He takes a genuine interest in everything pertain- 
 ing to the progress of his adopted countrj-, appre- 
 ciating her free institutions and being proud to be 
 numbered among her worthy and valued representa- 
 tives. None are more worthy of a place in a work 
 of this kind than the German pioneers who have 
 contril)uted so largely to the development and 
 prosperity of the Great West. 
 
 ■••■'^j^^d^^^T'^s* " 
 
 rfp^ AMUEL WYMORE. The gentleman whose 
 ^^^^ life is herein sketched is the founder of the 
 ll\/_ll| city bearing his name, and has done more 
 for its .advancement than .any other one in- 
 dividual, and in recognition of his service in that 
 regard, unsought for by him, the citj' received its 
 name in his honor. He is the owner of a large 
 farm adjacent to the citj', which is operated upon 
 the line of general farming and st6ck-raising. The 
 residence of our subject overlooks the cit^-, and is 
 a very fine modern building erected as recentl}^ as 
 1883, one in every way worthy the founder of so 
 beautiful and prosperous a place. In addition to 
 his farm and residence he is the owner of a large 
 amountof improved property, over 100 city lots, and 
 has a large interest in the Touzalin Hotel, the finest 
 in the .State outside of Lincoln and Omaha. lie was 
 one of the leading promotere of the city railroad, 
 and was the first to drive a ear over the newl3' 
 laid track. He has oivned and subdivided about 
 340 acres into town lots, all of which, with the ex- 
 
 ception of those above mentioned, have been sold 
 and occupied. 
 
 Our subject w-qs born on the 20th of November, 
 183.0, on Cole Creek Prairie, near the line between 
 Park and Montgomery Counties, Ind. Not very 
 long after his birth his parents removed down to 
 Sugar Creek in the same State. There he lived un- 
 til 1 844, when his parents went to Mahaska County-, 
 Iowa, and lived there until the spring of 18.5,5, then 
 he went to Atchison County, Kan., and remained 
 for about one }'ear. B3' this time he had reached 
 his majority and made his preparations to start in 
 the world for himself. With this in view he went 
 to Davis Count3', Mo., and there was married to 
 Isabella L. Scott, upon the Glh of August, 1856, 
 then returned home and worked with his father for 
 another 3'ear. 
 
 Upon Sunday evening. April 24, 18.58, our sub- 
 ject and wife drove to Johnson Creek near Paw- 
 nee, in Pawnee County, Neb., took up land, and 
 pressed forward with the improvements as rapidly 
 as possible. Their log cabin was built witiiin a 
 week, during which time they lived in their wagon. 
 His wife was busy putting in the garden while 
 our subject was erecting their dwelling. During 
 the first year he worked out sufllcienlly to enable 
 him to purchase his breaking-plow, with which he 
 broke about twelve acres, and had everything ready 
 by fall to allow them to return to Missouri and 
 winter. In coming out to Johnson Creek he had 
 driven an ox-team, a team of Texas steers and 
 stag, also a drove of yearling heifers, a cow, and a 
 pair of two-year-old steers, all hitched ahead of 
 one wagon. These he took back with him to win- 
 ter in Missouri. 
 
 Upon returning to his claim in the spring Mr. 
 Wymore found trouble, for where his house had 
 stood and his hay had been stacked, was nothing 
 but black, charred, fire-consumed heaps. He then 
 purchased a house of his uncle and put it up, and 
 about one week after he began to occupy it this 
 was also burned, and with it all the property of our 
 subject contained therein. These losses made their 
 circumstances very complicated, and but for their 
 mutual companionship and encouragement would 
 probably have overwhelmed them, but although 
 hampered and straitened, our subject was not dis- 
 
 ■^^ 
 
a 
 
 192 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 \ 
 
 heartened; inspired and airled b)' his faithful wife 
 he gave ttattle to adversity and liecame victor over 
 all. Among the great trials of life is that of en- 
 forced loneliness, and her sisters will be enabled to 
 sympathize with Mrs. Wymore in the lon(!liness of 
 her life at this time, so far as the companionship of 
 her own sex is concerned, for while upon the claim 
 she did not see the face of a white woman for 
 seven months. In 1861 our subject sold this farm 
 and went down to Kansas to assist his father, his 
 brothers having gone into the array. There he re- 
 mained one j'ear, then returned to the vicinity of 
 his former property, and bought land upon the west 
 branch of the Pawnee, improved this and lived 
 upon it for a little over two years, and then sold it 
 and removed to Missouri, but first came to this 
 place, purchasing 270 acres of land now covered by 
 the city of Blue Springs, with the exception of 
 seventy acres that lie half a mile east of Wymore. 
 Upon returning to Missouri he purchased a farm 
 and lived upon it for about two years, then came 
 back to "Wymore and became the owner of the 
 southwest quarter of section 21, and lived upon 
 the same for one yeai-, then took up a homestead 
 where Wj^more now stands. This was in the year 
 1868. There were then but three houses this side 
 of Bills Creek. Our subject lived upon this home- 
 stead for eight years, occupying himself with the 
 usual farm work and necessary improvements; then 
 he removed and went to his land in what was then 
 Wymore Township. About that time he bought 
 sufficient land to bring the total of his possessions 
 up to 438^ acres. This he kept until 1877, when he 
 sold thirty-eight and a half acres that had cost him $3 
 per acre, and received in exchange 900 acres. The 
 remaining 400 of his original property he now 
 made his home, and improved until the year 1880. 
 AVhen the town of Wymore was [jlatted our subject 
 owned 160 acres, all of which was within the city 
 limits, and was of course laid out with the rest. 
 In this is included about three-quarters of a mile 
 of Main street, running north and south, upon 
 which stands the Touzalin Hotel, and both railroad 
 depots. There was quite a large demand for town 
 lots, and our subject, of course, increased his wealth 
 by the demand. 
 
 Recognizing at once from the sale the irapor- 
 
 tance of having property in the vicinity, our sub- 
 ject in company with Mr. William Ashb}' purchased 
 another 180 acres, laid it out in town lots, and held 
 them for sale. Together they erected quite a num- 
 ber of dwellings, and the sale of these largely in- 
 fluenced that of lots in their neighborhood. From 
 the commencement of the city's growth our subject 
 has been prominent in every movement for its ad- 
 vancement. Among the more promising of these 
 might be known his efforts which were finally suc- 
 cessful in procuring for the town the Burlington & 
 Missouri River Railroad, and this company sug- 
 gested the name of the town and station after our 
 subject. The street railroad, which was built in 
 1885, the erection and fitting of the Hotel Touzalin, 
 were other matters in which he was very active. 
 He also did much for the establishment of the Wy- 
 more Building Association, and from the year 1884 
 to 188G was President of the Blue V.alley Bank, and 
 at the time owned all the stock, but has since sold 
 out. At present Mr. Wymore owns 500 acres and 
 one half -section in Norton County, Kan., eightj^ 
 acres in Greenwood County, of the same State, 160 
 acres in Hodgman County, and three-quarters of a 
 section in what was formerly Hodgman County, 
 likewise in Kansas; and 160 acres in Wichita 
 County, a total of 1,800 acres. 
 
 To Rlr. and Mrs. Wj'more there have been born 
 seven children, of whom three still live. These are 
 Mary Scott, Matilda M. and Samuel, Jr. Those 
 deceased were named Nancy Ann, Sallie, James H. 
 and Somcrfield. Mrs. Wymore was born in UeWitt 
 County, III.. Oct. 14, 1837. When about five years 
 of age, her parents removed to Mahaska County, 
 Iowa, but after a short residence returned to Illi- 
 nois, where they remained about two years, and 
 again went to Iowa, where they made their home 
 until 1855, and then with her mother and brothers 
 she removed to Davis Count}^ Mo. It was while 
 living there that she met our subject, and was 
 flnallj' united with him. Her courage, womanly 
 tact, enthusiasm and affection have been largely in- 
 strumental in enabling our subject to make the 
 brilliant success which he to-day enjoys, and kept 
 him from giving up under the many trials and losses 
 of his earlier history. She has lived to see her 
 children occupying honorable positions in society. 
 
 1 ' 
 
I 
 
 ^•►Hh-^ 
 
 CxAGE COUNTY. 
 
 193 
 
 Mary S. W}'more, the eldest daugliter of our sub- 
 ject, has become the wife of 'Williani O. Nicholls, of 
 (Sherman Countj-, Kan., and has become the mother 
 of one child. Her brother and sister are still at 
 home in W}'more. 
 
 Among the social fraternities of Wymore our 
 subject is prominent only in one, the Masonic, and 
 if his reputation and character attest anything, it 
 is that be has not stood in the illumination of the 
 lights beside its altar without having fullj' realized 
 the mysteries inculcated, and having given them a 
 place in his daily thought and pr.actice. The monu- 
 ments to his diameter, manhood and patriotism are 
 all around him in Wymore, and will speak louder 
 and more effectively than any mere complimentary 
 notice. It is, perhaps, therefore preferable to leave 
 them to voice these sentiments. 
 
 None of the portraits of the esteemed and well- 
 known people presented in this volume will be re- 
 ceived witii greater favor than those of Mr. and 
 Mrs.. Wymore. which we give in connection with 
 this sketch. 
 
 ^^EORGE W. ZUVER, whose farm is situated 
 III (— -, on section 15 of Hooker Township, is one 
 ^^JjJ) of the representative citizens of the county 
 in all that goes to make the American gentleman, 
 and not excluding that feature which is peculiarly 
 incidental to this country, that is, the fact that he is 
 a self-made man, having commenced life for liim- 
 self at the age of sixteen years, with nothing but 
 his education as a fulcrum, and his ambitious, irre- 
 pressible energy and good physique as the lever. 
 
 Our subject is the son of Solomon and Julia 
 Zuver. (See sketch of B. P. Zuver). His father 
 was a merchant in Canaan, Ohio, and was one of the 
 prominent business men of the place, but by reason 
 of an over confidence in the people among whom 
 he lived he became financially embarrassed, and 
 moved to Iowa in 1 856, settled at Mason City, and 
 there kept the Farmers' Hotel, which was liberally 
 ,p.atronized, and also after a time w.as the owner of a 
 valuable farm. Tiieir family numbered five chil- 
 dren, whose names are recorded as Byron P., .Sarah 
 S., John H. (deceased), our subject, and Henry 
 
 (deceased). The wife and mother was laid away to 
 her rest in Ohio, her death occurring when she was 
 thirty years of age. 
 
 Mr. Zuver made his entrance upon the stage of the 
 terrestrial on the 7th of December, 184G, at Ker- 
 nan, Ohio, and began his schooling at the age of 
 nine years, when his father had removed to Iowa. 
 At fifteen years of age be began to work upon the 
 farm, and remained on it for about one year, and 
 then made his w.ay to Idaiio City in the Territory of 
 that name. He crossed the plains in company with 
 his father and several j'oung men from Iowa, start- 
 ing by the overland route in May, 1864, reaching 
 Idaho City on August 15. He continued one year 
 in the gold mines of tliat State, making §4 per diem. 
 In the summer of 1866, with |)ick, shovel and fry- 
 ing-pan, he started on a prospecting tour through 
 the mountains, and opened up a place known as 
 Diamond Gulch, and here found that which repaid 
 him for his toil,' labor and danger. He remained 
 here one year, and then returned to Waterloo, Iowa, 
 with a harvest of $2,000. 
 
 Upon returning to Waterloo our subject bought 
 an interest in the Valley House Hotel, which was 
 run under the firm name of Solomon Zuver & Son, 
 then entered the Western College, Linn County, 
 and attended there for a short time, but after his 
 life in Idaho it became somewhat irksome, and in 
 July of 1867 he once more smarted West, and 
 stopped to prospect at Brownville in this State, in 
 company with his brother Byron. The following 
 August he came on to Gage County .and filed a 
 claim upon his present farm, and as soon as he at- 
 tained his m.ajority he homesteaded it, and has since 
 by continued labor marvelously improved it. 
 
 In 1870 our subject was united in marriage with 
 Miss Martha J. Hildman, June 5. This lad}' is the 
 daugliter of John and Eliza Jane Hildman, and was 
 born on the 5th of Jauu.ary, 1 850, in the State of 
 Pennsylvania. Her parents moved to Iowa when 
 she was about five years of age, and she has obtained 
 a fair education. She has presented her husband 
 with five children, who have been named as follows: 
 James Byron, Julia E., Phronia R., Sarah and 
 Clarence. 
 
 Mr. Hildman was born in New York State, and 
 was a prosperous farmer there; be removed to Iowa 
 
 •^ 
 
 f 
 
-4•- 
 
 194 
 
 a 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 in 1856. and three j^ears latter settled in Nebraska, 
 and upon his homestead in Gage Countj' in 1861. 
 His wife was a native of Pennsylvania, and was 
 born about the year 1819. She became the niotlier 
 of fourteen children, Mrs. Ziiver being the seventh. 
 She died in June, 1882, aged fifty-four years. Mr. 
 Hihiman, who is still living, is seventy-four j'ears 
 of age. 
 
 In 1884 our subject removed to Garden Plains, 
 Sedgwicl{ Co., Kan., and speculated there and in 
 Missouri for a time. In Garden Plains he engaged 
 in the liver^' business, which was afterward traded 
 for a farm, which was presently exchanged for 
 horses, and these later for the Avondale Hotel, and 
 not long after this was exchanged for a farm in 
 Hariison County, Mo. Tlienc.e he returned to liis 
 present home, in addition to which he owns the 
 farm in Missouri, properly valued at S2,000 in 
 Wichita, and other real estate. Although quite a 
 young man he is well-to-do, and takes his place 
 .among the leading citizens. 
 
 The School Treasurer's office has been filled b}^ 
 our subject for one term, to the satisfaction of all 
 concerned. He is deeply interested in the political 
 economy of the nation and all the questions arising 
 therefrom, and is usually found with the Republican 
 party in the campaigns. He is a man possessed of 
 large reserve force, business push and enterprise, 
 and continuously lends his heartiest .assistance to 
 those projects that promise the progress of affairs 
 moral and temporal. 
 
 fALENTINE MEYERS belongs to that class 
 of German citizens who have proved most 
 loyal and enterprising, and an honor to any 
 community. As a boy he was full of life and vigor, 
 and as a man he has won distinction by his well- 
 applied energy and self-reliance. He is engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits on section 22, Rockford Town- 
 ship, and is widely and favorably known as a suc- 
 cessful business man. His parents, Valentine and 
 Catharine Meyers, were natives of German}-, the 
 father having been born in Hesse-Darmstadt, and 
 the mother in Weinheim. They were married in 
 their native country, and lived there until the death 
 
 of the mother. In 1849 the father came to Amer- 
 ica with his second wife and famil}-, the mother of 
 our subject having died in 1847, after having a fam- 
 ily of seven children, named: Pitta, Philip, Len- 
 hardt, Annie, Lizzie, Andrew and Valentine. 
 
 Our subject, the youngest of his father's family, 
 was born on the 14th of June, 1825, in Weinheim, 
 Germany, where he attended school from the age 
 of six to fourteen years. He learned the black- 
 smith's trade, and for a time engaged in work, but 
 having long had a wish to come to America, he 
 gratified it in 1842 by starting out on the long voy- 
 age when but seventeen years old. He bade fare- 
 well to his father, brothers and sisters, and sailed 
 on the loth of March, placing his foot on Ameri- 
 can soil on the 2d of May. His destination was 
 Lyons, 111., and after he arrived in that city he 
 started to work at his trade, which he continued 
 for one year, and tlien went to Canada, where he 
 worked for four years. 
 
 In 1847 our subject returned to the States, and 
 made his home in Wisconsin, where he was married 
 to Miss Rosina Schwartz, who was also a native of 
 Germany, and was born on the 25th of November, 
 1827. She was twenty-two years old when she 
 came to America with her brothers and sisters. Our 
 subject followed blacksmith ing, and was very com- 
 fortably located in his home in Milwaukee when 
 his parents came in 1849. The father made his 
 home with him until the time of his death, which 
 occurred in 1852, at the age of sixtj'-six j'ears. In 
 1850 our subject removed eleven miles northwest 
 of Milwaukee, where he purchased a farm and con- 
 tinued his former vocation in connection with his 
 farm work. He remained there until 1871, when 
 he came to Nebraska, stopping at Nebraska Citj' 
 for three or four weeks, after which he came to his 
 present farm. He bought 120 acres, of which only 
 twenty acres had been broken, and beginning at 
 once to make improvements, he worked industri- 
 ously, and now has the whole farm in a splendid 
 state of cultivation. He has built convenient and 
 substantial farm buildings, all of which are in fair 
 order. 
 
 Tlie family of our subject and his wife comprises 
 twelve children, bearing the names — Philip, Eliza, 
 John, Carrie, Charlie, Teressa, Lizzie, Annie, Susie, 
 
 *f 
 
<^f^2.<n 
 
t. 
 
 ■^•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 195 
 
 \r 
 
 AVilliam, Hattie aiirl Barbara. In 187.5 the father, 
 accompanied by John an<l Teressa, visited Califor- 
 nia, and during the time of their visit the father 
 engaged in worlc at his trade, by which they not 
 only paid the expenses of the visit, but cleared §47 4 
 in six months. In 1877 the father, accompanied b}' 
 his son .John, made a trip to Oregon for the purpose 
 of looking up u location, but came back satisfied to 
 remain in Gage County. In 1 887 our subject made 
 a visit to Colorado, where his daughter Teressa is 
 living. He has long been identified with the Re- 
 publican party, and voted for John C. Fremont. 
 He and his estimable wife belong to the Evangelical 
 Church, of HolmesviUe, and are the center of a 
 host of warm and admiring friends. 
 
 !)HOMAS YULE, a gentleman in comfortable 
 circumstances and a resident of the citj' of 
 Beatrice, makes a specialty of abstracts and 
 loans, while at the same time he is prominentl3' iden- 
 tified with its other leading business interests. He 
 was born in Northumberland County, England, on 
 the •20th of October, 1832, and ten or twelve years 
 later his parents, George and Elizabeth (Huggett) 
 Y'ule, removed from his native village and there- 
 after lived in different places in England. The 
 father was a civil engineer by profession, and for 
 some time occupied a responsible position with the 
 Northeastern Railroad Company, of England. 
 
 In 1853 our subject, accompanied by his parents 
 and his j'oung wife, emigrated to America, and all 
 took up their abode in Columbia County, Wis. 
 The father and son engaged in farming, and the 
 family made their home there until the death of 
 the former, which occurred in 1871, at the age of 
 sixt^'-seven years. The mother survived her hus- 
 band six years, and died at the age of seventy-three, 
 after having seen four of her children well launched 
 into life, the two others having died in infancy. 
 
 Our subject was the fourth child of his father's 
 family, and .is he grew to manhood was educated in 
 the schools of his native England. When twenty- 
 one years old he was married, March 15, 1853, to 
 Miss Mary Todd, of his native count}', and who 
 was the daughter of John and Mary Todd, also 
 
 <• 
 
 natives of Northumberland. Soon afterward Mr. 
 Y'ule and his young bride emigrated, as above 
 stated, to America with his parents. Thomas for a 
 time farmed with his father, but later removed to 
 the village of Lodi, Wis., where he engaged as a 
 contractor and builder until the outbreak of the 
 Civil War. 
 
 Our subject now left his pleasant home and fam- 
 ily to engage in the service of his adopted country, 
 enlisting on the loth of August, 18ti2, in the 23d 
 AVisconsin Infantry-, which was assigned to the Army 
 of the West under Gen. A. J. Smith, this being the 
 14th Army Corps, under command of Gen. Sher- 
 man. Mr. I'ule with his comrades traveled through 
 Kentuck}', Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and 
 participated in the first battle of Yicksburgin 1862. 
 In the engagement at Arkansas Post on the 11th of 
 January, 1863, he received a wound which resulted 
 in the loss of his right leg, that useful member be- 
 ing carried awaj' by a solid shot. He was then 
 placed in Lawson Hospital at St. Louis, where he 
 remained until March following, when he was honor- 
 ably discharged and returned to his home in Lodi, 
 Wis. Afterward in recognition of his service as a sol- 
 dier he was appointed Provost Marshal for that dis- 
 trict. He was also elected Justice of the Peace and 
 Town Treasurer, which offices he held until Januarj-, 
 1867, when he was elected Recorder of Deeds of Co- 
 lumbia County. For eight successive years he held 
 that office, which speaks well for his efficiency. 
 Previous to his retirement he purchased a complete 
 set of abstract books of that county, and subse- 
 quently became associated with Miles T. Alverson 
 in the abstract and loan business, which they con- 
 tinued until April, 1879. 
 
 In the 3'ear above mentioned Mr. Y''ule sold out, 
 and coming to Nebraska established himself in Bea- 
 trice and engaged in money loaning, while at the 
 same time lie began writing up, in company with his 
 son John T., a set of abstract books from the original 
 records of this county. They now do a large business 
 in this line in tlie States of Nebraska and Kansas; 
 they have a fine office in the First National Bank 
 building, which is well equipped with all the appur- 
 tenances of a thriving business. Our subject has 
 served one term as Mayor of Beatrice, and one term 
 as City Treasurer, in both of which offices he gave 
 
i 
 
 •^^ 
 
 196 
 
 ^•►Hh-^ 
 
 gagp: county. 
 
 general satisfaction to the public. He is now serv- 
 ing his thinl term as Supervisor of the city and his 
 second term as Chairman of the County Board of 
 Supervisors. He is also one of the Directors of the 
 canning factory, and a member of the Board of 
 Directors of the Beatrice Street Railway. 
 
 To Thomas and Mary (Todd) Yule there were 
 born four children, two sons and two daughters, of 
 whom we have the following record : Bessie J. is 
 the wife of L. E. Walker, of Beatrice; Jolm T. is 
 in partnership with his father; Alliert G. died in 
 1H66; Mary Grace is now a student in Brownell 
 Hall at Omaha. The motiier of tiiese children died 
 in 1881. Mr. Yule in 1884 married his present 
 wife, who w!is Mary H. Burke, a native of Canada, 
 but at the time of her marriage a resident of Bea- 
 trice. The family residence, pleasantly situated, is 
 a neat and comfortable structure, occupying No. 
 803 North Seventh street. 
 
 Mr. Y'ule has been a member of the Masonic fra- 
 ternity since 1858, and as a man who has given 
 much of his time to the service of the public, he is 
 entitled to more than a passing notice. In politics 
 he has been a stanch Republican since the formation 
 of the party, and his influence is sensibly felt in the 
 ranks of his party, not onl}' in the county, but in 
 this part of the State. His portrait, iu connection 
 with this sketch, will be looked upon with interest 
 by a large number of his friends and compeers as 
 that of a man closely identified with the best inter- 
 ests not only of the city of Beatrice, but the entire 
 county. 
 
 ^^^HADDEUS WILLIAMS is the present enter- 
 prising and energetic Supervisor of Logan 
 Township, who has distinguished himself by 
 his ardent efforts in behalf of the public. His 
 father, William Williams, was born in Nelson 
 County, Kj\, in 1812, and was a contractor, a mer- 
 chant and a farmer. In 1853 he moved to Illinois, 
 thence, in 1873, to Hamburg, Iowa, where he now 
 resides. The mother of t)ur subject is Elizabeth 
 (Blunt) Williams, who was born in (iallatin County, 
 Ky., in 1819, and is also living, having reared a 
 family- of six children, of whom our subject is the 
 
 second. He was born in Gallatin County, Xy., on 
 the 2(Jth of January, 1843, and spent his youtli 
 under his father's roof, receiving a good common- 
 school education. In 1863 he crossed the plains, 
 stopping at Idaho City, where he followed mining 
 for two years, thence to California, and returning 
 to Sangamon Count}', 111., hj' way of New York 
 City, taking a steamer from the Pacific Coast. 
 
 Our subject was engaged in farming, which work 
 he varied by a period of three years devoted to 
 the mercantile business, and in 1880 he removed 
 to Logan Township, this county, and settled on his 
 present farm on section 28. He made all the im- 
 provements that have been made, set out a fine 
 fruit orchard and groves of native timber, and in 
 various ways increased the value of his farm by 
 labor and industry. On the 21st of Deceml)er, 
 1870, he was united in marriage, in Sangamon 
 Count}', 111., to Miss Mary L. Koscialowski, who 
 was born in Jacksonville. 111., on the 8th of August, 
 1848. Her father. Napoleon Koscialowski, was 
 born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1812, and was a mili- 
 lai'y man, his private profession being that of an 
 architect. In 1834, at the breaking out of the 
 Polish insurrection, he was exiled, and came to this 
 country, making his home in Jacksonville, 111., his 
 death afterward occurring in Washington City. 
 Her mother, ISIarj' (Chenoweth) Koscialowski, was 
 born in Nicholasville, Ky., in 1821, and after be- 
 coming the mother of six children, she died in 
 Jacksonville, 111. 
 
 By their marriage our subject and his wife are 
 the parents of six children, on whom the}' have 
 bestowed the names of Leon W., Robert Hitt, 
 Edith C, Edward T., Roy T. and Harry D. Our 
 subject has taken an active part in public enterprises, 
 chief among which was his assistance in the build- 
 ing of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Prairie 
 Chapel, for which he gave a great deal of his valu- 
 able time in soliciting money as well as contributing 
 his share toward the funds. His wife is a member , 
 of that ciiurch, and is a well-educated and talented 
 lady, ilisplaying her love for the beautiful, and her 
 refined and exquisite taste in the adornments of her 
 pleasant home. Our subject has held his present 
 office of .Supervisor for three years, and lias been 
 for a like period the School Director of his towu- 
 
 •►■ 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 197 
 
 ship. While living in Illinois he filled the office of 
 Assessor for three years, witii much credit to him- 
 self and general satisfaction to the public. He is 
 a member of the order of the A. F. & A. M., Blue 
 Lodge No. 29. of Beatrice, and is a warm and able 
 advocate of the Democratic party in politics. To 
 the labors of such men as our subject is the town- 
 ship indebted for its rapid progress, and the ample 
 strides which it has made toward perfection. 
 
 "QTji-rs-^^ 
 
 •^^^TTTarx^- 
 
 ^^ EORGE B. P 
 
 jl I g-, the leading h 
 ^;:^ England birt 
 
 ,^^ EORGE B. PHELPS, proprietor of one of 
 hack lines of Beatrice, is of New 
 rth and parentage, having first 
 opened his eyes to the light in Monroe, Franklin 
 Co., Mass., Jan. 5, 1838. The eldest of ten chil- 
 dren, three sons and seven daughters, he is the son 
 of Francis and Abigail (Fosgate) Phelps, who were 
 also natives of the Bay State. Of their family only 
 five are now living. The paternal grandfather, 
 Daniel Phelps, was of English ancestrj', and a na- 
 tive of Vermont. He spent his last years in Mon- 
 roe, Mass., dying about 1850. The Fosgates were 
 of English and Irish extraction. 
 
 The male members of the Phelps family for sev- 
 eral generations were farmers by occupation, and 
 Francis Phelps, the father of our subject, was no 
 exception to the rule. Both he and his estimable 
 wife lived and died in Massachusetts. George B., 
 our subject, spent his boyhooii and youth in his 
 native town, attending the public schools and work- 
 ing on the farms adjacent to the city. In this 
 manner he gained a good insight into the general 
 methods of agriculture, and when twenty-one years 
 of age started out for himself, commanding good 
 wages both at farming and teaming. 
 
 Young Phelps about 1869 left the Bay State and 
 went South into Tennessee, where he carried on 
 farming in the vicinity of Howard Springs for a 
 period of six years. The spring of 1875 found him 
 west of the Mississippi, and he was for two j'ears 
 thereafter employed on a farm in this county, eight 
 miles south of Beatrice. Finally he took up his 
 residence in the cil\', establishing an omnibus and 
 ti'ansfer line, and was tinis occupied until 1885, 
 
 when he sold out his transfer business, but con- 
 tinued his hack line. He keeps several horses and 
 vehicles, and gives employment to quite a number 
 of men. The public are pleased with his prompt- 
 ness in answering their demands, and extend to him 
 a generous patronage. 
 
 George B. Phelps was united in marriage to Edna 
 C. Dunham Nov. 2, 1867, the fall liefore his thir- 
 tieth birthday, at Florida, Mass. Mrs. Phelps was 
 born Feb. 20, 1848, in Adams, Mass., and is the 
 daughter of Charles and Caroline Dunham, and the 
 niece of Jarvis N. Dunham, President of the Spring- 
 field Fire Insurance Corapan3' of Massachusetts; 
 also of Henry J. Dunham, a prominent lawyer of 
 Stockbridge, Mass. Of this union there have been 
 born five children, two daughters and three sons, 
 three of whom survive — Gertrude L., Russell A. 
 and Charley A. One daughter and a son died in 
 infancy. Mr. Phelps, polilicallj', is a stanch Re- 
 publican. During the late war he enlisted in Com- 
 pany H, 2d Vermont United States Sharpshooters, 
 and sliortly after going to the front was taken ill 
 with measles, which settled in his system, produc- 
 ing rheumatism, which practically ended his career 
 as a soldier, he being obliged to accejit his discharge 
 after being confined in the hospital at Brattleboro, 
 Vt., witli no prospect of immediate recovery. 
 
 ^€S)' 
 
 f OHN B. LYONS, of Adams Township, al- 
 though one of the youngest pioneers of this 
 county, has probably passed through as 
 many thrilling experiences as any of its older 
 men. He came to this region with his parents 
 when but a little lad of seven j'ears, but has had his 
 encounters with Indians and other wild "game." 
 and is not afraid to say that he came out "first best" 
 and master of the field. When about eight years of 
 age he assisted his father to release a whole herd of 
 cattle from the thieving redskins without the shed- 
 ding of blood — accomplished mainly b}- that firm- 
 ness of nerve which is often more potent than 
 firearms. He has also fought grasshoppers and the 
 drouth, together with the various other scourges 
 
t 
 
 198 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 that were years ago apportioned to one of the most 
 beautiful sectionsof the United States, and has lived 
 to see this great commonwealth come out victorious 
 over all her foes, and transformed into the abode of 
 a peaceful and prosperous people. 
 
 The Lyons family have borne no unimportant 
 part in the task of bringing success to this part of 
 Nebraska especially, having been represented here 
 during the period of its earliest settlement. John 
 and Almira (^Sliaw) Lyons, the parents of our sub- 
 ject, were natives of Massachusetts and New York 
 State respectively. A sketch of them will be found 
 on another page of this volume. After marriage 
 they settled in Litchfield County, Conn., where 
 their son, our subject, was born in Canaan Town- 
 ship, Nov. 8, 1850. When he was a child of eight- 
 een months they emigrated fi-oni New England to 
 Kenosha County, Wis., where they sojourned for a 
 period of six years. Then thej- once more changed 
 their location, this time to the Territory of Ne- 
 braska. 
 
 The journey from the Badger State to this region 
 was performed after the manner of those days, 
 overland with a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen. 
 They cooked and camped by the wa3-side wherever 
 night overtook them, and had some cows along, 
 whose milk, never '-watered," was in that respect 
 better than that afforded in the civilized luxury of 
 to-day. The sister of our subject, now Mrs. Homer 
 J. Merrick, written of elsewhere in this work, was 
 then a little girl of five years. The family landed 
 in Nebraska City, or the beginning of it, on the 
 22d of November, 1857, and settling in Adams 
 Township, lived there a year, then returned to the 
 "city" and staid five j^ears, until the country 
 should be better settled up, and agriculture more 
 profitable. John B., in the meantime, improved 
 his opportunities for schooling, and was quite well 
 advanced in his studies for a boy of thirteen when 
 the family returned to the farm. The father home- 
 steaded land on section 28, and our subject made 
 himself useful in assisting to till the soil and tend 
 the cattle, of which his father kept a herd sometimes 
 of 300 head. 
 
 Young Lyons continued a member of the parental 
 liousehold until tvvent3--four years of age, when, 
 thinking he would be justified in establishing a 
 
 home of his own, he was united in marriage, Sept. 
 10, 1874, with Miss Lucy L. FoUett. then a resi- 
 dent of Adams Township. Mrs. Lyons was born in 
 the State of Minnesota, Aug. 21, 1854, and is the 
 daughter of Panlon and Sarah FoUett. She came 
 to Nebraska when a maiden of sixteen years to visit 
 her sisters, and then made the acquaintance of our 
 subject, and was persuaded that it would he a good 
 plan to remain here. 
 
 The union of Mr. and Mrs. Lyons has been blessed 
 by the birth of eight children : Ida JL, Charles 
 (deceased), Wyllis E., Clarence W., Effie B.. Mary 
 O., John F. and one unnamed. The eldest of these 
 is thirteen j'ears of age. and the 3-oungest six 
 months, and all are at home with their parents. The 
 homestead, of which they took possession when the 
 land was in its wild state, now embraces 120 acres 
 of thoroughly cultivated land, with all modern im- 
 provements, embracing a commodious dwelling, 
 good barns and outhouses, sheds, an orchard of 250 
 bearing apple trees, and a fine assortment of the 
 smaller fruits, including cherries and apricots. In 
 addition to general farming Mr. Lyons has been 
 quite extensively' engaged in the -breeding of live 
 stock, raising principally cattle and hogs, and from 
 these has realized ample returns. For a compara- 
 tively young man he has a fine start in life, and the 
 prospect of a competency in his old age. His has 
 been a rich experience of pioneer life, and one from 
 which he has learned well. He values his home and 
 the advantages of civilization which have grown up 
 around him, and ma}' properly feel that in the per- 
 severance and industry which have inaugurated one 
 of the most desirable homes within its borders, he 
 has been no unimportant factor in bringing his 
 county to its present status. 
 
 Mr. Lyons assisted in the erection of the first 
 school building in Adams Township, in which the 
 first person to officiate as teacher was Miss Silver- 
 nail, a sister of his mother, and under the roof of 
 which 3'oung Lyons afterward completed his edu- 
 cation. He has been a firm supporter of educational 
 institutions, and has served as Director in his dis- 
 trict for the last four years. Politically, he votes 
 the straight Republican ticket, and although inter- 
 ested in the success of his party, has no aspirations 
 to be an office-holder. 
 .^ 
 
z 
 
■^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 201 a 
 
 *, .« ARION M. CLOUGII is the senior partner 
 of the firm of Ciotigh & Leopold, well- 
 
 known raiicii and stock men. He resides 
 on section 29. Iscmalia Township, where lie 
 has 720 acres of land devoted to farming and stock- 
 raising. Aside from liis snccessfnl business he de- 
 serves iiunorahle mention as one who h.as worn a 
 share of the honors of his country while engaged in 
 her defense, having a war record of which he may 
 well feel proud. His father, Horace P.. and mother, 
 Ann (Brown) Clough, were natives of New York, 
 the former having his nativit3^ in Chautauqua and 
 the latter in Delaware County. His grandfather, 
 Horace Clough, was born in New Hampshire. 
 
 The parents of our subject made their home in 
 Pennsylvania, wliere the father was engaged in ag- 
 ricultural pursuits until the j-ear 1863, when they 
 came to Henry County, III. The mother died in 
 1867, aged fifty-four 3'ears, and in the following 
 j'ear the father returned to Pennsj'lvania, where he 
 remained until 187.T, and then came to Nebraska. 
 In 1876 he was united in marri.age with Mrs. Win- 
 ters, who died in February, 1888, and he is now 
 spending his remaining days with his eldest daugh- 
 ter. Mrs. Lucy M. Gillmore, in Highland Township, 
 having reached the advanced age of seventy-two 
 years. B}' his first marriage he was the father of 
 nine cliildren, viz: Marion M., Levi D., Horace J.. 
 Lucy M., Otis R.. Willi.am W., Josephine A., Ce- 
 lesta A., and Wendle B., deceased. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 3d of March, 1834, 
 in Canal Township, Venango Co., Pa., and he spent 
 his early boyhood principally on his father's farm, 
 deriving his education from the common schools. 
 He began to learn the carpenter's trade at the age 
 of fifteen, and when he reached the age of twenty 
 years his fattier allowed him to use at his own discre- 
 tion the proceeds of his labor. He was among the 
 large number of 3'oung men who thought there were 
 better opportunities for business enterprise '-out 
 West," so in 1854 he came as far as Henrj- Countj^ 
 111., and worked at his vocation until 1859. He 
 then went to .S|)arta, Monroe Co., AVis.,and engaged 
 in the lumber business, making a contract to furnish 
 pine logs to the Dammon Mills. In that business 
 he continued for one and a half years, when the call 
 came from Abrnliam Lincoln for 300,000 men. 
 
 With a loyal heart our subject responded to the 
 call, and in August, 1861. he was among the first 
 to enlist in Company A, 3d Wisconsin Cavalry, and 
 was mustered into service at Janesville after having 
 been drilled at Camp Barstow. In February, 1862, 
 he departed for St. Louis, where he entered the 
 Arm}' of the Frontier, and with which he partici- 
 pated in the battles of Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, 
 and tlie Price raid into Missouri, which called for a 
 ten days' fight. He was otherwise extensively en- 
 gaged in skirmishes, his principal duties consisting 
 of bushwhacking, in which he had his horse shot 
 under him. Fortunately he was never taken pris- 
 oner or wounded, never sick or in the hospital. 
 When his company was organized he was given the 
 rank of Corporal, and in 1862 he was promoted to 
 the rank of Sergeant, but before the close of the 
 year he was advanced to the rank of Orderly Ser- 
 geant, at Ft. Scott, and served in this capacity 
 throughout tlio war. He was mustered out at 
 Madison, and honorably discharged in February, 
 1865, after having taken his |)lace in the ranks as 
 one of the bravest soldiers. 
 
 After he was relieved from his service in behalf 
 of the country, our subject engaged in the freight- 
 ing business on the plains, hauling ^joods and sup- 
 plies for one year from Ft. Leavenworth to Denver. 
 In the following 3'ear lie engaged very successfully 
 and extensively in the farming and stock business 
 in Southwestern Missouri, and while in that part of 
 the State he made the acquaintance of the lady 
 Whom he afterward made his wife. He was mar- 
 ried, on the 2d of December, 1865, to Miss Ellen H. 
 Dodge, a daughter of Edward and Phoebe (Austin) 
 Dodge, who were natives of New Hampshire, and 
 had both come unmarried to I\Iissouri in 1821. The 
 maternal grandfather, Daniel Austin, was one of 
 the original founders of the Harmon}' Mission for 
 the Osage Indians, and the family was piominent 
 among the early pioneers of Missouri. 
 
 Mrs. Clough was born on the 2d of July, 1847, 
 at Little Osage, Vernon Co., Mo., and after her 
 marriage witli our subject the}' continued to reside 
 in that State until 1873, when the health of the lat- 
 ter having been impaired by malaria he was ad- 
 vised by his physicians to try a Northern climate. 
 In 1873, with his wife and one child, he came to 
 
•^1^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 4 
 
 •202 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Nebraska anrl took out a claim of eighty acres in 
 
 IliglilaiKl Tovviisliip, it being the hist one in the 
 township. He began to improve his cLaim, and in 
 1884 he gave liis attention to stock-raising, which 
 proved to be lucrative, and in 188Ghesold his farm 
 and has since been ranching extensively. 
 
 Our subject and his wife are the parents of seven 
 children, whose names are Nettie E.. Alta P., IMary 
 v., Florence (ileceased). Jay P.,Dessa A. and John 
 R. ; the latter died when he vvas six months okl. In 
 1888 Miss Nettie E. was married to William Leo- 
 pold, the partner of our subject. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Clough arc members of tlie Congregational Church, 
 of Cortland, in wliich the former is Deacon, and the 
 famil}' i^anks as one of the most prominent in tlie 
 community. Our subject is a cliarter member of 
 Monitor Post No. 84, G. A. R., which was estab- 
 lished in 1883, and holds the office of .Siu'geon. He 
 has served as a school officer for a period of four 
 years, and in the Judiciary Courts he lias served as 
 a member of the Petit Jury. He is a very ardent 
 Republican, and was sent as a delegate to the 
 County Convention in 1884. He is a generous and 
 intelligent man, genial and hospitable, and p.ays 
 strict attention to his extensive business, and as a 
 splendid representative of tlie active business men 
 of the count}' the piil)lisliers take pleasure in pre- 
 senting his portrait in connection with this brief 
 sketch of his life. 
 
 Vf?AME.S PLUCKNETT is one of the success- 
 ful and enterprising stock-raisers and far- 
 mers of Grant Township, and having come 
 up to his present position tiirongh struggles 
 and ditllculties. he is the better enabled to appreci- 
 ate his success, which is due to his intelligence, as- 
 siduous labor and careful thrift. His specialty is in 
 iShort-horn cattle and the higher grades of hogs. 
 His property is oOO acres in extent, and contains 
 some most excellent jiastoral land, and is situated 
 on section BO. 
 
 Our subject has U_> look across the Atlantic as the 
 place of his birth, which took place on the 31st of 
 
 March, 1836, in Somersetshire, England. The in- 
 terested reader is referred for further particulars to 
 the biography of William Plucknett, which will be 
 found upon another page. The subject of this 
 sketch was the si.xth child of seven born to his par- 
 ents, and spent the first tweut}' j'ears of his life in 
 their home. His education was obtained in the 
 parish school of his native place, and there he be- 
 came the possessor of a fair and practical English 
 education. 
 
 In the spring of 1856 our subject started with 
 his father for the New World, and landed in New 
 York upon the 3d of IMay, the same 3ear. He 
 pushed on to Trumbull County, Ohio, and six 
 months later made his wa}- to Hancock Count}'. HI,, 
 where he lived for about three years, hi 1859 he 
 went to Shelby County, Iowa, and thence, in 1861, 
 he came to Nebraska, and settled in this county 
 near the Big Blue River, on the 10th of June, when 
 the entire surrounding country was exclusively 
 wild prairie. 
 
 The first thing done upon settling was the build- 
 ing of a home, in which he followed a happy bach- 
 elor life for some time, but he did not seem to fully 
 appreciate what some would call his " liberty," and 
 upon the 29th of September, 1869, he was united 
 in marriage with Miss Mary Summers, one of Indi- 
 ana's fairest and best daughters. This lady was 
 born in Clark Count}", Ind,, on the 27th of March, 
 1847, to John L. and Margaret (Blades) Summers, 
 who were natives of Kentucky and Maryland, 
 respectively. Upon their marriage the}' settled first 
 in Kentucky, but it was not long before they re- 
 moved to Indiana. Thence they migrated to Kan- 
 sas, but owing to the long drouth in 1860 returned 
 to Indiana, and six years later made their w.ay to 
 this State, and have since lived near DeWitt, in 
 Saline County, where they own a good farm. Both 
 Mr, and Mrs, Summers are lifelong members of the 
 Baptist Church, and are affiliated with the mem- 
 bership at DeWitt, 
 
 The wife of our subject was brought up for the 
 most part in Indiana, and in the public schools of 
 that State received her education. She made her 
 home with her parents until she left it at her mar- 
 riage. She is one of a family of nine children born 
 to her parents. Her union with our subject has 
 
 ^ 
 
-M- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 203 i i 
 
 lieen the more firmly ccmcnU'd and its joys eii- 
 linnccd by lliu birth of ten cliildren, two of whom 
 departed this life in childhood. The names of this 
 interesting family arc recorded as follows: Flora T. 
 and Anna B., deceased; Elizabeth E., Frances M., 
 Augusta E., Clarence J., William N.. Amy A., Anna 
 E. and George M., all of whom still reside with 
 their parents. 
 
 During the late war our subject was a member of 
 the 2d Nebraska Cavalry, under the command of 
 Capt. LaBoo and Col. Furnace. The company 
 enlisted in October, 1862, and was ordered to join 
 the Arm}' of the West; the chief engagement dur- 
 ing its term of service was that at AVhitestone Hills, 
 Minn., though quite a large number of lesser en- 
 gagements were entereil into. Our subject escaped 
 unhurt, although he continued in the service until 
 December, I8G3, when the company was mustered 
 out at Nebraska Cit}', and its members receiving 
 honorable discharge returned to their homes. Their 
 term of service was short, and was entered into with 
 a view of protecting the interests of the settlers of 
 the frontier, who without some such help would 
 have been at the mere}' of those who only waited 
 an opportunity' for depredation. 
 
 About the lime our sul)ject returned home, doffed 
 his military uniform and hung up his sword, the 
 Homestead Law was passed, and he, taking advan- 
 tage of the same, entered the first homestead under 
 that law in his district. This [jroperty he has added 
 to from time to time until he has become tiie owner 
 of 520 acres, all of which issitualed in Grant Town- 
 ship. He continues to reside upon the original 
 iioujcstead. where lie has erected a very pleasant 
 and commodious dwelling, besides a complete set of 
 such buildings as are needed for the purpose of a 
 stock farm of such extent. His home is situated 
 about a mile and a quarter from DeWitt, and is 
 built upon one of the prettiest parts of the banks 
 of the Turke)' River, as it winds its wjiy through 
 his farm. 
 
 Like his father our sul)ject is a thorough p]nglish- 
 man in make-up, disposition and some National char- 
 acteristics; but he is also a true citizen of the 
 United States, and thoroughly American in his 
 thoughts, sentiments and judgment. He has al- 
 wa3's been very active in the various enterprises 
 
 and projects that have been for the advantage of 
 the count}' or State, and it were hard to find a more 
 respected and poi)ular citizen than he or a more 
 highly esteemed family than his. 
 
 (F^^^^ENRY C. BRIDGES, whose excellent and 
 "^^ highly cultivated farm is situated upon sec- 
 tion 15 of Riverside Township, is a native 
 of New York ; he was born in Otsego County, 
 Oct. 2, 1838, and went from his native State to 
 Livingston County, III., in 1866, where he engaged 
 in the lumber business, and continued his residence 
 until 1878. when he came to this county. While 
 residing in Odell, HI., he was for two years engaged 
 in the lumber trade, and made quite a success of 
 the business. Upon coming to this State he was 
 enabled to purchase at once his jjresent property, 
 which was at that time devoid of buildings or any 
 sign of cultivation. 
 
 Our subject has been engaged the greater part of 
 his life in agriculture, it is not surprising, there- 
 fore, that his property speedily took on a ver}' dif- 
 ferent appearance, and has for several years been 
 one of the most flourishing, productive and fertile 
 in the township. The farm buildings, including 
 barn, stabling, granary and others of minor mention, 
 are all well constructed, and those intended for the 
 use of the stock are built having in mind the need 
 of warmth during the long and severely trying 
 winter. These buildings compare most f.avorably 
 with those of others in the district, and Mr. Bridges 
 has spared neither time nt>r expense in making these 
 and his house what they should be. This latter has 
 been admirably placed, well designed, substantially 
 built, and nicely decorated. It is not far removed 
 from the orchard he has set out. which contains 
 about eighty well-selected apple trees, thirty plum 
 trees, and about twenty fine cherry trees. Upon the 
 farm, exclusive of the grove, are some 2,000 shade 
 trees of various kinds. These add much to the 
 effectiveness of the picture presented by this prop- 
 erty. 
 
 However beautiful the home of our subject may 
 be. whatever attractiveness it possesses, either from 
 its natural surroundings or other embellish'Jients, 
 
204 
 
 ■•► 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 these would be as nothinff comparerl with tlie pos- 
 session of the faithful wife, bj' whom lie has been 
 enabled largel}' to attain the success of his life. 
 Our subject would be the first to protest that, with- 
 out the inspiring influence of her companionship, 
 the wisdom of her intuitive counsels and the cheer- 
 ing brightness of her hopes, the present prosperity 
 was doubtful. The day that united him with tin's 
 most estimable lady was the 18th of P'ebruary, 1869. 
 Iler maiden name was Anna S. Hotchkiss, of Odell, 
 111. There have been liorn to them three children, 
 viz: Dexter A., who was born .Inly 4, 1874; Harry 
 B.. Sept. 16, 1879, and Bessie I. on the Gth of 
 April, 1884. 
 
 During the late war our subject served in Com- 
 pany D, 8th Kew York Cavahy, for three years and 
 three months, etdisting on the 16th of September, 
 1861, under Capt. Frisby. of New York. In the 
 second j'ear of service our subject was promoted 
 from the rank of private to that of Orderly Ser- 
 geant; later he was promoted to a Lieutenancy. 
 He was with his company in the Army of the Poto- 
 mac, and took part'in the battles of Fredericksburg, 
 the Wilderness, Antietam, Gettysburg, and a large 
 number of other battles and lesser fights. In many 
 of these he was brought into close contact with the 
 enemy, and can testify to numerous hairbreadth 
 escapes, and although it was his good fortune to 
 come out tinwounded, he became almost used to 
 having his clothing and hat ventilated by bullet 
 holes, so much so that after awhile the sensation 
 of novelty had passed awa3-. and when an additional 
 ventilation was added it occasioned barel}^ a re- 
 mark. Upon i-eceiving his discharge from the arm}' 
 he returned to Illinois, and recommenced work at 
 his usual avocation. 
 
 Our subject is the son of Alonzo and Fidelia 
 Bridges, natives of New York State and Connecti- 
 cut. His father's chosen occupation in life was that 
 of a merchant. He was born in December, 1797, 
 and died in 18G3, aged sixty -six j'ears. The par- 
 ents of our subject were married at Hartford, Conn. 
 Our subject was the fifth of their eight children, 
 six of whom are now living. The parents of the 
 wife of our subject were natives of New York. 
 Their names were Benjamin F. and Delia (Baldwin) 
 Ilotchkiss. Her father died in Beatrice in 1879, at 
 
 the ripe age of sixtj--two, and the}' came to Ne- 
 braska the same time as our subject; the mother 
 resides in Beatrice. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bridges are members in good stand- 
 ing of the Congregational Church, and are verj' 
 liighlj' esteemed bj' the members of that communion. 
 In his i)olilical sj-mpathies and principles our sub- 
 ject accords with the Re|)ublican party, of which he 
 has been a failliful member and stanch friend since 
 it was within his power to cast a ballot. At present 
 he holds the office of Township Treasurer, which he 
 has continued to do for two years. Both he and 
 his wife are cordially appreciated in the commu- 
 nity, as worthy of veiy high regard in any and 
 ever}' relation of life. 
 
 "if OHN F. BARKHURST. Although one of 
 the younger citizens of Grant Township, our 
 , subject is one of the most progressive; in 
 (j^M/ general intelligence and practical knowledge 
 of his calling, there are few, considering his age, who 
 surpass him. He is the owner of 160 acres on section 
 10, eighty of which .are fully cultivated. He pur- 
 chased this property in 1882, but has not lived upon 
 it all the time since then. The improvements he 
 has made, and the work of an agricultural nature 
 that has been accomplished, would do much credit 
 to one of longer life and larger experience. 
 
 Mr. Barkhurst is the son of Joseph Barkhurst, a 
 native of Ohio, whose chosen calling in life was 
 that of farming. As a young man he was united 
 in marriage with Miss Eveline Mossman. In 18.i7 
 with his family he removed to Nebraska, and set- 
 tled upon a new farm, and as usual immediatelj' be- 
 gan to improve it. He is now one of the rich men 
 of Otoe County, where he owns 640 acres of very 
 fine land. Their family includes four sons and five 
 daughters, all of whom are living. Our subject was 
 born in Wyoming Precinct, Otoe County, May 
 10, 1861, and was there brought up. His education 
 W.-IS given early and full attention by his parents, 
 and comprised in addition to the usual school sub- 
 jects an intim.ate practical knowledge of agriculture. 
 
 *t 
 
t 
 
 <^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 GAGE COUXTY. 
 
 20j 
 
 i' 
 
 the care and inanageineiit of stock, ami general farm 
 worl<. 
 
 In Nebraska City, on the 6lh of March, 1888, 
 onr subject was united in marriage to Miss Bertha 
 Reese, a lad^- of reuiarkabl^- liappy disposition, of 
 good education and innate refinement, who will, 
 doubtless, under the merciful preservation of life, 
 give color and brightness to all the coming 3'ears. 
 This lad^' was born on the 31st Of January, 1860, 
 while her parents were residents of Lake County, 
 111. There she was educated and brought up. Her 
 father's business relations were those of a dairyman 
 and wholesale shipper of milk, the greater part of 
 which connnodit3' went to Chicago. Mrs. Bark- 
 hurst did not come to Nebraska until after she was 
 of age. 
 
 Our subject and his wife are clever, intelligent 
 and active members of society, moving in the best 
 circles thereof, and ever^' where assured of the most 
 cordial welcome, being well and favorably known 
 and respected, not simplj' because of their family re- 
 lations, buL also their own sterling worth. They are 
 members in good standing of the Lutheran Church. 
 In matters of political econom3- and civic interests 
 Mr. Barkhurst is a thorough Republican, and it is 
 not at all improbable tiiat the future histor}' of 
 Gage County will bear upon the roll of its promi- 
 nent and honored citizens the name of John F. 
 Barkhurst. 
 
 (^^EHEMIAH E. BURGESS, who by reason 
 j j]j of his success as a general farmer and stock- 
 !l\,'^) raiser, is favorably known througliout the 
 count3', is the owner of a splendid farm coniprising 
 160 acres of super-excellent land for such purposes, 
 partly owing to the fact that its natural situation 
 and inter-resources tend to make it more fertile for 
 crops, and super-productive of grasses, the very op- 
 posite of ligneous, such indeed as would be full}' 
 appreciated liy the stock, and tend to increase 
 rather than depreciate their market value. 
 
 Our subject came to this county and settled in 
 Grant Township in 1867, and has since continued a 
 resident thereof. In that journey he was accom- 
 panied by his father, and settled upon section 34, 
 from which he rea.:ved in the year 1877 to his 
 .^m 
 
 present home. He was born in Dover Township, 
 Racine Co., Wis., upon the 18th of August, IHoO, 
 and is the youngest son of Nehemiah and Sophia 
 (Woodward) Burgess, natives of York State and 
 Vermont respectively. Shortly after their marriage 
 at Kenosha in 1843, Mr. and Mrs. Burgess, 8r., set- 
 tled in Racine County, Wis., where most of their 
 children were born. 
 
 In 1867, as above stated, the father of our sub- 
 ject, accompanied by those of his familj' who re- 
 mained at home, migrated to this State, whither two 
 of his sons had alreadj- come and had made their 
 home. When at the age of fift^'-seven years Mr. 
 Burgess, Sr., was removed from his family by death 
 in 1877, at his home in this count}-, after an attack 
 of paralysis. He had been a hard-working, indus- 
 trious and frugal farmer, an excellent and loyal 
 citizen, a consistent memlier of the Church of God, 
 and a stanch friend of the Republican part}-. His 
 wife is yet living and resides with her children; the 
 weight of sixt3'-seven years is on her head and 
 proves well-nigh too much for her strength. The 
 little while between the parting of husband and wife 
 and their eternal reunion sometimes appears to be 
 narrowing to a span's length. 
 
 Until he was twenty-two 3'ears of age our sub- 
 ject remained with his papints, their support and 
 consolation. In 1872, upon the 31st of March, he 
 was united in marriage with Miss Rosa Comstock, 
 who was born in IMichigan on the lOth of June, 
 18;j4, to Jonas and Catherine (Ruthruff) Comstock. 
 Her father died when about twent^^-seven years of 
 age, during the infancy of Mrs. Burgess. He was 
 a native of New 1 ork, but was for some j'ears a 
 resident of Branch County, Mich., where he died. 
 Her mother died in Belvidere, Neb., in the spring 
 of 1880, aged fifty years. Their daughter Rosa 
 was educated in the schools of Branch County, 
 where she was born, and came to Nebraska in 1871. 
 To her there have been given three children, viz: 
 Edmund AL, Gertrude M. A. and Bertram (twins), 
 the latter being now deceased. 
 
 Mr. Burgess is a strict tem[)erance man and an 
 earnest advocate for Prohibition principles. It is 
 his ambition to see these principles obtained and to 
 do all in his power to that end. His political sym- 
 pathies, sentiments and efforts are entirely sym 
 
u 
 
 ^^•^h-^ 
 
 206 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 phonioiis Avilh tlic tliiid party, nlthonsl' formerly, 
 before he was enliglitciicd to its truths, he usually 
 voteil with the Republiean party, from wliieli he h.id 
 the moral eoura<;e to sever hiinself wiieii the brighter 
 illumination of truth showed him a better way. He 
 is iilontilied with the A. O. U. W., and is a highly 
 respected member of the Lodge at DeWitl. He 
 is a r. cognized friend of every enterprise for the 
 public good, and is one of the much valued citizens 
 of liis township. 
 
 4~ 
 
 ^ fLFREI) H. MOKUIS. It were iiard to dc- 
 (@fUl c'ide of this v.-ist country which iState were 
 
 best, even if such a thing were possible; 
 
 1)ut it is certainly within the bounds of 
 truth to S!xy that the State of Ohio is one of the 
 grandest and best, and equally true is it that Ham- 
 ilton County, of that State, contains within its bor- 
 ders some of the prettiest and richest scenery in the 
 State. At Carthage, in that county, w.as born, in the 
 year 1811, Mr. C. P. Morris. As a young man, he 
 became the husband of Miss Achsah Nicholls, a na- 
 tive of the same couutj'. They are at present re- 
 siding in Logan County. 111. They became the 
 parents of seven children. Among these was f>ur 
 subject, who was born in Ohio, Dec. 21, 1852. 
 
 The boyhood of our subject was spent between 
 attendance at school and helping his father, who 
 utilized his developing strength and expanding 
 mental powers in the multifarious exigencies inci- 
 dental to daily life and labor upon the farm. He 
 continued to live at home until be was twenty-two 
 years of age. and then devoted four 3'ears to learn- 
 ing the bl.icksmith's trade, only to continue it for 
 one year. Next he spent two years in the lumber 
 trade, and not without success. At the close of 
 that period he commenced farming on his own ac- 
 count, and has since made it his chosen occupa- 
 tion. 
 
 In 1876 Jlr. Morris was united in marriage with 
 Miss Ada Earnheart, .at Conover, Ohio, on the 2d 
 of January. This lady is the daughter of Henr3' 
 and Rhoda (Moiver) Earnheart, natives of Warren 
 County, Ohio. There have been born of this union 
 two children, Nelson W. and Hattie B., to gr.ice 
 
 and bless the home of our subject, who are at once 
 the pride, joy and hope of their parents. 
 
 After his marriage our suliject commenced farm- 
 ing in Miami Count}-, Ohio, .and continued in the 
 same with increasing prosperity for about three 
 years, and in 1883 came to this county and fol- 
 lowed the same occupation upon land then pur- 
 ch.ased, and since that time has, by his untiring 
 industry and indefatigable laboi', been enabled to 
 acquire considerable |)roperty and to laj- the foun- 
 dati(jn of a competency that will remove the neces- 
 sity of further labor when such shall have become 
 too heav}' a burden. 
 
 In 1887 our subject was elected .Supervisor, and 
 the following year Assessor, the duties pertaining 
 thereto being performed in e.aeh instance in a man- 
 ner entirely complimentary- to Mr. Morris. He is 
 quite active as a member of the Prohibition party, 
 and is a worthy member of the M.asonic fraternity. 
 In the Uuiversalist Church Mr. and Mrs. Morris 
 find their religious home, and are among its most 
 energetic and constant members. 
 
 The gratifjiug success that has crowned the 
 efforts of the life of our subject is the more no- 
 ticeable and praiseworthy because of the few oppor- 
 tunities afforded him in the earlier da3's of that 
 training and other help that are sometimes con- 
 sidered absolutely in.lispensable to start in life 
 and after success. In the case before us the subject 
 is one of that class of whom manj' worthy repre- 
 sentatives arc found in the West, which are perhaps 
 best designated by the term of self-made. 
 
 'ffJOHN PALMER was born on the 14th of 
 October, 1842, in St. Joseph Count}', Ind.^ 
 and is a son of Elias Palmer, a native 
 of New York State, who had moved to Fre- 
 mont (^ountj', Iowa, in the j-ear 1847, when the 
 country was but sparsely inhabited with white peo- 
 ple. The}' came to Otoe County, Neb., in 1 854, and 
 settled among the Indians and wild animals. The 
 brother of our subject, David Palmer, settled on 
 Plum Creek, Libert}' Township, in 1854, being one 
 of the first settlers of this county, and after spend- 
 ing a number of years here, he unfortunately met 
 
 ■► 
 
t^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 •207 
 
 his death by drowning in the Blue River, near 
 Barnston, on the 2Gth of June, 1876, while fishing 
 with a seine. 
 
 Our subject came with his father's famiij' to this 
 county in 1859, and settled on Plum Creek with 
 his brother David, where the fatiier died in Febru- 
 ary, 1866. In the fall of 1863 our subject went 
 100 miles furtlier west to the Little Blue Uiver.and 
 built two trading ranches on the overland stage 
 road, being in companj' with his brother-in-law, 
 Joseph Eubank, and family. On the 7th;of August, 
 in the year following, they were surprised and at- 
 t-icked by a band of Cheyenne and Arrapahoe In- 
 dians, who killed Mr. Eubank, his father, four 
 brothers and one sister, and carried away the wife 
 and two children of William Eubank, and another 
 child, a nephew of Mr. Eubank. 
 
 While the Indians were engaged in this terrible 
 massacre, our subject was in the field making hay 
 with Fred Eubank, and while the former went to 
 the spring for a drink of water, the Indians came 
 into the field and attacked j'oung Eubank, killing 
 him and taking his scalp for a trophy. On the re- 
 turn of our subject to Lis work the fearful sight 
 met his view, and subsequently finding the fearful 
 condition into which the family liad been plunged, 
 he ran half a mile to the house, seized his sister, and 
 took her a short distance to where a train was cor- 
 ralled, thus onl}- being able to save her life. The 
 Indian villains returned in the night and destroyed 
 all their property, our subject and his sister being 
 the only two who escaped from a family of thirteen 
 persons, seven of whom were murdered and four 
 taken into captivity. 
 
 Those members of the family who had been car- 
 ried away were terribly beaten and illtreated by 
 the Indians, who afterward traded them to some 
 United .States troops. The troops being informed 
 of the manner in which these unfortunate people 
 had fallen into the hands of their persecutors, and 
 hearing all of the terrible story of the massacre, 
 seized the seven Indians and hung them without 
 trial — a fitting punishment for their atrocious deeds. 
 After the Indians' raid our subject was entirely 
 without property, having lost all he owned, except 
 the clothing he had on in the field. His sister was 
 also reduced to penury, and she had to work out 
 
 for two years in order to support herself and her 
 child. She afterward married Joseph Adams, and 
 now lives in Gunnison City, Col., surrounded bj'all 
 luxuries that wealth can procure. 
 
 Our subject married, March 27, 1866, Charlotte 
 A. Cain, a daughter of Nathaniel D. Cain, of Lib- 
 erty. In the fall of the same year he homesteaded 
 160 acres of land on section 22, Libert^' Township, 
 which he has since made his home. He has had a 
 family of seven children, six of whom are living, 
 namel}-: Joseph, William, Mary L., Sylkerk, James 
 and Rhoda N. Since he took up 160 acres of land 
 under the Homestead Act, he has added to his pos- 
 sessions, having worked his own way upward, a 
 step at a time, and is now the owner of 236 acres 
 of good land, which he devotes to the purposes of 
 farming and stock-raising. Compelled through 
 misfortune to make a second start in life, he has 
 done admirably well, and is worthy the esteem of 
 his neighbors for the splendid example of self-reli- 
 ance and integrity which he has given. 
 
 OHN BARRATT. The stock farm of this 
 
 gentleman, which is situated upon section 29 
 
 , of Grant Township, is one most worthy of 
 
 J 
 
 ((^^' remark, our subject being recognized as a 
 leader in his branch of business. Although giving 
 some attention to grain farming, his specialtj* is in 
 raising Poland-China hogs, in which he is more 
 than usually successful. His f.arm includes 200 
 acres of super-excellent land for his purpose, and 
 lies upon either side of the Turkey Creek, and his 
 entry is the twenty-ninth upon the books of the 
 township. 
 
 In October, 1862, our subject entered the United 
 States Service as a member of the 2d Nebraska 
 Cavalry, and participated with the regiment in the 
 battle of Whitestone Hill, but chieflj- fought in 
 minor engagements and skirmishes on the frontier. 
 He received an honorable discharge in December, 
 1863, and afterward returned to his home. He be- 
 came a member, when in Nebraska, of the Terri- 
 torial Militia, and was elected Orderly Sergeant of 
 Company C. Capt. White, of Pawnee City, was 
 with the militia for six months, and through the 
 
 -m-M*- 
 
 I 
 
u 
 
 208 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 "TT 
 
 suppression of the Oak Grove ranch massacre. Our 
 subject escaped unhurt throughout the whole of his 
 military career. Once more returned to his home, 
 he devoted himself to his farm. Although not an 
 extensively wealth}' man, he has acquired consiiler- 
 able propertj', whereas when he began life in tliis 
 State he had little over $1 to liis name. ^ 
 
 John Barratt, Sr., the father of our suliject, was 
 an English farmer and blacksmith, of Somersetshire, 
 where he lived and died. He had married an En- 
 glish lady, also born in his native shire, whose 
 maiden name was Uriscilla Barratt, and who is yet 
 living in the same count}', and has reached the ad- 
 vanced age of eightj'-one years. The parents of 
 our subject were both members of the Church of 
 England, and brought up their children in accord- 
 ance with the same tenets. Our subject is the 
 younger of two sons born to his parents, this event 
 occurring on the 5th of Decemlier, 1 837 ; his brother 
 William is a farmer in Somersetshire. John, our 
 subject, was brought up in the old English home, 
 received his education in the parish school, and 
 then worked upon the home farm until he was in 
 his nineteenth year; then, in 18,56, he emigrated 
 and settled in Ohio, then in AVisconsin, and came 
 to Gage County, Neb., in 1858. He became ac- 
 quainted with his wife in Saline County, and was 
 there united with her in marriage on the 1 7th of 
 March, 1867. The maiden of his choice was Ann 
 Wheeler, who w.as born in London, England, on the 
 1st of November, 1840, and is the daughter of 
 Charles and Anna (Pierce) Wheeler. Her father, 
 who is by occupation a tailor, resides in Wiltshire, 
 England, and has reached the advanced age of 
 seventy-eight j'ears. Her mother departed this life 
 ill that county in 1888, being seventy-one 3'ears of 
 age. 
 
 Mrs. Barratt was the eldest of six children, of 
 whom three were sons. One son is deceased ; two 
 of the daughters are residents of Wiltshire, the re- 
 maining three of Nebraska. She came to the United 
 States in the company of an uncle and aunt, with 
 whom she made her home in this .State. She has 
 become the mother of six children, of whom five 
 are living, and busily engaged in the common 
 school procuring an education which may serve as 
 a basis of operations though life. Their mimes are 
 ■^ 
 
 as follows: William, Ella, Robert, George and 
 Harry. Nellie is deceased. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Barratt continue to attend the 
 Episcopal Church, and are instructing their chil- 
 dren in that faith. As a famil}', the}' are most 
 higlily esteemed, and are counted among the elite 
 of local society. Our subject has for a long time 
 been a very active worker in connection with the 
 schools, and is one of the old officers of the dis- 
 trict. He has always been a strong member of the 
 Republican party, and one of its firm friends and 
 adherents. 
 
 V^ELSON ADAMS. The chance traveler who 
 might have found his way in the spring of 
 1857, by some chance of trapping, hunting 
 or exploration, beyond the confines of settlement, 
 and in what is to-day known as the Nemaha Valley, 
 would have seen in that part included in Adams 
 Township, something that looked like the beginning 
 of a bouse, but knowing that no settlers were in the 
 neighborhood, would be at a loss to understand the 
 meaning thereof, until they chanced to notice, 
 stretched between two of the saplings, a tablet of 
 bark, upon which was inscribed, "John O. Adams 
 claims this tract of land this 30lh day of March, 
 1857." John O. Adams, the first settler in Adams 
 Township, was the father of our subject, and this was 
 the first claim made, the first house erected, the 
 first farm laid out, its acres the first broken in the 
 township, and for quite a large distance around. 
 
 Our subject is the son of the above veteran pio- 
 neer, whose farm was situated upon section 26, and 
 claimed as noted above. He was born in New Jer- 
 sey. Hismothei, whose maiden name was Letitia 
 Harris, was a native of Kentucky. The parents 
 of our subject were married in Dubois County, 
 Ind., and settled upon a farm in the district. He 
 was quite prosperous in his chosen calling, and 
 found opportunity to see well started in life, and 
 help them in the same, his eight children, who are 
 pursuing honorable and more or less prominent ca- 
 reers. The family started from the old Indiana home 
 on the 5th of September, 1856, for the Great West, 
 then in a very wild condition. Their household 
 goods were all securely packed in two two-yoked 
 
t 
 
 -^•- 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 20 y 
 
 wagons, and thus they journeyed westward, uncer- 
 tain whetlier to make tlieir liome in Kansas, Ne- 
 braska or elsewhere. They, liowever, proceeded to 
 Atchison County. 5Io., wiiere lived a brother of 
 Mr. Adams. Here thej* secured that rest and re- 
 cuperation that were r'.'quired for themselves and 
 their cattle after their journey. 
 
 The faniil}' arrived upon tlie 20lh of October at 
 Mr. D. L. A<lanis', and leaving his faniil3' there the 
 father of our subject earl}' in the spring started out 
 to prospect in Kansas and Nebraska. Owing to the 
 trouble of the two States he did not stay long in 
 Kansas, feeling satisfied it was not the place to set- 
 tle at that time. He therefore journeyed North; he 
 crossed the Missouri River at Brownville. and then 
 followed the Great Nemaha River to its source, and 
 was fascinated by the appearance of the land and 
 satisfied that it was the place for him to make his 
 home. He therefore took the course above men- 
 tioned in order to secure the claim. After having 
 thus set his mark upon it he started back with all 
 dispatch to his family-, and as soon as the grass had 
 grown sufficiently to feed their oxen on the road 
 the family started again, and did not stop until they 
 reached their claim ; then the}' erected their house 
 with all speed, living in the wagons until they were 
 prepared to take up their quarters in the more sub- 
 stantial building, which was made of rough-hewn 
 logs with a finishing of mortar for the chinks. 
 
 About the 17th of May, the same month in which 
 the family occupied their house as above noted, 
 our subject began to break upon his farm, which he 
 had pre-empted. This was the first claim under 
 tiiat law, and included 1 60 acres. In after 3-ears 
 this was addc'l to until he was the owner of 700 
 acres. Mr. J. O. Adams, after a very happy and 
 prosperous career, departed this life on the 24th of 
 December, 18S7, at the very advanced .ige of eighty 
 years. His wife, who died on the 21st of Novem- 
 ber, 1867, was at that time fifty-five years of age. 
 Their family numbered seven children, whose names 
 are as follows: Nelson, Nanc}', Isaac. John Q., 
 Lcander, N.aomi and Mj'arra. They have grown 
 up and entered into honorable and remunerative 
 spheres in life. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 24th of February, 
 1841, at the home in Dubois Count}", Ind., about 
 
 two miles from Jasper. He was brought up on his 
 father's farm and began to work at an early age, be- 
 ing occupied in such employments as grubbing, 
 clearing, chopping, etc. Kducational facilities were 
 conspicuous either by their entire absence or marked 
 inefficiency, and had he trusted to these alone he 
 would not have the mental development he possesses 
 to-d.ay ; l)Ut his own ambition led him, in spite of 
 every opiiosing element, to gather for himself a 
 goo<l practical and fairly complete English educa- 
 tion. He was about sixteen years of age when the 
 above-mentioned migration to Nebraska took place ; 
 then, .as ho says, he was promoted to be '-general 
 aid-de-camp and boy of all work." In this he con- 
 tinued, gradually working up until practically 
 the management of the farm was in his hands. He 
 remained at home until he enlisted in September, 
 1864, in Company C, of the 2d Nebraska Regiment, 
 for a term of four months, or during the war. He 
 was sent to Ft. Kearney, thence to Blue Station, 
 where they wintered. In January, 1866, the entire 
 company received honorable discharge, .and he re- 
 turned home and remained there until his marriage 
 the following year. 
 
 The lady then chosen by our subject was Miss 
 Lurana Hoskins. The young coui)le settled upon 
 their own farm, but were destined to enjoy their 
 companionship for but a short season. Four months 
 and eight days after marri.age our subject was a 
 widower, his wife dying at the age of eighteen years. 
 This blow seemed to strike at the very source of 
 his being, and in a moment overthrew the plans, 
 desires and hopes of a life. In April, the same year, 
 in order to recover somewhat the effects of this be- 
 reavement, he made an overland trip to Colorado, 
 traveling West 500 miles from Nebraska City, and 
 thence to Denver. He did not make his journey 
 very lengthy, but was much benefited l)y the 
 change, and returning home again set to work. 
 
 In 1868 our subject entered into a second alliance, 
 the name of the lady being Miss Lydia J. Wilson. 
 Her parents were natives of Crab Orchard. The 
 wife of our subject was born in Putnam Count}', 
 Ind., in the year 1840. She was about twenty-five 
 years of age when she came to Nebraska, where she 
 met our subject, with the foregoing result. She 
 has presented our subject with two children; only 
 
 f 
 
-4^ 
 
 t 
 
 -•► 
 
 210 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 one, however, survives. Their names were Nancy 
 E. aufl Letitia O. Nanc}' is liappily married to 
 Mr. C. B. A.slieraft. a farmer of Adams Townsiiip; 
 Letitia died at the age of ten montiis, in the j'ear 
 1872. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. and Mrs. Adams went on a trip to 
 Kan.sas and <lefided to locate in Wyandotte County, 
 remained about one j'ear and tiien returned, but 
 still own about eighty acres of land. Our subject 
 has the honor of being the oldest living pioneer of 
 the Nemaha Vallej', and has watched its develop- 
 ment and growth with much pride and satisfaction- 
 He states since the country h.is been settled up and 
 so many thousands of forest, shade and fruit trees 
 have been set out and have flourished, that the cli- 
 mate has changed and become more pleasant in 
 every way ; that tiie rainfall has increased, both in 
 amount and frequenc)', and this, coupled with the 
 cultivation, has very mucli increased tlie productive 
 value of the soil. His own farm is an illustration 
 of the amount of labor and monej- tiiat may be put 
 into a farm. As already stated in substance he has 
 brought liis property from the original condition 
 of the prairie; the improvements thereon include a 
 good dwelling-house, well situated, commodious in 
 its arrangement, and pleas.ant in its surroundiugs 
 of wide-spreading shade trees, that offer in hottest 
 summer a cooling retreat, orchards that in their 
 season extend ripe and luscious fruity invitations; 
 barns, stable, granary and all the necessary out-build- 
 ings for such a farm. 
 
 Tlie religious home of our subject and wife is in 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Adams is 
 one of the charter members of the church at Adams, 
 and also Trustee. They are considered by those 
 acquainted witli them as among the most honora- 
 ble and worthy in the communion. Our subject 
 has for eight j-ears served as School Director, 
 Treasurer of his district for two years, and has also 
 been called upon to serve on the Grand Jury. His 
 political sentiments have alwa3's been decidedly 
 and stronglj' Republican, and although b^- no means 
 an oflfensive partisan, he is certainly a stout defender 
 of his opinions, and active in the dissemination of 
 what he believes to be right political princii)les and 
 true political economy. He is a man of character, 
 intelligence and mental power, and has learned how 
 
 to utilize the same honestly, vet fearlessly. In all 
 business transactions his integriti' is beyond ques- 
 tion, and in every circle and relationship of life he 
 and his most estimable lad}' are accorded the sin- 
 ceri'St respect and highest esteem. As an instance 
 and case in point we would refer to one expression 
 of this, viz: that the township and city have both 
 been named after the familv. 
 
 — ^:^»-^»t^ 
 
 >^i*^►'^5tf-. 
 
 UE. MUDGE is a well-known young farmer 
 and stock raiser who is residing on section 
 Wf/ 14, Elm Township. His grandfather. Ed- 
 ward, and his grandmother, Katherine (Woolhj-) 
 Mudge, were natives of Kent, England. Tlie father 
 of our subject is also a native of England, and of 
 him and his wife there will be further mention 
 made in this Album. When the parents decided 
 to come to America they took passage on the sail- 
 ing-ship '-Webster" on the 23d of March, 1855, 
 and our subject was born on the 23d of April on 
 board the ship. 
 
 Our subject remained with his father until he 
 reached the age of twenty-one years, after whicli 
 engaging in mining pursuits, for three years he 
 traveled extensivelj' throughout Colorado, Utah, 
 Arizona and New Mexico. In the year 1879 he 
 came back to Nebraska and bought his present farm 
 in Elm Township, which he has very much im- 
 proved, and on w hich he has set out 200 fruit trees. 
 
 On the 4th of July, 1881, Mr. Mudge was united in 
 marriage with Miss Elizabeth Mathias, at Fairburj', 
 Jefferson Co.. Neb. The father of Mrs. Mudge is 
 William H. Mathias, a native of Westmoreland 
 County, Pa , and the mother is Caroline (Kennedy) 
 Mathias, born in Somerset County, Pa. ; they were 
 married in Woodford County, 111., where the father 
 was engaged in farming. In 1872 the family moved 
 to Jefferson Count}', Neb., there being five children 
 in the family — John W., Elizabeth B., Henr}', Jr., 
 Benjamin F. and Mary F. 
 
 The wife of our subject was born on the 9th of 
 March, 1856, in Woodford County, III., and having 
 received a very good education she was engaged 
 for several months in teaching school. She is the 
 mother of two children — William Ray and Muriel 
 
 
t. 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -t^ 
 
 211 
 
 ^ 
 
 Joy. For ten j-cars our siihji'ct li.is been an honor- 
 nlile meml)cr of the School Board, and is at present 
 fining the otHce of Moderator. From the fact of 
 his birtii having occnrred in so romantic a place we 
 infer that he is still lo^'al to his father's native 
 countr}', but at the same time he has warmly es- 
 poused tlie cause of the country in which he lives, 
 an<l has taken an active interest in the political 
 affairs which govern it, being a member of the Re- 
 publican party. 
 
 jTSAAC R. CLAYTON is a native of Peoria 
 |l| County. Ill, tiie date of his birth being the 1 0th 
 ll of August. 1844. He p.assed his 3'ounger d.ays 
 and grew up to the years of manhood in his native 
 county on a farm, and loving the life so free from 
 the cares and anxieties of a city business, he has 
 continued to follow the pursuits of agriculture, 
 except for one j'earin which he followed the fortune 
 of a soldier's life during the war. His educational 
 advantages being much limited, the schools being 
 few and far between, and he busily engaged in labor 
 at home, he was enabled to attend school no longer 
 than perhaps six weeks in a year, yet he has so 
 profited by the instruction which he received and 
 his experience with the outer world, that he is 
 amply qualified to attend to all the business neces- 
 sarj' in connection with the carrying on of his 
 occupation. On the 14th of February, 1865, he 
 volunteered in Company A. 151st Illinois Infantry, 
 with which he served for one \'ear, and was mus- 
 tered out in February of 1866. 
 
 On the 10th of October, 1866, our subject was 
 married to Miss Emma Littell, and to them a fam- 
 ilj^ of nine children has been given, and whom 
 we shall separately mention as follows: Addie, who 
 was born on the 30th of Julj', 1867, was married, 
 on the loth of October, 1885, to William I. Reed. 
 Mr. Reed lives on section 26, on a farm adjoining 
 the farm of his wife's parents; they have one child, 
 named OUie. Albert L. w.as born on the 20th of 
 August, 1869; Ilattie A., on the Uth of August, 
 l"871; Freeman E., on the 30th of May, 1874; 
 Phebe O., on the 18th of October, 1876; Charles 
 W., on the 21st of September, 1879; Ella M., who 
 
 was born on the 26th of November, 1880, was 
 called from this world on the 12lh of March, 1883; 
 Josie B., whose birth occurred on the 12th of June, 
 1884, died on the 19th of .July, 1885: Oliver Dean 
 was born on the 17th of August, 1887. 
 
 Mr. Clayton has a good and well-improved farm 
 on section 26, township 2, range 6, in Sicily Town- 
 ship, on which farm he resides. He came to his 
 present place on the 16th of March, 1883, having 
 stopped for one year after leaving Illinois in Noda- 
 way County, Mo. Elis parents, Ezekiel and Phoebe 
 (Randolph) Clayton, were natives of New Jersey-. 
 The father died at Canton, 111., on the 7th of May, 
 1879, at the age of sixtj'-four years. The mother 
 still lives in Canton, III., to which place she and her 
 husband came in the year 1868, having come to 
 Peoria Countj' in 1839. ra.akiug the journey with a 
 team from New York. 
 
 Mrs. Clayton, the wife of our subject, w.as born 
 in New York City on the 28lh of November, 1845, 
 her parents being Isaac F. and Addie Gibson. Her 
 father was a native of New Jersey and her mother 
 of New York, but they had for some time been 
 living in Illinois. The father died at Hoopeston, 
 Vermilion Co., 111., on the 2d of December, 1887, 
 at the age of seventy -seven years; the mother is 
 still living in Illinois in her eight^'-second year. 
 
 Our subject was married in the city of Peoria by 
 the Rev. A. H. Stowell. Both he and his wife are 
 members of the Baptist Church, of W^-more. He 
 votes the straight Republican ticket, and is inter- 
 ested in the political movements of the day, as well 
 as in the educational and general welfare of the 
 community of which he is an esteemed member. 
 
 J^^ACOBGEHMAN, .an extensive f.armer and 
 stock-raiser of Hanover Township, operates 
 480 acres of land on .section 3; it is known 
 as the Senile}^ land. His career has been 
 marked with ordinarj* success, and he possesses 
 those traits of character which have made him a 
 man useful in 1ms community, and a leader in those 
 enterprises tending to its advancement socially' as 
 well as financially. He is the father of a fine fam- 
 113- of childi-en, whom he has educated and fitted for 
 
 r 
 
-4«- 
 
 212 
 
 1 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 hoiioraljle stations in life, and is in the eiijc^yment 
 of one of the pleasantest and most attractive homes 
 in this region. 
 
 The snliject of this sketch was born in Bucks 
 County, Pa.. May 5, 1827, and is the son of Abia- 
 ham and Mary (Finck) Gehnian, the forraer of wliom 
 was a farmer by occupation, and died at the ripe 
 old age of seventy -six 3'ears, in his native State. 
 The mother passed away in 1864, aged seventj-- 
 three. Their family consisted of four sons and 
 three (laughters, five of whom lived to mature 
 years. Those surviving are residents of Brooks 
 County, Pn. 
 
 Jacob Geiiman was reared to manhood in his na- 
 tive State, and although receiving but limited edu- 
 cational advantages, trained himself l>3^ a course of 
 reading and stud}' for the duties of a teaciier, which 
 profession he followed for a period of four 3'ears 
 in Bucks Count}', beginning at the age of twenty. 
 He h.ad likewise become thoroughly familiar with 
 farm pursuits, and at the age of twenty-two was 
 prepared to establish a home of his own. On Oct. 
 2, 1849, he was united in marriage with Miss Bar- 
 bara Angene}', a native of his own county, and 
 born Aug. 29, 1831. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. (Jehman after their marriage set- 
 tled on the farm belonging to the father of our 
 subject, where they lived and labored until 1861. 
 In the meantime they became the parents of six 
 children, and in the spring of that year Mr. G., re- 
 solving upon a change of location, disposed of his 
 interests in tin- Keystone State and removed with 
 his little family to Northern Iowa, where in due 
 time he became an extensive land-owner. From 
 Fayette Count}', Iowa, he removed to Mahaska 
 County, that .State, thence to Jefferson, and later 
 to Jefferson County, residing in the latter until 
 1882. In the spring of that year he took up his 
 residence in Atchison County, Mo., and from 
 there came to Nebraska in 1887. He was at once 
 recognized as a valuable addition to the commu- 
 nity of Hanover Township, where he is numbered 
 among its most highly esteemed citizens. Wide- 
 awake, liberal and public-spirited, he is ever ready 
 to aid in those enterprises set on foot for the best 
 good of the people. 
 
 The household of Mr. and Mrs. Gehman was 
 
 completed by the birth of twelve children, namely: 
 Abraham; Jacob and Elizabeth, who died when 
 eight and six years old ; Meno, Fanny, Rachel, Sam- 
 uel, Sally, Le.ah, Emma, Benjamin and Mary. Fanny 
 became the wife of Samuel Horning, a well-to-do 
 farmer of Hanover Township, and is the mother of 
 five children — Benjamin, Lee, Eddy, Jennie and 
 Alice; Mrs. Henry Smith is a I'esident of Atchison 
 County, Mo., and the mother of one child, a son, 
 Ottia; Abraham is a professor of music at Fremont, 
 Iowa; Meno and Samuel are operating a cattle 
 ranch in Wyoming Territory; Sally married Will- 
 iam Geber, a resident of Atchison County, Mo., 
 and is the mother of three children; Leah is in Nor- 
 thuml)erland County, Pa.; Emma, also a teacher, is 
 at [)rosent with her parents, as are also Benjamin 
 and Mary. 
 
 In the operations of his farm Mr. Gehman gives 
 em|>lo}'ment to two men, and two teams are almost 
 constantly required for the transaction of his busi- 
 ness. Politically, he votes the straight Republican 
 ticket, and with his excellent wife, is a devoted 
 member of the Mennonite Church. The family is 
 one of the m(jst prominent in the county, where 
 their intelligence and worth are estimated at their 
 true value. 
 
 OMER J. MERRICK. We seldom visit a 
 section of county without encountering those 
 closely allied to persons prominent in his- 
 tory, poetry, politics or law. The subject 
 of this sketch is one of those springing from hon- 
 ored antecedents, tracing his origin from the same 
 source which gave to the world such persons as John 
 G. Whittier, R. W. Emerson, and Frances Meriam 
 Whitcher, the author of the '-Widow Bedott Papers.'' 
 Austin and Sylvia (Whitcher) Merrick, the par- 
 ents of our subject, were natives respectively of 
 Connecticut and Vermont. Grandfather Merrick 
 w.as accidentally killed on the Erie Canal, while 
 making his way to Western Pennsylvania. The 
 Merricks were of English origin, and the first rep- 
 resentative of the family in this country came over 
 with the Pilgrim Fathers in the "Mayflower."' The 
 maternal grandparents of our subject, Stephen and 
 
 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COU^'TY. 
 
 213 
 
 -h 
 
 i~ 
 
 Esther M. (Emerson) 'Wliitclier, were micle and aunt 
 li> tl>e poet. John G. AVhittier. Grandmother 
 "VVliitcher was also closely related to that other 
 American poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Frances 
 Meriam Whiteiic'', above spoken of. was own sister 
 to the mother of our subject. 
 
 Austin Merrick, after his marriage, located in 
 Pleasixntville, Pa., wiiere he carried on merchandis- 
 ing' and farming the remainder of his life. He ac- 
 cumulated a good property, and de[)arted hence in 
 1H75, at the .age of seventj'-four 3-ears. The mother 
 of our subject was his second wife; of the first 
 there had been born one child; of the second mar- 
 riage there were seven children, namelj': Ellen, 
 Austiu W., Anna M., Francis S.. Adeline A., Ho- 
 mer J. and Julia. Mrs. S3ivia Merrick died in 
 July. 1849, at the age of forty years. Mr. Mer- 
 rick was married the third time, and there was born 
 one child, a son Herman, who is now in Kansas Citj*, 
 Mo. 
 
 The subject of this biography was born Nov. 18, 
 1846, in Pleasantville, Pa., and attended school 
 from the age of seven years until he was fourteen. 
 Afterward he onlj- attended in the winter season. 
 After the outbreak of the late Civil War. when but 
 a j^outh of seventeen, he determined to assist in the 
 preservation of the Union, and accordingly enlisted 
 in Compan3' B, 1 1 1th Pennsj-lvania Infantr}', in Feb- 
 ruary, 1S64, for three yeai-s, or during the war. His 
 regiment was detailed to Bridgcpoi't, Ala., where 
 they arrived in time to join the Atlanta campaign, 
 and participated in the battles of Resaca, Dallas, 
 Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, the siege of 
 Atlanta, and wound up b3' going with Sherman on 
 the march to the sea. SuV'sequentl}' thej' went' up 
 through the Carolinas, and were present at the last 
 grand review in AVashington. 
 
 Mr. Merrick was mustered out of service at Pitts- 
 burgh. Pa., and after returning home became a stu- 
 dent of the State Normal .School at Edinboro, 
 where he attended one year. Thence he went to 
 Cleveland, Ohio, entering there upon a course of 
 stud3- in Bryant's Business College. This com- 
 pleted he returned to his native State, and engaged 
 ■as clerk in a store of general merchandise at Pleas- 
 antville. where he continued until setting out for 
 Nebraska in .\ugust, 1869. From Nebraska Cit}' 
 
 he made his way to Vesta bj' stage, and from there 
 on foot to Adams Township, this count}'. He 
 homesteaded 160 acres on the banks of the Nemaha, 
 fashioned a dug-out for his first habitation, and 
 thus began in earnest and alone the life of the pio- 
 neer. Some j-ears later, at the time of the construc- 
 tion of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad, this 
 dugout being overgrown with brush and weeds, a Mr. 
 Wyatt, the chief engineer, fell down the chimnej' 
 of this primitive dwelling, much to the merriment 
 of the rest of his part}-. 
 
 The j-ear after his arrival in this section, young 
 Merrick, having made some beadwaj' toward the 
 establishment of a home, completed his arrangements 
 by bringing to his humble dwelling a young wife, 
 having been married, Dec. 21, 1870, to Miss Lucy 
 A., daughter of John Ljons, a well-known and 
 highlj' respected resident of this count}*, and whose 
 biograph}' aiipears elsewhere in this volume, Mrs. 
 Merrick was the younger of the two children born 
 to her parents. Her mother was in her girlhood 
 Miss Almira Shaw. Mrs. M. was born in ISIarch, 
 1853, in Kenosha, Wis., and was a little girl four 
 3'ears of age when her parents came to Nebraska, 
 and settled in the Nemaha Valley, where they were 
 among the earliest pioneers. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Merrick throve and prospered, and 
 by their united industr}- soon began to realize many 
 comforts in the pioneer home, while their land un- 
 derwent the process of careful cultivation, and de- 
 veloped an admirable and generous fertilit3'. Their 
 union was also blessed by the birth of four bright 
 children. The eldest, however, a son, Frank, died 
 at the age of ten years; those surviving are Julia 
 and Ethel A. John is deceased. The homestead 
 now embraces 400 acres of land, upon which in 
 1877 there was reared a handsome and commodious 
 dwelling, .and a good barn, corn cribs, sheds, and 
 all the other essentials of the country estate have 
 been added by degrees, as the means and necessi- 
 ties of the proprietor suggested. Not the least 
 among the embellishments and comforts of the 
 place is an apple orchard of 300 trees, planted by 
 the hand of our subject, and now in fine bearing 
 condition. A lovely grove of maples and cotton- 
 wood adds to the beaut3- •'*"'' value of the propert3'. 
 
 Mr. Merrick, in addition to general farming, has 
 
-4^ 
 
 214 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4- 
 
 given muoli of liis time and attention to stoci<-rais- 
 ing. handling large numbers of thoroughbred Short- 
 horn cattle and Poland-China hogs. Of the former 
 he has a herd of fifLj' high-grades, including the 
 bull '-Ides," famous as a breeder throughout this 
 section. It will thus readily be seen that his time 
 has been fully occupied, but notwithstanding the 
 multiplicity of his private affairs Mr. Merrick has 
 ever signalized himself as the public-spirited citi- 
 zen, willing and anxious to assist the prosperity of 
 his adopted county. To this end he has been the 
 eneourager of its various worth}' enterprises, its 
 schools and churches, assisting b^' Ids labors and in- 
 fluence in their establisiiment and prosperity. He 
 raised the large sucn required in tiie erection of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church building, and, with his 
 estimable wife, has been one of the most devoted 
 members of the society. He cast his first Presiden- 
 tial vote for Gen. Grant, and has alvva3s been a 
 stanch adherent of the Republican part}'. He has 
 never sought office, but in the school district has 
 served as a Director for many years. 
 
 ^- 
 
 --#-1- 
 
 ^ OHN O. SAVAGE is in the front rank of 
 general farmers of Grant Township in enter- 
 prise, practical knowledge, western vim and 
 I prosperity. His farm and residence are situ- 
 ated on section 20, where he is the owner of eight}' 
 acres of finely improved land, admirably adapted to 
 agriculture, upon which he has lived since 1882. 
 Previous to this he owned and operated another 
 farm on section 11, comprising 320 acres, one-half 
 of which was taken up in 1867, and settled on the 
 following spring, the remainder soon after. 
 
 For ten years previous to the settlement of our 
 subject in this State he had been a I'csident of Lee 
 County, 111., during the greater part of that time 
 being engaged in farming, in which he was very 
 successful. The place of his nativity is LaPorte 
 Township, Sullivan Co., Pa., and he was born on the 
 22d of March, 1834, to Daniel and Naricy Savage. 
 His father was born in Jsew York State, of Irish 
 parentage, and when he was a boy five years of age 
 his parents removed to the adjoining State, where 
 he grew uj) to manhood, was married, and continued 
 
 to make his home until 18.58. Then, with his family. 
 Daniel Savage, the father of our subject, removed 
 to Illinois and took up the Lee County property. 
 
 In 18GI. when the cry of rebellion rent the air, 
 and the stars and bars were waved over against the 
 only flag of liberty, unity and peace, both Daniel 
 Savage and his son, our subject, enlisted among the 
 boys of blue in Company E, 37th Illinois Infantry, 
 under command of Capt. Rust and Col. White. The 
 regiment became part of the Army of the West and 
 part of Maj. Gen. Black's command. Among the 
 many engagements in which they were actively en- 
 gaged may be mentioned those of Warrensburgand 
 Springfield, Mo., and Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove, 
 Ark., which were fought in December, 1862. At 
 one point in the battle the father of our subject was 
 in the front rank, and the notes of the liugle rang 
 out the command to charge. This was the last com- 
 mand heard, and the last cheerfully responded to 
 by Daniel Savage, In the rush forward a bullet 
 pierced his body and he fell like the brave soldier 
 he was, with his face to the foe, in the execution of 
 his duty. 
 
 Not long after the death of his father, our sub- 
 ject, who had been fighting by his side, was taken 
 severely ill, and in consequence thereof he received 
 an honorable discharge from further service, and 
 returned to Illinois to support and, perchance, com- 
 fort his widowed mother. In 1868 he brought her 
 with him to Nebraska, and until her death, in 1874, 
 smoothed as far as possible every ruggedness from 
 the path of her declining years, bestrewing it daily 
 with the perfumed blossoms of affectionate, dutiful 
 and attentive care. She went to her last rest after 
 spending sixty-two years of life, and, like her hus- 
 band, had been all her days a member of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal Church. 
 
 W^hile a resident of Lee County our subject was 
 ha|)pil}' united in marriage, the lady of his choice 
 being Cynthia Carpenter. The union was celebrated 
 on the nth of May, 1867. Miss Carpenter was 
 born in Albany, N. Y., in the year 1 843, and ac- 
 companied her parents to Illinois in 1861. She is 
 a daughter of James and Julia (Foster) Carpenter, 
 both of whom died at their home in Lee County, 
 the father about eighty and the mother about sixty- 
 years of age. For many years previous to her de- 
 
 -<*■ 
 
4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 2 1 .-. ti 
 
 niisc Mrs. Caipcnter was a member of the Baptist 
 C'oranninion. 
 
 The wife of our subject was brought up at the 
 house of her parenls, where slie made lier lioine uu- 
 til her marriage. Her eciucation was received in 
 the common school of lier native place, and was as 
 complete as was usual at that time. Her married 
 life has l)een brightened and tiie current of its joys 
 deepened liy the birth of two children : one, how- 
 ever, of these she was onlj' (jermitled to retain for 
 two years, when she was removed by death. The 
 name given to her was Julia. That (;f her living 
 child is Frank, who has entered upon an honorable 
 career and has developed a manly character that is 
 the pride of his parents. 
 
 The religious home of Mr. and Mrs. Savage is in 
 the church of the Latter-Day Saints, to which they 
 have been attached for man}' j'ears, our subject 
 having been ordained a priest of his church while 
 residing in Illinois, in which oflice he has continued 
 ever since. He has been called upon at different 
 times to fill township offices, and is at present serv- 
 ing as Clerk of the townshii). He is devoted to the 
 interests of the political party under which he and 
 his father served in da3s gone by, and has always 
 remained its stanch friend and faithful adherent. 
 
 Their son, Frank M.. was married, Oct. 29, 1887, 
 to Miss Hattie Kindell, who was born in Illinois, in 
 July, 1867. They have one son, John Walter, born 
 July 20, 1888. They reside in Grant Township and 
 are farming. 
 
 ^ .^^ <^ 
 
 LFRED COKIXE. Among those who have 
 . come from the older and more established 
 Eastern settlements, bringing with them the 
 wealth of their experience wherewith to 
 endow the newer countr}' of Nebraska, is the sub- 
 ject of this writing, whose farm occui)ies the north- 
 east quarter of section 14. Midlanil Township, which 
 is worked along the line of general mixed farming. 
 His residence in this .State dates from the j'ear 1867, 
 and in this county from 1870. 
 " Oursubjecl is the son of Richard and Mary (Her- 
 ron) Conine, who are natives of New Jersey and 
 Ohio respectively. Upon their marriage the}' set- 
 
 tled in Ohio, and foUow-ed agricultural pursuits. 
 The mother of our subject died when he was quite 
 a small bo}-, leaving throe children, who had re- 
 ceived the names of Alfred, Elizabeth and Harmon. 
 Harmon enllsteil in Company C, 27lh Ohio Regi- 
 ment, and fell while serving his conntr}', in 1864, 
 at the battle of Atlanta. Ga. ; Elizabeth married E. 
 O. Arrison, of Ohio. The father of our subject 
 married a second lime, taking as his wife Hester A. 
 Boylan. and by this union became the parentof one 
 son. Richard, who is living upon the homestead. 
 
 Upon the 14th of April, 1839, our subject was 
 ushered into life, in Licking County, Ohio. In due 
 time he was a candidate for the instruction of the 
 common school, and entered upon the duties in- 
 cident to that institution. The time thus occupied 
 was spent in such employment on the farm as made 
 him thoroughl}- acquainted with its varied tasks and 
 responsibilities, filling him for the life in the future. 
 He continued to make his home with his parents 
 until 1861, when he enlisted with his brother in 
 Company C, 27th Ohio Infantrj-, and served for a 
 term of three years as a private. He was one of 
 the command of Gen. Sherman, and was with him 
 throughout his campaign. The first part of his 
 army experience was that incidental to the army 
 teamster, but it was not long before he was pro- 
 moled to the position of wagonmaster, and given 
 charge of a train of wagons. He was mustered out 
 of the service, and honorablv dischargeJ in Au- 
 gust, 1804. 
 
 After his term of service expired our subject re- 
 turned to Ohio, and assisted in the farm woik until 
 1867; that year was doubly eventful to him. First, 
 because it was wherein he moved West, and laid 
 the foundation of his present prosperity' ; secondly 
 and chiefly, because it brought to him the life com- 
 panionship and inspiration of Miss Mary Palmer- 
 ton, to whom he was united in marriage ou Octo- 
 ber 2 of that year. She also was born in Ohio, 
 and was educated and brought up at Etna, Licking 
 County, and made her home with her parents, Ben- 
 jamin and Susan Palinerton. They are the happy 
 parents of four children, whose names are here ap- 
 l)ended — Elmer. Elizabeth, Alfred and Grace. 
 
 In the new .Stale of Nebraska Mr. Conine first 
 settled in Richardson County, remaining there for 
 
 • ¥j m ^ « 
 
216 
 
 ■•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 tliree years upon rented land. Thence he came to 
 this county, and purchased the 160 acres of unim- 
 proved land he to-da}- occupies. l)ut wliicii has 
 passed long since from its original condition to one 
 of almost perfect agricultural efficiencj', and he has 
 upon it some excellent farm hnihlings, besides the 
 pretty and comfortable farm dwelling. Besides the 
 grain interest, our subject is ever3- year increasing 
 his reputation as a stock-raiser, comprising draft 
 and road horses, and high-grade cattle. 
 
 IMrs. Conine is devotedly attached to the com- 
 munion of the Presliytcrian Church, in which she 
 is an untiring worker when o|)i)orluiiity presents. 
 Iler husband, althougli not connected with the 
 church, is a true friend of higher morality, and sym- 
 pathizes witli every movement, religious or other- 
 wise, that will assist in its attainment and progress. 
 He takes much pleasure in all matters of education, 
 and is a member of the School Board. His political 
 connections are witli the Republican i)arty, and he 
 is regarded as a strong sup[)orter and constant 
 friend by the members of his party. 
 
 ■4i ■^■^^:^:^^^-*<^-»- 
 
 '^1 OHN MAGUIRE is a son of John and Jane 
 (McMallc) Maguire, who were natives of 
 Ireland, and there spent the whole time of 
 their lives. They had a family of ten chil- 
 dren, of whom our subject is the sixth, and was born 
 on the green and lovely -JCmerald Isle" on the 22d 
 of March, 1819. He remained in his native country 
 until he was twenty-six years of age, and had grown 
 to be a strong and healthy man, receiving his edu- 
 cation during his younger years from the parochial 
 schools. He had long possessed a desire to visit 
 America, and in June, 1845, witli the expectation 
 of gratifying his desire, he embarked on a vessel 
 sailing from the port of Liverpool, and after an 
 ocean voyage of twentj'-eight days he reached the 
 harbor of New York. 
 
 Our subject remained for ten years in that city, 
 during which period he was engaged in Cooper's 
 glue factory. He then went to DeKalb County, 
 III., where he remained for alike period of time, and 
 then went to Boone County. During the time of 
 his residence in Illinois, he was engaged in farming, 
 
 and in 18C8, thinking that he would accept the gen- 
 erous offer of the Government to su])ply him with 
 a farm of his own, he came to this county and took 
 a homestead of 160 acres. He was then one of the 
 early settlers of this county, and in common with 
 them he experienced the hardships and difficulties 
 necessary in the transforming of a piece of wild, 
 unbroken i)rairie land into a smiling and cultivated 
 landscape farm. He now has it all well imi)roved, 
 with neat and attractive buildings, and has been in 
 the main successful, although he has experienced 
 some misfortunes from the failures in crops. 
 
 In the year 1846 our subject was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Alice Salleen. who was born in Ire- 
 land on the 19th of May, 1824. She is a daughter 
 of John Tebon and Jane (Linchey) Salleen, who 
 were also natives of Ireland, and were the parents 
 of eight children. She came to America in the ^ear 
 1843, and made her home in New York until the 
 time of her marriagi with our subject. By this 
 marriage they have gathered about them a family 
 of seven children, all of whom have been blessed 
 with health and spared to the present time, and are 
 married and established in homes of their own. The 
 names of the members of this family are: John, 
 William, Thomas (of whom a sketch appears in 
 this Album), James, Albert. Frances and Charles. 
 Thomas and Charles have their homes in this 
 county. 
 
 While our subject and his wife are entitled to a 
 share of the honors which are willingly bestowed 
 upon and justl}' deserved bj- the early settlers of 
 this count}', his natural reticence has prevented him 
 from seeking public honors, and he has not been 
 the incumbent of anj- of the offices of the township. 
 He bears an excellent reputation among his fellow- 
 men, and is well and favorably spoken of b}' them. 
 He is a member of the Denaocratic party. 
 
 ENJAMIN F. PITTENGER, a representa- 
 tive farmer of Blakely Township, owns and 
 ^11 occupies the southwest quarter of section 
 32, which he has transformed into a good 
 farm, and effected the improvements naturally 
 brought about by the intelligent and progressive 
 
 ■•►■ 
 
 f 
 
^<2>f^5^^^ 
 
-^^ 
 
 -•►HI-«<« 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 219 
 
 agriculturist. He came to this county in 1874. and 
 in the fall of that yenr secured the laud upon whicii 
 there had been only a slight attempt at improve- 
 ment. He has now the greater portion under a 
 good state of cultivation, the land is fertile, and 
 well watered by a branch of Cub Creek, and besides 
 a comfortable dwelling there are the various other 
 buildings required by the modern farmer. Fences, 
 live stock and machinery, in their char.acter speak 
 well for the enterprise of the |)roprietor. 
 
 Mr. Pittinger came to this State from Woodford 
 County, III., where he had owned and o]ierated a 
 farm for a period of fourteen j'ears. He liad emi- 
 grated from Ohio to the Prairie State in the fall of 
 185G. He was born in Frederick County", Md., 
 Dec. 1 , 1 823, of parents who were natives of the 
 same State. His father, James Pittinger, removed 
 with his family to Ohio quite late in life, and there 
 spent the remainder of his days, d3ing in Brown 
 County, where the mother also passed away ; both 
 lived to a ripe old age. They were health}' and active 
 to the last, the result of their temperate lives and 
 correct habits, and were highly respected lij- a large 
 circle of friends and acquaintances. The}' had been 
 connected with the Methodist Episcopal Ciiurch for 
 many years, and the father was originally a mem- 
 ber of the olil Whig party. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the fourth child 
 of his parents, and the third son in a family of five 
 boys and six girls. Three sons and four daughters 
 are still living. Benjamin F. was a child two j'ears 
 of age when his parents left his native .State and 
 settled in Ohio. He was reared and educated in 
 Brown County, and was there first married to Miss 
 Nancy J. Evans, born and reared there. She be- 
 came the mother of three children, and died in Ross 
 Count}', Ohio, when a young woman only twenty- 
 three years of age. Their two eldest sons are Will- 
 iam and James Harvey: the former is in Western 
 Nebraska, and the latter is married and farming in 
 Jeffei-son County, this State; John is unmarried and 
 in the Indian Territory. 
 
 Mr. Pittinger was marricil the second time, in 
 Brown County. Ohio, to Miss Jane Sidwell, also a 
 niTtive of that county, vvhere she was reared to 
 womanhood and received a common-school educa- 
 tion. She came to Illinois willi her husband after the 
 
 birth of one child, they locating in AVoodford 
 County. .She p.assed away in 1857 at the age of 
 forty years. Her son George is now married, and 
 lives with his father on the home farm. 
 
 The present wife of our subject, to whom he was 
 married in Woodford County, III., May 10, 18;')9, 
 Wis formerly Jliss Amanda Holmon, a native of 
 Orange County, lud., and who came to Illiilois 
 with her parents when a young woman. Slie is 
 a daughter of Tandy and Laura (Parker) Holmon, 
 who were natives of Virginia and New York, and 
 are now deceased. Of this union there have been 
 born three children, namely: Eugenia, the wife of 
 Samuel Pheasant, of Jefferson Townshi|); Carrie, 
 Mrs. Henry Stoll, living on a farm in Beatrice Town- 
 siiip, this county; and Charles AV., at home with 
 his parents. Mr. Pittinger, political!}', has always 
 been a solid Republican, while in religious matters 
 he clings to the doctrines of the Methodist P^pis- 
 copal Churcli, of which he has been a member for 
 the last thirty-five years. His estimable wife be- 
 longs to the Baptist Chuich. 
 
 38^ 
 
 ^ lElLLIAM A. HOOKER, a very intelligent 
 \/yJ// and iiighly respected farmer of Adams 
 W^ Township, has a well-ordered homestead on 
 section 32, consisting of IGO acres of good lanil 
 with suitable buildings, and the other appurtenances 
 conducing to his comfort and the general enjoy- 
 ment of life. He came to this section of country 
 from Peoria County, III., in 1875, secured soon 
 afterwaril the land comprising his present farm, and 
 h.as watched with the interest which is manifested 
 by every true citizen the growth and development 
 of his adopted State. 
 
 Mr. Hooker is of substantial New England stock, 
 his parents, Chauncey and Catherine (Wolcott) 
 Hooker, having been born and reared in the vicin- 
 ity of Bristol, Hartford Co., Conn. Their ances- 
 tors were originally from Cambridge, Mass., where 
 it is believed they settled in the Colonial days. 
 Ciiauncey Hooker w.<vs a tinner by trade, and the 
 owner of a small farm which constituted a smigand 
 comfortable home for the family. The mother 
 died in middle life in Farmington, Conn., at the 
 
 f 
 
•^1^^^ 
 
 220 
 
 4 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 age of forty-three 3'ears. Mr. Hooker survived his 
 wife man J' years, and departed hence about 1843, 
 at the age of sixty-six. 
 
 The family' of Chauncey and Catherine Hooker 
 consisted of six children, namely: William A., Levi 
 J., Polly W., Lj'dia A., Urenia, and Chauncey, Jr. 
 William, our subject, was born Oct. 10, 1804, at 
 Farmington, Conn., and remained at home until 
 reaching his majority. His brothers and sisters 
 who lived to mature years settled in Virginia and 
 Ohio. Of these three are now living. They were 
 all provided with a common-school education. 
 William when sixteen years old became a student 
 of Brighton Academy, and when leaving there com- 
 menced an apprenticeship at the clothier's trade. 
 This he followed for a time, and afterward worked 
 in the mills atvEristol. He was first married, in 
 1828, to Miss Emeline Peck, daughter of iSeth and 
 Anna (Webster) Peck, of Burlington, Conn. Mrs. 
 p]meline Hooker was born in Burlington Township, 
 Hartford Co., Conn., Sept. 14, 1804, and was the 
 second in order of birth. After marriage our sub- 
 ject continued some time in Bristol, working in a 
 clock factory there two or three years. Previous 
 to tills he had traveled, selling clocks and dryj 
 guutls throughout South Carolina and Georgia. 
 
 Mr. Hooker in the latter part of 1839 emigrated 
 with his family to Henry Count}', 111., settling at 
 Weathersfield, where he remained eighteen months 
 engaged in farming. He next removed to Peoria 
 County, and occupied himself at farming until start- 
 ing for Nebraska in 1875. In the meantime his 
 first wife had died in Connecticut, leaving two chil- 
 dren: Franklin, who is now witii his father, and 
 Catherine, who died in earlj- childhood. Mr. 
 Hooker, before leaving liie East, was married the 
 second time, to Miss Malissa Gaines, who became 
 the mother of one child only, a daughter, Emeline, 
 who is now in Adams. Mrs. Malissa Hooker de- 
 parted this life at her home in this county, Sept. 
 21, 1887, after having reached the advanced .age 
 of eightj'-three 3'ears. Their daughter continues 
 at the homestead and presides over the domestic af- 
 fairs of her father and brother. 
 
 Our subject has effected many improvements 
 upon his present homestead, erecting a comfortaljle 
 frame dwelling and a large barn, together with the 
 
 other conveniences necessar}' to his comfort, and 
 the success of his farming operations. Politically, 
 in his youth, he was an old-line Whig, and voted for 
 Gen. AVilliam H. Harrison for President, in 1840. 
 He is now an ardent Republican, anxious to see the 
 grandson of the old hero occup^'ing the position so 
 abl}' filled by his ancestor. Mr. Hooker has always 
 been a reader, and keeps himself well informed upon 
 the topics of the day. It is a source of both pleas- 
 ure and profit to listen to his recital of the events 
 of bj'-gone days, and the scenes of interest in which 
 he has borne an important part. He enjoys the best 
 wishes of hosts of friends, and will be remembered 
 with honor and affection long after he h.as departed 
 hence. His portrait ma^' be found on an adjoining 
 page, and will be gladly received by his manj' old 
 friends. 
 
 EROME W. MATTISON is nicely situated 
 on his farm of eighty acres in Island Grove 
 Township, and is the owner of 320 acres of 
 land in Sherman Township. His parents, 
 James and Eliza A. (Loomis) Mattison, were na- 
 tives of Vermont, both having been born in Ben- 
 nington Count}', the former in theyear 1818. After 
 their marriage thej' began life together in their na- 
 tive count}', and remained there until the time of 
 Iheir death, having lived within two miles of the 
 pl.ace in which they were born. The mother died in 
 1865, and the father survived her until the year 
 1884, the three children of their family then being 
 bereaved of both their parents. 
 
 Our subject was the oldest of the children, and 
 was born in Bennington County, Vt., on the 22d of 
 November, 1842, where he remained for thirty 
 years. He came to Nebiaska in 1872, and in 1876 
 entered into partnership with Mr. R. L. Gumaer, 
 which was continued for nine years, at the end of 
 which time, in the year 1884, our subject bought 
 out the interest of his partner. He now owns 400 
 acres of land, eighty acres of which are situated ou 
 section 4, Island Grove Township, and the remain- 
 der in Sherman Township. The fiist eighty acres 
 were bought for $150, and the half-si;ction for 88 
 per .acre. 
 
 On the 27th of January, 1885, Mr. Mattison mar- 
 
 / 
 
^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•►- 
 
 221 
 
 rie() Miss Susan D. Barton, a. daughter of Eli and 
 Eunice Barton, wlio were natives of Grafton, Vt. 
 fSlie w.as born in tiie afore-mentioned village on tlie 
 2d of February, 1843, and remained in her native 
 State until the year 1845. She received her edu- 
 cation in the village schools, and is an intelligent 
 and estimable lady. 
 
 Our subject is well known among the leading 
 men of liis township, having taken an active part 
 in public affairs and shared the honors of the of- 
 fices within the gift of his fellowmen. He has held 
 the oflice of Clerk of the township for two years 
 and Assessor for one j'ear, and has been an honor- 
 able member of the School Board for some time. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the 
 social order of F. & A. M. His business has been 
 carried on with gratif^'ing results, and he has put 
 lip a handsome house which .adds greatly to the 
 value of his fine farm. 
 
 ^ 
 
 -^-*-? 
 
 AVID C. QUACKENBUSH, one of the 
 ))) pioneer settlers of Grant Township, and still 
 occup3'ing the tract of land which he pur- 
 chased upon coming here, in 1867, is num- 
 bered among the most highly' respected residents of 
 the count3', with whose development and progress 
 he h-as been intimately connected. He is the pos- 
 sessor of a fine homestead, the land of which has 
 been brought to a good slate of cultiv.ation and 
 upon which he has erected neat and substantial 
 frame buildings. He h.as a goodly' assortment of 
 live stock and the modern machinery necessary for 
 the carr^'ing on of agriculture in a profitable and 
 successful manner. A period of twenty-one years 
 embraces the time which he has spent among the 
 people of Gage Countj-, during which time he has 
 thoroughly established himself in their confidence 
 and esteem. He had formerly, since a little lad of 
 seven j'ears, lived in Racine County, Wis., where 
 he .acquired his education and was reared to man- 
 hood. 
 
 Oui- subject was born at the jnodest farm home- 
 stead of his parents, in Cicero Township, Onon- 
 d.aga Co., N. Y., M.ay 12, 1837. His parents were 
 Lambert and Erailj* (Catherine) Qu.ackenbush, also 
 
 natives of the Empire State, and he was their eldest 
 child. The father traced his ancestry back t(j the 
 substantial old Dutch settlers of the Mohawk Val- 
 lej'. while the mother descended from a Vermont 
 family who were first represented in the Green 
 Mountain State probably during the Colonial days. 
 Lambert Quackenbush was a farmer bj^ occujjation 
 until a few j'ears after his marriage, when he turned 
 his attention to coopering. After the birth of two 
 children he left New York State with his little 
 family, and located among the pioneer settlers of 
 Kacine Count}', Wis., where from the uncultivated 
 land he developed a comfortable homestead, and 
 where they lived until coming to this State, in the 
 spring of 1878. They settled upon a farm in Grant 
 Township, this countjs where the death of the father 
 took place in February, 1885, when he was about 
 sixty-four years old. He was a man of much force 
 of character, and a member of the old Democracy 
 of the Andrew Jackson stripe. The mother is yet 
 living, and makes her home with her children in 
 Grant Township, having now arrived at her three- 
 score and ten j'ears. She is in excellent health and 
 her mind is still bright and active. 
 
 Our subject was educated in the primitive schools 
 of Racine County, Wis., and upon reaching man- 
 hood began the serious business of life by taking 
 unto himself a wife and helpmate. Miss Charlotte 
 Wj'tt, who was born and reared there, and who died 
 about eighteen months after her wedding, of diph- 
 theria, at the age of about twentj'-two 3'ears. Of 
 this union there was born one child, a son, Albert, 
 who married Miss Atla Adams, and is operating a 
 farm in Hitchcock County, this State. The i)arents 
 of Mrs. Q. were of English birth and parentage, 
 and were among the early settlers of Wisconsin, 
 where the father followed farming during the active 
 years of his life, and where his death took place in 
 1870. when he was well advanced in years. The 
 mother is still living, and a resident of Logan 
 Count}', Iowa. 
 
 Our subject contracted a second marriage, Dec. 
 30, 1863, in Racine County, Wis., with Miss Esther 
 Burgess, who was barn in that county, Sept. 10, 
 1848. She was there reared to womanhood and 
 educated in the common schools. Her parents were 
 Nchemiah and Sophia (Woodman) Burgess, the for- 
 
 •►HI-4* 
 
* ► i r^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 222 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 nier of whom is deceased. The mother is j'et liv- 
 ing, and malies her home with iier cliildrcn, mostlj' in 
 Grant Township. Slie is now sixty-eight years 
 old. 
 
 Of this marriage of our subject there have been 
 born six children, namely: Edniond B., pursuing 
 his studies in the business college at Lincoln. Neb., 
 a very bright and promising young man who has 
 been employed as a book-keeper with a firm in De- 
 Witt, and is also a stenographer. Minnie M. is the 
 wife of William Nettleton. a well-to-do fanner of 
 Ilitciicock County, this State; the younger children 
 — William M., John D., Ruben L. and Myrtle V. 
 continue under the home roof. Mr. Q., politically', 
 is an uncompromising Democrat, and takes a lively 
 interest in local affairs. 
 
 -^ '>P'^' "-—■ 
 
 (■^f^EBBE G. CARSTENS, brother of the well- 
 //,-;=>v known and highly esteemed citizen, .Jcibn 
 
 i 
 
 Carstens, of Clatonia Township, a sketch of 
 wliom appears elsewhere in this volume, has a good 
 farm on section 9, and has distinguished himself as 
 a worthy representative of this family. He was 
 born in the Province of Hanover, German}', March 
 4, 184G, being three years younger than his brother 
 John. He emigrated to America the year following 
 the coming of the latter to the United States, tak- 
 ing passage on a sailing-vessel, and arriving safely 
 in New York City after an ocean voyage of about 
 sevent3'-nine days. 
 
 For about two years after coming to this country 
 Mr. Carstens lived in Schuyler County, 111., and 
 from there moved to Livingston Count3^ of which 
 he was a resident a number of years. He crossed 
 the Mississijjpi in the fall of 187G, and was located 
 for a time on a farm (in section 1 in Clatonia Town- 
 ship. This was rented land. Li the spring of 
 1880 he purchased the farm vvhich he now owns and 
 occupies. The improvements which we behold to- 
 da}' are the result of his own industry and good 
 management, as he had purchased an uncultivated 
 tract of eight}' acres from the Burlington & Mis- 
 souri River Railmad Comiian}'. He, too, landed 
 upon American soil witluiut (ither resources than the 
 willing hands and quality of industi}' which had 
 
 been handed down to him from bis excellent Ger- 
 man ancestry. He battled with difficulties and 
 draw-backs successfully, enduring many hardships 
 and privations, but has been amply rewarded for 
 his toil and sacrifices. 
 
 The marriage of our subject with Miss Scents 
 Gerdes occurred on the 2d i>t March, 1870, at the 
 home of the bride in Rushville, III. Mrs. Carstens 
 is also a native of Germany, and of her union with 
 our subject there have been born five children, 
 namely: Gesienc. Feb. 8, 1871; Joachin, March 
 5, 187.^; John. Oct. 18, 1877 ; Anna, June 5, 18S0, 
 and William, in December, 1881. Mr. Carstens is 
 a member in good standing of the Lutheran Church 
 in Germany, and pcjiilically, differs some what from 
 his brother, being a supporter of the Democratic 
 party. He, hovvever, is not eonfiued to party lines, 
 but reserves to himself the right of the free Ameri- 
 can citizen to sujjport the man whom he considers 
 best qualified for ofBce. He believes in the educa- 
 tion of the young, and is the cordial supporter of 
 all the enterprises tending to the moral and intel- 
 lectual elevation of the people. 
 
 RS. HANNAH NOXON, Postmistress of 
 Adams, is a member of the well-known 
 Shaw family, who in this region are evei'}'- 
 where recognized as among its earliest 
 pioneers and most prominent citizens. Her parents 
 were Stephen P. and Hannah (Hicks) Shaw, the for- 
 mer a native of Saratoga County, N.Y., and who with 
 his estimable wife is written of elsewhere. 
 
 The Shaw family, who traced their ancestry back 
 to England, crossed the Atlantic in the Colonial 
 days, and there is no doubt parlicipated in the great 
 struggle for American libertj'. The paternal great- 
 grandfather of Mrs. Noxon made his first settle- 
 ment at Sharon, Conn., whence he removed later 
 with his famil}' to the AVyoming Valley in Penn- 
 sylvania, about the time of the breaking out of 
 the Revolutionary War. Both he and his elder 
 sons enlisted in the arm}', while the mother and 
 four younger ones remained at home, laboring, and 
 waiting as l)est they could the issues of the struggle. 
 The region of their home was over-run with law- 
 
 / 
 
 t 
 
t 
 
 ■^•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•► 
 
 223 
 
 less soldiers, and tiie mother, with two of her boys, 
 William and Benjamin, saved their lives by fleeing 
 to the mountains. The bo}' Benjamin was the 
 grandfather of Mrs. Noxon. 
 
 Benjamin Shaw remained with his mother, it is 
 supposed, until the Colonists had achieved their in- 
 dependence, and until the return of the father from 
 the field. He w.as later married to Miss Margaret 
 Tripp, and thej' became the parents of six children 
 — Egbert, Wyllis, Anise, Isr.ael, Lj'raan and Stephen 
 P. After the AVyoming massacre the father of 
 Benjamin Shaw, unable to endure the scene where 
 two of his boj's had been murdered, joined his 
 family in Dutchess County, N. Y., to which region 
 the mother finallj' made her escape, and where they 
 both spent the remainder of their daj's. passing 
 away about the years 1808 and 1826, respectively. 
 
 Stephen V. Shaw soon after reaching manhood 
 became a resident of Dutchess County, X. Y.. and 
 there met his future wife. Miss Hannah Hicks, a 
 daughter of one of the most prominent and highly 
 respected families. In the biographj' of Stephen 
 V. Shaw, on anoti\er page in this volume, will be 
 found a partial histor3' of the Hicks family, not as 
 extended, it is true, as their importance merits, 
 but enough to givean idea of their standing .among 
 the New England families of that period. They 
 had their coat of arms, adopted b3' their English 
 ancestors, and preserved their pride of birth with 
 all the natural chivalry of the race. The Hicks 
 coat of arms was in the form of a shield, sur- 
 mounted bj- the head of a unicorn, and underneath 
 on a scroll banner the words. " Libertj' .and Friend- 
 ship." 
 
 To Stephen P. and Hann.ah (Hicks) Shaw there 
 were born ten children, namely: William, Egbert. 
 Margaret, Emily, John B., Almira. Hannah, Re- 
 becca, James I. and Stephen V. The parents spent 
 their last years in G.age County, Neb. Their daugh- 
 ter Hannah, the subject of this biographj-, was born 
 in Dutchess Count3-, N. Y., Dec. 31. 1834. and was 
 the seventh child of the family. They lived in a 
 quiet Quaker settlement in LaGrauge Township, 
 where Hannah, in common with the younger chil- 
 dren, attended school, and obtained the first rudi- 
 ments of education. At the age of ten years her 
 parents decided upon a change of location, and re- 
 
 moved to Litchfield County', Conn., settling two 
 and one-half miles from the town of .Salisbury'. In 
 the latter our subject resumed her studies, and 
 completed a very good education. She w.as just 
 blossoming into "sweet sixteen" when her parents 
 left New England, and took up their abode among 
 the earlj' residents of Kenosha Count3'. Wis., where 
 the3' lived until 1857, when thn3' came to Nebraska. 
 The3' left Wisconsin on the 6th of Miy, and arrived 
 at their destination on the 6tli of July following, 
 having made the journey overland with ox-teams. 
 
 At the time of the arrival of the Shaw family 
 in the Nemaha Valle3', there was but one solitar3' 
 settler within its borders, John O. Adams, who had 
 come a short time previousl3'. Hannah Shaw, while 
 in Wisconsin, had made the acquaintance of Mr. 
 George Noxon. who.it transpired, was a native of 
 her own county in New York .State, and thus with 
 mutual interests to begin with they soon found they 
 had similar tastes, which cutmin.atcd in a warm af- 
 fection, and their marriage on the 15th of March, 
 1860. Mr. Noxon w.os born June 7, 1830, and 
 spent the earlier part of his life in New York. He 
 came to Nebraska with George Gale in 1858. 
 
 After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Noxon, who 
 were one of the first couples to be made one in tlic 
 Nemaha Valley, settled upon the homestead claim 
 which Mr. Noxon had secured, and which nowcom- 
 prises the farm occupied by Mr. James Shaw. 
 About 1864, the health of Mr. Noxon failing, he 
 repaired to the bracing climate of Colorado, where he 
 remained for one and one-half years, and thus practi- 
 call3' forfeited his claim to his homestead, and felt 
 bound in honor to relinquish it. He, however, resided 
 there for four 3'cars afterward, and there looked 
 his last upon the scenes of earth, his decease taking 
 place Sept.- 21. 1870. To Mr. and Mrs. Noxon 
 there had been born two children only — Stephen 
 S. and Georgia M. The latter is now the wife of 
 David Ripley, of Adams Township. 
 
 After the death of her husb.ind Mrs. Noxon 
 started a small store in Leona, and soon received 
 the appointment of Postmistress. .She struggled 
 bravel3- with man3' dilliculties, and lived at that 
 place until 1880, when she changed the scene of 
 her Labors to Adams, purchasing the store of Mr. 
 Patterson, and conducting for some time the only 
 
 l~ 
 
 _^ > J ^ ^» 
 
i 
 
 ■^■ 
 
 i i 2-24 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 general merchapdising in the place. She soon here 
 also received the appointment of Postmistress, and 
 is now serving her eighth 3'ear in that capacity, 
 which is sufficient indication of, the manner in which 
 she has conducted both her own business and that 
 of the public at large. Her perseverance has met 
 with its legitimate reward, and slie is now in pos- 
 session of a competency for her declining years. 
 
 Mrs. Noxon, as a lady of more than ordinary in- 
 telligence, has always taken a lively interest in the 
 growth and prosperity of Nebraska, and as the wife 
 of one of its pioneers endured all the hardships 
 and privation inseparalile from the settlement of a 
 new country, when the facilities for communica- 
 tion with the outer world were exceed ingl}' limited. 
 She has always been the. friend of education and 
 progress, and when the establishment of a Presby- 
 terian Church society' was decided upon, entered 
 hearlilj- into the jilan, and was one of its charter 
 members. She has since continued with this body, 
 and has contributed of her means to its support. 
 She has decided ideas upon the political questions 
 of the day, and is in favor of Democratic rule, ac- 
 cording to the theories of Jefferson. Socially, Mrs. 
 Noxon belongs to the Pleasant Plain Lodge, I. O. 
 G. T., and has been largely instrumental in its 
 prosperity. 
 
 'Tr^, EV. JOHN PATTER.SON 
 
 llUif munitv there are men who stand at the 
 
 R he« 
 
 In every corn- 
 stand at the 
 ead of public affairs, and whose word is 
 
 i)considered authority in public and private 
 matters. It is impossible for a resident of a com- 
 munity to rise to the rank of leader unless he 
 possesses certain qualifications, by the exercise of 
 which he can place himself in sympathy with the 
 minds and hearts of the people at large. In edu- 
 cated and Christian society there is a certain rank 
 accorded by acclam.ation to the men who devote 
 their lives to the cause of the church and Chris- 
 tianity ; by common consent thej' are acknowledged 
 as the criterion by which facts, principles and con- 
 duct are tested in order to obtain a correct judgment 
 concerning them. 
 
 Among those who have aided in the spreading of 
 
 the Gospel and the elevation of the morals of so- 
 ciet3' in this section and vicinity, our subject takes 
 prominence as a man of able attainments and un- 
 exceptionable character! Mr. Patterson was born 
 on the 2Cth of October, 1836, in Licking County, 
 Ohio, and is a son of Ephraim Patterson, who was 
 a native of Virginia. Leaving his native State of 
 Virginia he went to Ohio, and was numbered among 
 the early pioneers of Licking Count3', afterward 
 emigrating to Johnson County, Iowa, in the year 
 1849. Our subject spent his early years on his 
 father's farm, and received a common-school edu- 
 cation, supplementing it with a course of study at 
 the Iowa City College, which bears a National repu- 
 tation for its excellent sj-stem of education, and 
 the ample opportunities afforded its students to 
 thorougiil}' master any of the branches" of learning. 
 
 In 1870 our subject came to Liberty Township 
 and settled on section 23, and at that time entered 
 the Eastern Nebraska Conference of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. For six years he conscientiously 
 discharged the duties of a minister of the Gospel 
 on this circuit, and was then transferred to Vesta 
 Circuit, in which he preached for eighteen months 
 At the end of that time he was appointed to the 
 circuit of Pleasant Hill, in which he remained for 
 one 3'ear, and then settled on his present farm in 
 the spring of 1877. He owns 160 acres of good 
 farming land on section 23, on which he makes his 
 home, and engages in the various duties of a farmer 
 and stock-raiser. 
 
 On the 4th of December, 1857, Mr. Patterson 
 was united in marriage with Rebecca A. Middleton, 
 a daughter of Joseph Middleton, deceased. She was 
 born in Washington Couut3', Iowa, and to her and 
 her husband have been born three children, their 
 names — Sylvester, Jacob S. and Celestia. S\'lvester 
 married Miss Aurilla M. McMains, lives in Bent 
 County, Col., and is the father of four children — 
 Smile3-, Ethel A., John R. and Celestia I.; Jacob 
 married Miss Nora Cruse3', and they with their in- 
 fant son make their home with our subject; Celes- 
 tia was married to George Owens, of Libert3-, and 
 the3' have one child, named Frances. Our subject 
 is very happy in the possession of the friendship 
 and respect of the people of his communit3', and 
 does not seek to exchange the title which he bears 
 
 ■^•- 
 
 ■•► 
 
I 
 
 ^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 225 
 
 l~ 
 
 so lK)norabl3- for tliat of anj' public office that 
 would bring with it the cares and responsibilities of 
 a politician. He is an active member of the I. O. 
 O. V. 
 
 -^ — ^^^^^_. ^ 
 
 ¥^ "^ILLIAJr A. FOREMAN. The reputation 
 of the gentleman whose life is herein epito- 
 mized, is quite widespread and favorable 
 to him, as a man of business, stock-raiser and citi- 
 zen. His farm and residence are situated on sec- 
 tion 8 of Logan Township. He is the son of James 
 H. and Frances M. (Carr) Foreman. His father 
 was born in New York in 1 828. His chosen call- 
 ing was in the lumber trade, and he became the 
 owner of a sawmill in Pennsylvania. In 1858 he 
 moved to Adams Count3', Wis., and purchased 120 
 acres of land, which he farmed successfully, at the 
 same time retaining his interest in the lumber trade 
 in Wisconsin. In 1864 he removed to Mitchell 
 County, Iowa, and began farming at Osage, leaving 
 there in 1870 for DeWitt, Neb., where he home- 
 steaded eighty acres of land, and farmed the same 
 until tiie year 1886. He is at present living in 
 Narka, Kan. 
 
 Mrs. Foreman was born in New York in the same 
 j'ear as her husband, and after a happy wedded life 
 of many ^-ears died in 1 865. The^' were the par- 
 ents of aight children, whose names are here given : 
 Phebe A.. William A. ; Francis A., and James H., 
 deceased ; Daniel M., Hannah M., Agnes R. and Net- 
 tie M. With the exception of Nettie, w-ho makes 
 her home with her f.ather, all the daughters are 
 married. Daniel is mining in Colorado. The cloud 
 upon the family history is connected with the death 
 of James II. ; he h.ad been to Ellsworth, Kan., and 
 was ou his way home; he had advanced be3'ond 
 the Saline River, but it w.as found had not crossed 
 the Smokj' River. Our subject, who went out 
 to tr3' to discover him, found that he had been 
 murdered in cold blood between these two rivers, 
 it is supposed for the purpose of robbing him of 
 what money was on his person. The murderer 
 could never be traced. 
 
 Our subject was born in Lj'coming County, Pa., 
 on the otii of Jlay, 1848, and remained under the 
 shelter of his father's roof until 1865. He had al- 
 
 -4«- 
 
 ready received b\' that time a good common-school 
 education. The years 1866 to 1868 were spent at 
 Cedar Valley College, Osage, Iowa, in the work of 
 preparation for the profession of the pedagogue. 
 He has, with increasing popularity and more impor- 
 tant and substantial results, been retained as teacher 
 in his home district, Logan, for eight successive 
 years, a fact that speaks with no uncertain sound 
 regarding his ability in his profession. In addition 
 to the school duties, he is operating a farm in 
 Logan of eighty acres in extent. All the improve- 
 ments that are to bo found thereon and the work 
 of cultivation are the work of his own iiands, for 
 which too much credit cannot be given him. 
 
 The marriage of our subject was celebrated on 
 the 5th of March, 1876, in Logan Township, the 
 lady of his choice being Sarah E. Mumford. who 
 is the' daughter of John B. Mumford, a sketch of 
 whose life will be found in this volume, to which 
 we would refer the reader for further information. 
 Their marriage has proved for both a most happj- 
 union, and it has been blessed by tiie birth of three 
 children — Ernest M., Walter W. and Arthur A. 
 
 Upon his farm our subject gives attention to 
 the raising of grain, but is more interested in 
 stock, and is the owner of some very fine animals. 
 Perhaps the best of these in evciy regard is a beau- 
 tiful Clydesdale stallion, " Duke of Devonshire," 
 sired by '"Devonshire." This splendid creature 
 stands about sixteen and a half hands in height) 
 and is one of the finest horses in the count}' for 
 draft purposes. 
 
 Mr. Foreman takes deep interest in political mat- 
 ters, and endeavors to keep himself thoroughly 
 posted on all matters of civic and governmental in- 
 terest. He was nominated by the labor partj% and 
 indorsed hy the Democratic party, for the office of 
 Superintendent of Schools, but Gage being a very 
 strong Republican county, he was defeated by M. 
 D. Horham, the Republican candidate. He h.as been 
 Assessor in Logan for two years, in 1881-82, and is 
 at present a Justice of the Pe.ace. It will be no- 
 ticed from the above that the political creed of our 
 subject is that of the Democratic partj% and he will 
 doubtless continue, as in the past, an .active sup- 
 porter of the same. Mrs. Foreman is a member of 
 the Latter-Day Saints' Church, and is a lady whom 
 
 h 
 
u 
 
 226 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 to know is to admire and respect, as is ])atent to 
 those whose privilege it is to meet her. Although 
 her husband is not connected witii any church or- 
 ganization, he is a gentleman who entertains the 
 most punctilious regard for all the proprieties of 
 society', and is a constant friend of good morals and 
 a liigher plane of living, and, with liis wife, enjoys 
 the confidence and esteem of the community at 
 large. 
 
 -->> -o*o..@v>'V®"0*° -^~- 
 
 ENRY H. JONES, a representative farmer 
 and stock-raiser of Highland Township, is 
 the owner of 1 60 acres on sectioa 30, and 
 eighty acres on section 31, and is looked 
 u|)on as one of the most reliable men of this region, 
 llis early home was in far New England, in Penob- 
 scot County, Ale., where his birth took place Aug. 
 27, 18.53. His parents, C^'rus and Sarali (Mc- 
 Laughlin) Jones, were also of New England birth 
 and parentage. This branch of the Jones famil}' is 
 believed to have been of .Scotch ancestry, while the 
 mother of our subject traced her forefathers back 
 to England. 
 
 Our subject when a little lad of seven years was 
 brought by his parents to Lee County, 111., where 
 the father died a few months later. The family- 
 was left with little means, and Henry H. was early 
 in life tiirown upon his own resources. He remained 
 witli his mother until a lad of thirteen, then com- 
 menced working out on a farm, and vvas thus occu- 
 pied until reaching his majority. Li the spring of 
 IcSTl he left Hlinois, and crossing the Mississippi, 
 stopped in Adams County, Iowa, where be was em- 
 pl()}-ed in breaking prairie until in October follow- 
 ing, and then came to this county. In Highland 
 Towi ship he homesteaded eighty acres of land on 
 section 30, which he still retains, and which at that 
 time vvas in its virgin state. He endured in com- 
 mon with the pioneers about him the hardships, 
 toils and privations of the early settler, but like 
 most of them his labors met with their legitimate 
 reward. In addition to carrying on the cultiva- 
 tion of his land, he added to its area, and has now 
 one of the finest homesteads in his township, and 
 which indicates in a substantial manner the perse- 
 verance and industry with which he has labored. 
 
 Among the self-made men of this county there are 
 none who have made a worthier record. 
 
 Three j'ears following his arrival in this county 
 Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Jliss Jennie 
 E. Eender, the wedding taking [jlace at the home of 
 the bride in Dixon. Lee County', Jan. 1, 1874. 
 Mrs. Jones was born in Lee County, III., Feb. 25, 
 1857, and is the daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth 
 (Hall) Fender, who were natives of North Carolina 
 and Kentucky respectively, and are both now de- 
 ceased. Of this union there are two children living: 
 Myrtie E., born July 17, 1876, and Mayfield L., June 
 7, 1886. Bertha M.is deceased. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Jones are members in good standing of tiie Church 
 of God, and in social circles of their community 
 occupy a leading position. Our subject is a strict 
 Rei)ublican, politically, and has been quite promi- 
 nent in local affairs. In June, 1887, he was 
 appointed to fill an unexpired term .as Township 
 Supervisor, and in November following was dul}' 
 elected to the same office. He has served as Treasurer 
 of the School Board in his district for a period of ten 
 years. As one of the pioneer settlers of his town- 
 ship he has been closely identified with its business 
 and agricultural interests, and has noted with that 
 satisfaction which everj' intelligent citizen feels its 
 progress and welfare. 
 
 ^J^^EORGE CAMBRIDGE is a successful i 
 III (=^ thrifty general farmer residing on sect 
 ^^Jl 36, Lincoln Township, where he has 160a( 
 
 GEORGE CAMBRIDGE is a successful and 
 
 section 
 acres 
 
 mostly in a well-improved condition and supplied 
 with good farm buildings. He has made his home 
 on his present farm since 1880, having in that time 
 brought it to its present fine stale of cultivation. 
 He had previously made his home in Atchison 
 County, Mo., for ten years, having come to this 
 countrj' from Norfolk, England, where he was born 
 on the 26th of August, 1845, and is of pure English 
 ancestry'. His father, William Cambridge, was a 
 native of the same county, and spent all his life there 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits. He married Miss 
 Elizabeth Brown, who was born in the same county, 
 and was also of English ancestry, and together the 
 parents of our subject have arrived at a good old 
 
 ^^M*^* 
 
RESIDENCE OF G.E.BENTLEY , 5 EC , 29 , RIVER5I D E T P. 
 
 '"■ry'"i^'^S^5tJ?*^V?^'^^ 
 
 RESIDENCE OF C.K. H 1 6 G 1 NS , SEC. 35 .M I DLAND TP 
 
u 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 229 
 
 age. that of the father being eighty-five years, anrl 
 of the inotlier eighty-four years. Thej- are mem- 
 bers of the Church of Englaiul. and are esteemed 
 and honored people wlicrevor the}' are known. 
 
 Our subject is the j-oungest but one of a family 
 of six sons ami (ive daughters, of whom four sons 
 and all the daughters are living; thret; of the sons 
 are residents of the United States. Joseph Cam- 
 bridge, a brother of our subject, is a resident of 
 Lincoln Township, this county, and is further men- 
 tioned in this collection of sketches. Our subject 
 remained in his native count}- until he was nineteen 
 years old, having received an English common- 
 school education, which is a very thorough one in 
 all the elementary branches of learning, and at the 
 age of nineteen he started out alone for America. 
 After the long voyage, which must have seemed 
 very tiresome to iiim in his condition without 
 friends and compelled to supply their places by 
 making acquaintance with the companions of the 
 voyage, he landed in New York City, and thence 
 went to Michigan. He made his ho!ne in Saline, 
 Washtenaw County, at which place he began to 
 earn his livelihood as a farm laborer, and continued 
 theie for three years. 
 
 When our subject left Saline he moved to Mis- 
 souri and there was married, in Atchison County, on 
 the 27th of December, ISTo, to Miss Susanna Ward, 
 who was born in Woodford County, 111., on the 21st 
 of March. 1853. She grew to womanhood in her na- 
 tive county under the shelter of her father's roof- 
 tree, and received a good common-school education, 
 at the age of twenty-two years moving to Missouri, 
 where a little later she was married to our subject. 
 Her father, Charles Ward, is a native of Lincoln- 
 shire, England, where he grew to manhood and 
 married Miss Catherine Bainbridge, also a native of 
 Lincolnshire, and together they came to the United 
 States about the time when the forties were ready 
 to give place to the fifties. They are now living 
 in Jefferson County, this State, engaged in farming, 
 having come in the spring of 1885. 
 
 After our subject was married he located on a 
 farm in Atchison County, Mo., which was their 
 home until they came to this county in 1880, since 
 which time they have proved themselves valuable 
 members of society, and are warmly esteemed by 
 
 the people of their community. They have not 
 yet identified themselves with any religious denomi- 
 nation, but are consistent Christian people, and bear 
 unblemished reputations. Mr. Cambridge is an 
 ardent Republican, and has held some of the offices 
 in the gift of the peojile of his township. He and his 
 wife are the happy and indulgent parents of five 
 children, named Albert, Eliza E.. Minnie O., George 
 F. and Grace, who have brought much sunshine to 
 the household, it having been darkened by but one 
 cloud, which was caused by the death of Charles W. 
 when onlv a few months old. 
 
 ACOB BACHLE has been a resident of this 
 county since 1875, and as lie has always 
 been engaged in agriculture, he has suceess- 
 
 'M fully managed his farm on section 16, Lin- 
 coln Township, and has brought it to a splendid state 
 of improvement. He has lived on his present place 
 since 1881, and previous to his residence in this 
 county he liveil for four years in Logan County, 
 III., where he was engaged for two years in farming 
 and two years in general labor. He was born in 
 Bavaria, Germany, on the 16th of August. 1842, 
 and when he was about twenty-eight years old he 
 left his native country to try his fortunes in Amer- 
 ica, immediately upon his arrival locating in Logan 
 County, 111. His father, Bartel B.achle, was a Ba- 
 varian farmer, and spent the whole time of his life 
 in his native country, his death occurring in 1881, 
 when he was seventy-two years old. He had mar- 
 ried a German lady named Mary Ulrich, and she 
 died Sept. 7, 1888, in Bavaria, aged seventy-seven 
 3'ears. Our subject is the sixth 'child of a family 
 of eight, three sons and five daughters, one of the 
 latter now deceased. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Baclile landed in New York City, 
 having just completed the long ocean voy.age, and 
 three years later he was married in the county in 
 which he had taken up his residence to Miss Kate 
 Raeder. She was born in France, on the 7th of 
 November, 1849, and when she was twentv-one 
 years old she had come with her parents to Amer- 
 ica. They first settled in Logan County, 111., but 
 since tiie marriage of their daughter with our sub- 
 
 
>► ll "^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 .t 
 
 230 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 jeot the parents have come to Nebraska, and now 
 make their home in Lineohi Township, where thej' 
 have made man}' warm friends, By their marriage 
 our subject and his wife are parents of five children, 
 all of whom are j'et living at home, enj()3-ing the 
 solicitous care of their [)arents, and bear the fol- 
 lowing names: Albert, Fred, John, Edward and 
 Charles. 
 
 Since his residence on his present farm our sub- 
 ject has made man}' noticeable improvements, which 
 add to the appearance as well as the utilit}^ of the 
 place, among which maj' be noted tiie attractive 
 and substantial house, and the commodious barns 
 and general farm buildings, fences, etc., all of 
 \vliich speak of the industry and tiirift of a well- 
 informed and cai-eful manager. Our subject is 
 non-partisan in politics, preferring to lend his in- 
 fluence to tlie election of honest and honoralile men, 
 irrespective of party, rather than uphold an organi- 
 zation of wliose |)rinciples he cannot approve. He 
 is well known as a man of strict integrity and hon- 
 orable business principles, and is well liked for his 
 social qualifications Mrs. Bachle is a member of 
 tlie Catholic Church, at Beatrice. In religious be- 
 lief Mr. Bachle is liberal. 
 
 -^E3- 
 
 *^ 
 
 OBADIAII B. ALLINGTON. The subject 
 j of this sketcli is anotlier link in the chain of 
 evidence of the f.act that the West is largely 
 
 the offspring of the East, that its progress and de-- 
 velopment are due to Eastern energies, intelligence 
 and indomitable perseverance. He was born in 
 Bellona, Yates Co., N. Y., Feb. 26, 18.59, and is the 
 son of Daniel K. ."ind Emma E. (Coffin) Alliugton. 
 He was the only child born to his parents, wlio 
 upon their marriage settled in New York, and there 
 brought up the little one given them. The father 
 died there on the 2d of December, 1859, and the 
 mother came to Gage Count}' with our subject on 
 tlie 8lii of March. 1879, and still resides with him. 
 The burden of the family falling upon the shoul- 
 ders of the widowed mother, was taken up with all 
 the heroic bravery wiiii wiiich womanhood, and more 
 especially motherhood, is endowed, and the fact 
 that our subject has attained to the success he has, 
 
 demonstrates the manner in which the mother liore 
 the burden and met the obligation. Our subject 
 received a fair English education, and afterward 
 engaged in farming in New York State. In March 
 of 1879 he came to Nebr.aska and located on the 
 Big Blue River, about one mile east of his present 
 farm, to which he removed in 1882. It will have 
 been noted that he attained his twentieth birthday 
 only a few weeks prior to his coming to Nebraska, 
 and is still quite a young man. In view of tiie 
 p.ast, and the possibilities of the present outlook, 
 it were safe to prcilicate that the biography of our 
 subject will contain after a few years a record of 
 success most brilliant and satisfactory. 
 
 On the 1 9th of January, 1 882, our subject was 
 united in marriage with IMiss Mary Roderick, the 
 estimable daughter of Jolui M. and Susannah Rod- 
 crick, of Gage County, Neb., but natives of Penn- 
 sylvania. Their daughter Mary was born in Green 
 County, Wis., Jan. 22, 18GG, and until her mar- 
 riage her home w.as vvith her parents. For further 
 details regarding this' interesting family the reader 
 is referred to the sketch of Mr. Roderick, which 
 appears upon another page. There have been born 
 to our subject and wife two children, viz: Susie 
 E., who was born on the 23d of April, 1884, and 
 Frank D.. on the 20th of March, 1 886. 
 
 The farm of Mr. Alliugton comprises 160 acres, 
 and is situated on section 25 of Riverside Townsliip. 
 When he took possession of the land in 1 882 it was 
 in nowise di.<tinguishable, excepting by the stakes 
 that marked it out from the surrounding prairie, 
 but our subject went to work, bringing into requi- 
 sition every particle of knowledge or experience 
 ever obtained by him, and backed it with all the 
 restless energy and magnificent strength of his 
 young manhood. His mistakes he made stejiping- 
 stones to ultimate success; his failures he examined 
 until he found their cause, with the determination 
 that they should find no repetition. Thus he has 
 struggled manfully on, and every succeeding year 
 has found him stronger and better able to cope with 
 the exigencies of life in a new country. The en- 
 tire farm is either in a good state of cultivation or 
 in pasture. He has provided substantially built 
 granary, barn, corn crib, stabling, etc., and his resi- 
 dence would do credit to a much older, more 
 
 .^ 
 
 
-U 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTS. 
 
 231 
 
 oxperiencerl and wealthier man. Our subject con- 
 templates the erection in the near future of a new 
 barn, which lias been rendered necessary by various 
 extensions in other departments, and from the 
 preparations made to effect this, it is certain to be 
 accomplished, and he will then be the owner of one 
 of the finest and most complete in its adaptability 
 and convenience in the count3'. 
 
 Our subject's wife is connected with the Baptist 
 Church, while his mother is a member of the Meth- 
 odist communion. This lady is a daughter of 
 Alva and Elizabeth (Fowle) Coffin, who were 
 natives of New York. Her mother died in Yates 
 County, N. Y., in 1836; tlie father married Harriet 
 Allington the following year, who proved a second 
 mother to his child. Both our subject and wife 
 receive the heartiest respect of the comraunitj', 
 which admires the manly pluck, energj' and go- 
 ahcaditiveness of Mr. Allington, no less than the 
 nianj' estimable womanlj' qualities of his wife. In 
 questions connected with the political economy of 
 the countr}', and the various issues arising from the 
 same, our subject stands with the Democratic party, 
 and has done so since he has been a voter. 
 
 -4-+#^ 
 
 J^ RS. FANNY HARDY is an estimable and 
 
 I l\| exemplary Christian lady, who has twice 
 * LI) suffered tlie bereavement of an affectionate 
 
 ' and devoted companion, and is now making 
 
 her home in Island Grove Township. .She was born 
 in Nottinghamshire, England, Dec. 21, 1826, and is 
 a daughter of Thomas Wilkenson. His wife's 
 maiden name was Cosens; both were born in Not- 
 tinghamshire, England. In the year 18,il she was 
 united in marriage with Mr. Thomas Wakefield, who 
 was also born in Nottinghamshire, and whose an- 
 cestors were residents of PIngland. Thej' came to 
 America, and for a time made their home in New 
 Y''ork, and in 1852 they moved to Chicago, where 
 they live<l but one month, when Mr. Wakefield 
 died. Of this marriage there were five children, 
 but two of whom ai'e now living: Caroline, the wife 
 of John Thompson, resides in Iowa; Mary Ann, 
 the wife of Chambers Adams, resides in Illinois. 
 
 In 1854 our subject was united in marri.age with 
 
 ■♦ 
 
 Mr. Richard Hardy, who was born in Lincolnshire. 
 England, in June, 1826. He lived in his native coun- 
 try for twenty-five ^-ears, after which lie came to 
 America and made his home in New York, where 
 he remained two j'ears. He then went to AVIiito- 
 side County, 111., where he lived for twenty-five 
 years, and in 1874 he came to this county, making 
 his home in Island Grove Township until the time 
 of his death, in 1875. Bj' this marriage they h.id a 
 family of eleven children, six of whom are now liv- 
 ing, and are mentioned as follows: George G. resides 
 in Logan County, Kan.; Isaac W. is in Island 
 Grove Township; Fannie M. married William Reed, 
 and resides in Island Grove Township; Jane A. is 
 the wife of George Gallagher, of whom a sketch is 
 appended : Arabella E. is the wife of Hcnr3- AYoo- 
 key, of Rawlins County, Kan.; Richard D. remains 
 unmarried, and resides in Island Grove Township. 
 Mrs. Hardy is an esteemed member of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal Church at Blue Springs, and is leading 
 a life of patient resignation, devoting herself to her 
 children and their happiness. 
 
 The second daughter of our subject, Jane A., is 
 the wife of George Gallagher, a well-known farmer 
 residing on section 7 of the same township in which 
 our subject resides. His father, Patrick Gallagher, 
 was born in Ireland, and his mother, Ann (Harris) 
 Gallagher, was a native of England. Both the 
 father and mother came to America while sino-le 
 and their marriage occurred in this country. The}' 
 have a familj' of eight children, of whom Mr. Gal- 
 lagher is the fourth child, and w.as born in St. 
 Claire, Mich., on the 22d of March, 1850. When he 
 was fourteen years old he began to work on a farm 
 near Kingston, DeKalb Co., 111., where he remained 
 for eight years, and at times engaged In work as a 
 carpenter. In 1871 he came to this State and made 
 his home in Johnson County, where he w.as married 
 to Elizabeth F. Bates. She was a native of England, 
 and after her marriage became the mother of one 
 child, who died in 1879, her own death occurring 
 in the following year. 1880. 
 
 In 1883 Mr. Gallagher married the daughter of 
 Richard and Fanny Hard}-, who was born in White- 
 side County. 111., Aug. 22, 1865. He is a member 
 of the I. O. O. F.. of Blue Springs Lodge No. 84, 
 and has served as a member of the School Board 
 
 ^ 
 
232 
 
 i 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 for some time. He is a Republican in politics, and 
 is intercste'1 in the political as well as the educa- 
 tional affairs of his township. During the first j-ears 
 of his residence here he e.x|)orienced sonic hard- 
 ships and met with some misfortunes, but now those 
 trying times are past, and lie is well and comfortably 
 situated on his farm, enjoying tiie confidence and 
 esteem of the residents of the community. 
 
 ' Tj--,// RED KRACKE is tlie owner of a lieauti- 
 lU^fe- ful and Iiighly cultivated farming propertj- 
 jK^ of 210 acres, which is situated partly in 
 (irant and partly in Clatonia Township, on sections 
 31 and 6. This projierty became our subject's in the 
 spring of 1879, since when he has continued most in- 
 dustriously engaged in tiie work of its improvement, 
 working assiduously and constantlj'. He has sup- 
 plied his farm with a very fine set of farm buildings, 
 such as are usual, and for a property of this de- 
 scription, a daily necessit}'. These are substantially 
 built, vvell arranged, and excellent in their adapta- 
 tion to the various requirements for which the}' 
 were built. 
 
 Our subject obtained his land by purchase at dif- 
 ferent times, and from a small beginning has worked 
 his way gradually — some might even think, slowly 
 — but nevertheless surely, from a sphere limited 
 and circumscribed in possession and oi^portunitj', to 
 tliat it is his pleasure to-day to occupy. His pre- 
 vious home had been in Jackson County, Iowa, for 
 the nine years immediately' preceding. To that 
 place he had come from his German home, having 
 been born in Hanover, in the German Empire, upon 
 the 23d of December, 1853. 
 
 In his native country the subject of our sketch 
 was educated and brought up. He continued to 
 live with his parents until he was sixteen years of 
 age, then, leaving his parents (they consenting to 
 the change), he, with heart though sad in taking 
 what might prove the last farewell, 3'et fired bj' the 
 high hope and inspiring ambition which is the veiy 
 soul of 3'oung manhood, took ship for the New 
 World, in due time set foot upon American soil, and 
 began life for himself, (^oing to Jackson Count}', 
 Iowa, he speedily found work upon a farm and began 
 
 his labor, with which he was fully familiar. although 
 in some details work was performed differenll}' from 
 what he had been used. 
 
 The marriage of our subject was observed with 
 eclat and amid most pleasurable congratulations in 
 Clatonia Township, March 12, 1884. The maiden 
 of his choice, who has so completed the happiness 
 of his life, Ellen JUwer, was born in Hanover, in 
 Germany, in the year 18GG. She came to this 
 country an<l State directly from her Hanoverian 
 home in the year 1882, and has since continued to 
 make it her place of residence. She is now the 
 happ3' mother of three bright, healthy little ones, 
 who have received the names: Benjamin, Lena and 
 Fred. 
 
 In the Lutheran Church, in which they were early 
 brought by baptism and confirmation, Mr. and 
 Mrs. Kracke have alwaj's made their religious home, 
 continuing devotedly attached to its creed and 
 services. In matters political our subject has es- 
 poused the cause of the Republican party, and 
 usuallj' votes its ticket. He has drunk deeply at 
 the spring of American liberty and independence, 
 and is thoroughly imbued with the spirit of her citi- 
 zens. He is progressive, wide-awake and enter- 
 prising, of strict honor and upright character, a 
 worthy representative of a worth}' people, the Ger- 
 man-American citizen. 
 
 ~o ^#^- ^ 
 
 ^OSIAH A. SPEER is an energetic young 
 farmer residing on section 34, Island Grove 
 Township, and although he has been a resi- 
 dent of this county but three years he is 
 building up a splendid home and gaining a repu- 
 tation for industry and integrity. His father, John 
 Speer, was born in Count}' Monaghan, Ireland. He 
 was quite a small boy when he came to America, 
 and made his home in Jo Daviess County, III. 
 There he met Miss Mary Moore, whom he afterward 
 made his wife. Both are now living in the same 
 county in which they began life together, and they 
 have reared a family of eight children, seven of 
 whom are now living. The father has been en- 
 gaged in farming and dealing in stock. 
 
 Our subject was born in Jo Daviess County, III. \ ' 
 
 -^ 
 
 t 
 
-4•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 233 i 
 
 on the 7th of A\n\\. 1862, and remained with his 
 pai-ents until he was twenty-three j-ears olil. receiv- 
 ing his edncation in liis earlier years from the 
 Hanover Sfluiols. In 1885 he took the shaping of 
 his futnre conrse in life into his own hands, and 
 aware of the indneenients held forth by this State 
 for active and indnstrious yonng men, he came to 
 this connt}' and lion<;lit a quarter-section of land 
 in Island Grove Townshi)). At tlie time of his pur- 
 chase the land was worth 5>4,3o0, being partly im- 
 proved. He now has 115 acres under cultivation, 
 from which he realizes abundant crops of grain and 
 general farm produce, and gives special attention to 
 the raising of live stock. The buildings, including 
 a good house and commodious barns, are in good 
 condition, and the farm presents an attractive ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 On the 1st of September. 1887, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Mi^s Maltie McKeague, who 
 was born on the 25tb of December, 1861, in Carroll 
 Count}', 111. She is a daughter of Andrew anfUBessie 
 McKcague, who were natives of Ireland, and had 
 come to the United States in the year 1 850. There is 
 a family of seven children in tiieir household, of 
 whom the wife of our subject was the fourth born. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Speer are esteemed members of the 
 United Presbyterian Cluirch. of Liberty, and in the 
 short time of their residence here thej- have won a 
 host of friends and acquaintances. Mr. Speer 
 affiliates witii the ReiniMicau party in politics, and 
 is interested in the general improvement and ad- 
 vancement of the public welfare. 
 
 ^^ HENRY KLIPPER, one of the oldest liv- 
 flf^^ ing settlers of this county, is comfortablj' 
 ^^^ located on section 28 in Ciatonia Township. 
 He came to the Great West during the period of 
 its earliest settlement, and has been no unimportant 
 factor in the development of Gage Count}', build- 
 ing up one of its most creditable homesteads. 
 
 Our subject, a native of Scioto County, Ohio, 
 was born Sept. 1, 1848, and is the son of Henr}' 
 and Mary Klipper, who were natives of Germany. 
 'f They had a large famil}' of children, of whom the 
 
 following survive: C. Henry; William, a resident 
 of Lincoln, this State; John, a well-to-do farmer of 
 Ciatonia Township, where Herman also lives; Louis, 
 in Saline County; Frank, in Ciatonia Township; 
 Anne, the wife of Frederick Sauble, of Saline 
 County, and Lena, the wife of William Gutcsm}'cr, 
 also of Saline County. The parents are residents 
 of this count}'. 
 
 When a youth of nineteen years our subject 
 with his parents left the Buckeye State, and coming 
 to this county, the father purchased a tract of 
 land on section 32 in Ciatonia Township along Cia- 
 tonia Creek. Their neighbors were few and far be- 
 tween, and there was little evidence of the white 
 settler in this region. Henry Klipper, the elder, 
 lived and labored in true pioneer fashion, being re- 
 warded in his efforts at building up a homestead, 
 and now, with his estimable wife, is spending his de- 
 clining years surrounded by every comfort, and 
 m.aking his home among his friends and children in 
 this coujity, 
 
 In 1869 our subject horaesteaded eighty acres of 
 land on section 28, in Ciatonia Township. He had 
 received a rudimentary education in his native State, 
 and when about fourteen years of age began to 
 work in an iron furnace in his native county, where 
 he was employed several years. He subsequently 
 resumed farming as more congenial to his tastes and 
 capacities, and has followed this occupation the 
 greater part of his life. After corning to Nebraska 
 he was married, Jan. 15, 1873, to Miss Dora E. 
 Baake, a native of Germany, and the daughter of 
 Carl and Dora E. Baake, who are now residents of 
 Lancaster County, this State. This union resulted 
 in the birth of four children, one of whom, Alfred, 
 died when three years old. Those living are Al- 
 veua, Martha and John. 
 
 The farm of our subject comprises 120 acres of 
 land, he having added to his first property, and has 
 \ brought the whole to a good state of cultivation. 
 He votes the straight Republican ticket, and has 
 served three years as Treasurer of his school dis- 
 trict, being warmly interested in securing to the 
 young those educational advantages which will 
 make of them intelligent and reliable citizens. 
 Both he and his estimable wife are members in good 
 standing of the German Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 
 i~ 
 
 4«- 
 
23-t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 in wliose interests they have labored as the}' have 
 had opportunity for many years. Tlieir home and 
 its surroundings present a pleasant picture of rural 
 life, and the family is one of the most highly re- 
 spected in the community. 
 
 ■^^5^ 
 
 '^n^'{V^* — - 
 
 ■^lOSEPH CAMBRIDGE is a prominent and 
 I highly respected citizen living on section 30, 
 Linepln Township, on a good and well-im- 
 proved farm of eighty acres. He secured 
 his^present farm in the spring of 1880, with some 
 improvements already made, and he has since put 
 it ill a good state of cultivation, and made of it a 
 fine and valuable farm. Previous to his coming to 
 this county he resided in Atchison County, Mo., in 
 which place he had made a farm from the wild and 
 uncultivated land, planted an orchard of fruit trees, 
 and erected good and substantial buildings. He 
 remained there for ten years, during which time he 
 succeeded fairly well, but he wished to attain even 
 greater success, and came to this county, drawn 
 hither no doubt by the great inducements offered 
 by the natural resources of this fertile country. He 
 is a native of Norfolk County. England, where he 
 was born on the 17th of November, 1842, and is 
 the next oldest living son of William Cambridge, 
 of whom a more complete mention is made in the 
 Ijiography of George Cambridge, a brother of our 
 subject. 
 
 Our subject spent his early years in his native 
 county, and when he became of age he served an ap- 
 prenticeship to learn the hardware business, en- 
 gaging in it for a period of about four years, after 
 which he went to London, and there made his home 
 for nine months. He then went on a voyage to Port 
 Natal. Africa, during the time of the journey act- 
 ing as second steward on the sailing-vessel '-The 
 City of Rochester," under command of Capt. Bruce. 
 He then returned to England on the -'Evangeline." 
 and remained at home for some months, when he 
 again entrusted himself to the -briny deep," and 
 went to Nova Scotia. There he engaged in farm- 
 ing and made his home for two years, afterward 
 spending two seasons in Michigan, and thence mov- 
 
 ing to Missouri, a brief mention having already 
 been made of his residence in the latter place. 
 
 Our subject was united in marriage in Atciiison 
 County. Mo., on the 30th of November, 1874, to 
 Miss Susanna Sweetman, who was born in Toronto, 
 Canada, on the 21st of May, 1843, and is of En- 
 glish parentage. Her parents came from England 
 to Canada, and later to the United States, making 
 their home in Michigan, where the father died some- 
 what past middle life. The mother, whose maiden 
 name was Cecelia Baldwin, is now living near Hills- 
 dale, Mich., and has arrived at the advanced .age of 
 eighty -seven years. Mrs. Cambridge grew to woman- 
 hood in her native citj', and spent her time in 
 learning the useful accomplishments which are so 
 necessary for the good management of a household. 
 She is the mother of one bright, intelligent child, 
 nameil Anna E. S. The mother is a member of the 
 Catholic Church, and the father has joined himself 
 to the Episcopal Church. In politics he is a very 
 ardent Republican, and has done all in his power to 
 promote the cause and success of that political or- 
 g.anization. As a successful and enterprising citi- 
 zen, and as an intelligent, industrious, genial and 
 true-hearted man, he is entitled to the esteem which 
 is accorded him b}' the people of his community. 
 
 l^^, UFUS C. BROOKS. War is sometimes in- 
 lj#^ evitable, and cruel and heartless as its rav- 
 Ivi '\\ ages are known to be, it is sometimes the 
 ^§;only resort by which the rights of a people 
 can be protected or maintained. When its cause is 
 in and for the right, then to participate in it be- 
 comes most honorable and praiseworthy. AVe have 
 always taken great pleasure in giving credit where 
 credit is due, and we never fail to recognize and 
 appreciate the immeasurable honor due to those 
 whose valor gained for us the peace and prosperity 
 which we now enjo}'. Right glad are we that in the 
 gentleman w-hose name appears at the head of this 
 slietch we find .another one of those brave and val- 
 iant men whom it is our delight to honor. 
 
 Our subject is the son of George and Mar}' 
 (Tucker) Brooks, both natives of Allegheny County, 
 Pa., where they grew to maturity and .were mar- 
 
 -<•■ 
 
»► 11 ^^ 
 
 gagp: county. 
 
 -•► 
 
 235 
 
 ried. In the spiing of 1852 they moved to Dela- 
 ware County, Ohio, where they spent the remainder 
 of their days, the death of the father occurring in 
 18.)-!, and that of tlie mother in 1.SG5. They were 
 the parents of twent}' eliildren, ten of whom sur- 
 vive, are married and have families. 
 
 Mr. Brooks was the tenth child of the family, his 
 birth occurring on the 14th of August, 1833. On 
 the 2-4th of December, 1854. he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Sarah E. Badgley, a daughter of 
 P. D. and IMary Badgley, of Wood County, Va. 
 Mrs, Brooks was born on the 18th of August, 
 1827, in the county and State above mentioned. 
 To our subject and his wife there was given a fam- 
 ily of six children, whom we name as follows: Isa- 
 bel E., Evaline, Manora. Mary A., Grant and 
 Cl^'stia E. Evaline was born on the 23d of Sep- 
 tember, 1857, and died on the 10th of Maj-, 1884; 
 Cl^stia E. was born on the 14th of Februarj', 1870, 
 and died on the 26th of August, 1877. 
 
 At the breaking out of the war our subject en- 
 listed in Company G, 'JGlh Ohio Infantry', under 
 the command of Capt. Kimble, at Delaware, Ohio, 
 and served with this company for three years. He 
 was in a number of heavj* engagements, and during 
 the three years of service was not sick for one day 
 nor missed a battle in which his command took 
 part, fortunatelj- never having received a wound. 
 Among the places noted in the history of the war 
 at or near which the command of our subject par- 
 ticipated in an engagement there were the follow- 
 ing: Vicksburg, Arkansas Post, Ft. Morgan, Ft. 
 Gaines. Ft. Blakcl^-, Spanish Fort, Mobile and Sa- 
 bine Cross Roads. Our subject enlisted on the 6th 
 of August, 1862; he was mustered out at Mobile, 
 Ala., and discharged at Columbus, Ohio. 
 
 After the marriage of our subject in Virginia, he 
 remained in that State and engaged in farming 
 until the year 1859, when he removed to Delaware 
 Count}', Ohio, and made his home there until 1869. 
 Ill that j"ear he moved to this State and home- 
 steaded a quarter-section of land on section 27, 
 Sicily Township, and then sold it in 1878 and im- 
 mediately bought his present farm. At that time 
 the land was wild and unbroken, and he paid 
 S3. 50 ])er acre for it. Ills farm now consists of 
 120 acres of fine land, on which he has made many 
 
 improvements, building a fine house and barn and 
 other necessary buildings. The fields are all fenced 
 and in a fine state of cultivation. 
 
 Our subject deserves not a little credit for hav- 
 ing brought the previously uncultivated land to 
 such a fine state and appearance. Besides raising 
 grain, he devotes considerable attention to the 
 breeding of Poland-China hogs and keeps some 
 cattle. He li.is been very successful in his farm 
 produce, and is very nicely situated. He is a 
 member.of the Republican part}', giving some at- 
 tention to politics, and being interested in the ad- 
 vancement and improvement of his county and the 
 coramunit3' in which he lives. His wife was an es- 
 teemed and active member of the Christian Church, 
 at Wyraore, and he enjoys the confidence of his 
 neighbors as a highly respected and reputable man. 
 Mrs. Brooks died on the 31st of August, 1888, 
 and many friends and neighbors now mourn her 
 loss, as she was a kind wife, mother and neighbor. 
 
 \| OSEPH LATSHAW. Highland Township h.is 
 among its [)rcsperous farmers and stock- 
 I raisers few who are more deserving of no- 
 (^^/' tice than the subject of this sketch. He is 
 fortably located on section 21, and is the owner of 
 160 acres of land, of which he secured possession in 
 the spring of 1877. He is a little past the meridian 
 of life, having been born Dec. 30, 1830, in Butler 
 County, Pa. 
 
 The parents of our subject, John and Nancy 
 (Zeigler) Latshaw, were also natives of the Key- 
 stone State, and reared a h\rge family of children, 
 of whom survive: Henry; Elizabeth, wife of Heiir}- 
 Barkej'; John, Jacob, Benjamin and Joseph, all of 
 whom, with the exception of the last-named, con- 
 tinue residents of their native State. Hann:ih, Mrs. 
 Liken, lives there also, while Samuel and Isaac 
 are in Kansas. When a youth of nineteen years, 
 Joseph removed with his parents from Butler to 
 Venango Count}-, where he resi<led until coming to 
 Nebraska. On the 27tli of November, 1860, he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Catherine Tinstman, 
 a native of his own count}', and the daughter of 
 Abrain and Catherine (^Moyer) Tinstman, who were 
 
 i" 
 
■^•■ 
 
 2o6 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 natives of Pennsylvania; the father is deceased. 
 Mrs. LatsliHW was born Sept. 22, 1842, and by her 
 union with our subject became the mother of seven 
 children, viz: Alpheus; Amelia, wife of Bryant 
 Wilson, of Highland Township; Samuel, Maggie, 
 Jessie, Dayton C. and Earl. "With the exception of 
 Amelia, the children continue at home with tiieir 
 parents. 
 
 In the si)ring of 1 878 Mr. Latshaw with his fam- 
 i!}' left the Keystone State, and crossing tlie Missis- 
 sippi, located on the land comprising his present 
 farm in tliis county. Most of the improvements 
 noticeable on the iiomestead have been brought 
 about b}- himself. He is essentially- the architect 
 of his own fortune — a self-made man in the truest 
 sense of the word. His earl}' advantages were 
 limited, and he was tlirown upon his own resources 
 when young in years. Politically, he is a Repub- 
 lican with prohibition tendencies. He is the School 
 Treasurer of his district. Religiously, he is a mem- 
 ber in good standing of the Church of God, in 
 which he has served as Elder for a number of 
 years. He takes an active interest in the religious 
 and educational enterprises of the day, is public- 
 spirited and liberal, and in all respects a praise- 
 worthy and useful citizen. He avails himself of the 
 standard publications to keep himself well posted 
 upon topics of general interest. 
 
 
 ^. DWARD DOYLE. In the days when Gage 
 County was in its earliest histor3',and every 
 (M^^i, day witnessed some new incident of impor- 
 tance and interest to the infant State and county, 
 there came hitlier and settled herein, one who 
 from that day of pioneer settlement until the pres- 
 ent has most worthily represented the class some- 
 times designated by the appellation, Irish-American 
 citizens. Our subject was born in Ireland, in the 
 year 1842, and is the son of Edward Doyle. It was 
 his great and irreparable misfortune to be left 
 motherless when l)etween two and three years of 
 age, and to lose his fatlier bj' death at the Dixon 
 bridge disaster, Dixon, 111., about seventeen years 
 since. 
 
 After the death of his molher our subject was 
 
 brought up b}' a spinster aunt. Miss Ann Coleman, 
 near Woosung. 111. When about four or five years 
 of age, our subject accompanied his brother Mi- 
 chael to the United States, and resided with his aunt 
 in Brooklyn for about three 3'ears, and then accom- 
 panied her to Ogle Countj', 111., where he was 
 reared to manhood, and received in the common 
 schools of that count}' his education. Upon that 
 as a foundatitm, he has b}' constant reading become 
 unusually well informed upon all topics of general 
 interest, and takes exceptional delight in such stud- 
 ies as will be of practical value in an}' department 
 of life. 
 
 In Januar}-, 18G7, our subject became the hus- 
 band of Ellen O'Neill, one of Illinois' fair daugh- 
 ters. This union was blessed by the birth of eight 
 children, whose names are here subjoined, viz: 
 George A., John, Clara, May, Daisy. Alice, Annie 
 and Sadie. Miss O'Neill is the daughter of John 
 and Bridget O'Neill, natives of Ireland. Their 
 family circle includes nine children, and of these 
 the wife of our subject is the third child. She was 
 educated in the district schools near her home, and 
 until her marriage resided with her parents. 
 
 Our subject came to Gage County in 1873, and 
 since that time has continued his residence here 
 without interruption. Upon arrival he homesteaded 
 160 acres of land upon section 30 of Highland 
 Township, the same upon which he now resides. 
 It was in its original beauty and wild picturesque- 
 ness, but in obedience to his wish, enforceil by his 
 continued labor, it has taken on a new appearance, 
 has become more fertile, arid in every regard more 
 useful. Without doubt it is one of the most im- 
 proved and best farms in the entire count}'. When 
 he came hither our subject was practically with- 
 out means, and as we have seen, the relations to 
 whom it usually falls to give the start in life had 
 been removed from terrestrial scenes, so that his 
 present prosperity is the result of the mutual iielpi 
 encouragement and labor of our subject and his 
 most excellent wife. 
 
 Since he became a citizen Mr. Doyle has voted 
 with the Democratic party, but at present is very 
 much inclined to cast his ballot in the coming 
 election in favor of Harrison and Morton. He is 
 not what is commonly called a politician, but is an 
 
-#*■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 237 
 
 intelligent, common-sense, free citizen, and wliicli- 
 cver way he may ultimately decide to act, it will 
 he dictated by the desire eonscientiouslj' to fulfil 
 Ills duty as a man and a loyal citizen. It has been 
 his privilege to serve three years as one of the 
 School Directors, and during that period he so dis- 
 charged his duties as to win the respectful admira- 
 tion of his compeers. 
 
 In August of the j'ear 1861 our subject enlisted 
 in Company D, 34th Illinois Infantry, which be- 
 came a part of the Western Arm3\ He continued 
 in this department of the service throughout all the 
 campaign from that on, fighting in the battle of 
 Shiloh, and in all the engagements of that series. 
 He W.1S taken prisoner at the battle of Stone River, 
 and confined in Libby Prison for about two weeks, 
 and for the remainder of thirty-five days in Castle 
 Thunder, then he was paroled and in due time 
 was exchanged, rejoining his regiment, and went 
 once more into battle, remaining without further 
 accident, let or hindrance, until Julj', 1865, when 
 he received an honorable discharge, and returned 
 home to Illinois to resume the less exciting and 
 dangerous duties of civil life. 
 
 JAMES AV. GRAHAM. The farm of our 
 subject, situated upon section 22 of High- 
 land Township, presents a picture of suc- 
 cessful, thrift}' farm life that is seldom 
 equaled, even in this county of enterprising and 
 prosperous farmers. This gentleman is a native of 
 Knox Count}-, Ohio, where he was born upon the 
 21stof August, 1852, to David and Rhoda Graham. 
 His father was a native of Scotland, and his mother 
 of Pennsj-lvauia. Mr. Graham, Sr., is believed to 
 have emigrated to America in the year 1840, but 
 after his marriage he settled in Knox County, Ohio, 
 and there made his home for about eleven years. 
 He went from Knox County to Mexico, and was 
 killed in the Mexican War. Our subject moved 
 to Fulton County, Ohio, and resided there about 
 fourteen years. 
 
 The above noted bereavement left our subject 
 and his brother John B. orphans, for about one 
 year previous to his father's departure to Mexico, 
 
 their mother had been taken from them by death. 
 Thus the beginning of his life was darkened by the 
 shadow of death, and his path bedewed by the 
 tears of orphanhood; iu whatever of prosperity our 
 subject may have been in a position to enjoy, it 
 should be remembered that it is alwa3's more credit- 
 able to those who come up through tribulation, 
 trial and darkness to positions of honor, pr{>sperity 
 and opulence in the community. Our subject was 
 taken into the family of John James, his maternal 
 grandfather, who resided in Fulton Count}'. Here 
 he was well cared for, and received with affection. 
 His education was provided for by the opportunity 
 afforded to attend regularly the classes of the dis- 
 trict school in the neighborhood. When not thus 
 employed he was engaged in farming and stock- 
 raising. 
 
 The spring of 1877 witnessed the migration to 
 this State of our subject, who upon arrival rented 
 land in the southern part of the county, and there 
 for two 3'ears did little but " break" the land. In 
 that time he broke 600 acres of land, and our sub- 
 ject built two houses and improved two farms iu 
 the space of about five years before locating on sec- 
 tion 24. In 1882 he came to Highland Township, 
 located on section 24, built on that farm, and there 
 remained until the spring of 1884. Then he settled 
 upon his present property, that comprises eighty 
 acres of excellent agricultural land, which under his 
 extensive labors has taken on its present beauty, 
 fertility and perfection of productiveness, and forms 
 a most realistic background for the farm buildings 
 and residence that complete the picture. 
 
 The loneliness that had been felt in the life of our 
 subject since his childhood was only eradicated 
 once and forever when he was united at the hy- 
 meneal altar, upon the 25th of May, 1879, with 
 Miss Susie Boomer, the estimable daughter of John 
 and Margaret Boomer, of Beatrice, who were among 
 the early settlers in this county. This lady was 
 born in New Jersey, at Newark, Feb. 15, 1853. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Graham have been born six chil- 
 dren, of whom, however, but two survive. These 
 are Lucretia V., who was born March 21, 1885 ; and 
 Lewis W., March 30, 1887. 
 
 In all political matters our subject is independent, 
 and his ballot is cast for whomsoever he may deem 
 
•^f^ 
 
 238 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 the most fitting candidate. His suffrage is given 
 not according to the principles of partj-, but ac- 
 cording to the principles of right. Owing to his 
 life struggle, doubtless, there has been developed 
 in our subject a disposition generous and beneficent; 
 he is a man of recognized business integrity, stand- 
 ard character and unquestioned patriotic, public 
 si)irit, and because of what he is he is accorded the 
 heartiest confidence and respect of his neighbors 
 and friends, as is also the faithful companion of 
 his life. The}- are both active and consistent mem- 
 bers of society, and move in the most select circles. 
 
 -^-^ 
 
 i--^ 
 
 U ILL I AM RETCHLESS. Upon the banks 
 of the Cam, which gives its name to Cam- 
 *J^ bridgeshire, which is among the prettiest 
 of English counties, stands one of the oldest and 
 most famous institutions of learnir.g in Europe, the 
 date of its founding being lost in the earlier days 
 of the Middle Ages. At present it consists of sev- 
 enteen colleges and halls, in which have studied, 
 and from them gone out to their life work, some of 
 the greatest men the world has seen, among them 
 Sir Isaac Newton and Lord Bacon. In this county, 
 which comprises 822 miles, and is renowned as one 
 of the most richly agricultural districts of England, 
 there was born to John and Ester Retchless, upon 
 the 3d of October, 1844, a son, of whom the fol- 
 lowing sketch is a brief biographical compendium. 
 
 The parents of our subject emigrated to America 
 while he was quite small, and settled in Niagara 
 County, N. Y., in 1851. There our subject received 
 his early education, and was reared to manhood, 
 being engaged after completing bis school course in 
 farming. Although quite a young man, our sub- 
 ject responded to the call for defenders of the 
 Union, and enlisted Aug. 7, 1862, in the 19th 
 New York Battery, and was a participant in several 
 battles, among others that at Suffolk, battle of 
 the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, where he 
 was wounded on the 12th of May, 1864, and from 
 that time was in no regular engagement. He re- 
 ceived his discharge Feb. 20,1865, and returned 
 home and engaged in faim work. 
 
 In 1876 our subject came to Pawnee County, 
 
 Neb., where he made his home until 1883. Then 
 he settled in this county upon his present propert}', 
 which includes 200 acres of excellent land for pas- 
 toral purposes. He is engaged chieflj' in stock- 
 raising, and makes a specialty of cattle of graded 
 stock. His herd numbers sixt}'-seven, and among 
 them are several especially fine animals. 
 
 Upon mature reflection our subject decided to 
 take to himself a life companion, and was accord- 
 ingly united in marriage, March 1 1 , 1867, in Niag- 
 ara Countj', N. Y., with Miss Salina Humphreys. 
 This lady is the daughter of William and Ester 
 Humphreys, and was born in New York State, Sept. 
 14, 1849. Her father is deceased. There have been 
 nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Retchless, whose 
 names are here appended in the order of their 
 birth: Alta E., Alice E.. Alma L., Frank W., 
 Charles T., Fred J., Edward, Jessie B. and Grace A- 
 
 The militarj' experiences of our subject were 
 such as to lead him to take a deep interest in the 
 work of the G. A. R., of which society he is a mem- 
 ber. He is uniformly loyal and patriotic as a citi- 
 zen, honorable in all business relations, courteous, 
 liberal and affable as a man and a friend, and en- 
 joj's the confidence and regard of liis fellow-citi- 
 zens. 
 
 -^ : : Di:o : 
 
 SjHOMAS E. HIBBERT cultivated in his early 
 days, and has preserved in his older age, a 
 remarkable patriotism and devotion to the 
 welfare of his country. As a boy he was willing to 
 sacrifice his life if need be in her behalf, but it fort- 
 unately not being required of him, he has reached 
 the prime of life without lessening in an}' degree 
 his fervor or activity in advocating her cause. His 
 father, Edward R. Hibbert, was born in England, 
 and his mother, Mary (Graham) Hibbert, was born 
 of Scotch parents in the northern part of Ireland. 
 They were married in Philadelpliia, Pa., and resided 
 in that city, the father being engaged in the delight- 
 ful occupation of floriculture. They had a family 
 of four children, of whom Thomas E. and Martha 
 are living, an<l James and Edward died in infancy. 
 The parents also died in Philadelphia. 
 
 Our subject, the oldest child of the family, was 
 born on the 18th of October, 1846, in the above- 
 
 / 
 
•^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 239 
 
 ,t 
 
 named city, and when be was but five j'ears old he 
 was called to mourn the loss of his devoted mother. 
 After this sad bereavement he lived with his aunt 
 and his grandmother until he w.as nine j'ears old, 
 after which he labored in the emploj-ment of others 
 in Wayne County, Pa., until the breaking out of 
 the war. Boy as he was, his young heart was fired 
 with enthusiasm, and he could not be restrained 
 from offering himself and his young manhood in so 
 just a cause as that which his country iiad espoused, 
 and on the 6th of August, 1862, when he was not 
 quite sixteen \-eai"s old, enlisted with Companj- A, 
 137tb Penns3'lvania Infantrj'. 
 
 For some time our subject was drilled with his 
 companj- at Harrisburg, and on the 1 4th of Septem- 
 ber he participated in the battle of South Mount- 
 ain. A few days later he was among the number 
 engaged in the fearful encounter at Antietam ; think 
 of it, a boy not yet sixteen, where they buried 
 2,000 Confederates! At Fredericksburg, on May 
 3d and 4th, and at Chancellorsville on the 5th and 
 Cth, he distinguished himself as one of the bravest 
 soldiers. His time of enlistment having expired, 
 he re-enlisted, Sept. 23, 1863, with Battery C, 2d 
 Pennsj'lvania Heavy Artillery, and in that com- 
 mand he served before the defenses of Washington. 
 He was transferred to the infantry field in May, 
 1864, having in the previous winter of 1863-64 
 been promoted to the rank of First Corporal, which 
 position he held until the close of the war. He 
 also served in the battles of Cold Harbor and Peters- 
 burg on the 14th of June, 1864, in what is termed 
 "The Crater," the 30th of July, 1864, and in Sep- 
 tember he participated in the James River cam- 
 paign, and remained with Grant all summer. He 
 was at the seiges of Petersburg and Richmond until 
 the close of the war, and remained on reconstruc- 
 tion duty until Februarj^ 1866, doing provost 
 duty at Petersburg. He received his second hon- 
 orable discharge at Philadelphia. 
 
 After having so nobly distinguished himself as a 
 brave warrior, our subject remained at home for one 
 year, then went back to Wayne Countj', and in 1869 
 be came to Nebraska and took up his present home- 
 stead. He was married to Miss Nannie E. Fuller, 
 on the 19th of March, 1874. She was born on the 
 23d of February, 1856, in Kosciusko County. Ind., 
 
 and came to this State on the 4th of JUI3', 1 864, when 
 she was a girl of eight j'ears. Mr. and Mrs. Hib- 
 bert have numbered seven children in their family, 
 the three oldest of whom are deceased. Their 
 names are: Marj- P., Charlie E., Anna J.. Guy, 11a 
 E., Roscoe C, and Thomas E., Jr. 
 
 Our subject owns 160 acres of fine land on sec- 
 tion 13, Hooker Township, which he devotes to the 
 purposes of general farming, and on which he has 
 made many fine improvements. He has a grove of 
 box elder, maple, Cottonwood, poplar, ash, elm, etc., 
 all of which trees have grown from seeds and cut- 
 tings, and present a fine appearance. There have 
 been other improvements, also, which add materially 
 to the value of the farm. As a supplement to his 
 excellent war recoid, Mr Hibbert has taken an act- 
 ive part in the political afifairs of his county and 
 district, having been a delegate to the Republican 
 State Convention in 1886, and in the year 1888 
 he was elected delegate to the Republican Countj' 
 Convention, and delegate to the Congressional 
 Convention, in which honorable offices he repre- 
 sented his constituents in a manner which was entirelj' 
 satisfactory to them. He takes a great delight in 
 discussing political matters, and he has a pleasant, 
 genial disposition, which is so necessary^ to a man in 
 the political arena if he desires to retain his own 
 urbauitj' of manner, and the respect of others. Both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hibbert are esteemed members of the 
 ]\[ethodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 ENDERSON BURTON. One of the oldest 
 farms in Sicily Township is that occupied by 
 the gentleman whose name is at the head of 
 this sketch, who was born in the southern 
 part of Virginia, Oct. 23, 1818. When at the 
 age of five j'ears his parents, Jared and Nellie 
 (Adams) Burton, removed to Kentuckj-, thej' too 
 being natives of Virginia, and until that time hav- 
 ing made their home in that State. Our subject 
 was reared to mature j'ears in Morgan County, Kj'., 
 where, unfortunately, he was able to receive no 
 school training, because at that time schools were 
 not established in the district. 
 
 Our subject removed in the j'ear 1851 to Fre- 
 
•<^ 
 
 240 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 mont County, Iowa, making the trip bj- the river, 
 first upon the Ohio down to Cairo where it unites 
 with the Mississippi; at that point the prow of his 
 boat was turned up the last-named river, and pres- 
 ently he arrived at St. Louis, where, owing to the 
 frozen condition of the river, he was compelled to 
 winter. In March of the following year (1852) he 
 recommenced his journej' up the Missouri River, 
 and upon the 8th of April went ashore at Lambert's 
 Landing, which is situated about four miles above 
 the present site of Kebraska City. 
 
 After one year spent in Iowa our subject returned 
 to Kentuck}', but in 1855 once more made his way 
 to Kebraska City. The following year (1856) 
 found him again in Kentuckj'. After eight years 
 he again migrated westward, and in the 3'ear 1864 
 settled near Wyoming, Neb., where he remained until 
 the year 1 874, when he removed to his present home. 
 At that time it was an entirely undeveloped country, 
 and for three j'ears or more the visits of Indians were 
 a daily occurrence. There were very few neighbors, 
 and none of them near, the first white settlement 
 having only been effected the j'ear previous to our 
 subject's coming, and his house and farm being the 
 most southerly in the entire county. The farm in- 
 cludes 200 acres of exceptionally good land for the 
 pursuit of husbandry, and is situated on the twentj'- 
 first section, and, by constant attention and labor, 
 has been brought to an unusually high state of cul- 
 tivation. 
 
 Mr. Burton has been twice married ; first in March, 
 1 840, to Miss Rosa Sexton, who, however, died seven 
 years later, and left one son, James E., who was born 
 Dec. 13, 1844, in Carter County, Ky. This lady 
 was a native of Kentucky, and a most devout mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Her son 
 James, when at the age of seventeen years, answered 
 the call of his countr}',and enlisted in her defense in 
 Company K, of the 10th Kentucky Cavalry, and 
 served for fourteen months. During that time he 
 contracted the disease which ultimatelj' removed 
 him from the sphere mundane. He was for many 
 years devotedly attached to the Cumberland Pres- 
 bjterian Church, and continued his membership un- 
 til the last. He was married, on the 31st of Decem- 
 ber, 18G8, to Alvira J. Austin, who presented him 
 with two sons— William C. and Leonard E. ; the for- 
 
 .p^Mi.: 
 
 mer died at the age of eighteen j'ears. upon the 26th 
 of December, 1887; Leonard E. continues to make 
 his home with his grandparents. 
 
 The second marriage of our subject was with Miss 
 Rebecca M. Lambert, of Boyd County, Ky.. and 
 was celebrated on the 10th of October, 1848. This 
 ]a(\y and her husband are both within the pale of the 
 communion of tiie Evangelical Church, and receive 
 the full confidence and esteem of those with whom 
 they are associated. Mr. Burton is one who gives 
 full attention to the rights and responsibilities of 
 citizenship, and is careful regarding the disposition 
 of his ballot, but at the same time is in sympathy 
 with the Republican partj^, and in National cam- 
 joaigns usually votes its ticket. 
 
 /p^EORGE KRAUTER, a pioneer settler of 
 jl| (=^ Clatonia Township, has long been a familiar 
 ^^^J! figure among the farmers of section 3. A 
 native of Bavaria, Germany, he was born Dec. 5, 
 1833, and is the son of John and Anne Krauter, 
 who traced their ancestry among the best families 
 of the Fatherland. He was reared in his native 
 Province, where he lived until a youth of twenty 
 years, then resolved to seek his fortune in the New 
 World. He accordingly bade adieu to his youth- 
 ful associations, and taking passage on a sailing-ves- 
 sel at Bremerhaven, landed, after an ocean voj'age 
 of nine weeks, in the city of New York. He 
 remained in Orange County, N. Y., for .about 
 two years thereafter, employed as a farmer. In 
 1853 he was united in marriage with Miss Caroline 
 Wolf, a native of Alsace, Germany, and this union 
 resulted in the birth of twelve children, nine of whom 
 are living, namely : Frank, George, Charles, Will- 
 iam, Edward, Wilhelmina, Caroline, Frederick and 
 Archie. John, Ella and Frederick are deceased. 
 
 From Orange Countj', N. Y., our subject re- 
 moved to the vicinitj' of the city of Sing Sing, 
 where he remained, however, but a short time, then 
 started for the West, and crossing the Father of 
 Waters, was engaged for about eight years in a 
 lumber-yard at Burlington, Iowa. Subsequently he 
 farmed in the vicinity of that citj', but about the 
 fall of 1*71 came to this county and homesteaded 
 
 •► 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 241 
 
 
 eight}' acres of land in Clatonia Township. He was 
 one of the first men to follow the plowshare in this 
 township. He retained possession of his first land 
 about seven j'ears, then sold out and took possession 
 of his present farm, where he has brought about 
 the improvements naturally suggested to the intel- 
 ligent and progressive agriculturist. He has been 
 remarkably prosperous in his labors, and is now the 
 owner of 400 broad acres, which yield in abun- 
 dance the richest crops of this section. His dwell- 
 ing is comfortable and the barns and out-buildings 
 properly adapted to the storing of grain and the 
 shelter of stock. 
 
 Mr. Krauter after becoming a naturalized citi- 
 zen identified himself with tlie Republican party. 
 He has served as School Treasurer of his township 
 for a number of yeai-s, and in the spring of 1887 
 was chosen as Judge of Election. To the mainten- 
 ance of schools and churches he gives his uniform 
 and hearty support. The German Americans of 
 this county- comprise a portion of its best element, 
 and none are more deserving of honorable mention 
 than the subject of this sketch. In religious mat- 
 ters he belongs to the German Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, is one of its Trustees, and contributes liber- 
 ally to its support. 
 
 lOBERT C. HEMPHILL is entitled to hon- 
 orable mention as a participant in the late 
 tii'A'l civil difficulties, having served as a loyal 
 ^p) soldier of the Union, as well as a prosperous 
 farmer and stock-raiser of this countj'. His father, 
 Moses Hemphill, was born in Cumberland, Pa., in 
 1804, and died in 1865, at the age of sixty -one 
 years. His mother, Marger}- (Clark) Hemphill, was 
 born in Franklin County, Pa., in 1812, and died in 
 1872, at the age of sixty years. They were the 
 parents of ten children, of whom our subject was the 
 sixth born. 
 
 The birth of our subject occurred on the 24th 
 of April, 1841, in Cumberland Countj', Pa., and as 
 a youth he received a common-school education and 
 then engaged in work on his father's farm, until he 
 reached the age of twenty' -one years. At that age 
 began the period which furnished but one topic of 
 
 M* 
 
 thought in the minds of men, women and children, 
 and our subject enlisted on the 1 2th of August, i 862, 
 in Company F, 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He 
 was mustered in at Harrisburg as a private, and re- 
 mained throughout the war until its termination. 
 He participated in the engagements known as the 
 battle of the Wilderness, battle at Spottsj-lvania 
 Court House, the siege of Petersburg and the battle 
 of Winchester. He was mustered out at Little 
 York (Pennsylvania) Hospital on the 25th of Maj', 
 1865. 
 
 After he was honorably discharged from the serv- 
 ice of his countrj-, our subject went to Illinois 
 where he remained for one 3' ear, and then i-eturned 
 to Cumberland County, Pa., in which place he con- 
 tinued farming until the 3'ear 1883. He then came 
 to Nebraska and began farming on his present land, 
 consisting of 160 acres on section 1, Elni Township. 
 He broke the soil, and by his improvements from 
 time to time he has brought his farm to its present 
 lucrative and attractive condition, and is in every 
 respect well and ple.isantl}' situated. He does not 
 reside on his own farm but on the one adjoining it. 
 
 On the 13th of Februar}-, 1868, our subject was 
 united in marriage, in Franklin Countj", Pa., to Miss 
 Margaret J. Brown, who was born in Cumberland 
 County, of the same State, on the 13th of Februarj-, 
 1848. Her father, John C, and mother, Ellen 
 (Quiglej') Brown, were both natives of the county in 
 wliich she was born. The father died in 1862, at 
 the age of forty-five 3'ears, and the mother in 1858, 
 at the age of forty years, they having reared a fam- 
 ilj' of eight children, of whom the wife of our sub- 
 ject was the third child. 
 
 Our subject and his wife are the parents of nine 
 children, all of whom are at home and whom we 
 name as follows: Robert B., Ellen Q., William J.. 
 Bessie F., Walter C, Margery- H., Carrie B., Charles 
 N. and Agnes O. Our subject does not seek promi- 
 nence in public affairs, but his true worth being 
 recognized by the people of his community, he has 
 at different times been called to share the public 
 honors. He h.as served for two j'ears as Justice of 
 the Peace; having served for one term as School 
 Director, he was elected for a second term and is 
 now serving in that capacity. He is an ardent 
 Republican, and is a member of the G. A. R., Ro'- 
 
h 
 
 -•»• 
 
 242 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 f 
 
 liiis Post, No. 35, of Beatrice. He and his wife are 
 influential members of the Presbyterian Chiircli in 
 the above-named citj\ One of the admirable char- 
 acteristics of our subject is his love for method and 
 order, having a place for everything and keeping 
 everything in its place, and his wife also adopts that 
 excellent rule in the management of her houseliold. 
 She possesses tiie qualities of refined womanhood in 
 a marked degree, and is an estimable lady. 
 
 -5 #W# i^ 
 
 ^^ MER T. GARRISON. The homestead of 
 (I )j) the suljject of this sketch, pleasantl3' situated 
 ^^7 in Adams Township on section 19, forms a 
 pleasing picture of peaceful rural life, and the abode 
 of plenty, and comfort. Mr. Garrison, forming a 
 portion of the bone and sinew of his community, 
 has pursued the even tenor of his way perhaps 
 without making any great stir in the world, but is 
 a man upon whom his fellow-citizens look with 
 confidence, and as such is amply entitled to recogni- 
 tion in a work of this kind. He has been fortunate, 
 too, in the selection of his life partner, having for his 
 wife a most amiable and intelligent ladj% who has 
 presided with dignity and grace over his household 
 affairs, been a wise and judicious mother to a bright 
 family of children, and in all things labored disin- 
 terestedly with her husband for the best good of 
 those having a claim upon them. 
 
 Mr. Garrison was the second child of his parents, 
 and was born in Washington Township, Dearborn 
 Co., Ind. June 12, 1832. His father, William Gar- 
 rison, was a native of Hamilton County, Ohio, and 
 born about six miles from the city of Cincinnati. 
 The mother was born in Pennsylvania, and when a 
 young girl went with her parents to Indiana, where, 
 when grown, she made the acquaintance of her hus- 
 band. William Garrison was a man of much force 
 of character and good education, and was a prac- 
 ticing physician of Dearborn County for a period 
 of fifteen years. A strong anti-slavery man, he was 
 fearless in the expression of his principles, and was 
 also active in temperance work, devoting much time 
 to the lecture field, iu which he attained a fine repu- 
 tation as an orator and a most efficient helper. 
 The parents of our subject left Indiana in 1855, 
 -^« 
 
 and, crossing the Mississippi, located in Wapello 
 County, Iowa, where the father died at the age of 
 seventy-three years, in 1875. The mother passed 
 away three 3'ears later, in 1878, while on a visit at 
 the home of her son Amos, in Chicago, being also 
 seventy -three j-eare old. The six children compris- 
 ing the home circle were named respectively: Syl- 
 vester, Omer, Herod, Amos, Robert and Silas. Of 
 these all lived to mature jears, and four are now 
 living, being residents of Nebraska and Illinois, 
 respectively. 
 
 Omer T. Garrison acquired his education in the 
 common school, and when of suitable years began 
 to make himself useful about the homestead. At 
 the age of nineteen he became interested in carpen- 
 tering, which he followed about a year, and when 
 twenty-one began the stud}- of pharmacy in Iowa, 
 and also practiced medicine to a slight extent. This, 
 however, not being congenial to his tastes, he 
 abandoned the profession for the farm prior to his 
 marriage, and wisely acquired ownership to a tract 
 of laud. He took unto himself a wife and help- 
 mate. Miss Amanda McCullough, in April, 1858, the 
 wedding occurring at the home of the bride in 
 Iowa, and they began life together at a modest 
 home in Van Buren County. 
 
 Mrs. Garrison is the daughter of William and 
 Jane McCullough, natives respectively of Ireland 
 and Pennsylvania. 'J'he father emigrated to the 
 United States when a young man, settling at an 
 early da^' in Switzerland County, lud. There the 
 parents were married, and removed thence to Iowa 
 in 1849, locating in Van Buren County. Mr. Mc- 
 Cullough, about 1849, while on a business trip to 
 Keokuk was taken sick, and died at the age of 
 sixty-seven years. Thus were shattered the fond 
 hopes which had nerved the family to seek a wild 
 new country in the hopes of bettering their condi- 
 tion. The terrible blow was most fatal in its effects 
 upon the poor mother, who, left comparatively 
 without means, and a large family to provide for, 
 lost her reason and never recovered. She only sur- 
 vived five years, being tenderly cared for by her 
 children, and dying at the home of her son in Iowa, 
 in 1868, at the age of sixty-eight. 
 
 To the parents of Mrs. Garrison there were born 
 ten children — Thomas, EIniira, Andrew, Jane, Mary, 
 
 ■^^i^ 
 
L 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ■•► 
 
 •24a 
 
 i 
 
 John, Margaret, William, Wasliiiigton, and Olive, 
 the wife of our subject. The birth of the latter 
 took place Oct. 13, 1842, in Switzerland County, 
 Ind., and she was there reared amid the pioneer 
 scenes of a new conntrj'. Her education was con- 
 ducted in the primitive schools, and she retains to 
 this day many recollections of that time, and par- 
 ticularl}' the details of their departure for Iowa. 
 .She recalls the words of parting from old friends, 
 the disposal of some of their effects and the loading 
 of the others upon the wagon, by means of which 
 with horses they were to make the journey to their 
 new home. Its results and the sad scenes which fol- 
 lowed are but one chapter among the experiences 
 of a world whose children are prone to meet with 
 disappointment and sorrow. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Garrison, however, have been pros- 
 perous in their home and in their children, and 
 enjoy the friendship of a large circle of acquaint- 
 ances. They came to Nebraska in the fall of 1872, 
 and lived at Beatrice until Mr. G. purchased IGO 
 acres of land, which now forms a neat and comfort- 
 able homestead. 
 
 Our subject is a stanch Republican, politically^ 
 and with his estimable wife an earnest worker, like 
 bis father before him, for the success of the temper- 
 ance cause. Seven children came to bless their 
 union, the eldest of whom, Aldula, is now the wife 
 of Charles Gale, who is connected with the Express 
 Publishing Company at Beatrice; they have one 
 child, a son, Clarence. Edgar married Miss Bea- 
 trice Lynch, and is farming in Adams Township; 
 Mary F., Mrs. Orin Wej'man, is the wife of a well- 
 to-do farmer of Adams Township; Walter, William, 
 Guy and Glenn are at home with their parents. 
 
 WILLIAM H. RUYLE. The stock farmers 
 of Gage County are among the very best 
 of its citizens, and fill in this newer country 
 a place, perhaps, of chief importance as concerns 
 its business interests. Among these, and represent- 
 ative of his class, is the gentleman whose history is 
 here epitomized; one who is in the front rank of 
 his fellows in the same calling, is most prosperous 
 and enterprising. His farm is most admirably situ- 
 
 ated for pastoral purposes, and is part of section 3.5, 
 Logan 'lownship, a rich soil, of undulating prairie, 
 and well supplied with water from Cedar Creek, 
 that flows directly through it. His farm is 320 
 acres in extent, but with bis Sherman Township 
 property he owns not less than 500 acres. 
 
 William L. Ruyle is a native of Knoxville, Tenn., 
 where he was born in 1824. He removed to Scott 
 Count}-, 111., with his father in 1832, and, in 1849 
 went to California, and was engaged for three 
 years in mining, succeeding in accumulating quite a 
 large fortune. He then returned home to Illinois, 
 where he is the owner of 1,500 acres in Jersey 
 County, well stocked with thoroughbred hoi-ses and 
 cattle. He has for many 3'ears held a very high 
 position in the community, and held the office of 
 Count}' Commissioner for about four years; his 
 political sympathies are with the Democratic party, 
 of which he has always been a member. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Mary J. Elliot, was born 
 in 1836, on the Chamteau Island, which is in the 
 Mississippi River above St. Louis. She is still liv- 
 ing, and in the enjoyment of both health and facul- 
 ties. Of this union there were born eight children, 
 whose names are here subjoined: W. H., Elizabeth, 
 Annie, Laura, Louis, Lucinda, Edward and Ollie. 
 
 Our subject was born upon the 14th of April, 
 1856, in Jersey County, 111., and continued his 
 residence with his parents until he attained his 
 majority. He received a good practical education, 
 and from childhood became every day more con- 
 versant with farm life in all its details. In 1877 
 he went to Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, 
 in which latter place he had quite an extensive ranch, 
 and was more than usually successful in its opera- 
 tion, but did not stay long enough to become a 
 permanent settler, as he returned to Illinois after an 
 absence of about three months. He then returned 
 to farming for a time, and in 1880 removed to 
 Logan Township and settled upon his present farm, 
 at that time comprising only 240 acres; four years 
 since he opened a butcher shop on Cort street, 
 Beatrice, and this, although lacking his personal 
 oversight, represents quite a large business. The 
 whole of his shrewd, cultivated and experienced 
 intelligence is brought to bear upon the proper 
 working of his farm, and his time is given chiefly 
 
244 
 
 -•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 U) that end ; lie is a very large buyer and shipper, 
 never shipping less than from 125 to 150 carloads 
 of stock each season. 
 
 The maiden name of the wife of our subject was 
 IMiss Nettie Bateman ; she is the daughter of Will- 
 iam and Julia (Cowan) Bateman, a native of Jersey 
 County, 111., and was born on the 2Gth of Oitober, 
 1858. Her father, whose life dates from the year 
 1830, was born in Lynchburg, Ya., and was bj' 
 trade a bricklayer. In 1858 he went to Jersey 
 County, 111., and there began farming; in 1880 he 
 became a resident of Logan Township, this county, 
 upon the property' still occupie<i by him, which 
 comprises IGO acres. Her mother, who was born 
 in the year 1839, is a native of Jersey County, 111. 
 Of their union were born nine children, who re- 
 ceived the names here appended, viz: Janet, John 
 and Elizabeth (deceased); Ida, Ann J., William 
 T., Tlieron W., Edward and Cora. Miss Bateman 
 became the wife of our subject on the lOlh of 
 October, 1878, in Jersey County. The children of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ruyle are as follows: Eva J., Clar- 
 ence L., Willie L. and Herbert R. 
 
 Our subject, while in nowise remiss in accepting 
 the responsibilities that come to him as a citizen of 
 the Republic, is not of that number who might be 
 called office-seekers, although he has been for two 
 jears Collector of Taxes, and is at present serving 
 as School Director. In his political opinions, sym- 
 pathies and principles, our subject is in strict accord 
 with the Democratic party, of which he has been 
 an acknowledged friend and supporter for many 
 years. There are few if any of Logan's citizens 
 held in higher regard than Mr. Ruyle and his most 
 estimable wife. 
 
 iICHARD GLASS is one of the well-known 
 and progressive farmers and stock-raisers of 
 (s^\ Blakely Township, where he owns a fine 
 ^Sjfarm of 151 acres on section 1. His father, 
 Richard Glass, Sr., was a farmer and weaver, and 
 was born in the northern part of Ireland. Shortly 
 after his marriage in that countiy to Martha Watt, 
 he came to the United States, and made his home in 
 
 Lancaster County, Pa., where he and his wife spent 
 the remainder of their days, and died at about the 
 age of eighty years. They were Presbyterians in 
 faith, and were respected citizens of tlie community 
 in which they lived. The father was the only one 
 of his father's family who left his native country 
 for America. Our subject was the j'oungest of 
 eight children, of whom there were five sons and 
 three daughters, and the only remaining members 
 of that family are our subject and a sister, Mrs. 
 Betsej- Sides. The latter is now living in Lancaster 
 County, Pa., where her husband, Henry Sides, is 
 engaged in farming. 
 
 Our subject lived with his father in his native 
 county until he was twenty j-ears old, when he took 
 the responsibility of shaping his future course 
 in life into his own hands, and went to Ohio and 
 worked for two and one-half 3-ears in learning the 
 miller's trade. He discontinued that vocation and 
 again engaged in farming. He was married, in 
 1840, in Franklin County, Ohio, to Miss Paulina 
 Ogden, who was born on the 14th of February, 
 1822, in the afore-mentioned county. She is a 
 daughter of Elias and Hulda (Whitehead) Ogden 
 both of whom are deceased, the father having been 
 accidentally killed by a vicious horse when Paulina 
 was but three years old. Her mother afterward 
 married Mr. John Kelso, who died in Ohio, and 
 later Mrs. Kelso went to Iowa, where she died at 
 the advanced age of eighty-seven years. 
 
 Mrs. Glass is next to the youngest child of her 
 father's farail}', consisting of two sons and three 
 daughters, and after the death of her father she re- 
 mained in the care of her mother until the time of 
 her marriage with our subject. She is the mother 
 of ten children, three of whom died in infancy, and 
 a fourth, named Martha, died aft«r she became the 
 wife of James Brightman, leaving two small chil- 
 dren to mourn a mother's tender care. The re- 
 maining children of the family of our subject and 
 his wife are: Hulda J., Marj', Bessie, Jennie L., 
 Robert and Milton. Hulda has been engaged in 
 teaching school for ten years, and makes her home 
 with her parents; Maiy and Jennie also live at 
 home; Bessie is the wife of James L. McCan, and 
 they live on a farm in Bremer County, Iowa ; Robert 
 married Miss Araminta Stanle}', and lives on a farm 
 
 ■► l i^ ^ - 
 
RESIDENCE OF JACOB U P LI NG E R ,5 EC , 18 , H I GH LAND TP 
 
 -'4Sfe???^^S**^-" 
 
 |;-t,ni ^^' 
 
 
 RESIDENCE OF W. E . M U DGE , SEC , 1 , E LM T0WN5HIP. 
 
 residence: OF Henry Theasmae ir , sec.ib , clatonia tp . 
 
-U 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 247 
 
 1^ 
 
 in Grnnt Township; Milton is at home and works 
 with his brother. 
 
 During liis resiflcnce in the Buckeye State our 
 subject made his liomc near Columbus for a period 
 of ten years, after which be moved to Ogle County, 
 111., where he made his home from the year 1847 
 until 1883. In 1883 he came to his present farm, 
 making the journey from Ogle County, 111., with 
 teams and wagons. The land which comprises his 
 farm was verj' nearly all unbroken, and he at once 
 began to make improvements and fit it for use. He 
 now has the whole amount well under cultivation, 
 and has erected a ver}' good house and farm build- 
 tngs. He and bis family- have won the esteem and 
 friendship of the citizens of this communit}' since 
 their arrival, and are well known in refined and in- 
 telligent circles of society. Mr. Glass alfiliates 
 •with the Democratic part}' in politics, and has 
 proved himself a good citizen and au honorable 
 man. 
 
 "" C 
 
 ■ HMK E. AUKES, M. D. It is our pleas 
 
 Etc offer ill this writing a biographical c 
 1 pendium of Cortland's leading and re; 
 
 HME E. AUKES, M. D. It is our pleasure 
 
 com- 
 cpi'e- 
 
 sentative physician and surgeon. This gentleman 
 is a native of Hanover, German}^ and was born at 
 Canum Amt Emden Ostfriesland, that Province, 
 upon the 29tb of May, 1852. He is a son of E. B. 
 and Brechtje R. Aukes. His mother is still alive, 
 and makes her home in Iowa. The father is de- 
 ceased. 
 
 Dr. Aukes was the 3'oungest son born to his p.ir- 
 ents, whose family circle included nine children. 
 He received a good education in his native place 
 and tongue, and at the .ige of twenty-one he en- 
 tered the university at Gottingen, which is the uni- 
 versity for Hanover, and of standard reputation. 
 To it some of the finest scholars and physicians of 
 Europe look as their alma mater. He attended the 
 classes of this institution for four years, graduating 
 in the spring of that year, receiving in token 
 thereof the regular diploma of a doctor in medicine 
 and surgery. Upon graduating our subject made 
 several trips on one of the Hamburg line Atlantic 
 steamers, serving in his profession. 
 
 In the summer of 1877 Dr. Aukes set foot upon 
 
 American soil with the purpose of making it his 
 adopted country and future home. He began the 
 practice of his profession in Logan County, 111., con- 
 tinuing until the early part of the year 1878, when he 
 went to Hardin Count}', Iowa, locating in the town 
 of Acklej'. Here he speedily built up a lucrative prac- 
 tice, and continued for two j'ears. He next hung 
 out his shingle at Owatonna, Minn., and there re- 
 mained for five years, having quite a large and pa}'- 
 ing practice, which he sold at the end of that time, 
 and in 1884 came to Cortland, where he established 
 himself in his profession, and also established his 
 drug-store, which was the first opened in Cortland. 
 He has continued both branches of his profession 
 until the present, and enjoys a large financi.al as well 
 as professional success. 
 
 Dr. Aukes is a member of the Nebraska SUite 
 Medical Society, also of the State Pharmaceutical 
 Association. To both of these societies he is greatly 
 attached, and some of his contributions at the va- 
 rious sessions of the same have been received with 
 every appreciation. Among the social orders the 
 Doctor is also well and favorably known. He 
 holds membership in the Goethe Lodge No. 38, of 
 the I. O. O. F.. at Owatonna, and also in the Star 
 of the East Lodge No. 33, of the Masonic frater- 
 nity, at the same place. In the former he has filled 
 the chair of Noble Grand of the Goethe Lodge of 
 Odd Fellows, of Owatonna, Minn. 
 
 In October, 1877, our subject was joined in holy 
 matrimony to Miss Anne Ruha.ik. This lady is a 
 native of Illinois, and a daughter of Harm and 
 Ellen Ruhaak, natives of Germany, who settled in 
 Illinois in 1848. Their daughter Anne was born at 
 Pekin, 111., June 10, 1858, being the first child of 
 their family, which included in all four children. 
 Dr. and Mrs. Aukes have become the p.irents 
 of three children, whose names are recorded as here 
 appended: Ella, who was born Oct. 1, 1878; H.at- 
 tie, born Feb. 27, 1881; also Di.ana, born July 1, 
 1883, and died April 5, 1884. 
 
 The political opinions of our subject favor the 
 Democratic party, of which he has been a member 
 since taking citizenship in the countr}-; but at the 
 same time it is his endeavor to be as liberal as is 
 possible in his political views, as in everything else, 
 his large knowledge of the world and human nature 
 
 r^Jt^ 
 
•► u^ 
 
 t 
 
 248 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 dictating to him generous toleration of freedom of 
 thought, sentiment and opinion in others as the 
 wiser and more truly manly course. The Doctor 
 and his wife are both active members of society, 
 and are numbered among its elite. As a man, 
 citizen and physician it is the happiness of our sub- 
 ject to enjoy the highest regard and unbounded 
 confidence of the community in which he resides. 
 
 -~^^V vxtJ2££/®-^/K 
 
 @J,gJ;^r3Tr»\» •vv~- 
 
 W YNVILL H. WYMORE is a son of Freder- 
 I (^ ick and Isabel (McMains) Wymore, who are 
 j|LA\^ natives of Keutuclv3', and after their marriage 
 which occurred in Indiana, they made their home 
 there. After a time they moved to Mahaska Countj', 
 Iowa, and thence to Pawnee County, Neb., in 1855. 
 They were among the earlj' settlers in this State, and 
 in common with others of that early day they have 
 experienced an eventful life. The surrounding 
 country was a great waste of prairie land which was 
 the hunting ground of the Indians and the home 
 of the deer, antelope and wolf. During these 
 first years of settlement little but corn could be 
 produced from the ground, and the settlers were 
 compelled to go to Missouri for groceries, etc., and 
 it was especially hard when these trips occurred in 
 the winter. The distance from one neighbor to an- 
 other increased the feeling of isolation and loneli- 
 ness, and altogether there was a severe strain upon 
 the courage and self-reli.auce of the early inhabit- 
 ants. In the year 1865 they came to this county, 
 and are now living in Island Grove Township, in 
 the enjoyment of good health and comfortable sur- 
 roundings. There were ten children in their family, 
 seven sons and three daughters, all of whom are 
 now living. 
 
 Our subject was the fifth child of his father's 
 family, and was born in Mahaska County, Iowa, on 
 the 22d of August, 1848. He remained with his 
 parents until he reached the age of twenty-two 
 years, and received his education in the county 
 schools. On the 15th of December, 1870, he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Susan M. Sharp, who 
 was born in Montgomery County, Tenn., on the 
 21st of Febru.iry, 1854. She is a daughter of 
 Jonathan and Margaret (Elvery) Sharp, who are 
 
 natives of Tennessee. Previous to the marriage of 
 our subject, however, he had had some experience 
 with the. Indians. In 1863 he enlisted in Company 
 E, 2d Nebraska Cavalry, for nine months' service. 
 He went from Brownville to Sioux Cit}', thence to 
 Dakota and Minnesota, where the Indians were 
 making trouble. They engaged with them in an 
 encounter in which the Indians outnumbered them 
 ten to one, but the military training of the soldiers 
 enabled them to come off victorious, and at the ex- 
 piration of his term of enlistment our subject re- 
 turned to his home in Pawnee County, Neb. 
 
 In 1871 Mr. Wymore bought eighty acres of 
 land on section 35, and forty acres on section 34, 
 Island Grove Township, for which he paid from §3 
 to $8 per acre, according to the location of the land. 
 When it came into his hands it was in an unculti- 
 vated state, and the improvements which have made 
 it such an attractive farm have been made by the 
 hardest labor and perseverance. It is still the home 
 farm, and 3'ields good crops of grain, corn being 
 raised more extensively than any other cereal. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have gathered about 
 them a family of seven children, all of whom are 
 living at home, and have received the names of Ira 
 E., Francis E., Cordelia, Eva, Harley, Frederick J. 
 and Grace. Mr. Wymore gives strict attention to 
 the work of his farm, in which he has been success- 
 ful, but while he is public spirited and interested in 
 tlie affairs by which the good of the community 
 can be secured, he does not seek public office, and 
 is content to leave such honors to others. In poli- 
 tics he votes with the Republican party. 
 
 •► f ^j? : 
 
 (^^ EBASTIAN SENG, a representative far- 
 ^^^ mer and stock-raiser of Clatonia Township, 
 ((1/_m) owns and operates 160 acres of land on 
 section 13, and is numbered among the 
 enterprising citizens of this part of the county. He 
 is a gentleman in the prime of life, and a native of 
 one of the wealthiest States of the Union, having 
 been born in Tazewell County, 111., Oct. 17, 1841. 
 His parents, Conrad and Elizabeth (Fifer) Seng, were 
 of German Ijirth and ancestry, and emigrated to 
 America before the birth of our subject, in 1838. 
 
 •^ 
 
 t 
 
^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 249 
 
 Tlieir five children inclufled two sons and three 
 daughters. Tho3' settled among the pioneers of 
 Tazewell County. 111., where our subject was reared 
 to manhood and became entire!}' familiar with the 
 various employments of farm life. His education 
 was conducted in the district school, and he re- 
 mained a member of the parental household until 
 in the twenty-fourth year of his age, then, having 
 made arrangements for the establishment of a borne 
 of his own, lie was united in marriage with Miss 
 Catherine AVestmej-er, the wedding taking place in 
 Peoria, 111., March 12, 1865. 
 
 Mrs. Seng was born in German}-, in August, 1840, 
 and is the daughter of Jacob and Catherine West- 
 me3'er, who emigrated from the Fatherland about 
 1858. Their family consisted of ten children. The 
 parents are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Seng 
 there have been born six children, two of whom, 
 Otto S. and Anne C. K., died when two and one- 
 half and fifteen yeare old respectively. The sur- 
 vivors are four sons — William H., Charles C, John 
 W. and George E., who continue at home with 
 their parents. 
 
 Mr. Seng continued in Illinois until the spring 
 of 1884, then, determined upon a change of loca- 
 tion, he crossed the Mississippi with his family and 
 took up his residence in this count}-. He and his 
 estimable wife are both members of the German 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, contributing liberally 
 to its support, and being generally interested in 
 those matters pertaining to the social and moral 
 welfare of their community. Mr. Seng is a thor- 
 ough and skillful farmer, and enjoys the confidence 
 and esteem of bis neighbors. His homestead forms 
 one of the most pleasant and desirable among those 
 of Clatonia Township, which is settled up by a class 
 of people more than ordinarily intelligent. 
 
 W EONARD S. AUSTIN. There are, perhaps, 
 I (^ in the Western country more illustrations of 
 jlL^^ the truth of the ancient legend which 
 ■ teaches there is more room, pleasure and ease at 
 the summit of the social eminence than in any other 
 place. The gentleman whose biography is herein 
 sketched is a case in point; the only capital with 
 
 M» 
 
 which he started in life was a clear brain, sound 
 body, and an independent, aspiring soul. He was 
 born in Linn County, Iowa, upon the 14th of 
 March, 1849, and is the son of Joseph and Sarah 
 (Sutton) Austin. His father is a native of Lower 
 Canada, his mother of Hardin County, Iowa. They 
 became the parents of nine children, all of whom 
 are living. The mother departed this life on the 
 27th of August, 1874. and left a memory of faith- 
 ful, affectionate womanly life and character that 
 will endure. Mr. Austin, Sr., contracted a second 
 matrimonial alliance in 1875, the lady being Miss 
 Alvira Sleeth, of Cass County, this State, where 
 they at present i-eside. 
 
 Our subject was reared to manhood in his native 
 county, received the best education obtainable in 
 the schools of the district, with which his i)arents 
 judiciously commingled the various duties of farm 
 life and attention to stock, so that as he arrived at 
 manhood he had mastered these important details, 
 and instead of being nonplussed by incomprehensi- 
 ble minutia, he was enabled to start in life and 
 operate his own farm after the manner of a master 
 of such pursuits. He is at present the owner of 160 
 acres of good land, which has been brought to an 
 almost perfect state of cultivation. Mr. Austin 
 and family came to this farm in the month of 
 March, 1878, having purchased it at the cost of 
 13.50 per acre. It was then in its original unbroken 
 and unimproved condition, but that has long since 
 given place to a newer and better order of things. 
 There are few houses in the county more happily 
 placed as regards situation, or better calculated by 
 their arrangement to supply the essential factors 
 of a true home. The farm buildings have been 
 provided by the humanitarian thoughtfulness of our 
 subject with such conveniences and arrangements 
 as insure the greatest comfort to his stock. 
 
 If man is the creature of circumstance, as many- 
 would have us believe, then the circumstance which 
 led to the union of our subject and Miss Mary 
 Njish,of Cass County, although, perhaps, fortuitous, 
 was exceedingly happy and fortunate, for in the 
 years that have passed since their marriage upon the 
 24th of September, 1874, the streams of life then 
 united have commingled and known no division, 
 and by mutual aid, encour.agement, inspiration, en- 
 
-4^ 
 
 250 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 tbusiasm, ambition and perseverance, they iiave 
 risen to the position it is their pleasure to occupy 
 to-day. Mrs. Austin is the daughter of John and 
 Mary (Hilder) Nash. Her father died Sept. 20, 
 1887, at the age of sixty-seven 3-ears; her mother 
 still resides in Otoe County. Mr. and Mrs. Austin 
 are the parents of one child, who has received the 
 name of Emory, and has attained the age of ten 
 years. 
 
 The reputation of our subject is most enviable, 
 both as a man, citizen or farmer. In the latter 
 connection it is chiefly as regards his success 
 with his stock. He is the owner of a very large 
 number of fine hogs of the Poland-China variety, 
 .nnd has augmented his financial prosperity more 
 from this branch of trade than an}' other. He is also 
 the owner of some fine cattle and horses. As a 
 citizen our subject is careful, so far as he is con- 
 cerned, to aid in the election of only those men who 
 will endeavor by their action while in office to ad- 
 vance the interests of the people, without regard to 
 petty party politics; at the same time the Repub- 
 lican party usually receives his support. He is, with 
 his wife, well received in society, and they are 
 held in high regard by the community. He is 
 connected with the fraternities of the K. of P. and 
 I. O. O. F., and In both is much respected. 
 
 -l^.- 
 
 ;OHN H. CREAIG. Upon section 10 of 
 Lincoln Township is situated the farm of 
 one of Gage Count}''s most excellent and 
 worthy citizens, the property of the subject 
 of this sketch. This farm is 160 acres in extent, 
 and with the exception of- a few acres is all under 
 the plow. It contains some of the most excellent 
 agricultural land in the district, and whatever nat- 
 ural advantages may be possessed, its value and 
 efficiency have been greatly enhanced by the untir- 
 ing and zealous labor that has been freely bestowed 
 upon it by our subject. 
 
 Mr. Creaig has been from his youtli a farmer, and 
 therefore comes to husbandry fully equipped at all 
 points. His life in this State dates from the 11th 
 of May, 1872, when he came with his parents from 
 Cass County, 111., where he was born in the year 
 
 1856, to William and Jane (Tr.acy) Creaig, natives 
 respectively of Illinois. Besides our subject, they 
 were the parents of one daughter, to whom was 
 given the name Anna, who is residing in the north- 
 western part of the State with her husband, Greene 
 Smith. 
 
 Our subject, as above stated, was but a youth 
 when he came to the State, and the happiest part of 
 his life has been that in Nebraska. He has been 
 especially fortunate in the particularly felicitous 
 choice made by him of a life companion. At Bea- 
 trice, Sept. 15, 1880, he was united in wedlock 
 with Celesta I. Rathbun. This excellent l.ady was 
 born at Rochelle, 111., Jan. 16, 1862, and accom- 
 panied her parents to this State in 1871. Practi- 
 cally, she was brought up in this State, and received 
 all but the rudiments of her education here. She 
 has developed a character and disposition that are 
 calculated to make her home and every member of 
 it most happy and truly prosperous. There have 
 been three children born of this union — Edward C, 
 Anna R. and George H. 
 
 Our subject has not hitherto been prominent in 
 political circles, but has always been anxious to bear 
 every responsibility that is his as a citizen. He usu- 
 ally votes with the Republican party. Being quite 
 a young man, and already the recipient of the most 
 perfect confidence of his fellow-citizens, who ad- 
 mire such success as his, especially when supple- 
 mented by high personal character and honor, it 
 will be a matter of surprise if the future does not 
 contain golden hours and high honors for our sub- 
 ject. 
 
 ENRY H. GROVES keeps abreast of the 
 times in all matters of general public im- 
 portance, and is following the pursuit of 
 &^ agriculture with much success on his land on 
 section 10, Nemaha Township. His parents, Jacob 
 and Sally (Warner) Groves, were natives of Rock- 
 ingham County, Va., who married and made their 
 home in Henry County, Ind. The grandparents were 
 natives of German}', who afterward emigrated to this 
 country, and the paternal grandfather was a soldier 
 in the War of 1812. The father of our subject was 
 a farmer, and in 1856 he moved from Henrj' County 
 
 ■•► 
 
 
-4«- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 251 
 
 ^ 
 
 to Marshall Count}- of the saiuc State, where he re- 
 mained until the time of his death in 1863, at the 
 age of fifly-seven j-ears. The mother died in 1874, 
 aged sixty-six years, after having seen her family 
 comprising ten children become useful and noble 
 men ami women. 
 
 Our subject, the seventh child in hisjfather's fam- 
 ily, was born on the 20th of January, 1840, in 
 Fall Creek Township, Henry Co., Ind. His father's 
 farm was situated in such a manner that it bordered 
 on the land of the two adjoining counties, and in 
 fact the home had been at different times in each one 
 of the three counties of Delaware, Madison and 
 Henry. Our subject attended school in each of 
 those counties, and enjoj'ed an experience with the 
 "Hoosier schoolmasters" of the early day. The 
 school-houses were built of logs, and the furnishings 
 were of the most primitive stj-le, but studious and 
 industrious pupils were able to gain considerable in- 
 formation from their text-books, even if the sur- 
 roundings were not as agi-eeable and attractive as 
 those of more modern times. 
 
 As a dutiful son our subject remained at home 
 until he was twenty-one j'ears old, taking his share 
 in the labor of the farm for the familj' welfare, and 
 then he farmed a small piece of land of his own 
 clearing, still making his home with his parents un- 
 til the time of his marriage. On the 24th of Feb- 
 ruary, 1866, he was joined in matrimony with Miss 
 Lucinda Parish, a daughter of Green and Mary 
 Emaliue (Kerr) Parish. Her parents were natives 
 of North Carolina, in which State they were mar- 
 ried, afterward moving to Indiana, and engaging in 
 farming for a time in Rush County. They then 
 moved to Wayne County, and afterward to Mar- 
 shall County, in which place the father died in 1864, 
 aged sixty years, and the mother in 1874, also aged 
 sixty years. Their family of eight children, four 
 boys and four girls, are all living. 
 
 Mrs. Groves was born on the 1 8th of September, 
 1841, in Wayne County, Ind., in which place she 
 made her home until her parents moved to Marshall 
 County. She attended the district schools of her 
 native county, and after her change of residence 
 she attended the same school as our subject, and 
 afterward taught for one term in the last-named 
 county. After their marriage they remained for 
 
 a period of five years in Marshall Count}', and in 
 1871 the}' came to Nebraska, and the husband 
 bought eighty acres of land in Nemaha Township, 
 this county. He then took up a homestead of 
 eighty acres, and beg.an at once to improve his land, 
 in which he met with much success, and was enabled 
 to make subsequent purchases, so that now he is the 
 owner of 440 acres of well-cultivated farming land, 
 lie has builta fine house, and has all the necessarj' and 
 convenient buildings for the care and shelter of his 
 stock on the home farm, consisting of 120 acres on 
 section 10, while he has made valuable improve- 
 ments on 320 acres on section 15. He has two 
 orchards on the former, and one on the latter men- 
 tioned farm, containing 120 bearing fruit trees. 
 There are also beautiful groves containing maple, 
 Cottonwood, ash, catalpa, and 150 mulberry trees, 
 with which our subject has beautified the home 
 farm. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have two children, El- 
 mer and Cora Alice, the latter still living at home; 
 Elmer married Miss Lizzie Casham. Mr. Groves 
 is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and has taken 
 an active part in advancing the educational inter- 
 ests of his community, having helped to organize 
 the schools of his district, and having served as 
 School Moderator. He is an ardent Democrat, and 
 .as far as he is able he assists in the upbuilding and 
 upholding of an honest administration. Personally 
 he is endowed with an exterior which is a true char- 
 acteristic of the inner man, and he presents a fine, 
 noble appearance. He is a first-class, prosperous 
 farmer, and is equally distinguished for his excel- 
 lent qualities in his public career. 
 
 ^j, RTHUR R. FRANCIS, of Blakely Town- 
 
 1, @//-JI I ship, has been pursuing the even tenor of 
 his way on a good farm of 160 acres for 
 the last twenty years, having secured this 
 properly by homestead right in October of 1867. 
 He had then been a resident of this county one year, 
 and thus is fully entitled to the honors of the pio- 
 neer citizen. His farm lies along the fertile regions 
 watered by Cub Creek, is amply supplied with 
 valuable timber, and to-day, with the improve- 
 
 ■•► 
 
 f 
 
-4•■ 
 
 252 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 merits effected by the hand of industry and enter- 
 prise, is numbered among tiie valuable homesteads 
 of this region. 
 
 Mr. Fr.ancis came to Nebraska from Benton 
 County, Iowa, in the spring of 18G6, in companj- 
 with anotiier family, making the journey overland 
 with teams. He was born in Kalamazoo County, 
 Mich., April 10, 1843, and is the son of Lyman 
 Francis, a native of the Empire State, and of 
 American parentage. The latter was a farmer by 
 occupation, and spent his childhood and youth in 
 his native county of Oneida, N. Y. Upon reaching 
 manhood he sought for his wife a maiden of his 
 own county. Miss Rachel Fuller, and they settled 
 there and remained until after the birth of several 
 children. The father then believing that he could 
 do better for his family emigrated to Michigan, 
 settling on a farm in Schoolcraft Township, Kala- 
 mazoo County, where they were among the earliest 
 pioneers. 
 
 The Francis family sojourned seventeen years in 
 Michigan, and in 1851 the father sold out and went 
 with his motherless children into Will County, 111. 
 They lived there on a farm three years. Then 
 crossing the Mississippi, Lyman Francis this time 
 located in Benton County, Iowa, where he spent 
 the remainder of his life, his death taking place in 
 October, 1873, at the age of sixty-eight years. His 
 wife, Rachel, had died at the homestead in Kalama- 
 zoo County, Mich., about 1851. Mr. Francis was 
 for years a member of the Christian Church, and 
 both parents are held in tender remembrance bj' 
 their children. Of these there were born to them 
 fourteen, nine of whom are living and residing 
 mostly in Iowa. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the fourth child of 
 his parents, and was in his boyhood when they left 
 Illinois for Iowa. He was educated in the common 
 schools of Benton County, and became familiar 
 with farm pursuits as carried on in the Havvkeye 
 State. He was twenty-three years old when the 
 family came to Nebraska, and on the 25th of 
 December, 1866, was married to Miss Ellen Pheas- 
 ant. This lady was born in Tazewell County, 
 111., Feb. 17, 1846, and is the daughter of Edwin 
 and Isabel (Garton) Pheasant, who were natives of 
 New York and Indiana, and are now living in Jef- 
 
 ferson Count}', this State. Mr. Phe.isant, a farmer 
 by occupation, was bora in New York Cit}', where 
 he lived until a youth of fifteen years. He then 
 came westward to Illinois with his uncle, locating 
 in Tazewell Count}', where he grew to manhood and 
 was married. His wife, the mother of Mrs. Francis, 
 was born in Indiana, but reared in Illinois, After 
 their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Pheasant continued 
 residents of the Prairie State a number of years, 
 then with their famil}' crossed the Father of Waters 
 into Benton County, Iowa, whence in 1866 they 
 came to Nebraska and now have one of the finest 
 homesteads in Jefferson County. Mr. Pheasant has 
 now reached his threescore and ten years, and his 
 estimable wife is aged about sixty-three. Thej' are 
 most excellent people and members in good stand- 
 ing of the Christian Church. 
 
 Mrs. Francis was a young lady when coming to 
 Nebraska, and remained a member of the parental 
 household until her marriage. Of her union with 
 our subject there have been born seven children, 
 two of whom, Clyde and Myrtle, died in infancy. 
 Those living are Owen, Eugene, Edwin S., Nora B., 
 John W. and Gertrude. They are a bright and in- 
 teresting group, and are receiving both the sciiool 
 privileges and the home training which will fit them 
 for useful and honored members of society. Our 
 subject and his wife are members in good standing 
 of the Christian Church, and Mr. Francis, politically, 
 is a Prohibitionist. 
 
 ^^EORGE GRANT, deceased. Among the first 
 [|| g=. settlers in Grant Township was the subject of 
 ^^J the present writing, and if there was one fact 
 more clearly evinced than another, prior to and at 
 the time of his demise, it was that his habits, charac- 
 ter and life had commended themselves to his neigh- 
 bors and fellow-citizens, and that they held him and 
 his bereaved family in the highest regard. If ever 
 there is an opportunity to discover the true worth 
 of a neighbor or friend, it is in the pioneer settle- 
 ment, in which neighboring families are thrown 
 almost entirely upon each other for that companion- 
 ship without which life Is barren and destitute. 
 Our subject came to Grant Township and settled 
 
 -^•- 
 
► 1 1 ^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 253 
 
 I 
 
 in tbe summer of 1858, pre-empted land on Turkey 
 Creek and the Big Blue River, and upon it estab- 
 lished his home, thus becoming perhaps the first 
 prominent settler, and in his honor the township was 
 named. At various times he held all the offices of 
 the township, and was one of the first County Com- 
 missioners, and so much had his official conduct 
 commended itself to the people that he, as the say- 
 ing is, "Carried the votes of the townsliip in his 
 pocket." He was one of the most active and pub- 
 lic-spirited citizens the county possessed, and withal, 
 unselfish and disinterested. From his first vote to 
 the last he was a firm and ardent supporter of the 
 Republican cause, believed heartily in its principles, 
 and supported its candidates. 
 
 For the greater part of his life our subject had 
 lived in pioneer settlements and had developed a 
 large-hearted, genial, beneficent character, upon the 
 basic principle of the Golden Rule, and found large 
 opportunity for the full exercise of the same ; every 
 man was a friend until he proved himself so utterly 
 devoid of principle and manliness as to make him 
 unworthy the name. What he was to his neighbors 
 he was to the Stale and country — self-forgetful, 
 generous to a fault, and true as compass needle is 
 to pole, loving truth and justice as he did his life. 
 It is not surprising that at his death he was mourned 
 b3- all who knew him, as they mourn who lose a dear 
 and personal friend. 
 
 Prior to making his home in this State Mr. Grant 
 had lived in Sauk County, Wis., where he had resided 
 for over twelve years. He was one of a number 
 of emigi'ants from Somersetshire, England, where 
 he was born on the 14th of February, 1819, and in 
 the same county bis family had lived, married, set- 
 tled and died, for many generations. By trade he 
 was a carpenter and wheelwright, and had learned 
 and followed that calling in his native countr}'. 
 While still in England he was married to Margaret 
 Aver}', of his own shire. This lady accompanied 
 him on his journey to the States, and landed in New 
 York prior to the birth of the first child. Shortly 
 after this event had transpired they came on to 
 Wisconsin, and in August of 1858 the family re- 
 moved to Nebraska and located in what is now 
 Grant Township, where his vvife died in the year 
 1861. This removal was made in the interest of 
 
 the young people of the family, in order that they 
 might have a better start in life than otherwise 
 could bo. and It was the happiness C(f our subject to 
 see them all make a most desirable beginning, with 
 every prospect of continued and ultimate success. 
 
 At the time of her death Mrs. Margaret Avery 
 Grant was past middle life. She was the mother 
 of seven children, and of these five are yet living, 
 whose names are as follows : James A., John B., 
 George E., Isabelle M. and Ann U. James is the 
 owner of a farm in the same township; his brother 
 John is the husband of Amelia Carey, and is also 
 one of the successful farmers in the same neighbor- 
 hood ; George, who is married to Ellen Buss, lives 
 in Superior of this State, and is a wholesale liquor 
 dealer; Isabelle, now Mrs. John Woodhouse, is a 
 resident of DeWitt, where her husband follows the 
 trade of a carpenter and builder, while the youngest 
 daughter is the wife of John McCabe, a stone-cutter 
 of Beatrice. 
 
 Our subject was married a second time, at Crete, 
 Saline Co., Neb., upon the 2d of Se()tember, 
 1872, the lady of his choice being Miss Annie Mas- 
 ters, who was born in Devonshire, England, on the 
 30th of June, 1831. This lady is the daughter of 
 William and Martha (Hodge) Masters, both of whom 
 are now deceased. Her father was a farmer and 
 blacksmith, and lived in Devonshire most of his 
 life. Their daughter Annie was the ninth of the 
 thirteen children born in this family. She was edu- 
 cated in her native county, and there made her 
 home until the years of young womanhood were 
 reached. She is happy in being the mother of a 
 daughter, who is a pledge of her husband's affection 
 and a link that will ever hold her memorj' to him. 
 This child has received the name Eleanor, and is 
 now thirteen years of age. 
 
 Mrs. Grant and family have all been brought up 
 and remained in the Episcopal Church, of which 
 our subject was also a member, and are among 
 its most ardent adherents. Mrs. Grant, who 
 enjoys the most complete confidence, respect and 
 sympathy of the community', has throughout all 
 her bereavement and trouble manifested a spirit 
 of Christian resignation, patieiuie and hope, that 
 reflects most highly ui)on her devotion to not only 
 her husband and familj', but also her religious faith. 
 
•f 
 
 ^^ 
 
 254 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Her erlucation, cliaracter and disposition combine 
 to make her worth}' and fit to grace any position in 
 the home or in society. Our subject went back to 
 his old home in England in 1867, and brought over 
 one sister, tliree nephews and two nieces; he made 
 a second visit in 1871. 
 
 W/ OHN E. KELLY. About half way between 
 England and Ireland, and somewhat to the 
 northwest of the Welsh Cape, HolyHead, 
 lies a small but exceedingly beautiful island, 
 the legendary law of its people being filled with 
 countless historic, tragic and romantic incidents. 
 It is chiefly inhabited by farmer fishermen, who in 
 their little world are happy, peaceful and prosper- 
 ous. They largely speak in their native tongue, 
 the Mans, a relic of the ancient Celtic tribal lan- 
 guage. Upon this island was born, March 16, 
 1 845, the subject of this sketch. There also he was 
 reared to manhood and received his education. 
 
 In the steamer " The City of London" our sub- 
 ject came to the United States shortly after his 
 twenty-third birthday, starting upon the 6th of 
 April, and landing in New York on the 21st of the 
 same month. He made his w.ay soon after hi8 
 arrival to Ford County, 111. There he engaged in 
 farming and was quite prosperous. This property 
 is situated on section 22 of Sicily Precinct, and 
 comprises 240 acres of excellent land, splendidly 
 adapted for purposes of husbandry, well improved 
 and highly cultivated. 
 
 Without circumlocution it is safe to say that the 
 most happy decision in the history of our subject 
 was that which culminated in the connubial felicity 
 resultant from his union in marriage ties with Miss 
 Esther A. Taylor, which event occurred upon the 
 23d of March, 1873. This lady is a daughter of 
 J.acob and Alice T.-iylor, of whom a sketch appears 
 elsewhere in this volume. Their daughter was born 
 in Lancashire, England, July 31, 1851, and con- 
 tinued to make her home with her parents until her 
 marriage, and in the pure atmosphere of that home 
 the seeds of that noble character sprang forth and 
 throve, and since her establishment in her own home 
 have yielded results without which the life of her 
 
 husband would have been possibly desolate and 
 destitute of the prosperity which h.os crowned it, 
 for when they joined their hands and hearts before 
 the hymeneal altar they became one in the true 
 sense of the word, and their interests have been 
 unified from that hour. 
 
 There have come to consummate the happiness of 
 the home of our subject seven children, whose 
 names are here appended in the order of their birth: 
 Lewis E., born on the 13lh of August, 1874; William 
 J., April 21, 1876; Bertha M., June 3, 1878; Fred- 
 erick J., Sept. 7, 1880; Cora A., Nov. 21, 1882; 
 James A., Feb. 15, 1885; and Pearl E., July 23, 
 1887. 
 
 With the exception of a few local matters our 
 subject has voted the straight Republican ticket 
 from the time when he cast his first vote for the 
 martyred President, James A. Garfield. He is, 
 however, a careful and earnest student of questions 
 of the Government and political economy, and dis- 
 tinguishes clearly between a quasi loyalty and true 
 patriotism, and governs himself in regard to political 
 questions accordingly. 
 
 •»v^/-i.-v<Jl2^,'!!)-^^ 
 
 ^.g!;OTa»..-VW. 
 
 "^ AMES CRAIG is a young man who takes a 
 prominent rank among the business men of 
 Barnston, having by his own activity and 
 industry raised himself to a position of influ- 
 ence as banker, re.al-estate and loan agent. He was 
 born in Grundy County, 111., on the 5th of March, 
 1850, and is a son of William Craig, who was a 
 native of Ireland, having his birthplace near the 
 city of Belfast. He emigrated to the United States 
 when but a boy, and in this country he grew up to 
 manhood and gathered about him a family and a 
 circle of friends and acquaintances. He is now 
 deceased. 
 
 Our subject received his elementary education 
 from the common schools, and then took a course 
 of study at the college in Wheaton, DuPage Co., 
 111., which fitted him for active business life. After 
 his course at college he taught school for a short 
 time, but having spent his earlier years on a farm 
 he preferred to engage in agriculture until Novem- 
 ber of 1885, when he came to Barnston and 
 
 ••> jf ^* 
 
V,^Sj, ^V 
 
 IS 
 
 H 
 
-<f^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 257 i^ 
 
 engaged in his present Imsiness. He was early rec- 
 ognized as an enterprising young man, bearing a 
 good cluira(!ter, and lie at once received the hand 
 of good-fellowship from the prominent residents 
 here. He his entered heartily into the public affairs 
 of this place, supporting the movements which 
 tend to the advancement and improvement of the 
 public welfare, and in every way has distinguished 
 himself as a good and loyal citizen. 
 
 On the 9th of February, 1886, our subject, real- 
 izing the fact that it is not good for man to be 
 alone, was joined in marriage with Miss Emma C. 
 Wait, a daughter of Phillip Wait, of Sedan, Kan. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Craig are prominent and influential 
 members of society', and in the short time they have 
 made their residence in this city they have gathered 
 about them a circle of friends and acquaintances 
 from the best families. The business in which our 
 subject is engaged naturally brings him in contact 
 with a large number of the most prominent citizens 
 of the community, and he is becoming well estab- 
 lished here. In this office he makes use of the im- 
 proved time lock and burglar-proof safe. 
 
 ON. L. B. BOGGS. Prominent among those 
 who have assisted in building up the town 
 of Filley is the subject of this sketch, a man 
 
 J^ of wealth and influence, and one whose nat- 
 ural abilities have won for him a high place among 
 the financiers and business men of this part of the 
 county. His portrait may be seen on the opposite 
 page. He traces his ancestry back to Ireland, where 
 his paternal grandfather, Andrew Boggs, was born, 
 in 17.59. Upon emigrating to America he settled 
 in Virginia, and spent the remainder of his life 
 there. 
 
 James Boggs. the father of our subject, was born 
 in Virginia, where he lived until a young man 
 twenty years of age. Upon leaving home he mi- 
 grated to the embryo town of Newcastle, Ind., 
 where shortly afterward lie w.as married to Miss 
 Martha Stinson, who was born in East Tennessee, 
 Oct. 20, 180G. Her lather, John Stinson, with his 
 wife, was also a native of that State, an<l they spent 
 their last years in Henry Count}-, Ind. 
 <■ 
 
 The parents of our subject continued residents of 
 Indiana, where the father carried on farming until 
 his death, which occurred Nov. 7, 1842. The 
 mother survived a period of ten years, and died at 
 the old homestead, March 6, 1852. Their family 
 included seven children, six sons and one daughter, 
 of whom the following are living, namely: L. B., 
 the subject of this sketch; Milton M.. a physician 
 of Lincoln, Ind. ; Anthony, a farmer of Argus, Mar- 
 shall Co., Ind.; Joel L., a merchant of Argus, Iiid., 
 and William J., vvho is farming in the vicinity of 
 Saline, Ivan. 
 
 Hon. L. B. Boggs was born Sept. 3, 1828, at New- 
 castle, Intl., and was but fourteen years of age at 
 the time of his father's death. He was thus thrown 
 upon Ins own resources, and for two years follow- 
 ing worked for his lioardand clothes, and attended 
 school three months in the winter. He was always 
 recognized !is a bright and ambitious lad, and de- 
 termined to have an education. He followed farm- 
 ing in the manner already described until twenty 
 years old, and was then so fortunate as to be able 
 to enter Wabash Valley College, in his native State, 
 where he took a full classical course, including three 
 years of Latin, and one year of Greek, besides the 
 common English branches, and natural science. 
 
 At the close of his college course young Boggs 
 was employed in an elevator one year in Michigan 
 City, and then took up the study of medicine, at 
 Leesburg, Ind. Three years later he entered upon 
 the practice of his profession at North Manchester, 
 where he was located until the fall of 1858. He 
 then changed the scene of his labors to Neponset, 
 III., where he operated until 1S65. From there he 
 removed to Argus, Ind., where he followed his pro- 
 fession until 1870, and then on account of failing 
 health turned over his practice to his brother, and 
 for a year served as Deputy Marshal of the Third 
 District of Marshall Count}'. At the expiration of 
 the year he resumed practice, and continued in In- 
 diana until September, 1871, when he traced his 
 steps to this county. 
 
 Dr. Boggs, soon after landing in Southern Ne- 
 braska, purchased 185 acres of land in what is now 
 Filley Township, but what was then designated 
 :is '-Mud Creek." For this he paid $4.50 per acre, 
 intending to (iominencu stock-raising, butassoonas 
 
 1 
 
J= 
 
 258 
 
 ■•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 it became known that he was a physician he was in- 
 duced to resume his profession. He, liowever, did 
 not abandon his stock operations, in which he was 
 alil3' assisted l)y liis sons. Ills practice in a short 
 time extended for twenty miles in different direc- 
 tions, his farm l)eing his office and headquarters. 
 
 Dr. Boggs, in 1887, feeling that he Iiad done am- 
 ple service in the professional field, and having edu- 
 cated one of his sons to succeed him, retired from 
 active practice, and is now for the most part giving 
 himself up to the enjoyment of the ample fortune 
 which he has secured by his energy and persever- 
 ance. He lias given his cliildren a liberal educa- 
 tion, and finds great pleasure in establishing them 
 in business, and watching their careers, which there 
 is every reason to believe will be but the reflex of 
 his own. He has not been without his reverses, 
 having like his neighbors fought tlie grasshopper 
 scourge, and upon the occasion of one of the severe 
 storms frequentlj' visiting this region suffered the 
 loss of a fine barn, which was struck by lightning 
 and burned. 
 
 Our subject has dealt considerabl}- in real estate, 
 and besides giving a farm to each of his six sons 
 has 2G5 acres of good land in Filley Township. He 
 usually keeps a herd of fifty cattle and thirty head 
 of horses and colts. In August, 1884, Dr. Boggs 
 and a number of other gentlemen interested in the 
 temperance work organized a publishing company, 
 of which the Doctor was made Vice President, and 
 began the publication of the Ifew Republic, with 
 which our subject remained associated until 1887. 
 He then retired from its management, although not 
 from any lack of interest in the work, which he be- 
 lieves to be one of the most important on the face 
 of the globe. He was born and reared a Democrat, 
 and continued one until after the election of Pierce. 
 From that time until the organization of the Re- 
 publican party he was an Abolitionist until this 
 part}' had accomi)lis!ied its object by the extinction 
 of slaver}'. In 1880 he identified himself with the 
 Prohibition party, and in 1884 was one of the Presi- 
 dential electors on the Prohibition ticket. In 1876 
 he was elected by the peojik- of Gage County as 
 their Representative to the Nebraska Legislature, 
 and assisted in that most imi)ort;int measure, the 
 ailoption of the new constitution. In the House of 
 
 Representatives he was the same industrious and 
 energetic spirit that he has been always, and served 
 on the Judicial Committee, besides being called 
 upon for aid in the settlement of various vexed 
 questions outside the province of this committee. 
 
 During the term of Dr. Boggs as. a member of 
 the House occurred the !?enatorial contest, which 
 resulted in the election finally of Alvin Saunders, 
 and in which contest the Doctor bore no unimpor- 
 tant part. In his township and county there have 
 always been offices at his command, but he lias pre- 
 ferred the quiet of home surroundings, and to give 
 his attention to his Oirm and his family. Socially, 
 he belongs to the Masonic fraternity. He is a stock- 
 holder and one of the directors in the bank at Fil- 
 ley, and to various enterprises intended for the 
 advancement of the jjeople around him has ever lent 
 a cordial and generous support. 
 
 The marriage of L. B. Boggs and Miss Virginia 
 R. Fraser was celebrated at the home of the bride 
 in Indiana, Oct. 26, 1854. Mrs. Boggs is the daugh- 
 ter of James and Sarah (Campbell) Fraser, who 
 were natives of Washington, D. C, and are de- 
 ceased. Mr. Fraser was born in Alexandria, Va., 
 July 3, 1798, and died July 4, 1884, in Indiana. 
 His wife, Sarah, was born in Washington, D. C, in 
 1808. They were married in Washington, and in 
 the year 1834 emigrated to the vicinity of the em- 
 bryo town of LaPorte, Ind., where Mr. F. followed 
 farming. There the mother died in October, 1866. 
 They had a family of eight children, of whom Mrs. 
 B. was the third in order of birth. Six only of 
 these children are now living: Catherine is the wife 
 of Thomas K. Armstrong, a farmer of Johnson, Mo. ; 
 Noval W. is superintendent of the broom depart- 
 ment of the penitentiary at Lincoln, Neb. ; Virginia 
 R., Mrs. Boggs; Mary, Mrs. William Shuuiaker, is 
 the wife of a well-to-do farmer and merchant of 
 Chilhowee, Mo.; Joseph R.,of LaPorte, is engaged 
 in merchandising, and Cornelia, who lives there 
 also, is unmarried. 
 
 Mrs. Virginia Boggs was born in LaPorte County, 
 Ind., March 28, 1830, where she was reared and 
 educated, and remained under the parental roof 
 until her marriage. Of her union with our subject 
 there have been born thirteen children, eleven of 
 whom are now living, namely: James F., born 
 
 ={■ 
 
■^f*- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 253 
 
 Jan. 7, 185r(,anfl now carrying on farming in Filley 
 Township, this county ; Charles 8., born June 19, 
 1857, and practicing medicine in Filley ; Eva L., 
 born Nov. 19, 1858, and now the wife of P. E. 
 Plumb, a telegraph operator of Druramond, Wis.; 
 Marj' Ellen, born Aug. 5, 18C0, and the wife of 
 Wiiiiani H. Andrew, a lumberman of Table Rock, 
 this State; Luther H.. born April 16, 1862, a livery- 
 man of Filley: Thomas W., born March 8,1864, 
 and farming in Fille3' Township: Benjamin F., born 
 March 16, 1866, and assisting on the home farm; 
 Alice C, born March 4. 1808; Virginia Belle, Dec. 
 20, 1870; Lewis W.. Nov. 4, 1875, and Midge, 
 Feb. 11, 1881. The 3-ounger children are all at 
 home with their parents. The fine family of chil- 
 dren, the beautiful and corafortal)le home where 
 plenty reigns, the standing of a capable and ener- 
 getic man in his community, form a picture pleas- 
 ing to contemplate, and suggest Ihf true object of 
 man's creation, namely, to glorify the Author of all 
 good, and benefit the world around as opportunity 
 occurs. 
 
 — -^ 
 
 
 B. ESSEX. Prominent among progressive, 
 intelligent and industrious citizens, and one 
 who has distinguished himself by honorable 
 service in behalf of his country,, is the gentleman in 
 whose honor we have commenced this sketch. He is 
 the owner and manager of 400 acres of land on sec- 
 tions 1 and 2, in Rockford, and thirty-five in Logan 
 Township. His parents, Isaac B. and Isabella D. 
 (Williams) Essex, were born in Albemarle County, 
 Va., the former tracing his ancestry- to the Essex 
 family of Maryland. The fatlier was a nurseryman 
 and fruit-grower, and for a time after his marriage 
 he was eng.nged in hf)rticulture in his native State, 
 removing to Ohio in 1825. In the latter place he 
 devoted In's attention to farming until he moved to 
 Peoria, III., where he had charge of the first school 
 ever taught there. He next changed his residence 
 to Princess Grove. Putnam County, where he re- 
 mained three 3'ears, afterward making his home in 
 .Stark Count}' for several j'ears. 
 
 The fatlier of our subject then moved to Rock 
 Island Count}', where he conducted an extensive 
 nursery and fruit business for thirty 3'ears. He then 
 
 
 
 moved to Union County, beginning in the same 
 business, in which he prospered very well. Unfort- 
 unately he met with an .accident which caused his 
 death, Nov. 7, 1877, at the age of seventy-seven 
 years. The mother of our subject died in Rock 
 Island County in 1859, aged sixty-two j'ears, after 
 having reared a familj' of seven children, who bear 
 the names of Elizabeth J., Elijah, Elisha J., Simeon 
 E.. Ira B., Mary .S. and Truman B. The father 
 married a second time, in 18C0, a lady from Ar- 
 kansas, named Mrs. Carver, by whom he had five 
 chihlren — Levi, Isabella, Ida and two infants un- 
 named. 
 
 Our subject was bom in Drury Township. Rock 
 Island Co., III., on the 12th of July, 1837, and as 
 he grew to an age in which he could be of help to 
 his father he really took charge of the farm -^iiile 
 his father attended to the nursery. In this way he 
 receive<l many valuable lessons in the latter busi- 
 ness which have aided him in the improvement of 
 his own place. He also had a fondness for domes- 
 tie animals and took care of those on his father's 
 farm, now giving special attention to stock-raising 
 on his own behalf. His education was limited to 
 the common district schools, but in his acquaint- 
 ance with the world he has gained a large amount 
 of general and useful information, which is of more 
 value than the elementar}' learning from text-books. 
 
 On the 11th of September, 1862, our subject 
 was united in marriage with Miss Louisa J. .Sev- 
 erus, a daughter of Nye and Magdalene (Quick) 
 Severns, who were natives of the Empire State, but 
 were earlj' settlers in Rock Lsland County, 111. The 
 mother died in 1876, at the age of sixty 3'cars, 
 and the father died in December. 1877, at the age of 
 sixty-five years, having eleven children in their 
 famil}', of whom the wife of our subject is the 
 ninth. She was born on the 24th of November, 
 1845, in Drury Township, Rock Island County, and 
 when she became of age to attend the district 
 schools she received her earl}' education therein. 
 Our subject had become the owner of a farm, on 
 which they resided for three years after their mar- 
 riage, part of which time was spent in the service 
 of the country, it being the time of the late civil 
 disturbance. 
 
 Our subject enlisted for 100 d.ays' service with 
 
«► ir^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 200 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Company K. 140th Illinois Infantrj-, and was placed 
 on dutj', guarding llie Memphis & Chailoston Rail- 
 road, and was in Missouri at the time of Price's 
 raid. After honorably serving for the time of his 
 enlistment he returned home and went on his fa- 
 ther's place, taking charge of the old homestead until 
 the fall of 1873. He then came to Nebraska and 
 purchased his present 400 acres on sections 1,2, and 
 also 35 in Logan Township, having been very suc- 
 cessful in his farming and giving special attention to 
 the raising of live stock. He feeds cattle largely 
 and ships two carloads of beef cattle and a car- 
 load of hogs every year. His herd of cattle num- 
 bers about sixt}', exclusive of the Ineeding stock 
 and feeders. He makes use of his knowledge of 
 horticulture to beautif}' his own farm. an<l on it he 
 has a splendid orchard of 150 apple trees, plenty 
 of small fruits, vines, etc., and a splendid grove 
 containing several acres of cottonwood, maple and 
 box elder trees. He has erected a very fine house, 
 excellent barns and out-buildings, which greatly 
 augment the value of his possessions. 
 
 By his marriage with Miss Severns our subject 
 became the father of five children now living, n.amed 
 Elmer, Omer, Myrtie, Lelah D., Truman B., Jr., 
 and a daughter. Alma, now deceased. His wife 
 died in April, 1883, and he was married a second 
 time in Rock Island County, 111., to Miss Augusta 
 P. Davis, a native of that county, who was born 
 on the 2d of July, 1847. .She had received ai> ex- 
 cellent education in her early years, and for twenty- 
 three years she adorned the profession of teach-ng, 
 than which there is none more noble. Since her 
 marriage with our subject she is the mother of one 
 child, an infant, deceased. The parents of Mrs. 
 Essex were Joseph S. and Amanda (Johnson) Davis, 
 natives of New York State, and were married there 
 in 1832. The mother died Sept. 18, 1880; the 
 father died May 2, 1882, in Rock Island County, 
 111. Our subject and his wife are honored members 
 of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Summit 
 Class, of the Holmesville charge. The service in 
 behalf of his country entitles our subject to a mem- 
 bership in the G. A. R., Rollins Post No. 35, of 
 Beatrice, and he is also a member of the social 
 order of I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 19, in the same 
 city, in which he has attained the degree of Past 
 
 Grand. Politically, he is connected with the Re- 
 publican party, and was elected to the office of 
 County Commissioner, in which he served from 
 1881 to 1885; in 1886 he was Supervisor, being the 
 first to occup}' that office in Rockford Township. In 
 the Judiciary Courts he has served on the Grand 
 and Petit Juries, and is prominently identified with 
 the educational work of the township, now serving 
 .as Director of School District No. 49. His ability 
 and service in behalf of the public institutions en- 
 title him to an honorable mention among the most 
 worthy of the township. 
 
 ILLIS F. HAMMOND ranks among the 
 U intelligent and prosperous young farmers 
 I of Highland Township, of which he has been 
 a resident for four 3'ears. He is a native of Jo 
 Daviess County, 111., and was born on the 2d of 
 Maj', 1859. His parents, Merwin K. and Samantha 
 A. Hammond, are natives of Ohio and Pennsylva- 
 nia respectively, and are now residing in the place 
 in which our subject was born, having moved there 
 from their native States in the year 1830, or about 
 that time. Of the children who comprised their 
 family eight are now living, and are named as fol- 
 lows : Willis F., Charles A., Alice E. ; Anna Sophro- 
 nia, the wife of William Koch, of Jo Daviess 
 County. 111.; Frank N., Royal K., Freddie E. and 
 Nellie A. Riley; one other child died in infancy. 
 The parents are now in their prime, enjoying the 
 fruits of a life spent in usefulness and well-doing, 
 and are surrounded bj' relatives and friends who 
 rally round them from long acquaintance, they hav- 
 ing been among the early settlers of Jo Daviess 
 County. 
 
 Our subject, being the eldest of a large family of 
 children, was early called upon to assume part of the 
 labor necessary for their maintenance, and thus from 
 his boyhood days he has led an active, busy life. 
 His father lived on a farm and he was early taught 
 all the duties pertaining to farm life, not obliged, 
 however, to neglect his education, as has been the 
 case with some less fortunate elder sons. He at- 
 tended the public schools in his county until he was 
 thoroughly posted in the elementary branches of 
 
 n 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 •2GI 
 
 learning, after which he for a time attended college 
 at Galena, supplementing his course of instruction 
 in the latter place by a partial course in the com- 
 mercial department of the Normal School at Val- 
 paraiso. Ind. Thus be was well equipped to start 
 out in business for himself with a thorough educa- 
 tion as the b.asis of whatever vocation he might 
 choose, and since he had spent many years in farm 
 labor he decided to continue in the same occupa- 
 tion. 
 
 On the '21st of September, 1882, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Lizzie Campbell, who 
 was also born in his native county on the 28th of 
 Marcli, 1 860, and is a daughter of John and Mary 
 J. Campbell, the former of whom is deceased, and 
 the latter is now making her home in Jo Daviess 
 Countj'. By their marriage they are parents of one 
 son, named Charles II.. who was born on the 28th 
 of January, 1884. lu the spring of that year our 
 subject came to this county and settled on his pres- 
 ent farm in Higliland Township, section 17. consist- 
 ing of 160 acres of well-improved and valuaHe 
 land. Besides being extensively engaged in raising 
 grain and general farm produce he gives considera- 
 ble attention to bu^'iug and feeding cattle for the 
 market, and by successful management and close 
 attention to his business he receives a lucrative in- 
 come, which has placed him in very good and 
 comfortable circumstances, with well-improved sur- 
 roundings. 
 
 Mrs. Hammond's father was a native of Canada 
 and her mother of the Empire State, and of the 
 seven children born to them the following-named 
 are living: Robert II., in Jo Daviess County, III.; 
 David G. and John M. are deceased; the former 
 was a physician. John W. resides in Humboldt 
 County, Iowa; Lizzie J., the wife of our subject; 
 Anne C, in Illinois; George E. M., in Illinois. 
 Mrs. Hammond's mother is a member of the Pres- 
 byterian Church of the city in which she now 
 makes her home. Both our subject and his 
 wife are influential members of the Congrega- 
 tional Ctiurcli, in Cortland, and are highly es- 
 teemed and active members of the society. The 
 former is stoutly in favor of prohibition and has 
 therefore joined the party which advocates tiie 
 principles of total abstinence from intoxicating 
 
 W 
 
 drinks, and is alwaj's ready to lend a hand to the 
 advancement of the public welfare and the improve- 
 ment of the institutions of education and religion. 
 lie is everywhere spoken of as a straightforward, 
 conscientious business man, and a pleasant, accom- 
 modating neighbor. 
 
 F. DEWEY takes rank as a prominent 
 citizen of Island Grove Township, having 
 for many years been activelj' engaged .as 
 an assistant in the management of public institu- 
 tions. He is also an enterprising and successful 
 farmer, and owns 280 acres of splendid land on sec- 
 tion 24, eighty on section 13 and also eight3' on sec- 
 tion 7. His father, Eliakin Dewej', was born in 
 Massachusetts in 1788, and moved to Portage 
 County, Ohio, in 1816, where he followed the oc- 
 cupation of a farmer, and died in 1884. His mother 
 was Lydia (Wolford) Dewey, who was born in 
 Pennsj'lvania in 1808 and died in 1870, after hav- 
 ing seen a family of nine children grown to man- 
 hood and womanhood. 
 
 Our subject was the fifth child of his father's 
 family, and was born in Portage County, Ohio, on 
 the 26th of December, 1834, where he made his 
 home until he was twenty-one years old. He then 
 went to Wisconsin, and in March, 18o8, came to 
 this county, pre-empted a quarter-section of land, 
 and prepared to make his home. In 1863 he w.as 
 united in marriage with Miss Susan Perkins, who is 
 a daughter of Solomon and Martha (King) Perkins, 
 the former a native of Kentucky' and tiie latter of 
 Ohio. Mrs. Perkins died in 1882, and Mr. Perkins 
 is now a resident of Pawnee Count3\ They had a 
 family of eight cliildren, of whom ftlrs. Dewey is 
 the fifth, and was born on the 1.5th of February, 
 1844, in Bureau County. 111. 
 
 In the same year as that in which he was married 
 our subject took up a homestead of 160 acres in 
 Island Grove Townsiiip, but in 188.5 he bought 
 1 20 acres adjoining that on section 24. where he 
 now makes his home and gives especial attention to 
 tlie raising of live stock. But while he is indus- 
 triously engaged on his farm it docs not in the least 
 disqualify him from i)articipating in the manage- 
 
 t 
 
 *' 
 
 •>u < • 
 
^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 262 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ment of [nililic nffairs. and he has a nimiber of 
 times filled the offices of his township with much 
 credit to himself and satisfaction to tlie community. 
 For two 3ears he has been Supervisor of his town- 
 ship, and for twelve years he has served as Road 
 Overseer. For a period of twenty years he has 
 been closely connected with the educational affairs, 
 having for that length of time served as a school 
 officer. 
 
 The family of our subject and his wife comprises 
 nine children, on whom have been bestowed the 
 names of Timothy, Mary, William, Henry, Edwin, 
 Carrie, Eliza, Dora and Louis. Timothy married 
 Miss Ida Alexander, Feb. 27, 1887, and resides in 
 Pawnee County. Mr. and Mrs. Dewey are influen- 
 tial members of the Christian Church, and are also 
 weU-ijnown and active members of the Farmer's 
 Grange. Their farm has been nicely improved and 
 is tliu source of a lucrative income, while it is 
 adorned with neat and well-arranged buikiings, and 
 is separated into fields of convenient size by rovvs 
 of good fencing. Our subject is entitled to his 
 share of public honors, which is tlie just due of all 
 early settlers, they having endured the hardships 
 and trials incident to pioneer life, and prepared the 
 way that those who came afterward might enjoy 
 the fruits of their industry. 
 
 -*-5a >rc:-< » 
 
 ERD ALBER.S, a native of Oldenburg, emi- 
 grated with his parents to America when a 
 little lad eight years of age, they settling 
 first in Claj-ton County, Iowa. There our subject 
 lived until 1869, then made his way to Nebraska, 
 settling first in Lancaster County, where he lived 
 until the spring of 1875, then changed his residence 
 to this county. Starting out for himself early in 
 life, he had two years previously secured a tract of 
 land from the Burlington efe Missouri River Railroad 
 Company, on section 7, in Highland Township, 
 upon which he soon settled and which is included 
 in his present farm. In due time he added to his 
 first purchase, and is now the owner of 160 acres, 
 all of which he has brought to a good state of culti- 
 vation. A fine illustration of the self-made man, 
 
 ^« — 
 
 he has worked his way upward from the foot of the 
 ladder, and is now numbered among the representa- 
 tive pioneers of this count}'. 
 
 Mr. Albers was born Feb. 4, 1853, and is the 
 eldest son of Gerhard and Lena Albers, who were 
 of pure German aneestrj'. They are stiil living and 
 making their home in Lancaster County. Their 
 family included eight sons and three daughters, all 
 of whom are living and mostly residents of Ne- 
 braska, with the exception of one, who resides in 
 Colorado. 
 
 Our subject a few daj-s after his twenty-second 
 birthday was married, on the 7th of February, 1875, 
 to Miss Maggie Dey. a native of Oldenburg, Ger- 
 many, and whose parents were John ami Maggie 
 (Wilkin) Dey. Her mother is dead; her father 
 is in Nebraska. The young people began the jour- 
 ney of life together in Gage County, Neb., and 
 Mrs. Albers has proved a most efficient and worthy 
 helpmate to one of the most industrious pioneers 
 of his time. Of their union there have been boin 
 nine children, who were named respectively : George, 
 Lena, Fernando, Emma, Arnold, Mary, Melinda, 
 Atie and Milly. 
 
 The land of Mr. Albers when it first came into 
 his possession was simply raw prairie, upon which a 
 furrow had not been turned. He was the very first 
 settler on section 7, and it is hardly necessary to 
 say his neighbors were few and far between. As 
 he looked out over the lonely country he fully 
 realized the magnitude of the task which lay be- 
 fore him, but he was not one of those to be dis- 
 couraged by any ordinarj' circumstance. He put 
 his shoulder to the wheel, labored early and late, 
 practiced the most rigid economy, and made it a 
 rule to live within his income. Such a course sel- 
 dom fails to bring its legitimate reward. He is 
 now well-to-do, with the prospect of a full compe- 
 tence for his declining years. 
 
 Mr. Albers cast his first Presidential vote for 
 Hayes, and exercises the right of the free American 
 citizen to support the man whom he considers the 
 best qualified to serve the interests of the people. 
 He takes a genuine interest in the various enter- 
 prises which generally interest the farming commu- 
 nity, and is one of the most efficient members of 
 Buda Township Agricultural Society. He is serving 
 
 f 
 
•^ »<• 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 Hi3 
 
 bis second term as Moderator in his school district. 
 A self-made man in every respect, lie forms one of 
 those independent and reliable characters which are 
 so essential in upholding the moral and financial 
 structure of all good society. 
 
 THEODORE CARPENTER is extensively 
 engaged in farming and stock-raising on his 
 laud, consisting of about 400 acres in Lincoln 
 Township, which he has conducted for four years, 
 and has it well stocke<l with a good grade of cattle, 
 horses and hogs. He is a practical and progressive 
 farmer, and takes rank with the best in the county. 
 He first came to the county in 1878, from Polo, 111., 
 and secured land in Holt Township on which he made 
 many improvemeuts, and lived for several years, 
 after which he sold it to his father and came to his 
 present farm. Previous to his coming to this 
 county he had lived for eight years on a farm near 
 Polo, 111. He was born near Hagerstown in Wash- 
 ington Count}', Md., on the 16th of August, 1844, his 
 mother, Susau (Cross) Carpenter, also being a native 
 of that count}', and his father, Jeremiah, a native of 
 Lancaster County, Pa. The parents were married 
 in Washington County, and there made their home, 
 gathering about them a family of seven sons and 
 two daughters. In 1874 the parents and j'ounger 
 members of the family moved to Illinois, where our 
 subject had gone four j'ears previouslj'. They were 
 engaged in farming, and made their home near Polo 
 until they came to this State, now making their 
 home in Holt Township, the father aged seventy and 
 the mother sixty-eight 3'ears. They are members 
 of the Church of God, and are highly respected citi- 
 zens of their communit}'. 
 
 Our subject, the fourth child of his father's 
 familj', grew to manhood in his native count}-, re- 
 ceived his education, and was there married to Miss 
 Missouri Burk, who was born in Greencastle, Frank- 
 lin Co., Pa., on the 29th of May, 1846. She is toe 
 oldest child of the family born to Michael and Slary 
 A. (Wingart) Burk, who were both natives of the 
 same county as that in which Mrs. Carpenter was 
 born. In 1881 they came to this county, and are 
 now living on a farm in Holt Township, being com- 
 
 fortably situated and surrounded by many friends. 
 Mrs. Carpenter received a thorough education, and 
 when a young woman went with her parents to 
 Washington County, Md., in which place she married 
 our subject. By their marriage they have become 
 the parents of seven children, who are named Harry 
 B., Mamie A., Viola Dell, Albert M., Addie G., 
 Wyley and Charles M. 
 
 Although our subject has been a resident of 
 Lincoln Township for about four years, his progress- 
 ive and enterprising spirit has been recognized by 
 the people of his community, and he has been called 
 to fill the offices of Supervisor and School Director. 
 He is an ardent Democrat in politics, and has in 
 every way proved himself a thoroughly good 
 citizen. He is particularly to be congratulated 
 upon the successful manner in which he manages his 
 large farm and supplies it with modern conveni- 
 ences which so facilitate the labor. His house, barns 
 and stock buildings, are all in a good condition and 
 well calculated to afiford abundant room for the 
 storage of the lucrative yields from the fertile 
 ground and protection to the stock. AVhere active 
 industry has been able to make improvements they 
 have been made, and have well repaid our subject 
 for his trouble. He and his wife are prominent 
 society people, and are well liked for their genial 
 and pleasant dispositions, their courteous and hos- 
 pitable manners, and their thoughtful consideration 
 for the comfort and happiness of others. 
 
 %^ ERBERT HILL. Some of the most glow- 
 ing pages of our National history are those 
 which have been provided by the Quaker 
 '^ State, and its sons who have gone into newer 
 countries have carried with them the characteristics 
 of their people, and have made their way to the 
 front ranks, advancing not simply their own inter- 
 ests, but those of the present and future of the dis- 
 trict in which they have settled. Our subject was 
 born in Erie County, Pa., on the 27th of May, 
 1856, and was there reared and educated, receiv- 
 ing such instruction in books as supplied by the dis- 
 trict schools of his native county. 
 
 The parents of our subject, Arthur and Mary 
 
 <^ 
 
 i 
 
-U^ 
 
 -•»* 
 
 '2G4 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 A. (Hale) Hill, were natives of Vermont and Mas- 
 saelnisetts respectively. The parents of Mrs. Hill 
 liarl migrated to Pennsylvania while she was in her 
 ^•onth, and there the acquaintance had been formed 
 which resulted in the above union, which was fruit- 
 ful in the birth of eight children, our subject being 
 the fourth child. There is no greater mistake than 
 to imagine that the interests of the individual, the 
 State and the country, are better served by celi- 
 bacy than otherwise. The Creator, in the arrange- 
 ment of these matters, has been proved to be "too 
 wise to err," and he is the truest citizen, and more 
 mindful of his country's interests, who adopts the 
 course taken by Mr. Hill in regard to this matter. 
 His life has been more complete, more successful 
 and brighter because of his marriage. This impor- 
 tant event was celebrated in his native county on 
 the 18th of December, 1879, the lady of his choice 
 being Miss Ettie Gardner, a daughter of Hammond 
 and Elmira (Webster) Gardner, natives of Penn- 
 sylvania. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Hill in- 
 cludes three sons, who have been named Harry E., 
 Clyde E. and Herbert. 
 
 The chosen occupation of our subject lias been 
 thatof luisbandrj', and he now owns a very fine farm, 
 comprising eighty acres of excellent, arable land on 
 section 34, Sicily Township. His properly is all 
 well improved, and brought to a high state of agri- 
 cultural efficiency. The farm is usuallj' operated 
 with a view to supplying sufficient grain, etc., to 
 feed his stock, only selling what he may have over 
 and above that supply. He takes special interest 
 in stock-raising, and is the owner of a f5ne herd of 
 cattle and a large number of Poland-China hogs. 
 Our subject is a man of large energy and what 
 might be called a tireless worker, and by his efforts 
 has brouglit his farm to a condition seldom sur- 
 passed. 
 
 Few men are there who are constituted so as to 
 enjoj' their home more than our subject, and his 
 chief delight is found in the society of his excel- 
 lent wife and his three sons, who are developing 
 such mental power and manly traits of character as 
 to warrant the belief that there is a large future be- 
 fore them, and that they will prove, as the years 
 pass, a continuous source of legitimate parental 
 pride to our subject and their mother. Political 
 
 -4« 
 
 matters do not absorb the attention of our subject 
 so much as they perhaps would if he were living 
 other than on his farm ; not that he is careless of 
 the interests of the people or is disloyal in anj' re- 
 gard, per contra, there are few who have more of true 
 ))atriotic fire than he. Although usually numljered 
 with the Democratic party and voting its ticket in 
 the larger issues, in more local matters attention is 
 given first to the candidate's ability' and character, 
 liis party being a secondary consideration. He is 
 ever a consistent friend of good order and higher 
 morals, and is regarded among the most sterling 
 citizens of the township. 
 
 3 RJsST BUTE came to Nebraska in the spring 
 ^ of 1874, and purchased eight}' acres of rail- 
 L=if ' road land on section 1 in Clatonia Town- 
 ship, which land is now included in his present 
 farm. Since that time, however, he has added forty 
 acres, and has brought the whole to a good state of 
 cultivation. He commenced in life empty-handed, 
 having nothing but his own resources to depend 
 upon, and thus may be properly numbered among 
 the self-made men of this county who have em- 
 plo3'ed their time to good advantage, and are now 
 classed among its well-to-do and reliable citizens. 
 The German element of Gage County comprises 
 a large proportion of its substantial men. The sub- 
 ject of our sketch was born in the Kingdom of 
 Prussia, Aug. 3, 1851, and is the son of Frederick 
 and Henrietta (Lucte) Bute, the former of whom 
 died when Ernst was a mere child. When a lad of 
 thirteen he lost his only remaining parent, and was 
 thus an orphan indeed. He was then taken into 
 the home of a brother, and remained in his native 
 Province until a youth of seventeen j-ears. In the 
 meantime he attended school considerably, and 
 now determined to seek his fortunes on the other 
 side of the Atlantic. 
 
 Our subject, in the spring of 1868, engaged pass- 
 age in a steamer bound from the port of Bremen 
 to New York City, and after an ocean voyage of 
 more than two weeks set foot upon American soil. 
 After looking about Mm for a short time in the 
 great metropolis, he proceeded directly westward to 
 
^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4> 
 
 2G5 
 
 8tophcnson County, 111., where he worked on a. farm 
 three j'ears. and tlien changed his residence to Ogle 
 County. From there he came, in the spring of 
 1874. to Nebr.aska. 
 
 Our subject, while a resident of Illinois, was ni.ar- 
 ried, in 187G, to Miss Mary Gake, a native of that 
 Slate, who was born Aug. IG, 1851. Iler parents 
 were natives of Germany. The father is now de- 
 ceased ; the mother resides in Illinois. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Bute began the journey of life together in 
 Gage County, and of their union theie have been 
 born seven children, namely : Sophia, Elsie, Fred- 
 ricka. John, Cora, Dora and an infant unnamed. 
 The eldest is twelve years of age, and they all con- 
 tinue under the home roof. 
 
 Mr. Bute is not a member of any religious or- 
 ganization, but he believes in church institutions, 
 and gives his support to ever}- enterprise calculated 
 to benefit the people morally and financially. Po- 
 litically, he is a Democrat, is one of the School 
 Directors of his district, and one of the three ap- 
 praisers of the Clatonia Mutual Insurance Associ- 
 ation. He is recognized as a leader among his 
 fellow-citizens, is a man straightforward in his busi- 
 ness transactions, and prompt to meet his obliga- 
 lions. These qualities of character will furnish any 
 man a passport to the esteem and confidence of his 
 fellowmen. 
 
 ^ ^-*-B-" 
 
 lik^ ARTIN Y. ELLIS is a young gentleman in 
 excellent stan<liug, who is engaged in 
 farming and stock-raising on section 25, 
 Elm Township. His father, Thomas H. 
 Ellis, was born in Kentuckj', and married for his 
 first wife Miss Fuller, who was born in Tennessee. 
 There was a family of three children as the result 
 of this marriage — Sar.ih J., Serenah D. and James 
 M. At the age of nineteen years the son, James 
 M., enlisted, in the fall of 1861, in Company G, 
 130th Illinois Infantr}-, and was present during the 
 siege of Vicksburg, and the encounter at Jackson, 
 "Miss. He was among the large number of brave 
 men who enlisted in the war, and never again was 
 permitted to see his home and friends, having been 
 killed at Shreveport, La., in the spring of 18G4. 
 
 M» ' 
 
 The father of our subject was a second time mar- 
 ried, to Miss Malinda Phillips, who is the mother of 
 our subject. She was born in Tennessee, and after 
 their marriage they moved to Coles County. 111., 
 where the father died in 1861, at the age of forty- 
 nine years. By this second marriage there was a 
 family of six children, the names of whom are: May 
 A., Martin V., Margaret L., John C, Matilda A. 
 and McKnjie. After the death of the father the 
 mother of our subject was married again, to J. W. 
 Vaughan, who was also a native of Tennessee, and 
 a minister in the Baptist Church. At present they 
 are living in Mattoon, III., and have one child, 
 Thomas M., who is traveling for a music house. 
 
 Our subjnct was born on the 8th of May, 1850, 
 in Coles County, III., where he received a common- 
 school education, and remained .at home on the farm 
 until 1878. He then came to Seward Count}-, this 
 State, and staid one j'ear, after which he removed 
 to Glenwood Township, this count}', and bought a 
 farm, on which he lived for four years, making the 
 necessary improvements. After four years he sold 
 his land and came to J^lm Township, in which he 
 bought eighty acres of land, and has since made his 
 home here. He has made a great many improve- 
 ments, among which are the setting out of a fine 
 fruit orchard and a grove of shade trees. 
 
 On the 21st of September, 1871, our subject 
 was married, in Coles County, III., to Miss Mary A. 
 Layton, who is a daughter of Henry C. and Martha 
 J. (Logan) Layton, both of whom were natives of 
 Kentucky. They moved to Macon County, 111., in 
 1854, and in 1869 to Coles County, where they are 
 still living. They are the parents of eight children, 
 as follows: Elizabeth, William T., Marj' A. J., 
 Hugh, Laura B., F'rancis M., Andrew I. and Charles. 
 Mrs. Ellis was born in Kentuck}-, on the 19th of 
 January, 1850, and by her marri.<ige she has become 
 the mother of seven children, whose names are: 
 Gilbert T. (deceased), Thom.as H., Jesse L., Ora P., 
 Gertie A., Henr}' C. (deceased) and Hattie F. 
 
 Mr. Ellis was elected Treasurer of the School 
 Board in 1883, which office he still holds, and in 
 various other ways does he share the labors of pub- 
 lic enterprise. He has joined Company C of the 
 State Militia, at Beatrice, and in politics he favors 
 the Uepublican i)art3'. He and his wife arc meui- 
 
 !?^r+^ 
 
j 
 
 -^^ 
 
 266 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 bers of the Church of God, and are most consistent 
 Christians at home and abroad. They are deeply in- 
 terested in the future weif.are of their family, hav- 
 ing a wealth of affection, and a desire to secure them 
 every advantage, that they may grow up to be use- 
 ful men and women. In her home Mrs. Ellis pos- 
 sesses the charm of true Southern hospitality toward 
 her guests, and entertains her friends in a ro3'al 
 manner. 
 
 I^J^ ARTIN L. CARPENTER has by industry 
 and perseverance acquired valuable prop- 
 erty during his four years' residence in Lin- 
 coln Township, having risen from moderate 
 circumstances since his arrival in this county, in the 
 spring of 1884. Previous to his residence here he 
 lived in Beatrice for a few months, to which place 
 he had come from E.igle Point, Ogle Co., 111. He 
 was born near Hagerstown, AVashington Co., Md., 
 on the 22d of August, 1854. and is a son of Jere- 
 miah and Susan (Cross) Carpenter, the former of 
 whom was a native of Lancaster County, Pa., and 
 tiie latter of Washington County, Md. The par- 
 ents were married in the latter-named place, and 
 there made their home, a family of seven sons and 
 two daughters growing up around them. In 1874 
 they came to Illinois, and made their home near 
 Polo until they came to this State, and they are now 
 making their home in Holt Township. The father is 
 aged seventy, and the mother sixty -eight years, and 
 they are members of the Church of God, enjoying in 
 their later days the fruits of their early industry, 
 and the esteem and friendship of the people of 
 their community. 
 
 Our subject spent the early years of his life in his 
 native county, where he was educated in the public 
 schools, and instructed in the duties pertaining to 
 an agricultural life, after which he was united in 
 marriage, near Greencastle, Franklin Co., Pa., on the 
 27th of April, 1872, to Miss Anna Osbaugh. She 
 was born in the above-named city on the 14th of 
 February, 1855, and is a daughter of William and 
 Harriet (Ruthrauff) Osbaugh, the former of whom 
 is now living near Springfield, 111., aged about 
 threescore years. He is a cooper by trade, and in 
 connection with that business he owns and has 
 
 charge of a store. The mother of Sirs. Carpenter 
 died while she was making a visit in Lee Countj', 
 111., in 1884, when she was about fiftj'-six years oltL 
 She and her husband were members of the German 
 Reformed Church, and were highly respected by 
 all who knew them. 
 
 Mrs. Carpenter passed her girlhood days in Green- 
 castle, Pa., and as she grew up to womanhood she 
 completed her education in the various branches 
 of learning, and cultivated the womanly virtues 
 which have made her so estimable a lady. In 1874 
 our subject with his wife and his father's family 
 moved to Ogle County, 111., where they remained 
 for some time. They now have a family of four 
 bright, intelligent children, whose names are IvaE., 
 Zoe Adrian, Roy H. and Harley G. Since their 
 residence here they have been prosperous and suc- 
 cessful, and are rapidly becoming situated in a 
 condition to enjo}' life without so much hard labor, 
 which speaks well for the industrious disposition 
 and careful management of our subject. He is a 
 genial and affable man, and has won a large circle 
 of admiring friends by his kindlj', considerate nature 
 and his true, manlj' courtesy. He h.as held the office 
 of Treasurer of his township with credit to himself 
 and with satisfaction to the community, and where 
 political matters are discussed he proves himself a 
 well-informed and ardent Democrat. 
 
 AVID S. FAULDER. It is the oI)ject of 
 those who leave for the West or newer 
 Territories to make for themselves a home 
 there, or the means of purchasing one 
 elsewhere, and the whole of the Great West is dot- 
 ted over with the attainment of those hopes. Han- 
 over Township supplies several cases in point ; among 
 them, and one of the most pleasant, comfortable 
 and happj^, is that of David S. Faulder, whose life 
 is in this sketch briefly outlined. 
 
 It was in the fall of 1878 that Mr. Faulder set- 
 tled upon his now valuable and highlj' cultivated 
 farm, situated on section 25, and comprising 160 
 acres. Our subject is a native of Washington 
 County, Md., and was born on the 9th of January, 
 1832. He is a son of Samuel and Margaret (Rahr) 
 
 •» ■ _ <»: 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 267 
 
 I 
 
 Faulder, natives respoc-tivelj' of Maryland and 
 Pennsylvania. This familj' is of Eiiglisli extraction, 
 the paternal gran<lparents, John and Hannah Faul- 
 der, having emigrated to this country about the 
 year 1794. The}' landed, and for a time staid 
 in New York, and then settled in Maryland. This 
 gentleman was l>y trade a tailor, and also for a 
 time taught school. His familj- included twelve 
 children, all of whom were born in the United 
 .Suites. 
 
 The father of our subject was born in 1798. and 
 learned the trade of cooper, supplementing the 
 same with agriculture. His home was in Maryland, 
 near the Pennsylvania border, and here, with the 
 exception of some j'cars spent in the adjoining 
 county, across the State line, his whole life was 
 spent. His death occurred in the year 1872, his 
 wife having died about fourteen j'ears previously, at 
 the ageof sixty-fouryears, in 1858. They were the 
 parents of three children : Marj',the wife of Reuben 
 Shover, who make their home in Waynesburg, Pa.; 
 David S., our subject; and Margaret, the wife of 
 John Fahrney, of Maryland. 
 
 The early daj's of our subject were spent upon 
 the farm, between the duties of which and those of 
 the school his boyhood was filled. Afterward he 
 mastered the trade of a cooper, and continued to 
 follow the same for about ten years. In 1853 he 
 was united in marriage with Elizabeth Snj'der, who 
 was also born in Marj-land, in Washington County, 
 on the 27th of February, 1853. This ladj-, who 
 possesses attributes and graces that qualify- her to 
 make the home of her husband all that is contained 
 in that expressive word, is the daughter of Simon 
 and Amy Snj'der. After marriage the j'oung couple 
 settled in their native State, and engaged in agricult- 
 ural and pastoral pursuits, continuing the same 
 with slow but sure prosperitj- until 1873, when they 
 removed to Ogle County, 111., and made their home 
 in the neighborhood of Polo. Here they leased a 
 farm of 100 acres in extent, continued to reside upon 
 the same for about five years, and in 1878 came to 
 this State, and purchased the present 240 acres, 
 " whereon his house has been erected. This change 
 has been for the better, and each year has seen an 
 increase of prosperity, and the farm includes 240 
 acres of valuable, tillable land. The farm l)uild- 
 
 <• 
 
 ings, although, perhaps, not so elegant as some in 
 older districts, nevertheless are commodious, con- 
 venient and substantial. His home stands near a 
 beautiful grove of forest trees, and a good orchard, 
 and overlooks quite a splendid country, while 
 within there pervades a cheery brightness and 
 warmth of home feeling that are welcomed bj- not 
 simply the stranger or visitor, but more so by mem- 
 bers of the household. 
 
 Upon the day of marriage our subject carried his 
 fortune and inheritance in his pocket, and possessed 
 only $30; from this as a beginning he has gone on 
 accumulating }-ear by year until the present. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Faulder are the happj' parents of eleven 
 children, nine of whom are living. Their names 
 are as follows: Jerome S.. Samuel R. ; Laura, now 
 the wife of James Bogg; Katj-, happilj- married to 
 Dr. Charles S. Boggs; Charles E. ; Annie May, now 
 Mrs. M. H. Blackburn; Ira; Irvin and Lucy. The 
 two sons who died in childhood had been named 
 David W. and John, respectively. 
 
 Our subject is holding the position of Justice of 
 the Peace in a manner which reflects the greatest 
 honor upon his intelligence, correct judgment and 
 sense of justice. His political sj-mpathies are with 
 the Republican party, and he has for many years 
 been looked upon as one of the most reliable of his 
 part}'. By the members thereof and bj' all who 
 know him, he is held in high regard. In the Chris- 
 tian Church at Beatrice our subject and wife find 
 their religious life best sustained, and their interests 
 more largely engaged, and have for manj' years 
 been very devout members of that communion, 
 bringing into their lives much of the beaut}' and 
 sweetness of Christian living. 
 
 ^^ HARLES H. PRICE, whose farm and rcsi- 
 (if dence .ire situated on section 1 of Midland 
 
 \^; Township, is a brother of P"rank J. Price (see 
 sketch). This gentleman came with his brother to 
 Nebraska in 187f<, and is now the owner of a very 
 pleasant home, and a well-cultivated, tillable farm 
 of 1 20 acres, situated as above. He also was born 
 in Ogle County, 111., his natal day being the 14th 
 
 f 
 
-4•- 
 
 268 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 of July, 1858, to David E. and Helen E. (Rowland) 
 Price. 1 1 is early days were spent upon the home 
 farm, and from childhood he was allowed to assist 
 in tasks i)roportionate to his strength, until he be- 
 came quite a valuable assistant to his father. Like 
 his brother, he was educated in the public schools 
 of Mt. Morris. 
 
 Mr. Price was just twenty years of .ige when he 
 came to this State, and for two years was engaged 
 in farming with his brother, and then started upon 
 his own farm, which he has brouglit to its present 
 state of efficiency from that of raw, unbroken prai- 
 rie. In his chosen occupation he is abundantly suc- 
 cessful, and for a j-oiing man has achieved a 
 lirosperitj' of which he may well be proud. In 
 the year 1881, at Maryland, Ogle Co., 111., he was 
 united in marri.age with Miss Lizzie Stouffer, and 
 shortly after taking that important step settled 
 wliere he now resides, and by her bright and cheer- 
 ing presence has been encouraged to go forward 
 with his work. Tlie3' have a very pleasantly situ- 
 ated, well-built and cheerful home upon their well- 
 stocked farm. 
 
 Mrs. Price was born upon the 1 1th of November, 
 1860, to Benjamin and Mary (Koontz) StoufTer, 
 who were natives of Maryland. Upon their mar- 
 riage Mr. and Mrs. Stouffer settled in Washing- 
 ton County, and there their daughter was born. In 
 1864 the family removed to Franklin County, the 
 same State, and resided upon a farm in that county 
 until 1867. They then migrated to Ogle County, 
 111., wliere the^- still reside. Besides their daughter 
 Elizabeth, the wife of our subject, their family in- 
 cludes ten children, whose names are as fallows: 
 Julia A., the wife of Daniel Zellers, of Ogle County ; 
 Franklin K., Ella E., Fannie M., William, Emma 
 H., Helen M., Otis D., Bertie S. and Edith C. Mr. 
 Stouffer is, with his family, deeply interested in the 
 welfare of the Dunkard or German Baptist Church, 
 of which they are all members and he is a minister. 
 To the same communion are attached also Mr. and 
 Mrs. Price. 
 
 Although alw.ays anxious to see a higher class of 
 morals in vogue throughout the community, and a 
 larger religious interest manifested, and ever will- 
 ing and read}' personally and by pro.\j' to labor to 
 this end, Mr. Price does not take a deep interest 
 
 in political affairs, but his principles and life are 
 such as to win and retain for him the respect of all. 
 In deciding the question of the use to which his 
 ballot should be put he invariably considers the 
 relative fitness of the candidate and office, afterward 
 the question of party. 
 
 f 
 
 \1?0SEPH ROLLING WORTH. In the town of 
 Melbourne, Derb3'shire, England, among the 
 cotton and silk manufacturers, was one 
 James Hollingworth, who, having followed 
 this branch of industry from his youth, had become 
 a more than ordinaiy skilled worker. This gentle- 
 man in the year 1849 decided to leave his native 
 country and make his home in the New World, in 
 order that his children might have a larger oppoi'- 
 tunity for advancement in life. He was accompan- 
 ied by his wife, Elizabeth (Hemslej-) Hollingworth, 
 and four children. Their famil}' included twelve 
 children, whose names are as follows : P'rances, Myra, 
 F'rancis, Charlotte, James, Thomas, Henry, Eliza- 
 beth (deceased), Robert, Lizzie (deceased), Lizzie 
 and Joseph. 
 
 Our subject was born in the old English home 
 on the 2d of November, 1836, and was twelve years 
 of age when his parents came to this countiy. but 
 having been a bright youth and of mercurial tem- 
 perament, he had sometimes worked in the factories 
 when not at school, and was a general favorite 
 there. His father settled in Racine Count}-, Wis., 
 where he took up land and commenced farming. 
 In these newer engagements he was assisted by his 
 sons, among them our subject. After eight years 
 a removal was made to Stevens Point, in the same 
 State, and they settled in the midst of the pine woods, 
 and began clearing a farm, which at the same time 
 provided material for a start in the lumber trade 
 In 1861 they came west to Nebraska City, perform- 
 ing the journey by wagon and team. The season 
 was remarkably dry, so much so that every river 
 was forded with ease, with the exception of the two 
 great rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi, which 
 of course were both too wide and deep to admit 
 
 n 
 
>► J i "^ 
 
 ^ii^h-*i 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 269 
 
 the thought of the experiment of such primitive 
 and eSsy crossing; they had to depend upon the 
 iielp of the ferryninn for i)rogrcss in these instances. 
 The family pusiu-d straight on to Bhie Springs, of 
 this county, where a farm was rented and held for 
 two seasons. 
 
 While residing in Blue Springs our subject was 
 attracted to Miss Wealthy Jane Tinkham, and the}' 
 were made husband and wife July 13, 18C2. This 
 most estimable ladj- was born upon the 26th of 
 October, 1841, in Morrow County. Ohio, and was 
 the second child of nine born to the Rev. A. L. and 
 Sarah (Wilson) Tinkham. She was fifteen years of 
 age when her parents removed to Benton County, 
 Iowa, which was her home until about her nine- 
 teenth birthday, at which time she came to Ne- 
 braska, where she met our subject, and was married 
 two j-ears later. They have become the parents of 
 eight children, whose names are here appended: 
 Arthur J., Tliomas H., Alma E., Arvilla, George, 
 Albert, and Archie and Aimee, twins. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Hollingworth was born in 
 Vermont and her mother in Ohio. Upon the pa- 
 ternal siile the family is of English extraction. 
 After their marriage they settled in Ohio, and sub- 
 sequent to the sojourn in Iowa, above referred to, 
 removed to this county in 1 860 and took up a home- 
 stead claim. Their familj' includes nine children, 
 who severally bear the names subjoined: Gilbert, 
 Wealth}' Jane, Margery C, Elias W., James Leroy, 
 Thomas L., Alice. Eddie D. and Bertie. Mr. Tink- 
 ham, who is sevent3'-two years of age, is in the en- 
 jojment of everj- faculty and good health, and is in 
 his retired life reaping the pleasurable result of 
 earlier years of toil. His wife is also living at an 
 advanced age. Upon the marriage of our subject 
 his father and mother, then somewhat advanced in 
 }'ears, at the invitation of their son took up their 
 residence with him in his new home, and there re- 
 mained until their death. Mr. Hollingworth, Sr., 
 departed this life in the year 1864, aged seventy- 
 three years. His wife survived until the j'ear 1883, 
 having reached the advanced age of ninety-two 
 . years. 
 
 Our subject and his wife continued on their 
 homestead from the time of their marriage until 
 1882. He had purchased a section of land the fall of 
 
 the previous year in Nuckolls County. Neb., and re- 
 moved as above, continiiing there until the summer 
 of 1887, when a return was made to the old home 
 in this count}', where they reside at present. In 
 addition to the operation of the farm, our subject 
 has, since the year 1887, been engaged in the gen- 
 eral stone trade. His stone quarry is situated in 
 Rockford Township, on the Burlington & Missouri 
 River Railroad, three and one-half miles from Bea- 
 trice, and was among the first stone quarries opened 
 in the State, and is now one of the lai'gest and most 
 extensively used, business in this department hav- 
 ing increased with unusual rapidity. 
 
 Besides the 240 acres of land in Rockford Town- 
 ship our subject is the owner of 520 acres in Nuck- 
 olls County, well improved and cultivated. The 
 home farm (Rockford Point) has received a large 
 share of attention, and is provided with a good set 
 of the usual farm buildings, and hasalsoa beautiful 
 orchard of over 100 choice trees, and in the neigh- 
 borhood of the house is plentifully supplied with 
 very fine groves of cottonwood, locust and other 
 trees. There are also trees set out for a full half-mile- 
 along the northern boundary of the farm, at once, 
 an added beauty and utility. 
 
 Thomas H.. the son of our subject, has charge of 
 the Nuckolls County Farm; Arthur J. is married to 
 Miss Jennie Chenault, and is the manager of the 
 quarry. The political sentiments of our subject 
 are in harmony with those of the Republican party, 
 with which he has for many years voted and 
 worked, and has long been considered a tried friend 
 and supporter. He has watched with pride and 
 absorbing interest the development of Nebraska, 
 and was one to push forward the work of its admis- 
 sion as a State. His name will be found upon the 
 list of those who voted for the adoption of the Con- 
 stitution of the State in 1806. He h.-is always 
 taken an active inteicst in the educational advance- 
 ment of his district and county, and has served nine 
 years as School Director. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hol- 
 lingworth are highly valued members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal Church, of Holraesville, of which 
 they are most consistent and devout members. The 
 wife of our subject is also prominent in Sunday- 
 school circles, and is identified with the institution 
 at Holraesville. Nothing is too small to he worthy 
 
 I 
 
»>-ll^^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 270 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 of her labor and effort, nor too large for lier en- 
 deavor, so long as it be for the benefit and advance- 
 ment of the work. Both are most highly esteemed 
 and their value appreciated. They are always 
 found ready to aid in every good work or project, 
 if it be but shown that such enterprise is worthy. 
 
 -#^- 
 
 y'lLLIAM A. IIOLLENBACK. One of 
 the greatest questi(jns l)efore the civilized 
 ^J^ world, one tiiat is not confined by tlie lines 
 of race, color or nationality, is tliat of the use and 
 abuse of beverages which tend to prcjduce that 
 brain effect which is designated by the term intox- 
 ication. For many years tlie indiscriminate use of 
 such articles has been gradually arousing the most 
 determined and enthusiastic opposition, and firing 
 the liearts of many of the best citizens with an im- 
 passioned fervency of zeal, to lemove from the 
 path of the joung, the untried and the tempted, 
 everything which tends by seducing allurements 
 to ruin them and bring disgrace upon their families, 
 communities and country. The subject of the 
 present sketch is one deeply interested in the 
 solution of this great international problem, and 
 stands pledged before the community of which he 
 is a factor upon the side of the defense of those 
 whom weakness, either from age, inexperience or 
 repeated failure, has rendered defenseless. 
 
 Our subject is one of the prosperous farmers of 
 Sicily Township, and is the owner of 120 acres of 
 exceedingly good farming land, which is situated on 
 section 33. He is the son of George and Jane 
 (Patton) Hollenback, who were both natives of 
 Ohio, but removed to Woodford County, 111. Their 
 married life was very bright and felicit his, and was 
 only broken by the death of the mother of our 
 subject in AVoodford County, 111., in 1859. They 
 had become the parents of six children, who are 
 still living, with the exception of their sou George, 
 who died in Illinois when eight years of age. The 
 names of the remaining children, according to the 
 family gcnealog3-, are : John C, Isathan P., Elizabeth 
 J.. Sarah K. and William A. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 1st of April, 1845, 
 in the home in Woodford County, and was reared 
 
 to man's estate in the same place. His education 
 was practical rather than extensive, and when it was 
 completed he was ready to go to work upon the 
 farm. He removed to his present home'in Gage 
 County, Neb., and took up the tract of land which 
 now comprises his propert3' when it was in an un- 
 tamed condition, and by continued effort, and i^er- 
 severance in hard work intelligently bestowed, has 
 brought it to its present super-excellent condition. 
 
 On the 3d of July, 18G6, Mr. Hollenbeck was 
 married, the lady of his choice being Adeline Gil- 
 crest, a daughter of Thomas C. and Eleanor (Guth- 
 rie) Gilcrest. Her father was a native of Virginia, 
 her mother of Ohio. The home of our subject has 
 opened its portals to welcome three little ones, 
 whose names are recorded as follows : Ellen J., Frank 
 R. and Bertha E., who are still living .it home with 
 their parents, aged twenty -one, seventeen and eleven 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Hollenback is a prominent member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, with which he has been 
 identified for many years, having been received 
 therein at Belle Plain, III., about the year 1864, but 
 is at present identified with the church at Wymofe. 
 He has been in office for the greater part of that 
 time, as Steward, Sunday-school Superintendent 
 etc., and still continues as Steward at Wymore. 
 His wife is a member of the Christian Church, and 
 just as enthusiastic and devout in that communion 
 as her husband is in his. Both are most highly es- 
 teemed for their work's sake. The difference of 
 thought in regard to religious matters in no way 
 hinders the uninterrupted flow of that jo^'ous com- 
 panionship which marks the wedded life of the 
 Christian. It may, however, be partl^^ accounted 
 for bj' the fact that their parents follovveil in the 
 same path before them, Mr. and Mrs. Gilcrest hav- 
 ing been members of the Christian Churcli, and the 
 father and mother of Mr. Hollenback members 
 of the Methodist Church. It is a remarkable co- 
 incidence that both mothers should have departed 
 this life in a triumph of Christian faith, which 
 was not marred by tvny shade of difference of 
 creed ; also, that both fathers still live, and in their 
 respective churches are prominent and regarded 
 with the dee|)est respect and Christian affection. 
 
 In former years our subject was an alliliatc of the 
 
 f 
 
■^*- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•»• 
 
 271 
 
 ^ 
 
 Republican party, but his studj- of the luatters re- 
 feiied to in our opening paragraph led him to asso- 
 ciate himself with the Pruliibition party. In this 
 cause he is a constant and energetic worker. That 
 his eflforts have been appreciated is shown in that 
 at the last convention of this county our subject 
 was nominated as candidate for representative by 
 his partj'. At present he is filling in a most satis- 
 factory manner the office of Clerk of his township, 
 to which he was elected in the fall of 1887. Com- 
 ment regarding the character of one thus associated 
 and engaged is entirely unnecesssar3', and would de- 
 generate into the fulsome remarks of the sycophant, 
 therefore, it is preferred to leave this epitome as a 
 whole to speak the worth and esteem of its subject. 
 
 <ff| AMES ELERBECK furnishes a forcible illus- 
 ] tration of the power of industr}- and self-re- 
 ; liance, he having risen by successive steps 
 (^1^ from moderate circumstances to his present 
 position of affluence. He is a son of John and Eliza 
 Elerbeck, who were natives of England, and was born 
 on the 24th of Jul}-, 183C, in Bradford, Yorkshire. 
 He spent his earlj' years in his native village, and be- 
 cause of the moderate circumstances of his parents 
 he was engaged in working in the worsted and cot- 
 ton factories until he was eighteen years old, for 
 which reason his early education was limited. His 
 parents were Christian people and interested him in 
 the work of the Sunday-school, so that he was a 
 regular attendant and gained much information of 
 the Bible and religious truths. 
 
 Our subject conceived the desire to have a home 
 of his own, and thinking that he would have better 
 opportunities to make and save a competence in 
 America, he sailed from Liverpool in 1854, placing 
 foot on American soil in the month of May of the 
 same year. His destination was Kenosha County, 
 Wis., and after he had arrived there he worked out 
 by the month for one and a half j^ears, after which 
 he went to Racine County, and remained until 186G. 
 Three years after his arrival in America he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Murgatro^'d, 
 who is a daughter of William and .Sarah Murgat- 
 royd. They were born in Yorkshire, England, 
 
 where the father was a manufacturer of worsted 
 and cotton goods, and was in very good circum- 
 stances. The familj- came to this countrj' in 1848, 
 and made their home in Kenosha County, Wis. 
 The father now resides in Union Grove, Racine Co., 
 W^is., having reached the advanced age of eighty- 
 seven jears. The mother died in 1860, at the age 
 of fiftj'-six years, leaving a family of seven children, 
 who are now all living and are named as follows: 
 Emanuel, Richard, Nann}', John, Mary A., Eliza 
 and Anna. 
 
 Mrs. Elerbeck was born in October, 1840, in 
 Yorkshire, England, not far from Bradford, the 
 birthplace of Mr. E. She had known our sub- 
 ject in their native countr\-,and was eight years old 
 when she came with her parents across the water. 
 Young as she was she had already inspired an affec- 
 tion in the heart of J'oung James Elerbeck, and who 
 can tell whether or not it was with a desire to see 
 his early love that our subject came to this country, 
 and made her his wife when she was sixteen j-ears 
 old. After their marriage the happ}- j'oung people 
 made their home in Wisconsin, and in 1863 our 
 subject, hearing that his mother was ver^' ill, left 
 home to make a visit to the Fatherland, with the 
 hope of seeing his dearly loved mother before she 
 should have passed to the world beyond. And she, 
 hearing of his coming, seemed to summon up strength 
 to await the arrival of her darling bo^-; and with 
 the sight of him it seemed as if a new lease of life 
 were granted her, for she recovered sullicient health 
 to live for three years afterward. She died in 1867, 
 at the age of fifty-three j-ears. and our subject has 
 alwaj's been thankful that he made his visit when 
 he did. 
 
 In the spring of 1864 Jlr. Elerbeck again set sail 
 for America, and after having enjoyed one of the 
 finest trips in his life he was happy to find his fam- 
 il3' at home well, and waiting to extend a greeting 
 to him whose presence was so welcome. He rented 
 a farm in Wisconsin and prospered fairly' well, but 
 wishing to see the much-talkcd-of "Nebraska," he 
 started with a wagon team of three horses, with his 
 wife and children, for the State of the Plains in 
 May, 1866. He arrived at Beatrice in the latter 
 part of June, and immediately took up his present 
 homestead on section 18, Rockford Township. They 
 
 iJ t <• 
 
M^ 
 
 272 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 lived in the wagon in which their journey was made 
 nntil the shantj' could be built, and it being finished 
 in October, they moved into their more commo- 
 dious dwelling. Our subject dug a well, and made 
 other necessary improvements as he was ai)le to 
 make them ; the land being raw prairie there was so 
 much to be done at once. His wagon was the first 
 one ou the Blue River at the mouth of Cedar 
 Creek. 
 
 Our subject owns 370 acres of land, which he de- 
 votes to the purpose of general or mixed farming, 
 and his success has given hirn the reputation of be- 
 ing one of the best farmers in the county. He has 
 been very industrious and is a careful manager, con- 
 ducting his business in the most afn^roved method 
 and order. With his own hands he planted a grove 
 which now contains trees of a size sufficient to make 
 a respectable saw-log, and he h.as a fine orchard of 
 apple, cherry, peach and other fruit trees. He has 
 an artist's eye for symmetr3', and has laid out the 
 yards and lawns to the best possible advantage for 
 beauty and utility. He has erected a fine, large 
 house, and cattle and horse barns, with all necessary 
 out-buildings, such as granary, corn cribs, (jattle- 
 sheds, etc. His stockyards are furnished with 
 water forced by a wind pump, and in various other 
 ways have labor and wealth made many improve- 
 ments. 
 
 Of the household of our subject and his wife 
 there were five children, part of whom have left tlie 
 parental roof and are nicely established in homes of 
 their own. John T. married Miss Etta Irving, and 
 with their daughter, Mabel, they reside in River- 
 side Township, where they have a farm of 160 acres; 
 Mary E. is the wife of Charles Tanner, and they 
 reside in this St:ite; Sarah L. is the wife of 
 Ellory Webster, residing in Logan Township; Wil- 
 lie and Katie are still at home. Mr. Elerbeck was 
 naturalized as soon as the Constitution would per- 
 mit, and he has become one of the best and most 
 loyal citizens. He voted for the adoption of the 
 State Constitution in 1866. He is a member of the 
 Republican party, liut has never cared to accept 
 political offices though they have been tendered 
 him. He has honorably served as School Director for 
 eight years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Elerbeck incline 
 towanl the Church of the Christian Scientists, and the 
 
 former willingly shares the credit of his success in 
 life and his popularity in the community with his 
 estimable and highly respected wife, who has been 
 a faithful companion and helpmate during all the 
 years of their happy wedded life. 
 
 OCERN W. KELLEV. In GrantTownship 
 there is contained some of the best land in 
 the county, and on sections 2 and 3 may be 
 found some of the most fertile, arable and tillable 
 in the township. The gentleman whose life fur- 
 nishes the basis of the present sketch is the owner 
 of a very fine farm on these sections, comprising 
 IGO acres of highlj' cultivated and productive farm- 
 ing land. His home is upon section 3; he has been 
 a resident of the township since 1875, and since 
 that time has devoted himself to the improvement 
 of his properly, and at the same time has been 
 identified with most of the important, practicable 
 enterprises that have had as their aim and object 
 the improvement of the environment, and the ad- 
 vancement of the interests of the community at 
 large. 
 
 Our subject is one of the prominent citizens of 
 his township, and has come to fill a warm place in 
 the hearts of his fellows, being a genial, affable and 
 courteous gentleman, sincere friend and honorable 
 citizen. He has been very intelligent and diligent 
 in all the efforts made in the operations on his 
 farm, which is now well supplied with the various 
 necessities in the shape of buildings, etc., and is 
 well stocked with cattle of high grade of the best 
 breeds. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 27th of March, 1840, 
 in Muiison Township, Geauga Co., Ohio. He is the 
 sixtii child and fourth son of John A. and Mary A. 
 (Woodard) Kelley. He was reared at the old 
 home, and the memories connected with his school 
 days cluster around the same place. Having drunk 
 as deeply as was permitted at the fount of learning, 
 his attention w.as directed to farming, in which he 
 engaged until the present, making an entire success 
 of all he undertook to perform, being quick to 
 apprehend and understand the why and wherefore, 
 and as ready to put into practice what he learned. 
 
■^f^ 
 
 ii=i-* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 273 
 
 The father of our subject was bora in Vermont, 
 and is of Ii'ish descent, his father. Pardon Kellej', 
 having served in the Revolutionary War, and 
 fought for home and liberty with the "Green 
 Mountain boys" in most of the ciiief engagements 
 of those times. In later life he came to Oiiio, and 
 erected a woolen factory and gristmill in Ashta- 
 bula Count}', where he resided until his death at 
 tlie ripe age of seventy years. His son .lohn, the 
 father of our subject, was reared in Vermont, and 
 was there married to a Lad}' a native of the same 
 (state, and after the birth of several chiUlren, who 
 died in infancy, John Kelley and wife removed to 
 Ohio, and after several years of happy wedded life 
 he there lost his flrst wife, whose maiden name was 
 Mary A. Woodard. In the year 1857 he entered 
 into a second marriage, the lady of his choice being 
 Mrs. A. D. Sturdavant, who afterward accompanied 
 him in his Western peregrinations. They are now 
 residents of DeWitt, ISaline County, and are re- 
 spectively eight3'-four and sixty-four years of age. 
 The subject of our slvetch was reared at the old 
 home in his native county, and there remained 
 until he was of age, obtaining in the usual institu- 
 tion the foundation of his education, which by 
 much reading he hassince improved. On the 12th 
 of August, 1861, he enlisted in the 2d Ohio Cav- 
 alry, and served in Company B, continuing until 
 Dec. 12, 1865, just four years and four months, 
 with the exception of a brief furlough given him 
 at the time he was veteranized. His regiment 
 being assigned to the Army of the West, under 
 the command of Gen. Blunt, was ordered to the 
 Arkansas frontier, and saw a great deal of frontier 
 life and skirmishing. They took Little Rock on 
 the 10th of September, 1863, and then went to Red 
 River on a raiding expedition. Returning, our 
 subject was appointed to do duty with the regi- 
 mental guards of the arsenal at Little Rock, and 
 was veteranized in that city. With tiie exception 
 of the strain upon his constitution from exposure, 
 our subject went through the war unscathed; upon 
 the fore-mentioned date he received his honorable 
 •discharge, and returned to civil life. Accompanied 
 by his wife he went to Missouri, afterward remov- 
 ing thence to this count}'. 
 
 During the time he was at home on furlough our 
 
 subject took the opportunity of celebrating his 
 marriage, and this step has proved one of the most 
 happy he ever took. This important event trans- 
 pired upon the 20th of February, 1864, the lady 
 being Lucy C. Warner, the estimable daughter of 
 William and Sarah (S.ifford) Warner. This lady 
 was born in JIunson Township, Geauga Co.. Ohio, 
 May 14, 1841. Her early life was spent at home, 
 and pr.ictically herself and husband grew up 
 together, the families being neighbors. Her par- 
 ents were natives of Vermont; their acquaintance 
 having been made and ripening into friendship, 
 led to their marriage, which occurred at Sandgate 
 in that State, They went to Ohia in 1833, where 
 her father took land and followed husbandr\' as 
 his chosen occupation. Her mother was killed in 
 1864 in consequence of an accident that caused 
 her to be thrown violently from a wagon. Her 
 father still lives, and is a hale, heartj' old gentle- 
 man of eighty-seven years. 
 
 The family of our subject numbers two children, 
 both adopted, Mrs. Kelley sustaining the relation 
 of foster-mother to the little ones, Willie C. and 
 Jennie M. Mr. Kelley has in a most complimentary 
 manner filled the office of Township Assessor since 
 last spring. He is a member of Curtis Post No. 
 89, G. A. R.. at DeWitt, also of the A. O. U. W., 
 of the same place. In his political position he pre- 
 fers the principles of the Republican party, of 
 which he has long been a tiied and true friend and 
 sui)porter. 
 
 ^FLDEN E. day, of Highland Township, 
 .@/lJII occupies a good position, socially' and finan- 
 cially, among the well-to-do citizens of 
 Gage County. He has for a number of 
 yciirs confined his attention to farming and stock- 
 raising, and is the owner of a fine tract of land on 
 section 18. A native of the Province of Quebec, 
 Canada, he was born Jul}' 16, 1834, and is the son 
 of Jonathan B. and Nellie G. (Gilchrist) Day, the 
 former deceased and the latter a resident of High- 
 land Township. 
 
 The father of our subject is believed to have 
 been a native of Vermont and was of Scotch ances- 
 try. The parental family included eight children, 
 
 ••► 
 
a. 
 
 •274 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 four only of whom survive, namely: Eusebia B., 
 Mrs. Reeves, of Greene County, Iowa; Alden E., 
 our subject; Samuel H., of Furnas County, anil 
 Laura S., of Higlilanil Township, this county. When 
 Aklen E. was a little lart four years of age his par- 
 ents left the Dominion, and crossing over into the 
 States, settled in Caynga County, N. Y., where the 
 father engaged in farming, and wiicre they lived 
 six years. Their next removal was to Lee County, 
 Iowa, but they subsequently removed to LaPorte 
 County, Ind., where our subject was reared to man's 
 estate. In the meantime he had received careful 
 home training and a common-school education, and 
 had been taught those principles of industry and 
 economy which are the surest basis of good citizen- 
 ship. One of the most important of his plans for 
 the future was the establishment of domestic ties of 
 his own, and he was accordinglj- married, on the 
 9th Of March, 1857, to Miss Almira Baldwin, the 
 wedding taking place at the home of the bride in 
 LaPorte County, Ind. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Day commenced the journey of 
 life together in a snug home in Indiana, where our 
 subject engaged in farming. Of their union there 
 have been born four children, three only of whom 
 are living, namely : Ella C, RosieO. and George B. 
 The deceased child was a boy and died in in- 
 fancy. In the spring of 1872 Mr. Day came with 
 his family to this county and homesteaded 160 
 acres of land in Highland Township. The soil was 
 in its original condition, and it has required years 
 of labor to effect the transformation which we be- 
 hold to-day. It is now highly productive, and the 
 comfortable farm residence, with the barn and other 
 out-buildings, are a standing monun)ent of the in- 
 dustry of the proprietor. Mr. and Mrs. Day en- 
 dured the hardships and privations common to 
 pioneer life, and now occupy an honored position 
 among the old settlers. Our subject, politically, 
 is independent. He has served as Justice of the 
 Peace and Assessor of Highland Township. No 
 man is more interested in the growth and prosper- 
 ity of his adopted county, and none have contrib- 
 uted more cheerfully as far as they were able to 
 this end. 
 
 At the time of the outbreak of the Civil War Mr. 
 Day was a resident of Indiana, and in July, 1862, 
 
 seeing little prospect of a termination of the con- 
 flict, he resolved to enter the Union Army, and ac- 
 cordingly enlisted in Company G, 87th Indiana 
 Infantry. His regiment was assigned to the 14th 
 Colps, Army of the Cumberland, and Company G 
 was mainly under Gens. Rosecrans, Thomas and 
 Sherman. Mr. Day participated with his comrades 
 in the Atlanta campaign, and on the morning of 
 July 20, 1864, before breakfast, he was wounded 
 in a skirmish at Peachtree Creek by a ball which 
 penetrated his left limb near the thigh. He was 
 confined in the hospital, and when able to leave it 
 was granted a thirty-days furlough, which time he 
 spent at his old home in Indiana. Later he re^ 
 joined his regiment at Savannah, but not being en- 
 tirely recovered from his injuries was assigned to 
 the invalid corps. At the close of the Atlanta 
 campaign our subject marched with his regiment 
 up through the Carolinas, and at the conclusion of 
 his military service under the command of Gen. 
 Sherman, received his honorable discharge in June, 
 18G5. He had the pleasure of participating in the 
 grand review at Washington, and soon afterward 
 returned to Indiana, where he once more entered 
 upon the duties of an ordinary citizen. As an ex- 
 soldier he belongs to Monitor Post No. 184, G. A. 
 R., at Cortland, this State, of which he has served 
 as" Quartermaster for a number of years. 
 
 -*a£i2/S«-«-^^— »^JW»~-. 
 
 ^,: NDREW S. DAVIS. One of the most 
 wfuv interesting families in Gage County, per- 
 haps, is that of the subject of our sketch, 
 W whose farm is situated on section 20 of 
 
 Adams Township. To anyone at all acquainted 
 with the district an introduction is needless, the 
 name alone suffices to revive the mental picture of 
 the memory, one exceedingly pleasant to think of 
 or look upon. Our subject is the son of Jacob and 
 Jane Davis, both of whom were born in Carolina, 
 and are of English extraction and descent. They 
 were the parents of twelve children, and of these 
 our subject is the tenth born, which interesting 
 event occurred in the little log cabin upon the 
 farm near Cairo, 111. As a child he was taken by 
 his iwrents upon their removal to Tennessee, and 
 
 t 
 
-#•- 
 
 "•►HI--* 
 
 GAGE COUKT\. 
 
 21 r, 
 
 spent tlie dajs of his youth upon the farm not far 
 from the Mississippi River. In tlie same distiict 
 also he received some education, altliougli neither 
 extensive iu range or treatment of subject. They 
 were what was known as subsci'iption schools, and 
 the standard of their efficiency was by no means 
 high. 
 
 The father of our subject worked at various oc- 
 cupations in different States, chieflj', liowever, in 
 Jlar^'land, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee. In 
 ' the year 1833 he removed with his family to Jack- 
 son County, 111., where he rented a farm, but after 
 u few 3'ears removed to Adams County, where he 
 remained until his death. On account of his 
 nomadic disposition and the heavy expense and loss 
 necessarily attending such frequent removals, he 
 failed to accumulate any considerable property, 
 and uiion his death in 1835, although sixt^'-five 
 years of age, he was comparativelj' a poor man. 
 
 Upon the death of his father, our subject, being 
 the eldest son, was naturally' called upon to take 
 charge of the farm on behalf of his mother and 
 sisters. This he continued to do until the death of 
 his mother, in 1850, at the age of seventy-five 
 years. On the 8th of December, 1837, he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Rebecca Washburn. 
 They made their home in Hancock County, where 
 Mr. Davis purchased a farm and resided about six- 
 teen years, but being prevented making certain 
 payments on the proi)ert3' he lost it, and then de- 
 termined to seek his fortune in the West. Tiiere 
 were seven children born to our subject and his 
 wife, whose names are subjoined: James II., John 
 William, Benjamin F., Andrew J., Timothy U., 
 Louisa and Mary. Mrs. Davis died in Nemaha 
 County in the year 1872, having reached the age 
 of fifty-two years. 
 
 Upon coming to this State Mr. Davis purchased 
 a farm, situated in Nemaha County, but being 
 heavily involved, and suffering severe drouth the 
 (irst year, and l)eing literally drowned out the next, 
 he was again forced to abandon his home. In the 
 year IHii'J he located upon his present homestead, 
 ^and the following j'ear reaped a harvest most bounti- 
 ful and large, which might fittingly represent that 
 referred to by the writer who said, •• There is a tide 
 in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, 
 
 leads on to fortune;" he took it, and has since 
 ])rospered. Just, however, .as success was crowning 
 his efforts, the bereavement of his wife made the 
 cup less sweet and the success less happy than it 
 would have been. But this severe trial did not 
 prevent him from taking every advantage of the 
 leverage gained, and he pushed on the work of his 
 farm, the erection of its buildings, the completion 
 and beautifying of his home, which, incidentally-, we 
 would remark, occupies one of the finest sites in the 
 township. The surroundings of his dwelling have 
 been rendered increasingly beautiful as the years 
 have passed, and our subject, being a master in hor- 
 ticulture as well as agriculture, has spared no pains 
 or effort to this end. In addition to his flower 
 garden he maintains quite an extensive kitclien 
 garden. The groves near the house, which include 
 maple, honey locust, cottonwood, walnut, elm and 
 white ash trees, are of exceptionable beaut}-, as are 
 also his orchards. The whole farm of eighty acres 
 is enclosed by a well-kept, symmetrically trimmed, 
 osage orange hedge, which is also utilized to m.ike 
 the divisions necessary around the barnyard, gar- 
 dens, etc. Thus he lias brought his property from 
 a condition of wild virgin prairie to a very garden 
 of delights, which he and Mrs. Davis are enabled 
 fully to enjoy. 
 
 AVhen the work of arranging and beautif3-ing his 
 home as above described was becoming more and 
 more complete, most naturally- our subject desired 
 the companionship of some one with whom to share 
 his home. The desire became a resolution, the 
 resolution took shape in action, and March 19, 
 1881. he was united in marriage with Mrs. Ester 
 M. Lord, the lady who, by her many womanly 
 graces and matronl}- qualities, her refinement and 
 culture, graces his home and completes his life. 
 She was born close to the Ossipee River, in Cornish 
 Township, York Co., Me. Her ancestors were of 
 English descent, and members of the Quaker com- 
 munity. Their family was one of the earliest to 
 settle in the State of Maine, and her father and 
 mother, David and Anna (Ai'ers) Morrell, were 
 of the most prominent families in York County. 
 Her father, who was an extensive farmer and lum- 
 berman, was a large land-owner: he was a man of 
 the strictest business integrity, of more than ordi 
 
 ■"► ^ ■1 <• 
 
.^1^^ 
 
 276 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 nary ability, anrl of unusual prosperity. He was 
 an adornment to his profession as a Quaker. In 
 his political sentiments he was a Whig, and a strong 
 anti-slaver^' man. After reaching the advanced 
 age of seventy-five 3'ears he died in 1852, at tlie 
 place of his liirth, lamented by the community. 
 His wife, who had died the year previous, was 
 sixty-eight years of age. Their family comprised 
 ten children, six of them being sons. Mrs. Davis, 
 who was bom on the 15th of December, 1819,^ was 
 their eighth child. 
 
 The early life of Mrs. Davis was spent amid 
 surroundings which, to a person of her disposition 
 and temperament, could not but result in the de- 
 velopment of just such a desirable and beautiful 
 character, for after all the soul is but a plant in 
 the spiritual garden, and where the environment 
 for successful spiritual horticulture be favoi'able, 
 it buds and blossoms into habits of character that 
 are after the order of, and approximate unto, the 
 design in the mind of the great Gardener of the soul. 
 She was brought up on the farm of her father; 
 the educational advantages she enjoyed were lim- 
 ited to the common schools, which in the lumber 
 districts where her father had extensive interests 
 were necessarily few and far between; and again, 
 the school year was limited to about eight weeks. 
 But bj' her own ambition and efforts she has so 
 supplemented the school work that she possesses a 
 good, sound and thorough English education, and 
 is well read upon all general topics; so true is this 
 that she was accepted as a teacher in the schools, 
 and developed such talent in this direction that it 
 was a matter of regret when she deemed it necessary 
 for her to discontinue. But she received at that 
 time a " more effectual call," and that to the high- 
 est sphere of womanhood. Cupid had been at work, 
 and his arrowshafts had done such execution as re- 
 sulted in the plighting of faith and vowing of vows 
 irrevocable between her and Samuel R. Lord. 
 
 Mr. Lord was a man of sterling character and 
 considerable means, although still a young man. 
 They were united in marriage in the year 1838; 
 shortly after this interesting event Mr. Lord pur- 
 chased a woolen-mill at West Buxton, Me., where 
 he continued for over seven years, enjoying, how- 
 ever, only a fair degree of financial [irosperity, 
 
 owing to the large number of mills which sprang 
 up about that time. At the end of that period he 
 sold out and returned to Cornish Township, and 
 there continued engaged in farming for seven years. 
 During that period they had become the parents of 
 eight children, and in 1853 for their sakes they 
 went West and settled in the much-talked-of, but 
 little known, and, if anything, still less occupied 
 Southern Wisconsin. Their home was made on what 
 was known as '• F^mpire Prairie," which is situated 
 in Leeds Township, Columbia County, and is about 
 twenty miles from Madison. Their home, although 
 not elaborate, was one of the happiest and brightest 
 in the country until 1866, when it was beclouded 
 by the death of the husband and father, which oc-- 
 curred in his fifty-fourth year, leaving his widow 
 with eight children, the youngest being but six 
 months old. 
 
 In this trying situation Mrs. Lord's strength' 
 determination, character and motherhood were the 
 powers that enabled her to rise to the situation, 
 for, being left in moderate circumstances, she de- 
 termined to give every possible advantage and op- 
 portunity to the children who gathered around her 
 and called her mother. Her brother, John L. Mor- 
 rell, was at this time in Macoupin County, III., and 
 was comparatively well off. With the magnani- 
 mous, large-hearted generosity that would appear 
 to be a characteristic of the family, this gentleman 
 induced his sister to sell her property, and then 
 helped her to locate in his neighborhood, where he 
 could aid her in the struggle, and where the edu- 
 cational advantages for their children were superior. 
 It was the firm resolve and established resolution 
 of Mrs. Lord to keep her children together and 
 give them a home, and most nobly did she struggle, 
 endeavor and labor to this end, which she con- 
 sidered her mission. Her devotion has not been 
 without its result or due appreciation, for her chil- 
 dren recognize and understand fully how much her 
 course in this extremity has meant for them, and 
 without waiting for the future they have already 
 arisen " and called her blessed " by a return of 
 wealth of affection and devotion that is at once the 
 greatest adornment, beauty and safeguard of their 
 lives. In order to provide more fully for her two 
 younger sons she removed with them, in 1878, to 
 
 f- 
 
 n 
 
JU 
 
 -•- "^ -*- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 277 
 
 \ 
 
 *~ 
 
 this countj' and settled in Highland Township. 
 Upon arrival their exchequer contained only $17. 
 The boj's immediately took hold of such work as 
 could lie had upon neighboring farms, with the 
 mutual satisfaction of seeing abundant and most 
 gratifying success. 
 
 The names of the familj- of Mr. and Mrs. Lord 
 are as follows: Ci'rus M. (deceased), Lydia E., 
 Ester E., Samuel R. (deceased), Sarah E., Hannah 
 P., Harriet, Samuel and Anneva (the three latter 
 being deceased). Georgie, Edith K., Elmer R. and 
 Levi M. Lj'dia is happily married to George 
 Dirkee, a farmer at De Forest, Wis., who was Post- 
 master at that pKace from the time of Lincoln's elec- 
 tion until a year or two ago; they are the parents 
 of ten children — James Edgar, Eugene, M3'ra, 
 Frank, Mabel, John ; the other names are unknown. 
 Ester A., the widow of Mr. Holton, resides in Cali- 
 fornia; Sarah, the wife of Mr. Gastin. of Luzerne, 
 Iowa, is the parent of five children — Frank, M3'rtie 
 M., Ellen, Ralph and John; Hannah, the wife of 
 John Broderick, resides in Summit Citj', Mich.; 
 they are also the parents of five children. Georgie 
 is living in Meltonville, Iowa, and is happilj' mar- 
 ried to Mr. John Bewick, this family likewise in- 
 cludes five children — Leonard Lord, Mar^' May, 
 Chilton, Burton and Dora. Edith K., now Mrs. 
 Ross Carney, resides in Newark, Cal., and is the 
 mother of three children — Ede E., Eva and Abbie; 
 Elmer R. and Levi H. are both residents of Digh- 
 ton, Kan., and are engaged in the real-estate busi- 
 ness. 
 
 Upon the contraction of her marriage with our 
 subject in 1881, Mrs. Lord bix)ught to him a life 
 and character that had been purified and rendered 
 more happil}' spirituelle bj' her years of struggle, 
 trial and devotion. As the ^-ears have gone by she 
 has made it her pleasant duty to add constantly 
 some new feature, beauty or refinement, making it 
 a well-nigh perfect home. The house stands upon 
 the farm surrounded by its eighty acres of land, 
 every part of which is utilized either for pleasure 
 or profit. The closing hours of life's day are all 
 aglow with the sunset glories in a clear sk}', its rays 
 and reflections painting with polychromatic tints 
 the events and happenings as they occur. It would 
 be impossible to find among the honored, we had 
 
 almost said venerated, aged and prominent citizens 
 any who more appreciate tiie sentiments accorded 
 them and feelings expressed by their fellow-citizens 
 or the pleasantness of their surroundings. 
 
 For many years Mr. Davis has adhered firmly 
 and consistently to the membership and work of the 
 Missionary Baptist Church, as his wife has done in 
 th.it of the Free- Will Baptist communion, where 
 she has long been regarded as among its truest and 
 best friends and supporters. The lite of Mr. Davis 
 has been lived for the greater part in districts re- 
 mote from large centers and beyond the noise and 
 babel of "the madding crowd," and has not taken 
 the prominent place in political matters he other- 
 wise might have done. It has been his custom to 
 work for and vote with the Democratic party, un- 
 less by some mischance a candidate might present 
 himself who, in the judgment of our subject, was 
 unfit for the position sought. 
 
 IMOTHY G. DEWEY has seen perhaps as 
 r^yvj many of the changes that h.ave taken place 
 in the western half of this countrj' as any 
 other man residing in this county, having been 
 early inured to pioneer life when the development 
 of these States was j"et in its infanci'. He was born 
 on the 20tliof May, 1828, in Portage County, Ohio, 
 his father, Eliakim (now deceased), having been a 
 native of Massachusetts and an early settler on 
 the Western Reserve lands of Ohio. Our subject 
 spent the early part of his life on a farm, engaged 
 in the various duties of rural life, accompanied no 
 doubt at that time with an infinite number of hard- 
 ships and obstacles, which have since been re- 
 moved. He was able to receive but a very limited 
 education, not because his parents did not appre- 
 ciate the value of learning but because the oppor- 
 tunities were extremely limited. 
 
 Late in the year 1849 our subject went to Wau- 
 kesha County, Wis., and lived there for a time, 
 then changing his residence to several other parts 
 of the State, but in the fall of 18.58 he became dis- 
 satisfied and, in company with his brother William 
 F., he came to Richardson County, Neb. In the 
 spring of 1859 he came to the western part of Paw- 
 
 r 
 
:ll^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 278 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Dce County and took up some GoveiMunent land 
 lying partly in that county and partly in this, his 
 l)rother settling just across the line in Gage County. 
 They were the first to break land bordering on 
 Wolf Creek, and at that time the Indians held un- 
 disputed sway, and wild animals made their home 
 here. Herds of buffaloes were grazing not more 
 than thirty miles west from here, liaving been 
 driven already that far by the march of civilization. 
 
 There was but one family (by the name of Ben- 
 nett) living on Plum Creek when our subject and 
 his brother came to this section, and that family 
 was the only one living in Libert}' Township. 
 While he was preparing to build his house, and 
 that, too, in the most primitive style, our subject 
 hoarded with this family. At one time the In- 
 dians staid over night with them, and finding a 
 sack of gold belonging to our subject, they took 
 $20 of the amount contained in it, not daring to 
 take the remainder lest the theft should be sus- 
 ))ected. The earlj' settlers of this section suf- 
 fered quite a number of losses from the pilfering 
 of these Indians, who claimed to be friendly, but 
 who could not resist carrying away with them 
 small articles of value on which they could lay 
 their hands. 
 
 Several new families settled in Plum Creek in 
 the fall of 1859, which no doubt was a grateful ad- 
 dition to the lonely little settlement. Our subject 
 returned to Wisconsin in the fall of 1860, and in 
 1861 he went to Mitchell County, Iowa, where he 
 remained until the 13th of April, 1862, on which 
 da}' he was united in marriage with Margaret A. 
 Pilcher, a daughter of Joshua Pileher (deceased). 
 They gathered about them a family of nine chil- 
 dren, seven of whom are living, namely : Minnie, 
 Celestia, William L., Charles E., Belle O., Adaline 
 and Daisy. 
 
 Our subject settled on his present farm on sec- 
 tion 5, Liberty Township, in 1883, and owns 160 
 acres of good land, which he devotes to the pur- 
 pose of general farming, also paj'ing attention to 
 the breeding of graded stock. For a period of 
 almost fifty years he has watched the westward 
 course of civilization, which still continues on her 
 way, and in that time the section of the country 
 which was a frontier and Western Reserve, has be- 
 
 come the center of colonization, while stretching 
 far beyond it are iniprovrments far exceeding 
 those of the Eastern States half a centurj' ago. 
 The railroads tiaverse the country in ever}' direc- 
 tion in place of the stage coaches that were once 
 thought to be a great convenience. The telegraph 
 lines form a connecting link which joins this section 
 to the most distant parts of even the great world, 
 while the religious and educational advantages 
 now offered here are unsurpassed. Of all these 
 changes our subject has taken note, and has done 
 his share toward the development of his immediate 
 section. 
 
 
 jlj SAAC D. CASEBEER is a son of John and 
 |l Elizabeth Casebeer, the former of whom was 
 i\ born in Seneca County, Ohio, in 1832, and the 
 latter in Wood County, Nov. 14. 1835. The 
 father was engaged as a cariienter and painter dur- 
 ing his residence in his native State, and in 1877 
 he came to Nebraska, after which he engaged in 
 farming in this county, and now makes his home 
 in Blue Springs. The mother w.as unfortunately 
 killed b}' lightning, Aug. 4, 1887, aged fiftj'-one 
 years, seven months and twenty-one days. The 
 following is taken from a local paper: "Mrs. Case- 
 beer, who was so suddenly called away from earth, 
 leaves a husband and four children, and a host 
 of warm friends to mourn her untimely death. 
 The funeral services were held on Saturday at 11 
 o'clock from the Methodist Episcopal Church, in 
 this city. Rev. Mr. Maxfield officiating, but on ac- 
 count of the absence of her son, I. D. Casebeer, 
 and her son-in-law, R. G. Hotham, who were known 
 to be on their way to attend the funeral, the burial 
 services were postponed until Sunday morning at 
 9 o'clock, at which time the entire family were 
 present, and the remains were laid at rest in the 
 Blue Springs Cemeterj'." Two sons and two daugh- 
 tei-s comprise the family of Mr. and Mrs. Casebeer, 
 all of whom are now living. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 16th of October, 
 1856. in Toledo, Ohio, and he remained at home 
 until he was twenty-two years old. He received 
 his education in the public schools until he was 
 thirteen j-ears old, at which age he began to learn 
 
 ■» J1 <• 
 
i 
 
 ^•^r^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 279 
 
 the printer's trade. When lie was twenty-three 
 years old he began in business in Toledo, where he 
 continued for three years, but his health failing him 
 he discontinued the business. In 1881 he came to 
 this county, and for two j'ears was engaged in 
 farming, after which he spent two j'ears in the 
 printing-office in Blue Springs. The next period 
 of two years was silent in Missouri and Arkansas, 
 where he w.as engaged in following his trade, and 
 in 1887 he took possession of the farm on which 
 he now resides. 
 
 May 12, 1878, our subject was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Lois Parkhurst, at Bristol, Ind. 
 She was bom in Sandusky County, Ohio, on the 
 1st of May, 1861. She is a daughter of Joseph S. 
 and Beulah (.Shutts) Parkhurst, who were natives 
 of New York but had moved to Ohio when young, 
 and had lived there until their marriage. The 
 mc>ther died July 12, 1869, and the father now 
 makes his home with his daughter, Mrs. Casebeer. 
 Thomas Parkhurst, a brother of Mrs. Casebeer, died 
 in Island Grove Township in the j-ear 1887. B3' 
 their marriage our subject and his wife have be- 
 come the parents of four children, whom they 
 have named Archie B., James T., Eunice L. and 
 Effie L. 
 
 Mr. Caselieer is in favor of the policy advocated 
 by the Rc|)ublican partj-, and while he has an in- 
 terest in tlie welfare of the communitj- in which he 
 lives, he does not seek pulilic honors, but gives 
 strict attention to his occupation. He is a member 
 of the Typographical Union, of the A. O. U. W., 
 and in good standing among his fellowmen. 
 
 Jfl M. BENNETT is at present engaged in 
 I buying and selling grain, and is in partner- 
 l{ ship with W. H. Leacoek in the management 
 J/ of the Hoag Elevator, of Iloag Station. He 
 
 is also a partner of John Scheve, and they buy and 
 ship .all kinds of stock, shipping annually more than 
 100 carloads from the station, and in this branch 
 alone their sales amount to nearly 8100,000 an- 
 nually. Our subject established the grain buying 
 business here in August. 1887, and his private 
 share of the transactions amounts to a handsome 
 
 i~ 
 
 profit per year. By his honest dealing he has 
 justly gained a reputation without blemish, and at 
 its present rate of increase his business will soon 
 assume proportions second to none in the State. 
 
 Mr. Bennett is a native of the Empire State, 
 having been born on the 6th of July, 1851, in 
 Otsego County, near the Susquehanna River. His 
 father, Russell Bennett, is a native of New York 
 State, and his ancestors had lived on the same farm 
 in Otsego Count3' since the Revolutionary War. 
 The original purchaser of the estate was Ezekiel 
 Bennett, who was a Captain in the Revolutionary 
 War. and had secured the jiatent for the tract of 
 land from the owner of a British estate. The suc- 
 cessor in ownership was Perry Bennett, the paternal 
 gr.nndfather of our subject, who lived and died on 
 the old homestead. Still later it came into the pos- 
 session of Russell Bennett, who held it until quite 
 recently, when it passed out of the family. The 
 father of our subject married Miss Harriet Hop- 
 kins, who was born, as was her husband, in Otsego 
 Count}-, and recentl}' thej' came to Nebraska to 
 live. The mother, wishing to make a visit to her 
 earlj- home, started for New York and stopped in 
 Harrison County, Iowa, to visit her sister, and 
 while there she was taken ill, and died on the 27th 
 of May, 1888, at the age of sixty-two years. .She 
 was an estimable woman and a member of the 
 Christian Church, of which church her husband is 
 also a member, and after her death he returned to 
 New York, where he is now making bis home with 
 his sister. 
 
 Our subject is the only child living, and re- 
 mained under the shelter of his parents' roof until 
 he was of age, having in the meantime received a 
 business education. In 1873 he came West and 
 engaged in farming and stock-raising in Iowa, at 
 which he continued for four years. His health be- 
 coming impaired, he took a trip West to the mount- 
 ains in order to recuperate, and remained in that 
 region for about one year, then returned to his old 
 home in New York, previous to his going to Iowa. 
 On Mr. Bennett's return to New York he pur- 
 chased a large farm and engaged in the dairy busi- 
 ness, building a large creamery, which he operated 
 for five j'ears prior to coming to Nebraska. 
 
 On the 3d of February, 1873, Mr. Bennett w.as 
 
i 
 
 •«► 
 
 280 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 united in maninge with Miss Jennie Chase, who is 
 a native of Otsego County, nnd was l)orn on tlie 
 20tli of October, 1852. She is a (laughter of Na- 
 than and Louisa (Denraan) Chase, hotii natives of 
 New York, and tiic former of whom died when 
 he was a little past middle life. The mother 
 still lives in her home in New York, aged about 
 sixty-three years, and has seen her family of four 
 children, two sons and two daughters, grown to 
 manhood and womanhood. Mrs. Bennett is the 
 eldest child, and received her education in her na- 
 tive county, making her home with her parents 
 until the time of her marriage. IShe is the mother 
 of fonr children, whose names are: Ferry R., Ber- 
 tha E., Stella M. and Fred M. 
 
 Mr. nnd Mrs. Bennett are now making their 
 home in Hoag Station, where they are pleasantly 
 situated and carrying on a flourishing business. 
 They are both members of the Christian Church, 
 and are prominent and influential members of soci- 
 ety. The reputation which our subject bears for 
 straightforward, honorable dealing in business, 
 places him in the first rank among public-spirited 
 citizens. In all matters of political import he is 
 closely identified with the Republican party. 
 
 \fACOB H. HOLLENBACK. Upon the 26th 
 of Fehrnary, 1851, there was born in one 
 of the pretty faimhouses of Woodford 
 County, 111., a child, who shortly after re- 
 ceived the name which stands at the head of this 
 sketch, who in the years which have succeeded has 
 abundantly justified the rejoicing of which he was' 
 the occasion at that time. In the above county our 
 subject spent his early days occupied with the 
 sports and pastimes incident to childhood, gradu- 
 ally taking his place amidst the sterner duties of 
 youth and young manhood. Mingling with the 
 exercises of the school-house were those that could 
 be entrusted to him in connection with the farm 
 work, until, almost unconsciously to himself, he was 
 ready to take his place as an able worker in any 
 department thereof. 
 
 Our subject was one of five children born to 
 Jacob and Margaret Hollenback. The father of 
 
 our subject was a native of Ohio, but removed 
 with his parents in his youth to Illinois; his mother 
 was horn iti Pennsj'lvania. She also, early in life, 
 removed to the same State, and under similar cir- 
 cumstances. They became acquainted, were mar- 
 ried, and settled in Woodford County, living upon 
 the farm where they first settled until the fall of 
 1887, when they removed to Washburn, 111. Of 
 the brothers and sisters of our subject, one died at 
 the age of one month ; all the others were reared 
 upon the old homestead, and on arriving at matur- 
 ity they were married ; Margaret E. became the 
 wife of Josiah Kerrick, who is at present the Mayor 
 of Minonk, in which city they reside; Clara B. is 
 married to Frank Combs, who is a prosperous far- 
 mer not far from her old home. Both these gentle- 
 men affiliate with the Republican party. 
 
 Upon the 13tli of M.ay, 1873, the subject of our 
 sketch was united in marriage with Indiana F. 
 Poole, a lady of admirable di'^position, possessed 
 largely of those personal characteristics and attri- 
 butes that throw around womanhood an eternal 
 charm. They first came to Sicily Township in 1883, 
 and settled on section 27. In January, 1885, they 
 returned to Woodford County, 111., on a visit, where 
 they remained until February, 1 885, but returned 
 to this township and settled at their present home 
 in March of the same year. 
 
 The home farm includes 200 acres of excellent 
 land for agricultural purposes, and is situated on 
 section 28. It is cultivated in the interest of grain 
 and stock raising, and in both of these our subject 
 has been very successful. His propertj' shows that 
 he knows his business, and also that he is diligent 
 and earnest in his attention to the same. The 
 whole farm is thoroughly well improved, and every- 
 thing, whether in the field, barn or stable, is in the 
 most excellent condition. Their home circle has 
 increased and includes three children, whose names 
 are as follows: Gracie E. M., Florence B. and 
 Ethel A. 
 
 In the Methodist Church Mrs. Hollenback and 
 her two eldest daughters find their religious home, 
 and are, by their earnest Christian life and efforts, 
 both within and without the circle of church life, 
 held in highest estimation. Politicallj', our subject 
 affiliates with the Democratic party, of which he 
 
 ^ tJ¥ •*• 
 
RESIDENCE OF HENRY RICH AR D50N , SEC .15 , GRANT TP. 
 
 ••"^^^S^^^f" 
 
 - -Jk'^ii^ss v rf y< '-^^ T' ? o^^>ig- 
 
 RESIDENCE OF HENRY R EIIYIOND ,5EC.3G, B LAKELY TP. 
 
 
 
 RESIDENCE OF 5ILA5 L . mORR 15 , 5EC.24, GRANT TP, 
 
^u 
 
 ^•►Hh-^* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 283 
 
 has been a member for many j'ears. The only 
 offlco lie has ever held is that whicli he occupies at 
 present, and is that of School Moderator, in which 
 he is working with conscientious diligence. lie is 
 a man of large humanitj' and public spirit, anxious 
 to do his part in everything that promises to be a 
 bcDefit to his surroundings, whether in the county 
 or in society. 
 
 -*~~ -»*iiae'®~^*'^^^»^-5Wzra»'~ 
 
 (^^ AMUEL V. JEWELL. The subject of this 
 ^^^ sketcli settled in Clatonia Township during 
 |(l/_^) its pioneer days, and is numbered among 
 its oldest living residents. His home lies 
 on section 36 and comprises a well-improved farm 
 of 320 acres, with comfortable buildings and all the 
 appliances of the modern agriculturist. Mr. Jewell 
 has labored industriously and practiced the most 
 rigid economy, and now in his later years is enjoy- 
 ing the fruits of his toil and good management. His 
 record as a citizen and neighliorhas been creditable 
 in the extreme, and he consequently enjoys the con- 
 fidence and esteem of those around him. 
 
 Our subject was born in Ogle County, III., Feb. 
 20, 1851, and is the son of Monroe and Emily 
 (Biggers) Jewell, who were both natives of New 
 York State. His paternal ancestors are believed to 
 have originated in England, and were first repre- 
 sented in this country during the Colonial days. 
 The mother traced her forefathers both to England 
 and Ireland. Their family included five children, 
 four of whom are living, namely : George, a resi- 
 dent of Grant Township, this county; Clark, of 
 Cheyenne County, Kan., where Henry also lives, 
 and Samuel V., our subject. 
 
 Mr. Jewell remained a resident of his native 
 county until the twentieth year of his age, and in 
 1870 made his way to Nebraska, settling at once in 
 Clatonia Township, this county. Here he emplo3'ed 
 himself at farming until 1876, then took possession 
 of the land comprising his present farm. It was 
 then an uncultivated prairie, but Mr. Jewell set 
 about the task of building up a homestead with 
 that resolution and energy which are the salient 
 features of his character. He was prospered in his 
 labors, brought about tiie improvements necessary 
 
 to his comfort, .and added to his re.al estate until he 
 is now the owner of 320 acres of as fine land as any 
 to be found in this county. He has been quite 
 prominent in local affairs, having served a number 
 of years as School Director and also officiated as 
 Road Supervisor. To those enterprises calculated 
 to develop the country and benefit its people he has 
 ever given his cordial and liberal support. He has 
 witnessed with the warmest interest the transforma- 
 tion of a wild country into cultivated farms and beau- 
 tiful homesteads, and may most properly feel that he 
 has been no unimportant factor in l)ringing about 
 this desired state of things. 
 
 One of the most important events in the life of 
 our subject was his marriage, which occurred Feb. 
 3, 1870, in Lee County, IlL His bride. Miss 
 Elizabeth Carpenter, was born Sept. 2, 1852, in 
 New York City, and is the daughter of James and 
 Julia (Foster) Carpenter, who were natives of New 
 York, and are now deceased. This union resulted 
 in the birth of three children: Emily J., born 
 April 9, 1871; Nelson M., Oct. 12, 1872, and Alta 
 A., June 22, 1878. 
 
 Mrs. Jewell came with her parents to Lee County, 
 111., when a little girl six years of age. Her 
 brothers settled on a tract of land, and in common 
 with the other pioneers of that region the family 
 endured all the hardships and privations incident to 
 settlement in a new country. There were seven 
 children, five of whom survive, namely: Eunice, 
 wife of James Patterson, of Lee County, 111. ; Josiah, 
 of Ogle County; Cynthia, the wife of John Savage, 
 of this county; Martha J., Mrs. George W. Jewell, 
 of this county; and Elizabeth, the wife of our sub- 
 ject. The parents are now deceased. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Jewell enjoy the friendship of a 
 large circle of acquaintances, and are active in those 
 pleasant social matters which bind a community 
 together in its common interests. Mr. Jewell votes 
 the straight Republican ticket, but bej'ond the 
 good which he might accomplish in his own com- 
 munity in discharging the duties of an unsalaried 
 office, has no aspirations for political preferment. 
 He and his estimable wife are known and respected 
 by everybody, and no more hospitable home than 
 theirs maj' be found in this region. A man of 
 sterling integrity and sound business principles, his 
 
 r 
 
4- 
 
 284 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 word is considered as good as bis bond. To such 
 men as Mr. Jewell is the countrj' indebted for its 
 wonderful progress and development, and his name 
 will be remembered with gratitude long after he 
 has been gathered to his fathers. 
 
 RANKLIN GRAF. From the land of the 
 Alps there came to America and settled in 
 Pennsylvania many years ago a young man 
 — Samuel Graf. It was not long before he was 
 industriously employed, working at his trade as a 
 tailor. After some time he made the acquaintance 
 of and was united in marriage with Miss Louise 
 Anna Parker, of Somerset County, in that State. 
 They then settled in Illinois, about the year 1833, 
 upon a farm which he continued to operate success- 
 fully until the year 187G, when he died at the ad- 
 vanced age of seventy-five 3'ears. His wife is still 
 living in the old home, and has reached the allotted 
 threescore and ten years. They were the parents 
 of our subject, Franklin Graf, who was the fourth 
 child of eight born to tiiem, whose names are here 
 appended : Margaret, David, Mary, Kossuth, Frank- 
 lin, Elias, John and Wilhelmina. By a former mar- 
 riage the father of our subject had become the 
 parent of four children, whose names are not here 
 given. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 28th of December, 
 1851, in Northville Township, LaSalle Co., 111. 
 The incidents that comprise the experience of his 
 boyhood differ in no way materially from those of 
 the average youth. His time was occupied by the 
 engagements incidental to school and farm life, and 
 from the time his education was completed until he 
 arrived at man's estate he devoted all his time to 
 making himself proficient in all the details of farm 
 life. 
 
 In tlie spring of 1875 our subject was united in 
 marriage with Miss Helen Hupach, daughter of 
 Andrew and Augusta (Glaas) Hupach. Her father 
 was a native of Prussia, and her mother of Nassau, 
 Germany. He had come to America as a young 
 man, seeking the larger opportunity for progress 
 and advancement in life. His wife had come with 
 her parents while yet a little girl. Upon their mar- 
 
 riage they settled in LaSalle County, 111., where 
 Mrs. Hupach died, aged forty-three years, in tlic 
 year 1880. Her husband, who still survives, has 
 reached the advanced age of seventy years. Their 
 family included eleven children, whose names are 
 as follows: Henry, Helen, Cecelia, Isabelle, Emmie, 
 Alfred, William, Elenora, Annie, Casper and an 
 infant. Their daughter Helen, the wife of our 
 subject, was born on the 5th of M.aj-, 1855, and 
 made her home with iier parents until her marriage. 
 Since that felicitous event she has become the 
 mother of eight children — Elddie, an infant, <le- 
 ceased; Mira, Willie; Grace, who died at the age 
 of one 3"ear; Harrison, an infant deceased, and 
 Edna. 
 
 Some one h.as said, "Expect great things, attempt 
 great things, and great things will result." This 
 may not be absolutely true in every ease, but in 
 that of our subject it most undoubtedly is. Ne- 
 braska might almost be called "the 3'oung man's 
 State," so many brilliantly successful men has she 
 within her borders, .and among that class would be 
 included the subject of this writing. Looking at 
 his early opportunities, and the many circum- 
 stances and happenings in his life that have opposed 
 themselves to his progress, only to be comb.ated 
 and overcome by his intelligent enterprise, inde- 
 pendence and push, which in later years have been 
 supplemented b3' the inspiration and enthusiasm 
 of his estimable wife, and the increased unselfish 
 ambition born of bis affection for his children. 
 Since coming to Nebraska in 1875, upon the 1st 
 of April of which j-e.ar they arrived in Beatrice, 
 hard, continuous labor has been the order of the 
 day, but as the days have come and gone they 
 have seen "something attempted, something done," 
 that h.as earned for them the most gratifying re- 
 sults. 
 
 Our subject has brought bis farm to an unusu- 
 ally' high perfection in agriculture, and has planted 
 in the vicinity of his house a very fine orchard, 
 where may be found in season an abundance of 
 apples, plums, cherries, etc. Within his home are 
 found many marks of that inherent refinement and 
 culture th.at make it the brightest and most attract- 
 ive place to those whose privilege it is to be mem- 
 bers of the family, and a memory the loss of which 
 
 •► 
 
 f 
 
I 
 
 -^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 285 
 
 is undesirable to those who have en joyed the hos- 
 pitalities thereof. Our subject is holding the of- 
 fice of School Treasurer, one which he has for a 
 long period filled to the unbounded satisfaction of 
 all concerned. In political matters he has been a 
 Democrat since casting his first vote, and has al- 
 waj-s given to his part3' his hearty and unstinted 
 support and help. With such citizens and homes, 
 Nebraska must retain the high place she occupies 
 in the list of States of the greatest Republic the 
 world has ever known. 
 
 
 . « » — .•\**i— 
 
 LBERT HUBKA. There are man}' beauti- 
 ful and extensive farms in Sherman Town- 
 1 ship of this county, but it is to be doubted 
 if they are of larger extent or more perfect 
 in their operation and working than that of our sub- 
 ject, which includes in all about 640 acres of excellent 
 land, situated on sections 1 and 12. The father of 
 our subject was Joseph Hubka.a native of Bohemia, 
 in which countr\' he was born about 1814. His 
 occupation was that of farming, and in it be was 
 thoroughl}' successful. He became the husband of 
 Anna Blaha, a native of the same countr3% who was 
 about four years the junior of her husband. In 
 that countrj- her father was born, and continued to 
 live; there, also, in later days, when the shadows of 
 life's evening gathered around him, he lireathedhis 
 farewell to the world and lay down to take his last 
 rest. 
 
 The father of our subject died in the year 1874, 
 his wife in 1878. Their family comprised twelve 
 children, of whom only six attained their majority. 
 Their names areas subjoined: John, who in 1868 
 became a farmer in Pawnee County; Anton, a 
 farmer in Bohemia; Josephine, happil}' married to 
 Michael Kara, a farmer in the same country; 
 Michael, one of Pawnee's good citizens, who came 
 to America in 1882; Anna, the wife of Lorens 
 Stepanck, also of Bohemia; and Albert, the subject 
 of this sketch, who is the youngest of the family. 
 
 Bohemia was the birthplace of our subject, and 
 the daj' of his nativity April 22, 1846. He con- 
 tinued to make his home witli his parents until he 
 , was fourteen years of age, when be went to Ger- 
 
 i~ 
 
 M^ 
 
 man}', where he remained about five years. At the 
 close of that period he returned to his native 
 country for about one j'ear. After remaining at 
 home for that period the war with Prussia was de- 
 clared, and our subject returned to Baltimore. 
 From that cit\' he removed to Chicago, where he 
 remained for a short time, and then removed to 
 Richland Count}', Wis. During his residence in 
 Chicago he was eng.aged in school teaching, and en- 
 joj'ed considerable success. From Richland he re- 
 turned to the Garden City, and was engaged to 
 work in a liimber-}\ard and sawmill for about 
 twelve months. During this time he was enable<l 
 to save $345, with which he migrated to Pawnee 
 Count}' of this State, and took a homestead of 160 
 acres, and not long after bought an additional forty 
 acres. In that county he was engaged in farming for 
 about fourteen years. In 1871 he exchanged his 160 
 acres in Pawnee County for 480 acres on the south 
 half of section 1 and the northeast corner of section 
 12. The year following he purchased an additional 
 160 acres situated upon the northwest quarter of 
 section 12, and is now the owner of a whole section 
 of land, being one-half of section 1, and one- 
 half of section 1 2. These are situated one on 
 either side of the road. 
 
 Our subject has 350 acres of his land broken, and 
 in a first-class condition. At the time of purchase 
 it was valued at $4,808. but now so improved has 
 it become that it is worth $19,200, and this he 
 would not accept. The specialty of our subject is 
 cattle-raising, and there are seldom less than 150 
 head upon his premises. His income is about $2,000 
 per annum, and he will have about 10.000 bushels of 
 corn in the present year, 1888. He also breeds upon 
 his own farm, both for his own use and for sale, 
 some of the most useful, strongest and speediest 
 horses of the State. 
 
 Mr. Hubka became the husband of Mary Kovanda 
 in 1867. This lady is the daughter of Albert and 
 Fanny Kovanda, and is of pure Bohemian family. 
 She was born in that country on the 2d of May, 
 1847, and came to the United States in 1867 with 
 her parents. They settled in Pawnee County of 
 this State, and continued to reside there. Their 
 family includes seven children, all of whom are 
 residents of this State. Their daughter Mary was 
 
 f 
 
286 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 the second child born to them. Our subject and 
 wife are tiie jjarents of eiglit children, all of whom 
 are at home, the sons taking an active part in the 
 working of the farm. Their names are as here re- 
 corded: Frank, Joseph, Anna, Fannie, James, Emil, 
 Amelia and Julia. 
 
 It is a significant fact that at the time of his 
 marriage Mr. Hubka was in debt just $ I ; to-day he 
 is worth over $30,000. It is to be questioned if in 
 any other country such a thing would be possible 
 in so short a space of time. He has always been 
 very earnest in the endeavor to make his farm the 
 ver3' best in the district, and to this end has la- 
 bored most arduously, with no small amount of suc- 
 cess. For two terms he held the office of School 
 Director, and for five years was Treasurer of the 
 school district. The office of Township Treasurer 
 was pressed upon him but declined. His political 
 position is in the ranks of the Democratic party, 
 which for many years has numbered him with its 
 most influential and valued adherents. Oursubject 
 is a self-made man, and has all his life been a true 
 and honest friend and supporter of that life, char- 
 acter and principles that will boar the most search- 
 ing scrutin}^ and which lie back of all true, upright 
 and honorable citizenship. 
 
 ^RANK J. PRICE. In Nebraska, as in every 
 (^ new country, there are found not simply 
 representatives of countries beyoud the 
 sea, but also of our own country in its various 
 States, and of these latter there are few States 
 better represented than Illinois; her sons are 
 among the best citizens, ablest farmers and busi- 
 ness men of the West. Among these few are more 
 worthy of mention than Mr. Price, who at present 
 resides upon the northwest corner of section 1 of 
 Midland Township. This gentleman was born in 
 Ogle Count}', of the Prairie State, upon the 3d of 
 September, 1854. 
 
 The parents of our subject were David E. and 
 Helen (Rowland) Price, natives respectively of 
 Franklin County, Pa., and Virginia. They were 
 married in Ogle County, III., and settled near Mt. 
 Morris, where they resided for a period of thirt^- 
 
 five years. Here their famil}' was born and brouglit 
 up, and a competency accumulated which should 
 serve them in the day wlien toil and labor would 
 be too heavy a task for them. In the spring of 
 1888 they moved into the town of Mt. Morris, 
 and have since lived a quiet and retired life. 
 There were born to them ten children, two of whom 
 died in childhood, and their daughter Kate at the 
 age of twenty-three years. Those living are named 
 as follows: Frank J., Charles; Sadie, wife of John 
 Young; Elmer, Samuel, Harvey and Nannie. 
 
 The early days of our subject were spent amid 
 rural scenes and farm life. With his brothers and 
 sisters he attended the schools at Mt. Morris, and 
 there received the foundation of an education that 
 he has since extended and broadened b}' his own 
 research. At the age of twenty he left home, and 
 until he was about twentj'-three j'ears of age 
 served as a farm hand. On the 2.5th of December, 
 1878, he was married to Miss Katy Myers, a lady 
 possessed of much charm and grace, both of person 
 and character. She was born on the 1st of August, 
 1856, in Huntingdon County, Pa., and is the 
 daughter of Enoch X. and Nancy (Garver) Myers. 
 In the year 1856 Mr. Myers and family removed 
 to Illinois, and settled in Jo Daviess County, where 
 the mother died in the year 1877. Mr. Myers 
 returned to Pennsylvania in the year 1886, and is 
 now living in Huntingdon County with his second 
 wife. By his first marriage Mr. Myers became the 
 parent of nine children, whose names are here 
 given: David, Wilson, Kate, Ira, Allen, Ida, 
 Sherman, Clarence and Laura. 
 
 After his marriage our subject resided in Jo 
 Daviess County for one year, and then came to 
 Nebraska, his residence in Midland Township dat- 
 ing from the 14th of February, 1879. After ten 
 years of prosperity and success he purchased and 
 settled upon his present property. His farm com- 
 prises 200 acres of good, fertile, rolling prairie 
 laud. Upon his farm, in addition to his pleasant 
 and commodious residence, he has a good and com- 
 plete set of farm buildings, fully equipped and sup- 
 plied with the necessary conveniences for the 
 effective working of a stock farm. 
 
 The father of our subject is an Elder of the 
 Dunkard or German Baptist Church, and is, in fact, 
 
 
-^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNT y. 
 
 ••► 
 
 287 
 
 I- 
 
 t 
 
 one of the most prominent members, which, per- 
 haps, wouhi account for the fact that our subject 
 also is a member of the same communion. His 
 father was called upon in the j'ear 1886 to serve as 
 Moderator of the Assembly at the National Con- 
 ference of the church. Mr. Myers, father-in-law 
 of our subject, was for several years one of the 
 leading citizens of Jo Daviess County, and was fre- 
 quentlj' called upon to fill various public offices. 
 Mr. Price is one devoted to his church, and enthu- 
 siastic in its mission work in the different States, 
 although still leaving him much opportunity for 
 home work. Mrs. Price is also connected with the 
 Dunkard Church, and is held in high esteem by all 
 who know her. 
 
 eHARLES P:LLI0TT. In the present sketch 
 will be presented succinctly some of the more 
 prominent features of the life of the first 
 Supervisor of Riverside Township, a selection on the 
 part of the electors that was so wise as to lead them 
 to repeat their action at the subsequent election. This 
 gentleman was born in Troy, Ohio, on the 11th of 
 July, 1840. There he made his home until 1856, 
 and in that time received a good, practical common- 
 school education, and was fully initiated into the 
 various departments of farming work. When six- 
 teen years of age he removed to Winnebago County, 
 111., and there continued engaged in farming for 
 twenty-four years, a period filled with the usual 
 difficulties, viscissitudes of fortune, successes and 
 reverses, but for the greater part he was prosperous 
 during this time. 
 
 In the spring of 1880 Mr. Elliott came to this 
 county and located upon his present property, 
 which is situated on section 12 of Riverside Town- 
 ship, where he owns a very excellent farm, some 
 160 acres in extent. This property is operated 
 partly' in grain farming and the remainder in stock- 
 raising, and in both departments our subject has 
 usually been rewarded with unqualified success. 
 He uses and raises only the best stock and high- 
 grade Short-horns, and by an intimate knowledge 
 of his work, and his assiduous labor, he to-day 
 occupies a position in the community and a repu- 
 
 tation in the markets that is unquestionaljly grati- 
 fying- 
 
 In Cumberland Count}', Pa., upon the 8th of 
 June, 1870, our subject was united in marriage with 
 Miss Anna Montgc)mery, of Franklin County, Pa. 
 This lady was born at Fannettsburg, Dec. 7, 1846, 
 aud until her marriage resided with her parents. 
 She has become the mother of three children, to 
 whom the names appended have been given : Martha 
 M., who was born Aug. 14, J871; Carrie M. C, 
 Aug. 27, 1872; and Edwin M., May 29, 1876. 
 
 During the Civil War our subject sought to 
 serve in the defense of his countr}-, and enlisted 
 upon three difi'erent occasions, but was rejected each 
 time, owing to his being subject to inflammatory 
 rheumatism. The father of our subject, Mitchell 
 Elliott, is a native of Perry County, Pa., and now 
 lives in Rockford, 111. The maiden name of his 
 wife, the mother of our subject, was Mary A. Lynn. 
 She was a native of the same State aud county as 
 her husband, and after a happy wedded life of about 
 forty-two years, she died at Rockford, in the year 
 1874, having reached the ripe age of sixty-four 
 years. 
 
 Of the above family there were born eight chil- 
 dren; seven of these lived to attain years of 
 maturity, six of whom survive: Edwin M. died 
 in prison at Andersonville, where, after suffering 
 all the horrors of that place for a somewhat lengthy- 
 period, he was, it is believed, poisoned. He was a 
 member of Company B, oi the 92d Illinois Mounted 
 Infantry. This family in company with thousands 
 both sides of Mason and Dixon's line must forever 
 bear the scar of the late war. 
 
 Our subject bought his farm in 1878; it was 
 then slightly improved, but the labor he has since 
 put into it, and the money he has exi)ended upon 
 it, have resulted in making him the owner of a 
 really beautiful, fertile and highly productive prop- 
 erty. It is well supplied as regards the usual and 
 necessary farm buildings; his fields and pastures 
 are well fenced, and there is an abundance of good 
 water. His liouse, while not, perhaps, remarkable 
 for any uniqueness of designer's art, presents every 
 feature of comfort and convenience to our subject, 
 and to him affords what manv more pretentious 
 residences never could to any man, the true home. 
 
288 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Mr. Elliott vvas appointeil Supervisor of the 
 township in 188G. The township was formed in 
 188.5; in the fall of 1886 at the election he re- 
 ceived the suffrage of the people and served a sec- 
 ond term. His service gave every satisfaction to 
 the people, and they have shown their appreciation 
 in various ways. In addition to the above office 
 he has filled that of Elder of the First Presbyterian 
 Church, of Beatrice, for a period of eight years. 
 His membership witli the comnuinion ilates from 
 the 3-ear 1857, and he united with the local con- 
 gregation upon first coming to the county. He is 
 one of its active members and must able sup- 
 porters. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Elliott, Dr. James Montgom- 
 ery, is a native of Pennsylvania, and there settled, 
 and married Martha 8. Klliott. His wife died in 
 that State on the 22d of February, 18G3. There 
 were eleven children born of this family, and of 
 these the wife of our subject, who was born on the 
 7th of December, 1846, is the sixth child. After 
 the death of his wife Dr. Montgomery continued 
 his residence in Pennsylvania until the year 1879. 
 He then removed to Nebraska and took up his resi- 
 dence with his son-in-law, our subject, and has since 
 continued to make his home here. 
 
 It is hardly necessary' to remark that our sub- 
 ject is a straight Republican, and that he is a 
 recognized supporter of the cause. His reputation 
 in political matters and as a man and citizen is be- 
 yond question, and he enjoys the esteem of his 
 fellows. He is regarded as being one of the sub- 
 stantial members of the community and eminently 
 successful farmers. 
 
 ILLIAM H. JEWELL. In the front rank 
 of successful farmers and stock-raisers 
 stands the gentleman whose name is at the 
 head of this sketch, whose farm comprises the whole 
 of section 26 (640 acres). His life is a record of 
 what may finally be the outgrowth from small be- 
 ginnings by a wide-awake, tireless energ}", persever- 
 ance and intelligent labor. 
 
 The parents of our subject, Jacob and Julia Ann 
 (Brooks) Jewell, were born respectively in New 
 
 u 
 
 York and Kentucky. His mother is a second 
 cousin of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Upon their mar- 
 riage his parents settled in Warren County, 111., in 
 1838, and are still living, aged seventy-five years. 
 The3' are the parents of seven children, whose 
 names are as recorded: William H., Charles (de- 
 ceased), Henry L., Olive, Dudley, Emma J. and 
 Decatur (deceased). 
 
 William H. Jewell was born on the 12th of April 
 1844, in Lennox Township, Warren Co., 111., and 
 his first recollections are cast among the scenes of 
 the i)rairies of Illinois in the days before it was 
 crossed by any railroads. He grew up upon his 
 father's farm, which included 540 acres of excellent 
 farm land. Our subject distinctly remembers the 
 erection of the first common school in their district, 
 that was put up at Windy Ridge, and has also a 
 clear recollection of the tiiree miles' walk to school 
 from his home. So great were the difficulties of 
 obtaining an education that but for his own deter- 
 mination and toil he would have been largely in 
 ignorance. After finishing the course at the com- 
 mon school he entered the school at Monmouth, 
 III., and continued there as a student for about one 
 and a half years. 
 
 At the breaking out of the war our subject was 
 living upon the farm, but with enthusiasm he loyally 
 answered his countiy's call, and enlisted inthe 138th 
 Illinois Infantry, and was mustered in at Quincy, 
 in 1864, for a term of 100 days. The preparatory 
 drilling took place at Quincy, and he was stationed 
 at Ft. Leavenworth, serving the greater part of the 
 time in Eastern Kansas and Missouri, and for about 
 ten days doing guard duty on the Iron Mountain 
 Railroad. He was mustered out at Springfield, 
 III., and honorably discharged in the fall of 1864, 
 when he returned home. 
 
 The one step in life that as a rule either makes 
 or breaks the life of the contracting parties is that 
 which was taken by our subject upon Dec. 6. 1866, 
 when he vvas united in marriage with Miss EuimaC. 
 Wonderl3', who has since that time brought into 
 liis life and home such influences as have resulted 
 in the happiest possible manner, and rendered their 
 union most unregretable. They continued in Illi- 
 nois until 1877, but in the spring of that year re- 
 moved with their family to Beatrice, and rented a 
 ■■ •^ 
 
»► m" <f 
 
 ^i^K-* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 281) 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 farm for four years, and then in 188"2 purchased 
 IGO acres in Keniaha Tov/nship, residing upon it 
 about four 3 ears, removing in 1887 to tiieir present 
 home. Tlieir family comiirises ten children, whose 
 names are as follows: Charles, Archie (deceased), 
 Edwin, Laura, Clara, Cora, Trinda, Chester, Guy 
 and Oliver, who are all still at home. 
 
 Mrs. Jewell is the daughter of .John and Mar- 
 garet Wonderly, natives of Pennsylvania, who upon 
 their marriage settled in the same State. They now 
 reside at Monmouth, 111., her father having reached 
 the good old age of seventy years, her mother that 
 of sixty-eight. Their family' included nine chil- 
 dren, whose names are recorded as here appended: 
 Mary, Emma, Daniel, Auna and George N. (de- 
 ceased), John W., Martha, Clara (deceased) and 
 Charles. Mrs. Jewell was born on the 2 1st of May, 
 1 847, near Carlisle and Harrisburg. in Cumberland 
 County, Pa. She was about seven years of age 
 when her parents removed to Indiana, and there tlie 
 rudiments of her education were obtained, this im- 
 portant process of development being completed in 
 Warren County, 111., whither her parents removed 
 after staying in Indiana about nine months. 
 
 In addition to his farming interests our subject 
 has been so placed as to bring him into the real- 
 estate business, which has thus become a part of his 
 regular work. He is the owner of the Rock Island 
 Hotel in Beatrice, and a number of business and 
 resident blocks iu different parts of the city. In 
 addition to these he has a fine business lot at Crab 
 Orchard, two in Liberty, two in Odell and four in 
 Topeka, Kan. His dealings in stock liave grown 
 to be quite extensive, and he ships upon an average 
 100 head per annum. Uiion his farm he keeps 
 about fifty head of cattle and 100 head of hogs, and 
 has constant work for two teams. In the associa- 
 tion known as the Farmer's Alliance he is one of 
 the prominent members, and takes delight in the 
 work of tlie society. 
 
 For several years Mr. Jewell has been School 
 Director for his district, and has always performed 
 the duties incidental thereto in. -i manner tliat must 
 be gratifying to those by whom he was placed in the 
 position, as reflecting most favorably upon their 
 judgment. It has been Iiis habit, dictated by his 
 political sentiments, to vote unifornily and consist- 
 
 ently with the Democratic party, being an ardent 
 admirer of its principles. He is a member in good 
 standing of the Baptist Church, as his wife is also 
 of the United Brethren Church. In every circle, 
 whether religious or otherwise, they are received 
 with those sentiments which make their life and 
 home in the community the most pleasant. Our 
 subject served as Coilstable and Treasurer for a 
 number of years iu Illinois before coming to this 
 State. 
 
 ;| JIILLETT B. SYKES. The fine farm of 280 
 \/iJ// acres which occupies the southwest quarter 
 W^ of section 14 in Clatonia Townsiiip, and 
 also a portion of the northeast quarter, attracts the 
 universal admiration of the p.asserby, and exhibits 
 in a forcible manner the industry and enterprise 
 of the proprietor. This gentleman, the subject of 
 our sketch, began in life a poor man, and has worked 
 his way up through the difficulties which are the 
 common lot of all. He is now numbered among the 
 independent farmers of the county, and one who, 
 by his straightforward course in life, has earned in 
 a marked degree the esteem and confidence of his 
 neighbors. Comparatively young in years, having 
 been born Dec. 21, 1850, he is a native of Tioga 
 County, Pa., and the son of Charles and Susan 
 (Black) Sykes, the father now deceasetl, and the 
 mother a resident of Lake County, Ind. 
 
 The parents of our subject were natives respect- 
 ively of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and to 
 them were born a family' of twelve children, eight 
 of whom survive, namely: Jasper, of Clatonia 
 Township, this county ; Mary, the wife of George 
 Hay ward, of Lake Countj', Ind. ; John, a resident 
 of Weld County, Col.; George, of Lake Count\', 
 Ind.; Willett B., our subject; Sarah, the wife of 
 John Zeigler, of Macon City, Mo. ; Henry and 
 William, of Lake County, Ind. Those deceased 
 are Rebecca, Hattie, Charles and Melissa. 
 
 When about two 5'ears old our subject was taken 
 by his parents to Lake County, Ind., where he was 
 reared to manhood and began his apprenticeshi|) at 
 farm life, which he has since followed so succei-s- 
 fully. His studies were completed in the High 
 School at Crown Point, Ind., and having been a 
 
 ^►^i-^ 
 
•►Hl^ 
 
 290 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 reader all his life, he is well posted upon the gen- 
 eral topics of the day. While a resident of Indi- 
 ana lie was married, March 25, 1878, to Miss Mary 
 A. Weiler. who was born in Lake Count}', that 
 State, Aug. 28, 18.57, and is the daughter of Chris- 
 tian and Anne C. (Reicker) Weiler, who are na- 
 tives of Germany, and are now residents of Lake 
 County, Ind., where the}' settled many years ago, 
 soon after their emigration to the United States. 
 
 To our subject and his estimable wife there have 
 been born three children: Susie A., May 14, 1880; 
 Jennie E., June 27, 1885, and Ervin, Oct. 3, 1887. 
 In the spring of 1878 Mr. Sykes came with his 
 family to this county and purchased the land which 
 he now occupies in Clatonia Township. He first 
 secured 160 acres, and subsequently added to his 
 original purchase, while at the same time he ef- 
 fected those improvements which have rendered it 
 one of the most valuable estates in this section. 
 His property is the accumulation of his own indus- 
 try, as for sis or seven years after becoming of age 
 he worked on the farm by the month, saving what 
 he could of his earnings, and thus made his start in 
 life. He vras particularly fortunate in the selection 
 of a wife and helpmate, Mrs. Sj'kes having been the 
 assistant of her husband in all his labors, sharing 
 his toils and struggles, and being willing with him 
 to forego many luxuries for the sake of an unin- 
 cumbered home. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Sykes upon emigrating to 
 America were in limited circumstances, but their 
 career as pioneers of Lake County, Ind., was very 
 successful, and in their declining years the}- are 
 surrounded by all the comforts of life, while at the 
 same time enjoying the friendshij) of all who know 
 them. 
 
 \Tp^ENJAMIN DOLAN is a prominent farmer 
 \^^^^ and land-owner of Blakely Township, now 
 owning about 500 acres of land lying on the 
 east side of the Big Blue River, on section 
 2. The greater part of the land is in a fine state of 
 cultivation and produces abundant crops of a supe- 
 rior quality of the various cereals. Our subject 
 came to this county in 18G4, and secured a home- 
 stead of IGO acres which he still owns. It includes 
 
 < • 
 
 some vi'vy good timber land which is valued very 
 highly, and taken as a whole the location of the 
 farm is a most desirable one. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 12th of March, 1817, 
 in Wayne County, Ky., and is a son of Edward and 
 Anna (Burk) Dolan, who were natives of Wash- 
 ington County, Va. The father was a farmer, and 
 moved to Kentucky when he was a young man, 
 where he met the lady whom he made his wife, she 
 also having gone to that State when she was young. 
 After they were married they continued to reside 
 on a farm in Wayne County, and after both had 
 reached the Jige of threescore and ten years, and 
 had seen a large family of children well launched 
 into manhood and womanhood, the}' both died in 
 the home in which they had commenced life to- 
 gether. There were eight sons and three daughters 
 in their family, of whom four of the former and 
 one of the latter are yet living. 
 
 Mr. Dolan grew to manhood's years in his native 
 county, and was married there, on the 8th of No- 
 vember, 1843, to Miss Nancy Chesney, who was bwn 
 in Pulaski County Kj'., on the 2d of November, 
 1819. She is a daughter of John and Mary (Elliott) 
 Chesney, who were natives of Kentucky, but whose 
 ancestors were from the States of Virginia and 
 Maryland, and of Irish descent. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Chesney lived for a number of years in Kentucky, 
 and later in life the}' moved to Holt County, Mo., 
 where they lived to a ripe old age, and were re- 
 spected as worthy people. Mrs. Dolan is the eldest 
 of nine children, four sons and five daughters, of 
 ■whom three of the former and three of the latter 
 are yet living. 
 
 Our subject and his wife lived for some years in 
 Kentucky, and then with tiieir four children they 
 moved to Missouri and located in Holt County, 
 where they engaged in farming. Thence they 
 moved to Kansas, and shortly afterward came to 
 Nebraska and began to built up a home in the wilds 
 of Big Blue River Valley. There vvere many dis- 
 couragements, no doubt, in the carrying out of 
 such an undertaking, but perseverance and indus- 
 try accomplished what seemed to be almost impossi- 
 ble tasks, and now our subject has one of the finest 
 and most delightfully situated farms in the county. 
 
 Since their residence in this Western country, 
 •► 
 
^. ^. ^. 
 
-^r*- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 293 
 
 four other children have been added to their family, 
 but two of them imve died, Anna and Benjamin, 
 and the names of the surviving members of the 
 family are: John, Emily, P>dward, Harriet, Prather 
 and James. John married Miss Ararainta Henton, 
 and now lives on a farm in Marshall Count}', Kan.; 
 Emil}^ is the wife of James Benjamin, and they live 
 on the homestead farm belonging to our subject; 
 Edward married Miss Mary Thompson, and lives 
 on a farm near Bailey; Harriet is the wife of Thomas 
 Bowen. who is engaged in farming in Holt County, 
 this State; Prather married Miss Annie Rossite'r, 
 and lives on a farm in Blakely Township; James 
 is at home and has charge of the farm on which our 
 subject resides. 
 
 Mr. Dolan is an entei-prising business man of 
 sound judgment, as is evinced by the amount of 
 wealth which he has accumulated and the success 
 with which he has placed his farm under cultiva- 
 tion. He is a reliable man, and possesses the con- 
 fidence of his fellowmen. In matters of politics he 
 is identified with the Democratic party. 
 
 — ^tS**-^*is?> 
 
 Iff**? x^iitf^ 
 
 ^^ LBERT D. SAGE. If it were required to 
 v@A-JI summarize in one sentence the historj' of 
 I ISi this gentleman, it could not be better done, 
 '' perhaps, than by employing the three words, 
 
 business, enterprise and prosperity. Our subject is 
 one of the well-to-do farmers and highly esteemed 
 citizens of Midland Township, of which he was 
 one of the pioneers. He is the son of Chauncey and 
 Mar}' (Patterson) Sage. His parents were born in 
 Massachusetts, and there began their married life. 
 Our subject is a worth}' descendant of the Sage fam- 
 ily, not entirely unknown in the annals of the early 
 history of New England. The first representative 
 of this family to come to the United States was 
 David Sage, who came from England about the 
 year 1 630, and whose descendants in the Northern 
 States so far .as is now known number over 900 
 families. 
 
 The father of our subject followed the occupa- 
 tion of a cloth dresser, and was skilled in his call- 
 ing. Not long after his marriage he removed to 
 Oneida County, N. Y., and turned his attention to 
 
 agriculture; in 1846 he went to Wisconsin, and is 
 still living there at Delavan, and has attained the 
 ripe age of eighty-nine years. His wife, the mother 
 of our subject, died in the year 1 876, aged seventy- 
 six years. She was the mother of ten children, 
 whom it was her joy to see enter honorable posi- 
 tions in life. Their names are recorded as follows: 
 Henry, Edward, Chauncey, Mary J., Cordelia, Ellen, 
 Albert D., Frances, James and F'rank. 
 
 The subject of our sketch w:is born on the 20th 
 of December, 1835, in Westmoreland Township, 
 Oneida Co., N. Y. He began to attend the dis- 
 trict school, and gained some rudiments of educa- 
 tion. The removal of his parents to Wisconsin 
 occurred when he was ten years of age, and there 
 he attended school until he was old enough to fol- 
 low the plow, when he was transferred from the 
 school-house to the field, and began the active duties 
 of .agricultunil life, which from that time he has 
 continued to follow with the exception of the time 
 in which he was engaged in bricklaying and plaster- 
 ing, which trades he began to learn when he had at- 
 tained his twentieth year. 
 
 The matrimonial experience of our subject is 
 twofold; he was first married in 1860, to Libbie 
 Woolfenden, who was born in Massachusetts, and 
 w.as the daughter of Robert and Mary Woolfenden. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sage rented a farm, expecting shortly 
 to follow the "Star of Empire" in its western course. 
 Accordingly, in 1863, he loaded his household 
 effects upon his wagon, and with his wife and two 
 children started upon the long contemplated jour- 
 ney. The "Far West" was then a very vague ex- 
 pression, and was almost synonymous in meaning 
 with '"the unknown." In their journeying they 
 passed through Des Moines and Nebraska City, but 
 kept on their way and came to Beatrice, which was 
 then only represented by a gristmill, and perhaps 
 ten or twelve log houses and indifferent shanties. 
 The country was still largely occui)ied by its origi- 
 nal denizens, such as deer, antelope, beaver, wild 
 geese, turkeys, and other game. 
 
 The first few years Mr. Sage combined business 
 and agriculture, being successful in both. A beaver 
 colony situated close to his farm numbered several 
 hundred occupants, and tliey were not there with- 
 out being a continual temptation to our subject to 
 
 ^ 
 
■► ir^ 
 
 294 
 
 GAGE COU^•TY. 
 
 enrich himself at their expense. The honoestead 
 cntr}' of the property of our subject is dated 1863, 
 althougli lie has since, as above noted, added to the 
 original quarter-section. He built his first house 
 upon this land in 1863. The material used was Cot- 
 tonwood logs. When not engaged on his farm 
 our subject was busilj' employed iu hauling freight 
 to the mountains, Denver City, and Ft. Kearney. 
 His farm produce he was compelled to haul to St. 
 Joseph, the nearest market, and there trade for 
 other merchandise as needed. The hardships, trials 
 and suffering of his pioneer life were without doubt 
 much worse and more severe than anything there 
 is in pioneer life to-day, ami he is happj' in being 
 able to enjoy the fruit of his labor. It must not, 
 however, be understood as being entirely of this 
 character; there was a bright and even joyous side 
 to this life, and it was replete with experit-nces, the 
 memory of which is still treasured. 
 
 The wife of our subject died in 1870, leaving to 
 the care of her husl)and four children, viz: Alfred, 
 Mary, Frances and Albert. Of these Alfred has a 
 homestead well improved in Rollins County, Kan.; 
 Mary is still at home with her father; Frances is 
 happily married to William Patmore, and Albert is 
 a machinist successfuUj' engaged in his business at 
 Freeport, 111. Our subject was married a second 
 time, the lady being Miss Mary Thing, daughter of 
 Charles H. and Adelia (McKee) Thing. The father 
 of this lady was born in New Hampshire, and her 
 mother in Vermont. The family is of AVelsh-En- 
 giish descent on the paternal side, and French on 
 that of the mother, whose great-grandparents came 
 from France in Colonial days, and were of Huguenot 
 blood. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Sage was a merchant iu Olean, 
 N. Y., and also a banker. He was engaged iu the 
 oil business, and was veiy successful financially, 
 but was taken with the oil fever, and died in the 
 year 1865, leaving three children, namely: Mary 
 N , Maria A., and Adelia P., now Mrs. Sage, who 
 was born in the above town, on the 27th of May, 
 1841. Her father was enabled to provide her with 
 first-class private instruction until she attained the 
 age of fifteen years, when she was ready to enter 
 Mt. Holyoke Seminary. She was a careful, in- 
 telligent and })erseveriiig student, constant and as- 
 
 siduous in her attention to her school duties, and 
 would doubtless have been graduated with honor, but 
 her health gave waj-, and she was reluctantly com- 
 pelled to forego that honor of entering the above 
 seminary. She gave special attention to languages 
 and music. 
 
 One memorable period in the life of Mrs. Sage 
 was that wherein she accompanied her aunt, Laura 
 A. IMcKee, upon her lecturing tour in behalf of the 
 anti-slavery cause, through the States of Michigan, 
 Illinois and Wisconsin. The time thus occupied 
 afforded many pleasing and valuable experiences to 
 the ladies, and it was at Delavan, Wis., that she 
 met, and finally married, our subject, on the 5th 
 of March, 1 872. Her aunt will be remembered as 
 being almost the first lady "stump speaker" and 
 political lecturer in the country, and although so 
 many have since occupied a like position, the name 
 of this pioneer in that department is not over- 
 shadowed and forgotten thereby. 
 
 Our subject has an experience as a pioneer settler 
 worth}' of more extended notice than is possible in 
 this volume, some of them startling and almost 
 tragic. He has fought the elements, snatching his 
 property from them as they threatened by fire or 
 storm. The grasshoppers also have been met, and, 
 in spite of all they could do, they could not con- 
 quer the indomitable spirit of our subject. At the 
 time of the Indian raids he did not leave his fam- 
 ily and property, as did so many of his neighbors, 
 but remained to stand by and protect them, and 
 fortune has continued to smile upon him. It is his 
 intention to spend the remainder of his days upon 
 his beautiful property, and in his pleasant home 
 upon the banks of the Big Blue River. He is still 
 an active, energetic man, enjo3Mnggood health, and 
 is able to carry on his farm as heretofore. 
 
 Of late years Mr. Sage has directed his attention 
 to the breeding of high-grade road horses, and gen- 
 eral stock-raising. In this department he has seen 
 much success, and is the owner of Hambletonian 
 horses, and high-grades of cattle, of the Short-horn 
 varieties. He has set out a ver^' fine orchard, which 
 includes some 300 trees, ami also some beautiful 
 groves of shade and forest trees. From his first 
 coming in the community Mr. Sage has been fore- 
 most in every project that promised to .advance its 
 
 i 
 
-M- 
 
 -•►HK-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 295 
 
 interests. He has always sought to encourage such 
 enterprises as the county fair, which is so calculated 
 to stimulate the ambition, increase the enterprise, 
 and extend the knowledge of those attending. He 
 has frequently exhibited fruit grown upon his farm, 
 and in several instances has carried off the first prize. 
 Recognizing tiie benefit a railroad would be to the 
 comniunitj-. he gladly gave right of w.ay to the Bur- 
 lington & Missouri Rivei Railroad, the first railroad 
 in the count3\ 
 
 The subject of our sketch is one of those whose 
 privilege it was to vote for the State Constitution 
 of Nebraska, in the 3'ear 1866. He has always 
 been a strong advocate of temperance, and at all 
 times energetic in its behalf. Although several 
 public offices have been at different times pressed 
 upon his acceptance, he has neverseenhisw.iy clear 
 to <levote to them such time and attention as would 
 be required in order to do justice to the interests of 
 the people, and has consequently declined. In poli- 
 tics, he is a stanch Republican, and a strong Harri- 
 sonian. The portrait of this gentleman we present 
 on an adjoining page. 
 
 JONATHAN A. DORNING, V. S. ,In the 
 study and contemplation of works of art, 
 the play and effect of light and shade is 
 marked, and frequently the true beauty of 
 the subject contemplated is greatly enhanced if not 
 produced 113' such light and shadow. So in some 
 lives, with their kaleidoscopic changes, their effect- 
 iveness and points of interest are revealed by the 
 same play and contrast. In the present biography 
 this is well illustrated. 
 
 Mr. Doming is of English birth and parentage. 
 He is the son of Jonathan and Ann Doming, who 
 were bom respectivul3' in Lancashire and Yorkshire 
 of that country-. His father was by occupation a 
 farmer, and operated about forty acres of land in 
 Lancashire. This he sold in order to come to the 
 United States, bringing his famil3', at that time com- 
 prising his wife, six sons and two daughters, wish- 
 ing to provide for them a home in the new countr3'. 
 His oliject in removal was to give his sons a better 
 chance in life, and bring them up surrounded by the 
 
 influences and institutions of this free country. He 
 first settled in Racine Count3', Wis., and purchased 
 a section of land of the Government and imtuedi- 
 ately began to improve it. This was in the year 
 IS-li. He became a very influential and leading 
 citizen, and more cspcciall3' so in connection witii 
 the Baptist Church, of which he was a member. 
 Previous to his death he had amassed considerable 
 wealth and real estate. He was called to his last 
 rest in the month of February, 1854, at the ad- 
 vanced age of sixty-two 3'ears. His widow is still 
 residing on the same iiomcstead,and is eighty V'ears 
 of age. Thej- were tlie parents of nine children, 
 whose names arc recorded as follows: Helen (died 
 in England), Joseph, Jonathan A., Robert, Samuel, 
 Peter, John, Margaret and Ann. 
 
 Our subject was born in Lancashire, England, on 
 the 30th of October, 1839, but removed to this 
 country with his parents at an age too tender for 
 any recollections to be retained concerning the life 
 there. The home in AVisconsin supplies his early 
 memories, and there he was brought up, received 
 his education in the usual institution, and made his 
 acquaintance with farm work. Quite early in life 
 he developed a liking that was almost a passion for 
 every kind of stock, but more especiall3- of cattle 
 and horses, and from seeing them in sickness very 
 early formed the desire to become a veterinar3' 
 surgeon. As soon as he had come to 3'ears of early 
 manhood he began to read for this profession under 
 the careful instruction of Dr. Lawton, of Racine, 
 who had quite an extensive practice, and was thus 
 enabled to offer daily practical illustration of what 
 his pupil read in his text-books. In his twentieth 
 year he went to Chicago and entered tlie veterinary 
 institution in that cit3', and took a three-years 
 course of lectures under Profs. Coleman and Dadd, 
 being graduated with the class of '61. 
 
 Our subject then enlisted in the army as Veter- 
 inary Surgeon of the 2d Wisconsin Cavalry, and in 
 that connection obtained valuable experience. He 
 was in a number of engagements; among them were 
 Tupelo, Miss., and Prairie Grove, Ark. In the lat- 
 ter battle our subject received a wound in the calf 
 of the leg, but speedily recovered and took his 
 place again in the ranks. He received his discharge 
 at Prairie Du Chien, Wis., on the 25th of July, 1865, 
 
•^-i^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 290 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 having served in the Western Division of the army 
 at tlie front for three years aiul nine, months, and 
 only receiving his discharge because of physical 
 disability. He returned to his home, and upon re- 
 cuperating he commenced farming on part of the 
 original homestead. 
 
 On the 2d of November, 1 865, our subject be- 
 came the husband of Miss Frances Ann Yates, a 
 daughter of James and Elizabeth (Conway) Yates, 
 wlio were natives of Lancashire, England. Her 
 father followed the business of pharmaceutical 
 cliemist in England, and upon coming to this coun- 
 try with his family he settled in Kenosha County, 
 "Wis., and engaged in farming. He died in the 
 year 1854, aged forty-five years. He was survived 
 about ten years by his wife, who died about the 
 close of the war, aged seventy years. Their chil- 
 dren number in all eight, whose names are recorded 
 as follows: Martha. James, Deborah, Thomas, Sam- 
 uel, Dorothea, Francis A. and Elizabeth. The wife 
 of our subject was born July 25, 1844, in Ke- 
 nosha County. She made the acquaintance of our 
 subject while quite young, and attended the same 
 school with him, and without doubt the intimate 
 acquaintance there begun had grown stronger, 
 broader and deeper until the happ^' result of their 
 union was attained. The subsequent history of 
 their lives has abundantly proved that the step was 
 a right one. Their family includes eight children, 
 whose names are as subjoined : Francis E., Jona- 
 than, Jr., Elizabeth, Amy, James, Kate, Ida and 
 Helen. 
 
 Upon his marriage our subject settled in Racine, 
 and perfected arrangements for working in his pro- 
 fession, in which he continued with an ever-increas- 
 ingly lucrative practice, which he supplemented 
 by some farming until the fall of 1878. Then for 
 the same reasons that actuated the removal of his 
 father from England to America, he determined to 
 go West, and according!}' removed to this count}', 
 purchasing his farm of eight}' acres situated in Ne- 
 maha Township. At the time of purchase there were 
 only thirty acres broken, but he immediate!}' set to 
 work to improve the property, and has made for 
 himself a beautiful home and highly cultivated and 
 productive farm. His house, whether for situation, 
 arrangement or finish, is an ideal residence for one 
 
 in the position of our subject, and all his farm 
 l)uildings are in keeping. Owing to his success in 
 his profession and farming, he is one of the few dis- 
 abled soldiers who have never applied for a pen- 
 sion. His practice has grown to be one of the 
 largest in the district, and is more than one person 
 can readily handle. As may be surmised, it is quite 
 extensive also in I'egard to territory, and our sub- 
 ject cannot travel less than 1,500 miles per annum 
 in order to attend to it. 
 
 Tliere are three things in the immediate vincinity 
 of his home that add largely to its attractiveness: 
 The elegant and well-developed shade trees, the 
 large orchard, containing besides plums, cherries 
 and abundance of small fruits, over 100 choice, 
 select apple trees, that produce some of the finest 
 fruit in the district; the orchard is supplemented by 
 an extensive vinery, from which an abundant sup- 
 ply of grapes of various kinds is obtained. Another 
 attractive feature is a large and well-stocked fish 
 pond, which the Doctor put in in the year 1887, 
 and from it he obtains some very choice specimens 
 of the finny tribe, and is enabled to supply his 
 table with piscatorial dainties of an unusually high 
 quality. 
 
 There are few citizens in the United States more 
 thoroughly Republican in their sentiments than Dr. 
 Doming, and in all political campaigns he is 
 found taking a prominent part in the interests of 
 his party. His army service has given him a deep 
 interest in the G. A. R., and he occupies the posi- 
 tion of Commander of the J. B. Wyman Post No. 
 101, and is looked up to by its membership with 
 much esteem, which sentiment is shared in by the 
 community at large, and embraces not simply our 
 subject, but also his wife and family. 
 
 ►^^ 
 
 <jll jf- A. GRAY", the present Treasurer of Adams 
 
 \rJ/l Township, is a man of widespread influ- 
 V5^ ence, who is prominently identified with 
 village and township affairs, and especially are his 
 services and influence valued in the Presbyterian 
 Church. He possesses the confidence and admira- 
 tion of all who know him, counting his friends by 
 tlie scores, and winning new admirers at every turn 
 
 f 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 •2'j7 
 
 bj' his genial and generous disposition and his truly 
 Christian and consistent walk. His parents. Will- 
 iam and Christiana (Alexander) Graj', were natives 
 of Bedford County, Pa. His great-grandfather, 
 William Gray, came from England and made bis 
 home near Camden, N. J., at the time of the Revo- 
 lutionary War, sending three of his sons to de- 
 fend his adopted countrj' against the incursions of 
 his native land. The Alexanders were natives of 
 Ireland, but our subject's raotlicr was born in Penn- 
 sylvania, in which place she was married. After 
 their marriage the parents of our subject kei)t a 
 hotel for several years, and in the latter part of 
 their lives they engaged in farming until the death 
 of the father, on the 2tth of April, 1 872, at the age 
 of eight3--two 3'ears. The mother died in 1827, on 
 the 19th of July, at the age of forty-one years, 
 leaving one child, our subject, named William 
 Alexander. The father married a second time, 
 Miss Elizabeth Enslow, of Ray's Hill, Bedford Co., 
 Pa., b}' whom he had two children, named Mary A. 
 and .Sarah. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 21st of August, 
 1822, in Bedford County, Pa., at Bloody Run, now 
 called Everett. He has vivid recollections of the 
 events and scenes of his youth, and after the death 
 of his mother, which occurred when he was four 
 ye.nrs and eleven months old, he was brought up by 
 his aunt, Mrs. Sar.ih Bradley, one of the family of 
 Alexandei's. She had no children, so she and her 
 husband became as loving parents to him, bestow- 
 ing upon him all the wealth of love which parents 
 lavish upon their own children. He grew up under 
 their care only a few miles from his father's home, 
 receiving some early lessons in agriculture and cul- 
 tiv.ating his mind for the future life work, whatever 
 it might be. The first school which he attended 
 was held in a log house, with floor of earth, and all 
 its appurtenances, rude as well as ru.stic, in Wells 
 Valley, known also as "'Double Alexander's Valle3'," 
 bearing the latter name from the name of one of 
 the ancestors of our sul>ject, Alexander Alexander, 
 who was its first permanent settler, making his 
 home there prior to the Revolutionary War. 
 
 Our subject has alwaj-s looked with great inter- 
 est on the development of his countr_v, and well re- 
 members the time of the rate school system, the 
 
 free sj'stem of public schools being established in 
 1834. At the age of twenty-four 3-ears he enterecl 
 the .academ3' of Tuscarora Valley, in which he 
 took a course of two years' instruction, and by that 
 time (1848) another academy, known as the Mel- 
 wood Academy, was started nearer home, in which 
 he also took a two-3'ears course. Not satisfied, 
 however, with his educational attainments, he en- 
 tered Jefferson College, where he pursued a special 
 course, but was not allowed to complete it because 
 his aunt was in delicate health, and leaving the col- 
 lege with the rank of junior, he remained at home 
 until the death of that dear relative. 
 
 On the 31st of December, 1856, Mr. Gra3' was 
 united in marriage with Miss Julia A. Moore, a 
 daughter of Dr. and Harriet Moore, of Wells Val- 
 le3'. The father was from Juniata Count3', and the 
 mother from Shirle3'sburg, Fluntingdon Count3', 
 and further notice of them will be found in the 
 sketch of B. Frank Moore. The3' had eleven chil- 
 dren, eight sons and three daughters, and all the 
 brothers of Mrs. Gr.ay were in the Union service in 
 the late war, in wiiieh the3' distinguished themselves 
 nobly. Mrs. Gra3' was born in Shirleysburg, Hunt- 
 ingdon Co., Pa., on the 28th of Januar3', 1829, and 
 during her earl3' 3'ears she attended a seminary in 
 her native town, moving to Wells Valle3' in 1841. 
 After their marriage our subject and his wife en- 
 gaged in farming, in which the3' were verj' prosper- 
 ous, and the former was made Superintendent of 
 the countj' schools, which office he was eminently 
 qualified to fill, retaining it for five j'ears, until the 
 breaking out of the war. 
 
 There being still more vital questions to agitate 
 the minds of American citizens than the one of 
 education, our subject left the field of learning to 
 engage on the dangerous field of war, and enlisted 
 as a private under Capt. Decker of Company K, 
 202d Penns3'lvania Infantry, in 1864, being then 
 forty-two 3-ears old. Prompted by patriotism he 
 could not withstand the desire to place himself at 
 the service of his countr3', and he was mustered in 
 at Harrisburg, sent to Eastern Virginia, defended 
 the outer defenses of Washington, and was on duty 
 assisting to guard the National Capitol. At mid- 
 night on the 14th of April. 1865, news of the as- 
 sassination of President I^incoln came to their cars, 
 
 • ^jk < • 
 
1^ 
 
 ••► 
 
 298 
 
 GAGE COUNTY, 
 
 and the giinrds were immcfliately clouMcd. great 
 excitement and surrow prevailing every wiiere. 
 The negroes presented a wocfnl appearance as they 
 sadly uttered "Uncle Sam is killed!" and no doubt 
 at the time tiiere seemed ample cause for lamenta- 
 tion lest the freedom that was dawning upon their 
 horizon should be revoked; but there have been 
 other great and noble men to continue what that 
 master-mind conceived and began, and the institu- 
 tion which he protected is now dear to the hearts of 
 all true Americans. Our subject was mustered out 
 at Harrisburg, and honorably discharged after hav- 
 ing acquitted himself in a valiant and courageous 
 manner. 
 
 Aftei- the close of the war Mr. Gray returned to 
 his home in Wells Valley, wliere his family wel- 
 comed him with outstretched arms, but while he 
 received a loving greeting from his wife and three 
 children, his heart was saddened because of the ab- 
 sence of one little child who had died while he was 
 away from home. He then continued the peace- 
 ful pursuit in which he had been engaged before the 
 war until the spring of 1868, when with his wife 
 and family he came to Nebraska, having traveled 
 extensively during the previous year, and pur- 
 chased 610 acres of land in Adams Township. He 
 built a sod house, and being determined to success- 
 fully combat the hardships of pioneer life, he philo- 
 sophicall)' took things as they came and made the 
 best of them. He was among the number of early 
 settlers who voted for the adoption of the State Con- 
 stitution, and ever since his first act in behalf of the 
 advancement of our glorious State, he has proved an 
 able abettor of her institutions. In the year 1874 
 there was an entire failure of the corn crop, and a 
 l)eriod of great want was anticipated, but some of 
 the other harvests were more abundant, so that our 
 subject saved enough to pay his taxes, and obtain 
 the necessities of life. In various ways has he suf- 
 fered a loss in common with the farmers of this 
 State, but he has been al)le to overcome those mis- 
 fortunes, and has risen to a position of affluence and 
 ease. 
 
 Our subject now owns 460 acres of splendid land 
 in one farm in Adams Township, on which there 
 are two good houses, barns, stables, and other neces- 
 r sary out-buildings, all in good condition. Twenty- 
 
 five acres are i)lanted in timber, consisting of cotton- 
 wood, maple, elm and other kinds of trees, and these 
 trees were all planted by the hands of our subject. 
 Besides the necessary work and time devoted to 
 the improvement of his farm, he has taken an act- 
 ive part in the organization of the township, his 
 influence being great and widespreading. He is 
 identified with the Republican party in politics, but 
 has refused to accept any public offices tendered 
 him from their hands. He was a strong anti-slaver}' 
 man, a Whig, and voted for John C. Fremont. He 
 is now occupying tlie office of Treasurer of the 
 township, and in every contingent of public affairs 
 in which the advice of a thoughtful and careful 
 mind is needed oui- subject is consulted, and his 
 mature and wise counsel received with general ap- 
 proval. He and his vvife are members of the Pres- 
 byterian Church, of which the former is a charter 
 member and one of the Elders, while he endears 
 himself to the younger peoi)le of the community in 
 his capacity of teacher in the Sunday-school. 
 
 To these loving and considerate parents there 
 have been given six children, of whom we have the 
 following record; Anna is at home; Edward Ever- 
 ett died when young, in Pennsylvania; Caroline 
 is the wife of R. C. Pierson, a grain buyer, and re- 
 sides in Adams ; Emma died while our subject was 
 in the war; William C. is at home, engaged in the 
 grocery business, in which our subject is also inter- 
 ested ; James K. is deceased. The mother is a re- 
 fined and talented lady, a true Christian woman, 
 sensitive, social and generous, and is the warm friend 
 of a host of admirers among both young and old. 
 Her husband is also distinguished as a man of ad- 
 mirable social qualifications, and the words of our 
 pen are insufficient to portray his excellent anil 
 Christian disposition and character. 
 
 JEREMIAH BAILEY. Among the names of 
 the early pioneer settlers of Highland Town- 
 ship will be found that of the subject of this 
 sketch, and there are few more worthy of a 
 place in a biographical work of this description than 
 he. Since the fall of 1887 Mr. Bailey has resided 
 in Cortland, after enduring for many years such 
 
 -t 
 
 <^ 
 
 ch A 
 
i 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 299 
 
 hardships, dilflculties and trials as those that come 
 to men whose lives are spent in frontier districts. 
 
 There was born on the 7tli of March, 1 843, at the 
 home of Francis and Sarah Bailey, near Hamilton, 
 Ontario, Canada, a son, whose history provides the 
 material for this epitome. His parents were both 
 natives of England. The father is deceased. His 
 mother is now the wife of Harrison Gillett, of High- 
 land Township, section 28. She was wedded to hira 
 seven years after the death of the father of our sub- 
 ject, who gave his life in defense of his country in 
 the month of December, 1864, while fighting as a 
 soldier in tiie late Civil War. 
 
 The family circle of Mr. and Mrs. Bailey included 
 nine children, and our subject was the second eld- 
 est son. He was brought up and educated in 
 Canada, which w.as his home until he attained his 
 m.ajoril3', when he went to Galena, 111., where he 
 made liis home for fivej'ears; at the end of that 
 period he came to this county, and in the spring of 
 1871 settled in Highland Township, section 28, 
 where he pre-empted eighty acres of land, and sub- 
 sequently homesteaded another eighty. 
 
 Upon coming to this State our subject was quite 
 a poor man, and was swayed alternateh* by hope and 
 fear regarding the final outcome. But bending all 
 his energies to the task, allowing neither hardship 
 nor ditliculty to daunt him, or any natural adverse 
 circumstance to baffle hira, his experience of pio- 
 neer life has developed within him those traits and 
 characteristics that have brought him the respect 
 and admiration of his fellows, and his material pros- 
 perity and success are the reward of his labor. He 
 resided upon his farm, and was ever engaged in the 
 various duties connected therewith until 1 887, when 
 he removed to Cortland. The latter years of his 
 life he devoted chiefly to stock-raising and feeding, 
 and he still gives considerable time and attention to 
 stock baying and shipping, the chief point of con- 
 signment being Omaha. 
 
 A red-letter daj^ in the history of our subject 
 was the 16th of September, 1877, the day whereon 
 lie w.as united in marriage with Amelia Meserve,of 
 Nemaha Township. This estimable lady was born 
 on the 4th of December, 18.55, in Livingston 
 Count^s 111. She is the daughter of Joseph and 
 Elizabeth (Call) Mcserve, natives of Maine and 
 
 New York respect! vel}'. There have been four 
 children born of this union, wliose names are here 
 appended : Freda B., who w.as born on the 29tli of 
 September, 1878; Jeanette, Jan. 16. 1880; Phebe, 
 Sept. 28, 1 885, and J. L., Dec. 3, 1 887. One i'& de- 
 ceased, F. J. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Bailey was by occupation a 
 potter, and is a descendant of an old English fam- 
 ily. When their daughter Amelia was about seven 
 years of age, her parents removed from Illinois, 
 where they settled prior to their marriage, to Powe- 
 shiek County, Iowa, in 1863, and there took land 
 and eng.aged in farming, making it their home until 
 1877. Then they removed to this county and set- 
 tled in Nem.aha Township, where they still reside 
 upon the land originally- taken bj^ them at that time. 
 They were the parents of ten children, six of whom 
 are living, whose names are recorded as follows: 
 Joseph M., William II., Harriet L., Charles C, Min- 
 nie C. and Amelia. Mr. and Mrs. Meserve have for 
 many years been members of the Christian Churcli. 
 They are still practicall3' in tlieir prime, and fully 
 appreciate the start in life they have been enabled 
 to give their children, and also the many comforts 
 that are for them to enjo3\ 
 
 Our subject is in political matters a strong Demo- 
 crat, and has so continued the greater part of his 
 life. Although he has now retired from his farm, 
 he is still actively engaged, indeed, idleness to one 
 of his disposition would be a misery. He has large 
 real -estate interests in Highland Township, which 
 make large demands upon his time and attention. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bailey move in the best circles of so- 
 ciety in Cortland, and are highly esteemed by all. 
 
 -fH- 
 
 -1-1- 
 
 "fw) OEL DOBBS. One of the enterprising, pro- 
 I I gressive and prosperous mercantile houses of 
 the growing town of Rockford, in the town- 
 ship of that name, is that of Messrs. Dobbs 
 & Willis, and in this epitome is briefly sketched the 
 life of the popular senior partner of the firm, a man 
 of education and ability, who owes his present po- 
 sition almost entirely to his own aml)ition. He is 
 tlie son of Ilussell L. and Cynthia (Hurst) Dobbs, 
 natives respectively of Tennessee and Indiana. The 
 
 V 
 
-•» 
 
 300 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 f 
 
 loj'al patriotism of his grnndfatlier led him to take 
 up arms in his coMntr3's defense in the War of 
 1812. and fire from the same altar still burns in the 
 breast of our subject. 
 
 The Dobbs family came to America over l.")0 
 years since, and settled in Tennessee among the 
 Blue Ridge Mountains, in the days when the State 
 was just being opened up. In this district the 
 family grew and flourished; generation followed 
 generation in their life among these beautiful hills. 
 The parents of our subject were married in Put- 
 nam Count}', Ind., in 1837, and the father remained 
 following the chosen calling of his life until 1844, 
 when be removed to Andrew County, Mo., and w.as 
 among the earlj' pioneers of that district, and still 
 lives upon the old farm. He has attained the ad- 
 vanced age of sevent3'-one years, but does not seem 
 to feel their weight pressing so heavily as many do 
 at a lesser number. He still enjoys good health and 
 is active, still able to perform a great deal of work 
 on and about the farm. In his time he has held 
 many important offices, and h.as been an active 
 politician. The mother of our subject died in the 
 year 1867, .aged forty-eight years. They were the 
 p.arents of nine children, whose names are recorded 
 as follows : Emeline, Abraham, John, Amelia Jane, 
 Martha, .Sarah, Julia, William F. and Joel. By a 
 former marriage there were born to the father of 
 our subject two children, who received the names 
 respectively of Mar}- and Susan. 
 
 Mr. Joel Dobbs w.as born July 23, 1857, upon 
 the old homestead in Missouri. His first great 
 trouble came with the death of his mother when he 
 was ten years of age. At eleven he started to do 
 battle with the world on his own account, and has 
 from that time continued to do so. After the 
 death of his wife the father of our subject was un- 
 able to attend to business on account of sickness 
 caused by his wife's death, for two 3'ears, owing to 
 the severe strain caused by that trouble. This was 
 the immediate cause of our subject and the rest of 
 the family being thrown upon their own resources. 
 Until he was eighteen years of age our subject con- 
 tinued to work upon a farm, and it was his prac- 
 tice during winter especially to work for liis board 
 in order that he might attend school. At eighteen 
 years of age he began teaching school in Andrew 
 
 and Nodaway Counties, and continued successfully 
 in this profession for nine 3'ears, interspersing it, 
 however, during his vacations with work in con- 
 nection with mercantile life, and by farming upon 
 rented land, and although he was compelled from 
 the nature of his other engagements to employ 
 hired help in its cultivation, he realized quite a 
 good profit. 
 
 The sentiments of Miss Alice E. Perkins and our 
 subject being found upon inquir}' to be in perfect 
 accord, they became husband and wife March 17, 
 1878. This lad}' is the daughter of Avery A. and 
 Martha (Abbott) Perkins, natives of Kentucky and 
 Ohio. As the name intimates, the Perkins family 
 are of English extraction; they settled in this 
 country in an early day. Upon their marriage 
 Mr. and Mrs. Perkins settled in Hancock County, 
 111., in 1840, where he followed the occupation of 
 agricultural pursuits until 1872, when he removed 
 to Nodaway Count}', Mo. Of this union there 
 were born ten children, whose names were recorded 
 .as follows : John .S., Ephraim. Lucina. Jane, Edith, 
 Alice E., Nancy, Annie, Avery A., and George, 
 deceased. By a former wife there were born four 
 other children. 
 
 Mrs. Dobbs was born in Hancock County, in the 
 State of Illinois, in April, 18o8, and continued to 
 live with her parents until her marriage. She was 
 fifteen years of age when she accompanied her i)ar- 
 ents to Missouri, and there she made the acquaint- 
 ance of our subject while be was eng.aged in teach- 
 ing. Until the year 1883 they continued to live 
 in Missouri, then came to Nebraska and settled 
 upon a farm four miles north of Blue Springs, 
 where our subject continued engaged in farming 
 for two years. Then he came to Rockford and 
 established the business which still engages his at- 
 tention ; from that time on there has been a contin- 
 uous and steady increase in the business, so that 
 other help was required and a larger stock de- 
 manded. He has, however, been enabled to keep pace 
 with this most desirable and happy growth, and will 
 doubtless contrive to do so, however far it m.ay 
 extend in the future. 
 
 Our subject has erected a very pretty and com- 
 modious residence in Rockford, and has supplied it 
 witli numberless conveniences that are a daily ap- 
 
 '■► ^ ■i ^» 
 
i 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 301 
 
 4^ 
 
 preciation. Although no pnins have been spared 
 to make this home liright and pleasant, its chief 
 adornment to our subject is his wife and children. 
 There have been born of this unit)n six children, 
 three of whom died in childhood. Their names 
 are as follows: William S. ; Annie, vvho died aged 
 nine months: Bernice; Russell L., who died when 
 three 3'ears of age; Elmer, and an infant who died 
 iinnameil. 
 
 To Mr. Dobbs came the honor of being appointed 
 the first Postmaster of Rockford, a position which 
 he filled with universal satisfaction within the 
 sphere of operation. He was elected Justice of the 
 Peace in the year 1887, and there won fresh laurels. 
 This was, doubtless, one reason why he was made a 
 delegate to the Republican County Convention of 
 1888. It will be seen, therefore, that the current 
 of his political principles and sentiments is with 
 the "grand old party," of which for many years he 
 has been a stanch friend. These things are but 
 effects; the cause must be sought in the character 
 of the man, who has achieved such success and 
 gathered around him so many friends, who hold 
 him in their high regard. 
 
 ARVEY W. G IDDINGS is an intelligent and 
 k^ industrious farmer residing on section 36, 
 MidlaiKl Township, who has accumulated his 
 present fine and valuable property by his 
 force of will, perseverance and industry, having 
 successfully combated reverses which would have 
 caused a less energetic man to despair. He is a son 
 of John W. and Hannah (Stafford) Giddings, the 
 former of whom was born in Massachusetts, and 
 the latter in the southwestern part of New York. 
 The Giddings family are of Scotch descent, the 
 great-grandfather of our sidiject coming to New- 
 York from Scotland, and making a matrimonial alli- 
 ance in that State. The Staffords are of English 
 descent. The father of our subject followed the 
 pursuit of agriculture, and was a hard-working 
 man, his sympathy in political matters always 
 strongly in favor of the Whig and Republican 
 parties. He died at the age of seventy-seven 3'ears 
 in 1881, and his wife died at the age of seventy-six 
 
 3'ears in 1885, after having gathered about them a 
 famil3" of eleven children, on whom were bestowed 
 the following names: IIarve3' W., Elmira A., Sarah 
 L., Rol)ev S., Miron A., Clinton and Caroline (the 
 former of whom died when a boy of thirteen years), 
 Francis, Emil3', Augusta (deceased at the age of 
 four 3ears), and John C. 
 
 Our subject, the oldest of bis father's faniil3% 
 was born in McKran Township, Erie Co., Pa., on 
 the 11th of Januar3-, 1830. and when he was but 
 four years old he began his attendance on the com- 
 mon schools. He has a very retentive memory, 
 and the early scenes having made a vivid impres- 
 sion on his childish mind, he can describe them with 
 great iirecision, and is able to place evei'y maple, 
 beech and chestnut tree on the wa3' to the old 
 school-house. His parents were in moderate cir- 
 cumstances, and he was early taught to apply him- 
 self diligently to work in order to assist in the 
 maintenance of the large famil3'. In June. 1840, 
 the family removed to Warren Count3', 111., where 
 they were among the early pioneers. 
 
 Our subject remained at home until he was 
 twent3'-flve years old, when he returned to Penn- 
 sylvania to claim the conipanionshij) of the lad3' of 
 his choice, Miss Rebecca E. McClure, a daughter of 
 George W. and Elizabeth (Shirer) McClure. Her 
 father was born in Ireland and her mother in Hol- 
 land, and they moved to Illinois from Penns3'lvania 
 in 1865. The father died in 1883 at the age of 
 sevent3'-six years, and the mother still lives, having 
 reached the age of eight3' 3'ears, and seen her ten 
 children, eight girls and two bo3'S, become useful 
 men and women. Mrs. Giddings is the fifth child 
 of the famil3', and vvas born on the 16th of October, 
 1836, and after reaching the 3'ears of girlhood she 
 attended school in the same old school-house under 
 the chestnut tree that is so dear to the memory of 
 her husband. 
 
 After their marriage our subject and his wife 
 came to Illinois, the former rejoicing with gratified 
 pride that he had prepared a pleasant home for his 
 bride, having a comfortable home and 1'20 acres of 
 land to share with her. He was financially suc- 
 cessful, and became the owner of 9,000 acres of 
 land in Illinois, but by going securit3' for other 
 parties, and the3' proving unable or unwilling to 
 
 -4•■ 
 
 ■•► 
 
f 
 
 302 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 pay off the amount of their indebtedaess for which 
 our subject had gone security, he met with reverses, 
 and was virtualij' bankrupt. This word originalij"^ 
 had a deeper significance than it now bears, being 
 derived from the Italian words "banco rotto," which 
 means literally "broken bench," and originated 
 from the custom of the ancient Italian niercliants 
 and business men of transacting business behind 
 stands or benches on the street; when one of them 
 became insolvent or unable to pay his debts, his 
 bench was literally broken to pieces, and he was no 
 longer permitted to transact business. But that 
 meaning does not now attach to the word, ample op- 
 portunilj' now being afforded an unfortunate man 
 to redeem his fortune, and our subject having lost 
 all he had through the lack of honor in others, was 
 constrained to begin anew, and again rise to a po- 
 sition of wealth. 
 
 Our subject determined to take advantage of the 
 inducements offered by our State to regain his lost 
 footing, and in the spring of 1871 he came to 
 Buffalo County, where he rented some land. Here 
 he again passed through a pioneer experience, and 
 after much hard labor in sowing his first crop it 
 was destroyed by the grasshoppers, and he was 
 almost in despair. In 1873 he came to this county-, 
 and leased a section of land for two years' time, but 
 his lessee sold the farm in 1875. He then moved 
 on the Kansas & Missouri Stage Company's farm, 
 which consisted of 1,200 acres, of which he broke 
 475 acres, and fenced it all with wire. He prospered 
 exceedingly well, and remained on that farm for 
 seven years, in the meantime (1879) buying his 
 present farm of 240 acres, and when he moved on 
 to it in 1882 it was virtually paid for, he having 
 built up a reputation as one of the best farmers in 
 the county. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have become the par- 
 ents of ten children, of whom Flora E. died March 
 3, 1883; Carrie, April 22, 1882, and Edwin W., 
 Nov. 16, 1884; the remaining members of the family 
 bear the names of Jennie, S. E., Harry, Carl, Susie, 
 Ralph, and an infant, Rebecca E. When the family 
 were living on the Kansas & Missouri Stage Com- 
 pany's farm the father built on his own farm a 
 handsome and commodious full two-story house at 
 a cost of |!l,750, containing all modern improve- 
 
 ments and conveniences. The children possess 
 great musical talents, and when they get together 
 the handsome parlors resound with strains of sweet- 
 est music. The mother is inclined to the Presby- 
 terian Church, and her husband has for his motto 
 the Golden Rule, his neighbors testif^'ing that his 
 principles are in strictest accord with its teaching. 
 
 Our subject has been engaged in the dairy busi- 
 ness, for which purpose he has eighteen good milch 
 cows, and his milk-house is cool, sweet and clean. 
 He operates 600 acres of land, leasing 320 acres, 
 and has 200 acres devoted to the growth of flax, 
 100 to oats, seventy-five to corn, and eighty acres 
 to meadow land. He has ten teams of horses, sixty 
 hogs, and raises about a carload of beef cattle an- 
 nuall3% feeding all the grain that he raises. His 
 former reverses seem only to have incited him to 
 still greater effort, the results of which are his present 
 abundant means and influential standing among his 
 fellowmen. 
 
 Our subject has taken great interest in the edu- 
 cational advancement of his township, having been 
 instrumental in building the school-houses in the 
 district, since which time the young people have 
 enjoyed the advantage of a nine-months school 
 every year. Of his reputation we might say with 
 old John Brown of "marching on" fame, that one 
 good, industrious, true and believing man in a com- 
 munity is worth a thousand who have no religion 
 and no fixed principles. He has served with credit 
 on the Grand and Petit Juries, and is foremost 
 among the advocates of law and order. In politics 
 Mr. Giddings afDliates with the Republican party. 
 
 «-i-4- 
 
 o.SS-^||lK>-jiS!-o 
 
 i-HADDEUS GREEN was born in Ross County, 
 Ohio, on the 18th of April, 1837, and when 
 he was about two years old his parents, 
 Thomas W. and Eleanor (Moser) Green, removed 
 to McLean County, 111. There he grew up to man- 
 hood, receiving his education in the district schools, 
 and there he was married, on the 2d of November, 
 1864, to Miss Mary Hall. He engaged in farming, 
 and remained in Illinois until the 1st of March, 
 1883, when he came to Nebraska and located on 
 the farm on which he still lives. 
 
 Our subject is a great admirer and s^'mpathizer 
 
 I 
 
h 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 303 
 
 4- 
 
 witli the beauties and resources of Nature, and he 
 takes a natural delight in developing them, prefer- 
 ring a peaceful, hapiiy life on his farm eng.aged in 
 the various duties incident to a rural life rather 
 than any other life which the busy, bustling world 
 can offer. He has a very good farm of 200 acres 
 on section 17, Sicily Township, and gives attention 
 to the raising of both grain and live stock. His 
 farm is well watered, having an inexhaustible supply 
 from a well, and -Sicily- Creek, which passes through 
 his farm, furnishes plent}' of water for his stock. 
 The creek never dries in the summer or freezes in 
 tlie winter, so that his stock has free access to it at 
 all times and in all seasons. 
 
 Mr. Green has improved his farm bj' building a 
 good house and barn, with good fencing to serve 
 as the dividing line between the various fields, 
 which adds ver^' much to the fine appearance of the 
 place. He has a good orchard of fine young trees 
 just beginning to bear nicely, and he takes great 
 interest in keeping them well pruned and ia a good 
 bearing condition. For his reward and painstaking 
 he will enjoy seeing the branches loaded with a 
 supply of delicious fruits, for when Nature is well 
 wooed she does not fail to respond. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have a family of six 
 children, all of whom are living. The parents are 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 
 Blue Springs. The mother of our subject was a 
 native of Berks County, Pa., and she died on the 
 27th of January, 1871, while his father was born 
 in Philadelphia, and died on the 25th of April, 
 1879, the death of both the parents occurring in 
 McLean County, 111. They were members of the 
 Methodist Church, esteemed and active Christian 
 people, and in that faith they died. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Green, Prior, and her mother, 
 Mary (Thomas) Hall, were natives of Ohio, but 
 both removed to Illinois when young. When the 
 inhabitants of the countrj' became so excited over 
 the discovery of gold in California, there were vast 
 trains of emigrant wagons stretche<i across the 
 prairies and along the mountain roads. These vast 
 trains of emigrants were really pioneers in the part 
 of the country through which they passed, in some 
 places having to fell trees, build rude bridges, and 
 otherwise prepare the way before they could reach 
 
 the end of their journey. The f.ither of Mrs. Green 
 was one among the large number who hastened to 
 the gold mines, making the journey to California 
 in 184'J, but after enduring many hardships and 
 privations he sickened and died in that distant 
 .State, in the year 1851. The mother died in Illinois 
 in October, 1 8(32, having lieen the mother of seven 
 children, of whom the wife of our subject is the 
 sixth one. 
 
 Our subject has two brothers anil three sisters, 
 all of whom are living except one sister, Margaret 
 E., who died in Illinois, and all married except 
 Mary D. His brother John M. was in Company 
 F, 116th Illinois Infantiy, and served in the capac- 
 ity of a soldier for three years, coming home with- 
 out having received a wound, though his health 
 was impaired by the exposure. Our subject is 
 earnestly in favor of the administr.alion of the Re- 
 publican party. 
 
 "jj^^.ORVEL LEWI.S is one of the most enter- 
 || jjl prising and successful farmers in Rockford 
 lli^ Township, where he has a splendid farm of 
 IGO acres, and .another of the same size in Logan 
 Township, devoted to the purposes of general 
 farming and stock-raising. His father. Mills Lewis, 
 was born in New Jersey, near Perth Amboy, and his 
 mother, Jane (Carr) Lewis, in Indiana. Both had 
 early come with their parents to Warren Countj', 
 111., where they grew to manhood and womanhood, 
 and after their marri.ige they made their home at 
 that place, continuing until the present time, the 
 father having reached the age of sixty-three years, 
 and the mother sixty -one years. The father has 
 been prominently identified with the political af- 
 fairs of Warren County, and was sent by his con- 
 stituents to the Illinois State Legislature during 
 the terra of 1880-81. He represented his county 
 in an able manner, and served with honor to him- 
 self and his constituents. His famil}' numbered 
 nine children, bearing the following names : Norvel, 
 Mary, Henry, Jud, Emery, Sarah, Lula, Effie and 
 Edwin C. 
 
 Our subject, the eldest in his father's family, was 
 born on the 12th of July, 1850, in Warren County, 
 
 :?^r+-^ 
 
304 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 • ^W. "* • 
 
 Burwick' Township, and spent Lis earlj' life on a 
 farm. In order to receive the advantages of edu- 
 cation offered by the nearest school, he was obliged 
 to go two and a half miles, but did not attend 
 after he was sixteen years old. He remained with 
 his father until he was twenty-two years olil, when, 
 in 1872, he was united in marriage with Miss 
 Millie Murdock., a daughter of John and Fannie 
 (Milligan) Murdock, who were both natives of 
 Pennsylvania. The father was a farmer, and after 
 their marriage in Pennsylvania they went to War- 
 ren County, 111., where he continued the pursuit of 
 his occupation. He died in 1887, at the age of 
 seventy-eight years, but the mother still lives at 
 her home in Illinois, and is seventy-four years old. 
 She was Mr. Murdock's first wife, and there was a 
 family of eigiit children, whose names are: Jonas, 
 Margaret, Mary, George (deceased), Millie, Allen, 
 Mina and Edward. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were the parents of one 
 child, named Henry M., who died when he was six 
 months old, and the mother died in October, 1873. 
 Our subject was a second time married, to Miss 
 Rachel Dickie, of Pennsylvania, who died in No- 
 vember, 1883. Mr. Lewis came to this county in 
 the spring of 1881, and in the fall of the same year 
 he purchased his present quarter-section of land, 
 expecting to make his home here, bringing his wife 
 in the spring of 1882. He was a third time mar- 
 ried, on the 27th of January, 1884, to Miss Mattie 
 Shaw, a daughter of Holcorab and Ruth Shaw. Her 
 parents were born in Pennsylvania, and two 3'ears 
 after their marriage they came to Illinois, where 
 they made their home for six years, after which, in 
 1869, they came to this county. They are still 
 residing here, the father at the age of fifty-eight 
 years, and the mother fifty-three, and have cared 
 for a family of eight children, on whom they 
 bestowed the names Dora, Mattie, Charles, Mary 
 and Ruth (deceased), Pearl, Herbert and Rupert. 
 
 Mrs. Lewis was born on the Gtli of September, 
 18G2, in Ogle County, 111., and was six or seven 
 j'ears old wher she came to this State. She at- 
 tended school in Cottage Hill, near Fille}', the first 
 school-house in Filley Township, and having re- 
 ceived a very excellent education she has been 
 identified with the educators of this county for four 
 
 or five J'ears. She attended the first summer Nor- 
 mal held in this county, and prepared herself to 
 engage in the profession of teaching; but leaving 
 the care of many little ones to others, she became 
 the wife of our subject, and is a devoted mother to 
 the children that have been given her. The elder, 
 Harry E., died when he was two years and three 
 months old, and the only remaining child is named 
 Norvel M. 
 
 Mr. Lewis is the owner of 320 acres of fine land, 
 half of which lies on section 5, Rockford Township, 
 and the other half in Logan Township. He gives 
 special attention to the breeding of Hambletonian 
 and Bashaw horses, and is the owner of the famous 
 Oakland stud of twenty to twenty-seven horses. 
 In the work of his farm he uses three teams of 
 horses, and has improved it to a very fine condi- 
 tion; and from his uniform success he has built up 
 a reputation as a successful agriculturist which is 
 second to none in the count}-. He is well known 
 and influential in the management of public affairs, 
 and in matters of politics he lends his influence to 
 the Democratic party. Mrs. Lewis is an estimable 
 lady, and an influential member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church at Beatrice. 
 
 REDERICK GRUND. Adams Township 
 has within its borders few better men or 
 citizens than the subject of this sketch, who 
 has had a wide and varied experience in life, and 
 has made the most of his opportunities. He now 
 owns and occupies a good farm on section 28, and 
 while engaged in the cultivation of the soil has like- 
 wise carefully tended the garden of his mind, and 
 by a steady and judicious course of reading kept 
 himself well posted upon matters of general interest. 
 He is a fine scholar, both in English and German. 
 In conversation he is interesting, and the story of his 
 travels over a large portion of the Great West forms 
 a narration well worth the listener's time and at- 
 tention. 
 
 Of German birth and parentage, our subject first 
 opened his eyes in the Province of AVittenberg, 
 July 17, 1833. His parents, Leonard and Mary N. 
 (Munch) Grund, were natives of the same, where 
 
 ■•► 
 
-^•- 
 
 -•»> 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 305 
 
 tlie father eanierl on fniming, and was accidentally 
 killed by the fall of a tree in 1842. at the age of 
 fort3--two years. The mother also spent her entire 
 life upon her native soil, and died in 185G, when 
 fift3'-eight years old. Their family included two 
 children onlj', of whom Frederick, our subject, was 
 the younger. His sister. Mar}- Magdalene, is now 
 in Nebr.aska. Mr. Grund, in common with the 
 majoritj' of the children of German}', was placed 
 in school at an early age, and pursued his studies 
 quite steadily for a period of eight years, until he 
 was fourteen. He was a little lad of nine j'ears at 
 the time of his father's death, and continued with 
 his widowed mother until a youth of twenty. The 
 mother then rented their little homestead, and 
 F"rederick started out for himself, determined to 
 make his way to the New World. Embarking at 
 Havre, France, on a sailing-vessel bound for Amer- 
 ica, Oct. 14, 1854. he landed in New York C'it}-, 
 November 20, and proceeded to the town of 
 Marietta, Susquehanna Co., Pa., where for a brief 
 time he employed himself at whatever he could 
 find to do. 
 
 From Marietta j'oung Grund went to Harris- 
 burg, where he was employed in farming and dairy- 
 ing at $4 per month. His first employer took 
 advantage of his inexperience, and sought to make 
 the most of it, but the young man soon found out 
 liis game, and left him for a more humane task- 
 master, who paid him $10. He was soon afterward 
 taken down with chills and fever, which greatly 
 crippled him financially, and was the cause of much 
 discouragement, but he finally rallied both in mind 
 and bod}', and worked two years longer in the Key- 
 stone State, and until a recurrence of his old trou- 
 bles led him to seek a change of climate, when he 
 migrated to Chicago, HI. 
 
 In the Garden City Mr. Grund was employed in 
 a meat market, and continued there until the spring 
 of 1858. He then started for the Territory of 
 Nebraska. He traveled bj' rail first to St. Louis, 
 Mo., thence up the Missouri River to Leavenworth, 
 Kan., arriving there at the time of the border war 
 when men were shot down in the streets in cold 
 blood. .Six weeks at that point sufficed, and Mr. 
 Grund proceeded on his way to his final destination. 
 taking uf) his abode finally in Nebraska Cit}', which 
 
 then bore little resemblance to its present condition. 
 There he became the craploj'e of Messrs. Russell, 
 Major & Waddell, who had a Government contract 
 for the hauling of provisions to Salt Lake City. 
 Teams were fitted out, and wagons loaded with 
 barley, oats, corn, sugar, bacon, salt, etc., and our 
 hero in charge of one of them set out with a num- 
 ber of others for the place mentioned. The train 
 consisted of thirty wagons, e.ich wagon drawn b}' 
 twelve oxen — Texas steers. Upon arriving at Ft. 
 Bridger, in Wj'oming, they were obliged to stop 
 on .account of the snow, and Mr. Grund returned 
 to Nebraska City, arriving there Jan. 5, 1859. He 
 now eng.aged in a brewery, where he remained for 
 four years following, and in the meantime, with 
 genuine German thrift and prudence, saved a snug 
 little sum of money, which he invested in land in 
 Adams Township, this county, in the year 1862. 
 
 The above }'ear, also, Mr. Grund took unto 
 himself a wife and helpmate. Miss Emily A. Golden, 
 to whom he was married in Nebr.aska City, March 
 3, 1862. Mrs. Grund was born in Crawford Count}-, 
 Pa., Dec. 12, 1842, and remained there with her 
 parents until a maiden of seventeen years, when she 
 came to Nebraska City with them. Soon after their 
 marriage our subject and his wife settled upon their 
 land, but a short time later abandoned it for the 
 time on account of Indian troubles, and returned 
 with their cattle to Nebraska City. Mr. Grund, 
 however, was soon enabled to possess his property 
 again, and had the satisfaction of participating in 
 the first Fourth of July celebration in the Nemaha 
 Valley. 
 
 The Indiiin troubles finally terminating, the par- 
 ents of Mrs. Grund cami; to this section, where 
 they continued until 1863. Our subject, however, 
 again returned to Nebraska City, where he engaged 
 in farming, and remained until the year 1869, 
 then homesteaded his present farm of 160 acres, 
 and here has since remained. He has made some 
 fine improvements, putting up good buildings, plant- 
 ing orchard and shade trees, and otherwise adding 
 to the value and beauty of his property. He has 
 seventj'-five fine apiile trees in good bearing condi- 
 tion and a quarter of an .acre in blackberries, be- 
 sides other fruit for the enjoyment of the family. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Grund are the [iarents of eight 
 
 f 
 
t. 
 
 •>-4F^ 
 
 t 
 
 306 
 
 GAGE COUNTT. 
 
 children — Catherine R.. now deceased: Tillie. Ben- 
 jamin. Anna M., Minnie 5L. Hiram L.. Luella J. 
 and Bessie. The eldest daughter. Tillie, i.s the wife 
 of Frank Lj'ons. and resides in Adams: they have 
 two children — Charles H. and Elsie. Anna M. is 
 the wife of William Blackhart. and a resident of 
 Adams. The other children are at home with their 
 parents. Mr. Grund cast big first Presidential vote 
 for Grant, and is a stanch supporter of Republican 
 principles. He has been in all respects a worthy 
 representative of one of the best nationalities on the 
 face of the globe, from whence sprung a Martin 
 Luther and numbers of other illustrious men whose 
 names have been handed down to the posterity of 
 both continents, as the names of those whose careers 
 have been worthy of imitation. 
 
 m 
 
 f OHX G. PAUL. In Sicily Township there 
 are few farms presenting a more perfect 
 picture of successful, thrifty agricultural 
 prosperity and beauty than does the prof>- 
 erty of our subject, which is situated on section 16, 
 and includes about 1 60 acres, all of which are highly 
 cultivated. Our subject was bom in Janesville, 
 Ohio. July 11, 1842. His educational advantages 
 were very meager. He has. however, recognizing 
 this fact, given careful attention to reading, in order 
 to improvement upon that deficiency. 
 
 When our subject was stUl an infant, his mother 
 removed to Illinois, and located in Rock Island 
 County. His father. John G. Paul, died in Ohio 
 sis months after he was bom. The mother of our 
 subject was Margareta (Churchill) PauL By her 
 first marriage she had two sons — Adam and our 
 subject. Her second marriage occurred Oct. 8, 
 1844, when she was united with Adam Vogel, in 
 Rock Island County, 111. Of this marriage there were 
 three sons, who were named respectively : John, 
 James and Jacob, all of whom are still residents of 
 Illinois. 
 
 Our subject was reared and married in Rock 
 Island County as above; his wife was Miss Julia 
 Walter, whom he led to the altar on the oOth of 
 March, 1869. and wholi.os been a faithful and true 
 helpmate through all the succeeding years. The 
 
 happiness of their wedded life owes much of its 
 brightness to the presence of the little ones who 
 have been born to them, of whom there are six : 
 John A., bora May 2, 1870; Anna. Sept 28, 1?<72: 
 Charles, Oct 20, 1874; Joseph, Feb. 2. 1879; Mary 
 A.. Oct 16. 1881 : and Rosa, Dec. 1 1, 1884. Mrs. 
 Paul was bora- in Germany, on the 25th of October. 
 1848. and is the daughter of Francis and Cesillia 
 (Bookmiller) Walter. Her fatlier is snccessfnlly 
 engaged in fanning. 
 
 Besides his home farm, oar subject has quite ex- 
 tensive property elsewhere, including 320 acres 
 upon section 13 of Elm Township, on which he 
 has 120 acres well cultivated, also 160 acres on 
 section 1, in Sicily Township, and seventy-five 
 acres on section 18 of Blue Spring Township. 
 Upon the property on section 1 there is an excel- 
 I lent house, stable, granary and other buildings. 
 Upon tlie home farm our subject has erected with 
 bis own hands all the necessary farm buildings, 
 also a well-arranged ice house, work-shop, corn- 
 crib, extensive stabling, and an exceptionally fine 
 bam, but as is simply to be expected, has devoted 
 far more time and care to his dwelling. These are 
 all weU planned, well built and nicely painted and 
 decorated, although the latter would apply more 
 especially to the house. When it is considered 
 that these various works are the result of his own 
 l.ibor. it is an achievement of which manly pride is 
 justifiable. In addition to the above, the whole 
 farm, with the exception of a small jxtrtion of 
 board fence around the yard, is all separated into 
 the various divisions required by a well-kept wire 
 fence, and the whole property is in a most excellent 
 state of repair and finish. 
 
 Our subject has realized in the presence and 
 faithful help of his life companion that this di- 
 vinely instituted relation is the best condition of 
 life. The property that he has been enabled to ac- 
 cumulate would {K>ssibly never have been but for 
 this. Without exaggeration it were safe to say 
 that by continued diligence, industry and labor our 
 subject has acquired property to the value of 
 about ^22.000, and of this property there was no 
 promise at the death of his father, or the subsequent 
 years of his mothers widowhood. He had already 
 begun the strussle when he received t2,000 from 
 
 ■► ■ ^' 
 
 i 
 
t 
 
 ^^^^B-^^ 
 
 ^^^^^m^^^ 
 
 GAGE C0U:N'TY. 
 
 307 
 
 his mother's estate, which was afterward supple- 
 mented by an additional ^1,000 upon his marriage. 
 This is all the help he received; the remainder is 
 the result of his own exertions, and the iuspiring 
 influence of his wife. 
 
 Our subject and his wife and family are mem- 
 bers in good standing of the ■ Catholic Church of 
 this place, and among its most devout members. 
 Mr. Paul, although mietirg cheerfully all his obli- 
 gations as a citizen, is not prominent in civic and 
 political matters. He gives his suflfrage consistently 
 to the Democratic party, .ind has for man}- years 
 been counted as a stanch member of the party. 
 
 1^7 RANCIS M. RICKARDS.the well-to-do far- 
 mer and stock-raiser whose property is on 
 section 10 of Riverside Township, was born 
 in Adams County. Ohio, on the 24th of October, 
 1831. He was reared in his native county, and in 
 its common schools received his education. In 1857 
 he made his way to Pern. Neb., and remained for 
 two years. The State at that time was very little 
 known, and this city was unknown, and upon its 
 site stood a solitary bouse. 
 
 At the close of his second year in this State our 
 subject started to return to Ohio, but stopped in 
 Lewis County. Mo., and was there married, on the 
 26th of November. 1858. to Miss 31ahala S. Pollard. 
 After his marriage, accompanied by his wife, he 
 continued his journey to his home. The young 
 couple continued to live in Ohio until October of 
 1 86 1 , our subject engaging in fanning, and was re- 
 warde«l by a good measure of success. In the above 
 month he enlisted in Company F. 70th Ohio In- 
 fantni-.and served until the 14th of August, 1865. 
 He enlisted as a private, but in September, 1864, was 
 promoted to the rank of Sergeant, His regiment 
 was attached to the 15th Army Corps, and served 
 under the command of McPherson and Logan. Be- 
 sides a large numl)er of engagements of lesser im- 
 portance, our subject took part in the Iiattles of 
 .Shiloh. Corinth. Vicksburg, Jackson. Miss, and Mis- 
 sionarj- Ridge. He received an honorable discharge 
 and returned home without a wound, but with his 
 health impaired by exposure. In his home is found 
 
 4» 
 
 a highly-prized relic or memento of those stirring 
 times: it is a camp chair, presented to him by Lieut. 
 Ileaton. of A. R. Q. M..of the 70th Ohio Regiment. 
 
 Returning to Ohio in the fall of 1865, our sub- 
 ject remained recuperating until the spring of 1866; 
 then he removed to Illinois, in which State he con- 
 tinued to live for some sixteen years. His home 
 was in LaSalle County, near Seneca, and through- 
 oat this lengthy residence he was engaged in farm- 
 ing, and every year witnessed an increase of pros- 
 perity and success. At the end of that period he 
 removed to this county, locating in 1882 upon the 
 farm on section 10. which is 160 acres in extent 
 From the time of his settlement he has been con- 
 tinually and industriously employed in its improve- 
 ment. He has moved both house and barn to their 
 present position, has planted a row of trees along 
 the south and east sides of his farm, has set out an 
 orchard of nearly 200 apple and other fruit trees, 
 besides planting a large number of grai)e vines, etc. 
 His house is most admirably situated amid pleasant 
 surroundings, while its interior is no less happily 
 inviting. Quite a large section of the farm is util- 
 ized for agricultural purposes, chieflv" the raising 
 of grain and for stock purp)oses. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Rickards are members of the Meth- 
 o<1ist Episcopal Church, of Beatrice, in which faith 
 they are educating their 6ve children. Sociall}-. 
 our subject is connected with the G. A. R. and the 
 A. F. <fe A. M.. at Beatrice. In piolitical matters 
 he is a stalwart Republican, voting for and with 
 the party whose cause he sustained at the front 
 during 1861-65. 
 
 NOS RISHEL. As a whole Nebraska repre- 
 sents one of the most jjerfect climates of any 
 
 Stale in the Union, and from its general 
 
 topographical features affords the most pleasing 
 variety of scenery; it is not like the proverbial 
 search for a needle in a bale of hay to find a good 
 location for a home spot and rooftree. But among 
 the most pleasant for situation, beautiful in general 
 outline, fertile and productive, is that part of which 
 is included in the property- of our subject upon sec- 
 tion 1 7 of Sherman Township, which is a farm cul- 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
■<^ 
 
 308 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 tivated in the interest of general grain farming, 
 altiioiigli some attention is given to stock-raising. 
 
 In Schuylkill County, Pa., was born William 
 Rishel, the father of our subject. There he was 
 brought up and began to labor, continuing therein 
 until he was twenty -sis years of age. At that time 
 he went to Clinton County, Ind., where, he still 
 resides. His chosen occupation through life has 
 been tliat of a blacksmith, which business he has 
 followed with much ability and considerable finan- 
 cial success. The maiden name of his wife was 
 Lyilia Snyder. Their marriage was celebrated in 
 Pennsjivania, and immediately afterward they re- 
 moved to CiintoTi Count3', Ind. During her life she 
 enjoyed, with her husband and familj'.tiie religious 
 help and consolation offered in the Lutiieran 
 Church. Her death occurred about the j'car 1848. 
 Our subject was the second of four children born 
 to his parents, of whom only he and his brother 
 John are living. His brother is a resident of How- 
 ard County, Ind., where ho follows the business of 
 a painter. 
 
 Enos Rishel, the subject of this writing, entered 
 upon the stage of things mundane in September of 
 1844, and made his home with his parents until the 
 year 18G7. His youth was occupied in laying a 
 broad, solid foundation for his after experience, in 
 the shape of a good, practical education, and from 
 tiie time of leaving the institution of learning until 
 the above date be was occupied in various occupa- 
 tions. The years from 1869 to 1876 were spent in 
 traveling through the States of Illinois, Missouri, 
 Nebraska, Iowa and back home; away again 
 through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, 
 back through Ohio to Indiana, down to Missouri 
 and back to Illinois and on to Nebraska. He pur- 
 chased a quarter of section 17, at $1.50 an acre, in 
 May, 18C8, before he started on his journey through 
 the East. His father also purchased the adjoining 
 quarter-section not long after, for which he paid 
 $6.25 per acre, the entire half-section now l)eing 
 operated by our subject. He first broke the prai- 
 rie on his farm in 1876, finished forty acres, and 
 then rented it for $1 per acre. In 1879 he built a 
 house, commodious, convenient, and not entire!}' 
 lacking in jjoints of embellishment. In the mean- 
 time he had been occupied with iuiproving his land ; 
 
 in the year after his entry he broke an additional 
 forty acres, and rented the same for one-third grain 
 rent, which amounted to $85. The year following 
 (IS78) he broke an additional seventy-five acres, 
 and rented them upon the same agreement, realiz- 
 ing $90. He now superinteuds the work of the 
 entire farm and takes great pleasure therein. His 
 specialty in stock-raising is large cattle, and in this 
 he has had much success, having made a careful 
 study of the subject and become perfectly familiar 
 with it in its many important practical and neces- 
 sary details. 
 
 Not until Jul}', 1883, did our subject forsake the 
 lonely' pleasures of bachelordom and seek out a 
 companion and helpmate. Lord Beaconsfield, bet- 
 ter known to the world at large as Benjamin Dis- 
 raeli, upon being twitted in the English Parliament 
 by the opposition, quietly remarked. "All things 
 come to the man who waits. I can wait." This has 
 been the experience of Mr Rishel, and his waiting 
 has proved of more value to him than the haste 
 of some who figure conspicuouslj', if not pleasantly, 
 though certainly more publicly. On the 10th of 
 the above month he was united in marriage with 
 Sarah Mangus, daughter of William and Catherine 
 (Gerst) Mangus, natives of Virginia. The wife of 
 our subject was born on the 28th of December, 
 1862. in Roanoke County of that State, and came 
 to Illinois with her parents when five years of age. 
 In 1881 her parents removing to this State, slie ac- 
 companied them and here met her husband. Their 
 household is completed by two bright, happy chil- 
 dren, who are increasingly necessary to that home. 
 Tliey have received the names respectively of Mar- 
 tin Lutiier and Catherine. 
 
 Mr. Rishel is not a politician, although he has his 
 opinion concerning the leading questions of the 
 political economy of America, and usually votes 
 with tlie Republican party. He endeavors faith- 
 fully to i)erform every duty .and bear every respon- 
 sibility of a true and loyal citizen, but is naturally 
 so constituted as to be numbered among that class 
 of men who believe they can serve the State as well 
 and faithfully in a faithful attendance upon those 
 matters that come to them in the course of business 
 or profession, and b}' a faithful attendance to the 
 same, and also the faithful discharge of the obliga- 
 
 •►H*:^: 
 
JK; 
 
-<•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 311 
 
 1- 
 
 tions arising from the family relation, that in the 
 proper training of their children, in the atmosphere 
 of home, pure, bracing and healthful, this may be 
 best accomplished. Consequently our subject is 
 better satisfied to make his home what his ideal 
 teaches him it should be, and ui)an his farm so la- 
 boring as to supply what may be needed to that 
 end, than by a larger devotion to extraneous mat- 
 ters. He is none the less respected, admired or 
 esteemed because of this course of conduct. 
 
 ^^EORGE W. NEWCOM, the Postmaster at 
 [|[ ,— -, Pickrell, and whose portrait is given on the 
 '^^Jj opposite page, is numbered among the 
 younger and more enterprising men of Holt Town- 
 ship, and is a universal favorite both in social and 
 business circles. Bright, well educated and ener- 
 getic, he has the prospect before him of a useful 
 and honored career, and possesses the elements es- 
 sential to the development of a useful citizen. A 
 native of Scotland County, Mo., he was born Aug. 
 1, 1852, and when a lad twelve years of age re- 
 moved with his parents to Crawford County, Iowa, 
 where he attended the common school, and con- 
 tinued a member of the parental household until 
 his marriage. 
 
 The parents of our subject were Willraan T. and 
 Margaretta (Dale) Newcom, natives of Kentucky. 
 Willman Is'ewcom left the Blue Grass region early 
 in life, and going to Missouri finally engaged in 
 farming until his removal to Iowa. He is still liv- 
 ing, and a resident of Crawford County, that State. 
 The mother is living with her husband. Their fam- 
 il}' consisted of ten children, namely: Mary E., 
 James T.. John D., Samuel, Clara E.. Richard W., 
 George W. (oursubject), Cash W., Louis and Joshua 
 D. All are living, having their homes mostiv in 
 Iowa. 
 
 Our subject, when twenty-one years of age, led 
 to the altar Miss Sarah M., daughter of Ethan A. 
 and Elizabetli McKim, the wedding taking place at 
 the home of the liride in Denison, Iowa, April 7, 
 1874. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Newcom 
 settled on a farm in Crawford Count}', Iowa, where 
 they lived until changing their rcsi<lence to Pick- 
 
 rell, this count}', where Mr. N. first engaged in the 
 lumber and hardwaie trade. His farm in Iowa, 
 which he still retains, comprises 211 acres of good 
 land, and is quite valuable. On the ICth of De- 
 cember, 1886, Mr. Newcom disposed of his lumber 
 interests, and now confines himself to his hardware 
 trade, in connection with the duties of the post- 
 office. He was the first incumbent of this office, 
 being appointed by President Cleveland in the 
 spring of 1887. He is a lively Democrat, politi- 
 cally, and, with his estimable wife, a member in 
 good standing of the United Brethren Church. Mrs. 
 Newcom is a lady warmly interested in benevolent 
 work, and is Treasurer of the Ladies' Aid Society, 
 of Pickrell. which was organized in 1 887. 
 
 To the parents of Mrs. Newcom there were born 
 the following children: Mary E., James, Sarah M., 
 John R. and Eugene. Mr. and Mrs. Newcom have 
 two interesting children: Clifton T., born June 19, 
 1880, and Marga. Jan. 9, 1887. They occupy a 
 snug home in the southwestern part of the village, 
 and have many friends. 
 
 c-^-^- 
 
 OSWIN W. HUTCHINSON. In giving to the 
 world the steam engine, George Stephenson 
 gave it that which has revolutionized civili- 
 zation, and affected the whole world. It is at once 
 a most helpful mechanism, a powerful agent, a 
 might}' factor for good, and a terribly dangerous 
 force for destruction and death. Generally speak- 
 ing, the safety line, the frontier of the weal and 
 woe, the helpful and the harmful, is passed when 
 this glorious invention escapes from the controlling 
 mind, the guiding hand of the engineer, who for 
 this re.ason ha° come to occup}' one of the most im- 
 portant trusts of life and treasure the world has ever 
 known. In the present sketch is presented an out- 
 line of the life of one of Nebraska's substantial 
 farmers, whose property is situated on section 7 of 
 Sherman Townsliip, and who previously occupied 
 the above position on the Milwaukee & St. Paul 
 Railroad. 
 
 The father of our subject, James O. Hutchinson, 
 was ushered into life in Genesee County, N. Y.. in 
 1810, and is still living. By trade he is a saddle 
 
-<- 
 
 01-' 
 
 GAGE COL'KTY. 
 
 and harness maker, and enjoyed the reputation of 
 being a most able and honest worivman. In the 
 year 1852 he removed from Genesee County to 
 Wisconsin, and settled in Janesville. Eight years 
 later he made his home in Evansville of the same 
 State, and in 1881 he came to Beatrice in this 
 county, where he still resides. The maiden name 
 of his wife, the mother of our subject, wiis Julia A. 
 Weed, a cousin of Thurlow Weed, of national jour- 
 nalistic reputation. This lady was born in 1820. 
 She married her husband in Oneida County, N. Y., 
 \vhen she was twenty years of age. Her husband 
 was one of the old tetotalers. also prominent in the 
 order of the Sons of Temperance, and for many 
 jears before the war a firm and thorough Abo- 
 litionist. They are the parents of three children : 
 Our subject; Rosalia, the widow of Martimore 
 Faust, residing in Chicago; and Ada, the wife of C. 
 V. Chase, of Milwaukee, Wis., who occupies the re- 
 sponsible position of business manager for tlie 
 Benton, Waldo & Co. Type Foundry. 
 
 The natal day of our subject was Sept. 19, 1840, 
 and the place of his birth Verona, Oneida Co., N. 
 Y. The first thirteen years of his life were spent at 
 home, and occupied from the time he arrived at a 
 proper age in the tasks and duties of school life, but 
 having attained to that age he commenced to work 
 for Mr. C. B. Kellogg, of Janesville, and for two 
 years was engaged in selling fruit. At the end of 
 that period he began to work for the Milwaukee & 
 Trairie du Chien Railroad Company, in the capacity 
 of engine cleaner. In this he continued for two 
 years, when he was promoted to the position of fire- 
 man on the same road, and followed the same for 
 three years, when he left that company and engaged 
 with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad as fireman. 
 After a service of one 3'ear in this position he was 
 promoted to be loco^notive engineer, remaining in 
 tiiat position in the service of five different com- 
 panies until the year 188G, when he left the service, 
 and went out to Wyoming to engage in the prod- 
 uce and commission business at Douglas, remain- 
 ing there for fourteen months, and then returned 
 eastward, and settled in Sherman Townsliip, Gage 
 Countj'. 
 
 In 1876 JMr. Hutchinson had been through the 
 country, and had purchased the quarter-section 
 
 which is now his home. At that time he built a 
 house, made some imjirovements, and broke a por- 
 tion of the land. He then left his family upon the 
 place, after having made every provision for their 
 comfort, while he returned to his duty upon his en- 
 gine. For about eight j'ears his salary averaged 
 about $1,100 per annum, and about 75 per 
 cent has been used upon his farm for its im- 
 provement, cultivation, and the thousand and one 
 things daily called for under such circumstances. 
 
 Our subject was united in marriage with Frances 
 Maynard, in tlie year 1859. This lady was a direct 
 descendant of the family of that name who in other 
 days played no unimportant part in the history of 
 Virginia. She was born in Virginia in 1843, and 
 after a wedded life that was practically without a 
 domestic cloud throughout its entire course of eight 
 years, died, at Logansport, Ind., in 1868. She 
 presented her husband with three children, who 
 are still living. They received the following names: 
 Eva May, Dora L. and Oswin S. A second alli- 
 ance was entered into in 1861), by which he became 
 the husband of Marietta Ginger, daughter of James 
 and Emeline (Randall) Ginger, who are descended 
 from a long line of ancestry of Southern families. 
 This most estimable lady was born on the I'Jth of 
 June, 1850, at Pennville, Jay Co., Ind. Here both 
 her father and mother died, about the years 1861 
 and 1886. They were the parents of five children, 
 all of whom are living, and whose names are re- 
 corded as follows: Alberta, of New Cumberland, 
 Ind.; Frank M., who is by occupation a printer; 
 Esther R.. the wife of David Walters, of Dunkirk, 
 Ind.; Amanda, now Mrs. Ciiarles Ward, also of 
 Dunkirk; and Marietta, the wife of our subject, 
 who has become the mother of two children — James 
 O. and Mortimer C. Eva May Hutchinson is now 
 the wife of Frank Allison, of Colby, Kan. ; Oswin 
 S. is still at home; and Dora L., in St. Joseph, Mo. 
 
 Our subject has been for many years a member 
 of the Democratic party, but has become one of the 
 Union Labor party, and stands readj- to help his 
 colleagues in every way in his power. Socially, he 
 is connected with the Masonic fraternity, .and is a 
 member of both the Blue Lodge and Chapter. He 
 is also one of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- 
 neers, and in each instance enjoys the entire confi- 
 
 !^- 
 
-^*- 
 
 ■•►4I-4* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 313 
 
 deuce ami respect of liis lifL^tliren. The path of life 
 lias been to him as checkereil as the temple llnor; it 
 has been marl<oil by its lips and downs, its pros- 
 perity and adversity, but of late j-ears has been 
 more even in its tenor, and remunerative in its re- 
 turns. 
 
 The house Mr. Hutchinson moved into on quit- 
 ting the dug-out is a good, commodious residence. 
 In connection therewith, and powerful enough to 
 supi>ly his farm buildings, is a magnificent wind-mill 
 pump, by which quite a system of water works is 
 maintained. He has an excellent orchard, con- 
 sisting of no less than 600 trees of excellent grade, 
 and different varieties, also a grove of not less 
 than 2,000 forest and shade trees. His specialty 
 would seem to be to incline to stock-raising, of 
 which he has quite a large number of all kinds, 
 more especially, however, cattle and hogs. .\t the 
 |)resent time his success in life permits him to 
 enjoy in the esteem and confidence of his friends 
 and the happy results of his labors, perliaps the 
 most bright, peaceful and prosperous time of his 
 whole life. 
 
 J "I OHN G. BURGER, late a highly respected 
 i resident and one of the most thrifty and 
 successful farmers of Grant Township, de- 
 parted this life at his home on .section 6, 
 June 3, 1884. He was born in one of the Rhine 
 Provinces of Germany, June 24, 1838, being the 
 offspring of one of the most excellent families of 
 that region. His father died there in middle life, 
 and the mother subsequently, in 1865, came to 
 America with her little family, locating in Grundy 
 County, III. One of the elder sons had preceded 
 the family to that section two j'cars before. They 
 settled upon a tract of land, and there the mother 
 spent the remainder of her life, her death taking 
 pkce in 1882 at the advanced .age of eighty-three 
 years. She became the wife of Michael Burger in 
 their native Province. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the fourth son of 
 his parents, and accompanied his mother to the 
 United States, settling with her in Grundy County, 
 111. There also he was first married to Miss Marga- 
 retta Rainensader, who died si.x years later, leaving 
 
 two children, who soon followed the mother to the 
 silent land. In 1872 Mr. Burger was again mar- 
 ried in Grundy County, 111., to Miss Minnie Iluett- 
 ner, a native of his own Province in Germany, and 
 born Sept. 5, 1850. This lady came to the United 
 States alone when a young woman, having been 
 orphaned by the death of both her parents. She 
 possessed great resolution and industry, and main- 
 tained herself until her marriage. She proved in 
 all respects the efHcient helpmate of her husband, 
 and since his death has carried on the operations of 
 the farm with extraordinarily good judgment and 
 discretion. 
 
 To John G. and Minnie Burger there were born 
 four children — Barbara M., Mary M., John G., Jr., 
 and George F. The eldest is fifteen years of age, 
 and the youngest five. Thej' are well developed in 
 body and mind, hearty, healthy and intelligent, and 
 there is every reason to believe will grow up an 
 honor to their parental training. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Burger left Illinois in 1877, taking 
 up their abode upon 160 acres of land in Grant 
 Township, this county, which still remains the home 
 of Mrs. B. To the improvement and upbuilding 
 of this homestead they bent their energies, and the 
 estate is now one of the most desirable in its local- 
 ity. The death of Mr. Burger was the result of a 
 cancer of the stomach, from which he suffered 
 greatly for many months. In his character he com- 
 prised all the elements of a worthy and reliable citi- 
 zen, and in politics was a sound Republican. A 
 man in whom the community possessed entire con- 
 fidence, he has left to his family the heritage of 
 a good name, one of which they need never he 
 ashamed. Mrs. Burger and her children are mem- 
 bers in good standing of the Lutheran Church. 
 
 AMUEL S. SANDERS. There is perhaps 
 not within the bounds of Adams Township 
 a more popular citizen or one who better 
 deserves his standing among the people of 
 this section of country. Of sturdy New Englaml 
 ancestry, he is the son of Caleb Sanders, a native 
 of Vermont, whose grandfather carried a musket in 
 the War of IS 12. His grcat-grandf.ather w.as a 
 
 ■► 
 
« ► ir^ 
 
 314 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 •Mh^ 
 
 Scotchman, and crossed the Atlantic in time to 
 participate in the struggle of the Americans for 
 freedom, doing good service under the famous 
 Gen. Ethan Allen, in the Revolutionary "War. He 
 married, and reared a fine family of sons and 
 daughters, and spent his last years in Vermont. 
 
 Caleb Sanders, the father of our subject, was 
 reared to manhood among the hills of the Green 
 Mountain State, and finally migrated to Indiana, 
 where lie formed the acquaintance of and was mar- 
 ried to a Miss Gregory. He was of a professional 
 turn of mind, and in due time toolc up the i)ractice 
 of medicine, which he followed both in Indiana and 
 Illinois, the scene of his operations in the latter 
 State being mostly in Hancock County. He became 
 well known to the profession in the two States, and 
 was quite successful as a jihysician and surgeon. 
 This experience of his life embraced a period of 
 fifty years, twenty of which were spent in Hancock 
 County, 111. He, with his estimable wife, spent his 
 Last days in Nebraska. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the youngest of 
 nine children, six sous and three daughters, born to 
 his parents, and first opened his ej'cs to the light in 
 Shelijy County, Ind., Dec. 26, 1849. He was about 
 one year old when his parents took up tbeir resi- 
 dence in Hancock County, 111., and continued with 
 tbem until a boy of twelve, and until the year 
 following the outbreak of the late Civd AVar. In 
 February, 1862, a company of cavalry was organ- 
 ized at Basco, 111., and j'oung Sanders enlisted as a 
 Union soldier, becoming a member of Company G, 
 as a regular cavalryman, being large for his age, 
 which was twelve years, one month and fourteen 
 days. He repaired with his comrades to Camp 
 Butler, on the outskirts of Springfield, drilled regu- 
 larly witb the men, but was finally discharged on 
 account of his youth, and sent home. Bound to be 
 a soldier, however, and determined to assist in the 
 preservation of the Union, our hero the year fol- 
 lowing again enlisted, Feb. 1, 1863, in Company 
 D, 7th Iowa Cavalry, and, as before, was the 
 youngest man in his regiment. A year, however, 
 had added material!}' to his growth, and little 
 objection was raised to his position as a soldier. 
 This companj' was drilled at Davenport, and after 
 a time sent to Ft. Kearney, on the frontier, to do 
 
 battle with the Indians. Young Sanders partici- 
 pated in several desper.ate fights with the savages, 
 the first being at Mud Springs, where 3,000 red- 
 skins were whipped b}' a force of ninet}' soldiers. 
 The next engagement was at Rush Creek, where 
 the United States troops left dead upon the field 
 175 savages and also suffered the loss of a large 
 number of their own men. They now fell back to 
 Ft. Laramie, where the forces were recruited, and 
 set out again for the further subjugation of the 
 savage foe. At Horse Creek, in Wyoming Terri- 
 tory', out of thirty-five men detailed from Company 
 D, only nine came out unhurt. This was the last 
 engagement of the troops in that region, although 
 the}' remained there about a year afterward. 
 
 During his army experience in the Far West 
 Mr. Sanders made the acquaintance of the famous 
 scouts. Bridger and Bowman, and contracted with 
 the former a warm friendship. His sojourn in that 
 part of the country gave him a fine opportunity of 
 visiting its most important places of interest, and 
 proved a valuable experience. He traveled exten- 
 sively over Colorado, Dakota, and the region of the 
 Black Hills. He received bis honorable discharge 
 from the army May 17, 1866, at Leavenworth, 
 Kan., at the age of sixteen years, and returning 
 home, he applied himself to learning the tr.ade of a, 
 carpenter during the summer, while he attended 
 school during the winter season. This trade he 
 took up readily, having much natural ability in this 
 line, and became an expert artisan, taking much 
 pride in the thoroughness and correctness of his 
 work. 
 
 As a carpenter Mr. Sanders was engaged for 
 some years in the cities of Ottumwa, Agency and 
 Farragut. On the 2d of July, 1868, occurred one 
 of the most important and interesting events of bis 
 life, namely, his marriage, the maiden of bis choice 
 being Miss Marsella, daughter of Samuel Park, of 
 Ottumwa, one of the most prosperous merchants of 
 that place. Mrs. Sanders was born in Alexan- 
 dria, Licking Co., Ohio, March 23, 1 849, and re- 
 moved with her parents to Iowa when a young 
 child five or six years of age. Her mother, Mrs. 
 Anna (Barrack) Park, died in Ohio about 1852, 
 and Mr. Park was again married, his wife only 
 living a few years afterward. Mr. Park was married 
 — — ^ ^ 
 
 1 ' 
 
1 
 
 -4•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 315 
 
 twice thereafter. Of his second union there were 
 born six children, narael}': an infant who died 
 unnamed; Charles B., Leander, Horatio, Angelia 
 and Marsella. Of the third three children, and of 
 the fourth two. He caine with his family to Davis 
 County, Iowa, in the fall of 1854, making tlic 
 journej' overland with a wagon and a team of 
 horses. He was a man of industrj' and energ}-, 
 and battled successfully with the elements of a new 
 countrj-, building up a good homestead, and in- 
 augurating various enterprises of importance, in- 
 cluding the building and operation of a saw and 
 grist mill, and at the same time carrj-ing on his farm 
 in a skillful and praiseworthy manner. In politics 
 he was a strong Republican. His two sons, Horatio 
 and Leander, served as soldiers in the Union army 
 during tlie late war. 
 
 After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Sanders came 
 to the homestead in Adams Township, which the}' 
 now occup3', and which our subject had taken up 
 previous to his projected change in life. The 3'oung 
 people commenced housekeeping in a "dug-out," 
 and declare they spent some of the happiest days of 
 their lives there. During the following winter Mr. 
 S. constructed a log house, hewing ever}' stick of 
 timber himself and lajMng them in place. Ash and 
 Cottonwood trees furnished the material, some of 
 them dressing twenty-sis inches. 
 
 In 1874 our subject sold lialf of iiis land, leaving 
 eighty acres for his own use. Upon coming to this 
 count}-, in the fall of 18G.S, he was|i400 in debt. He 
 has prospered finely, clearing his propert}' of incum- 
 brance, building a tasteful and commodious two- 
 storj' frame house, and adding from time to time the 
 other structures necessary to his use and conveni- 
 ence. The home is also embellished with a grove of 
 beautiful trees, embracing maples, Cottonwood, ash 
 and caUilpa. and he has an acre planted to apple 
 trees. He has also an acre of the smaller fruits. 
 In connection with farming and carpentering Rlr. 
 Sanders has made a good record as a stock-raiser. 
 
 The family of our subject and his excellent wife 
 includes six children, namely: Angelia, Albert, 
 Nellie. Cora, Jennie and .John, all at home with 
 their parents. Mr. and Mrs. S. are members in 
 good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 at Adams, and our subject is prominently identi- 
 
 4* 
 
 fied with the I. O. O. F., of Adams, having occu- 
 pied important otlices, being elected a delegate to 
 the Grand Lodges at Lincoln and Omaha. He is 
 also an Officer of the Day, and Past Commander in 
 the G. A. R. He cast his first Presidential vote 
 for Gen. Grant, when he was elected to his second 
 term, and h.as alwa}'s been a firm supporter of 
 Repulilican principles. Few people in this vicinit}' 
 are more widely known than Mr. Sanders and his 
 amiable wife, and none are more thoroughly re- 
 spected. The lady who could make even a "dug- 
 out" a place of comfort and pleasure, deserves more 
 than a passing thought in connection with the his- 
 tory of the pioneers of Nebraska. 
 
 ILLIAM STEINMEYER, a representative 
 f.armer and stock-raiser of Clatonia Town- 
 ship, is comfortably located on section 28i 
 where he is pursuing the even tenor of his way. en- 
 gaged in general agriculture. A native of the Ger- 
 man Empire, he was born in Hanover, in July, 
 1839, aud is the son of Henrj' and Elizabeth (Fra- 
 diker) Steinmeyer, who were also of (Jerman birth 
 and parentage. 
 
 When a j'outh of eighteen years, and after com- 
 pleting an excellent education in his native tongue, 
 our subject emigrated with his parents to America, 
 taking passage on a sailing-vessel at the port of 
 Bremen. After an ocean voyage of about eight 
 weeks thej' landed in the city of Baltimore, and 
 thence proceeded to Scioto County, Ohio. Here 
 our subject resided a number of years, but in 
 the fall of 1865 resolved to see something of the 
 farther West. Coming to Otoe County, this Stiite, 
 he tarried a brief time in Nebr.aska City, and thence 
 came, in the spring of 1866, to this count}'. The 
 land of this region impressed him favorably, and 
 he accordingly homesteaded 1 GO .acres, of which he 
 has retained possession until the present time. It 
 bore little resemblance to its condition to-day, the 
 plowshare having never passed over it. and not a 
 l)uilding erected for the shelter of either man or 
 beast. Mr. Steinmeyer, however, w.as prepared for 
 this state of things, and after seeking a temporary 
 home, began to gather together implements for the 
 
 i 
 
 ••¥• 
 
 r 
 
h 
 
 -•► 
 
 316 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 eullivalidi! of tlie soil and entered upon the'task be- 
 fore him. The farm which the i)assing traveler ob- 
 serves to-day with interest indicates the success 
 nhich has attended the labors of our subject. He 
 has now a fine, productive tract of land, provided 
 with good buiklings and all the other conveniences 
 suggested to the progressive agriculturist. His 
 family consists of his wife and six interesting chil- 
 dren, the latter named respectively: Sophia, born 
 April 11, 1873; Henry, April 13, 1878; Annie, 
 Feb. y, 1881; Benjamin, Jan. 27, 1883; William, 
 April 5, 1885; and Jennie, Feb. 16, 1887. A son 
 and daughter, John and Ella, died when two and 
 one-half months and two and one-half years old, 
 respectively. 
 
 Mr. Steinmeyer was married, in February, 1870, 
 to Miss Louise Schlick, a native of Prussia, who 
 emigrated with her sister to the United States when 
 about seventeen years old. Her parents were Henry 
 and Mary (Tearaann) Schlick, and are now deceased. 
 Mr. Steinmeyer was one of the organizers of the Ger- 
 man Methodist Episcopal Church in his township, 
 and has always given to it a cordial and generous 
 support. He votes the straight Republican ticket, 
 aud has been a member of the School Board of his 
 district for a number of years. The native of an 
 Empire having among its laws that of compulsory 
 education, he believes in giving to the rising gen- 
 eration the advantages which will make of them 
 intelligent, honest, law-abiding citizens. In the 
 spring of 1887 he was elected Treasurer of Clatouia 
 Township, and re-elected in the spring of 1838. He 
 is one of the most worthy representatives of that 
 nationality which has done so much toward the de- 
 velopment of the Great West. 
 
 
 -J- 
 
 ALLISON McHUGH was born in Mc- 
 Lean County, III., a sou of William and 
 Margaret J. (Barton) McHugh. The father 
 was a native of IMonroe County, Ohio, hav- 
 ing been born on the 2Gth of July, 1827, and re- 
 maining in his native State until the year 1854, 
 when he moved to Illinois. The mother was a native 
 of Clarion County, Pa., from which place she went 
 to Ohio with her parents, Joseph A. and Lavina 
 
 4* 
 
 Barton, when a mere girl. They were married by 
 the Ilev. R. Armstrong, at the home of the bride's 
 father, on the loth of December, 1853. They were 
 granted a family of four children, our subject the 
 eldest, his birth occurring on the 8th of December, 
 1854; Anna L., M. Josephine and Mira E. These 
 children were bei'eaved of a mother's kindly care 
 and sympathy, her death occurring at their home 
 in Illinois, on the 26th of March, 1868. She was 
 a much esteemed member of the Presbyterian 
 Church. 
 
 The father of our subject was again married, on 
 the 29th of March, 1870, to Margaret J. Slone, and 
 they had one child, W. Slone. Airs. McHugh's 
 father, John Slone, of Clarion County, Pa., rep- 
 resented his district in the State Legislature of 
 Pennsylvania, and was quite an active and distin- 
 guished politican, though not an office-seeker. The 
 father of our subject departed this life on the 28th 
 of August, 1882, in Illinois, his death having been 
 preceded by that of his second wife, which oc- 
 curred on tlie 16th of October, 1879. He and his 
 second wife were also members of the Presbyterian 
 Church, Although very much of a politican and 
 greatly interested in political affairs, he refused to 
 accept anj' office placed at his disposal except that 
 of County Supervisor, being in ill-health and un- 
 willing to assume the responsibilities of office. He 
 served as Superintendent of the Sabbath-school 
 some nine years or more, the outgrowth of which 
 Sabbath-school resulted in the organization of a 
 flourishing church in his neighborhood. He and 
 his two wives died triumphantly in the faith, hav- 
 ing been devout and sincere Christians. 
 
 The sisters of our subject are living, with the 
 exception of Mira E., who departed this life on the 
 15th of January, 1885. She, though young, being 
 only about twenty years of age, was willing to go, 
 feeling that such was the will of her Redeemer whom 
 she had served faithfully', and that He had provided 
 a home for her. 
 
 Our subject has a fine farm of 160 acres on sec- 
 tion 15, Sicily Township, which is in a fine state of 
 cultivation, adorned with buildings and modern 
 improvements. His sister Josie and brother Slone 
 are making their home with him on the farm, .and 
 there is no more pleasing sight than that afforded 
 
 r 
 
I 
 
 -4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 317 
 
 by the dwelling together in peace and harmony of 
 brothers and sisters of a family. They are all 
 members of the Prcsbj'terian Church, the church of 
 their |)arents, and politically-, the famih' ranks with 
 the Republican party. Our subject received his 
 earlier education in the district schools, and after- 
 ward he and his sisters attended the Normal Uni- 
 versitj' of Illinois, and two terms at the Wcsleyan 
 Universitj', of IJloomington. 
 
 For his example our sul)ject has had that of a 
 worthy and esteemed parent to follow, his religious 
 counsel and consistent Christian life being alto- 
 gether worthy of imitation, and the interest which 
 he manifested in the welfare of his country, unstim- 
 ulated b3- a desire for his own self-advancement or 
 self-aggrandizement, are worth}' of the highest en- 
 comium that can be passed upon a liberal-minded 
 man. 
 
 J'OHN M. CHENEY is a son of John and 
 Hannah (Valentine) Chenej', the former a 
 native of Virginia, and the latter of New 
 Jersey. They were married in Ohio and 
 moved to Logan County, that State, in which place 
 the}' became the parents of eleven children. The 
 father died in Logau County, when the subject of 
 our sketch was but three years old, and he was de- 
 prived of the devoted care of his mother in 1876. 
 He was born on the 8th of April, 1833, and re- 
 mained in his native county until he was fifteen 
 years old, at which time he moved with his mother's 
 family to Rock Island County, III., in which pl.ace 
 his mother died. 
 
 Having so early been deprived of the protection 
 and care of his father, our subject was early taught 
 to depend upon himself, and thus those sterling 
 qualities of manhood, self-reliance and industry, 
 were early developed in his boyhood d.ays and have 
 since characterized his course through life. In 
 187G he went to Nodaway County, Mo., where he 
 made his home until March of 1883, after which he 
 spent one year in Pawnee County, and in 1884 he 
 moved on his farm on section 11, Island Grove 
 Township, this county. He purchased eighty .acres 
 of land not very well improved. He has recently 
 
 sold his farm and will move from it in a short 
 time, hut will not leave the county. 
 
 On the ICith of August, 1855, our subject was 
 united in marri.age with Miss Susan Long, the 
 daughter of John and Susan (Shirley) Long, who 
 were born in Armstrong County, Pa. They went 
 to Rock Island County, III., in the year 1854, and 
 the mother died in Island Grove Township on the 
 27th of March, 1888. The father still survives, and 
 makes his home with our subject. Mrs. Cheney 
 was born in Armstrong County, Pa., on the Cth of 
 March, 1835, .and w.as married to our subject in 
 Rock Island County. III. They have six children, 
 of whom Perry L. resides in Graham, Mo.; Elsie 
 A. died on the 31st of July, 1887; Robert N.. Ida 
 M., Lula G. and Hannah B. are at home with their 
 parents. Elsie A. was married to Junius Preston, 
 of Illinois, July 23, 1884, and died July 31, 1887, 
 at her home in Pawnee County, Neb. Perry L. was 
 married to Miss Kate Young, in Missouri, May 28, 
 1881 ; they have no children, and reside at Graham, 
 Mo. 
 
 Mr, Cheney favors the Democratic political or- 
 ganization with his influence and his vote, and is 
 a public-spirited and enterprising citizen. The 
 public have shown their appreciation of his manly 
 and sterling qualities by electing him to the office 
 of Treasurer of the township; while a resident of 
 Illinois he was Road Overseer and School Trustee. 
 
 ENRY BOLLER is a prominent farmer and 
 stock-raiser of Highland Township, residing 
 on section 10. He was born in Holstein, 
 V^i Germany, July 13, 1842, and is a son of 
 Henry and Louisa Boiler, who were both natives 
 of the same country. Of the ten children born to 
 his p.arents he is the only one who came to this 
 country. He w.as reared to manhood in Germany, 
 and received a good German education, to which 
 he has since added a fair knowledge of the English 
 language. In the fall of 1808 he decided to come 
 to America, for which purpose he took passage at 
 Hamburg in a sailing-vessel, and after a voyage of 
 ninety days, in which the vessel was delayed by 
 severe storms, he landed in New York City. He 
 
 i 
 
 <*^K-* 
 
-■^^ » ^- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 went flircetly to Benton County, Iowa, where he 
 rented a farm and lived for seven years, and in 
 that place he was married, on the 23d of July, 
 ] S73, to Miss Louisa Muller, also a native of Ger- 
 many, by whom he has eight children, named : 
 "William, Emma, Herman, Sophia, Caroline. Henry, 
 Carl and John. 
 
 In the spring of 1878, with his familj', our sub- 
 ject removed from Iowa to this countj% where he 
 has since made his home. He owns 160 acres of 
 land, which he has greatly improved, and on which 
 he has erected good and substantial buildings. 
 When lie landed in Xew York City after his long 
 ocean vo3-age he had but $o, and from that small 
 beginning he has made his present valuable prop- 
 erty, having endured much hard labor, and exer- 
 cised economy and the most careful management 
 of his resources. He certainly deserves much credit, 
 and has cause to feel gratified on account of his 
 eminent success, it being made possible only by 
 Ci.ntinued industrj', self-reliance and much patience. 
 
 Sir. and Mrs. Boiler are active members of the 
 Lutheran Church, and their family is highly es- 
 teemed as intelligent and progressive, our subject 
 being classed among the German representative 
 citizens of the township. He is a member of the 
 Democratic political party, and is in favor of the 
 institutions by which the country may be improved 
 and the welfare of societ}" secured. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Agricultural Society of Buda Precinct, 
 Lancaster County, and in his experience as a suc- 
 cessful farmer he has been able to acquire quite a 
 fund of knowledge concerning the most approved 
 manner of conducting the labors of a farm, which 
 makes him a valuable member of the society. 
 
 »ns4 
 
 • acwrsHJEH'SH 
 
 '■■''^ ^'■'^^'^' ■'■'-^- 
 
 ^jiLMOND L. BURGESS is widely known 
 (@!OI through the county as a prosperous and 
 enterprising general farmer, who has occu- 
 pied his highly cultivated farm on section 
 27 of Grant Township for over twenty years, having 
 settled upon it in 1867. It is 160 acres in extent, 
 and is well improved, and upon it is a good, com- 
 modious, pleasantly' situated farm dwelling, and 
 
 4* 
 
 also a substantial and complete set of the various 
 farm buildings requisite to its successful operation. 
 
 Our subject is a native of Wisconsin, at d was 
 born in Racine County on the 23d of March, 1844. 
 He is the eldest son and child of Nehemiah and 
 Sophia (Woodman) Burgess, both natives of New 
 York State, where they were educated and brought 
 up. Both came to Wisconsin about the time they 
 attained their majority, were married in Racine 
 County in the year 1843, continued to reside there 
 until 1868, and then came to Nebraska, where 
 their son, our subject, had preceded them a few 
 months, and established a home. The father went 
 to reside upon his own farm, where he made 
 his home until his death, in 1875, when he was 
 fifty-nine years of age. His father was Robert 
 Burgess, a native of New York State, but for many 
 years owner of a sawmill in Wisconsin, where he 
 died. The wife of Nehemiah Burgess is yet living 
 with her children, and is sixty-five years of age. 
 She has all her life been a devout member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 Our subject received his education in Racine 
 County, and lived there until he attained the estate 
 of manhood, and from the close of school daj's was 
 a farmer. Not very long after he came to this 
 State he m.ade the acquaintance of Miss Araminta 
 Claybourn, a native of Michigan, and daughter of 
 Thomas and Margaret (Kinzie) Claj-bourn. One 
 of the sad events in the early history of the town- 
 ship was the death of her father, which occurred in 
 1866. During the afternoon he had gone over to 
 see a neighbor, and started about sundown to re- 
 turn; he was caught in a blizzard, lost his way and 
 wandered hither and thither, and was finally found 
 three miles from home, but frozen to death. He 
 died while in the full vigor and prime of manhood. 
 His wife, who is now over seventy years of age, 
 is still a resident of Grant Township, making her 
 home with her children. 
 
 After his marriage our subject began life as a 
 farmer, and has so continued ever since. During 
 the late Civil War, and previous to coming to Ne- 
 braska, he enlisted in Company G, 2d Wisconsin 
 Cavalry, and went with his regiment to the South 
 and Southwest. The regiment suffered very much 
 while in Texas, where they were compelled to 
 
 ,L 
 

 fr.i^i 
 
 I- . 
 
 ^ m^^^*^"^*&-% t4-3t^S^T H^ 
 
 Residence OF Robert G. Gilmore . Sec. 28. Highland Township. 
 
 i|3^^a|^fcAfe^l^|^^.£^^ 
 
 RE51DEMCE0F R. F. HENDERSON , 5 EC. 21. N EM AH A ToWNSHIF. 
 
 ReSIDENCEOF H. H. 5l EVER 5eC . 6 . HlOn lmuu Mfj^.s^m r 
 
4* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 321 
 
 4* 
 
 nifirch and fight on half rations and could obtain 
 only very poor water. The regiment was chiefly 
 nsed to chase bushwhackers, and our subject es- 
 ca|)ed in every combat unhurt, and at the close of 
 his term of service w.ts lionorably discliarged and 
 returned iiome. 
 
 Mr. and Mi's. Burgess are members of the Church 
 of Latter-Day .Saints, and in it arc held in high re- 
 gard. In his political sentiments our subject is a 
 Republican, and has so continued since he was old 
 enough to vote. He has ahva3's been a friend of 
 good morals, giving his iiearly support to move- 
 ments that were calculated to help tlie township or 
 eountj', and is generally recognized as a mucli- 
 valued citizen. Mrs. Burgess' family came and 
 settled in Nebraska in the summer of 18G0, when 
 tlierc were only three families within eight miles. 
 
 ORACK C. BARMORK. In January, i 865. 
 the gentleman whose name stands at the 
 head of this sketch homesteaded 160 acres 
 (^)) of land on section 33. Adams Township, 
 and since that time has made this place continu- 
 ously his home. At the time he took possession it had 
 little resemblance to its present state, there being 
 then not even a shelter for his family, and none 
 of the comforts and conveniences for which it is 
 now so conspicuous. Mr. and Mrs. Barraore came 
 to Nebraska from Berrien Count}-. Mich., making 
 the journe}' overland in the fall of the year, with 
 a wagon and horses, and bringing with them their 
 two ciiildren. They started out on the 20th of 
 October, and landed in Nemaha Township on the 
 23d of December following. They lived with the 
 father of Mrs. Barmore that winter, and as soon as 
 the season had moderated suHiciently, our subject 
 set about the establishment of their future home 
 in a new and untried region. 
 
 Tlie first l)usiness of Mr. Barmore, after securing 
 a claim to a portion of the soil of Nebr.iska, was to 
 provide suitable quarters for his family. Their 
 first dwelling on their own land was a log house, 
 and they were beset with the difficulties common 
 to the people of a new settlement. They had 
 '•come to staj-," however, and were not to be 
 
 turned from tlieir purpose by any ordinarj' event. 
 Mr. B. commenced to till the soil and to surround 
 himself graduallj' with those comforts and con- 
 veniences essential to a well-ordered homestead 
 and the health and happiness of the familj'. In this 
 labor of love he was most earnestly seconded by 
 the heart}' co-operation of one of the best and 
 most intelligent of women, and the result has been 
 that which one would most naturall}' expect. They 
 have now one of the most desirable homes in the 
 township, are honored and respected b}' their neigh- 
 bors, and have yielded no small measure of assist- 
 ance in the building up of their adopted county 
 and assuring its reputation as one of the most in- 
 telligent communities of the West. 
 
 Mr. Barmore is the offspring of a good family, 
 his father having been Adna, and his mother Abi- 
 gail (Dart) Barmore, natives of Genesee County, 
 N. Y., whore they were reared and married. They 
 resided there afterward for a time, and then re- 
 moved to Cattaraugus County, where they lived for 
 a period of twenty years. In 1844 they removed 
 to LaPorte County, Ind., and thence, in 1847, to 
 Berrien County, Mich., where they spent the re- 
 mainder of their lives, the father dying in 1876, 
 at the age of seventy-four years, and the mother 
 in 1883, aged eighty-two. They were the parents 
 of three children, who lived to mature j-ears, viz : 
 Elfinda; Horace C, of our sketch, and Edwin C. 
 The brother resides in Cortland, and the sister is 
 now in Berrien County, Mich. 
 
 Horace C. Barmore was boi-n in Randolph Town- 
 ship, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., Dec. 23, 1829. His 
 home being among the timber regions, the schools 
 were few and far between, he having to travel one 
 and one-half miles to the temple of learning to se- 
 cure the rudiments of his education. He was a lad 
 fifteen j-ears of age when his parents went to Indi- 
 ana, and eighteen when they left there for Michi- 
 gan. Our subject developed into manhood in 
 Berrien Count}', the latter .State, and there also met 
 and married his present wife. The maiden name 
 of this lady was Mary I. Curtiss, and she was the 
 daughter of William and Laura (Merrick) Curtiss, 
 both natives of Willington, Tolland Co., Conn. 
 After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Curtiss removed to 
 Cliautanqua County, N. Y., where the father, who 
 
 ^^T^ 
 
-^•- 
 
 322 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 was a teacher by profession, followeil his vocation 
 in the city schools of Buffalo. He was also in- 
 terested in otiier business, anil more than ordina- 
 rily capable and intelligent. 
 
 The parents of Mrs. Barniore about 1843 re- 
 moved to Indiana, but the health of the father 
 becoming greatly impaired, he went to California 
 in 1851, returning sixteen months afterward greatly 
 improved. In 1801 the family came to this State, 
 then a Territory, and settled upon a homestead 
 tract, the patent of which was No. 14, and signed 
 by Abraham Lincoln. That document, now in 
 possession of Benjamin Hornby, could not be pur- 
 chased for scarcely any sum of money. Mr. Cur- 
 liss was at once recognized as a valued addition to 
 the community and tlie county, and in 1878 was 
 elected to the Nebraska Legislature. His serious 
 illness, however, prevented his ever taking his seat, 
 and he passed away on the 17th of March, 1879, at 
 the age of seventy-seven years. Mrs. Curtiss sur- 
 vived her husband seven years, dying at the home 
 of her daughter in 1885, when eighty-two years 
 old. 
 
 To the parents of Mrs. Barmore there were born 
 six children, two sons and four daughters. Three 
 only are now living: Mary Irena, Austin William 
 and Harriet E. Mrs. B. was born at Barcelona, 
 Chautauqua Co., N. Y., on the shores of Lake 
 Erie, Dec. 22, 1831. She pursued her first studies 
 in the excellent schools of Westfield, in her native 
 county, but when a little girl ten years of age they 
 removed to Indiana. The mother then being in- 
 capacitated for continuing the charge of the house- 
 hold, this duty fell upon her daughter Mary, and 
 the studies of the latter thereafter were pursued 
 at home by the light of the evening lamp after the 
 duties of the day were over. So thorough, how- 
 ever, had been the previous training of the child, 
 that with the assistance and encouragement of her 
 father she made good headway, and a few years 
 later taught in the district schools of LaPorte 
 County. 
 
 After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Barmore set- 
 tled in Berrien Count3', Mich., where our subject 
 carried on farming, and where they remained until 
 coming to Nebraska. Among the other improve- 
 ments effected around their homestead is a fine I 
 
 orchard of 100 apple trees in good bearing condi- 
 tion, and a gi-ove of Cottonwood trees which afforfis 
 shade in summer and protection from the blasts of 
 winter. Mr. and Mrs. B. have kept pace with the 
 growth of the country, interesting themselves in 
 its welfare, and giving their hearty support and en- 
 C(juragement to the enterprises set on foot for tiie 
 general good of the community. The warm friends 
 of tcmi)erance, they have labored for its advance- 
 ment many years, and are members in good stand- 
 ing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Bar- 
 more politically is a progressive Republican, but on 
 account of the cause of temperance is now identi- 
 fied with the Prohibitionists. He has been School 
 Treasurer in his district for the long period of 
 twenty 3'ears. He voted for the adoption of the 
 State Constitution, and has served on the Petit 
 Jury. 
 
 The household circle of our subject and his 
 wife includes the following children: The eldest 
 daughter, Carrie, a bright and intelligent young 
 lady, is teaching in the schools in this county; 
 Frank married Miss Mary Br^'son, and is farming 
 in Logan County, Col.; Adna W. is engaged on a 
 stock r.anch near Greeley, Col. ; Charles L. resides 
 in Phillips County, Kan.; Walter H. and Florence 
 are at home with their parents. These children 
 have inherited the good qualities of both parents, 
 and the latter may be pardoned for the pride with 
 which thej' natural!}' regard them. 
 
 PREDERICK BINTZ is a worthy citizen of 
 • Highland Township, residing on section 23, 
 where he is actively engaged in farming and 
 stock-raising. He was born on the 10th of April, 
 1857, in Hessen, German}', and is a son of John 
 and Elizabeth Bintz, who are natives of the same 
 country. Our subject was reared in his native 
 country until he reached his eighteenth year, and 
 received a fairly good education in both the En- 
 glish and German languages. In the spring of 
 1874, having decided to come to America, he took 
 passage on a steamer which left the port of Ant- 
 werp, and after a voy.age of twelve days arrived in 
 the harbor of New York City. His parents are 
 
 n 
 
1 
 
 '^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 323 
 
 now residing in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and 
 of tlif seven children wiio compiised tiieir family 
 six are now living, and make their homes in the 
 following places: Elizabeth is the wife of Adolph 
 Sass, of Livingston County, III.; Philip, George 
 and Julia are in Iowa, and Frederick and John in 
 Highland Township, this county. Catherine is the 
 name of the daughter now deceased. 
 
 On the arrival of our subject in America he came 
 west to Illinois, making his home in Livingston 
 County for one j-ear, and engaged in working on a 
 farm, after which he went to Cass County, Iowa, 
 where he remained for a time engaged in liis former 
 occupation. He then changed his residence to 
 Pottawattamie Count}', of the same .State, where he 
 lived for several years, and during the last four 
 years of his residence tliere he rented a farm and 
 assumed the management of it. By this time he 
 had accumulated a sufficient amount of monej' to 
 enable him to start in business for himself, so in 
 the spring of 1885 he came to this county, and pur- 
 cliased eighty acres of land in Highland Township, 
 on which lie has since made his home. He has 
 made most of the improvements on his farm, has 
 erected a good house, barn, and the necessary farm 
 buildings, and in various ways, by his industry, 
 perseverance and good management, has he in- 
 creased the value as well as the appearance of his 
 land. 
 
 On the 1st of September, 1885, the gentleman of 
 whom we write was united in marriage with Miss 
 Catherine Foisch, a daughter of John C. Fotsch, of 
 Muscatine, Iowa. She was born in Switzerland, in 
 the month of April, 1860, and made her home with 
 her parents, in Illinois, until the time of her mar- 
 riage. Her mother died iu the year 1887. To 
 Mr. and Jlrs. Bintz htis been born one child, named 
 Jacob, whose birth occurred on the 12th of Janu- 
 ary, 1887. They are well and comfortably situated 
 in their ple.isant home, and are rapidly becoming 
 known as successful farmers, paying close attention 
 to their agricultural labors, which are facilitated by 
 the use of new and improved stj'les of implements. 
 
 Our subject and his wife are esteemed members 
 of the German Methodist Episcopal Church, of 
 Cortland, and are active and highl}- respected mem- 
 bers of societ}'. The former is a Republican in 
 
 politics, but in local matters he generally lends his 
 influence tow.ard the election of competent men, 
 irrespective of party, believing tiiat the Govern- 
 ment can l)e better intrusted to men of ability and 
 honor than to the administration of any one party. 
 He is now serving his second year as Overseer of 
 Higliwa^'s, and is the present Treasurer of his 
 school district, coming prominently' to the front in 
 matters of education and general improvement. In 
 the short time of his resilience here he has proved 
 himself a loyal citizen, and has taken an active 
 interest in the elevation of societj' and the advance- 
 ment of the public institutions. 
 
 ,^^HRISTIAN HAFERLAND is one of the 
 ,l( representative Germans who came to Amer- 
 
 ^^^ ica with comparatively little means, but 
 
 by perseverance and self-reliance has gathered 
 about him many of the comforts and luxuries 
 which pertain to this life, and by his manly bearing 
 has won the approval and esteem of his friends and 
 neighbors. Our subject was born in Germany, on 
 the 22d of June, 1836, and he remained in his na- 
 tive country until he was about thirty-three years 
 old. He received his education and was married 
 in that countrj' to Miss Dora T. Brower, on the 
 26th of December, 1855. One daughter, Emma, 
 and one son, William, were born to them there, and 
 in 1869 they decided to come to America, making 
 the voyage ou the steamship "Germany" in four- 
 teen days. 
 
 Our subject and his family reached the harbor of 
 New York on the 10th of June, and immediately 
 after their arrival they started for Illinois, arriving 
 in AVoodford County on the 15th of the same 
 month. During the first year he worked by the 
 month on a railroad, and eiigaged in whatever 
 occupation he could secure lucrative remuneration. 
 He then rented a farm, and began the occupation 
 of tilling the soil, at which he continued until in the 
 spring of 1881, when he came to this count}', and 
 began making improvements on a farm which he 
 purchased. 
 
 When Mr. llaferland reached America he had 
 left about $150, and by his industry and good 
 
 •► 
 
 f 
 
14 324 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 { 
 
 management he has become the owner of a fine, 
 well-irapioved farm of 160 acres, on which he has 
 a very nice lioine, and is otherwise situated to en- 
 joy in comparative ease his possessions. But while 
 he has been successful in this county, and has accu- 
 mulated quite a fine property, he is not so well 
 pleased with the climate, and therefore thinks of 
 ronioving to Oregon at some future time. 
 
 The lad}' whom our subject married in German}' 
 departed this life in the month of November, 1874, 
 while they were living in Illinois, and on the •22d 
 of December, 1875, he was married to Elizabeth 
 Scherling. Besides the children Emma and Will- 
 iam, born to their parents in German}', there was a 
 son Louis by the first marriage born in Illinois. 
 There are three children of the second marriage — 
 Herman, Minnie and Frederick. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Haferland are active and esteemed 
 members of the Lutheran Church, of which church 
 our subject's first wife was also a member. Mr. 
 Haferland is interested in the political government 
 and welfare of the country, but he is not sufficiently 
 partisan to join himself to any of the organizations, 
 and generally casts his vote for the man whom he 
 thinks is the best qualified for the position, regard- 
 less of the party to which he belongs. As a man 
 who has worked his way upward to success from a 
 small beginning, our subject has proved liimself to 
 be the possessor of those sterling qualities of man- 
 hood which never fail to bring distinction to the 
 owner. 
 
 rOHN C. BOYD. Among the citizens of 
 Cortland, few are more worthy of the name 
 representative citizen, or are more enter- 
 prising, progressive or successful than our 
 subject, who was born ujjon the 9th of April, 1820, 
 in County Tyrone, in the North of Ireland. He is 
 a son of Robert and Elizabeth Boyd, natives of the 
 same district. Their ancestors were Scottish, but the 
 family had been settled in Ulster for many years. 
 When about two years of age our subject was 
 taken by his parents to Ayrshire, Scotland, and waa 
 a resident there till he reached his seventeenth year. 
 Scotland has always been remarkable for the at- 
 tention given to the education of the young, and 
 
 our subject received a good education, which he 
 has since found occasion to utilize continuously. 
 
 In the fall of 1843 our subject emigrated to 
 America, taking passage in the Glasgow sailing-ship 
 " New York." For five weeks following he was 
 "rocked in the cradle of the deep," but in no very 
 gentle manner. Dame Atlantic seemed to be in no 
 pleasant mood, and gave the good ship and those 
 aboard her quite a rough handling, but the discom- 
 forts of the voyage were speedily forgotten upon 
 landing in New York. Having learned the busi- 
 ness of painter and glazier in the old country, he 
 In New York found work as a painter, and con- 
 tinued in the city for some time. Subsequently he 
 for three years followed his trside in Haverstraw on 
 the Hudson; thence he removed to Astoria, L. 
 I., and went to work in a woolen factory. This 
 he followed for about three or four years from that 
 time. He subsequently removed to Little Falls, 
 N. J., and for a number of years worked at both 
 these trades. 
 
 From New Jersey our subject went to Ogle 
 County, 111., and there resumed his painting, re- 
 maining there for twenty-five years, doing both city 
 and country work. His family resided on his farm, 
 which was situated six miles north of Dixon. All 
 these years he has been gradually progressing, be- 
 coming more and more prosperous, until he was 
 quite fairly well-to-do. 
 
 Upon the 13th of August, 18G2, Mr. Boyd en- 
 listed in Company K, 92d Illinois Mounted Infantry, 
 which became a part of the Army of the Cum- 
 berland, and took active part in the battles at 
 Chickamauga. Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mount- 
 ain, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, siege of Atlanta, 
 and also in Sherman's march to the sea. They 
 then went to Savannah, through the Carolinas, 
 and finished their active service at Greensboro, 
 where Johnson surrendered. He received an hon- 
 orable discharge in June, 1865, and returned to his 
 Illinois home. He has been in many hard battles 
 and close conflicts, and has had many narrow 
 escapes, but has not been wounded at all seriously. 
 
 While residing in Haverstraw our subject w.as 
 united in marriage, on the 11th of October, 1849, 
 with Ann J. Hawthorne, a native of North Ireland, 
 where she was born on the 27th of August, 1828. 
 
 i 
 
-•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTV. 
 
 325 
 
 i' 
 
 This lady is the ilaughter of Robert and Mary Haw- 
 thorne, Hive wise natives of the same place, but of 
 English family. She was brought to this country 
 b}- her parents when but nine months old. The 
 family landed in Montreal, and then came on to 
 New York City, and there resided for about three 
 j'ears. They next removed to Thonipsonville, 
 Conn., which was their home for seven years. From 
 Connecticut they went to Chenango County. N. 
 Y.. which was their home for ten years, and from 
 there removed to Haverstraw. Here she met and 
 married our subject as above noted. Her father 
 was an ingrain carpet weaver, but later in life fol- 
 lowed farming in preference. He was the father of 
 eight children, five of whom are living, whose 
 names arc as follows: Ann J., the wife of our sub- 
 ject; James R., David, Thomas and Samuel. 
 
 One of the most strong of home's welding forces, 
 and at the same time its perennial source of happi- 
 ness, is the children who grace it. filling its halls and 
 rooms with merrj' chatter and mirthful glee. Our 
 subject has what the wise man calls '• his quiver- 
 ful," and is happy in such possession. There have 
 been seven ciiildren born to Mr. and Mrs. Boyd, 
 six of whom are still living, viz: Mary E., the wife 
 of Joseph Stevens, of Ogle Countj', 111. ; Robert, a 
 prosperous farmer in Hitchcock C'ount3'. Neb. ; Isa- 
 bella, the wife of Samuel Gull, of the same county; 
 David, whose home is in the same neighborhood ; 
 the two 3'oungest, Ella and Mattie, are still at home 
 with their parents. 
 
 In the spring of 1879 our subject came to Gage 
 County, and purchased ICO acres of railroad land in 
 Clatonia Township, from the Burlington ifc Missouri 
 River Railroad Compan}', for which he paid $7.50 
 per acre. Subsequently' he purchased eiglity acres 
 of adjoining land, and having improved it to his 
 liking he made it one of the Snest farms in the 
 entire township. Besides this 240 acres he owns 
 160 in Hitchcock County. Ever since coming to 
 this State he has followed farming and stock-rais- 
 ing exclusively, and the large measure of success 
 he has enjoyed is due to his arduous labor, the re- 
 sult of his irrepressible will power. This was in- 
 spired by his self-respecting ambition, which was 
 born of the unselfish desire to do the best possible 
 good ftir and bring the largest amount of happiness 
 
 4* 
 
 into the lives of those near and dear to him. In 
 all the |)('riod of their companionship he has been 
 assisted and enthused by the most excellent manage- 
 ment and wise counsels of his estimable wife, who 
 has continuously', and with unflagging zeal, been to 
 him .all she promised when their mutual nuptial 
 vows were made. In this it is positively certain 
 our subject most heartil}' concurs, and would be the 
 first to admit its truth, if not indeed to suggest it, 
 after a happ^' companionship of about forty years. 
 Although not members of any particular church 
 denomination, Mr. and Mrs. Boyd are uot without 
 serious religious convictions, and are most highly 
 respected because of the irreproachableness of their 
 lives. They are always prepared to do their part 
 either by contribution or .actual effort, to aid in be- 
 half of any enterprise connected with the churches 
 or otherwise, if only it be worth}-. Thej' are active 
 members of societj', and move in its best circles. 
 They are still in the prime of life, and in their home 
 at Cortland, whither they removed in the fall of 
 1887, enjoying as is their right and privilege the 
 fruit of i)revious years of toil and labor. While 
 resident in Illinois our subject held several of the 
 minor offices in the gift of the people with much 
 satisfaction to all concerned. In his political prin- 
 ciples and s^'mpathies he is entirely with the Re- 
 publican party, and has so continued for many 
 years. 
 
 ^1^ NOS BARKEY, Sk. On section 32 in High- 
 r^ land Township lies one of the best appointed 
 La^ fartBS in this county, the propert}- of the 
 subject of this sketch, who was born in Montgomery 
 Count}', Pa., Oct. 20, 1815. He is consequentl}' 
 quite well advanced in years, and has made for 
 himself a good record as a man and citizen. 
 
 Abraham and Catherine (Bornaman) Barkcy, the 
 parents of our subject, were natives of rennsj'lva- 
 nia. and traced their ancestrj' back to an excellent 
 old German family which stood well among the 
 noted families of Switzerland. The paternal great- 
 grandfather of our subject crossed the Atlantic 
 prior to the Revolulionar}' War, and his father was 
 a Mennonite in religion and transmitted his relig- 
 ious faith in a marked degree to his offspring. The 
 
 f 
 
*¥^i^^ 
 
 326 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 maternal grcat-granri father, Daniel Bornaman bj' 
 name, was also of German birth and parentage, 
 anrl emigrated to America at a still earlier date 
 than the first representative of the Barke3's, the 
 date being 1721. He established himself in Mont- 
 gomery Countj', Pa., about thirty-five miles west 
 of the present city of Philadelphia, and his de- 
 scendants are still in possession of the propert}' 
 which he there accumulated. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the fourth of ten 
 children born to his |)arenls, and when a lad of six- 
 teen j'ears removed with them from Montgomery 
 to Butler County, where he was reared to man's 
 estate. His early education was exceedingly lim- 
 ited, but being a bright and observant lad he made 
 the most of his oi)portunities, and at an early age 
 gave evidence of the strength of character which 
 has marked his later years. A year after the re- 
 moval to Butler County the mother passed awa3', 
 and the father followed in less than two years there- 
 after. Enos commenced working on a farm at the 
 .age of ten j'ears, and when fourteen began learning 
 the trade of shoemaker, which, however, he fol- 
 lowed but a short time. At the age of twenty 
 years he was married. Aug. 23, 183.5, to Miss Eve 
 Ziegler, also a native of the Keystone State. Of this 
 uniofi there were lK)rn seven children, five of whom 
 are living, namely : Susan, Mrs. Benjamin Book- 
 waiter, of Grundy County, 111.; Ju<ly, the wife of 
 Francis McGirr, of Holt Township, this county; 
 Ziegler, of Highland Township; John, a minister of 
 the Church of God, and a resident of Cortland, and 
 Enos, who resides with his father on the homestead. 
 'J'iiose deceased are Daniel and Mary, who died 
 when three months and three years old respect- 
 ively. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Barkej', after their marriage, con- 
 tinued residents of their native State for a period 
 of ten years, our subject engaging in gener.al farm- 
 ing. In the spring of 1845 they migrated to Ohio, 
 settling in Defiance County, whence they removed 
 three years later to Elkhart County, Ind. We next 
 find them in Grundy County, III., where Mr. Bar- 
 key purchased land, and with his family took up his 
 abode among its pioneer settlers. He occupied the 
 same farm there for a period of nearly twentj'-five 
 years, and in 1873 once more changed his residence, 
 
 this time to Gage County. Neb. The land of High- 
 land Township appeared to meet his requirements, 
 and he pre-empted eighty acres on section 32, where 
 he built a good honiestead and has since remained. 
 In addition to the cultivation of the soil he added 
 to his possessions as his capital justified, .and is now 
 the owner of 1 ,440 broad acres, which are devoteil 
 largely to farming and stock-raising. 
 
 Mr. Barkey entered Illinois a poor man, being 
 able to purchase only sixty acres of land at $3 per 
 acre. There as here he was verj' successful, and 
 before leaving the State was the ow^ier of 750 acres, 
 During the Civil War he was engaged largelj' in 
 stock-raising, supplying the armj' with calves and 
 grown cattle. He has met with his reverses in com- 
 mon with most men, but his indomitable will 
 enabled him to rise above misfortune and discour- 
 agement, and his fine property to-d.ay is the best 
 evidence of his strength of eh.aracter and resolute 
 spirit/ He is known far and wide as a man of ster- 
 ling integrity, is a member of the Church of God, 
 and a stanch supporter of Republican principles. 
 
 Mrs. Eve Barke\^ departed this life at her home 
 in Highland Township, March 18, 1885, greatly 
 mourned by her husband and familj'^ and .all who 
 knew her. She w.as a most devoted wife and 
 mother, and the encourager and supporter of her 
 husband in all his worthy efforts. It is hardly nec- 
 essary to say that the name Barkey was given to the 
 post-office at that place in honor of our subject, as 
 he is one of the representative pioneers of Highl.and 
 Townshij), .and has been no unimportant factor in 
 bringing about its prosperity. 
 
 -♦i^- 
 
 i^^^HOMAS GRACE is an energetic farmer and 
 m^^ aspiring politician of Rockford Township, 
 ^^^ where he resides in very comfortable cir- 
 cumstances, with surroundings of wealth and refine- 
 ment. His father, Martin Grace, was born in the 
 countjr of Tipperaiy, Ireland, and his mother, 
 Dolly (Eddy) Grace, in Canada, near St. Rays, not 
 far from Montreal. The father came to Canada 
 when he w.as a young man, where he made the .ac- 
 quaintance of the mother of our subject, and after 
 
-4•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY, 
 
 327 
 
 -U 
 
 theii- marriage they remained in Canada until 1853, 
 when they removed to Dubuque County, Iowa. 
 There were twelve children in the family, named 
 Thomas, John, Mary A., Elizabeth. Minnie, Agnes, 
 Sarah, Joseph, Frank, Teressa and Bridget, the last- 
 named of whom died when young, and one named 
 Bridget living. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 2d of February, 
 1845, near St. Rays, Canada, and his mother died 
 when he was but three j'cars old. His father was 
 married a second time, to Elizabeth McNalley, who 
 is the mother of the above-named children, with 
 the exception of our subject. He attended school 
 in his native country, and was eight years old 
 when he came with his parents to Iowa, continu- 
 ing the pursuit of his education in the common 
 schools of the new locality. He then began to 
 work on the farm, and remained at home until the 
 3d of October, 18G7, when he was married to Miss 
 Anna M. Kurt, a daughter of Michael and Mary- 
 Kurt, who were natives of Germany. Mrs. Grace 
 was born on the 20th of August. 1847, in Lux- 
 emburg, Germany, and was one year old when 
 she came with her family to America. She had 
 three brothers and sisters, and after the death of 
 her father her mother married a second time, and 
 had five children by the last union. She was edu- 
 cated in both the German and English tongues, and 
 is as well acquainted with one as with the other. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have seven children, on 
 whom they have bestowed the names of William 
 H.. Mary P., Clara F., John B., Thomas P., Anna 
 A. and Emil L. They came to Nebraska on the 
 10th of May, 18C8, and from that year until 1874 
 they resided in Holt Township, in the fall of the 
 latter year removing to their present farm of 160 
 acres. Our subject has made a great many im- 
 jirovements, having built a one aud a half story 
 house in 1880, and a good horse barn in 1883, the 
 other buildings also being in a good condition. He 
 has a fine orchard of 150 trees, and has planted 
 groves of maple, ash, box-elder and catalpa trees, 
 which add much to the appearance and value of the 
 place. He has also taken an active interest in pub- 
 lic affairs, having been elected Moderator of his 
 school district, and sent three or four times as a 
 delegate to the Democratic County Conventions, 
 
 where he represented his constituents in an able 
 manner. He is a member of the Catholic Church, 
 of Beatrice, and bears a very excellent reputation 
 among his fellowmen. 
 
 GRACE M. WICKHAM. The life of this 
 gentleman, whose history is herein sketched, 
 has been spent largely amid the scenes of 
 frontier life, in the double experience of 
 frontier soldier and pioneer settler. He is one of 
 the most successful of the older residents, and is 
 not unknown in the annals of the history of the 
 district in which he resides. He continues to 
 operate along the line of general farming 160 acres 
 of excellent agricultural land, situated on section 
 3 of Blakely Township. 
 
 Tiie residence of our subject in this county 
 dates from the year 1859, and having been in the 
 militia service several j'ears, he took advantage of 
 the Homestead Act and settled as above. During 
 his time of service he was stationed at Pawnee, 
 Little Blue and Ft. Kearney, and engaged in a num- 
 ber of skirmishes and more serious battles with the 
 Indians that have given him quite an experience 
 in this line, and furnish one of the most thrilling 
 chapters of his history. Upon leaving military serv- 
 ice and settling upon his farm, he brought with 
 him all the enterprise, determination and spirit that 
 have made him successful as a soldier, and in due 
 time reaped his reward in the success that crowns 
 his efforts. 
 
 The father of our subject, Thomas Wickham, 
 was a farmer by occupation, aud a native of New 
 Jersey. He was born on Long Island in the year 
 1797, but spent his bojisli d.aj's in the above-named 
 State, removing thence to Ohio and settling in 
 Muskegon County. He became the husband of 
 Miss Clarissa Zane in the year 1824. This lady- 
 was a native of Ohio, aud daughter of Isaac Zane, 
 the gentleman who first settled on the site and 
 platted the town of Zanesville. Mr. Wickham. Sr., 
 and family continued to live as above until the 
 3-ear 1845, when they journe3'ed overland b3' wagon 
 and team to Missouri, making their home first in 
 Andrew and later in Holt Count}'. Mr. Wickham 
 
 i 
 
 N.^^V-^ 
 
-4*- 
 
 328 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 was removed from liis family by death at the age 
 of fiftj'-six years, while living in Aiidrew County, 
 in the year 1853. Jlrs. AVickhara is still living, 
 and makes her home with her children in Nebraska. 
 Although she has reached the advanced age of 
 eighty-four years, she still enjoys a large measure 
 of health and strength. 
 
 The native State of our subject is Ohio, there he 
 was born Sept. 2, 1832, in Licking County. He 
 was thirteen years of .age when his parents removed 
 to Missouri, where he finished his education and 
 began to work upon the farm, continuing this until 
 he arrived at man's estate; thence he went to Iowa 
 in 185G, and for two years lived at Glenwood, 
 and at the end of that time came to this State, 
 although he did not finally' settle down to farm- 
 ing until 18G5, after the military experience noted 
 above. 
 
 Upon the 8th of Ma3-, 1859, our subject was 
 married, at Bear Creek, three miles northeast of 
 Beatrice, to Miss Lavinia Young, bj' Nathan Blake- 
 ley, then acting as Probate Judge. This was the 
 first marriage celebrated in the county. The lady 
 of his choice was a native of Kentucky, although 
 educated and brougiit up in Iowa. At the age of 
 tw(>nty-four j'ears she came to Nebraska, and after 
 a time formed the acquaintance that resulted in 
 her marriage. The same year of her marriage 
 she went with her husband to the State of Colo- 
 rado, and was taken sick near .South Park, in the 
 mountain district, and died on the 7th of August, 
 1860, while apparentl3- in the prime and strength of 
 her life and womanhood: she left no children. 
 
 Mr. Wickham contracted a second alliance while 
 at St. .Joseph, Mo., the name of the lady being Mrs, 
 Isabel Bebee, nee Alexander, a native of Ohio, 
 where she lived until her marri.age with Mr. Perry 
 Bebee. After her marriage she came to Gage 
 County, Neb., with her husband and only son. 
 The}-, while traveling en route to Santa P'e, were 
 attacked by Indians in the Smoky Hills, who stopped 
 the train, and massacred the crow and passengers, 
 among them the husband and son of Mrs. Bebee. 
 After this tragic event Mrs. Bebee removed to Illf- 
 nois, and shortly before her marriage to St. Joseph. 
 Sho died .at tiie Blakel}' Township farm in 1873, 
 leaving two children, who were named Clarissa and 
 
 Frank; the former is keeping house for her father, 
 and the latter, also at home, assists upon the farm. 
 By her former husband Mrs. Wickham gave birth 
 to a daughter, who is the wife of William Connoly, 
 a prosperous farmer in Grant Township. 
 
 Qui-,e naturally, from his long residence and ex- 
 tensive experience, our subject has figured quite 
 prominently in the history of the county during its 
 development, and, besides township offices, was 
 County Commissioner for three years. With his 
 wife4ie was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, and they enjoyed, as he continues to do, 
 the very hearty esteem of the church and com- 
 munity at large. In matters of civic import and 
 State Government, as in general political affairs, he 
 is ever a stanch Republican, and has always devoted 
 his best energies to the success of his party. 
 
 ->/W -\t2aar©~S@^l 
 
 |->.^8^j/TOa»v. 
 
 EDWARD HELLER, one of the oldest pio- 
 neers of Highland Township, settled on his 
 present farm on section 7 in the spring of 
 1874. His birthplace and early home were on the 
 other side of tiie Atlantic, in the little Province of 
 Hanover, German}', where he first opened his eyes 
 to the light Sept. 19, 1836. His parents, William 
 and Catherine (Kuhl) Heller, were of German birth 
 and parentage, and he was their elHer child. Their 
 family included a boy and girl ; the latter is now 
 residing in Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 The laws and customs of the Fatherland required 
 the children of all citizens, both rich and poor, to 
 enter school at an early age, where they prosecute' 
 their studies usually until fourteen years old. 
 Young Edward was no exception to this rule, and 
 consequently acquired a good education in his 
 mother tongue. He continued in Germany until a 
 man of thirty j'ears, and then, not being satisfied 
 with his condition or his prospects, resolved to emi- 
 grate to a country which held out better induce- 
 ments to the enterprising and industrious citizen. 
 In the fall of 1866 he took passage at the port of 
 Bremen on a sailing-vessel, and after a tedious 
 ocean voyage of fifty-three days set foot first upon 
 American soil in the citj' of New York. 
 
 Mr. Heller, leaving the Empire .State shortly after- 
 
-*r^ 
 
 .t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 329 ik 
 
 ward migrated to Philadelphia, Pa., and prosecuted 
 his li-ade of bricklayer in that city for a period of 
 five years. The young ami growing Stjite of Ne- 
 braska was now coming into prominence as a desir- 
 able |)lace for the man of limited means, and our 
 subject concluded to seek the farther West. First 
 locating in Lincoln, he followed his trade for a time, 
 in the meantime saving what he could of his earn- 
 ings, which he purposed to invest in land. About 
 187.5 he purchased 160 acres at §6 per aci'e, of the 
 Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, tliis 
 land lying on section 7, in Highland Township. He 
 took up his abode in a shanty on the raw prairie 
 when a furrow had not been turned as far as he 
 could see around him, and commenced in earnest the 
 improvement of his property. By the exercise of 
 the most rigid econora}', and the industry which is- 
 one of the characteristics of his excellent German 
 ancestry, he in time began to realize those results 
 which are ever attendant upon him who is willing 
 to labor and to wait. The splendid homestead 
 which the admiring traveler views to-day is a stand- 
 ing monument to his resolution and perseverance, 
 and is numbered among the valuable estates of this 
 region. As a business man and a citizen Mr. 
 Heller has acquitted himself most admirably, hav- 
 ing been prompt to meet his obligations and con- 
 ducting his business affairs in that straightforward 
 manner which has won him the confidence and es- 
 teem of all who know him. 
 
 Our subject while a resident of Philadelphia was 
 united in marriage with Miss Lina Busman, the 
 wedding taking place Dec. 12, 1869. Mrs Heller 
 was born not far from the earl}' home of her hus- 
 band, in Hanover, Germany, on the 23d of April, 
 1 844, and is the daughter of George and Lena Bus- 
 man, who were of German birth and ancestry; the 
 father spent his last years in Germany. The mother 
 is with our subject; she was born in 1800. Mr. H. 
 is a member in good standing of the Lutheran 
 Church, and after becoming a naturalized citizen 
 identified himself with the Democratic party, which 
 he still supports. He was present at the organiza- 
 tion of Highland Township, and was elected its first 
 Supervisor. He is at present a Director in his 
 school district, is serving his third term, and ac- 
 quitting himself with satisfaction to those con- 
 
 cerned. Although not the hero, perhaps, of any 
 very thrilling event, he has distinguished himself as 
 a peaceable and law-abiding citizen, an<l in the 
 establishment of one of the finest farms in his town- 
 ship, has thus added to its advancement and pros- 
 perity. 
 
 /p^EORGE F. COLLINS. The stranger to 
 l|| ,=- Western life is frequently surprised in tak- 
 ^^4 ing his initial journey in such districts to 
 observe the advanced state of "civilization," as they 
 usually persist in calling it. so apparent in the met- 
 ropolitan, suburban, and even remote rural districts, 
 when, upon journej'ing to some farm f.ar removed 
 from the bustling, noisy city, they are greatly- sur- 
 prised to be introduced into homes as hanilsome 
 architecturally, and evincing in their interior deco- 
 ration, furnishing and embellislinient the presence 
 of some mind trained to high perfection of artistic 
 discernment, and naturally possessed of every in- 
 stinct of refinement ami culture. Into such a home 
 it is our pleasure to introduce the reader, also to 
 present some of the more salient features in the life 
 of its owner, the gentleman whose name appears at 
 the head of this sketch. 
 
 Mr. Collins comes of an ancestry successful in 
 life, honorable in career, and heroic in national loy- 
 alty. The father of our subject was Moses F'. Col- 
 lins, and was born at Windsor, Vt., of English 
 ancestr}', his immediate progenitors having settled 
 in Vermont in the Colonial days, when the English 
 standard floated from the flagstaff, before the stars 
 and stripes were devised. The maiden name of the 
 mother of our subject w.os Mary Wade, a native of 
 Connecticut, and a cousin of Benjamin Wade of 
 historic memorj'. She was the mother of seven 
 children, three of whom were girls, and after a happy 
 wedded life of sixl3'-tliree years died, in 1879, at 
 the ripe age of eigiity years. 
 
 The father of our subject removed with his par- 
 ents to Wa^-ne County, N. Y., while still young, 
 and was there educated. He received all the ad- 
 vantages of a good and thorough education, and 
 one that in after yeai-s greatly enhanced his success. 
 One of his schoolmates was he who afterward be- 
 came Gov. Dewitt Clinton, who, while in that ollice, 
 
 •►HH^ 
 
 "i- 
 
-4«- 
 
 o:30 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 gave to his schoolmate the commission of Colonel 
 of IHilitia, and at the head of his regiment Col. 
 Collins fought in the War of 1812 with Gen. Win- 
 field Scott, and, among other engagements, that of 
 the terrible battle of Lund3's Lane. His military 
 address and bravery were such in the estimation of 
 his superior officers as to warrant special mention 
 of the same in their dispatches. In 1834 he settled 
 with his family near Ann Arbor, Mich., where tliej- 
 were in the midst of the hardships, privations and 
 difficulties of pioneer life. He took all his family 
 with him, and one child was born during their life 
 there. He was a man very positive in both his be- 
 lief and disbelief, and was an old-line Abolitionist. 
 He dieil in 1878, with the <1istinctive honor of be- 
 ing the last of the veteran heroes of Lundy's Lane 
 to pass through the " dark valley." This honor was 
 at one time nearly being deprived him, owing to a 
 duel he was to fight with one of the adjutants, but 
 for the happy connivance of the seconds, who so 
 placed the duelists that the shedding of blood 
 was almost an impossibility. But for this his career 
 might have been cut short in those years that sup- 
 ply the military experiences. 
 
 Our subject was the youngest son born to Col. 
 Collins; this happy event occurred on the 21st of 
 March, 1834, at Rose, Wayne Co., N. Y. He was 
 eight months old when the famil}' removed to 
 Michigan, and the first impression upon his mem- 
 ory of places, events and people upon the revivable 
 plates of memory is connected with this Michigan 
 home. His father, being very anxious that his chil- 
 dren should receive a ver}' good education, was es- 
 pecially careful to provide the same. He was first 
 initiated into the classes of the common schools and 
 subsequently attended the Ann Arbor High School. 
 At the age of twenty-one he went to St. Clair, Mich., 
 and there studied law with Marcus H. Miles, and 
 after passing a rigid and lengthy examination he 
 was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-four, 
 and began immediately to practice law in St. Clair 
 County, and it was not verj' many months before 
 he had a ver}- extensive clientage. 
 
 The practice of law was not entirely congenial 
 to our subject, although his mind was of that ana- 
 lytical cast that delights itself in the elucidation of 
 <lifflcult and often paradoxical |)oints, and is never 
 
 more at home than when following the ratiocination 
 of evidence or argument. It w.as not ver}- long, 
 therefore, before he left his profession to enter 
 upon a political career, which has in more than one 
 instance surpassed his expectation. Previous, how- 
 ever, to this secession from the profession, he was 
 elected Clerk of his county, in the year 1859, and 
 was on record as the youngest to hold that position. 
 This election was noteworthy because the county 
 was strongly Republican, and he ran upon the Dem- 
 ocratic ticket, and yet was elected by a large major- 
 ity; and what is even more noticeable was that 
 under similar circumstances he was re-elected by an 
 increased majority. 
 
 As a result of unanimity of sentiment, our sub- 
 ject and Miss Elvira L.Gould entered the felicitous 
 relation of husband and wife, March 23, 1854, 
 at St. Clair, Mich., our subject being at that time 
 twenty j-ears of age. This ladj' is the daughter of 
 Joseph and Elmira (Tolcott) Gould. Upon her 
 mother's side she is of English extraction. It was 
 her misfortune never to know her father, who died 
 before she was born. By a previous marriage her 
 father was the parent of three children ; by this the 
 wife of our subject and her twin sister, Elmira, who 
 became the wife of George Carlton, whose home is 
 near St. Clair, Mich. They are the parents of eight 
 children. Mrs. Carlton died at Des Moines, in the 
 year 1880. The wife of our subject was born June 
 22, 1833, at Williston, Vt. Her mother settled in 
 Madrid Township, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., when 
 her daughters were five years of age. Here they 
 enjoyed the privilege of the rate schools until they 
 were thirteen, after that attending a select school at 
 Troy, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are the parents 
 of two sous, who have been named Charles F. and 
 George C. The younger died at the age of eight- 
 een months. 
 
 In the offices to which our subject was elected he 
 so conducted affairs that he grew in public favor, 
 and was shortly elected Supervisor, Circuit Court 
 Commissioner and County Assessor. These offices 
 extended over a long period of the nineteen years 
 of his residence at St. Clair, and during that period 
 it is needless to add his friends were very numer- 
 ous. In 1870 he became the Secretary of the Michi- 
 gan Midland Railroad Company, and served them 
 
 •► 
 
 t 
 
■•>^l-«*» 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 331 
 
 in that capacity until the financial crisis in 1873. in 
 wliicli he sustained a very heavy loss, and was the 
 immediate cause of his determination to come West. 
 In 1874, while it w.as 3'et spring. Mr. Collins came 
 to this State and purchased 320 acres of unimproved 
 land. His son w.as at that time a 3'oung man nine- 
 teen years of age, and this course of action was de- 
 cided partly on his account. 
 
 Pioneer life, although brightened by a thousand 
 unexpected glints of the sunligiit of happiness, is 
 hard at the very easiest, even to those best prepared 
 for and most inured to it. but in the case of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Collins, whose acquaintance with farm 
 life was practically nil, the transition from the ga}', 
 social cit3' life of St. Clair to the comparatively 
 lonel}', unbroken prairie, was a transformation suf- 
 ficient to discourage the stoutest heart and turn 
 back the most resolute. It was in this hour that 
 the sterling worth and affection of his faithful wife 
 were revealed, and by the mutual inspiration and 
 strengthening of purpose the origin.al plan was 
 adhered to. and after repeated failure, defeat and 
 difficulty, the golden harvest of success was reaped. 
 By the fall of that j'ear he, who had never previ- 
 ously broken a single acre, had broken seventy; the 
 reflex influence of this struggle and victory was 
 such as to make itself felt iu their home, and in the 
 happy development and upbuilding of each in the 
 individual character. Who but those who have 
 passed through the same experience cau realize the 
 loneliness, the homesickness, the hardship and pri- 
 v.ation of that experience. 
 
 Later, owing to the drouth and ravages of the 
 grasshopper plague, our subject transferred his laud 
 back to the railroad company-, from whom it had 
 been purchased, and in 1882 purchased his present 
 homestead, which comprises 1C8 acres on section 4 
 of Nemaha Township, subsequently purch.asing also 
 165 acres on section 3, and 160 on section 5, all 
 owned by our subject and his son Charles, and op- 
 erated by them jointly. Despite all the experiences 
 and disappointments, our subject retains all the 
 vigor and activity' of the days when he first started 
 in life's race. He was deeply interested and pro- 
 portionately energetic in his endeavors to introduce 
 township organization in Gage County in 1884. He 
 was elected Supervisor of his township in Novem- 
 
 ber, 1885, and has continued to hold the office ever 
 since. His political S3'mpathies and influence are 
 alwaj's in the interest of the Democratic party, and 
 yet at all times his manhood determines rather 
 upon the line of principle than party, where his 
 suffrage shall be placed. 
 
 As before remarked, although living in the Far 
 West, and in a country still largely undeveloped, 
 and in the formative era of its historj', thanks to the 
 innate refinement and love of the beautiful, the 
 true esthetic, of Mrs. Collins, their home is in its 
 arrangements and appointments upon a par with, if 
 not in advance of, many in Eastern cities making 
 far more pretentions to such effect. Socially, our 
 subject is connected with the Masonic fraternity, 
 and is a member of the Livingston Lodge No. 66, 
 of Firth, and it is evident from his life that he has 
 been ever mindful of and constantly walking in the 
 light of its tri-luminous altar. 
 
 /i^\ HARLES CRUSE. If the late war revealed 
 (l( nothing more, it certainly did make maui- 
 
 ^^f' fest the fact that the American {)eople on 
 either side of Mason and Dixon's line were men of 
 hearts, brains and heroism. Among those who 
 have borne the brunt of the conflict, toiled and suf- 
 fered in camp and on march, in behalf of the Union, 
 is the subject of the present sketch, now engaged 
 in the more peaceful avocation of farming on sec- 
 tion 21 of Libertj- Township. 
 
 Franklin County, Ind.. was the place where, upon 
 the 23d of September, 1839. our subject made his 
 debut into life. His father, Henry Cruse, now 
 deceased, w.as a native of Germany, and emigr.ated 
 to this country at an early day. The maiden name 
 of his wife was Christina Miller. She was born 
 in Germany, and there she was married to the 
 father of our subject. They became the parents of 
 five children, our subject being the youngest child. 
 
 The only education received by our subject was 
 that obtainable in the public school, and of this he 
 had full advantage, its tasks being sup|)lcmented by 
 various "chores" and minor tasks upon the farm or 
 among the stock, so that he was in some measure 
 pre()arcd for the l)attle of life. From the time of \ 
 
 t 
 
■•►■ 
 
 332 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 his leaving school in Franklin Count}-, Ind., until 
 the outbreak of the -oar, he was engagcil at farming 
 in Indiana. 
 
 When the hugle note of war was heard llnough- 
 out the land, in response to the reverberating 
 eeiioes of the crashing thunder of the cannon and 
 mortars before Ft. Sumter, Mr. Cruse was one to 
 step forward in response. He enlisted on tiie I3th 
 of October, 18G2, in Company M, 3d Indiana Cav- 
 ahy, for a term of two and a half years, and during 
 that ])eriod was engaged in quite a large number of 
 battles, beside lesser engagements. Among these 
 might be mentioned the battles of Big Spring, Tenn., 
 Wautauga River Bridge, Morrislown, Resaca, Al- 
 tuona Pass, Sand Creek Station. Jonesboro, Van 
 Worth, Ga., Sisters Ferry and Eversboro, S. C. 
 lie served during the greater part of the time as 
 Duty Sergeant, having received promotion to that 
 grade. At Jonesboro he was one of the hundred 
 who volunteered to cut the railroad near that place. 
 This exploit was conducted from first to last under 
 fire; the band divided into two parties, each of 
 fifty men, the one to do their work of destruction 
 upon the railroad, the other to do theirs upon the 
 enemy. Their work was done and their object at- 
 tained without the loss of one man. excepting that 
 one was captured but effected his escape the same 
 night. 
 
 Mr. Cruse became the husband of Sophia Clark 
 on Sept 14, 1865, at his home in Indiana. This 
 lady is the daughter of Thomas and Jane Clark, 
 of Pawnee County, Keb., and was born on the 25th 
 of December, 1843. Her parents were born in En- 
 gland. There have come to the home of our 
 suliject six children, whose n'lmes are recorded as 
 follows: Mclinda I., Eluora, Charles M., Mary E., 
 Lula M. and Henry E. Their eldest daughter has 
 become the wife of Edward Bookwalter, of this 
 township, and has two children ; Elnora is now Mrs- 
 Jacob Patterson, also of this township, and is the 
 mother of a little son. 
 
 Our subject came to this county in the year 186G, 
 and settled upon a branch of the Mission Creek in 
 the township of that name, and removed thence to 
 Liberty Townshij) in 1883. and to his present farm 
 in the month of May, 1 887. He is the owner of 
 1 GO acres of fine land, admirably adapted to his re- 
 
 quirements. and operated in the interests of grain and 
 stock. He also holds a half-interest with William 
 Garrison in a fine steam thrashing-machine, having 
 a capacit}' of 2,000 bushels a day, and with this he 
 has quite an extensive business outside his own 
 farm work. 
 
 Somewhat removed from the more busy circles 
 of city life, our subject finds sufficient to absorb 
 the greater i)art of his time and attention in the 
 duties devolving upon him in connection with his 
 chosen calling, and does not take any special part 
 in political agitation. He is a gentleman of enter- 
 prise, energy and exacting perseverance, and is 
 regarded as a worthj' and valued citizen. 
 
 4-H- 
 
 4-5- 
 
 WILLIAM J.MAXWELL. Lincoln Town- 
 ship contained no more valued and re- 
 spected citizen than the subject of this 
 sketch, now deceased. This sad event occurred on 
 the 23d of March, 1883, and about eight months 
 after he had come to the State, but in spite of his 
 short residence here his life and character had so 
 commended themselves that he possessed many 
 friends in the district. He was the owner of 320 
 acres of land on section 11. This he had paid for 
 before he died. He took up this land when partly 
 improved. 
 
 Previous to living in this State Mr. Maxwell 
 had been a resident of Lenox Township, Warren 
 Co., III., where he had lived for some twenty 
 years, engaged in farming, and enjoyed unqualified 
 success. He was born near Baltimore on the 10th 
 of September, 1830, and is the son of Thomas and 
 Margaret JMaxwell, natives of Maryland. When 
 his parents removed to Schuyler County, III., our 
 subject was about six years of age; while living 
 there the father of our subject died. William J. 
 was reared to manhood, and from the time of re- 
 ceiving his education gave his attention to learn- 
 ing the blacksmith trade, but was compelled to 
 leave work on account of weakness of the eyes, 
 that was constantly irritated and made worse by 
 the brightness and glare insepaiable from forge 
 work. While living in Peoria County, 111., in the 
 earlier settlement, they had complete knowledge of 
 
 ^ •^ 
 
 f 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 333 
 
 the trouble with the Mormons, then prevailing in 
 that section of the country. 
 
 It was the pleasure of our subject to meet and 
 form acquaintance with a lady living near Yates 
 City, Knox Co., 111. This acquaintance rapidl}' 
 ripened into a more absorbing sentiment, and they 
 were united in marriage on the 22d of March, 
 1855. This lady, Mahalia M. Sayler, was born on 
 the 30th of April, 1832, and is the daughter of 
 John and Margaret (Miller) Sayler, natives of 
 Somerset Count}-, Pa., and of Dutch ancestr}'. 
 Mr. Sayler was married in Pennsylvania, and there 
 settled, but removed shortly after the birth of the 
 fourth child, to Stark Count}', Ohio, where their 
 daughter Mahalia was born, as noted above; there 
 also her mother died, in 1841, aged forty-five j'ears. 
 In 1848 the father removed with his family to 
 Illinois, locating near what is now Yates Citj', but 
 then entirely miuus anything indicating the pres- 
 ence of any such center. There the father died 
 Sept. 1, 1849, aged about sixty-two years. Mr. 
 Sayler and his wife were members of the Lutheran 
 Church from childhood, in which they always con- 
 tinued. In his political position Mr. Sayler was 
 identified with the Democratic party, and had con- 
 tinued so for mauy j'ears. 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell, the wife of our subject, was the 
 youngest of a family of twelve children, six of 
 them being sons. Eight members of the family 
 lived to come to years of maturitj'. Her parents 
 afforded their daughter an opportunitj- of obtaining 
 an English education in the common schools. She 
 has presented her husband with six children, but 
 two of them are deceased ; viz: George M. and 
 William J., Jr. Those still living are: Edwin J., a 
 thrift}' and successful young man engaged in farm- 
 ing in Gage Count}': Lora M., now the wife of 
 Lewis A. Maginnis, of Beatrice, who is by trade a 
 plasterer; Charles G. and Cora B., at home. 
 
 Our subject entered the military service and 
 continued for about nine months, and was in the 
 battle of Nashville and all the engagements of that 
 campaign. He was with Sherman in his march. 
 For- some time he lay in the hospital sick, and dur- 
 ing that short time his health was completely under- 
 mined, and possibly supplied the genesis of his last 
 sickuess. He was all his life -i very stanch Repub- 
 
 lican, and cast his vote consistently for its candi- 
 dates. In this example his sons are following him, 
 planting their feet in the print of his footsteps, and 
 seeking to fashion their lives after his. 
 
 Since the death of the husband and father the 
 bereaved wife has nobly stood by her children and 
 provided everything really needed by them. She 
 has conducted in a most able and intelligent man- 
 ner every department of the farm work, has under- 
 taken and perfected quite a number of improve- 
 ments, and has been enabled to educate her children 
 and provide for their start in life. During the 
 blizzard of 1888 Mrs. Maxwell's home was nearly 
 bereaved of two other of its inmates. Upon the 
 12th of January of the present year the weather 
 was unusimlly warm and bright for the season, and 
 there seemed to be no indication of any immediate 
 change. Edwin and Charles G., sons of our sub- 
 ject, were both away from home on business, the 
 former having gone al>out six miles from home 
 with a team and buggy, and on account of the 
 mildness of temperature was not very heavily clad. 
 The return journey was accomplished without acci- 
 dent until he was within about two miles from 
 home, but upon a road that had not been much 
 used, and had no side fence. There the storm 
 struck him, and for some time was so intense and 
 fierce as to make it well-nigh impossible for him to 
 get his breath ; blinded so that he could not see the 
 team he was driving, he was forced to let them 
 take their own way. Lnder these circumstances, 
 and with every track obliterated by the falling, 
 tossing, swiftly whirling snow, it is not to be won- 
 dered at that they missed the road, and by-and-by 
 found themselves in a very heavy drift in one of 
 the frequent "draws" in the land. Here he left his 
 veliicle and sought to lead his team out if possible; 
 but again he was baffled, and his team becoming 
 frightened he became separated from them, and it 
 was beyond his power to find them in tiiat raging 
 storm. He wandered on, plunging, stumbling, fall- 
 ing through the snow, and presently by most provi- 
 dential good fortune happened to strike a haystack, 
 a small part of the top of which the wind had 
 blown off. Under this he crept, damp and almost 
 frozen, but it affunlcd shelter enough to retain the 
 animal warmth, and he became comparatively com- 
 
 h 
 
-•► 
 
 334 
 
 GAGE COUNTr. 
 
 ,:\ 
 
 fortable: b.y tliis means he escaped, but very nar- 
 rowly, with his life, which was flespaired of for some 
 time after his rescue the next day. Even then it 
 was supposed he would have to lose his feet, hut 
 here again his pluck, determination and force of 
 will saved him, and he is fully recovered, so far as 
 that is concerned, hut his conslit\ition has been per- 
 manently weakened by the strain. His team, which 
 was quite valuable, and to which he was deeply 
 attached, was frozen in one of the many drifts. 
 
 Charles G., the other son. also had a very narrow 
 but hapjiy escape, which he owes to the fact that 
 he was on a better road, and on horseback. He 
 succeeded in getting home late in the night, but 
 only by an exercise of will power entirely be^'ond 
 what could be expected of one of his years. Com- 
 ing finally to a school-house which he recognized, 
 he left his horse and wanned himself there, and 
 rested until he was equal to a renewed effort; he 
 then plunged oi>ce more into the midst of the storm, 
 and by following the fence closely at last reached 
 home and his mother's side. She was, of course, 
 exceedingly anxious, well-nigh to despair, about her 
 sons. Upon his arrival at home it was discovered 
 that ills clothing was frozen to him, and had to be 
 literally cut from his almost frozen bod}'. Only 
 by strictest care, most careful nursing and medical 
 attendance, was he saved from an awful death, but 
 like his brother he recovered after a short sickness, 
 but must manj' years, and perhaps for the remain- 
 der of his life, feel the effects of this exposure. 
 
 -^ 
 
 LAUS STEMS. The subject of this sketch 
 owns one of the most beautiful farms in 
 Grant Township, lying on section 23, and 
 comprising 240 acres of highly cultivated land. 
 This he redeemed from a wild, unbroken tract, 
 commencing operations thereon in the spring of 
 1881. Its appearance to-da}' indicates with what 
 industrj' and energy he has labored, and is highly 
 characteristic of the disposition and habits of the 
 man. He came to this county in the spring of 
 1 876, after a residence of ten years in Logan County, 
 111., where he had been emploj^ed as a mechanic 
 in the furniture house of Deining <fe Bree. He 
 
 H^t^ 
 
 first leased a tract of land in Giant Township be- 
 fore purchasing, and thus gained a good insight 
 into the general methods of agriculture. 
 
 Our subject was born in the then Kingdom of Han- 
 over. Germanj', Feb. 11, 1841, and in accordance 
 with the laws and customs of the German Empire 
 entered school when a little lad six years of age, 
 and continued his studies until fourteen. He thus 
 obtained a good education in his native tongue. 
 Upon leaving school he served an apprenticeship at 
 cabinet-making, and followed this occupation until 
 emigrating to America. After crossing the Atlan- 
 tic he proceeded westward to Fond du Lac, Wis., 
 where he secured emploj'ment in a door factory, 
 and continued thus occupied for three years. He 
 left the Badger State with the intention of estab- 
 lishing a homestead of his own in the agricultural 
 regions of Southern Nebraska. 
 
 While a resident of Lincoln, III.. Mr. Sieras was 
 married, Feb. 19, 1873, to Miss Linie Weltzien, 
 who was also of German birth and parentage, her 
 early home having been in the Grand Duchy of 
 Mecklenburg, and the date of her birth Aug. 18, 
 1849. Her father died in Germany when compara- 
 tivelj' a 3'oung man, and she accompanied her 
 mother to America when but a child five years of 
 age. Like our subject they at once made their way 
 to the j'oung State of Wisconsin, whence they 
 removed subsequently to Lincoln, III., where Mrs. 
 S. made the acquaintance of her future husband. 
 Of this union there have been born seven children, 
 all living, namely: J. Henry, C. Louis, W. F. 
 Herman, F'rank O., Anna M., Louisa S. and K. 
 William. They are growing up healthy in body 
 and mind, and are being taught those habits of in- 
 dustry and sound principles morall}' which will 
 make of them reliable citizens, an honor to their 
 parents and useful in the stations to which Provi- 
 dence assigns them. Mr. Siems after becoming a 
 naturalized citizen identified himself with the Demo- 
 cratic party, whose principles he uniformly sup- 
 ports at the general elections. During his five 
 years' residence in this county Mr. Siems has identi- 
 fied himself with its agricultural interests in a most 
 praiseworthy manner, and the farm on which he has 
 effected marked improvements is the best monu- 
 ment which can be reared to his industry and thrift, 
 
 ■► 
 
 r 
 
)^ 
 
 GAGE COUNT V. 
 
 33J 
 
 those elements of character transmitted to him from 
 his excellent German ancestry. He has a comfort- 
 able dwelling, ample and commodious outhouses, 
 suitable for the shelter of stock and the storage of 
 grain, and the machinery necessary for carrj'ing 
 on agriculture in the most profitable manner. 
 
 fj\OLNEY S. WHITTEMO 
 ^ among the early settlers o 
 ing made his advent int 
 
 i' 
 
 t^OLNEY S. WHITTEMORE is numbered 
 
 of Nebraska, hav- 
 into this count}' in 
 1860, just three years after it was organized as a 
 count}', with Beatrice for its county seat. He was 
 born in the town of Rindge, Cheshire Co., N. H., 
 on the loth of March, 1H38. His paternal ances- 
 tors were natives of England, who had come to the 
 United States soon after the landing of the Puri- 
 tans on the rocky coast of Massachusetts. His 
 maternal ancestors were from the celebrated High- 
 lands of Scotland, and were also early settlers in 
 America, the great-grandfather of our subject hav- 
 ing served as an officer in the Revolutionary War. 
 Among the engagements in which he participated 
 we mention the following: The battle of Trenton, 
 which occurred on the 26th of December, 1776, in 
 which Washington captured 1,000 Hessians; the 
 battle of Monmouth Court-House, on tlie 28th of 
 June, 1778; and the siege of Yorktown, by AVash- 
 ington and Count DeGrasse, which ended in the 
 surrender of Cornwallis, with 7,000 men, on the 
 19th of October, 1781. The maternal grandfather 
 of our subject was also in the Revolutionary War, 
 serving as a waiter boy for his father. His name 
 was Ebenezer S. Geer, and he is buried at Wor- 
 cester, Mass., having died in the j'car 1818. 
 
 The father of our subject, Prescott Whittemore, 
 was born in Massachusetts, in which State he spent 
 his early j'ears, and was married to Miss Lucy Re- 
 becca Geer. Thej- made their home in their native 
 State and New Hampshire until 1838, when they 
 came to the great undeveloped West, and settled 
 on a farm in McHenry County, III., where they 
 shared the hardships of pioneer life with the other 
 early settlers. They resided in Illinois until 1861, 
 at which time they came to Nebraska, and made 
 their home for the remainder of their days in this 
 
 -<• 
 
 count}'. Their family comprised thirteen children, 
 of whom our subject is the youngest, and all were 
 born either in Massachusetts or New Hampshire. 
 Young Volney was but nine weeks old when his 
 family moved to Illinois, but there he grew toman- 
 hood and developed asplendid and healthy physique, 
 as is generally the case with farm boys. 
 
 In 1859 our subject went as assistant wagon- 
 master with a company of men to Salt Lake City, 
 and returned to his home in the fall of the same 
 year. The year following this journey he came to 
 Nebraska, and having friends in this county he 
 naturally preferred to make his home among them 
 rather than among strangers. For a time he en- 
 gaged as a farm hand, then in freighting, and for 
 several years he had charge of a threshing-machine, 
 in connection with which he fed the first bundle of 
 wheat ever fed into a threshing-machine in tliis 
 county. In 1864 he lost some of his friends in the 
 Sioux massacre, on the Little Blue River, an event 
 which will always be remembered in connection 
 with the early settlement of this State. The same 
 year he purchased some land, having previousl}' pre- 
 empted a piece, which he then began to improve. 
 A portion of the land now owned by our subject 
 was first claimed by a man named Joseph Proud, 
 who was a peddler, and frequently received gold 
 dust in exchange for his wares. His "shanty" was 
 burned in Februar}', 1860, and in the spring of 
 1887, while a son of our subject was walking over 
 a piece of plowed ground he picked up a piece of 
 glass. He happened to drop it and it broke in two, 
 and out of a fissure there came a piece of gold, 
 which had been melted into the gla.ss twenty-seven 
 years previousl}', or at the burning of the sh.anty. 
 
 In 1868 Mr. Whittemore married Miss Susan M. 
 Sherrill, who was born in Missouri on the 26th of 
 August, 1847, and is a daughter of Thomas N. 
 and Mary A. (Blodgett) Sherrill, who are natives 
 of Kentuck}' and Massachusetts resijcctivel}'. They 
 moved to Missouri and thence to Nebraska in 1860, 
 making their home in this county, of which they 
 are still respected residents. After his marriage 
 our subject settled on his farm, now consisting of 
 260 acres of well-improved land in Midland Town- 
 ship, on which he has erected a good residence, but 
 as yet no barns. Aside from the general produce 
 
h- 
 
 33G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY, 
 
 of the fields, he gives ntteiitiori to the raising of 
 cattle, hogs a II fl live stoik in general. 
 
 Six children have come to brighten tiie boine of 
 oiir siili^eet and ids wife, and tliey have received 
 the names of Edna, Charles Henr}', Lney E., Ed- 
 ward Herbert, Er)iestand P^nnice. Mr. Whittemore 
 lias served as Assessor of his township, and in all 
 public nfifairs he is desirons that what is done shall 
 be done for the benefit of the community in which 
 he has long held an interest. He is a member of 
 the Democratic political organization, but votes 
 independently of his i)nrty when he finds a man of 
 superior attainments or morality to be the candi- 
 date of the opposing party. Recently the farm be- 
 longing to our subject, situated on section 24. 
 Midland Township, has given some evidence of 
 being enriched bj' a bed of coal, but as yet it has 
 not been found in paying quantities, though about 
 the sum of $600 has been spent in prospecting for it. 
 
 ^ I^ILLIAM W. LEIGHTON. Section 1,5, 
 \gj// Logan Township, is the i)roperty of the 
 W^ gentleman whose life is herein succinctly 
 sketched, and is occupied by him in the interests 
 of stock-raising and grain farming, and is one of 
 the best cultiv.ated and well-stocked farms in the 
 county. Mr. Leighlon has not spent his years in 
 vain, and he is to-day enjo3'ing in his beautiful 
 home the results of former j-ears of labor. His 
 success in life must be attributed to the restless 
 energy that was continually working out the plans 
 conceived in the brain which had been b}- educa- 
 tion, thought and meditation, rendered more acute, 
 clear and forcible, and since his marriage this has 
 been supplemented by the elevating, cheering and 
 sustaining influence that has been brought into his 
 life by his companion and life partner, a lady of 
 more than usual education, culture, and innate re- 
 finement. 
 
 The father of our subject, Enoch Leighton, was 
 born in Narragansett, Me., in the year 1797. In 
 1814 he removed to New York State, where he fol- 
 lowed farming until 1835, when ho removed to La- 
 grange County, Ind., where he died on the 5tli of 
 
 November, 1856. The maiden name of his wife, 
 the mother of our subject, was Phebe Cowan, who 
 was born in Providence, R. I., in 1799. Her father, 
 David Cowan, was a private in the Revolutionary 
 War, and did his manly and honorable part in the 
 establishment of the Republic of Liberty that en- 
 lightens the world. Of this union there were born 
 seven children, who are recorded as follows : David, 
 Nelson and anotiier child are deceased, Elisha, Will- 
 iam W., Nancy and John. Nelson enlisted in the 88th 
 Indiana Infantry, in August, 1863, was mustered 
 in at Lagrange, Ind., and served through the Civil 
 War until the battle of Murfreesboro, immediately 
 after which he was taken sick, and died in 1864. 
 
 In Lima, Ind., was born, upon the 15th of April, 
 1 836, the suliject of this sketch. The days of his 
 boyhood and youth were devoted to the acquire- 
 ment of knowledge, in order to a more successful 
 life and brighter experience. His home being upon 
 a farm, in the natural course of events he became 
 quite intimate with its duties, responsibilities and 
 work, and before he attained his majority he was 
 competent to take charge and manage the entire 
 farm. Upon attaining his majority he started in 
 life for him.self, continuing as his chosen occupation 
 agricultural pursuits. In 1872 he started West, 
 crossing the prairies of Illinois and Iowa with a 
 small wagon and team, and continued his journey 
 until he came to Beatrice, then a rising, but not 
 very imposing, young city. He had previously 
 purchased section 15, and proceeded to settle upon 
 it. He has the distinguished honor of being one 
 of the first actual settlers in Logan Township, and 
 every settler since that time has recognized in our 
 subject and his family friends to the incoming 
 stranger about to begin life again in an unknown 
 country, amid new surroundings and strange faces. 
 
 What a change h.as passed over the land since 
 that day! How vastly more beautiful! How diverse 
 its scenery! How filled is the smiling landscape 
 with garden-like farms and flourishing, fruit-laden 
 orchards ! It seems incredible that so f6w years could 
 have passed away, and everything be so altered. 
 It is a monument of American vim and intelligent 
 labor. What is true of the township as a whole is 
 equally so of section 15, for our subject has erected 
 a very beautiful residence, and has supplied his farm 
 
RESIDENCE OF THOMAS E D M AND5 , 5 EC. 23 . HOLT TP. 
 
 
 
 RESIDENCE OFW.W. LE I GHTON , 5 E C. 15 , LO G A N TP. 
 
: 
 
 ■> ^ ll 4» 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 339 
 
 with barns, stnble. grnnniy and other neerled build- 
 ings, to which has been added a niagnilicent windmill 
 pump. lie has also set out and carefiillj- tended 
 until they were sufficiently established to provide 
 themselves with needed sustenance, extensive groves 
 of choice sh.ade and forest trees, besides quite a large 
 orchard. 
 
 At LaPorle, Tnd., upon the 6th of April, 18G5, 
 our subject became the husb.nnd of ,lulia M. Ste- 
 vens. This ladj- was born at Lima. Ind.. Jan. 29, 
 1838. Her parents spared neither time, trouble nor 
 expense in her education, which was designed to 
 fit her for the position of school mistress. She 
 afterward taught school for two years, and having 
 develoi)ed quite a passion for music, had made her- 
 self competent to give instructions in the divine art. 
 The father of Mrs. Leighton, Jonathan Stevens, 
 was born in Montpelier, Vt., in 1790, and served 
 throughout the Revolutionary AVar .as a private. 
 The old musket then carried bj' him is still a highlj' 
 prized heirloom in the possession of Mrs. Leighton. 
 He died in the year 1840. Her mother, whose 
 maiden name was Sophia Bass, was born in Con- 
 necticut in 1800, and died at the age of seventy- 
 seven years. There were six children born of this 
 union, whose names are as follows: Prudence, Mal- 
 vina, Mary, Louisa, Sylvia and Julia. To Mr. and 
 Mrs. Leighton has been born one child, who re- 
 ceived the name Fay E., and was born Oct. G, 
 1873. Besides this child they have adopted two 
 others, viz: Alice Leighton, born Sept. 28, 1870, 
 and Eddie, Feb. 1, 1878. 
 
 Our subject has been several times called upon to 
 accept office, but has only consented in two in- 
 stances, and ui)on these occasions was impelled to do 
 so by his deep and continuous interest in educa- 
 tional affairs. He was for six years in the office of 
 School Treasurer and two as .School Director. Both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leighton have for many years been 
 members of the Baptist communion, and are affili- 
 ated with the church at Filley. In the Sunday- 
 school and church work, especially the former, they 
 are among the most active and earnest workers. In 
 society they are counted among the elite, and are 
 respected as most honorable and valued citizens 
 The political sentiments of Mr. Leighton le.ad him 
 to an active membership in tlie Prohiliition party, 
 
 and his influence in his township is quite large, and 
 doubtless efficient work will be done by him to ad- 
 vance this great cause of larger liberty. A view of 
 the home place of our subject may be seen on an 
 adjoining page. 
 
 ^^^HOMAS EDMANDS, an aged and highly 
 respected citizen of Oak Township, is one of 
 its oldest living pioneers. He lives on his 
 farm of 1 GO acres on section 23, but .some time since 
 retired from active labor, the homestead being m.an- 
 ,aged by his grandson, Clyde Edmands. He came 
 to Nebraska during the period of its earliest settle- 
 ment, and has been the privileged witness of its 
 transformation from a wild and uncultivated coun- 
 try to flourishing towns and valuable homestea<ls. 
 He can tell many a thrilling tale of the scenes 
 through which he has passed, and the changes which 
 have occurred since the time when, a young man 
 with brave and venturesome spirit, he sought this 
 region with the intention of building up a home. 
 He secured his present farm by a homestead claim, 
 and experienced all the hardships and privations of 
 pioneer life, laboring amid many disadvantivges, 
 but with that persistent industry which was one of 
 the leading characteristics of the early settlers, and 
 which almost invariably resulted in their ultimate 
 success. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born on the other 
 side of the Atlantic, in the Principality of Wales, 
 April 6, 1805. His parents were Thomas and Jane 
 (Loyd) Edmands, who spent their entire lives upon 
 their native soil, the father eng.aged in day labor. 
 The family was in lim'ited circumstances, and the 
 household circle included three children, two sons 
 and a daughter — Thom.as, John and Jane. The 
 brother and sister of our subject are now in Green 
 County \Y\s. 
 
 Mr. Edmands received but a limited education, 
 and began life for himself at an early age, beginning 
 to work out when eight years old. Two j'ears 
 later he was wholly thrown upon his own resources 
 on .account of circumstances. Thereafter he made 
 his home with strangers, often receiving hard fare, 
 and but few of the comforts of life. He employed 
 
 f 
 
-4^ 
 310 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^^ 
 
 liimself mostly at flay labor. Upon reaching nnan- 
 liood he was married to Mi-s M.iry Evans, one of 
 ills own countrywomen, who was born in 1804. In 
 1851 he determined to seek his fortune in the New 
 World, and embarking on a sailing-vessel at Liver- 
 pool, landed in New York four weeks later. Thence 
 he proceeded directly westward, locating in Keno- 
 sha County, Wis., where he rented a farm and con- 
 tinued to live for a period of seventeen years. 
 
 In the fall of 1868 Mr. Edmands m.ade his way 
 to this State, and homesteaded the land comprising 
 his present farm. He labored industriously in the 
 cultivation of the soil, and in bringing about the 
 improvements necessary to his convenience and 
 comfort. His career has been that of an honest man 
 and a good citizen, and one in which he has justly 
 earned tlie esteem and confidence of his neighbors. 
 He has been identified with the Republican party 
 for many years, and to the enterprises calculated to 
 benefit the community at large has given as he was 
 able his cordial and generous support. He thor- 
 oughly' believes in the establishment of religious and 
 educational institutions, and has assisted in the 
 building of several churclies in his county. As one 
 of the oldest pioneers, he is accorded that tacit 
 reverence and respect extended those who ventured 
 into the uncultivated wilds, and never permitted 
 themselves to withdraw from the t.ask they had un- 
 dertaken. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Edmands there were born eight 
 children, namely: Mary, Margaret, Jane, Ann, Jona- 
 than, Edmund, Elizabeth and Sarah. Three of 
 these are living, one in Wisconsin, and two in Ne- 
 braska. Among the views presented on the pages 
 of this volume may be found one belonging to Mr. 
 Edmands. 
 
 ►^HK- 
 
 AVID RICKARD. Our sul)ject is one of 
 those who have reached the goal after 
 years of toil, labor, anxiety, and all the 
 attendant incidents of a busy life, and now 
 has retired from active service. He has let the 
 mantle of his former intelligent industry fall upon 
 tiie shoulders of liis son, who has charge of the old 
 farm and operates it in his own interest. Our sub- 
 
 ject resides upon section 18 of Grant Township, 
 and owns 230 acres of land on section 2, compris- 
 ing the farm, which is finely improved and has good 
 buildings, etc. This is the property that is now 
 utilized by his son. 
 
 Mr. Rickard came to this county in the fall 
 of 1870 and located on the farm on section 2, and 
 entered upon the pioneer work connected with the 
 bringing of raw prairie land to good farming land. 
 In this work he was abundantly successful, and con- 
 tinued until about ten years .ago, when he came to 
 his present residence and took up a retired life. 
 Previous to living in Nebraska his home had been 
 in Wayne County, Ohio, where he hail farmed for 
 four and a half j-ears. Prior to that he had con- 
 tinued to reside in his native State, that of Penn- 
 sylvania, where he was born in Somerset County 
 on the- 13th of December, 1819. He is the third 
 child and the second son of William and Sarah 
 (Strose) Rickard, both of whom are now deceased, 
 their death occurring in Westmoreland County of 
 that State. Wlien this last ciiange came the father 
 was over eighty, and the mother somewhat more 
 than ninety years of age. They were both natives 
 of the Keystone State. Mr. Rickard, Sr., was a 
 hotel-keeper all his life. The famil}' was well known 
 throughout a large section of country and held 
 everywhere in the highest regard. They were the 
 parents of nine children, five of whom were sons. 
 Of this family but one member, Elizabeth Miller, is 
 deceased; she died at an advanced age, and all 
 those living are over fifty years of age. 
 
 The boyhood, youth and early manhood of our 
 subject were spent in his native county; his educa- 
 tion was received in the usual institution of the 
 times and was complete according to the curricu- 
 lum of that day. It was with pleasurable pride 
 that as a young man our subject deposited his first 
 ballot, which w.as given in favor of Gen. '"Tippe- 
 canoe" Harrison, of glorious memorj', and it is 
 almost unnecessary to say that his grandson re- 
 ceived the vote of our subject at the past election. 
 
 At the age of twenty-two years Mr. Rickard 
 went to Westmoreland County, and there was 
 united in holy matrimony with Catherine Harmon. 
 This interesting event was celebrated on the 24th 
 of December, 1846, and has been the means of com- 
 
 n 
 
^ 
 
 ^ii^h-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 341 
 
 pleting and brightening two lives at least. This lady 
 was horn on tlie 9th of August, 1825, in that 
 coiint3-. and reniaine<l at the home of her parents 
 until her marriage, receiving such education as was 
 usual in the neighboring school- house, and at home 
 trained in all the diversities of housewifer}'. .She was 
 the daughter of one of Pennsjivanja's prosperous 
 farmers, Philip Harmon, who was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Elizabeth Humm. 
 
 Mrs. Rickard, who was called to pass to her long 
 home in .September of 1881. was just such a one as 
 King Solomon might have had in mind when he 
 wrote "He that findeth a good wife findeth a good 
 thing." Her memory will always be sacredly re- 
 vered, for her life and character were most beauti- 
 ful, presenting in the varied relations of life as wife 
 and mother an idealistic maturity and bcaut3'. Her 
 eight children will ever hold her in mind as the one 
 perfection of womanhood of their lives. The names 
 of her children are as follows: William H., now of 
 DeWitt; Oscar, resident in the Rockies; Elizabeth 
 A., now the wife of Finle^' Kinzey, and resident in 
 Lincoln ; David H., who operates the old home farm ; 
 John, who lives upon a farm in Lane County, Kan.; 
 Lucius L., living in Liucoln; Mary D., now Mrs. 
 George Randell, of Frontier Count}', Neb., and 
 George G.. also a farmer in Lane County, Kan. 
 
 Mr. Rickard entered into a second matrimonial 
 alliance upon the 2d of March 1884, the lady of 
 his choice being Mrs. Luc}' B. Van Cleef, nee Tut- 
 tle. This lady was born on the 4th of October, 
 1823. in Indiana, to John A. and Marj' (Tine}-) 
 Tuttle, natives of Long Island, who were then mar- 
 ried, and later came to Ohio, and thence removed to 
 Indiana, residing in the northern part of that State. 
 where they died at a ver}' advanced age. Their 
 daughter Lucj' was married to William W. Van Cleef, 
 and shortly afterward came to Nebraska and lo- 
 cated in this county, where he died in 1866, leaving 
 his widowed wife with five children, one of whom 
 is now deceased ; her name was Phoebe A. Those 
 who still survive are as follows: John A., a resident 
 of Jefferson County; Betsey J., now the wife of 
 Dow Taylor, a farmer in Saline Count}'; George, a 
 successful farmer in the same county; Mary Close, 
 who with her husband resides upon her mother's 
 farm, being the land taken by her late husband 
 
 -.<• 
 
 when they came to the State in 1857, and from 
 which at one time they had to flee to Beatrice to 
 escape Indian cruelty or worse. Mi's. Rickard owns 
 in her own right 240 acres which was left by her 
 husband. 
 
 In the late war Mr. Rickard enlisted in the cav- 
 alry as Corporal in a batalliou in Pennsylvania in 
 18(33, and after six months re-enlisted in Company 
 E, 211th Pennsylvania Infantry, and served in all 
 tiie eng.ngements of note until the close of the war, 
 rising from the ranl«to the position of .Second Ser- 
 geant. He was accounted a good soldier, and 
 because thereof was promoted. He has continued 
 from that time the support of the Republican cause, 
 and will continue so to do. He is accorded by the 
 entire community in which he resides the hearty 
 respect and highest esteem because of his irre- 
 proachalile ciuiracter and successful life. He has 
 ever been forward in advancing the interest of re- 
 ligious, social and educational affairs, and has rec- 
 ognized the importance of the institutions having 
 this in view. 
 
 ^^EORGE WRIGHT is well known as a suc- 
 III g— , cessful farmer on section 22, Island Grove 
 ^^4' Township, where he h.as a fine farm of 160 
 acres. He was born in Knox County, 111., on the 
 13th of September, 1844, and is the eldest of seven 
 children who comprise the family of his father. 
 His parents, William D. and Susan (Robertson) 
 Wright, are natives of Kentucky, and after their 
 marriage they made their home in Knox County, 
 111. They remained in that place until 1883, in 
 which year they removed to Oregon, and are now 
 residing in that distant State engaged in the occu- 
 pation of farming, which has been their vocation 
 through life. 
 
 Our subject, as the eldest son, assisted his father 
 in the work of his farm and the maintenance of 
 the family until he reached the age of twenty-two 
 years, after which time he began in business for 
 himself, and having by this time a thorough under- 
 standing of the work necessary for successful results 
 in agriculture he continued in that work on his own 
 behalf. In 1876 he moved to Adair County, Iowa, 
 
 r 
 
M^ 
 
 342 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 where he continued farming, and in 1886 he came 
 to tliis fount^' and iiiirehased a quarter section of 
 land at 122 per acre. The land was in a partly 
 improved condition when it came into his hands, 
 and he has since increased its value and added to 
 its appearance by the improvements which he has 
 made. 
 
 lu 18GG Mr. Wright was united in marriage with 
 Miss Errilla Linn, a daughter of John and Mar^' A. 
 (Campbell) Linn, who were natives of Ohio. Mrs. 
 Wrigiit was born in Morrow County, Ohio, on the 
 14th of June, 1845, and remained in her native 
 Stale until the year 1856. She received her educa- 
 tion from the schools in Morrow County, and from 
 her mother she learned the domestic virtues which 
 qualify her to make such a pleasant home for her 
 own family. By her kind advice, and the interest 
 which she manifests in his labor, she has assisted our 
 subject in the accumulation of his present property, 
 and the work necessary for its improvement. They 
 have gathered about them a family of four chil- 
 dren, to whom they have given the names of Susan 
 E., William Scott, Jefferson T. and Nora D. 
 
 Our subject is concerned in the welfare of his 
 community as well as for that of the country at 
 large, and as far as he is able he gives encourage- 
 ment to the fostering and improvement of all the 
 public institutions by which the best good can be 
 secured. He has been an incumbent of the offices 
 of Director and Treasurer, in which he served for 
 ten years, with credit to himself and satisfaction to 
 those who elected him to the office. In all matters 
 relating to the political government of the country 
 he affiliates with the Democratic party. 
 
 
 ALSEY COOK. The subject of the follow- 
 ing notice took up his abode in Highland 
 Township during the period of its early set- 
 tlement, securing a tract of land 160 acres 
 in extent on section 31. A native of Tompkins 
 County, N. Y., he was born Sept. 29, 1822, and is 
 the son of Jeremiah and Sarah Cook, the father 
 born on Long Island, N. Y., and the mother in the 
 same State. 
 
 Jeremiah Cook during his early manhood served 
 
 as a soldier in the War of 1812. and was a strong 
 supporter of Andrew Jackson for President. The 
 household circle consisted of eight children, seven 
 of whom are living, and located as follows: Frank- 
 lin is in Steuben County, N. Y. ; Samuel, in Brad- 
 ford County, Pa.; Seth, in Kansas; Halsey is our 
 subject, -and was the fourth child; Amanda is the 
 wife of L. G. Hastings, of Greene County, Iowa; 
 Nancy, Mrs. Barlow, and Mary A., the wife of Alvah 
 Butler, are residents of Steuben County, N. Y. 
 
 When the subject of this sketch was a little lad 
 five years of age, his parents took up their residence 
 in Bradford County, Pa., where they lived for a 
 period of six j'ears, the father engaged in farming. 
 Thence they removed back to the Empire State, 
 locating this time in Steuben County, where Hal- 
 sey completed his education, and was reared to 
 manhood. The school advantages of those days 
 were far inferior to tliose of the present time, but 
 our subject being fond of his books, pursued a thor- 
 ough course of reading, and became well informed 
 upon the important topics of the day. When 
 twenty years of age, he set about the establishment 
 of a home, by his marriage with Miss L3'dia Clark, 
 the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, 
 Dec. 15, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Cook continued resi- 
 dents of New York State until 1845. There have 
 been born to them six children, four of whom are 
 living: Monroe is a resident of Ogle County, III.; 
 Eliza, the wife of Edward Atkinson, is a resident of 
 Burlington, Iowa; Delphia married George Tuni- 
 son, and lives in Saline County, this State; Halsey 
 J. is also a resident of that county, engaged in farm- 
 ing. The deceased daughters, Sarah C. and Mary 
 A., died at the ages of twenty -eight and five, re- 
 spectively, Sarah C. died in Kansas, May 10, 1874, 
 and Mary A. in Illinois. 
 
 Our subject and his wife, a few months after their 
 marriage, emigrated to Ogle Count3', III., taking up 
 their abode among its early pioneers, and there 
 lived a quarter of a century. Mrs. LydiaCook de- 
 parted this life at her home in Flagg Township, 
 Ogle County, in 1862. Our subject was the second 
 time married, Oct. 12, 1862, to Mrs. Emily Jewell, 
 widow of Monroe Jewell, who died in California. 
 Mr. Cook in 1871 left Illinois, and crossing the 
 Mississippi, settled in Woodson County, Kan., where 
 
 -f 
 
4 
 
 <•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 343 
 
 he lived three years, and in the fall of 1874 came to 
 tills county. He purchased eighty acres of land in 
 Highland Township, at §7 per acre, from the Bur- 
 lington it jNIissoiiri River Railroad Company, run- 
 ning in debt for the amount. The energy and per- 
 severance with which he labored are indicated from 
 the fact that he not onl}' cleared himself of his first 
 indebtedness, but in due time purchased more land, 
 and has now a fine farm of 240 acres with first-class 
 improvements. He commenced operations with one 
 span of horses and an old wagon worth about $15, 
 a breaking pljw and a yoke of oxen, and less than 
 #.5 in cash. He practiced the most rigid econom}-, 
 and has always made it a rule to live within his in- 
 come. His career should be an encouragement to 
 those starting out at the foot of the ladder, and is 
 an example of the industry and perseverance which 
 seldom fail to bring their legitimate reward 
 
 Mr. Cook during bis early voting d.ays was a 
 member of the old Whig party, but upon the organ- 
 ization of the Republicans, cordially endorsed their 
 principles, and has since supported them. He held 
 several of the minor offices while a resident of 
 Illinois, and is recognized as a liberal and public- 
 spirited citizen, uniformly encouraging the enter- 
 prises calculated for the advancement of the people. 
 As one of the pioneer citizens of this county, who 
 has m.ade for himself a good record, he is in the en- 
 joyment of that esteem and confidence which by a 
 correct life he has most justly earned. 
 
 
 " W. LYKK. Nothing is more delightful 
 than to traverse the country throughout 
 Southern Nebraska during its harvest season, 
 and note the thrift and industry of a large majority 
 of its people. From the abundance of its products 
 may safely be augured the character of its people, 
 for the soil, however rich in its natural resources, 
 must be judiciouslj' tended, or man's expectations 
 will come to naught. Prominent among the skill- 
 ful agriculturists of this region may properly be 
 named the subject of this sketch, who has been 
 liberally' endowed with the qualities which have 
 assured his success both as a farmer, a business man, 
 and a valuable member of tlie community. He has 
 
 extensive interests, being part owner of one and 
 one-half sections of land, the whole of which he 
 gu|)erintends, making a specialty of the raising of 
 grain and stock. Ho gives employment to a large 
 number of men the year round, and is thus no 
 unimportant factor in the business and farming 
 interests of Gage County. 
 
 The ancestry of an individual is next in im|)or- 
 tance to his own personality, and can never prop- 
 erly be omitted from the record of his life. The 
 father of our subject was Stanton Lynk, a native 
 of the Empire State, and born near the city of 
 Rochester, in 1834. He lived theie until a youth 
 of eighteen years, and then migrating to Will 
 County, 111., engaged in farming, and there has 
 since remained. There also he married Miss Isabel 
 Doig, who was born in Wiishington, D. C, two 
 years later than her husband, in 183G. She is still 
 living with him at the old homestead. They arc 
 the parents of six children, three sons and three 
 daughters, namely: Janet, the wife of Abel Bliss, a 
 farmer of Will County, 111. ; Z. W., the subject of 
 this sketch ; Adella, who married Walter Rowley, a 
 farmer of that county; Everett, also farming in that 
 locality; Eva and Irwin, at home with their par- 
 ents. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in Will 
 County, III., April 3, 18C0, and spent his boyhood 
 days there upon the farm, and in attendance at the 
 district school until twenty-two i'ears of age. Feb. 
 23, 1882, desirous of establishing a home of his 
 own, he was united in marriage with Miss Cornelia, 
 daughter of Charles and Hannah (Holly) Finch, 
 who were born in Illinois. The father was a druggist 
 by occupation, and departed this life at his home 
 in Will County, 111., in 1863. The mother is still 
 living in the Prairie State. Mrs. Lynk w.as the 
 younger of their two children, and was born Jan. 
 25, 1863, in Will County, 111. She spent her early 
 life under the home roof, continuing with her par- 
 ents until her marriage. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lynk began their wedded, life in 
 Iowa, where, in Wright County, our subject carried 
 on farming eighteen months, then resolved to cast 
 his lot with the people of Southern Nebraska. Com- 
 ing to this countj-. he jjurchased 320 acres of land on 
 section 35, in Sherman Township, where he has since 
 
■^^ 
 
 341 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 operated with flattering success. He sliipshis cattle 
 to Chicago, and usually keeps on hand from 125 to 
 200 head. These consume the larger part of 200 
 acres of corn, which is raised on the land of Mr. L. 
 and his partner, and besides this they gather in 
 some years as many as 100 acres of oats and the 
 same of flax. 
 
 Mr. Lynk has a very pleasant and comfortable 
 home and an interesting faniilj', the latter including 
 two bright children, Mabel A. and Howard S., six 
 and four years of age respectively. Mr. Lynk 
 meddles very little with matters outside his busi- 
 ness and his family, but upon occasions of impor- 
 tant elections gives his support to the Republican 
 party. 
 
 r^ZEKIEL McCORMACK is one of the pio- 
 M neer settlers of Highland Township, who 
 ll=a^ has with pleasurable pride watched its pro- 
 
 gression, settlement, development and growth. His 
 residence and farm are on S'jction 14, where, in 
 1872, he homesteaded eighty acres of Government 
 land and settled thereon. Our subject was born in 
 County Antrim, Ireland, on the 15th of May, 
 1 842, to James and Ellen McCormack, natives of 
 the same place. He was the second son born to his 
 parents, whose family circle included four children. 
 His education was received in his native county, 
 and provided him with a fair foundation upon 
 which to rear life's structure. Frcmi tliat time his 
 attention was directed to the multifarious minutia 
 of agricultural pursuits, in which he was engaged 
 until he was about twenty-two j'ears of age. 
 
 In the spring of 1864 our subject emigrated to 
 this country, taking passage from Belfast to Liver- 
 jjool on a sailing-vessel, and thence to New York, 
 the voyage consuming somewhat over four weeks. 
 As soon as tiie first strangeness of the New World 
 had worn off, lie proceeded to Philadelphia, where 
 he obtained employment with the wholesale grocery 
 firm of McCann & Cooper, to drive one of their 
 teams. This situation he held for five years, re- 
 maining in the same occupation and city for about 
 four yenrs longer. 
 
 In 1872 our subject came to Gage County and 
 settled, as above mentioned, on section 14, Highland 
 
 <» 
 
 Township. There were very few settlers in the 
 district and he was comparatively alone, and ex- 
 perienced all the difficult}', inconvenience and loss 
 attending frontier life, where long distances must 
 be traversed to and from the markets, with all the 
 attending disadvantageous circumstances of pio- 
 neer life that have turned back so many who once 
 bravely started to engage therein. He has brought 
 his farm to its present high state of perfection in 
 agriculture from a condition of nature that had 
 been perhaps untouched by man from the day of 
 the issuing of the creative fiat. That he has been 
 successful is shown in the fact that he has more 
 than doubled his farm acreage since his original 
 settlement, which now contains 200 acres, while its 
 financial value has verj- largely increased also, 
 and in greater proportion. His. farm buildings are 
 good and substantial, his residence pleasant and 
 commodious, and the farm well supplied with the 
 necessaries of good farming. His previous history 
 and life in Philadelphia, comi)ared with his present 
 position and prospects, reveal the fact that he has 
 made what he has by his own efforts, and has not 
 been reaping the harvest of another life, as is often 
 the case in the acquisition of riches, when through 
 the death of relatives their belongings, no longer 
 usable by them, are passed on into other hands. 
 
 Our subject was happily married to Matilda 
 Young, at Philadelphia, Sept. 29, 1871. This lady 
 is the daughter of Edward and Jane Young, of 
 Tyrone, Ireland. The former is deceased. The 
 wife of our subject was the third child born to 
 them, and that interesting event occurred at Ty- 
 rone, on the 12th of August, 1846. She resided 
 with her relatives until her marriage, which has 
 proved to our subject to be one of the most im- 
 portant, and at the same time happy, steps of his 
 life. There have been four children born of this 
 union, whose names are as follows: Sarah J., James 
 E., Harry M. and Gertrude F. 
 
 Our subject affiliates with the Republican party 
 in his position upon jjolitical questions, and h.as for 
 years been one of its stout adherents and doughty 
 friends. For three years he has served as Modera- 
 tor of the school district. Both our subject and 
 his wife are connected with the Presbyterian Church, 
 and in that communion find that which is congenial 
 
 -•► 
 
^•^HK-* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 345 
 
 to them ill tliis respect. Tliey are held ia the 
 highest regard as consistent and active menibcis 
 and siiiJi)orteis, and take great interest in the vari- 
 ous departments of church and SSunday-schooI worlc, 
 Mr. McCorraaci< being Sundaj--sciiool Treasurer, 
 having hehl that office continuously for several 
 years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. McCormack are prominent in local 
 society, and are gladly welcomed to the best circles 
 thereof. They are identified with the various enter- 
 prises and projects that have been formeil for the 
 Ijenefit of the community and advancement of the 
 surroundings. As regards honor, uprightness, pa- 
 triotism, and ever}' moral and social virtue, they 
 occupy as higli a place as any in the county. The 
 social qualities that make our subject so popu- 
 lar, his genial, affable manner, supported liy his 
 strong force of character and strict business integ- 
 rity, combine to make him one of the most promi- 
 nent and worthy representatives of Irish-American 
 citizenship, and assure a continuance of the exten- 
 sion of those sentiments on the part of his fellow- 
 citizens that make his life at the present place of 
 residence and in that community so eminently satis- 
 factory and enjoyable. 
 
 ~s ^^ ^ 
 
 ISAAC J. FRANTZ has been eminently success- 
 ful in his business and social career, and is 
 prominently identified with the workings of 
 the public institutions of this community, having 
 done much to aid in their improvement. He is en- 
 gaged in farming and stock-raising on his home 
 farm, consisting of 320 acres, all on sections 5 and 8, 
 Rockford Township. His father, William, was born 
 in Maiyland, and his mother, Nancy (Rush) Frantz, 
 in Prairie County, Ohio. The parents were married 
 in the latter State, then removed to Illinois, and made 
 their home there until their death, the father dying 
 in 1869 at the age of fifty-nine years, and the mother 
 in 1875 at the age of sixty-three years. The nine 
 children which comprise their family bear the fol- 
 lowing names: James M., Horatio N., Catherine, 
 Mary K., Maggie, Dallas, Isaac J. , Ella E. and Ida B. 
 Our subject was born on the 14th of January, 
 1850, in Pike Townshi[), Prairie Co., Ohio, and 
 
 !^ 
 
 spent his early 3'ears on his father's farm. There 
 he attended the common schools, and having ap- 
 plied himself with much diligence to the t^tsks 
 ,issigned him, he was enabled to obtain a thorough 
 education in the elementary branches of learning, 
 He remained at home until he was fifteen j'ears old, 
 at which time he came with his i)arents to Mon- 
 mouth, 111., where he worked out on a farm during 
 the summer and attended the academic depart- 
 ment of Monmouth College during the winter. He 
 then rented a farm and continued the vocation of 
 agriculture on his own behalf. 
 
 On the 4tli of March, 1875, Mr. Frantz was 
 united in marriage with Miss Anna E. Sickmon, a 
 daughter of George and Sarah (Green) Sickmon, 
 the former of whom was born in Erie County, and 
 the latter near Syracuse, N. 'i . They were mar- 
 ried in their native State, and three years later 
 moved to Illinois, the husband purchasing a farm 
 near Monmouth. He is now very comfortably situ- 
 ated, and enjoys the fruits of his early industry in 
 company with his faithful companion and helpmate, 
 the respective milestones of their existence num- 
 bering sixty-nine and sixt}--six. Their six children 
 have grown to manhood and womanhood, and bear 
 the names of Sallie M., Susan E., Wintield S., Anna 
 E., Eliza and Charles. Anna E., the wife of our 
 suliject, was born on the 21st of June, 1853, near 
 Monmouth, where she grew to girlhood's years and 
 began a course of instruction in the common schools. 
 After that was completed she attended the Mon- 
 mouth College, and received an education in the 
 .accomplishments which have fitted her to adorn 
 her home and the societj' in which she moves. 
 
 To our suliject and his wife there have been horn 
 four children, two of whom, named Kittle B. and 
 Ross E., were born in Illinois, and the remaining 
 two. Earl M. and Harold, in this county. In 1880 
 they came to Nebraska and purchased 320 acres of 
 land, all of which lliej- have brought undercultiva- 
 tion and to a most lucrative condition. Our subject 
 has made many valuable improvements, chief of 
 which was the building of a very fine house and 
 farm buildings. The cattle and horse barns are 
 built with a large basement, commonly called " hank 
 barns," and are supplied with running water forced 
 by a wind-pump. Our subject is extensively en- 
 
34G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 gaged in farming nnd stoclv-raising, breeding and 
 feeding cattle, and for five years lie has turned his 
 attention to breeding roadsters and trotters, having 
 nineteen head of horses. He keeps from 80 to 100 
 hogs, .and has 100 head of cattle. On the farm 
 there are two groves, containing two and a half 
 acres apiece, planted with fine maple and box elder 
 trees. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Frantz are inflnential members of 
 the Christian Church, of Beatrice, and are each well 
 qualified by educational and social attainments to 
 honor the place in society accorded to them. Our 
 subject has been Director of the schools of his town- 
 ship, and takes an active interest in the educational 
 advancement as well as the political and religious 
 welfare of his community. He is an ardent Repub- 
 lican, and his zeal in the cause of that party secured 
 his election as delegate to the Repubtican County 
 Convention in 1886. He h.as accumulated his 
 wealth by his own integrity and labor, and is in 
 every respect a self-made man, who has been more 
 than ordinarily successful in life. 
 
 W;1LLIAM MAHLOCH has proved himself 
 the possessor of a large amount of that ex- 
 cellent quality of manhood and self-reliance, 
 which, united with perseverance and industrj-, has 
 enabled him to become one of the useful young 
 farmers of Blakely Township, in which he owns a 
 fine farm of 240 acres on section 5. When he 
 started out in life he was comparatively poor, and 
 what he now owns has been obtained b^' his own 
 manl^' efforts, be being indebted to no man for the 
 help of so much as a penny. He was born in Shebo}'- 
 gan County, Wis., on the 14th of December, 1852, 
 and is a son of Phillip and Sophia (Vest) Mahloch, 
 who had come to the United States from one of the 
 Rhine Provinces in Germany after their marriage. 
 The mother died in 1854 in Wisconsin, but the 
 f.ather is still living in that State, and has reached 
 the age of seventy-two years. The parents were 
 Lutherans in their religious belief. 
 
 Our subject was twenty j'ears old when he began 
 working for himself, and first hired out as a farm 
 laborer in his native State, then went to Henry 
 
 County, 111., where he worked for two years, after 
 which, when he was twenty-three j-earsold, became 
 to Nebraska. Pie was married in this township on 
 the 28th of June, 1880, to Miss Lizzie Riddle, who 
 was born in Maryland in 1862. Her father was a 
 German farmer who had come to the United States 
 and settled in Maryland. The mother died in that 
 State, and the father afterward married again and 
 came to Nebraska, now making his home on a farm 
 in Jefferson County. Mrs. Mahloch was sixteen 
 years old when she came with her father to the 
 great undeveloped West, and a little later was 
 married here. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have had six children 
 in their family, one of whom, named Minnie, died 
 when she was eleven months old, and the remain- 
 ing four children bear the names of Louis, Hannah, 
 Peter and Carrie; an infant is unnamed. Mr. Mali- 
 locii purchased his first land here in 1879, when he 
 secured 160 acres, after which he added eighty 
 acres to it from an adjoining farm, and he now has 
 one of the veiy good farms of this county. The 
 land was wild and unbroken prairie when it came 
 into his hands, and all of its improvements are due 
 to his own industry, it being now in a condition to 
 produce fine crops of grain. Our subject also 
 gives considerable attention to the raising of stock 
 of a superior grade. He was one of the first 
 settlers in this neighborhood, and has been a resi- 
 dent of this county since 1875. He and his wife 
 are highly esteemed members of the German Luth- 
 eran Church, and rank well among the best fam- 
 ilies of the township. Mr. Mahloch affiliates with 
 the Republican party in politics, and is a first-class, 
 honorable man. 
 
 *AMES M. TARRANTS. Upon the banks 
 of the Big Blue River, in Blakely Township 
 of this county, stands the well-built, splen- 
 didly- equipped and excellentlj^ managed 
 Caldwell Mill, which is owned by Mr. Tarrants. 
 whose history is herein presented in succinct form. 
 He is the son of Minos Tarrants, who was born 
 in South Carolina, and while j'et a child removed 
 with his i)arents to Kentucky. In that State he 
 
 -♦- 
 

 W 
 
 VV»- 
 
 ^^^yj^ "/. 
 
 Kiy^ylim/ 
 
■#^ 
 
 a 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 349 
 
 met and finally inanied Miss Nancy McConnell, 
 who was burn in Kentucky, of Virginian parents. 
 After his marriage he settled in Warren County, 
 Ky., where ihej- made their home until their death. 
 Mrs. Tarrants dying in the year 1850. at fifty -six 
 years of age, and her husband in the year 1868, at 
 the age of eighty-four jears. 
 
 Our subject is one of a family of seven children, 
 who are still living. He was born, brought up, 
 educated, learned the duties and tasks of farm work 
 until he arrived at man's estate, at the AVarren 
 Countj' homestead. Oct. 5, 1854, he became the 
 husband of Miss Margaret Merrell, at Lexing- 
 ton. Kj'., where this lady w.as born, and had con- 
 tinued to live until that time. Her father was a 
 blacksmith, and had lived in Kentucky, his native 
 State, all his life, and there died in the year 1862. 
 
 The home of our subject was made quite bright 
 and liapiw by the influence of his wife. His house 
 is most happily situated and pleasant, both in in- 
 ternal arrangement and general situation. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Tarrants have been blessed by the birth of 
 three children, whose names are recorded as follows: 
 Ophelia, Lena and Nancy. The first child, how- 
 ever, died in childhood; Lena is the wife of Dr. 
 C. D. Stevens, of St. Louis, vvhere Mr. Stevens is at 
 present manufacturing mineral paints upon quite a 
 large scale; Nancy, the youngest, is happily mar- 
 ried to C. L. Gratiot, who until his health failed 
 superintended the mill of Mr. Tarrants. 
 
 As above noted, our subject was born in Warren 
 County, Ky. There he remained until 1848, when 
 he removed to St. Louis, Mo. After living for 
 some time in that citj', he purchased a small farm 
 of twenty-five acres just beyond the city limits. 
 During this time he was engaged in farming and 
 fruit-growing. He removed thither in the year 
 1856, and in the year 1870 sold that propertj- for 
 the sum of $2,000 per acre. He tiien returned to 
 the citj-, and removed to this place in 1887, and it 
 was not long before he purch.ased his present prop- 
 ertj% His mill was originally the propertj- of a 
 Mr. ILancard, but this gentleman was bought out 
 bj" our subject, who, although not a practical miller, 
 has been quite successful in the business. It has an 
 abundant supplj' of power and has a capacity of 
 seventy-ftve barrels per daj-. In order to do this 
 
 our subject has been careful to employ only those 
 who are intensely practical, and thoroughly under- 
 stands the business in all its branches. Since the 
 sickness of his son-in-law, the superintendency h.as 
 been in the hands of Mr. Worthy Lee, a gentleman 
 intimate with every department of his calling, and 
 under whose management the good reputation of 
 this mill is steadilj' and constantlj' increasing. 
 
 Our subject occupies a prominent place in the 
 township, owing to this fact, and is at the same 
 time highly esteemed because of his honor in all 
 business transactions and general high character. 
 In his political relations he afBliates with the Demo- 
 cratic party, and is among the most stable and con- 
 sistent of his party. 
 
 /p^iEORGE C. WILKINSON is a representative 
 III (— , of that Empire upon which the sun never 
 ^^^^ sets, and although for man}' years a resident 
 of this, his adopted country, he presents many of 
 the national characteristics of his race. He came 
 West to procure a home, and the means to sustain 
 the same. Being English, it is needless to add he 
 hung on to his purpose until it was attained, and to- 
 day he possesses such a home of which he m.ay be 
 justly proud, when it is considered how many rough 
 roads have been traveled in order to obtain the 
 secret key to the situation. His residence and beau- 
 tiful farm are upon sections 19 and 20, Sherman 
 Township, and exhibit the most admirable enter- 
 prise, thrifty cultivation, and abundant fertility. 
 
 Thomas Wilkinson, the father of our subject, was 
 born in Nottinghamshire, England, in the year 1790. 
 His first employment was in a butcher shop, but as 
 a young man he turne<i to the profession of veter- 
 inary surgeon, which he practiced with much suc- 
 cess until his death, which occurred in 1842. The 
 maiden name of his wife was JIary A. Cousens, a 
 native of the same county. Their family comprised 
 five children, our subject being the only son. Their 
 names are as follows: Mary A., the wife of George 
 Hardy, one of Iowa's well-to-do fsirmers; Carolina 
 Wilson, of Loudon, England; our subject; Fanny 
 Hardy, a widow, who makes her home at Island 
 
 n 
 
> ► i r ^r 
 
 350 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Grove, and Jane, who resides in London, England, 
 and is still unmarried. 
 
 In Grassthorpe, Nottingliarashire, England, was 
 born on the 6th of Octolier, 1824, the siiliject of 
 this sketch. All the daj's of childhood and 
 youtii, the school days, and also those when he 
 joined the army of wage workers, were spent at 
 home, and under this sheltering roof he remained 
 nntil he had passed his eighteenth birthday. From 
 that time he continued for three years in a butcher 
 shop, learning the trade, wliich he afterward fol- 
 lowed for about two years; then, in 1K47, he came 
 to New York, and from there went to Rochester, 
 where he remained a j'ear working at his trade. 
 Thence he went to New Orleans, which was his 
 home for about five years, during which time he 
 continued at his trade, and succeeded in making 
 somewhat of a start toward the success of to- da}'. 
 At the close of that period he returned to Roch- 
 ester ; thence west to Illinois, where he rented a farm 
 in Whiteside County, and for four years saw pros- 
 perous times in that new departure. During this 
 period he lived with his sister, who was upon an ad- 
 joining farm. 
 
 The waves of war tliat suiged and billowed 
 filled the whole country with the noise of their roar- 
 ing, and in common with others who had learned to 
 love the star-spangled banner, our subject enlisted 
 in Company F, 93d Illinois Infantry-, and proceeded 
 to the barracks at Chicago, where, after a short 
 period spent in necessary" drill and outfitting, with 
 his regiment he went to the front, and became one 
 of the Arm}^ of the Potomac. He participated in 
 the great conflict at Lookout Mountain, Missionary 
 Ridge, Champion Hills, Vickslnirg and Altoona. He 
 was also in Sherman's renowned march to the sea, 
 and on the 3d of Januar\', ISG,"), received an honor- 
 able discharge at Louisville, Ky. 
 
 Upon leaving the army, our subject returned to 
 Illinois, and tlierc spent one j'ear. During thisj'ear, 
 however, he surrendered himself to the womaulj' 
 graces and attributes of Miss Rebecca Jane Borton, 
 the daughter of Darling H. and Anna (Ingling) 
 Borton, natives of New Jersey' and Ohio respect- 
 ively. Their family numbered six children, two of 
 whom were daughters. There are now but four 
 members of this interesting family living. The wife 
 
 of our subject was the youngest child, and was born 
 Aug. 1, 1843. Iler marriage was celebrated at 
 Davenport, Iowa, on the 15th of June, 1866. Al- 
 most immediately after the happy event the young 
 couple started with w.agon, team, and some stock, 
 and continued their westerly journey until their ar- 
 rival in this count}', where he entered a homestead 
 of 160 acres. The land taken by our subject was 
 in the hands of a "squatter" who had a small log 
 cabin that covered a site 12x13 feet, and had eight 
 acres of ground broken. Our subject paid iiim $200 
 for his interest, and then took it as noted above. 
 At that time the township was all Government land, 
 and was exceedingl}' sparsely settled, .is will be seen 
 when it is noticed that only eleven houses stood as 
 a nucleus of the present beautiful and enterprising 
 city of Beatrice, and that between that place an<l 
 the house of our subject, a distance of fourteen 
 miles, there were only four houses. Since that time 
 our subject has been enabled to purchase more land, 
 until he controls a full half-section. 
 
 The family of our subject comprises two chil- 
 dren, who have been named Mary C. and Thomas 
 E. In political matters Mr. Wilkinson affiliates 
 with the Repulilican party, and finds in it that which 
 is in harmony with his principles and thought in 
 such matters. For several years he has been a mem- 
 ber of the School Board, and fills that office with 
 satisfaction to all. Despite heavy trials, reverses 
 and adversity, our subject has continued faithfully 
 with the work he began, and has for years been 
 numbered among the most prosperous and valued 
 citizens of Sherman Township. 
 
 Among the portraits of representative citizens of 
 Gage County presented in this Album may be 
 found that of Mr. Wilkinson. 
 
 -^-f^^ 
 
 EDWARD G. RATH 
 tains its full quota 
 divers and honoral 
 
 -T^ DWARD G. RATHBUN. Gage County con- 
 iota of young men, who fill 
 rable positions in Ihe vari- 
 ous departments of professional and business life. 
 It is the purpose of this sketch to introduce to the 
 reader one such, who has carved for himself a finan- 
 cial prosperity, and built up a position that is at 
 
 *t 
 
■^*- 
 
 -•►Hlr*<« 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 351 
 
 once substnntial, and mure truly complimentary 
 then any mere eulogj', wliicli this sketch is not de- 
 signed to be. If ill the following lines the facts 
 stated retlect credilahiy upon the subject, as they 
 must, there is supplied the inevitable reason. 
 
 Our subject was born in Ogle County, 111., on 
 the 26tli of December, 18G3, and is the youngest 
 son and last living of Job B. and Olive M. (Buck) 
 Rathbun. The mother of our subject bade her last 
 farewell to her family, and went to her rest at theage 
 of forl3'-seven years, in l^j^O. This ladj' was born 
 in Steuben Countj', N. Y., of which State her par- 
 ents were also natives. Thoughout her life she wiis 
 a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, and died in the faith. The father of our 
 subject was also born in Steuben County, and was 
 there reared to manhood. After their marriage the 
 young couple settled in their native State, but only 
 for a short time; the}' then removed to Ogle 
 County, 111., and located nn a farm near llochelle. 
 In 1871 he came to this State and has since made 
 his home here, for the greater part of the time at 
 DeWitt. He is the owner of 3,000 acres of grounc?, 
 with the exception of a very small portion all in a 
 verj- high state of cultivation. He is one of the 
 wealthy men of the count}', and has accumulated 
 the greater part in this State. 
 
 5Ir. Rathbun came to thiscountj^ with his father, 
 and from that time has made it his home. On the 
 22d of February, 1887, he was united in marriage, 
 in Blakely Township, to Miss Nellie Whipi)le. This 
 lady is a native of Illinois, in which State she 
 was bt)rn on the 23d of March, 1870, and came to 
 Nebraska with her parents when fifteen years old. 
 Her parents are well connected, and have made 
 many friends. Quite recently, however, they re- 
 moved back to Illinois. Our subject and his wife 
 are the parents of one child, to whom has been 
 given the name Edna May. 
 
 The home of our subject is situated on section 
 10, Lincoln Township, and comprises IGO acres of 
 very fine agricultural land. He has spared no 
 pains in improving his property, and being thor- 
 oughly acquainteil with all the work of the farm, 
 he has brought it up to a very high standard of 
 efflcienc)', and other things being equal, harvests as 
 fine a crop as can be found in the district. His 
 
 settlement liere dates from 1886. and most certainly 
 his time has been fullj' and most profitably filled. 
 
 Mr. Uatlibuii takes great interest in the political 
 situation, and usually votes with the Republican 
 party, which looks upon him as a member who in 
 the days to come, if he continues as he h.as begun, 
 will figure in no mean place in the future history of 
 the countj', and perhaps in a larger sphere. 
 
 (^p^'EBBE T. FISSER, a worthy member of 
 /^^^, the farming community of Clatonia Town- 
 ^^g< ship, owns 320 acres on sections 10 and 11, 
 which he has operated to good advantage since the 
 fall of 1874. Like many others of the solid men of 
 this county his early home was on the other side of 
 the Atlantic, in Hanover, Germany, wiiich at the 
 time of his birth. May 9, 1819, was under the do- 
 minion of the King. 
 
 The parents of our subject, Tebbe and Antye 
 (Gummerf) Fisser. were of pure German ancestrj', 
 and he was their eldest son. The family consisted 
 of eight children; one is in Germany and one in 
 this countrj'. Telilie T. was given a good German 
 education, and in the twelfth year of his age began 
 his apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade, which 
 he followed upon his native soil until the spring of 
 1848. He had now resolved to emigrate to Amer- 
 ica, not being satisfied with his condition or his 
 prospects in his native country, and accordingly 
 took passage on a sailing-vessel at Bremerhaven, 
 and after an ocean voyage of six weeks and throe 
 days landed in the city of New Orleans; thence he 
 took a steamer for St. Louis, Mo., where he so- 
 journed two and one-half months engaged in general 
 work. Then, making his w-a^' eastward acro.ss the 
 Mississippi, he took up his residence in Schuyler 
 County, 111., where he labored first on a farm and 
 a few months later rented a tract of land, which he 
 operated some time, and then bought a farm in the 
 same county. 
 
 The ten years following Mr. Fisser was engaged 
 in farming and blacksmithing alternately, and in 
 the fiill of 1874 left Illinois and settled in Clatonia 
 Township, this county, where he lias since lived. 
 He is now the owner of 320 acres of good land, to 
 
 • ^U ^» 
 
-4^ 
 352 
 
 " ^i <• 
 
 GAGE COL'NTY. 
 
 which he has olitained a clear title solel}- bj' tlie ex- 
 ercise of his industry and perseverance. His toils 
 and sacrifices have been shared by one of the most 
 estimable of women, who has been his faithful and 
 flevoted wife and his wise counselor for over fortj'- 
 tbree years. To this lady, who was in her girlhood 
 Miss Marj- E. Schmid, he was married May 9, 
 1845, in his native German}'. Mrs. Fisser was 
 bom in Hanover. June 17, 1818. She, with her 
 husband, is a consistent member of the German 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. F. has 
 served a number of years as Class-Leader and Super- 
 intendent of the .Sunda3-school. Both have taken 
 a warm interest in church matters, contributing 
 liberally to its support and prosperity'. 'Sir. ¥., 
 politically, votes independently, believing in sup- 
 porting principles instead of men. He has served 
 as School Director in his district three years, and is 
 one of those men in whom the communitj' have 
 entire confidence, and whose wonl is as good as his 
 bond. In a comfortable home, surrounded by 
 friends and the other good things of life, Mr. Fisser 
 is but enjoying the fruits of an honorable career, 
 in which there has never been a questionable act. 
 
 
 ?^« HARLES W. GEORGE is the present Clerk 
 of Elm Township, and is a 3'oung man who 
 possesses many admirable qualities of man- 
 hood, as is proved b}' the honorable position which 
 he occupies and the universal esteem in which he 
 is held by the people of his community. His father, 
 Daniel F. George, was born in New Hampshire in 
 1819, and his mother, whose maiden name was 
 Mary Jane Mitchell, was born in Adams County, 
 Ohio, in 1829. The father moved to Whiteside 
 Count}', 111., where he was one of the pioneer set- 
 tlers, and vvhere he still lives and follows the oc- 
 cupation of farming. 
 
 Our subject was born in Whiteside County, May 
 28, 1854, and his early life was spent on his father's 
 farm, and in acquiring the education furnished by 
 the common scliools of that time, after which he 
 attended for one year the Commercial College at 
 Clinton, Iowa, and was well prepared to begin an 
 active business life. He remained with his father 
 
 and engaged in agricultural pursuits until the year 
 1882, when he removed to his present farm, con- 
 sisting of 160 acres on section 30, Elm Township. 
 When he came on his land it was in a rough, un- 
 cultivated condition, and he has made all of the 
 improvements on it, having erected good buildings, 
 made rows of fencing and planted groves of native 
 timber. 
 
 On the 2d of October, 1882, our subject was 
 married, in AVhiteside County, III., to Miss Hattie 
 Hudson, who was born in Garden Plain, in the be- 
 fore-mentioned county. She is a daughter of John 
 H. and Amanda ^Mitchell) Hudson, who were both 
 natives of Ohio, and had moved to Whiteside 
 County, where the former was engaged in business 
 as a merchant and shipper of stock. In 1878 his 
 house was entered by burglars, and he unfortunately 
 met his death by a pistol shot from the hand of one 
 of the intruders. Mrs. George completed the course 
 of instruction at Fulton College, and then for three 
 years she was engaged in teaching in the public 
 schools of her native town. She also made a thor- 
 ough study of music and became an accomplished 
 performer, giving instructions in that accomplish- 
 ment for four years. 
 
 To the home of our subject and his wife there 
 were sent three little children, two of whom, 
 although they were received with hearts full of affec- 
 tion and were tenderly cared for by devoted par- 
 ents, were not allowed to remain long in the home 
 which they bad brightened, but were called to a 
 higher sphere to beckon with their young hands to 
 the bereaved parents. Their names are remem- 
 bered as John and Harry, Calvin Mitchell being 
 left to comfort his parents. Our subject and his 
 wife are esteemed members of the Presbyterian 
 Church, at Diller, Jefferson County. 
 
 Mr. George served as Town Treasurer during 
 the ye.irs 1885 and 1886, and he was elected Clerk 
 of the township in the fall of 1 886, re-elected in 
 1887, and has given general satisfaction and won 
 the approval of all. He votes with the Repub- 
 lican party. Mrs. George is a strong temperance 
 advocate, and is a lady in every way refined and 
 amiable, her cultivated taste showing to good ad- 
 vantage in the excellent manner in which she orders 
 her home and its appointments. They are very 
 
I 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ••► 
 
 353 
 
 happily situated in every respect, and our subject 
 has a bright prospect for the future, havingaireadj' 
 ascended several steps in the ladder of fame. Mr. 
 George was formerly a member of Lodge No. 566, 
 A. F. & A. M., at Albanj', 111., but since the organ- 
 ization of a lodge at Diller has attached his mem- 
 bership to the latter. 
 
 I'^^OBERT T. JERMAN. Among those who 
 %^ with patriotic heroism left all to stand in 
 (i^ «! defense of their countr3' when the storm of 
 "^^civil war burst upon us, was the subject of 
 this sketch, who also has since done all that lay in 
 his power to aid in the development and upbuild- 
 ing of the Great West. Mr. Jerraan is a native of 
 the Buckej'e State, having been born iu Russell- 
 ville, Browu Co.. Ohio, on the 12th of April, 1837, 
 and is the son of George and Rebecca (Bivans) 
 Jerman, natives respectivelj' of New Jersey and 
 Pennsj'lvania. They were united in marriage in 
 Hillsboro, and subsequentlj- took up their residence 
 in Brown Count}-. In the 3-ear 1850 thej- went to 
 Peoria County, 111., and settled upon a farm near 
 Trivoli. There the father of our subject died at the 
 age of sevent\--two jears, in the j'ear 1880, and the 
 mother in the j-ear 1884, aged eighty j'ears and 
 eighteen daj-s. The\- were the parents of nine chil- 
 dren, five of whom are living, whose names are re- 
 corded as follows: Juliu, now Mrs. William Wright; 
 Robert, our subject; Jonathan: .Sar.ah; Fredonia, 
 who is happil}' married to Arthur A. Pierce. 
 
 R. T. Jerman was reared upon the farm, and 
 early initiated into the why and wherefore of 
 things connected therewith. When the family re- 
 moved to Illinois he was about fourteen j-ears of 
 age. and he remained working with his father until 
 the bugle note of war's alarm rang throughout the 
 countr}', calling men from office and store, and 
 from bench and plow. Our subject responded with 
 ahacrity born of loyalty to the flag, and iu 1861 he 
 enlisted in Company C, 57th Illinois Infantry, and 
 served for three 3'ears and thirteen d.i3's. when he 
 was mustered out at Savannah, Ga. He was an 
 active combatant in tlic Ijattles of .Shiloh and Cor- 
 intli, Miss., besides a large number of engagements 
 
 of less importance. Upon the 3d of October, 
 1863, he w.as twice wounded at Corinth. Miss., 
 once in the face, and again in the right thigh. At 
 Holly Springs he was taken prisoner, and after 
 being held "in durance vile" for a period of ten 
 da3'S, he was paroled and returned home, and 
 remained Until April, 1863, when he again went to 
 the front, and took part in the memorable Atlanta 
 campaign, and was one of the heroes who accom- 
 panied Sherman in the memorable march which has 
 become a household word in the nation, and sup- 
 plied the theme for one of its most thrilling pa- 
 triotic songs. 
 
 Upon receiving an honorable discharge, our sub- 
 ject returned to Illinois and resumed farming, in 
 which he continued prosperous!}' engaged until he 
 came to Nebraska, in the earl}- part of 1880, and 
 purchased 160 acres of land situated upon section 
 17 of Midland Townshij). Here he has been, if pos- 
 sible, more diligent, active and enterprising than 
 in Illinois, and has accomplished a great deal along 
 the line of improving his property, in spite of the 
 fact that his health has never been the same since 
 his army life. He has, however, not allowed this 
 to hinder more than was absolutely necessary-, and 
 has the satisfaction of knowing that, should there 
 come a time when labor will be an impossibilit}', 
 he h.as quite a fair competenc3' wherewith to help 
 out the somewhat slender pension sent him b3' 
 Uncle Sam in remembrance of the past. 
 
 The date of our subject's marriage, which has 
 proved one of the happiest steps he ever took in 
 life, was Feb. 5, 1868, when he was united to Mag- 
 dalena Lehman, who was born at Polk, Ashland 
 Co., Ohio, Aug. 9, 1846, aud is a daughter of Jacob 
 Lehman, a native of Penns3'lvania. Her parents 
 had a famil3-of eight children. The famil3' of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Jerman comprises six children, whose 
 names are recorded as follows: Oliver H., Sarah J., 
 George A., Oland and Ollie (twins) and Perr3' L. 
 
 The religious sentiments of our subject and his 
 wife led them to affiliate with the communion of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which they are 
 quite active workers. Sociall3', Mr. Jerman is 
 connected with Rawlins Post No. 35, G. A. R. In 
 his political sentiments our subject is in harmon3' 
 with the principles of the Republican party, and 
 
 i' 
 
»► m'^^ - 
 
 
 354 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 hns nhvnys been thoroughly consistent nnrl active 
 in its service. He has for one term filled the chair 
 of Justice of the Peace in a manner that reflects in 
 a most complimentary' manner npon him, by rea- 
 son of hi? patient hearing, careful weighing of evi- 
 dence, pro and con, and the impartial justice of his 
 judgments. 
 
 ^^ SA TIIOilP.SON is successfully engaged in 
 ■ @A-J| i farming on section 10, Blakely Township, 
 
 I IM where he has "200 acres of good land in an 
 ((^ improved condition. He came to this 
 
 county in 1878. and secured his Innd two years 
 later, consequently all of the imjirovements have 
 bepn made within the past few years. He was born 
 in Montgomery County', Va., on the 30th of May, 
 1836, and is one of a famil}' of twelve children, in- 
 cluding seven sons and five daughters. lie is a son 
 of Archibald and Rachel (Reed) Thompson, who 
 were natives of Old Virginia, and came of English 
 jiarentage. For a time after their marriage they 
 made their home in their native State, and then 
 the}' moved to Greene County, Tenn., where they 
 remained until the time of their death, that of the 
 father occurring when he was seventy-two years old, 
 and the mother when she was seventy-seven j-ears 
 old. The father was engaged in farming, and was 
 a Dunkard minister, holding that relation to his 
 church for a period of fifty years, and was active 
 and zealous in the cause of his religion. The 
 mother had also held the same religious faith all 
 her life. 
 
 Our subject remained under the parental roof in 
 Eastern Tennessee, and received his education in the 
 common schools. On the 3d of July, 1857, he was 
 united in marriage, in Sullivan County, with Miss 
 Catherine Bond, who was born in that county on 
 the 1 ■2th of J.anu.ary, 1 839. Her parents were na- 
 tives of the same place, and were engaged in farm- 
 ing, but both are now deceased. Mrs. Catherine 
 Thompson lived to come with her husband to this 
 State, hut she died at her home in 1883, at the age 
 of forty years. She was the mother of seven chil- 
 dren, of whom Melvin and Mollie are deceased. 
 James A. married Miss I^izzie Sparks, and they re- 
 
 M* 
 
 side on a farm in Perkins County, this State, having 
 been eaily jjionecrs there ; R. Ellen is the wife of 
 John Lamb, and they live in Jefferson Count}', 
 where they are engaged in farming; Joshua A. mar- 
 ried Miss Ella Rcid, and they are living on a new, 
 unbroken farm in Perkins County; Susan A., Alice 
 B.. Rufus E. and Hattie A. P. E. are at home. 
 
 Mr. Thompson was a second time married on the 
 •28th of July. 1886, to Miss Anna C. Buckley, who 
 was born in the Province of Ontario, on the iOtli 
 of N'overaber, 1856. Her father, John Buckley, 
 was born in the South of Ireland, and came to Can- 
 ada when he was a young and single man. and there 
 engaged as a fanner. His wife was Mary Kurslen, 
 who was also a native of the South of Ireland, and 
 had come to Canada when she was a j'oung woman. 
 She had embraced the Catholic faith, and was the 
 mother of a family of seven children, four sons and 
 three daughters, all of whom are living. She died 
 in 1875, at her home in Canada, aged forty-nine 
 years, and the father afterward married Catherine 
 Stephens, who was a native of Can.ada. They after- 
 ward came to Nebraska, and are now living on a 
 farm in Blakely Township. 
 
 By his second marriage our subject is the father 
 of one child, named John L. His farm is veiy 
 nicely situated, and with its good buildings, fences, 
 and other improvements which he has made, it pre- 
 sents a very fine appearance, and annually produces 
 good crops of grain. Mr. Thompson is an ardent 
 Republican, and is a public-spirited citizen, stand- 
 ing high in the estimation of his fellowmen. 
 
 UGH B. BILDERBACK, whose beautiful 
 and thoroughlj' well-cultivated 80-acre farm 
 is situated on section 28, Logan Township, 
 is of German descent, and j-et it were hard 
 to find in this or an\' other State a more thorough 
 American than he. His grandfather Bilderback was 
 born in Germany, and came to the United States in 
 the early part of the present century, and served 
 throughout the "War of 1812 as a private, and sup- 
 plies the initial chapter of the history of the family 
 on this side of the Atlantic. 
 
 James Bilderback, the father of our subject, was 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 355 
 
 born in IMonroe County. Tenn.. in 1824. His 
 chosen occupation in life w;is that of iiusbandry. 
 In 1 862 he removed to Greene County. III., and con- 
 tinued for mauj' years one of the recognized, pros- 
 perous and wealthy farmers of the county. He is 
 at present living at Greenfield, Greene CountJ^ His 
 wife, the mother of our subject, was Miss Mary 
 Moore, who was born in Tennessee in the j'ear 1824, 
 and after a. happy wedded life died upon the home- 
 stead in Greene County, in 1854. She became the 
 mother of five children, whose names are as follows: 
 Nanc}'; Hugh B., our subject; Mary, Lee and Har- 
 vey; both the latter are deceased. 
 
 At the old Tennessean farmhouse, u])on the 4th 
 of March, 1849, the subject of this sketch was born, 
 and there also remained until his father removed 
 to Illinois, and from that time until he attained his 
 raajorit}' he still made his home with his parents. In 
 addition to the education supplied by the common 
 schools, it was the privilege of our subject to take 
 the High School course for three years. In 1873 
 he purch,",sed a farm in Greene Countj', III., which 
 he continued successfully to work for about six 
 years, when, in 1879, he sold out and removed to 
 this county, settling in Logan Township, and pur- 
 chasing his present property. 
 
 While residing in Greene County, onr suViject 
 became acquainted with a beautiful Illinoisan, a 
 lady possessing in no small measure those attributes 
 and qualities that iiave given to her sex the scepter 
 of well-nigh unlimited swaj', and places in her hands 
 the power to make complete or utterly devastate 
 the lives of those who come within the confines of 
 the circle of her ascendancj-. To this lady he was 
 united in marriage on the 18th of September, 1873, 
 and the subsequent histor}- has shown that no h.ap- 
 pier step was ever taken by him. They have be- 
 come the parents of three children — Adella, Mary 
 (deceased) and Truman F. 
 
 Miss Charlotte Wilkinson, the wife of onr sub- 
 ject, was born in Illinois, on the 26th of March, 1850. 
 Her father, Thompson Wilkinson, was born in En- 
 gland, M.ay 7, 1817. His trade was that of a 
 tinsmith, but for man}' years he has been ever in- 
 creasingly successful in farming, and at present 
 makes his home in this count}-. Her mother, Mary 
 A. Gardner, was born in Vermont, in 1824, and is 
 
 still living. Six children are the fruit of this union. 
 These are Jane A., Mary, .John, Charlotte, George 
 and Arthur. 
 
 For three years our subject has filled tlie office of 
 School Treasurer, but rather avoids the acceptance 
 of any office, wh.atever its character. In the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal Church both our subject and wife 
 find that whicli is in harmony with their religious be- 
 lief, and for many years they have taken their places 
 among those deeply interested in the work. In 
 political matters Mr. Bilderback is whole-hearted in 
 favor of the Republican party, and is active in its 
 interest. In every circle, whether within or with- 
 out the home, our subject impresses one with the 
 idea of his manly character, his uprightness and 
 honor, .and he is accorded, .as is also his wife, the 
 unqualified respect and esteem of the community at 
 large. 
 
 '"" -?- — 
 
 H. WICKERSHAIM is an adherent of tliat 
 religious sect which bears a world-wide 
 reputation for its principles of uprightness, 
 and its strict adherence to the teachings of 
 the Bible, carrying its religious zeal into the every- 
 day business trans.actions, and exhorting its mem- 
 bers to live lives of purit}' and holiness. Perhaps 
 no other sect embraces a membership composed so 
 largel}' of cultured and cultivated Christian people, 
 successful in business life, uniformly charitable, and 
 in harmony with the world, as that to which we 
 refer — the Quakers — who had their earliest and 
 ablest advocate in this country in the person of 
 William Pcnn. The parents of our subject were 
 connected with the Society of Friends, and the 
 father, Abner, w.as born in Clinton County, Ohio, 
 and the mother, Leah, near Lynchburg, Va. The 
 father lived on his farm in Grant County, Ind.,for 
 fifteen years, and in 1855 he moved to Marshall 
 Count}', Iowa, where he became very well situated, 
 and was the owner of 800 acres of land in that 
 county, besides §15,000 in personal property. In 
 the winter of 1887-88 he made a visit to Florida, 
 and was taken violently ill, and died very suddenly 
 on the 8th of March, 1888, in his seventieth year. 
 The mother resides in M.arshall County, and is 
 seventy-one years old, having lived to see her five 
 
 i' 
 
t. 
 
 -«»- 
 
 356 
 
 GAGE COFNTY. 
 
 C'liilflren grown to nmnhoorl nnd well establisherl. 
 Tiipyare: Samuel. Thomas, Asf.ph H., Enoch H. 
 and Benjamin Franklin. 
 
 Our subject was born near Marion. Grant Co.. 
 Ind.. on tiie 6th of Kovember. 18'48, and was past 
 six years old when he came to Iowa. He had just 
 begun to attend sciiool in Indiana, and when he 
 readied low.i the educational advantages were so 
 limited that it was not until the thiid winter that 
 our subject was near any school which he could 
 attend. He grew up to J'oung manhood, anil re- 
 mained at home until he was eighteen ^-ears old, 
 when he went to Michigan, and engaged in the pine 
 woods for which that .State is so noted. He after- 
 ward went to St. Fouis, and engaged in teaming, 
 continuing that occupation for one and a half 
 years, and then returned to his home, and worked 
 for his father duiing one season. He then obtained 
 jiermission to open up a farm of 160 .acres in 
 Mitchell County-, which his father owned, and after- 
 ward, in 1871, he went to Kansas, and pre-empted- 
 160 acres, and also homesteaded 160 acres, which 
 was quite a large amount to be under the supervis- 
 ion of so young a man. But our subject was enter- 
 prising and industrious, and managed with great 
 success until the lail of 1874. when he sold his 
 liomestead, and returned to Marshall County, 
 Iowa. 
 
 In the fall of the year 1873 our subject was mar- 
 ried to Miss Fydia E. Wickersham, a daughter of 
 Tryon and Elizabeth "Wickersham, who was a native 
 of Columbiana County, Ohio, and he remained in 
 Marshall County until 1877, after which he rented 
 a fai m, on which he remained for two and a half 
 years, in Page County. In 1879 he moved to Atch- 
 ison County, Mo., where he purchased 160 acres 
 of land, and engaged in farming forfourand a half 
 years, meeting with much success. The large num- 
 ber of emigrants coming from foreign countries at 
 that time and flocking to the Great West, caused an 
 advance in the price of land, and our subject sold 
 his farm at a good price, and came to Nebraska in 
 the fall of 1883, having previously purchased 440 
 acres in this county. He has set out an orchard 
 containing fifty fruit trees, and also a grove of 
 hardwood tree.*, conUiining ash, maple, etc. On 
 the 1st of July, 1888, he purchased 160 acres on I 
 •<• . 
 
 the northwest quarter of section 3, Hooker Town- 
 ship, making him the owner of 600 acres. 
 
 Our subject adopted. Harry AVickersham. for 
 whom he has cared, and in whose welfare he is 
 interested as if he were his own child. He has been 
 prosperous, and has built a very good and conven- 
 ient house and farm buildings, and in various other 
 wajs he has improved and added to the value of 
 his farm. Mr. and Mrs. Wickersham are well- 
 known members of society, and enjoy the friend- 
 ship and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. 
 
 AVID FITTLEJOHN. To the citizens of 
 |j Hanover Township and Gage County gen- 
 erallj' this gentleman needs no introduc- 
 tion. His extensive business relations as 
 a farmer and ranchman, his prominence in po- 
 litical circles, and the influential position he has 
 come to occup3' since his settlement in the State, all 
 render such introduction unnecessary. Without 
 further remark, therefore, it will be endeavored 
 briefly to sketch the salient features of his history. 
 He is a descendant of a wealthy Scotch family of 
 influence and position, and was born in Kilbirnie, 
 Ayrshire, Scotland. His father, William Fittlejohn, 
 was a large land-owner, and an influential man in 
 the community and district in which his property 
 was situated. The mother of our subject, whose 
 maiden name was Jeantte Fife, is the descendant of 
 a long line of aucestrj' who bore that honored name, 
 their record covering a period of over 700 years, 
 and mingling always in honorable record through 
 the stirring scenes of the history of the '-uncon- 
 querable countrj'." In later times, when society 
 had become more settled and its pursuits of a more 
 peaceful nature, the representatives of this family 
 came to occupy important positions in society and 
 commercial circles as the proprietors and operators 
 of extended factory interests. The father of the 
 mother of our subject was superintendent of a large 
 herring net factor^', while on the paternal side 
 the family represented extensive eo.al and iron 
 interests. 
 
 Owing to the unfortunate hold that intemperate 
 habits obtained over the grandfather of our sub- 
 
 -a 
 
Residence OF Cyrus Swain ,Sec.13. Logan Township. 
 
 IB 
 
 »► 
 
 ■^ P" -m ^^ 
 
 m: 
 
 
 Residence of David Littlejohn .Sec.IO. Han over Township. 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 359 
 
 jpct, circumstnnees were such that William Lit- 
 tlejohn eniigraterl with liis famiij-. and scttleil in 
 Illinois in 1855. and after a residence of eleven 
 years emigrated to Nebraska, where Mr. Littlejohn, 
 Sr., died at the age of fifty-one years. His wife, 
 the mother of our subject, is still living on the 
 homestead in Hanover Township, and although 
 sixt3' years of age. enjoj's the full use of her facul- 
 ties and as a rule excellent hpaltii. She is the 
 mother of fourteen children, and of these our sub- 
 ject is the eldest, and was born upon the 25th of 
 Januarj', 1850, of which fact as a Scotchman he is 
 justly proud because it is also the aniversarj' of the 
 birthday of Robert Burns, the immortal poet of 
 Scotland. 
 
 Our subject is possessed of a memory that is re- 
 markable in its strength, clearness and tenacity, and 
 is enabled to recall distinctlj' the old Scotch home 
 and incidents connected therewith; the familj', 
 especiall}- his grandfather, also the more noteworthy 
 events connected with his coming to this country, 
 and the earl^' life in Morgan and Madison Counties, 
 111. At the age of seven j'ears our subject began 
 to work as a traj^per in the coal mines, and after 
 working hours would devote his evenings to study 
 and schooling, by which means he obtained almost all 
 his education. The father of our subject at first 
 put bj^ a large part of his earnings, and then in- 
 vested in buildings and city property, and before 
 long succeeded in becoming the owner of a very 
 handsome home besides other possessions. A small in- 
 curalirance on his propcrt}' and a mortgage held by 
 Southern sympathisers led to a litigation, in which he 
 became discouraged and let all his property go. 
 Recovering somewhat, with energy characteristic 
 of his family throughout its historj', he began again 
 and for the third time to climb the ladder of fort- 
 une, this time putting all his money into Western 
 lands, chiefly in Gage County-; in this example he 
 was followed by his sons, and it was not long before 
 he became the owner of two sections of land. 
 
 The family of which our subject was a member 
 came to Nebraska in 1869, and the boj's went to 
 work upon the land. Until the death of the father 
 the}' continued to operate the property' together, 
 but shortlj' after his death it was divided as his last 
 wishes had directeil. This removal was in many 
 
 -^ 
 
 regards very beneficial to tlie family and gave to 
 each a new start in a new country ; at the same time 
 it is indicative of the uncompromising energy and 
 strength of character which are ciiaracteristic of this 
 interesting family. 
 
 In 1876 the subject of our sketcii was united in 
 marriage to Miss Mary Ann Smith, of Sangamon 
 County, III. They had lived in close proximity to 
 each other in that .State, and it was with pleasure 
 that Mr. L. at Last fulfilled his many hopes, and 
 returned to this State to claim his bride. Oursidi- 
 ject was careful to make ever}- provision for the 
 proposed change prior to taking this journe}-, so 
 that nothing might be wanting upon their arrival at 
 their Nebraska home. They have become parents 
 of one child, whom they have named William S. 
 Mrs. Littlejohn is the daughter of David and Eliza- 
 beth (Simpson) .Smith, natives of Scotland, and born 
 not far from the city of Glasgow. Her family is 
 one of the very old Scotch families of the district, 
 and thej' arc allied to the once |)owerful and noble 
 Stewarts and McDonalds. 
 
 Mrs. Littlejohn was born in LaSalle County, HI., 
 Nov. 3. 1857, and vvas twelve years of .age when 
 she went to Sangamon County. Her mother died 
 in the year 1871, aged forty-two j'ears. She w.as 
 the mother of sixteen children, the wife of our sub- 
 ject being the seventh born. After the death of 
 her mother she w.as thrown almost entirely upon 
 her own resources, and although but twelve years 
 of age, made a noble stand and gathered her strength 
 to battle her waj- through the world. She continued 
 in the conflict until she became the wife of our sub- 
 ject, and formed a union so true that it is almost 
 impossible to find one more complete and hapj)}-. 
 In the relations of this new life, the relations of 
 wife and mother, she has presented the most beauti- 
 ful disposition, faithfulness and devotedness, which 
 have been strengtheneil and enhanced by the firm- 
 ness of her Christian faith and character. She is 
 one of the most consistent and active memhers of 
 the Free Will Baptist Church, of Nemaha, where 
 she is alwaj'S remembered as one who at all times 
 has been equal to the many demands necessarily 
 made, and in every " work of faith and labor of 
 love " has risen to the opportunity presented and 
 the responsibility of her Christian calling. The 
 
 r 
 
|1 360 
 
 -•► 
 
 J 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 effect upon her life is such tliat no one can be in 
 her presence k)ng williout tlie realization of some- 
 tiling of a higher life in its motives, aspirations and 
 purity. 
 
 The farm operated by our subject is situated on 
 section 10, in Hanover Township, and 27 of Nemaha 
 Township, and includes the eastern half of both, 
 also two and three-quarter sections in Hanover 
 Township, a total of 2,080 acres, thus making 
 him, perliaps, tiie largest farmer and ranchman in 
 the county. Not only is this true, but he is the 
 most successful, for his energy, his intimate know- 
 ledge of the business, his shrewd sagacity, natural 
 abilitj'. and reserve force, are such as to bring him 
 to the front in almost any work he might undertake, 
 but more especiall3' in that which is liis chosen oc- 
 cupation, and therefore most congenial to him. 
 Not that he has been entirely free from reverses, 
 for of these he has had his full quota, but that he 
 has been enabled in spite of them to continually^ 
 strengthen his position, and add to iiis possessions. 
 As a sample of the adverse circumstances he has had 
 to meet, we inigiit mention tliat wherein lightning 
 destroyed at one time .all his horses, upon another 
 occasion three horses and seventy-five hogs, while 
 yet again, it destroyed fifteen hogs and five horses, 
 so that it would seem that if, according to the old 
 adage, " lightning never strikes twice in one place," 
 it may still strike repeatedly the same |)erson through 
 his property. 
 
 Upon his farm our subject keeps employed ten 
 teams of work horses and mules, and never less than 
 six men. Upon the ranch there are seldom found 
 less tiian 170 head of cattle, and 1,200 high-grade 
 Merino sheep, and hogs sufficient to fill completely 
 three or four cars. In hog-raising Mr. Littlejohn 
 has been very fortunate, and has been able to make 
 some of his most lucrative ventures, but more at- 
 tention is given to his Merinoes than anything else. 
 He usually obtains about 7,200 pounds of wool, 
 which rei)resents a market value of not less than 
 $1,200 to $1,400. 
 
 In i)olitics ovu' suViject is with the Republican 
 party, and holds firmly to its principles, though he 
 is strongly opposed to all trusts and monopolies. 
 He is one of the most influential men in his district, 
 f both as a farmer and politician, and in all points 
 
 relative to both these matters he is deeply interested. 
 Socially he is connected witii tiie Kniglits of Labor, 
 and in tlie Masonic fraternity has been initiated 
 into the mysteries of the Blue Lodge and Chapter, 
 receiving the degree of a Royal Arch Mason. 
 
 We are pleased to include among the illustrations 
 in this volume the view of Mr. Littlejohn's resi- 
 dence. 
 
 -^s»t^- 
 
 -<tfitf^> 
 
 YRUS SWAIN. Prominent among the self- 
 made men who have risen to a position of 
 ealth and influence by the exercise of zeal 
 and industry is the gentleman whose name stands 
 at the head of this sketch. He began with but 
 very limited means, and b}' constant diligence and 
 a judicious management of his resources be has 
 accumulated a fine and valuable property. His 
 father, Obed Swain, was born in Guilford County, 
 N. C, in 1804, and after he reached the years of 
 manhood he became a mechanical engineer, also 
 owning a furniture establishment and carving mall, 
 by which he made his own furniture and was very 
 prosperous. The grandfather of our subject, 
 Thomas Swain, was also a native of North Carolina, 
 who moved to Wayne County, Ind., in 1812, where 
 the father of our subject continued his business 
 until the time of his death, in 1835. He married 
 Miss Mahala Boggs, who was born in Ohio in 1815, 
 and is at present living in Logan Township, tills 
 county, although she makes a visit to Indiana 
 almost every summer. Besides our subject she is 
 the mother of Ellen Buroughs, who is living in 
 Marshall County, Ind. 
 
 After the death of the father of our subject Mrs. 
 Swain w.is married a second time, in 1837, to Col. 
 Sumner, who w.as born in Wayne County, Ind., and 
 distinguished himself during the late war. At 
 Plymouth, Ind., in 18()3, he was mustered into serv- 
 ice as Lieutenant Colonel of the 87th Indiana In- 
 fantry, and was promoted to the rank of Colonel 
 before the close of the war, serving honorably 
 throughout the whole time of the disturbance. He 
 died in 1883 at Plymouth, Iiid., since which time 
 I his wife has made her home in Logan Township. 
 
 -i 
 
h 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 361 
 
 *t 
 
 Our subject was born in AVayiie County', Inrl., on 
 the Otli of September, 1831. and was Imt four3-ears 
 olil when his father died. He was given to the 
 cai-e of a kind Quaker familj-, that of Mr. AViliiain 
 Macy, with whom he made his home until he was 
 eighteen years old. and enjoyed the advantages for 
 receiving a good common-school education. At 
 the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to learn the 
 carpenter trade, and has since followed that occu- 
 pation for over twenty years. 
 
 In 1856 our subject moved to Bureau County, 
 III., where he worked for about six years, and in 
 the fall of 1862 he returned to INIarshall County, 
 Ind., and engaged in the occupation of farming, 
 which he followed successfully for fourteen years, 
 combining with it an interest in the real-estate 
 business. In 1876 he came to this count3' and se- 
 lected his present place of 240 acres in Logan 
 Township, section 13, on which he broke the soil, 
 made all the necessary' improvements and planted 
 groves of cotton wood and box-elder trees. In due 
 time as he was able he erected a very good and at- 
 tractive looking house, horse and cattle barns, and 
 all necessar3- buildings for the successful carrjMng 
 on of farming and stock-raising, and has a stream 
 of running water supplied b}' a strong windmill 
 pump. 
 
 In connection with his extensive farm work, our 
 subject gives attention to stock-raising, and has the 
 principal interest in six fine stallions. Hardi. an 
 imported full-blooded Percheron, is valued at 
 ^2,500, and was just lately imported by Mr. Ell- 
 wood, of Illinois. Commoner, a Harabletonian 
 standard bred trotter, sired by Capool. took the 
 first prize at Lincoln in 1887, his time 2:40, and is 
 valued at $2,000. Dun Donald is a full-blooded 
 Canadian Clj'desdale, sired by imported Dun Don- 
 ald. Two three-3'eai'-old Cl3'desdale stallion colts, 
 named Barnone and Exchange, each valued at 
 §1,550, the first seven-eighths full blooded and the 
 latter fifteen-sixteenths, both sired b3' Wait-for- 
 Joe. 
 
 Our subject was united in marriage, on the 20th 
 of October, 1853, in Marshall Count3-, Ind., to Miss 
 Grizzclle Gibson, who was born in that county in 
 1835. Her parents, John and ]Mar3' (Luney) Gibson, 
 were natives of Ohio, and are now both deceased. 
 
 B3' this marriage our subject and his wife were the 
 parents of seven children, named Rufus. Orlando, 
 John (deceased), Thomas, Orr, James E. (deceased) 
 and George, but the mother did not live to see 
 them start out in life for themselves, her death oc- 
 curring in 1871. Rufus married Miss Edith Lash, 
 and with their five children, named Maude, Frank, 
 Robert, Harr3- and Ilollis, they are residing in Logan 
 Township; Orlando married Miss Lydia Lash, and 
 is making his home in Filley; he is a school 
 teacher by profession but at present is the book- 
 keeper in J. W. AV right's store in that place, and in 
 his famil3' he has one child, named Edward. 
 
 On the 24th of April, 1872, our subject was 
 married a second time in Marshall Count3', Ind., to 
 Miss Mary R. Lash, who was born in Jli'imi Count3-, 
 Ind., in 1852, and was a daughter of Jacob and 
 Phoebe (Bigsby) La.sh, natives of Ohio. Mr. Lash 
 has been engaged in farming near FlUev'. His 
 famil3' numbered four children, named Maiy. L3'di.a, 
 Morton and Charles, B3- this marriage our sub- 
 ject and his wife were the parents of two children 
 named Nellie and Chester, but their mother died on 
 the 23d of November, 1878, and Chester now 
 makes his home with his grandfather, and Nellie 
 divides her time between her father's home and that 
 of her grandfather at Filley. 
 
 Our subject was united in marriage, on the 26th 
 of December, 1880, with Mrs. Adaline Barnard, the 
 widow of Edghill Barnard. Her maiden name was 
 Mac3', and she is a granddaughter of the Mr. Mac3- 
 with whom our subject made his home when he was 
 a little child. By her first marriage she is the 
 mother of six children, named Julia, Ella, Carson, 
 Addie, Dellia and Barton Barnard. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Swain are well-known and leading members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church at Fille3', and are highly 
 esteemed in the societ3' in which they move. His 
 reputation for integrity and enterprise has caused 
 the election of our subject to the oflBce of School 
 Treasurer, in which capacity he has served with 
 credit for eleven years, being now the incumbent 
 of that office. He affiliates with the Republican 
 political part3', and for twelve 3'ears has been prom- 
 inently identified with the work of public improve- 
 ment which is rapidl3' bringing the counl3- to the 
 front rank in the State. His fine propert3' and his 
 
 •► 
 
-4*- 
 
 362 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 well-stocked farm are the results of patient iruUistiy, 
 self-reliance and good management, which are quali- 
 ties to be admired wherever they are met. A 
 view of the Swain homestead is, given on an 
 accompanying page of this volume. 
 
 JOHN B. GRANT is one of th^ energetic, en- 
 terprising and enthusiastic farmers of Grant 
 Townshi|), and in addition to the tillage and 
 cultivation of the soil takes great interest in 
 the breeding of high-grade stock. He resides upon 
 section 30, owning land also on section 31, in all 
 about 200 acres. His property' is well adapted to 
 stock-raising; the ground is undulating and of rich 
 soil, providing succulent grasses and pasture in 
 abundance. It is also well wooded, affording shel- 
 ter and shade, while there is water without limit 
 from the many springs that supply' the creek near Iiy. 
 He has been the owner of this property since he be- 
 came of age. 
 
 Our subject is the second sou of George Grant, 
 after whom the township was named, and was born 
 in Sauk County, Wis., on the 18th of November, 
 1847. His father was a native of Somersetshire, 
 England. He came of a good old English family, 
 and exhibited all the admirable traits characteristic 
 of his people. He learned the tr.adcs of a wheel- 
 wright and carpenter, and followed the same until 
 he came to this country. He was first married to 
 Margaret Aver}^ a native of the same shire, and 
 came almost immedlatelj- after this happy event to 
 the United .States, locating in the Empire State 
 until after the birth of their first child, when they 
 went to Wisconsin, took up land and made their 
 home in Sauk County. Thence he removed to this 
 county, and became the first settler in what is now 
 Grant Township, so named in his honor. About 
 three years after arriving, his wife, the mother of 
 our subject, died, which trial was sustained by him 
 in the year 18G3. He w.as married a second time, 
 to Annie Masters, a native of the beautiful, southern 
 English county of Devonshire. She came to the 
 United States while still a single lady. She still 
 survives her husband and is living on the old home- 
 stead, where htu- husband died ou the 2d of Janu- 
 -«• ^ 
 
 ary. 1882, at the .age of sixty-two years. We 
 would refer the reader to the biography of this 
 gentleman, which will be found upon another p.age 
 in this volume. 
 
 Our subject was quite j'oung when he accom- 
 panied his parents, and has been brought up and 
 educated in this county. He was united in mar- 
 riage with Aliss Amelia Carey, at the old home of 
 his father in Grant Township, June 7, 1 870. This 
 lady was born in England on the IStb of August, 
 1849, and came to America in 1867 when about 
 nineteen years of age with her uncle, her husband's 
 father, she having lost her father about one j-ear 
 previous. Her mother came four years later. The 
 union of Mr. and Mrs. Grant has been rendered 
 more completely happy by the birth of four chil- 
 dren, three of whom still survive. They have been 
 named as follows: Ernest A., Daisy Maude. George 
 W., and Eddie, deceased. 
 
 Our subject is following the admirable example 
 of his much respected father as a public-spirited 
 citizen, and is energetic in those plans and projects 
 which are for the benefit of the community, and 
 especially the younger members thereof. He is an 
 efficient member of the School Board, and has 
 always been a most reliable member of the Repub- 
 lican party. Should it be his good fortune to be 
 blessed with as long life as his father, it is not too 
 much to expect that the pages of his history un- 
 written will record a brilliant career. 
 
 N. BRYANT is successfully engaged in 
 farming on section 1, Island Grove Town- 
 ship, where he has a well-improved farm of 
 1 60 acres. His father, Zenas Brj'aut, was born in 
 Maine, in the same house in which his father was 
 born, the old homestead having been in the family 
 for a great manj' years. He left his native State 
 for Cortland County, N. Y., where he was one of 
 the first settlers, and made his home in that place 
 until the time of his death, at the age of eighty- 
 eight years. He had been a farmer but also owned 
 and had charge of a carriage factory. The mother 
 of our subject was Deborah (Babcock) Bryant, who 
 was born in Connecticut and died in Wisconsin. 
 
 *t 
 
-^•- 
 
 h 
 
 ^ii*-H|--^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 3f)3 
 
 She was a daughter of Col. Baljeock, and was the 
 mother of nine children, eight sons and one daugh- 
 ter. 
 
 Our subject was tlie sixth child of his father's 
 family, and was born on the 21st of Ma3', 1820, in 
 Homer, Cortland Co., N. Y. He remained in his 
 native town until he was twenty-one years of age, 
 and in 1842 he went to Jefferson Countj', Wis., in 
 which place he made his home until the year 18.59. 
 He then went to Minnesota and remained a few 
 years, after which, in 1809, he came to Plattsniouth, 
 this State, and for three years had charge of a hotel. 
 Disposing of it he came to this county and bought 
 160 acres of Government land at $3.50 per acre, 
 which he improved and had under cultivation until 
 1883, when he sold it for $4,500. He then bought 
 1 GO acres on section 1 for $3,000, whicli was partly 
 improved and on which he has since resided. 
 
 In the year 1849 Mr. Bryant was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Louisa M. Chase, wlio is the daugh- 
 ter of Alden and Phcebe (Sterns) Cliase. Her 
 parents were natives of Vermont, who had after- 
 ward made their home in New York, and Louisa 
 was born on the loth of November, 1825, in St. 
 Lawrence County. She spent the early years of 
 her life in her native county, and was weil edu- 
 cated in the schools, remaining at home with her 
 parents until the time of her marriage with our sub- 
 ject. By this marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bryant have 
 gathered about them a family of six children, three 
 sons and three daughters, and have extended their 
 fostering care to an adopted daughter, named Win- 
 nie. Their own children answer to the names of 
 Alden S., Estella M., Arvilla L., Charles A., Eva 
 and Henry. 
 
 Mr. Bryant is happily situated in his home, and 
 has reached the age when he can resign the more 
 arduous duties of the management of his farm into 
 the hands of renters, and enjoy in comparative ease 
 the fruits of his early industry. Having devoted 
 himself exclusively to his occupation he has not 
 cared to seek public oflice, but he is interested in 
 the improvement of the country and the welfare of 
 the public in general. He affiliates with the Repub- 
 lican parly in [jolitical matters, and is a member of 
 the Free-Will Baptist Church. AVhile living in 
 Wisconsin he was elected to the office of Deputy 
 
 -4* 
 
 Sheriff, to serve a term of six months, and filled that 
 office with so much credit that at the expiration of 
 that period he was elected Sheriff, in which capacity 
 he served for three years. He was also Assessor 
 for three years, which proves his ability for filling 
 public offices, and also testifies to the appreciation 
 of the [lublic in electing him to these offices. He 
 brought up a young man named Henry Doty, who 
 enlisted in the 1st Minnesota Battery of Heavy 
 Artillery, and had served for nearl3' three j-ears 
 when he was killed in the battle of Vicksburg. 
 
 •i- 
 
 -^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^^EORGE L. SHARP is one of tlie 
 jlj (— , young men of whom Nebraska has so 
 ^^^i! fi'if' ^^''^y 1'6 justly proud of tiie vit; 
 
 ^^EORGE L. SHARP is one of the rising 
 
 many, 
 m and 
 
 the manly, ambitious, intelligent efforts made by 
 them to advance not simply their own interests but 
 those of the State. Our subject was born in Clai- 
 borne County, Tenn., on the 27lh of March, 18G2, 
 and is the son of Jonathan Sharp, also a native of 
 Claiborne County, now resident of Liberty, hav- 
 ing purchased a farm here in 1865. 
 
 Our subject, who was a mere infant when his 
 parents removed to Nebraska, was educated in the 
 common schools of Beatrice and afterward in the 
 graded school, which instruction was supplemented 
 by a course at the State Normal School at Peru, 
 in this State. Upon graduating from the latter in- 
 stitution, our subject taught school for twenty-one 
 terms, or in other words, about seven years. For 
 two years he taught in Liberty, and gave much 
 satisfaction by his efficiency and general manage- 
 ment to all parties concerned. 
 
 Upon the 12th of November, 1885, Mr. Sharp 
 was united in marriage to Miss Louisa M. Beeler, 
 a lady whose education, inherent refinement and 
 tastes were eminently congenial, and with her most 
 excellent disposition, promised a union more in- 
 timate and happy than is usually found, and in 
 this, it is safe to remark, they have not been dis- 
 appointed. This ladj' is the daughter of James 
 and Elizabeth Sharp, natives of Tennessee, but 
 now resident in this township. She was born in 
 Union County. Tenn., April 15, 1868, was brought 
 up and educated at Libert}', Neb., being reared by , 
 
 • ^ m ^> 
 
■♦- 
 
 .t 
 
 364 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Mrs. Nanc3' Mutclimore, until her marriage. Their 
 union has been blessed by the birth of one child, 
 to whom bas been given the name of Lou Burton, 
 and who was born May 31, 1887. 
 
 The farm of the subject of this sketch is situ- 
 ated upon section 31, Libertj' Township, and com- 
 prises eighty acres of excellent land for agricultural 
 purposes, which he has greatly improved, and cul- 
 tivates assiduously. He operates it upon the line 
 of general farming, and, given a fair season, his 
 harvests are large. Tlie greater part of his life has 
 been spent upon his father's farm, where he became 
 intimately conversant with the operation and work- 
 ing of the same, so that when he came to take 
 charge of his own, he had no difliculty whatever in 
 working it. He is deserving of ever3' success, and 
 is accorded the fullest regard and confidence of his 
 neighbors, who recognize in him a man of charac- 
 ter and sterling qualities. 
 
 BANDER M. PEMBERTON is a native of 
 Illinois, and was born near Paris, the count}' 
 seal of Edgar County, on Nov. 12, 1845. 
 The father of our sul)jecl, Harvey G. Pember- 
 ton, was a native of Washington County, Va., 
 where he was born in February, 1 808. He fol- 
 lowed the joint occupation of carpenter and far- 
 mer. In Septemijer of the year 1833 he became 
 the husband of Caroline C. King, a native of Sulli- 
 van County, Tenn., who from that time presided 
 in a most happy manner over his home. Shortly 
 after uiarriage they settled in Coles County, 111., 
 where, owing to the new condition of the country, 
 considerable suffering was experienced from ague 
 and its kindred ills. In 1854 tiie family removed 
 to Iowa, and settled at Homer, Hamilton County. 
 In this place the mother of our subject died, in 
 18(34, aged fifty-three years. Her husband sur- 
 vived her oul}' until October of the following year. 
 The family of which our subject was a member 
 included nine children, of whom Leander M. was 
 the seventh. His youthful years were occupied in 
 attendance at the common schools. When sixteen 
 years of age he made some efforts to enter the 
 army, but failed ; then for a time he attended 
 
 school during the winter and worked on the farm 
 during the summer. This program was varied 
 after a time by his becoming a teacher. 
 
 In the year 18(J3 Mr. Pemberton entered Albion 
 College, and after spending some time there, be- 
 came a student at the Iowa State University. 
 Upon reaching his sophomore year, he was obliged 
 to leave his studies. He next went to Webster 
 City, and studied law with Judge D. D. Chase. 
 After passing the required examination, he was ad- 
 mitted to the bar at Boone, in that State, in the 
 year 1870. Almost im mediately' he went to Cla}' 
 County, and began the practice of his profession. 
 The following year he was elected Count}' Auditor, 
 in which office he continued for three consecutive 
 terms. He continued to practice in that place until 
 October, 1879, when he came to Beatrice, which 
 has since continued to be the place of his residence. 
 In 1885 he formed the present copartnership with 
 Mr. Bush in the practice of his profession. 
 
 Our subject was married in Spencer, Iowa, on 
 the 30th of April, 1879, to Miss Ida M. Harris, of 
 that place, who was born in New York. She is the 
 daughter of E. E. and Maria L. Harris. Four chil- 
 dren have been born to them, to whom have been 
 been given the names here appended: Zulu L., 
 Paulina A., Louise M. and Fred King. 
 
 Mr. Pemberton was appointed City Attorney for 
 two yearb, and is now serving a second term. He 
 has always been Republican in politics. Mr. Pem- 
 berton is a lawyer of acknowledged ability, strong 
 character and unquestioned reputation. He stands 
 in the front rank of his profession, and is one of 
 the valued citizens of Beatrice. 
 
 EV. WILLIAM SCHRAMM. Among the 
 most healthful and prosperous of clergymen 
 ^i^vll are those who seek recreation from their 
 W^ pulpit duties in tiie garden and the fields, 
 and, it would seem, should have the truest appreci- 
 ation of the works of Nature and of God. The sub- 
 ject of this sketch, one of the most efficient and 
 worthy of his joint calling, minister and farmer, 
 owns a finetractof land in Clatonia Township, com- 
 prising 160 acies on section 13. In addition to 
 
-^•- 
 
 ■♦HK-*! 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 3(>5 I i 
 
 i' 
 
 general agriculture he is largel}- interested in stock- 
 raising, and has been very successful in his labors. 
 
 A native of Nassau, German}-, our subject was 
 born on the 10th of Ma}-, 1823, and is the third 
 son of Peter and Elizabeth Schramm, whose family 
 consisted of eight children, four sons and four 
 daughters. In common with most children of the 
 Fatherland young William received an excellent 
 education in his native tongue, besides careful 
 home training in those habits of industry to which 
 he is indebted for his position to-da}'. When a 
 youth of sixteen years he began learning the trade 
 of a carpenter, which he followed for some time, 
 then entered the Prussian arm}-, to which he gave 
 his services for eight years. During this period 
 occurred the Baden Revolution of 1818, and he 
 saw considerable active fighting, participating in 
 one severe engagement but escaping unhurt. 
 
 Mr. Schramm received his discharge from the 
 regular arm}' in 1850, and in December of the 
 year following was united in marriage with Miss 
 Margaretta Schaab, a native of his own Province, 
 and born Feb. 5, 1829. Mrs. Schramm is the 
 daughter of Jacob and Margaret Schaab, and of 
 her union with our subject there have been born 
 nine children, eight of whom are living, namely: 
 Henry, at home; Phillip is a minister of the Ger- 
 man Methodist Episcopal Church, in Oregon, Mo.; 
 George, William; Mary, the wife of John Unland; 
 Theresa, Mrs. Daniel Roser, Eliza and Lilly: Albert 
 died when one year old. All the children were 
 born in Illinois. 
 
 In the spring of 18.52 our subject with his little 
 family embarked on a sailing-vessel at Bremen for 
 the New World. After a stormy voyage of fifty- 
 six days they landed in New York City, and thence 
 proceeded directly to Schuyler County, 111., where 
 our subject began farming. He was a resident 
 there until 1872. then came to this county, and lo- 
 cated on the farm in Clatonia Township, which he 
 has since occupied. He purchased at the time a 
 half-section of land from the Burlington & Mis- 
 souri River Railroad Company, paying therefor §8 
 per acre. Several years ago he sold half of this 
 but still owns 160 acres, which is fairly well de- 
 veloped. 
 
 The property of our subject is the result of his 
 
 own industry and economy, ably assisted by an 
 intelligent an<l devoted wife, who has ever been his 
 cheerful helpmate and counselor. Both are mem- 
 bers of the (ierman Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 and by their quiet and well-ordered lives they have 
 earned the friendship and confidence of all who 
 know tliem. .Since 18G2 Mr. .Schramm h.as given 
 much of his time to ministerial labor. He was one 
 of the founders of the church in Clatonia Township, 
 and to it has always given a cordial and libei'al 
 support. He and his estimable wife, now in their 
 declining years, are surrounded by the comforts 
 which they have so justly earned. Their cliildren 
 rise up to call them blessed, and their neighbors 
 and friends bear testimony to the good influence 
 which they have exerted upon those around them. 
 
 -*"e~ 
 
 'rSAAC HUYCK. In contemplating the biog- 
 j raphy of tliis gentleman, the mind reverts to 
 '11 the aphorism, ''like causes produce like effects," 
 whether as the boy at school, the young man flglit- 
 ing in defense of his country, or the husband and 
 father, laboring day in and day out upon the farm 
 in order to sustain his family, in each and every 
 instance the whole-souled, thorough, persistent ef- 
 fort and manner of working, though not marked 
 by meteor-like brilliancy, won the day. Our sub- 
 ject, whose present home is upon section 36 of 
 Sherman Township, was the third child born to John 
 and Miriam (Herrick) Huyck, both natives of Jeffer- 
 son County. N. Y. Their family included six chil- 
 dren ; only four, however, survive: Andrew, of 
 Sparta, Wis.; Ximena, wife of Isaac Johnson, of 
 Lincoln; our subject, and John H., of Chamberlain, 
 Dak. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 20th of March, 
 1841, in Jefferson County, N. Y. Until he was 
 about nine yeai-s of age he remained at home, and 
 obtained also some rudimentary education. At 
 that age he began to work in the employ of the 
 Milwaukee <fe St. Paul Railroad as a cast boy. The 
 same year he began to work in a woolen factory at 
 Watertown, Wis., but continued only until 1861, 
 and then went to work on a farm in Dane County, 
 
3GG 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 iT 
 
 the next season, and followed farming until Apiil, 
 1861. when he enlisted. 
 
 Upon entering the ami}' our subject became one 
 of the 1st Illinois Militia, enlisting for a terra of 
 three months. The3' proceeded to Chicago, but at 
 no time left the .State, and were finally sent back. 
 He then re-enlisted, in Company A, 13th United 
 States Infantr3', August 13, and proceeded to Jeffer- 
 son Barracks, Mo., and saw active service in the 
 States of Missouri, Tennessee, Mississipi)i, Louisi- 
 ana and Georgia. He was present at tlie sieges of 
 Vicksburg and Jackson, and was an active partici- 
 pant in the battles of Ft. Ilindmer, Collersville, 
 Missionary Ridge and Black Bayou, besides quite a 
 number of lesser fights. He was taken prisoner by 
 guerrillas at Mem|)his, and held as such for some 
 time, which furnished him an experience hard to 
 forget but far harder to endure. He received an 
 honorable discharge in August, 1864, and again 
 enlisted, in Comijanj' K, 2d Regiment, the Hancock 
 Veteran Corps from Wisconsin, and continued to 
 serve until the close of the war, when he received a 
 final discharge. 
 
 Returning from the war our subject again took 
 up his farming in Dane Count}', and continued in 
 the same until the year 1884, when he came to this 
 county and purch.ased 240 acres on section 36. 
 This land was |)art of the common-school grant, 
 and cost him $3,200 for lease and improvements. 
 On the 27th of September, 1871, he was united in 
 marriage with Mary Helen Jewett, daughter of 
 Hull and Erna J. (Cornes) Jewett. Mr. Jewett was 
 born on the 22d of March, 1829, in Oneida County, 
 N. Y. ; his wife on the 3d of December, 1830, at 
 W.aterville, in the same county. They were mar- 
 ried on the 6th of July, 1848, and became the par- 
 ents of five children, whose names are recorded .as 
 follows: Mary H.; George, of Dane Count}', Wis.; 
 Henry C, o( Turner County, Dak.; Charles W., 
 of Petosia, Wis., and Edward H., who resides near 
 his brother Henry. Mr. Jewett departed this life 
 on the 16th of April, 1882, and his wife on the 20th 
 of March, 1884. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have become the par- 
 ents of four children, who have received the follow- 
 ing names: Emma M., Joiin H., Harry D. and 
 Gilmer A. Socially, Mr. Huyck is a member of the 
 
 A. F. ife A. M., and is connected with the lodge at 
 Liberty, also of the William A. Butler Post No. 
 172, G. A. R., of Burchard. Religiouslj', he is a 
 member of the Episcopal communion. He has held 
 the office of Assessor for one year, and is numbered 
 among the stanch friends and able supporters of 
 the Republican party. The story of his life is one 
 of a constant upward struggle and conflict against 
 adverse circumstances, and this with very little lielp 
 or aid from without; but it is the stor}' also of a 
 successful struggle, one that is an honor to our 
 subject, and which has brought him the hearty 
 esteem of the community at large. 
 
 W)ILLIAM H. FUNK, whose ple.asant resi- 
 dence is upon his well-situated and fertile 
 farm on section 28 of Holt Township, al- 
 though not one of the pioneer settlers, is by no 
 means behind the best in those qualities essential 
 to a successful career and financial prosperity. He 
 settled upon this property on the 6th of September, 
 1883, and is now the owner of 480 acres of very 
 valuable, well- improved and highl}' cultivated land. 
 
 Mr. Funk w.as born on the 24th of November. 
 1838, in Henr}' County, Ind., and is the son of Jo- 
 seph and Sarah (Rader) Funk, natives of Rocking- 
 ham Count}', Va., where their ancestry have made 
 their home for several generations. The parents of 
 our subject were married in Virginia and migrated 
 to Indiana in 1832, and after sojourning in Wayne 
 County for two years settled in Henry County. 
 In the fall of 1864 they removed to Madison 
 County, Ind., where the mother died in January, 
 1883, and the father in March, 1888. They were 
 the parents of six children, whose names are sub- 
 joined : Parraelia, wife of Newlon M. Jones, of 
 Grant County, Ind.; George W., who died in the 
 year 1855, in Rockingham County, Va., aged 
 twenty -one years; John J.; Joseph N., a resident 
 of Madison County, Ind.; our subject, and Nancy 
 J., the wife of Mr. Henry Jones, of Grant County, 
 Ind. 
 
 Our subject spent all his early life upon the farm, 
 audits various duties were so intermingled with his 
 play and school tasks that almost unconsciously 
 
•^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 369 
 
 and before lie was aware of it he hail become capa- 
 ble of undertaking the raanageinent of a farai for 
 himself. He received as good an education as was 
 possible for him to obtain in the common school, 
 and from the time of leaving it until he was twent}'- 
 four years of age he continued to reside at home 
 and work upon the home farm. Upon arriving 
 at that .age he joined the army of "benedicts," 
 being united in marriage with Barbara A. Bowers. 
 This laily was the daiiw;hter of Andrew and Mary 
 Bowers, and a native of Delaware County, Ind. 
 
 After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Funk resided for 
 two years in Henry County, afterward in Madison 
 County, and in the eighteen years of their residence 
 in the latter county saw a large measure of success. 
 At the close of that period they determined to go 
 West, believing that a larger opiiortunity was ac- 
 corded their family in that newer country. After 
 stopping for six months in Nemaha County, they 
 came on to Gage County. While in Madison 
 County, Ind., he had made several investments in 
 real estate, and was the owner of 100 acres of land, 
 which he sold on coming to Nebraska, in order to 
 invest upon arrival in this .'^tate. From that time 
 to the present he has been interested in stock-farm- 
 ing, and it has been for him a succession of success- 
 ful j'ears. 
 
 The family of our subject includes seven chil- 
 dren, whose names are recorded as follows: Clem- 
 ent K., Nora A., LaFayette L., James W., Charles 
 N., AVilliam W. .and Wade H. 
 
 Mr. Funk is a gentleman of enterprise and in- 
 dustry, and although not a politician and somewhat 
 independent in the disposition of his vote, he is 
 everywhere received as an honorable, useful and 
 valued citizen. In representative politics our sub- 
 ject is a decided Democrat. 
 
 ' OSEPII M. MESERVE. Our subject is one 
 <jf tlie largest, most enterprising and wealth- 
 iest farmers in the county. He comes from 
 / a family and ancestry who have occupied 
 prominent positions since anti- [{evolutionary times. 
 
 The great-great-grandfather. Col. George Meserve, 
 came to America in 1745, a Colonel in the British 
 army, and fought through the French and Indian 
 AVar. When this was over he settled in the south- 
 eastern part of New Hampshire, near Dover, and the 
 estate is still in the hands of a distant relative of 
 the family, amd bears the familj' name. In tlie agi- 
 tation which led to the Declaration of Independ- 
 ence, the Colonel took his stand with the Colonists, 
 and the old "garrison" house or barrack, a large, 
 commodious, and especially strong building, is still 
 standing. 
 
 In the Revolutionary War all the sons of Col. 
 Meserve took part; he served with them at Concord, 
 Bunker Hill, and in the major part of the engiige- 
 ments, and at the close retired to his estate, where 
 he died about the year 1790. His son Joseph, the 
 grandfather of out subject, took up as his chosen 
 occup.ation agricultural pursuits, and lived upon the 
 old homestead. His family comjjrised three sons 
 and two daughters, whose names are recorded as 
 follows; Samuel P., Joseph, William, Eliza and 
 MarJ^ Tlie fatiier of our subject was Joseph, the 
 second son of the above ; he also was born in the 
 New Hampshire home, the same .is that of Col. 
 Meserve. The father of our subject as a young 
 man deviated himself to farming, but afterward 
 entered into mercantile life. As a business man he 
 was very successful, but his health failed him, and 
 his physicians advised a change of climate. Fol- 
 lowing this aflvice, in the spring of 18,')0 he re- 
 moved with his faniil3' to Illinois, settled in LaSalle 
 County, and returned to farming. He became the 
 owner of a yery unusually large estate, which upon 
 his demise he left to his wife. He was twice mar- 
 ried ; by the first union he became the parent of 
 four children, who were named as here subjoined : 
 William H., John W., Joseph M. and Marietta. 
 
 Our subject is the third son of the above family, 
 and was born in Coos Count}', N. H., upon the '20th 
 of December, 1833. This district is one of the 
 most beautiful in the East, perhaps in America. The 
 estate is situated about fifteen miles from the White 
 Mountains, sometimes called the Switzerland of 
 America. Amid the magnificent surroundings and 
 stupendous grandeur of Nature's work in this dis- 
 trict our subject was brought up. His education 
 
 *t 
 
•^^f^^ 
 
 ■*► 
 
 S70 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 w;is receivefl in the schools of his district, supjile- 
 nicnted and completed 1)3" the fidi cuniculiun of 
 instruction at Lancaster Academy, in the city of 
 that name in New Hampshire, and Wilson Collegiate 
 Institute, of Wilson, Niagara Co., N. Y. He was 
 eighteen years of age when he went with the family 
 to Illinois; there he began to teach school, but find- 
 ing tliere was little money and less glory in that 
 work, he abandoned the profession, and turned his 
 attention to the fertile, widespread prairie of Illi- 
 nois, and set to work to solve the problem of the 
 adaptability of three or four yoke of oxen, aided 
 by the usual implement, to breaking the surface of 
 the same. 
 
 Until he reached his majority the subject of our 
 sketch remained with his father, but then started 
 for himself, bought land, and soon had a ver^' fine 
 farm of his own. He was mari-ied, Feb. 29, 1855, 
 to Miss Elizabeth Call, a lady of excc|)tional refine- 
 ment and womanly grace. .She was born in Essex 
 County, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1833, and is the daughter 
 of William and Olive (Trumbull) Call. Her 
 mother was a native of the same county; her father 
 of Clinton County, of the same Mate. By occupa- 
 tion her father (vas a farmer, and settled in Essex 
 County, after a time removed to Clinton County, 
 which was their home f<jr about five years, then 
 removed toLaSallc County, and became neighbors 
 of the Meserve family, purchasing a farm in their 
 immediate vicinity. She has presented her hus- 
 band with ten chililreu, who have received the 
 names here appended: Amelia A., Joseph M.. Will- 
 iam Henry Harrison, Marietta M., David W., 
 Harriet L., Jessie A., Archie, Charles S. and Min- 
 nie C. 
 
 After his marriage our subject continued upon 
 the Illinois farm until 1863, but in the latter years, 
 owing to the general depreciation of values, he suf- 
 fered large financial losses. He therefore sold out 
 his interests in LaSalle County, and went to Iowa, 
 settling in Poweshiek Count}', and there continued 
 his farming with a much l)etter outlook and success 
 than was expected. This was their home for about 
 tvvelve years, and the birthplace of nine of their 
 children. Then the}- came to this county, and set- 
 tled upon section 20 of Nemaha Township, which 
 is still their home. At the time of their settlement, 
 
 in common with the greater part of the county, this 
 land was in its original condition, but before ver}' 
 long there were abundant evidences of the fact that 
 a master mind, strong will and ripe intelligence were 
 at work, resulting in even larger prosperity and 
 success than ever before. 
 
 The primitive l^uilding material provided by the 
 prairie is frequently used in the construction of the 
 dwelling of the pioneer farmer, and in entering 
 upon that life our sul)ject, although used to a dif- 
 ferent order of things, had determined to follow 
 the usual custom of that time in this regard. There 
 are sod houses and sod houses, everything depend- 
 ing upon the builder. Concerning that of our sub- 
 ject, it is sufficient to sa}' that after being in use for 
 fifteen years, it is still better than many in the first 
 year of their erection. There is something particu- 
 larly picturesque and refreshing to the traveler who 
 has been riding over the prairie for hours, and, 
 wearied with his journeying, sees before him in the 
 distance what at first appears a beautiful green 
 bank, but upon nearer approach resolves itself into 
 a human iiabitation — a home. A sod house can be 
 made not simply habitable, or even comfortable, 
 but ■' a thing of beauty, and a joy," for the term 
 of its existence. Such is the home of our suliject. 
 The site of this sod house measures 20x50 feet, and, 
 as above stated, is still the home of our subject, 
 and has continued to be thus used for fifteen years, 
 and within it have been spent the happiest years in 
 the whole history of Mr. and Mrs. Meserve. 
 
 The farm of our subject comprises 390 acres, all 
 under the plow. The remainder of the section he 
 has filled up with two tenant houses and their 
 grounds. Near his own house our subject has an 
 unusually fine grove of cottonwood trees, and 
 upon the east side of the section he has fifteen 
 acres, in which he has planted fruit trees, including 
 apple, pear, plum, apricot and similar fruits. He 
 has also set out groves of shade trees in different 
 parts of the place. An additional feature of beauty 
 and utility is the fish pond he has constructed upon 
 the most scientific principles, and has stocked with 
 much care. In the operating of his farm Mr. 
 Meserve keeps five teams constantly employed. 
 The barns, stabling, granaries, cattle sheds and other 
 necessary farm buildings are models in their line, 
 
 *f 
 
-^*' 
 
 i^l-4. 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 371 
 
 and are fully supplied with everything necessary 
 fur their efficiency. One of the chief products of 
 the farm, beyond that of the grain growth, is the 
 raising of hogs, and of these our subject ships 
 seldom less than three or four carloads per annum. 
 Mr. Meserve has preserved one exceptionally fine 
 and well-situated piece of ground, upon which, in 
 the near future, it is proposed to erect a handsome 
 and commodious dwelling, which will then take the 
 place of the present residence. 
 
 For ten 3'ears Mr. Meserve has been serving as 
 Postmaster of the Meserveville post-otHce, the office 
 being situated at his residence. He has at all times 
 been exceedingly active in every enterprise for the 
 advancement of the interests of the community, as 
 is evidenced in the work he did in order to aid the 
 organization of the township. He was one of the 
 first Justices of the Peace appointed under that 
 organization, and has been School Director for eight 
 years; also a member of the Circuit and Petit 
 Jury several times. At the Republican Conven- 
 tion of the county he was selected as a delegate to 
 that body; he was a member of the State Conven- 
 tion at De.s Moines, Iowa, and moved the nomina- 
 tion of Abraham Lincoln for the second term. By 
 a family connection on the father's side he is a 
 second cousin of ex- President Hayes. 
 
 The political sympathies of our subject have al- 
 ways been with the Republican parly; he has always 
 been one of its strongest supporters and stanchest 
 friends. His first Presidential vole was cast for 
 John C. Fremont, in 1856. A brilliant success has 
 attended our subject as a result of his manl3' effort, 
 coupled with the encouragement lent him by Mrs. 
 Meserve. Often, especially at the lime of their 
 financial trial, has the faithful and affectionate part- 
 ner of his life infused new hope .and brightness into 
 the counsels and plans of her husband, by which he 
 has taken fresh heart, and once more braced him- 
 self for the struggle that has resulted so favorabl}'. 
 
 In the Christian Church Mr. and Mrs. Meserve 
 are among the most energetic, consistent and 
 devout members. A new church of this communion 
 is to be built upon the northeast corner of section 
 20, the site being the gift of our subject, who is an 
 Elder of the church, and has served in that office, 
 and also as Sunday-school Superintendent in lUi- 
 
 nois, Iowa and Nebraska. The portrait of this es- 
 teemed gentleman appears on an accompanying 
 page. 
 
 ^g-JiiL*4e 
 
 |ACOB W. MUMFORD. Upon section 8 of 
 I Logan Township is found the stock farm of 
 
 w 
 
 the gentleman whose life is here briefly 
 sketched, who, in addition to the responsibili- 
 ties devolving upon him in connection therewith, is 
 the popular, much respected and most efficient Post- 
 master of Freeman. The father of our subject, 
 John Mumford, was born in Worcester County, 
 Md., in 1785, and afterward followed the occupa- 
 tion of farming. In 1840 he migrated to Adams 
 County, Ohio, but was taken si(.-k upon the way 
 with measles, while in Westmoreland County, Pa., 
 and died. His wife, who accompanied him, re- 
 mained in Ohio for some time after his death. In 
 1853, accompanied by two sons, she removed to 
 Argyle, Wis., and died at Willow Springs in the 
 same State, in 1863. Her maiden name was Mary 
 Perkins, and she was born in Worcester Count}', 
 Md., July 4, 1794. Besides our subject, there 
 were four children born to his parents, one of 
 whom died about 1873. The names of the surviv- 
 ing children are as appended : George W., John B., 
 our subject and Marj-. 
 
 Our subject was born on the Maryland farm, on 
 the 20111 of October, 1834, and made his home with 
 his mother until he was twenty years of age. He 
 had received a good practical education in the 
 usual institution, where he had shown an aptitude 
 for study, and had developed a mental power and 
 ability for work that was prophetic of his future. 
 Upon the removal to Argyle, above mentioned, he 
 farmed for one year, and then went onto a farm at 
 Willow Springs, which is situated near Darlington, 
 where he continued until 1865, although part of the 
 time from the year 1862 had been spent in military 
 service. 
 
 The date of the admission into the 23d Wiscon- 
 sin Infantiy of the gentleman whose history is here 
 presented, dates from the 29th of August, 1862, and 
 he was a member of Company B. He was mustered 
 in at Madison, AVis., leaving his brother, John B., 
 in charge of the farm. After seeing much hard 
 
 — — ^ 
 
 1' 
 
.>-ll^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 372 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 t bo 
 
 service and enduring cheerfully the many privations 
 and hardships of campaign life for three months, he 
 was taken sick from the exposure and strain, but 
 after lying ill for some weeks in the third ward of 
 the hospital at Louisville, Ky., he returned to duty, 
 and served until the 6th of January, 1864, when he 
 received an honorable dischaige, owing to physical 
 disability. In this period he had been one of the act- 
 ive campaigners, and had been an active combatant 
 in quite a laige number of the more memorable 
 battles, bt sides an innumerable number of lesser but 
 no less dangerous fights. 
 
 In 1865 our subject came to Logan Township, of 
 this county, and took land on section 8, and also 
 pre-empted a second claim. His prosperity has 
 been marked ; since that time he has purchased 400 
 acres of land in the same township, has erected a 
 very pretty and commodious residence, has set out 
 a very large orchard of choice trees, and many 
 other improvements, in addition to the cultivation 
 of his farm, which is all well fenced and hedged, 
 and is constantly watered by a live stream. Bear 
 Creek, which runs through his property. His farm 
 is further improved and beautified by some excep- 
 tionally fine natural groves of forest trees, that are 
 invaluable to him in addition to the elegance of 
 their appearance. 
 
 In Fayette County, Wis., our subject was mar- 
 ried, on the 3d of July, 1870, to Sarah M. Lindsey, 
 a school mistress, who had taught school about 
 fifteen terras. This lady was born in Pennsylvania, 
 on the 20th of June, 1840. Her parents, Thomas 
 and Mary (McFatridge) Lindsey, also natives of 
 the Keystone State, were spared to reach an ad- 
 vanced age. Her father died some years ago; her 
 mother, who is still living in Wisconsin, is seventy- 
 five years of age. Mrs. Mumford died upon the 
 1st of February, 1874, leaving two children, to 
 whom had been given the names Emma and Burton. 
 
 A second marriage was entered into by our sub- 
 ject on the 22d of December, 1876, when he be- 
 came the husband of Annie R. Isewton, who was 
 born in Chester County, Pa., upon the 12th of June, 
 1850. Previous to her marriage she had taught 
 school for two years. Her father, John Newton, 
 was a native of Manchester, England, where he was 
 born in 1826. He was by trade a hatter, but upon 
 
 coming to this eountiy and settling in Fayette 
 Count}', AVis.,he followed the pursuit of husbandry, 
 and still resides upon his farm, although for some 
 j'ears he has lived a retired life. Her mother, Re- 
 becca (Wilde) Newtcn, was born in the city of 
 Manchester, in 1823, and died on the farm in Faj-- 
 ette County, in 1886. Besides her daughter Annie, 
 the wife of our subject, she was the mother of two 
 sons, named respectively Isaac and John. The fam- 
 ily of our subject has by this second marriage been 
 increased by the birth of four chikken, who still re- 
 side with their parents, and have received the names 
 here appended: George S., John N., Stella and 
 Oliver C. 
 
 In addition to his position as Postmaster, to 
 which he was appointed some three j'ears since, Mr. 
 Mumford has filled the office of Assessor for three 
 years, and School Director for twelve years; in each 
 and everj' instance his attention to the business of 
 his office, and manner of discharging the same, have 
 won for him the hearty esteem of his fellow-citi- 
 zens. Sociallj', he is connected with the order of 
 the Grange, and has been Master of his Assembly. 
 It will have already been surmised, and that cor- 
 rectlj', that our subject's political sympathies are 
 Democratic. Of this party he has for many years 
 been a member, and by every effort in his power 
 has done all that was possible for the advancement 
 of the same, and will not be found wanting in the 
 on-coming campaign or any future one, so long as 
 he is spared in health and strength to participate. 
 He recognizes full}- the privilege of his citizenship, 
 and will utilize the same to the fullest extent. 
 
 'if? AMES I. SHAW comes of a family of mili- 
 tarj' heroes, his ancestors having distin- 
 guished themselves in the French and In- 
 dian War, the Revolutionary War, and the 
 Wyoming Massacre, and thus he inherited a militaiy 
 zeal and fervor by which he served his country in 
 the capacity of a loyal soldier for a period of five 
 years less one day. His parents, Stephen P. and 
 Hannah (Hicks) Shaw, were natives of New York, 
 the former having been born near the celebrated 
 springs in Saratoga County, and the latter in 
 
 •^ 
 
I 
 
 I I 
 
 If 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 3T3 
 
 Dutchess County. The Hicks f.amilj-of the present 
 trace their ancestry to the Hicks family which came 
 over to America on the second trip of the " M.aj'- 
 flower," landing at Plymouth in 1022. The great- 
 grandfather of our subject was a soldier in the 
 English army, and was among the men wlio sus- 
 tained the loss known .as Braddoek's defeat in 1 755. 
 Being discharged he settled in the Wyoming Valley, 
 Pa., and afterward served in the war of the Revo- 
 lution, also in the Wyoming Valley massacre, in 
 which he had two sons killed. The grandfather 
 of our subject, Benjamin Shaw, also lived in the 
 Wi'oming Vallej', and after the massacre he moved 
 to Saratoga County, N. Y. The parents of our sub- 
 ject were married in Dutchess County, and in 1850 
 they moved to Wisconsin, making their home in 
 Kenosha. 
 
 In 1857 the parents of our subject, in company 
 with their sons and sons-in-law, came to Nebraska 
 bringing their families with them. The father had 
 two Tagons and four teams of oxen, John had one 
 team, William one team and wagon, and James and 
 William 'Silvernail, the sons-in-law, had each a team 
 and wagon. Thus with all their worldlj' effects, 
 and happy at the thought that the^' were soon to be 
 located in their new homes, they made their way 
 through Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa to Nebraska, 
 with their procession of six wagons. Once in Ne- 
 braska the question of location was to be decided, 
 and the father bought 180 acres on sections 20 and 
 21 in Adams Township, Gage County, arriving at 
 his new home on the 6th of July, 1857. He 
 died in 1863, almost sixty-three years old, but the 
 mother survived until 1886, and had reached the 
 age of eighty-five years, longevit}' being a char- 
 acteristic of her familj-. This household comprised 
 a famil3' of ten children, who were named William, 
 Egbert, Margaret, Emaline, John, Alrayra, Hannah, 
 Rebecca, James I. and Stephen. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 30th of November, 
 1838. in LaGrange Townsl^p, Dutchess Co., N. Y., 
 and was ten 3ears old when his parents moved 
 to Litchfield County', Conn. He resided there until 
 he was thirteen years old, at which age he went to 
 .Wisconsin, tiience to Nebraska when he was eight- 
 een years old, and Iiaving attended the schools in 
 New York, Connecticut and Wisconsin, he has had 
 
 * ••--f^^ 
 
 abundant opportunity to compare the educational 
 systems of the dififerent States. He ranks the 
 schools of Wisconsin .as best, those of Connecticut 
 second, and of New York third in point of excel- 
 lence. When he came to this State he drove a team 
 for his father all the w.aj', crossing the Mississippi 
 River at Rock Island, and pursuing their course 
 westward they passed through Iowa City, Des 
 Moines, and crossed the Missouri River at Nebraska 
 City. After locating in Nebraska he remained at 
 home until 1860, when he went to Colorado, pros- 
 pected there one summer, and returned to his home 
 in the fall of the same year. 
 
 In 1861 the call was made for men to hasten to 
 the defense of the countrj-, and in response our sub- 
 ject enlisted in Company- _H, 1st Nebraska Regiment, 
 under Gov. Thayer, who went out as Colonel of the 
 regiment. They drilled at Omaha, dep.arted for the 
 field of battle, going soutii down the Missouri, and 
 entered the Array of the Tennessee in 1862. In 
 1863-64 our subject was in the Department of 
 the Missouri, and in 1865-66 he was in the De- 
 partment of the Platte. His first engagement was 
 at Ft. Donelson. and the next at Shiloh, where be 
 was promoted to the rank of Orderly Sergeant, 
 having been promoted Sergeant at Omaha. By order 
 of the War Department his regiment w.as mounted 
 and changed from infantry to cavalry, then trans- 
 ferred to the Division of the Missouri. He partici- 
 pated in the engagements at Cape Girardeau. Jackson 
 Point, Clarendon, Ark., and Grand Prairie, besides 
 assisting in a great deal of skirmishing. In the 
 summer of 1864, liis first term of three \envs having 
 expired, he re-enlisted and came home on a veter.an 
 furlough. While he w.as at home the Indian 
 troubles began, and his regiment was sent to the 
 plain of the Platte to look after the mail service 
 and protect it from the depredations of the In- 
 dians, with whom thej' had numerous skirmishes. 
 The winter of 1864-65 will long be remembered by 
 our subject and the other boys of the regiment as 
 one in which thej^ suffered extreme exposures, not 
 being provided with winter quarters, and awa3' off 
 on the plains, cut off from communication with the 
 rest of the countrj-. Having re-enlisted for three 
 years or during the war, our subject remained in the 
 service until he was discharged at Omaha, having 
 
 9^ 
 
 f 
 
u 
 
 374 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 server! five yenrs less one flay, and received an 
 honorable discharge with the rank of First Sergeant. 
 
 In 1867 our subject was married to Mrs. Vir- 
 ginia Stewart, daughter of John and Ann Amelia 
 (Gray) Douglass, both of whom were natives of 
 Scotland. The parents were married in Canada, 
 then returned to Scotland, where they remained for 
 four years, after which they returned to America. 
 Mrs. Shaw was born on the Atlantic Ocean on the 
 10th of February, 1838, and spent her girlhood 
 years in Canada, on the banks of the Chautauqua 
 River, in the Province of Quebec, forty miles from 
 Montreal and three and a half miles from the State 
 of New York. She attended a graded school con- 
 ducted on the rate system in Canada, and received 
 a thorough education in the elementary branches 
 of learning. Her parents had a family of eleven 
 children, five boj'S and six girls, she being the 
 third born. The father died in 1849, at the age of 
 fifty 3'ears, and the mother in 1857, at the age of 
 forty j-ears, she and herchildien making their homes 
 witli her father after the death of her husband until 
 the time of her death. Mrs. Shaw was married at 
 the age of fourteen years to Edward Stewart, a 
 young man of nineteen years, and they went to 
 Quebec, where, through the influence of a wealthy 
 uncle, Mr. Stewart obtained a situation as steward 
 on a sailing-vessel. They then knew no home but 
 on the watery deep for a period of three years, after 
 which they went to Kenosha, AVis., thence removed 
 to Chicago, in which place the husband died, leav- 
 ing four children to the care of the young mother, 
 none of whom, however, are now living. From 
 Chicago Mrs. Shaw came to Omaha in 1867, where 
 she met our subject, and by their marri.age they are 
 the parents of one child, named Egbert John. 
 
 Mr. Shaw owns 360 acres of land on section 30, 
 Adams Township, which is devoted to the purposes 
 of general farming. He is a Republican in politics, 
 and is a man of broad views, generous and consid- 
 erate, combining with his intellectual force a great 
 deal of executive ability. The citizens of Adams 
 Township have chosen him for Assessor and Justice 
 of the Peace, which offices he has held with satis- 
 faction and credit, and he has also served as Treas- 
 urer of the School Board for five or six years. He 
 is one of the prominent members of the G. A. R. 
 
 Post, of Adams, of which order he was chosen the 
 first Commander, and as it fell to his lot to name 
 the post, he bestowed upon it the name of his com- 
 rade, Sergt. James E. Cox, who was the first man 
 from the Nebraska regiment killed in the battle of 
 Shiloh. Under his command the post prospered 
 well, and has become an organization of twenty- 
 five members, our subject having been Adju- 
 tant of the post for the past three or four years- 
 Two of his brothers, William and Egbert, enlisted 
 in the 1st Regiment with him at the breaking out 
 of the war, the former meeting his death at St. 
 Louis by the running away of a team, and the 
 latter serving out his time of three years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are very courteous and hos- 
 pitable, kind and considerate of the comfort and 
 happiness of others, and are situated in such a 
 manner as to enable them to spend their remaining 
 days in ease and comfort. They are living happily 
 without making a great show or pretension, and are 
 always ready to welcome the coming guest. Our 
 subject took up his homestead of 100 acres in 1869, 
 which was among the last issued in the township as 
 well as in the county. As a man descended from 
 brave and illustrious ancestors, as a distinguished 
 warrior and a most loyal citizen, as a man of ex- 
 ecutive ability and principles of the strictest integ- 
 rity and philanthropy, he is entitled to the esteem 
 and admiration accorded him by his fellowmen. 
 
 "^fiOEL SCHOCK. One of the best improved 
 farms in Sicily Township, one of the most 
 beautiful for situation, is that which is the 
 property of the Assessor of the township, 
 whose biography is herein epitomized. This gentle- 
 man is the son of George and Lucy Ann (Ware) 
 Sehock, who are natives of Pennsylvania, he of 
 Union County, and his wife of Lehigh County. At 
 the age of sixteen years the father of our subject 
 accompanied his parents in their migratory journey 
 to Ohio, and Miss Ware, at the age of thirteen, re- 
 moved to the same State under similar circum- 
 stances, and in Seneca County, that State, the ac- 
 quaintance and friendship which had grown up 
 between them were transformed into the golden 
 
 :^^ 
 
u 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 375 
 
 bonds of wedlock. This interesting event took 
 place in Seneca County, Ohio, in September, 1843, 
 and they settled and continued to reside in Ohio 
 until 1 87 1 , when they removed to St. Joseph County, 
 Mich., which is still their home. Their family cir- 
 cle included nine children, all of whom are living, 
 and with the exception of the youngest all are mar- 
 ried and have homes of their own. Their names 
 are recorded as follows: Benjamin F., John D., 
 Joel, Polly, Eli, Sarah A., Ilettie A., Lydia A. and 
 Emma A. Mr. and Mrs. Schock are both members 
 of the Reformed Church, at Three Rivers, Mich. 
 
 Our subject was born in Seneca County-, Ohio, 
 Oct; 29, 1851. His early school days were spent in 
 the usual institution, but were afterward supple- 
 mented by the High School course at Three Rivers, 
 and he then taught for several winters, five terms 
 in Michigan, two in Nebraska, and one summer 
 term in Ohio. During the summer, however, it was 
 his custom to employ his time in farming. 
 
 Some thirteen 3'ears since, Mr. Schock purchased 
 his present farm, but it was not until February, 1 882, 
 that he left his Michigan home and settled thereon. 
 The property includes 160 acres, and is composed 
 of a very fine soil for agricultural purposes, and 
 well situated. To these natural advantages our 
 subject h.is added a number of improvements in the 
 shape of the general cultivation and various farm 
 buildings. Whether barn, ice house, implement 
 and machine house, milk house, granary or stabling 
 be examined, the verdict would be "most excel- 
 lent," which would apply to their construction, con- 
 venience and condition. The residence of our sub- 
 ject is most pleasantly situated, and is the embodi- 
 ment of comfort, and to the wear3' worker at the 
 close of the day is something to be appreciated in- 
 deed. 
 
 On the 4th of November, 1877, our subject was 
 married to MissC. Libbie Ulsh, of Michigan. The 
 wedding service was held at the residence of the 
 groom's father, and was attended by a number of 
 relatives and friends. Mrs. Schock was born on the 
 25th of June, 1861, in Snyder County, Pa. When 
 she was about three years of age, her parents, Joseph 
 and Christina (Mover) Ulsh, removed to Sandusky 
 County, Ohio. In the year 1869 another change 
 was made, and they took up their residence in St. 
 
 Joseph County, Mich. They became the parents 
 of six children, of whom all are living. Mrs. Schock 
 being the fifth child. In this latter pl.ace Mr. Ulsh 
 died, Aug. 12, 1879, at the age of sixty years. 
 After this his widow made her home with our sub- 
 ject and wife, whose family includes three children, 
 who are named as follows: James E., born July 20, 
 1879; Mary E.. Sept. 21. 1881 ; and Benjamin F., 
 Feb. 6, 1884. 
 
 Our subject has made an enviable reputation in 
 regard to the superior merits of his stock, and is 
 very particular in reference to the variety and grade 
 of the same. His specialty lies in thorough-bred 
 Poland-China hogs and Short-horn cattle. In his 
 political relations our subject affiliates with the Re- 
 publican party, and is thoroughly loyal to his citi- 
 zenship, and by his enthusiasm and thoroughness in 
 the fulfillment of the duties of his office has won 
 the highest regard of all concerned. With his wife, 
 he is an earnest" and devoted member of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal Church, and ever active in the ad- 
 vancement of that cause, and they are accorded that 
 appreciation and regard which are justly due. 
 
 !->^J«f-» 
 
 <if/ ACOB B. SWILER is a native of Cumber- 
 land Count.y, Pa., where he was born on the 
 1 1 th of April, 1831 , and where he was reared 
 to manhood. In 1850 he moved to Ohio, in 
 which State he remained for two years, returning at 
 the end of that time to his native State to claim for 
 his wife Miss Rachel Boak, to whom he was married 
 on the 12th of June, 1853. She is a daughter of 
 Lewis and Rachel Boak, the former of whom was a 
 soldier in the Revolutionary War. They were 
 members of the United Brethren Church, and both 
 died in Pennsylvania, the father at the age of fifty- 
 four, and the mother when she w.as seventy-five 
 years old. Mrs. Svviler was born inVork County, 
 Pa., on the 29th of June, 1833, and after her mar- 
 riage with our subject they removed to Illinois, 
 making their home in Warren County in 1857, 
 where thej' remained until i 880. They then came 
 to Nebraska, and located on the farm which is their 
 present home, on section 9,.Sicil3- Township. Nine 
 children have been born in their familv, of whom 
 
 
370 
 
 ■•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 five are living, mid bear tlie names of Austin H., 
 Carton P., Minnie W., Mamie E. and John. 
 
 Our subject spent his earl}' years on his father's 
 farm, engaged in the various duties of an agricult- 
 ural life until he was seventeen years old, at which 
 time he began to learn the wool manufacturing busi- 
 ness. This he followed for about two .years, but 
 wiis compelled to abandon it at the end of that 
 time on account of his ill-health, and he afterward 
 moved to Ohio, where he learned the plastering 
 trade. He engaged in the latter occupation for 
 about thirty years, and by that time his sons were 
 almost grown, and he began in company with them 
 to engage in agricultural pursuits in Illinois. They 
 farmed for four years, and then came to Nebraska, 
 where they have since made their home. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Swiler are esteemed members of the Church of 
 God, which religions denomination has an organiza- 
 tion in this township. 'Ihe former was initiated 
 into the order of the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 1 60, in 
 Monmouth, 111., about 1873, and was a charter 
 member of the Encampment. At the time of the 
 late war he applied to the Government as a volun- 
 teer, but his proffered service was rejected on ac- 
 count of his ill-health. He waimly advocates the 
 policy of the Republican party, and favors liie senti- 
 ment of prohibition. 
 
 When our subject came to his farm there had 
 been very little improvement made on it, but by 
 the exercise of constant diligence and much hard 
 labor, he has brought it to a fine state of cultiva- 
 tion, and has erected a good house, barn, and all 
 necessary out-buildings for the convenience of farm 
 life. He has also made good fences, and has set 
 out a fine orchard containing apple, cherry, and all 
 kinds of sm.all fruit trees, including 200 bearing 
 apple trees, which have produced such fine varie- 
 ties and such a delicious quality of fruit that it has 
 taken several premiums at the count}' fairs when 
 placed on exhil)ition. In various wa^s has he im- 
 proved the appearance and utility of his farm, and 
 has increased its value manyfold since it came into 
 his possession, but he has attained these splendid 
 results onlj' by the greatest industry and most care- 
 ful management. 
 
 Our subject is a son of Jacob .and Agnes (Baker) 
 .Swiler, who were natives of Pennsylvania, the 
 
 former of German, and the latter of Scotch parent- 
 age. Tlie father died in the year 1853, at the age 
 of sevent3'-two years, but the mother is still living 
 with her daughter in Perry County, Pa., and has 
 now reached the advanced age of ninety j'ears, still 
 being quite active and in good health. Since his 
 residence in tliis county our subject has been prom- 
 inentlj' identified with its public affairs, having been 
 a memljcr of the School Board since the organiza- 
 tion of the district, and is now filling the office of 
 Justice of the Peace. He took a very active part 
 in forming his school district, of which he has been 
 Treasurer since its organization, and he has been no 
 less active in the promotion of religious affairs, hav- 
 ing been an Elder in the church .and Superintendent 
 of the Sunda3--school since their organization in 
 1883. He and his wife have freed their farm from 
 all incumbrances, and are now situated in such a, 
 manner as to enable them to spend their remaining 
 days in case and comfort, enjoying the fruits of 
 their early industry. They are highly respected 
 citizens, and have endeared themselves to a large 
 circle of friends and acquaintances. 
 
 ^ft URRAY B. VOORHEES. This gentleman, 
 
 /// l\\ ^''i*^*^ stock farm is situated on section 25 
 J l^ of Sherman Township, is the eldest son of 
 * Henry V. Voorhees, a native of Somei-set 
 
 Count}', N. Y., whence he removed as a young 
 man to Peoria, 111., and afterward to Jersey County, 
 in the same State. During the earlier part of his 
 life he was a farmer, but afterward eng.-iged in 
 the business of hardware and groceries, in Jersey- 
 ville. 111., continuing in the same for about five 
 years, and then returned to farming. In political 
 matters he was a Democrat, but this did not pre- 
 vent him being elected to most of the important 
 offices of the township, including both that of Su- 
 pervisor and Treasurer. In the year 1861 he be- 
 came the husband of Matilda Bacon, a native of 
 New York State. Her grandparents were English, 
 but her parents were of American birth. They be- 
 came the parents of six children, five of whom are 
 
 T 
 
f1 
 
 
 
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 i^^i>ili^^!^@edi|i^|>t^Ui^V^^ 
 
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 Residence of John K. Trek ell. Sec. 9 . Highland Township. 
 
 Residence OF Henry Rice,5ec.29. Paddock Township 
 
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 "3<H^i^S*f^ 
 
 
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 M^^saa^i's^i^^ras; w;,^^a^wi«i^v:Aa.^-..^>..j*w>.-:.;.■^-. V ^' 
 
 Residenceof r. H. Dobbs,Sec.H. Rockford Township. 
 
I 
 
 ^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 379 
 
 living. Their n.TniPS are .is follows: Miivrny B., 
 our subject; Fanny. Harry V.. Rachel C. and Martlia. 
 
 Our subject was born while his parents resided in 
 Jersey County, 111.. Jan. 20, isr.2. Until he at- 
 tained his majority he made his home with his par- 
 ents, who afforded him through the years of his 
 boyhood and youth every opportunity to obtain a 
 fair practical education in the common school of 
 that district, after which he went to work upon the 
 farm. Shortly after attaining iiis majority he was 
 united in the irrevocable bonds of matrimony 
 with Jennie Rich, daughter of Richard and Alzina 
 (C'lard}') Rich. Her father was born in Devon- 
 shire, England, on the 12th of February. 1834. He 
 came to America in 1851 and settled in Jersej' 
 County, 111., following the occupation of farming 
 until his death, which occurred on the 7th of Au- 
 gust, 1880. For twenty-five years he had been a 
 member of the Baptist Church. He was married 
 on the 25th of November, 1850. and became the 
 father of four cliildren, one of whom died in in- 
 fancj". The names of the remaining three are: 
 Anna, now Mrs. William Birkcm.aj-er, of Jersey 
 County; Marj', the wife of William Darby, of the 
 same county; and Jennie T., the wife of our sub- 
 ject. 
 
 Mrs. Voorhees was born on the 1 4th of No- 
 vember, 1861. at Fidelity. Jersey Co., 111., and 
 continued to live with her parents until her mar- 
 riage. She had been given quite a fair education, 
 and was thoroughly conversant with the various 
 duties of the household, and both by nature and 
 education fitted to hold a good position in general 
 societj'. After her marriage, which occurred upon 
 the 4th of April, 1883, she continued to live with 
 her husband at Fidelity for about three years, our 
 subject being eng.aged in farming. Thence they 
 removed, in 1886, to this county, and engaged in 
 stock and grain farming upon section 25. operating 
 three-quarters of the entire section. Mr. Voorhees 
 has shown his enterprise by engaging in the breed- 
 ing of Hereford cattle. 
 
 The family of our subject has been increased 
 since his marriage by the birth of one son, who has 
 received the name of Richard. Mr. Voorhees is a 
 man who is devoted to his home and business, and 
 seeks no engagement outside these, therefore he 
 
 has given comparatively little attention to political 
 matters, and has never sought office; usually he 
 votes with the Republican part3', but is somewhat 
 independent in that matter, considering first the 
 man and his fitness for office, and then his part}'. 
 
 ■• «2je£/®^«^^^«S!NS!/J37f>— 
 
 ENRY II. SNYDER. Few of the intelligent 
 '' and enterprising subjects of the German 
 F^mpire who come to our shores from year 
 to year are more so than Henry Snyder, the 
 father of our subject, who is one of the prosperous 
 farmers of Jackson County, Ind. He was born in 
 1820, in Germany, and came to America when 
 about fifteen years of age, and made his home in 
 Cincinnati. He began life in this country' at the 
 foot of the ladder, and was very soon working as a 
 da^' laborer; by diligence and care it was not long 
 before he was enabled to purchase the farm in 
 J.ackson County, Ind., where he still resides. He 
 is a man greatly admired and respected, and has at 
 various times been called upon to fill ever}' office of 
 his township. 
 
 Mr. Snyder, Sr., was married, in 1847, to Anna 
 Meslow, who was born in Germany in 1825, and 
 died in the year 1885. They became the parents 
 of twelve children, eight of whom survive. The 
 names of these are recorded as follows: Louisa, 
 whose husband, Henry Holla, is a prosperous farmer 
 of Jackson County. Ind.; our subject; Margaret, 
 now Mrs. Harmon Krette; Amelia, widow of Au- 
 gust Brethaure; John F., a farmer of Sherman 
 Township, this count}'; Anna and Lavina, who 
 make their homes in Indianapolis; and Willie, who 
 is still at home in Jackson Countj*. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 15th of April, 1852, 
 and continued to live with his parents until he was 
 twenty-three years of age. His school da3's closed 
 with his fourteenth j'ear, but in that time he had 
 laid a good foundation whereon to erect the super- 
 structure of his later experience. F'rom that time 
 onward farming has occupied him almost entirel}-, 
 and long before he was of age he was sufficientl}' 
 well acquainted with all the details of its work to 
 take charge of an entire farm. 
 
 In the year 1871 Mr. Sn^'der bade farewell to 
 
 =?=f* 
 
^ 
 
 380 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 bachelor life and became the husband of Anna 
 Klinge, the daughter of Henry and Annie Klinge, 
 who were natives of Gernian3'. Mrs. Snyder was 
 born in Jackson Count}', Ind., in the year 1856, 
 and after a married life that comprised about two 
 bright and happy years, died on the 8th of October, 
 1877. In the following Februarj' our subject re- 
 moved to Page County, Iowa, and there engaged 
 in farming with much prosperity. 
 
 On the 14th of February, 1882, our subject con- 
 tracted a second matrimonial alliance, the lady of 
 his choice being Mary E. Martin, a daughter of 
 John M. and Anna (Allen) Martin. Her father 
 was born in New Jersey, in 1831, and resides in 
 Pawnee County, Neb. Her mother was born in 
 Cincinnati, in 1839, and died in 1864. Their home 
 circle included thirteen children, nine of whom are 
 living. Mrs. Snyder was the eldest of the famil}', 
 and was born in Page County, Iowa, Feb. 4, 1860, 
 and continued to reside with her parents until her 
 marriage. She presented her husband witli four 
 children, whose names are as follows: J^dward, 
 Charles C, William J. and Merl. 
 
 In the communion of the Lutheran Church, in 
 which our subject was brought up, he continues to 
 find that which is in harmony with his religious 
 principles, and is a regular and devout worshiper. 
 His political associations are with the Democratic 
 party, and he is a consistent and regular supporter 
 of that party, and has so continued since it was his 
 privilege to vote. 
 
 TEPHEN D. TERRY. One great secret of 
 success in any position, calling or pi-ofession 
 in life is congeniality and adaptability', and 
 this is the secret of the success in life of 
 the subject of this sketch, wliose reputation is un- 
 questioned along the line of his chosen occupation, 
 viz., that of stock-raising. Gage County has few citi- 
 zens who more delight in this department of work, or 
 who better understand what is demanded in that 
 connection; the wise and the otherwise of the hand- 
 ling and care of stock. He is in fact, as it were, to 
 tiie manor l)orn, and as a result takes to it naturally. 
 
 and equally as natnrallj' is rewarded with an un- 
 usual prosperitj- and success. 
 
 Our subject is a native of Fleming County, Ky. 
 When he was 'fifteen years of age his mother re- 
 moved to McDonough County, III. There he lived 
 until the spring of 1 880. when he came to this 
 county, where shortly after arrival he leased the 
 half-section where he now lives, at that time owned 
 by a Mr. John Ellis. He commenced to handle 
 stock, chiefly cattle and hogs, and from that as a 
 beginning has continuouslj' progressed. Upon land- 
 ing in the township he found himself possessed of 
 just $15, §10 of which he immediately forwarded 
 to his wife to pay railroad fare, that she might join 
 him, and of this amount upon arrival she possessed 
 but ninety-five cents. These figures give the finan- 
 cial basis of our subject's fortune, but no figures 
 can show the spirit and determination to succeed 
 that inspired this young couple. He purchased 
 stock of Mr. Ellis tf) the amount of $550, for which 
 he gave his note, for which he took interest in the 
 form of a partnership, sharing the profits for five 
 years. Then Mr. Terry was enabled to purchase 
 the farm of 840 acres, and also Mr. Ellis' interest 
 in the stock. 
 
 From the time of the above purchase our subject 
 has continued to operate the farm in his own inter- 
 est and upon his own responsilility, and with even 
 greater success than he previously enjoyed. There 
 are at present some 300 head of high-grade cattle of 
 pure blood upon the place, and about 100 that are be- 
 ing fattened for the market. In pigs his special breed 
 is the Berkshire variety. Of these he raises seldom 
 less than 300 per annum. His sales never run 
 lower th.an 250 head of fatted cattle, and from 200 
 to 300 hogs. In addition to the above, and upon 
 a somewhat more limited scale, though with no less 
 measure of good fortune attending, Mr. Terry 
 raises some very fine Clydesdale, Norman and En- 
 glish draft horses. 
 
 The farm of our subject is naturally adapted for 
 his purpose, and is well supplied with water from -a 
 stream that has its origin in springs which are 
 chiefly upon his land. No matter how hot or drj' 
 the season, this most important requisition is found 
 in abundant supply. He raises for feed purposes 
 about 150 .icres of corn every 3'ear, and in addition 
 
 I 
 
i 
 
 ^ii^K* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 381 
 
 11113-8 from 12.000 to 15.000 bushels. All his farm 
 is well fenced, 160 neres of it with .a ''hog tight" 
 and the remainrler witii a first-class wire fence, the 
 whole being so flivided that stock can be handled 
 to the greatest advantage and with the utmost ease. 
 There is an abun<lant supply of sheds and shelters 
 for protection from winter's cruel cold and sum- 
 mer's severe heat; in fact, in all the appointments 
 our subject .nims to have those of a first-class stock 
 farm, as his is. 
 
 The parents of our subject were natives of Ken- 
 tucky, in which State iiis father died when Ste- 
 phen D. was quite a little boy. His mother with 
 her famil}' of five children then removed to Illinois 
 in lb67. It was an apparently interminable strug- 
 gle and endless anxiety for this noble woman to 
 provide for her children, and as soon as it was pos- 
 sible our subject, being the eldest son. took the lend 
 in endeavoring to assist in the support of the fam- 
 ily. Being liorn on the •2d of Februarj-, 1852, 
 he was fifteen years of age when his mother 
 removed to Illinois. The3' have now a good f.arm 
 in Labette County, Kan., where the mother and one 
 daughter reside. The following are the members 
 of this interesting familj', viz. : .Stephen D., our 
 subject; William, who is married and lives in Ken- 
 tucky; Mary E., who resides with her mother; 
 Amelia, happily married to Jacob Botoff, a prosper- 
 ous farmer in Labette Count}'; Amanda, now Mrs. 
 Ora F. Fenneywitt, resident in the same county, 
 each being in the s.ime neighborhood. 
 
 Miss Harriet McElvain, of McDonough County, 
 111., is the lady whom our subject chose to be his 
 life companion, and with whom he was united in 
 marriage upon the 14th of Januar}', 1872, since 
 which time it has been abundantly demonstrated 
 that the step was a most happj' one. Mrs. Terry is 
 the daughter of George and Jane (Barr) McElvain, 
 who still reside in Illinois. There have been born 
 to our subject seven children, who have received 
 the names here following: Clifton D., John H., 
 Oscar, Amelia, William H., Lou and Mattie, all of 
 whom are still living. 
 
 The ancestry of the Terry family' for sevenil 
 generations have been members of tiie Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, and in this communion our sub- 
 ject and wife also find their religious home, and are 
 
 M» 
 
 by the entire membership in common with the com- 
 munity at large held in highest esteem. In politi- 
 cal circles our subject is not prominent, usually 
 voting with entire disregard to the party of a can- 
 did.ite, and thinking solely of his fitness for the 
 desired oflice and his character. 
 
 fL^OBERT F. NORCROSS is a well-informed 
 and reliable business man, who has made a 
 !^ brilliant success of farming on his well-im- 
 •,(0; proved land on section 3 1 , Logan Township. 
 His father, William F. Norcross, was born in p;rie 
 County, Pa., on the 14th of February. 1812, ami in 
 1840 he moved to Warren County, III., where he 
 now resides, continuing his early vocation of farm- 
 ing. His father, the grandfather of our subject, 
 was a native of Ireland, and after coining to Amer- 
 i(^a he served as a private in the War of 1812. The 
 mother of our subject was Maria L. (Dixon) Nor- 
 cross, who was born in I^rie Count}', Pa., in 1818. 
 and died at the age of forty years, in 1858, by 
 which a family of five children, named John G., 
 Marietta, William P., Hobert F. and Henry M., was 
 bereaved of her tender care. 
 
 Our subject was born in Warren County, 111., on 
 the 31st of August, 1851, and as he reached boy- 
 hood's years he began the acquisition of his* educa- 
 tion, which was completed in 1872 by graduation 
 from the High School at Monmouth, III. In the 
 spring of 1875, being then about twenty- four years 
 old, he removed to near Beatrice, where he en- 
 gaged in farming for tiirce years, and in 1878 he 
 bought his present place, consisting of 100 acres on 
 section 31, Logan Township. When the land came 
 into his possession it was in an uncultivated state, 
 since which time be has made many improvements, 
 and has set out orch.ards of fruit trees, groves of 
 native timber, and beautiful liedge fences, which 
 add greatly to the value and ajjpe.arance of the 
 place. His house, barns and farm buildings are all 
 in excellent condition, containing the modern con- 
 veniences and improvements, while within a dis- 
 tance of forty rods from the house there is a spring 
 of clear, cool and refreshing running water. All 
 that ingenuity can devise or labor procure has been 
 
-4^ 
 
 382 
 
 ^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 done to beautify and increase the utility of this 
 splendid farm, and the owner of it may well feel 
 gratified because of his success. In 1883 he pur- 
 chased 160 acres of land two miles eastof the home 
 farm, on which he has made many improvements, 
 
 On the 12th of February, 1874, our subject was 
 united in marriage, in Monmouth, 111., to Miss 
 Laura E. AVebster, who was born in Erie Count)', 
 Pa., on the 12th of November, 1856. Her parents, 
 O. E. and Emily E. (Dunn) Webster, were natives 
 of the same count)', the former having been born in 
 1835, and the latter in 1838. They are the parents 
 of four children, named Laura E., Stella, Elroy and 
 Zoah, and the father is the present Street Commis- 
 sioner of Beatrice. By their marriage our subject 
 and his wife are the parents of one child, named 
 Bertie, who was born on the 2oth of April, 1876, 
 and is brightening their home with the charm of his 
 boyhood's years. 
 
 The excellent and thorough education which our 
 subject received entitles him to a prominent rank 
 among the educators of his township, for, although 
 he is not immediately engaged in the work of 
 teaching, he has for six years been the Director of 
 the schools, and has given careful and conscientious 
 service in behalf of the educational institutions of 
 his township. He is an ardent Republican, and does 
 not lose an opportunity to further the interest of 
 his party. In business matters he is distinguished 
 for his uprightness and integritj% and his word is 
 everywhere considered as good as his bond. His 
 wife is an amiable and estimable lady, possessing 
 true, womanly characteristics, and takes a proper 
 pride in her excellent domestic qualifications. 
 
 ■y*Ae2/®^''~~^% 
 
 -e8^S/^r^w»» 
 
 ]EORGE W. CAMPBELL. The eventful life 
 of the subject of the following narrative, 
 and which now spans a period of over fifty 
 years, began at the modest country home of his 
 parents iu the township of East Sraithfield. Brad- 
 ford Co., Pa., Maj' 3, 1835, and is culminating in 
 its prime amid the surroundings of an enjoyable 
 home on section 33, in Nemaha Township, this 
 county. A soldier of the Union army during the 
 
 late Civil AVar, he survived more than ordinar)' 
 hardship and suffering, and at its close in 1868, 
 sought a home among the people of the 3'oung and 
 promising State of Nebraska. He was prospered 
 in his venture, and now, sitting under his own vine 
 and fig tree, with comfort and plenty around him, 
 can look back with a reasonable degree of satisfac- 
 tion upon the results of a life whose aim has been 
 to make himself worthy among good citizens, and 
 of value in his community. 
 
 The parents of our subject, George W.. Sr., and 
 Harriet (Kingsley) Campbell, were also natives of 
 Bradford County, Pa., and represented excellent 
 German blood on the father's side, and on the 
 mother's Scotch-Irish. The elder Campbell was a 
 lumberman and farmer, and acquired a large prop- 
 erty. His death took place not far from the place 
 of his birth, in Burlington Township, Bradford Co., 
 Pa., in 1887, when he was seventy-eight years old_ 
 The mother is still living, ranking her home with 
 Sterling at the old home, and is now aged about 
 seventy-four. The parental household included 
 nine children — William. George W., Jr. (our sub- 
 ject), Almira, Martha, Chauncey, Owen, Sterling, 
 John and Alanson. 
 
 When the subject of tliis sketch was about five 
 years old his father purchased a large sawmill in 
 Burlington, Bradford Co., Pa., which he operated 
 about fifteen years, and then selling out, moved 
 on a farm. In the meantime young George made 
 himself useful about the mill, attending the saw 
 and handling lumber. Their home being in the 
 wooded districts, the opportunity for education 
 was somevvhat limited, although our hero mastered 
 the common branches, and branched out consider- 
 ably in philosoph)' and the scientific studies. His 
 regular school days, however, terminated at the age 
 of fifteen years, and his acquirements after that 
 were mainl}- by his own efforts at home. He con- 
 tinued under the home roof until twenty years old, 
 and was then united in marriage with Miss Mar)*, 
 daughter of John and Poll}' (Holmes) Dewey, who 
 with their family were natives of New York State. 
 Mrs. Campbell was the fourth in a familj' of five 
 children, and was born in Chenango County, Aug. 
 4, 1834. She remained a resident of the Empire 
 State until a maiden of sixteen years. Her father 
 
 1 
 
-<- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 383 
 
 i- 
 
 i~ 
 
 died when she was a small child, and the familj' 
 being left without means, the children were separ- 
 ated, and Mary fonnd a home among strangers. 
 After a few years her elder sister married and 
 Mar}' went to live with her, in Bradford County, 
 Pa. Here she was provided with educational ad- 
 vantages, and developed into a teacher, hy which 
 means she suppo/'ted herself comfort;ibly until her 
 marriage. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Campbell continued in Pennsyl- 
 vania a jear after their marriage, antl then re- 
 moved to Carroll County, 111., where Mr. C. rented 
 a farm, and was mailing good he.adwa}' toward a 
 competency when there came the first call from 
 President Lincoln for troops to put down the rebell- 
 ion. To the other ties which bound Mr. Camp- 
 bell to his home had been added that of a father, 
 but he determined to forsake all in response to the 
 demands of true patriotism, and accordingly en- 
 listed in Company B, 7th Illinois Cavalry, being 
 mustered in at Camp Butler, in October, and drill- 
 ing at Camp Butler, Springfield. On the 1 5th of 
 December the regiment received orders to move, 
 and went via Cairo to Bird's Point, Mo., where 
 Mr. Campbell made the acquaintance of Gen. Grant. 
 Under him they skirmished for a time, and were 
 then ordered to Shiloh. reaching that point just 
 after the battle. They afterward participated in the 
 siege of Corinth, and did railroad dut_v in that 
 section for some time. Mr. Campbell was with 
 the troops of Gen. Grant on his first expedition 
 against Vicksburg. but they were forced to return 
 to LaGrange, Tenn., on account of a scarcity of 
 supplies. Their next move w\as as guard along the 
 Tennessee River, but the approach of Gen. Price 
 caused them to fall b.ack to Corinth, where they 
 engaged in the second battle at that place. 
 
 The winter of 1862 was spent by the regiment in 
 camp at LaGrange, Tenn., and the spring of 1863 
 opened with the Grej-ston raid of sixteen days, and 
 six daj's of which Company B rode by itself 425 
 miles, fighting along the road. At the siege of Port 
 Hudson they guarded the rear with credit, and then 
 took boats up to Memphis for the purpose of 
 recruiting. They then went to Collierville. Tenn., 
 and while there on picket dut}-, Mr. Campbell with 
 twenty -five of the forty-nine men thus engaged was 
 
 4« 
 
 captured during the fight, Nov. 3, 1863; there were 
 engaged 500 Union men and 2,000 rebels. The 
 prisoners were_.t;iken to Cahaba, Ala., where they 
 were kept until the following April, and were then 
 transferred to Andersonville. 
 
 The horrors of Andersonville Prison, Mr. Camp- 
 bell states, could not by an\' possibilit}' be exagger- 
 ated. Sufferings awful, and unmitigated by a gleam 
 of humanity on the part of their captors, made the 
 lives of the weary victims a wretched mockery. 
 Nauseous food, impure water, crowded and vermin 
 infested quarters, contributed to disease and death, 
 which took away all but eight of the company of 
 twenty-six. Mr. C. and his comrades remained there 
 until August, 1864, when thej' were removed to 
 the sporting ground of Charleston, kept there four 
 weeks, and then taken to Florence, where Mr. C. 
 was released on sick parole. 
 
 After regaining his liberty Mr. Campbell made 
 his way first to Annapolis, Md., and thence to his 
 father's house in Pennsylvania, arriving there in 
 January, 1865. He received his honorable dis- 
 charge in April following, having been in the serv- 
 ice three years and six months, thirteen months and 
 eleven da3-s of which had been passed as the cap- 
 tive of the rebels. 
 
 Mr. Campbell after rejoining his family in Car- 
 roll County, 111., was unable to do any work for 
 fully a year, but after a time gradually resumed 
 farming. He made up his mind to secure a home 
 of his own as soon as possible, and believing he 
 could make better headwaj' upon the soil of a 
 newer country, started for Nebraska in the spring 
 of 1868. He was accompanied by his wife and 
 two children, and they made the journey overland 
 with a wagon and two teams of horses. They 
 crossed the Mississippi at Lyons, Iowa, and pushed 
 their way through the Hawkeye State, crossing the 
 Missouri at Brownville, and touching Tecumseh. 
 The prairies of Nebr.aska were tlien mostly in their 
 primitive condition. Mr. Campbell took up a home- 
 stead claim of 120 acres, and commencing at first 
 principles, slowl}' but surely built the foundation 
 of his present home. In connection with the culti- 
 vation of the soil he has turned many an honest 
 pennj' as a well-horer, having sunk 500 or 600 wells, 
 probably- more than an}- other man in this part of 
 
 •► J f 4» 
 
384 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Gage County. The first dwelling of our subject in 
 this county was a board shanty, and they occupied 
 this nearly five years. They have now a substan- 
 tial residence which compares favorably witii those 
 of their neighbors, convenient out-buildings, and a 
 beautiful grove of Cottonwood and maples planted 
 nineteen years ago by the hands of the proprietor. 
 A flourishing apple orchard of 130 trees yields 
 bountifully for the needs of the family, with a fair 
 assortment of the smaller fruits. The household 
 circle numbers four children — Dewey, John, Effa 
 aud George B. The second and third in order of 
 birth, Nettie and Hattie, died at the ages of six 
 and one-half years and three months, respectively. 
 Dewey married Miss Abbie Kessler, and is a resi- 
 dent of Hooker Township; they have one child, a 
 son, Roy. John and Effa operate jointly two 
 farms in this township; the youngest son has charge 
 of the home place. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
 our subject, as an ex-soldler, has for a, long period 
 been Quartermaster in Sergt. Cox Post, G. A. R., 
 at Adams. It is hardly necessarj' to say that 
 politically, he is a "dyed in the wool" Republican. 
 
 »-*^- 
 
 -fe 
 
 ■jj OHN CARSTENS. Among the representa- 
 tive farmers and esteemed citizens of Cla- 
 tonia Township, the subject of this sketch 
 occupies a good position, sociallj' and finan- 
 cially. He possesses all the admirable qualities of 
 the substantial (ierman race, and is a native of that 
 Empire, having been born in Hanover, P'eb. 24, 
 1843. 
 
 The subject of our sketch is a son of John and 
 Gesche Carstens, being the eldest of the family, and 
 has only two brothers living; of Tebbe C. a sketch 
 appears in this work. His mother died in Han- 
 over and his father lives in this county. John 
 early in life became familiar with farm pursuits, 
 while at the same time he was thoroughly educated 
 in the common schools of his native Province. In 
 I8GG, when a young man twenty -one years old, he 
 entered the Hanovarian army and fought against 
 tlie Prussians on the side of the Austrians in the 
 beginning of the memorable struggle between those 
 
 two countries, in the battle of Langensabza. Fi- 
 nally retiring from the ai-my at the close of the 
 struggle, he emigrated to America, embarking from 
 the port of Bremen on an ocean steamer, and after 
 a voyage of three weeks landed in New York City. 
 Thence he proceeded to Schuyler County, III., 
 where he was employed at farming several years. 
 The fall of 1874 found him with his steps turned 
 still further westward, and making his waj' to this 
 county he purchased 160 acres of land from the 
 Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, 
 at $7 per acre. This was located on section 1 1, Cla- 
 tonia Township, and upon this he has since lived 
 and labored, transforming the raw prairie to a 
 highly cultivated farm, and putting up the build- 
 ings required for his comfort and convenience. 
 
 In his pioneer labors our subject found in his de- 
 voted wife a most efficient assistant, and he gen- 
 erously accords her that credit which is too often 
 withheld from the pioneer wife and mother. He 
 had no means when he landed upon American soil, 
 and his possessions to-day are consequently' the re- 
 sult of his own industry aud economy. His mar- 
 riage occurred two years after his emigration to 
 this countrj', the wedding taking place in Rushville, 
 111., on the 12th of March. 18C8. The maiden name 
 of Mrs. Carstens was Mary Schmid, and she was 
 also born in the Fatherland, Feb. 1. 1847. Her 
 parents were Jurgen and Etta (Goldenstein) Schmid, 
 who lived and died in Germany. Mrs. C. came to 
 the United States in the fall of 1865. Of her 
 marriage with our subject there have been born 
 seven children^ namely: George J., Feb. 24, 1869; 
 Lilly G., July 15. 1873; Arthur E., Aug. 16, 1876; 
 Mary Auetta, April 12, 1879; Theodore F., Jan. 
 31, 1881 ; Alvin B., Oct. 27, 1882, and Emma F., 
 June 29, 1885. 
 
 The property of Mr. Carstens includes 160 acres 
 of land, enclosed with good fencing, and producing 
 in abundance the rich crops of Southern Nebraska. 
 He has a good setof frame buildings with improved 
 machinery aud a fair assortment of live stock, in- 
 cluding cattle, horses and swine. In religious mat- 
 ters he belongs to the German Metliodist Episcopal 
 Church, of which he was one of the founders, and 
 h.as been a Trustee for man}' j'ears. Both he and 
 his estimable wife have alvvays taken an active in- 
 
 -<»■ 
 
 -•► 
 
■u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 385 ( i 
 
 tcrest in the success of cliurch and school, and 
 sought to educate their offspring in the manner 
 wliicli sliall make of them good and wortliy citizens. 
 Mr. Carstens, politically, votes the Republican ticket, 
 and h.as served upon the School Board of his dis- 
 trict a number of years. In the spring of 1887 he 
 was elected Assessor of Clatouia Township, and has 
 served on its Board of Elections many times. He 
 is considered one of the representative men of his 
 community, active in all good works, and the sub- 
 ject of a record which his children may look upon 
 in later years with pride. 
 
 •"'♦i*^?^^"^ 
 
 ^ ji^ B. SPRAGUE is the senior partner of the 
 
 \/iJl ^' ™ *''^ ^^ ■ ^' ''P'"'''»"'^ '^ Son, proprietors of 
 W^ the Sunnyside Ranch, on sections 17, 18 
 and 19, Nemaha Township, one of the largest cattle 
 ranches in this counti'. He is a son of Frederick A. 
 and Bridget (Moodey) Sprague, the former of 
 whom traces his ancestry to English, and the latter 
 to Irish families. The father served in the War of 
 1812, anil after his marriage with the mother of 
 our subject in Medina Countj', Ohio, thej- made 
 their home on a farm in that county until the year 
 1841, when they removed to Waukesha County, 
 Wis. The father purchased a large tract of laud, 
 which he devoted to agricultural purposes, and 
 meeting with much success he accumulated wealth, 
 and became the owner of several sections of land. 
 
 The father of our subject was an able politician, 
 and was distinguished among his contemporaries 
 by being elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, 
 receiving the election to that honorable office on 
 the Democratic ticket by a large majoritj', which 
 speaks well for his popularit3'. He died in Feb- 
 ruary, 1865, in his seventieth year, and the mother 
 died in January, 1885, in her eighty-third year; 
 they were the parents of nine children, all of whom 
 were spared to become honored men and women, 
 and their names are as follows: Frederick A., Jr., 
 Romeo, Joseph, John Q., Juliet, Peter, William 
 B., lliram B. and Elizabeth. 
 
 Our subject was born in Ritchficld, Medina Co., 
 Ohio, on the ICth of April, 1838, but as he was 
 only three 3'ears old when his parents moved to 
 
 Wisconsin, he has no recollections of his eai-ly 
 home. AVhen ho became a young man he was early 
 taugiit to take care of horses, oxen, stock in gen- 
 eral and farming implements, .and to swing the ax 
 with a strong and steady hand, living as he did in 
 a country abounding in woods with but small 
 clearings. He otherwise had an experience in 
 common with the other sons of the early pioneers 
 of Waukesha County. His schooling was rather 
 limited, owing to the limited advantages of the 
 time, and he remained at home engaged in the 
 duties of the farm until he became twentj'-one years 
 old, at which age he was married. 
 
 In 1859 our subject was united in marriage with 
 Miss Elizabeth Hazlehurst, a daughter of George 
 and Margaret (Brown) Hazlehurst. The parents 
 were natives of England, and their ancestors were 
 noted for their inventive genius, grandfather John 
 Brown, of Manchester, England, having been the 
 inventor of the first steam loom used in the large 
 cotton factories in that city. The father was an 
 excellent weaver, and became the overseer in a 
 cotton factory in his native country, but having 
 conceived the idea of coming to America, he em- 
 barked for this country in the j'ear 1840. He 
 bought a farm in Oswego Count}^ N. Y., on which 
 he remained for some time, and met with success, 
 but he subsequently removed to Fall River, Mass., 
 and became overseer in the "Que-Que-Chan" Mills, 
 in which capacity- he remained for six years. He 
 then went to Oneida Countj', N. Y., where he re- 
 sided for several years, until he came to Waukesha 
 County, Wis. For thirty years tl-.e father served 
 as an overseer in the cotton mills, twenty-four years 
 of which were spent in England. 
 
 Mrs. Sprague's motiier died in 18G8, at the age 
 of sixty-five j'ears, and her father died in 1875, in 
 California, aged seventy-five years. They had a 
 family of five children, all of whom grew to man- 
 hood and womanhood ; their names are as follows: 
 Edward, AViliiam, Marj', Elizabeth and Margaret. 
 William Hazlehurst was at one time the foreman in 
 the Hay ward Mines, and was well known in San 
 Francisco. He accumulated a large amount of 
 wealth, and was at one time a millionaire. Mrs. 
 Sprague was born in Manchester, England, on the 
 23d of July, 1839, but her earliest recollections 
 
 -•► 
 
-4^ 
 
 38G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 are of her home in Oswego County, N. Y. She was 
 five years oM when her parents moved to Fall 
 River, Mass., where she attended school, and worked 
 in the factory. When she first began to work in 
 the factory she had to have a stage to stand on, 
 and attended two looms. 
 
 The education wliich Mrs. Sprague received was 
 obtained in the schools of Westmoreland, and 
 when she was fifteen years old she went to Wauke- 
 sha County, Wis. Her mother was afflicted with 
 ill-heallli, which made it necessary for her to take 
 charge of the household until the time of her mar- 
 riage with our subject. After their marriage they 
 bought a farm of 120 acres, and in 1864 our sub- 
 ject began to buy horses for the army. After the 
 war closed he went to Pennsylvania, and for eleven 
 months he worked in the oil region, returning again 
 to Wisconsin in 1866, and resuming operations on 
 his farm. In 1870 ho went to Troj' Center, Wal- 
 worth County, and engaged in the stock and prod- 
 uce business, also having an interest in the lumber 
 business. He continued therefor three years, meet- 
 ing with very good success, and then returned to 
 his former home and purchased a sufficient amount 
 of land to make him the owner of 360 acres. He 
 carried on farming in Waukeslia County until 1879, 
 when he exchanged one of his farms for lands in 
 Gage County, and afterward sold the other farm 
 in Wisconsin and bought cattle, bringing with him 
 about 100 head when he came to Nebraska. 
 
 Our subject settled on his own farm in Sherman 
 Township, nine miles east of Beatrice, and for 
 three years he took the entire management of the 
 farm, consisting of 480 acres. He then exchanged 
 it for a quarter-section near Beatrice, some other 
 lands, and the remainder in money, and worked on 
 his new farm until 1887, when he came in charge 
 of the Sunnyside Ranch. He has been as a rule 
 very successful, but a short time ago he met with 
 a drawback from having bought 200 head of stock 
 cattle from Rosenbaum Bros., live stock com- 
 mission merchants, of Omaha. The cattle proved 
 to have been mortgaged, and the loss to our sub- 
 ject was $4,000, on account of which a suit is in 
 litigation, and now pending in the Supreme Court. 
 In carrying on his ranch our subject handles 400 
 head of cattle, sixty horses and fifteen teams. In 
 
 company with him is his son William, and together 
 they operate one of the largest stock farms in the 
 county, having 1,400 acres under cultivation, and 
 500 acres in pasture. They have a very elegant 
 home, and all its appointments speak of wealth and 
 refinement. 
 
 There are four children in the family of our sub- 
 ject, whose names are William B., Jr., Ada E., Mary 
 E. and George H. William B. married Miss Ada 
 Onyon, and they have one child, named Erma; Ada 
 E. married Edward Burton, of Eagle, Waukesha 
 Co., Wis., and they reside on the old homestead 
 with their two children, Harry B. and George Will- 
 iam; Mary E. and George H. are living at home 
 with their parents. Mrs. and Miss Sprague are in- 
 fluential members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, of Summit, and are admirably fitted to 
 grace their luxurious home, possessing as they do 
 many charms of person and manner united to the 
 admirable qualities of mind and heart. Our sub- 
 ject is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is 
 an able advocate of the Democratic party. Both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sprague understand thoroughly' the 
 happj' art of entertaining their guests in their 
 handsome home, and their hospitalit}' and kindly 
 bearing fit them to adorn the highest societ3'. 
 
 OHN CHERRY. The people of Grant Town- 
 ship have every reason to be proud of the 
 fine farms that are to be found so plentifully 
 scattered over its broad acres, and its repu- 
 tation as a stock-raising district is not unenviable. 
 Among those who have done not a little to support 
 and extend the latter is the subject of our sketch, 
 whose ranch and residence are situated upon section 
 22. This has been his home for more than twelve 
 j'ears. although he has been a resident of the State 
 since 1867. He is the owner of 300 acres of well- 
 improved, excellent land, upon which almost every 
 improvement has been the work of his own hands. 
 For the first few years after coming to the State 
 our subject made his home in DeVVilt Precinct, 
 Saline County, taking a homestead on Turkey 
 Creek, and working upon it until he brought it to 
 
 h 
 
-#^ 
 
 -A 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 387 '^ 
 
 llie condition of a good and productive farm; tiien 
 he came to his present iJi'opert}', which, hcing wa- 
 tered by the SoapCrceii is fruitful, even in dry sea- 
 sons, and is by no means devoid of other natural 
 features tiiat go to make it a most desirable prop- 
 erts", well adapted to all the uses that miglit be 
 demanded from either an agricultural or pastoral 
 standpoint. 
 
 Prior to coming to this State our subject had 
 been living in Ohio, which was his native State. He 
 was born in Clarke County-, on the 11th of October, 
 1833, and was two years of age when his father re- 
 moved to a farm in Logan County, where he made 
 his home until his death, which occurred when he 
 was forty-six years of age. He was the husband 
 of Susan McManarva, who, after her husband's 
 death, rejoined her sous by taking the journey to 
 their Nebraska home, but died the same fall after 
 siie came out, which was in 1867. At the time of 
 her demise she was seventj-two years of age. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was the third child 
 born to his parents, and until he attained the estate 
 of mauhood resided upon the olfl Logan County 
 farm. In that neighborhood he became acquainted 
 with Miss Julia A. Robertson, and to her was joined 
 in wedlock, in Logan Count3', Ohio, May, 15, 1861. 
 This lady was born iu Virginia, in the year 1835. 
 Her family had for several generations been resi- 
 dents of that State, and had been among its most 
 successful farmers, an occupation which her father 
 also followed. She was not twelve j^ears of age 
 when her parents removed to Logan Count3', where 
 she received her education, and was further jjre- 
 pared bj' her mother for the time when she would 
 be called upon to rule her own household. 
 
 As the years have sped in their courses the fruit 
 of this education has been the more apparent and 
 happy. Her husband and nine children have all had 
 occasion to thankfullj' acknowledge the happy in- 
 fluenceeucourageinent and help she has brought to 
 them. One member of the family has reached the 
 " bourne from whence no traveler returns;" this 
 was their son David A. The other children are as 
 follows: Minerva M., the wife of Francis Walburn, 
 whose home is upon part of Mr. Cherry's land in 
 this township; William A., who is his father's assist- 
 ant upon the farm: John D., James C, Anna E., 
 
 Thomas O., and Edward L. and Charles, who are 
 twins. 
 
 The days of the married life of our subject and 
 his wife have been spent in hard, continuous work, 
 mutually assisting in order that the^' may together 
 enjoy the pleasures of rest and the enjoyment of 
 their fortune and home. They have been faithful 
 to the vows made, and their home is one of the 
 most happy and pleasant. It is their ple.asure to 
 receive the hearty respect of their fellow-citizens, 
 who recognize in them the attributes of character, 
 honor, loyalty and rectitude. Both are active mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have 
 so continued from their youth, in his political as- 
 pirations and sentiments our subject is with the 
 Republican part}', and is a recognized trusty friend 
 of the same. 
 
 — ^^Wtp-^^ 
 
 J~ p. WESLER. Among the worthy citizens 
 of Lincoln Township who are entitled to an 
 honorable mention in this collection of biog- 
 raphies, because of loj-al service in behalf 
 of the Union and interest in the public aflfairs of the 
 township, is the gentleman whose name we have just 
 recorded. For about eight j'ears he has made his 
 home on his farm, consisting of 160 acres on section 
 11, most of which is in a highly im|)roved condi- 
 tion. Previous to his residence on his present farm 
 he had lived forabout eight j'ears in Beatrice, where 
 he was eng.aged as a builder and contractor, being 
 a practical brickmasou b}^ trade. He erected some 
 of the best buildings in the city during the time of 
 his residence there, but since his removal he has 
 given his attention solely to farming and its ac- 
 companying business of stock-raising. He first 
 came to this State in 1870 and made his home in 
 Brownville, Nemaha County, whence he came here 
 and secured a homestead of 160 acres in Highland 
 Township, on which he made many improvements 
 and lived for about five years previous to his resi- 
 dence in Beatrice, since which time he has sold the 
 homestead. 
 
 Our subject was born in Miami County, Ohio, on 
 the 6th of September, 1844, and when he was eight 
 years old the first great sorrow of his life occurred 
 in the death of his father, Elijah Wesler. The latter 
 
 n 
 
•^^i^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 388 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 was horn in Lancaster County, Pa., anr) was of 
 American parentage, though his ancestors were for- 
 merly from Germany, and liad been for many years 
 American citizens, some of tlie Wcsler family hav- 
 ing particii)ated in the War of 1812. The father 
 was engaged in wagon-making, whicli pursuit he 
 followed until the time of his death; in matters of 
 politics he had all his life been an old-line Whig, 
 and religiously, his family were connected with the 
 Bai)tist Church. He was married in Pcnns3lvania 
 to the mother of our subject, Miss Mary R. Riue- 
 walt, also of American parentage and German an- 
 cestry, who was born and spent lier early life near 
 Valley Forge, Pa. Her family were members of 
 the religious denomination known as Dunkards, and 
 she died at Tippecanoe, Ohio, in 1874, at the age of 
 sixty-six j'ears. Our subject was next to the young- 
 est of a family of four children, two sons and two 
 daughters, of whom we have the following record : 
 Catherine was the wife of A. W. Miles, who was 
 the Postmaster of Tippecanoe. Ohio, in which place 
 she died ; Sarah died when she was about eighteen 
 j'cars old; Judson, the only brother of our subject, 
 enlisted in the 94th Ohio Infantrj', and was killed 
 at the battle of Kenncsaw Mountain on the 1st of 
 July. 1863, by a gunshot from the enem}-. He 
 w.as a good man and soldier, and fought bravely for 
 his country before he fell. 
 
 Our subject remained in his native county until 
 the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he enlisted, 
 on the 8th of August, 1862, in the 94th Ohio In- 
 fantry, Company D, under command of Capt. R. 
 P. Hutchins, with Col. Frizell in charge of the regi- 
 ment. The latter was assigned to the Cumber- 
 land Army, and the first active eng.Tgement in which 
 it participated was at Perryville, Kj-., the next at 
 Stone River, and then at Cliickamauga. Our sub- 
 ject was present in all of the engagements of his 
 regiment during the campaign, and was honorably 
 discharged at Washington. D. C. after the grand 
 parole of his regiment, his discharge dating May, 
 1805. Fortunately he never was wounded, and was 
 able to respond to the roll call every time, discharg- 
 ing all his duties in a cour.ageous and valiant man- 
 ner, and proving himself the possessor of a loj'al 
 heart. 
 
 After he was released from the service of his 
 
 country our subject returned to his home, and in 
 1870 he came to Nebraska. Three 3'ears later he 
 was united in marriage, on the IGtii of November, 
 near Cortland, this count3-, to Miss Anna Newton, 
 who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 3d of 
 June, 1857. Her parents, William and Jane (Wil- 
 son) Newton, were also natives of that State; the 
 father was .accidentally killed while a member of 
 the fire department of Cincinnati, and the mother 
 still makes her home in that city, having married a 
 second time. Mrs. Wesler was quite young when 
 she went to Como, Whiteside Co., 111., to make her 
 home with her paternal grandparents, and she grew 
 to womanhood under their kindlj- care, coming with 
 them to Nebraska. She is the mother of six chil- 
 dren, one of whom is deceased, and the others all 
 living at home, bearing the names of Mary, Katie, 
 Judson, Ruth and C. H. Vanwyke. Both Mr. and 
 Mrs. Wesler attend the Mission Church in this town- 
 ship. The former has held some of the local offices 
 and is at present the Assessor of the township. He 
 is a Union Labor man in politics, and is a member 
 of the Bricklayers' International Union. His hon- 
 orable service during the late war entitles him to a 
 membership in the G. A. R., Lodge No. 35, of Bea- 
 trice, of which he is a charter member. 
 
 ♦^S»}»> 
 
 -^^ 
 
 <5«f-,> 
 
 UILLIAM N. SPARKS. Among the general 
 farmers and stock-raisers of Lincoln Town- 
 ^J^^ ship, the subject of this sketch occupies a 
 leading position, being recognized as a gentleman 
 capable and intelligent to a high degree, and repre- 
 senting a good property. This is niostl3' in real 
 estate, embracing 303 acres of land occupj'ing the 
 greater part of section 7, in Lincoln Township. It 
 is mostly' in a productive condition, and the im- 
 provements, which evince the enterprise and in- 
 dustry of the proprietor, have been effected mostly 
 bj' his own perseverance and good judgment. 
 
 Mr. Sparks came to Nebraska from Illinois, in 
 June, 1871. He was born farther east, in Monroe 
 County, Ind., Aug. 11. 1855, and is consequently 
 a j'oung man. His father, John Sparks, a sketch of 
 whom appears elsewhere in this work, and whose 
 
 *► 
 
 f 
 
-^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 389 
 
 tragic death is rcincniborerl bj' many of our citi- 
 zens, was born and reared on a farm in Nortti Caro- 
 lina, and removed witli his parents to Indiana, 
 wliere he dcvclupcd into manhood. After reach- 
 ing his niajoritj" he was united in m.ajriage with 
 Miss Martha K. Holder, a native of iiis own State, 
 and who also became a resident of Indiana in her 
 youth. Her parents likewise settled in Monroe 
 Count}', and she lived with them until her marriage. 
 
 The father of our subject carried on farming in 
 Indiana for a number of 3-ears. but after his re- 
 moval to Illinois established a flouring-mill and 
 engaged quite extensively as a grain bu\cr. He 
 finall}- became a resident of Minonk. where oc- 
 curred the death of iiis wife, Mrs. Martha 'E^. 
 Sparks, in 1869. Bj- this calamity four children be- 
 came motherless, and William N., our subject, was 
 the elder of the two sons. The other son is a resi- 
 dent of Gage Count}', and tiie two daughters are 
 still living. John Sparks had up to this time been 
 a very successful business man, but he now met 
 with misfortune, losing $6,000 within the space of 
 a few months. He finally disposed of his mill and 
 grain business, and in the summer of 1871 came to 
 Nebraska and purcliased a slightly improved farm. 
 To tills he later added more land, and at the time 
 of his death, Jan. 12, 1 888, possessed the warrantee 
 deed to 640 acres, leaving a fine estate to his heirs. 
 His decease was attended with circumstances un- 
 usually sad, he having been caught in a snowstjrm 
 and perished. 
 
 The second wife of John Sparks, to whom he was 
 married in the early part of 1871, was formerly 
 Miss Martha A. Roberson, a native of North Caro- 
 lina, and who is still living on the old homestead in 
 Lincoln Township. William N., our subject, came 
 to this county with his father, and continued with 
 him until his marriage, which occurred in Fairbury, 
 Jefferson County, his bride being Miss Carrie G. 
 Lang worthy, and their wedding taking place Feb. 
 1, 1881. Mrs. S|)arks is the daughter of W. O. and 
 Caroline (Oldrew) Langworthy, and a sketch of her 
 father will be found elsewhere in this work. She 
 was born in Peoria. 111., March 23, 1859, and- came 
 to Nebraska with her parents about 1876. Of ber 
 union witii our subject there have been born three 
 children— Chester A., Nellie and llattie. Mr. 8i)arks, 
 
 like his father before him, is a stanch Democrat, 
 politically, and has s<'rved as Justice of the Peace 
 as well as Director and Treasurer of his school 
 district. He lakes an active interest in everything 
 pertaining to the progress and welfare of his county, 
 and is destined to become one of its leading citizens. 
 
 ^ , T , " ^ 
 
 JOSEPH H. RAMSEY. Among the char.ac- 
 teristics of this most esteemed resident of 
 Filley Township, is his love of and his pride 
 in his native land and everything pertain- 
 ing to the interests of her people. While having 
 due regard for the welfare of his family and the 
 comfort of his home, his thoughts are much with 
 the political situation and the future prospects of 
 the greatest Republic on earth. This spirit also ex- 
 isted with him at a time calling for the exposition 
 of men's principles, during the dark and stormy 
 days of the Rebellion, when with the patriot's zeal 
 he went forth to fight the battles of freedom and 
 union. 
 
 Mr. Ramsey is descended from Old Dominion 
 stock, his parents having been born in Vii'ginia, 
 an<l the mother being of the " F. F. Vs." The 
 father, Joseph Ramsey, first opened his eyes to the 
 light near the town of Abingdon, about 1803. 
 When a young man he emigrated to Iowa, Uiking 
 up his abode among the pioneers of Appanoose 
 County, where he carried on farming and probably 
 worked some time at his trade of millwright. He 
 was married in Abingdon. Va., to Miss Jane Berry, 
 whose father, for her marriage portion, gave her 
 her choice of a family of slaves or a certain amount 
 of money. Although born and reared under the 
 teachings of the " peculiar institution." Mrs. Ramsey 
 was an Abolitionist and refused ownership in human 
 flesh, taking without hesitation the money instead. 
 The parents of our subject continued residents 
 of Iowa until 1870, and the mother passed away at 
 her home there in 1868. Mr. Ramsey survived 
 his wife a period of ten years, his death taking 
 place in 1878. Their family consisted of eight 
 children, three sons and five danghtei-s, six of whom 
 are living: Margaret is the wife of Jonathan Cox, a 
 farmer of Davis County, Iowa; Susan married 
 
 ■•► 
 
■^^ 
 
 31)0 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 John Bailej', Tvbo is tilliug a portion of the soil of 
 Hickory Count}', Mo.; Mary, Mrs. Snell, lives in 
 Cliejenne County, this State ; Robert is farming in 
 the vicinitj' of Beaver City, Neb.; Sarah, Mrs. 
 Jack Evans, lives with her husband on a farm in 
 Appanoose Count}', Iowa; Caroline is the wife of 
 John Flock, a farmer of Washington County, Kan. ; 
 Joseph II., our subject, was the youngest of the 
 family. 
 
 Mr. Ramsey was born in Washington County, 
 Mo., Jan. 31, 1843. and while yeta child, his father 
 removed to Appanoose County, Iowa, where he 
 developed into manhood and remained until the 
 outbreak of the Rebellion. His schooling began 
 at the age of thirteen years, the countrj' liaving not 
 been sufiSciently settled before to warrant the es- 
 tablishment of schools. He was trained to habits 
 of industry, and as soon as old enougii began to 
 assist in the labors of the farm. Although but 
 eighteen j'ears old at the opening of the war he en- 
 listed the first year, Aug. 22, 18G1, and with his 
 comrades remained in camp at Jefferson Barracks, 
 Mo., until January following. He first saw active 
 lighting in the southwestern part of ihat State, witli 
 the Indians under rebel influence, and shortly after- 
 ward joined the forces of Gen. Curtis, going down 
 the White River to its mouth, and skirmishing all 
 along the line. The next objective point of this 
 division of the army was at Vicksburg, and young 
 Ramsey participated in tiie first attack on the city, 
 then marched to Jackson, Miss., participating in the 
 battle there. Thence they went to Canton, and 
 from that place they commenced the famous 
 thirteen days and nights march to Memphis, during 
 which they stopped one hour out of the twenty- 
 four just before daybreak to cat, feed and rest their 
 exhausted animals. 
 
 In tiie fall of 18C2, when Grant was pressing the 
 rebels at Helena, Ark., our subject was with the 
 force that cut them off from Holly Springs, and 
 during one night rode the almost unexampled dis- 
 tance of seventj'-five miles. He was present during 
 nearly the entire siege of Vicksburg, an<l afterward 
 at Memphis and Little Rock. In the vicinity of 
 Little Rock they had under guard 200 loads of 
 army supplies destined for that place, and guarded 
 the outposts for a distance of twenty-five miles 
 
 from Little Rock until the spring of 18G4. After- 
 ward they went home on a furlough of thirty days. 
 
 During his visit to his old home in Iowa our sub- 
 ject was united in marriage with Miss Sarah J. 
 Evans, the •wedding taking place at the home of the 
 bride, JIarch 3, 18G4, and ten days later the bride 
 and groom were seijarated by the departure of the 
 latter for Mempiiis, Tenn., where his regiment was 
 encamped. On the 1st of June following they re- 
 ceived marching orders, but their destination was 
 unknown except to those in command. After 
 reaching Riple}', Miss., the company of Mr. Ramsey, 
 with another, was sent to collect forage for the 
 horses, and ran into a rebel battery. Upon the 
 alarm being given orders were i.'sued to prepare 
 for an early mount the following morning. Nine 
 days had elapsed since they left Memphis. On the 
 10th of June they took up their line of march at 
 noon. Meantime the rebel General, Forrest, had 
 gathered with his forces at Brice's Cross Roads, 
 Miss., and a desperate battle was now fought and 
 lost to the Union cause. While protecting their 
 supplies, Company I. our subject's companj', was 
 captured. While surrounded by the rebels Mr. 
 Ramsey and his comrades made a dash for liberty, 
 putting spurs to their horses and breaking for the 
 woods. Being unable to cross the streams with 
 their animals they turned them loose, and throwing 
 away their carbines, traveled four nights and slept 
 days. When near White Station, Tenn., Mr. Ram- 
 sey, with twenty-four men, was captured by the 
 rebels and sent to Andersonville, where he was 
 confined until the fall of Atlanta. 
 
 At Andersonville our subject endured all the 
 horrors and sufferings which have given that rebel 
 stronghold its infamous place in history. F'oul and 
 insufficient food and water, exposure and suffering, 
 formed the daily record, and swept off hundreds of 
 the Union soldiers, whose fate could only be guessed 
 at by their friends. After the capture of Atlanta, 
 Mr. Ramsey and others were transferred to Florence, 
 in the northern part of South Carolina, where they 
 were subjected to no less hardship than before. On 
 the 31st of January, 1865, the twenty-second birth- 
 day of Mr. Ramse}', he was delirious from the 
 suffering of hunger and thirst, remaining so for a 
 period of fifteen da3's, when, with others, he was 
 
 t 
 
I 
 
 <^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 391 
 
 taken to Goldsboro, X. C, ami kept under guard 
 until February 26, when tliej' were exchanged. 
 Mr. Ramsey was carried to the hospital at Wil- 
 mington, S. C, by a comrade, and although weak 
 and emaciated he still had strength to realize the 
 bliss of freedom, and felt that he had escai)ed, as it 
 were, from the inferno to Paradise. 
 
 On the 22d of August, 1865, our subject received 
 his honorable discharge and returned to his bride 
 and friends in Appanoose County, Iowa. There 
 he rented a farm for two years, then changed his 
 residence to Taylor Count}', that State, where he 
 carried on agriculture for a period of twelve years. 
 In March, 1880, he came to this count}', locating 
 in Filley Township, and the following June pur- 
 chased 160 acres of laud on section 34. This was 
 wild prairie, and the family lived in their wagon 
 until Mr. R. could erect a shanty. This latter was 
 12.\20 feet in dimensions, and they occupied it 
 until in the fall, when Mr. Ramsey put up a frame 
 house. His was the common lot of the settler in a 
 new country, the contest with an uncultivated soil, 
 the distant market, and all the other inconveniences 
 attendant u[x>n pioneer I'fe. 
 
 There has been, however, a wonderful trans- 
 formation upon the fapm of Mr. Ramsey, who has 
 now one of the most fertile tracts of land in Filley 
 Township. In addition to general agriculture he 
 has operated successfully as a stock raiser and 
 feeder, shipping numbers of cattle and hogs to the 
 market. Wliile mindful of the welfare of his 
 family and his home interests, no man has taken 
 more satisfaction in witnessing the develoitment of 
 this count}', and none have evinced in a greater 
 measure the true principles of the public-spirited 
 citizen. He cast his first Presidential vote for 
 Grant, and has always been an ardent supporter of 
 Republican principles. He holds membership in 
 the G. A. R., belonging to tlie lodge at Beatrice, 
 and is also identified with the A. F. & A. M. 
 
 Mrs. Ramsey was the second child of Jesse and 
 Mary (Ferguson) Evans, whose family included 
 two sons and five daughters, all of whom are living: 
 Rachel is the wife of Hammond Ellis, a farmer of 
 York County, this State; Jolin is farming in Appa- 
 noose County. Iowa: Elizabetii is tiic wife of Jesse 
 Payne, of York, Neb. ; Margaret. Mrs. Stewart, is 
 
 i~ 
 
 also living in York County; Fid ward E. is farming 
 in Hamilton County, as is also John Cain, the hus- 
 band of Mary. The parents were natives of Penn- 
 sylvania, where they lived until 1858, when they 
 emigrated to Appanoose County, Iowa. Mr. Evans 
 was born about 1818, and is now living in Hamil- 
 ton County, this State; the mother died in 1858. 
 
 To our subject and liis wife there have been born 
 five children — Frank S., Minnie, Merrill, Ralph and 
 Roy. The eldest is twenty-two years of age, and 
 the youngest one year. Tliey form an interesting 
 and intelligent group, giving promise of becoming 
 useful and reliable members of society. The family 
 is widely and favorably knowu throughout this sec- 
 tion, and Mr. Ramsey is one of the most popular 
 men in this part of Gage County. 
 
 ->^\/v--<«ej2i2/©^-»^^^-*^^3/Zy3Jw>~ 
 
 -HOMAS J. SMITH. There is more truth 
 than fiction in the old adage which declares 
 that "Trutli is the medium line between two 
 extremes." The same principle is true in regard 
 to the inimtc qualities or forces in the mental sphere; 
 selfishness, unless it run to the extremes, is an essen- 
 tial quality in every life, though it may be above 
 or below par, and become a life-embittering force; 
 pride is another of such attributes; it may 'go to 
 the extreme which produces the overbearing and 
 tyrannical, or the coxcomb and fop, in the one case 
 a source of dread, in the other of contemptuous 
 amusement. A man without pride is also without 
 self-respect or ambition. If there is any one case 
 where pride is justifiable, it is that where a man with 
 these latter qualities, self-respect and ambition, has 
 overcome those things which are opposed to his 
 success, and won in spite of all a home for himself 
 and those who are the nearest and dearest integral 
 parts of his life and happiness. The present sketch 
 is intended to present succinctly the more promi- 
 nent points in the life of such an one. 
 
 Our subject is a native of East Tennessee, and 
 was born in that State. June 29, 1848. When he w.as 
 about three years of age his parents went to Mc- 
 Donough County, III. There he was reared and 
 received what education ct)uld lie obtained in the 
 district schools of that day. His fatlier was by 
 
 1^ 
 
u 
 
 -•► 
 
 392 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 oftupation a fanner. an(\ from liis youlh Mr. Smith 
 lias licon familiar with all tiie- various phases of 
 tliat life. It was the great affliction of our subject, 
 .■ind the oalamil^' of his life, that in the years of 
 ehilflhood his mother was removed from him by 
 rleath, and because no one could possiblj' have for 
 him maternal affection, no one could be to him a 
 mother. 
 
 The ])arents of our subject were natives of Ten- 
 nessee. His father was Elijah Smith, who was born 
 July -25, 1815, and became the husband of Eliza 
 Collier, who was born Sept. 21, 1818, and died Aug. 
 31, 1842. On the 4th of April, 1844, he married 
 Mary Winton, the mother of our subject; she was 
 born Nov. 21, 1816. After an exceptionally happy 
 wedded life of about nine years Mr. Smith was left 
 with five children, of whom our subject was the 
 fourth. 
 
 While quite a young man our subject came to 
 Nebraska, and in the year 1871 located upon the 
 farm where he now lives. It was not, however, at 
 that time in any wise different from the miles of 
 broad prairie by which it was surrounded. The 
 deer and antelope grazed there, the wolf jnowled in 
 search of his prey, and the cayote raised his voice 
 in dismal howling with a serene contempt for the 
 pioneer who had intruded upon his domain. But, 
 nothing daunted by these or less distinguished pre- 
 vious occupants, our subject set to work to build 
 his house, break and improve the elghtj' acres which 
 constituted his claim, and he ma}' well be allowed a 
 laudable pride in the good results obtained. Not 
 only has he a very ]>leasant and comfortable farm 
 dwelling, and in addition the usual barn and other 
 out-buildings, but possesses to-day a highly culti- 
 vated, well-tilled, fertile farm, an extensive and 
 flourishing orchard, besides a fine collection of shade 
 and forest trees. In addition to this propert}' upon 
 section 9, Sicily Township, he is the owner of ten 
 acres in the southern part of section IG, which is 
 covered with a heavj' growth of choice timber. 
 
 Mr. Smith was married, on the 2d day of July, 
 1874, to Miss Clara Bell, a lad}' in every waj' fitted 
 to advance those interests which by that act she 
 made her own. She is the daughter of John J. and 
 Elizabeth (Kelly) Bell, who were natives of Ohio. 
 Their daughter was born at Nevada, Ohio, on the 
 
 28th of March. 1857. The family circle of our sub- 
 ject includes four children, whose names are as 
 follows: Retta, Alfredda, William A. and Maude. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, and it is their con- 
 stant endeavor that this should be something more 
 than in mere name, and as their endeavor is largely 
 successful in the adornment of their profession with 
 a consistency in everyday affairs, they are propor- 
 tionatel}' esteemed in that communion. In political 
 matters our subject is an affiliate of the Republican 
 party, but is somewhat inclined to withdraw himself 
 from the heatand excitement of political affairs, and 
 votes more with reftrence to the requirements of 
 the people as he understands them, than the party 
 to which the candidate belongs. 
 
 ARLEY J. SHAW. When we hear the name 
 of a famous General or titled soldier our 
 thoughts instantly revert to the inspiring 
 scenes of the particular battle- field in which 
 he so distinguished himself as a commander; but the 
 honorable title expresses still more than the military 
 prowess and skill of the bearer; it is a still broader 
 term, and includes the loyal devotion and dauntless 
 courage of thousands of brave men, without whose 
 daring deeds the title could never have been won. 
 A General may possess militarj^ genius, but if his 
 commands do not fall on the ears of tried and true 
 men, men of intrepid daring and unconquerable 
 zeal, of devotion to cause and utter disregard of 
 self, the)i his genius avails him naught. One of the 
 bravest of brave soldiers who helped to maintain 
 the honor of our famous Generals during the late 
 Civil War, and forever placed a grateful country 
 under obligations to him because of his zeal in her 
 behalf, is the gentleman in whose honor we write 
 this sketch, and not only has he distinguished him- 
 self by his honorable and ardent war career, but he 
 has proved himself in every sense a noble, patriotic, 
 industrious, intelligent and progressive citizen, 
 whose name deserves to be handed down in bistorj'. 
 Our subject is now residing on the southeast 
 quarter of section 19, Rockford Township, where 
 he is engaged in farming on 160 acres. His par- 
 
 T* 
 
-L 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•► 
 
 a93 
 
 i' 
 
 ents, Samuel and Lj'dia (Reiuilds) Shaw, were born 
 in Onondaga County, W. Y. Both the paternal 
 and maternal grandfathers of onr subject distin- 
 guished themselves as soldiers, the former in the 
 War of 1812, and the latter, Col. Renulds, in the 
 Revolutionary War with Gen. Washington. lie had 
 a wonderful vitalitj' and lived to be one hundred and 
 fouryears old. Theparentsof our subject were mar- 
 ried in their native county, where the father was 
 engaged in the occupation of milling, and he after- 
 ward removed to Wisconsin, making his home at 
 different times in Waupaca, Green Hay and Ste- 
 vens Point. The father is sixty-eight years old, 
 and the mother sixty -three years old ; they make 
 their home with our subject and his brother, Frank 
 Shaw. There were five children in their famil3\ 
 who were named Harley J., Frank B., James Sam- 
 uel (deceased), an infant daughter and Adolphus 
 Samuel. 
 
 Our subject, the eldest son, was born in Onon- 
 daga Countjs N. Y., on the 2oth of December, 
 1841, and was three years old when his father re- 
 moved to Wisconsin. After residing in that State 
 for five or six \'ears the family returned to their na- 
 tive State, and in the common schools of Navarino, 
 Onondaga Countj'. our subject received his edu- 
 cation and imbibed the precepts which have since 
 controlled his actions. He remained in his native 
 count}' until the breaking out of the war, when he 
 enlisted in the armj', in .Januarj-, I8G2. at Syracuse. 
 He was mustered into service at Palace Garden, 
 New York Citj', and started for Washington under 
 command of Capt. Jennings, Batter}' F, 3d New 
 York Light Artillery. They were engaged with the 
 heavy artillery at Ft. Corcoran, and when their 
 guns came they departed to the scenes of Bull Run, 
 where they fought under Gen. McClellan. Among 
 the many engagements in which our subject par- 
 ticipated with much ardor we mention the expedi- 
 tion of Gen. Burnside to New Berne, N. C. ;at 
 Kingston, where he had his horse shot from under 
 him with two balls, and sustained a desperate 
 charge, being at the first gun which held the bridge; 
 at Whitehall, Goldsboro, Little Washington (the 
 latter including two engagements), and at Plymouth 
 he distinguished himself and gave proof of his 
 dauntless spirit. Then, under Foster's command he 
 
 4* 
 
 was detailed as a sailor, and started for Hilton Head, 
 S. C, vvliere they ran by old "Ironsides." He was 
 under Gilmore at the siege of Charleston, where he 
 was under fire for three months, and was also at 
 Wagner, Gregg, James Island, Jacksonville, Fla., 
 and Savannah. At the last-named place his term of 
 enlistment expired, but he continued in the service 
 through the engagements at Honey Hill, Ft. Telego 
 and .Seabrook Island. 
 
 In the man}' encounters in which our subject 
 met the enemy he escaped without even a wound, 
 and was never sick or absent from a battle, or 
 failed to respond at roll call, a Divine Providence 
 seeming to have charge of his life. He was mus- 
 tered out of service at Hilton He.ad, S. C and 
 honorably discharged there un the 14th of March, 
 186.5. He then returned to his native county, and 
 remained with his friends until the fall of the same 
 year, when he came to Nebraska, and took up his 
 residence in Otoe in November, 1805. In the fol- 
 lowing winter (18G5-66) in companj- with his father 
 he took charge of the Otoe grist and saw mill, 
 and that winte>r will always be remembered as the 
 one in which he cast the first vote for the adoption 
 of the Stiite Constitution. 
 
 In the spring of 1866 oursubject took up a home- 
 stead claim of 160 acres in Rockford Township, on 
 which he still makes his home. In the fall of 1867 
 he married Miss Flora Andrews, and b}' that mar- 
 riage he became the Lather of five children, named 
 Lovilla L., Corey A. (accidentally shot in 1887), 
 Addie E., Miles S.. Eleanora, and Ralph, who died 
 when one year old. The mother of these children 
 died in 1884 at the age of thirty-three years. Our 
 subject married a second time, on the 17th of April, 
 1886, Miss Mary L. Berry, a daughter of AVilliam 
 and Eliza Berry. Mrs. Shaw was born in Iowa in 
 1867, and when a little girl she moved with her 
 parents to Kansas and there grew to womanhood, 
 coming to Nebraska in 1886. She has one son, 
 named Clementine. 
 
 Besides being engaged in milling, our subject for 
 a time carried on a freighting business to and from 
 St. Joseph, Beatrice and Lincoln. In various wa3's 
 and for nianj' \'ears has he been connected with the 
 public institutions, and is a promoter of the public 
 welfare in this county, having been instrumental in 
 
-•► 
 
 394 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 oi-ijanizing the coiinty into townships; organized Dis- 
 trict No. 133 1)3' dividing lip District No. 19 in 1888. 
 For ten years he has l)cen .School Director, and for 
 two terms has served as Assessor. He is a member 
 of Rawlins Post, G. A. R., of Beatrice, and being 
 an ardent Republican he was sent as a delegate to 
 the Republican County Conventions in 1880, 1882 
 and 1 884. In the judiciary courts he has served 
 on the Petit Jury, and his name is everywhere 
 mentioned in terms of the highest lespect and praise. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Siiaw are influential members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Holmesville. Mr. 
 >Shaw is now in the prime of life, and will doubtless 
 enjoy many yearsof happiness and the full fruition of 
 his early labors, but his name will never be forgot- 
 ten nor will his noble and exemplar}- life record be 
 erased from the pages of the history of the State in 
 •whose beiialf he has done so much. 
 
 ' ^=^:=iS^=^ 
 
 ,^'UGUST WARDEL. 
 
 There are few more 
 
 USs/Uil worthy representatives of the German Em- 
 pire than our subject, who is the owner of 
 1^^ a beautifully kept and well-cultivated farm 
 
 of 320 acres, situated on section 24 of Grant Town- 
 ship, of which he is a prominent citizen. The farm 
 is watered by the Snake Creek, which makes it most 
 valuable as a stock farm, since even in di-y seasons 
 there is a sufficiency for the cattle. The property 
 has been In his possession since 1875, and he has 
 since spared neither time, trouble nor expense in 
 order to bring it to a well-nigh perfect state of 
 agricultural efficiency, and to supply it with the 
 divers necessities and conveniences in daily requi- 
 sition upon a stock ranch. His farm buildings are 
 unusually fine, being substantially built, commodi- 
 ous, and in arrangement convenient. 
 
 Previous to removal to this county our subject 
 •was a resident of Logan County, III, where he 
 made his home in Lincoln for about four years, 
 having an interest in the furniture and hardware 
 business. He came to the United States in 1871, 
 and located at Lincoln, being about twentj'-nine 
 yearsof age at that time. Previous to coming to 
 this country he had been a resident of the city of 
 Berlin, German}', for about eleven years, and was 
 
 ■^m 
 
 there engaged in piano building. The place of his 
 birth was the city of Kiel-Raisdarf, in Sleswiek- 
 Holstein. This interesting event occurred on the 
 19th of Januar}', 1842. In this place our subject 
 was brought up, educated, and learned the trade of 
 furniture-making, after which he continued to work 
 four years as a journeyman cabinet-maker, and 
 after spending three years in various parts of the 
 Fatherland repaired to Berlin. as above noted. He 
 was a skilled workman, but his health failed him, 
 an<l was the immediate cause of his seeking another 
 climate and of his coming to the United States. 
 His quest of health has not been fruitless, for he 
 has gained this in a remarkable degree. 
 
 While residing in Berlin our subject became the 
 husband of Carlena Bree, in the }'ear 1866. This 
 lady was born in Werbelin. on the 16th of Decem- 
 ber, 1843, and is a descendant of a good old Ger- 
 man family. Both herself and husband are well 
 educated in their native tongue, and it only required 
 that they should become conversant with the En- 
 glish language in order to utilize it in this countr}'. 
 The\- are the happy parents of one son and four 
 daughters, to whom they have given the following 
 names: AVilliam, Anna, Clara, Lizzie and Berta. 
 Our subject and wife are both members of the 
 Lutheran Church, in which faith they were reared. 
 In his political sympathies our subject is Demo- 
 cratic. He takes great pleasure in studying the 
 various issues before the nation, and his former 
 patriotic sentiments in nowise interfere with his 
 loj'alty to the Republic. He has sought to make 
 himself thoroughly well acquainted with the insti- 
 tutions and government of this country, and ap- 
 preciates them to the fullest possible extent, and is 
 in fact in every waj' worth}' of mention as a repre- 
 sentative German-American citizen. 
 
 <S^DWARD BARTLETT, of Blakely Towu- 
 1^ ship, has been well known among the people 
 /*' — ^ of this county for a period of nearly twenty 
 years, having come to this locality in the winter of 
 1869. He has the greater portion of his life been 
 engaged in farming pursuits, and has been success- 
 ful in his libors. As a [)ioneer of Southern No- 
 
Residence or Aug. Ward el. Sec. 2-^. Grant Township. 
 
 r.-..^^V'.-;--...,j. 
 
 ,f}v-»::vvv^ 
 
 RE5IDENCE0F Edward Bartlett, S ec.33 . Blakely Townshi p 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 397 / L 
 
 braska, coming here (hiring tiie days of its early 
 settlement, he has been the privilegefl witness of 
 the many changes which have passed over the face 
 of the country, and in its growth and prosperity 
 has borne no unimportant part. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett, soon after striking tiie soil of Gage 
 County, concluded there were few bctt(>r places to 
 locate, and secured a tract of land which had been 
 homesteaded by another party, who had retired in 
 disgust from the undertaking of becoming a per- 
 manent resident of the then Territory of Nebraska. 
 This tract embraced 160 acres on section 33 of 
 Blakely Township, and was in its primitive condi- 
 tion. Our subject began the cultivation of the soil 
 in a modest way, in keeping with his means and 
 facilities, and, by a course of study and economy, 
 in Ihc course of time began to realize the result of 
 his labors. What had seemed a barren waste be- 
 gan to respond to the hand of the husbandman, and 
 in due season Mr. Bartlett found himself on the 
 road to [irosperity, with capital for making the 
 necessary improvements. Gradually there arose 
 the farm buildings which the traveler observes with 
 interest to-day, together with the machinery for the 
 prosecution of agriculture after modern metliods. 
 A goodly assortment of live stock began to grow 
 up, together with fruit and shade trees planted by 
 the hand of the proprietor, so that now the well- 
 appointed country estate not onlj' appears as a 
 credit to its owner, but is a credit likewise to the 
 township and count}'. 
 
 When we consider that Mr. Bartlett built up his 
 little fortune from the foundation, coming here 
 poor in purse and without other resources than his 
 own indomitable will and persevering industrj% it 
 will be granted that he has accomplished much 
 where many a man would have failed. A native 
 of Wiltshire, England, he is of that stanch, substan- 
 tial ancestry which has ever been noted for its relia- 
 ble qualities of citizenship. He was born Feb. 7, 
 1848, and is the son of Henrj' Bartlett, who was a 
 weaver by trade, and worked iu the woolen-mills 
 of his native town several years before coming to 
 this country. He made two visits to the United 
 States before settling permanently, and is now set- 
 tled on a good farm near the town of Pickrell. this 
 county, living with his fourth wife, a German lady. 
 
 ■^^ 
 
 The mother of our sulijeet was in her girlhood 
 Miss Elizabeth Whatle}', an<I departed this life in 
 her native England, when her son, our subject, was 
 less than a year old. The latter lived with his fa- 
 ther and step-mother until after reaching his major- 
 it}-, coming with them to the United Stjites and 
 assisting them in the maintenance of the family. 
 They landed in Beatrice, this county, on the 6th of 
 December, 1869, and soon afterward located on a 
 farm in Blakely Township among its earliest pio- 
 neers. When ready to establish domestic ties of his 
 own Mr. Edward Bartlett was united in marriage 
 with Jliss Martha, daughter of Isaac and Isabella 
 Lamb, the wedding taking place at the home of tiie 
 bride in Blakely Township, July 16, 1873. Mrs. 
 B.artlett was born in Marion County, Iowa, Dec. 6, 
 1855, and was a young girl when her parents came 
 to Nebraska. The latter were natives of Ohio, and 
 are now residents of Blakely Township. Mrs. B. 
 received a common-school education and remained 
 under the home roof until her marriage. Of her 
 union with our subject there have been born eight 
 children, one of whom, Elizabeth, died when nine 
 months old. Those living are Charlotte, Henry, 
 P^mma, Arthur, Anna, William and Isabella. They 
 form a promising family group, and will be given 
 the advantages suited to their station in life. Mr. 
 Bartlett takes a lively Interest in educational mat- 
 ters and is the friend of progress generally. Polit- 
 ically, he gives his support to the Democratic party. 
 
 "^ ' ^^ ' ^~' 
 
 iiHOMAS P. TEACiARDEN is a prosperous 
 young farmer residing on section '66. Elm 
 Township. His father, George W. Teagar- 
 den. was born in Virginia in 1S26, and his motlier, 
 Maria (Pees) Teagarden, was born In Ohio in 1831. 
 The father was a blacksmith by trade, and was 
 engaged in business in Washington, Pa., in which 
 place he married. In 1862 he enlisted in the 2d 
 Corps, Company D, 140th Pennsylvania Infantry, 
 and In the time of his service he w.as engaged for 
 thirteen months as the army blacksmith, serving 
 the remainder of the time in the ranks as a loyal 
 soldier. 
 
 During one of the engagements the father of our 
 
 -•► 
 
u 
 
 398 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 subject was shot in the forehead, hut the bullet 
 glanced to one side and the wound did not prove 
 fatal, though he was incapacitated for service for a 
 few months and suffered extreme pain. He was 
 mustered out in April, 1865, and ui)on his release 
 from the service of the country he went to Pros- 
 perity, Pa., where he remained for two years, and 
 then removed to Marshall County, 111. Thence he 
 went to Livingston County, and again changed his 
 residence, to Bureau Count}', in which place both 
 father and mother are now living. He is engaged 
 in the vocation of his earlier <lays, and is also sell- 
 ing machiner}'. There were nine children in their 
 family, our subject being the second. 
 
 Mr. Teagarden was born in Washington, Pa., on 
 the 30th of April, 1854, and he remained at home 
 until he reached the age of twenty -three 3'ears. He 
 received a good common-school education, and 
 after his school days were over he farmed for a 
 period of two 3'ears in Livingston County, 111., 
 and again for two years in Bureau Count}'. He 
 then moved to Johnson Count}', this State, where 
 he remained for one year, and in 1884 he came to 
 this county and bought eighty acres of land in Elm 
 Township, on which he makes his home. He has 
 made all the improvements except the building of 
 the house, and his farm presents a very attractive 
 appearance. 
 
 On the 24th of December, 1878, while he was 
 living in Illinois, our subject was married to Miss 
 Clara Carse, who was born in Bureau County, on 
 the 12th of February, 1854. She is a.daughter of 
 Andrew and Cornelia (Anthony) Carse, both of 
 whom were born in Ohio, and at present reside in 
 Livingston County, 111. They had a family of 
 nine children, of whom the wife of our subject is 
 the third child. She received a thorough educa- 
 tion, and took a course of instruction in the State 
 Normal, at Normal, 111., and was thus well fitted to 
 engage in the profession of teaching. In that 
 capacity she was occupied for eight years previous 
 to her marriage, and her intelligence and ladylike 
 manners insured her eminent success in the noblest 
 of vocations. She is as admirable a wife and 
 mother as she was exemplary as a schoolmistress. 
 
 To our subject and his wife there have been 
 given four children — Frank S., George Roy, Maude, 
 
 and a babe unnamed. Both Mr. and Mrs. Teagar- 
 den are much interested in educational matters, the 
 former having held the office of .School Director for 
 three years, and in every way they lend their sup- 
 port to the measures by which the highest enlight- 
 enment of the community can be secured. Our 
 subject is a strong Prohibitionist, and is prominent 
 among active and public-spirited men. 
 
 -i #-# i— 
 
 J^> MBROSE STRAWDER carries on an exten- 
 '@iUA\ sive and prosperous business as farmer and 
 * stock-raiser on section 28, Hooker Town- 
 ship, and is widely known as a man of 
 great business ability and unimpeachable character. 
 He is a son of Isaac and Lucinda (Wimer) Straw- 
 der, who were both natives of Virginia, and lived 
 in their native State for a time after their marriage. 
 Grandfather Wimer participated as a brave soldier 
 in the War of 1812, and lived to tlie extreme old 
 ageof one hundred and twoyears, while Grandfather 
 Strawder attained the age of ninety-six years. The 
 father of our subject was engaged in farming in Vir- 
 ginia until 1865, when he moved to Kansas, but he 
 did not long survive in his new home, departing this 
 life soon after his removal to that State, at the ,age 
 of fifty-two years. The mother is sixty-fouryears 
 old, and still lives at her home near Lincoln, having 
 cared for a family of six children, namely: Am- 
 brose, William T., Isaac N., Philip A., Solomon G. 
 and Sarah C. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 30th of Octolier, 
 1852, near Franklin, Va., and spent his early days 
 on his father's plantation. The educational facili- 
 ties were much limited, and the only schools which 
 he attended were the '' rate schools, " in which he 
 gained a thorough acquaintance with the element- 
 ary branches of learning. He remained at home 
 until he was twenty-four years old, and then he 
 came to Nebraska, stopping in Cass County, where 
 he worked on a farm near Plattsmouth for two 
 yeais and then rented a farm in Otoe County. In 
 the following year of 1880, be was married to Miss 
 Sarah E. Miles, a daughter of A. C. and Eliza 
 (Lockwood) Miles. 
 
 Mrs. Strawder was born on the 20th of May, 
 
 
■<- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 399 
 
 ISfi3. in Missouri, and was a young giil when she 
 w.TS brougiit to Nebraska during the time of liie 
 war. .She has received a very good common- school 
 education, and possesses many charms as a lady of 
 education and refinement. For one year after their 
 marriage our subject and his wife remained on a 
 farm in Otoe County, after which the3- came to 
 Gage County, and have since resided on their 
 present farm of 300 acres, of wliicii they own 240 
 acres. The land is very valuable and our subject 
 has been very successful in the cultivation of it, as 
 well as in tiie use to whicii lie devotes it as a stock 
 ranch. He has 112 head of cattle and from thirty- 
 five to sixtj' head of bogs. His farm appears to be 
 in a splendid condition, and he may well feel grati- 
 fied at its appearance, since the improvements have 
 been mainly wrought by the labor which he has ex- 
 pended on it. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have an interesting 
 famil}' of five children, on whom they have bestowed 
 the names of Estella, Rosy, Carrie, Oliver and 
 Nellie. With the careful home training of the de- 
 voted mother and the raanj' advantages of educa- 
 tion and societ}' which the position of their father 
 can secure for them, these children will undoubt- 
 edly become intelligent and noble men and women, 
 and an honor to their parents. Our subject takes 
 an active interest in the welfare of the public, as all 
 right-minded and loj'al citizens should, and the 
 public is not slow to acknowledge his worth, having 
 elected him Moderator of the schools, in which capac- 
 ity he is now serving. He strongly advocates 
 the policj' of the Democratic part}', and b^' his hon- 
 orable and successful career he has won the esteem 
 and friendship of the people of his community, who 
 speak of him in terms of the highest praise. 
 
 ►^^ 
 
 OLAND E. SHELLEY is the genial clerk 
 of Rockford Township, and although a 
 ^•oung and unmarried man he is probablj- 
 more widely and favorably known than 
 anj- other man of the township. He possesses a 
 naturally pleasant and agreeable disposition, which 
 has gained for him a host of warm and admiring 
 friends, and he may well feel gratified because of 
 
 his popularity, having twice been elected by a 
 vote far in advance of his party ticket. He is a 
 son of Francis and Fanny (HoUingworth) .Shelley, 
 who were natives of England, the former of !Staf- 
 fordshire, and the Latter of Derbyshire. The father 
 followed the occupation of a shoemaker, and came 
 to America with his family of five children in 
 185.T, m.aking his home in Portage County, Wis. 
 He worked for a time on a farm near .Stevens' 
 Point, and in 18G1 he brought his family to Ne- 
 braska, with its two additional members, and took 
 up a homestead on section 19, Rockford Township, 
 where he prospered well. He died in 1884, at the 
 age of seventy-two, but the mother of our subject 
 still lives in Ilolmesville with her son. There were 
 six children in the family, four of whom were born 
 in England, and named Alyra, James W., Thomas 
 and Francis R. The remaining two, named Joseph 
 A. and Roland E., were born in Wisconsin. 
 
 Our subject was born on the Gth of January, 
 1860, near Plover, Wis., and when he was a babe his 
 parents moved to Nebraska, in August, 1801. The 
 educational advantages were but limited owing to 
 the newness of the country, but by close application 
 our subject secured a thorough education in the 
 common-school branches, and naturally possessino- 
 an ingenious and inquiring mind, he accumulated a 
 large fund of general information, which, united 
 with the attainments of the school-room, marks him 
 as a young man of more than ordinary intelligence 
 and keenness of perception. He remained at home 
 on his father's farm until he reached the age of 
 tweutj'-one, when he went into a telegraph office of 
 the Union Pacific Railro.ad, at Holmesville, and 
 learned telegraphy. He soon obtained a situation 
 on the Nebraska extension of the Missouri Pacific 
 Railroad, at Padonia, Brown Co., Kan., where he re- 
 mained for some time, but as his father was getting 
 old our subject came home to take care of his par- 
 ents as a dutiful sou should. His father died oa 
 the 25th of Maj', 1884, at the age of seventy-two 
 years. 
 
 In 1883 our subject had a neat and attractive 
 frame house built in Holmesville, to which he re- 
 moved with his mother in March, 1886. He has 
 been engaged in the mercantile business, and is at 
 present the gentlemanly and accommodating clerk 
 
 -•► 
 
400 
 
 .t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 of J. H. Fuller, dealer in general merchandise. His 
 well-known efficiency secured him the election to 
 the office of Clerk of the township, in which he is 
 now serving his second term, giving general satis- 
 faction. He is a member of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal Church, and is prominentl}' identified with the 
 work of the Sunday-school, having served as Super- 
 intendent of the school. He ardently advocates 
 the policy of the Democratic party, and in the year 
 1887 he was sent as a delegate to the Democratic 
 County Convention, where he was chosen delegate 
 to represent his township at the State Convention. 
 He is at present the delegate to the County Con- 
 vention, his former service in behalf of his party 
 having secured him this last election. In the 
 Judiciary Court of September, 1887, he served with 
 much credit on the Circuit Jury. He is an enter- 
 prising young man, and has the promise of a bril- 
 liant future before him, for vvliich he is qualified by 
 the possession of the virtue of true manhood. 
 
 <^MOS L. WRIGHT. Our subject, one of 
 ^Iu\\ Sherman Township's valued citizens, re- 
 sides iipon section 14, and is tlie owner of 
 one-half the section. James Wright, the 
 father of our subject, was born in Ohio, and there 
 spent the first twelve years of his life, when he ac- 
 companied his parents when they removed to 
 settle in Menard County, 111. In that State he 
 made his home until 1855, .and then went to Keo- 
 kuk County, Iowa, remaining there until he came 
 to Nebraska, in 1867, and settled in Saline County, 
 which was his place of residence until his death, 
 which occurred in the spring of 1882. He was a 
 man of active habits, bright and hopeful, but when 
 he made up his mind upon a point, quietly deter- 
 mined to effect his purpose. His death was gener- 
 all}' lamented by all the large circle that comprised 
 his relatives, friends and acquaintances. His wife 
 was Elizabeth Ofiield, a native of Kentucky, in 
 which State also her parents were born. She was 
 united in marriage to Mr. AVright in 1843, while 
 residing in Menard County. Their family circle 
 included eight children, all of whom are still living. 
 Amos, our subject, was the first-born; the other 
 
 members of the family received the names sub- 
 joined : William, who is a carpenter in Scott County, 
 Iowa; John D., a mason at Wilber, Saline Count}'; 
 Ira S., who is a farmer at DeWitt, of the same 
 county ; Edward, a professional musician in DeWitt; 
 James H., a farmer in this county; Hannah, the 
 wife of Selden Lupher, a farmer in Saline County, 
 and Elizabeth, who is still unmarried, and lives at 
 home. 
 
 It was upon the 27th of September, 1844, that 
 our subject was born in the old farmhouse in 
 Menard County, 111. He continued at home until 
 he was twenty-two j'cars of age. His education 
 was commenced at about the usual age, and con- 
 tinued until he had passed through all the classes 
 of the common school, after which he attended the 
 complete course at the High School of Washington 
 County, Iowa. In 186C he came to this county, 
 and on the 13th of Julj' entered a homestead on 
 section 10, where he continued to reside until 1885, 
 when, having a good offer, he sold it and purchased 
 one-half of section 1 4, his present property. There 
 are no especially dramatic events or adventurous 
 phases in the life of our subject; it is rather the 
 story of the quiet, somewhat retiring, but prosperous 
 life of the busy, intelligent, practical farmer, with 
 very little of care or anxiety outside the circle of 
 his occupation and his home. To this latter, how- 
 ever, it is his endeavor to bring a wealth of all 
 those parts, points and attributes that go to make 
 it the perfect haven of rest and abode of true 
 domesticity it was originally designed to be. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. AVright married Clara Wickham, who 
 has exhibited those womanly graces and matronly 
 qualities that make her name a pride and delight 
 to her family and friends. This lady was born in 
 Andrew County, Mo., July 27, 1847. It was her 
 misfortune to be bereaved of her father in the year 
 1853, and her mother now makes her residence in 
 the home of our subject. Mrs. Wickham pre- 
 sented her husband with thirteen children, seven 
 of whom are living, Mrs. Wright being the young- 
 est of the family. Our subject and wife are the 
 parents of three children, who have received the 
 names Francis A., Elizabeth and Frederick A. 
 
 One of the most interesting memories of the past 
 of our subject is that connected with his earlier life 
 
 ^ 
 
«► ■ "^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 401 
 
 in the State, and concerns the following incident: 
 In 1867 the Indians made a raid upon the settle- 
 ment, leaving their track marked with blood, vio- 
 lence and destruction. The Governor called upon 
 the settlers for help; among those who responded 
 with alacrity was our subject, and he was one of the 
 party to discover and identify- some of the slain, 
 and rescue certain captives. Mr. Wright has for 
 man}' j'ears been associated with the Republican 
 party, and still continues his adherence to the same. 
 He has V)een called upon to fill the office of As- 
 sessor, and did so with much credit. For four 
 years he served most worthily' as a member of the 
 School Board. With his family, as before remarked, 
 he enjoys the highest regard of his fellow-citizens, 
 which he values and appreciates most highlj'. 
 
 [J SAAC NAYLOR is an industrious and prosper- 
 j ous farmer resiiling on section 17, Nemaha 
 i\ Township. His father, John Naylor, was a na- 
 tive of Kentuck}'; his motiier, Barbara (Corman) 
 Naj'lor, was a native of Maryland, and they were 
 married in the fiist-nained State, making their home 
 in Fayette County. The father's ancestors were 
 natives of England, who had come to America dur- 
 ing the Colonial times, and at the time of the War 
 of 1812 the father of our subject particijwted in 
 some of the engagements. He was a farmer, and 
 lived in Fayette and Jessamine Counties the greater 
 part of his life, but although he had a large planta- 
 tion and prospered well, he would keep no slaves 
 even during slave time. Unfortunately he did not 
 live to see the abolition of slavery, his death occur- 
 ring before the war, when he was sixty-two years old. 
 The mother of our subject died in 1869, in her 
 eight3-fifth year, and had borne a family of eight 
 children, four girlsand four bo3's, all of whom grew 
 to manhood and womanhood, and whose names are 
 Mary, Elizabeth, Nancy, Isaac, John, James, Jane 
 and Benjamin. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 15th of July, 1S19, 
 in Ohio, at the time of the three-^-ears residence of 
 his parents in that State, but his earliest recollec- 
 tions are of the scenes in his Kentucky home. His 
 father met with an accident while quarrying rock 
 
 and was crippled so that he was no longer able to 
 attend to the supervision of his large plantation, 
 and our subject, as the eldest son, was earlj' called 
 upon to assume the responsibilities of manager of 
 the estate. He received his education from the 
 common schools of that time, and continued in 
 charge of the homestead until 1842, when he was 
 married to Miss Maria Miller. After his marriage 
 he lived on a farm in the vicinitj' of his old home 
 for seven or eight years, and then went to Macoupin 
 Couutj', III., where he bought a farm and was pros- 
 pering well until the second year, when his wife 
 died. Her death was a sad bereavement to him, as 
 they had been married but ten jears, and she was 
 only twenty-four years old when she left him her 
 five children, whose names are Mary Jane, Louisa, 
 Jacob, Ann and an infant. 
 
 With the exception of the last-named child the 
 children of our subject and his first wife were mar- 
 ried and established in homes of their own, and 
 had about them their own children. Mar3- Jane 
 became the wife of W. II. Stults. a blacksmith, and 
 they reside near Waverly, Macoupin Co., 111. In 
 their family they have five girlsand five bo^-s, whom 
 we name as follows: Luther, Mettie, Pearlie, Lou, 
 Ella, Eugene, James, Butler, Elberta and Alfred. 
 Louisa married John Beard, but she died in 1869, 
 at the age of twenty-three 3'ears; she was the 
 mother of one child, P'rankie, who is also deceased. 
 Jacob resides in Nemaha Township, and is a pros- 
 perous farmer; he married Martha Nibert, and is 
 the father of four <hildrcn — Charles, Frank, Walter 
 and Adah. Ann married Joseph Stidle3'. and re- 
 sided in Adams Township until the time of her 
 death in 1885, leaving motherless the following 
 seven children: Mathew, Maud, Ella, Joseph, Will- 
 iam. Charles and George. 
 
 Our subject continued to reside on his farm in 
 Macoupin County, and was married on the 15th of 
 January, 1854, to Jliss Eliza Baggerly, a daughter 
 of Jonathan and Cassandra (Baile3') Baggerly. Her 
 parents were born in Shelby Count3', Ky., and both 
 the paternal and maternal grandfathers were soldiers 
 in the Revolutionar3' War. The parents lived in 
 Shelby County, where the father was engaged in 
 farming, and after wanl they removed to Clark 
 Counl3', Ind., where they lived a long time and 
 
«► ir^ 
 
 402 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^•^T^ 
 
 rearerl a family of eleven children. With Init one 
 excepUon the children were spared to become use- 
 ful men and women, bearing the names of Elizabeth, 
 Charlotte, Nancj'; William, who died when he was 
 seven jearsold; Eliza, Joseph, Isaac, Louis, Mel- 
 vina, Clinton and Benoni. 
 
 Mrs. Navlor. the fifth child in her father's famil3', 
 was born on the 2,')th of October, 1829, and was a 
 babe when her parents moved to Indiana. She en- 
 joyed good advantages from attending the common 
 schools, but as they were conducted on the rate or 
 subscription system she could not attend until she 
 acquired a thorough education. She went to visit 
 her uncle and some relatives in Macoupiu Count3-, 
 111., and there our subject made her acquaintance 
 which resulted in their marriage. Mr. Naylor has 
 resided in Macoupin County over thirty years, for 
 twenty-seven years of which time Mrs. Naylor has 
 been his faithful companion and devoted wife. 
 They had a family of thirteen children, eight of 
 whom died in infancy, and the names of the sur- 
 viving members we mention as follows: IMalissa, 
 limily, Cassandra, Allen and Martha. 
 
 M.alissa, the eldest daughter of our subject and 
 his wife, was married to Mr. A. West, and they re- 
 side in Red Willow County, this State, the parents 
 of one child, named Johnny; Emily married M. F. 
 Shores, and they with their four children, Roy, 
 Freddie, Louis and Adelbert, reside in Nemaha 
 Township; Cassandra married Thomas Windle, but 
 after becoming the mother of one child, named 
 Zelma, she died in the year 188G; Martha married 
 Thomas West, and they also reside in Red Willow 
 County, this State; Allen has charge of the home- 
 stead. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Naylor came to Nebraska in 1881, 
 and have been very successful in their business, our 
 subject now being the owner of one and a half sec- 
 tions of land in Nemaha Township, besides having 
 given each of his first children forty acres of land 
 as a marriage portion. They are members of the 
 United Baptist Church, and are among the influ- 
 ential society people of this section. Mr. Naylor 
 is a Democrat and a thoroughly good man, possess- 
 ing excellent traits of character and enjoying the 
 confidence and esteem of his fellowmen. His wife 
 possesses many personal charms, and is a talented 
 
 and estimable lady, who has proved herself a devoted 
 wife and mother, and a worthy copartner in the 
 accumulation of his wealth, having many times 
 aided him in his business transactions by her sym- 
 pathy and advice given with sound judgment. 
 Together the}' are enjoying the fruits of their in- 
 dustr}', and take rank among the influential families 
 of this com muni tj'. 
 
 •^n. 
 
 
 M^^^^ 
 
 (^5$)H0MAS M. MARTIN is widely and favor- 
 m^^ tibl}' known as the enterprising and success- 
 ^^^' ful farmer whose property is situated on 
 section 19 of Sherman Township. Thomas Martin 
 his father, was born in Scotland in the 3'ear 1809. 
 When fifteen years of age he left his native hills 
 and braes, and with his father and two brothers 
 came to the United States and settled in Louis- 
 ville, K}'., being the youngest of the family. Later 
 his father removed to Indiana, purchased a tract 
 of land and divided it among the boys, thus giv- 
 ing each a small start. The maiden name of his 
 wife was Mary Miller, a daughter of Peter and 
 Kate (Hafford) Miller. This lad}' was born in 
 Pennsylvania in 1812, and went to Indiana soon 
 after the close of the war of that date. Her death 
 occurred in 1876; that of her husband in the year 
 1838. They were the parents of seven children, 
 only one of that number being a daughter. Our 
 subject is the sole surviving child, and w.is born in 
 Union County, lud., on the 20th of December, 
 1 835. 
 
 The first twelve 3'ears of the life of our subject 
 were spent at home, and to its pure and elevating 
 influences and surroundings is doubtless due the 
 character which is to-day possessed Ijy him. He was 
 but three years of age when his father died. Some 
 time after her bereavement his mother removed to 
 Madison County of the same State, where she 
 made her home for some years, and then went to 
 Union County, where our subject worked for three 
 3'ears in connection with farming. From there he 
 went to Clinton Count}'., Ind., being occupied in 
 the same line. In 1858 he came to Nebraska, and 
 remained one summer prospecting, and in the fall 
 returned to Indiana and rented a farm. During 
 
 • ► f^^ : 
 
o^yna^ 
 
»► Ji "^ 
 
 ^ i » ^l l <o 
 
 GAGE COUXTY. 
 
 403 
 
 V 
 
 these years he had been slowlj- Imt surely making 
 provision for the opportunity lie felt sure would 
 eome of mailing a start towanJ better things. 
 
 In the year following the trip to Nebraska (18.")9) 
 Mr. Martin became the husband of Mary Dailey, 
 a daughter of Jaraes Dailey. This lady was born 
 in Washington County, Ind.,on the 4th of Septem- 
 ber, 1841, and made her home with her parents 
 until her marriage. From that on her life h.os, of 
 course, been spent in the home of herself and hus- 
 band, wliich has been rendered more completely 
 happ3' l)y the l)irth of nine children, wbose names 
 are here recorded : Mary E., now the wife of 
 Thomas Richards, of Rockford Township; Jaraes 
 W., a prosperous farmer of Sherman Township; 
 Charles W., Thomas M.. John M., Lennie, Jessie 
 D., Lillian A. and Iria J., all of whom are still at 
 home. 
 
 Mr. Martin and his wife pursued the even tenor 
 of their way until the year 1862, when our subject 
 was impelled by loyalty, conscience and desire to 
 step forth in defense of the country whose wel- 
 fare was a part of his life's interest. Accordingly, 
 on the 8lh of August of that year he enlisted in 
 Company K, 7 2d Indiana Infantr}', and was soon 
 sent to Louisville, Ky., and thence to Stone River. 
 Here the regiment was mounted, and served in the 
 Army of the Cumberland. He was one of the act- 
 ive combatants in the battles of Stone River, 
 Hoover's Gap, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, 
 Lookout Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Salina, 
 Okolona. Miss., and Selma. Besides the above 
 eng.ngements, he was engaged quite extensively in 
 skirmishing, and was also present, and engaged in, 
 a large number of conflicts of lesser importance. 
 His record is remarkable on two accounts. First, 
 in that, although so extensively- and actively en- 
 gaged in such a large number of battles, of both 
 major and minor mention, and in the service such 
 a length of time, he was never wounded; and sec- 
 ondly, despite all the hardships, privations, dele- 
 terious influences and unsanitary surroundings, he 
 was unfit for service onl}' about two months of 
 the entire period. He received an honorable dis- 
 charge at the city of Indianapolis, upon the 4th of 
 July, 1865, and returned home. 
 
 For about two years after his return Mr. Martin 
 
 <^« 
 
 continued farming as before, but in 1867 he came 
 to this county, and took up a homestead claim of 
 160 acres. Upon the ground he found n. small 
 house that had been left by a "squatter" some 
 time previous; this i)lace he fixed up and utilized 
 until he should find time to put up a better and 
 more substantial dwelling. The journey from In- 
 i diana, which was performed in the then usual 
 manner, with wagon and team, although slow, tedi- 
 ous, and somewhat plentifully sprinkled with dis- 
 comforts, was without special interest, and ended 
 with the safety and health of all. The arrival at 
 the new home was necessaril}- the signal for an ex- 
 hibition of that inherent love of labor and hard 
 work that should be a part of every person's indi- 
 vidualit}', but occasionally is conspicuous by its 
 absence. This, however, was not the case in the 
 present instance, and each was given, or found, 
 something to do for the common weal. Being un- 
 able to commence his farming right away, owing to 
 a lack of implements, he began b^' working out by 
 the month wherever opportunity' presented. This 
 he followed for about two years, and then com- 
 menced the improvement of his own property, with 
 the gratifying result that by 1879 he not only had 
 his original property' in a high state of cultivation, 
 a comfortable and commodious residence, but his 
 farm wassupplied with the divers buildings and mul- 
 tifarious machines and implements which the proper 
 working of the farm rendered indispensable. In 
 the above year he was enabled to purchase forty 
 acres additional, for which he paid $119. In 1882 
 another eighty acres was purchased, at the rate of 
 §10 per acre, so that to-daj' he is operating 280 
 acres in all. along the line of grain and stock farm- 
 ing. In the earlier years, and even now, in a large 
 measure, wheat formed the staple article of grain 
 produce, and he had to haul it a distance of seven- 
 ty-five miles to Brownsville, which was then the 
 nearest market. 
 
 In his political sympathies Mr. Martin is with 
 the Democratic party, and is usually found voting 
 its ticket; at the same time he is not prominent 
 in political circles, although he has been called 
 upon to hold quite a number of township olDces, 
 and has always done so in a most creditable and 
 satisfactory manner. Sociallj-, he is connected with 
 
404 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 the G. A. R., and is a member of Scolt Post No. 
 37, m(!etiiig at Blue Spring. There arc few farms, 
 taken in tiieir entirety, tliat surpass in general ef- 
 ficiency, fertility and productiveness that of our 
 subject, nor are there many in that exceptionally 
 fine body of men — the Nebraska farmers — who sur- 
 pass Mr. Martin in practical intelligence, sound 
 judgment, genial affabilit}', hospitalit3' and iiitog- 
 ritj'. He is a man highly respected, a sentiment 
 and feeling which are extended to ever}- member 
 of his familj'. 
 
 THOMAS G. WHEELER. Among the num- 
 ber of blight, hard-working, [jlucky, practi- 
 cal Englishmen who came to (irant Town- 
 ship, and helped to develop its resources in the 
 early days of its history, was the subject of this 
 epitome. Here he has succeeded in building up a 
 very nice property and home, and also in laying 
 by a competency sufficient to remove the dread of 
 the future, when work and labor are beyond his 
 strength. He began life a poor man, and it is 
 therefore more complimentary to him and more 
 satisfactorj' in every regard. His farm is IGO 
 acres in extent, and is situated on section 30, the 
 entry of which dates from 18G9. Ho owns also 
 eighty acres in Blakely Township, partly im- 
 proved. 
 
 The home, both in the building, internal ar- 
 rangement and embellishment; our subject's farm, 
 both in its fields and buildings, its machinery and 
 implements, all testify to the fact that he is by 
 no means fossilized ; per contra, he is one of the 
 most progressive men in the county, and in enter- 
 prise is second to none. He came to this place 
 direct from his English home, when he was but 
 twenty years of age, and he has from that time 
 grown up with the country, imbibed freelj' the 
 principles of its government, the glories of its 
 institutions and the perfection of its citizenship, 
 and has learned fullj' to appreciate, admire and 
 loyally love them. 
 
 Our subject was born in Wiltshire, England, upon 
 the 7th of April, 1849. His father, Chailes Wheeler, 
 as a }oung man learned the trade of tailoring, which 
 
 he continued to follow. The maiden name of his 
 wife, the mother of our suliject, was Ann Pierce, a 
 native of Wiltshire. During her married life she 
 helped to support the family, which included six 
 children, and died in August, 1888, at the age of 
 seventy-six years. She was a most estimable lady, 
 of noble character, and a devout member of the 
 State Church (of England) for the whole of her 
 life. Her father had fought under one of the 
 British Generals in the Revolutionary War in this 
 countr}', and at its close returned to England, where 
 he lived to the advanced age of ninety-five j'ears. 
 The father of our subject is yet living, and has 
 reached the good old age of eightj'-six years. He 
 still continues his devotion to the Episcopal Church, 
 where he is a regular attendant. 
 
 Our subject is the fourth child and second son 
 of six chililren, three of them being daughters. The 
 family circle has been broken bj' the death of one 
 of the sons, Joseph, who met his death in London, 
 when at the .ige of thirtj'-three years, owing to a 
 fall in winter on an icy walk. Our subject, his sis- 
 ter Ann, now Mrs. Barrett, and a brother Charles, 
 are residents of this State; the remaining two sis- 
 ters, Elizabeth and Sarah, still reside in England. 
 The latter is happily married to Mr. Thomas Cor- 
 born. 
 
 Our subject was brought up and educated in his 
 native shire, and afterward served a three-years 
 apprenticeship to learning the trade of whitesmith, 
 as the finisher of iron work is called, as distinguished 
 from the forger or blacksmith. Upon finishing 
 this department of his education, and having the 
 knowledge of his trade at his command, he came at 
 once to tills countr}', and located as above men- 
 tioned. Upon the 27th of March, 1873, he w.as 
 united in marriage with Miss Florence J. Banks, 
 who was born in Page Count}', Iowa, on the l.ith 
 of March, 1856, to Philip and Keziah (F'arnes) 
 Banks, natives of Indiana, who now reside in Linn 
 County, Kan. The wife of our subject was brought 
 up in Page County, Iowa, until she reached the 
 age of seventeen years. She received the best 
 education the times afforded, and developed graces 
 and qualities that have made her life and home 
 continuously bright. Upon reaching her seven- 
 teenth year her life in Iowa was finished, and 
 
 i- 
 
^' 
 
■^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 407 i^ 
 
 shortly after the family removed to this State. 
 Three chiklron have been horn of her marriage, but 
 it is llieir misfortune to have lost two of them by 
 death, viz: Maud E. and JMarvIn L. The surviv- 
 ing child is their son. Claude T. Our subject and 
 wife are verj- highly respected b^' the entire com- 
 munity, not so much because of their success in life 
 as their jiersonal sterling characters, and admirable 
 disposition as friends and neighbors. Mr. Wheeler 
 has been a Iie[)ublicau from principle ever since 
 he has made a study of the political economy of 
 tiie countr}', and is one of tlie firmest .adherents of 
 that cause. 
 
 ^ EORGE W. BAKER. Among the most val- 
 ued and respected citizens of Holt Town- 
 ship, and at the same time one of the most 
 successful from a business standpoint, is the gentle- 
 man whose biography is lierein somewhat tersely 
 presented. Mr. Baker is the son of Gibson and 
 Anna (Hook) Baker, natives respectively of Mary- 
 land and Virginia, and of Scotch-Irish descent. In 
 Revolutionary times the male representatives of the 
 family played no mean part in the struggle for lib- 
 erty. Grandfather Hook was thioughout the war 
 aid-de-camp to George Washington. 
 
 The parents of our subject settled in Kentucky 
 when they were children, and were married there. 
 The father was by trade a millwright, and found 
 considerable opportunity for a profitable prosecu- 
 tion of his business. From Kentuck}- he removed to 
 Ohio, and from the latter State, with wife and chil- 
 dren, migrated to Illinois. He settled at Metamora, 
 and there continued to reside for about twenty 
 years, when he died at the age of eighty. He was 
 survived about three years by his wife, whose 
 demise occurred in the year ls7a, atthe ripe age of 
 eighty-four years. The family circle included the 
 following children, viz: AVllliam G., Sarah Jane, 
 Eliza, George W.ashington, Margaret, Andrew 
 Jackson, Clarissa, Ellen and Lucinda. William and 
 Eliza are deceased. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was born on the 'iOth 
 of July, 1820, in Brown County, Ohio, and it is 
 with laudable pride that he is enabled to look back 
 to the days of boyhood, and remember the pleasant 
 
 school acquaintance and youthful friendship with 
 the illustrious iiero, Ulysses S. Grant. No one can 
 be associated with men who have been hc>nored as 
 was the late General and President, without the 
 reflex of their nobility insensibly aflfecting, to a 
 greater or less degree, the associate. 
 
 The days of schooling completed, our subject 
 was busy about the home farm, and gave his atten- 
 tion to learning the trade of his father, giving, 
 perhaps, more attention to the finer carpenter work 
 than the millwrighting. His apprenticeship began 
 wiien he was seventeen years of age. He continued 
 working in this business with an increasing finan- 
 cial success until he reached the age of about thirty 
 years, and then removed to Illinois, where a larger 
 field vviis opened to him, and where he would be 
 nearer his family. 
 
 The 28th of November, 1852, was a memorable 
 day in our subject's history, one from which the 
 radiations of happiness have never ceased to 
 brigiiten his p.ithway ; upon it he was united in mar- 
 riage with Mary E. Poole, the amiable daugliter of 
 Hiram A. and Miranda C. (Niles) Poole. Her 
 father was born at Keene, N. H.; her mother in 
 Covington of the same State. Her early life and 
 young womanhood were spent upon her father's 
 farm. The family, went to Illinois in 1843, and 
 thence emigrated to Nebraska in the year 1873, set- 
 tling at Table Rock, Piiwnee County. There the 
 mother died in i 875, at the good old age of sixty- 
 six years. The father, who survive<l about ten 
 years, died in 1885, aged seventy-five years. Their 
 famil}' included five children, whose names are re- 
 corded as follows: Mary E., Sarah H., Hiram II., 
 Myra and Milo R. 
 
 Mary, the wife of our subject, was born on the 
 lOth of August, 1835, the place of her birth being 
 Haverhill, Grafton Co., N. H. She was about 
 eight years of age wlien the family removed 
 to Illinois, and at an earl3- age began to attend the 
 public school. Here she develo|)ed an unusual 
 aptitude for study, and was the scholar of her class 
 to whom the teacher looked to save the reputation 
 of the school when upon special occasions questions 
 might be asked to which others failed to respond. 
 Slie w.as indefatigable in her efforts, and seemed 
 early to grasp the idea that •■knowledge is power." 
 
JL 
 
 ■•► 
 
 40.S 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 The (ffect of this upon her home life has been most 
 happy, both as regarrls her conipaiiionsliip with her 
 husband, and her ability to leach and instruct the 
 little ones that have been given her. Upon leaving 
 school she taught for three terms in Woodford 
 County, 111., with a success that was only equaled 
 b}- that which bad preceded while she was a scholar. 
 
 Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Baker in marriage 
 there have been born nine children, of whom, how- 
 ever, it has been their privilege to bring to years of 
 man and womanhood only four. The names of 
 the children are as follows: William G., Sarah E., 
 Albert L., each of whom is deceased; Alva; 
 Clarence K., now deceased ; Lillie M. ; James Lin- 
 coln, also deceased; Hiram G. and Cassius A. 
 Alva is happily married to William A. Grifling, 
 who is prosperous in his business, which is that of a 
 plasterer and bricklayer at Table Rock, Pawnee 
 County, where they reside. They are the parents 
 of three children, who are named Lillie, Mai'y A. .and 
 J'rank R. Lillie Baker is the wife of Marion 
 Fellers, a resident of the same place, engaged in the 
 merchandising business. 
 
 Our subject was one who stepped forward loj'ally 
 in response to the call for defenders of the Union. 
 He enlisted at Peoria, in Company G, of the ICth 
 Illinois Infantry, and served for a period of one 
 year, taking part in the grand review at Washington. 
 From a business point of view our subject has been 
 wonderfully successful; he has built in different 
 parts of the Prairie State twenty-seven sawmills, 
 thoroughly equipped with every modern appliance, 
 including steam-engine and machinery. The date 
 of his removal to this State was 1 873 ; from that time 
 he has been engaged chiefly in agriculture. 
 
 'i'he home and farm of our suhject are situated 
 upon sections 33 and 34 of Holt Township, and 
 the property includes 320 acres of excellent agri- 
 cultural land, which is thoroughlj' improved and 
 highlj' cultivated; upon it he has erected a very 
 pleasant and commodious farm dwelling, and the 
 usual farm buildings. He has also set out an ex- 
 tensive orchard of choice, thrifty fruit trees of 
 diverse kinds ami select variety, and maj' be justi- 
 fied if a feeling of manly pride should till his heart as 
 lie looks over the proiierly he has acquired, which is 
 all the result of his own labor and toil, in which he 
 
 has ever been cheered, counseled and supported by 
 the faithful companion of his life, than whom there 
 are few more beautiful in character, more highly 
 endowed bj' nature with those parts and qualities 
 that have made woman the chiefest and best work 
 of Creative hands. It goes without sa^'ing that our 
 subject and his family are highly' respected by the 
 community at large. Mr. Baker is an active and 
 earnest advocate of such things as will benefit the 
 people, especially the young, and will advance the 
 interests of the district or county. In political 
 matters he is a Republican, a stanch friend and 
 cheerful supporter of the part}-. 
 
 We take pleasure in presenting the portraits of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Baker on an accompanying page. 
 
 ■ -^ 
 
 lk£: ATHIAS H. COBURN. The State of 
 Maine has been the stage upon which have 
 been played some of the most memorable 
 scenes and incidents of American history; 
 and from the time when the forty-one men of Ply- 
 mouth Rock signed their memorable compact of 
 liberty; from the time of William Bradford, who 
 received the charter of the Plymouth Colon}' from 
 the "dread sovereiga lord, King James," until the 
 present era, which has produced "the man of 
 Maine," upon whom the eyes of the civilized world 
 have rested, the citizens of the Lumber State have 
 alwaj's maintained a place in the front rank of 
 American independence, liberty and progress. 
 Among the worthy representatives of this people is 
 M. H. Cobiirn, one of Nebraska's intrepid pioneers, 
 whose farm is situated upon section 25 of Hanover 
 Township. 
 
 Our subject was born at Parkman, Me., upon the 
 10th of Novemlier, 1833, and is a son of Edward 
 and Elizabeth (Hanscom) Cohurn, also natives of 
 the same State. His father was b}' occupation a 
 farmer, and continued to reside in the East until 
 1855, when he migrated from the old homestead to 
 LaSalle County, 111., and settled upon a farm which 
 he purchased in that State. There Mr. Coburii, 
 Sr., died in the year 1866, aged sixty-six 3'ears. 
 His widow survived him until 1886, and departed 
 this life in Gage County, Neb. They were the par- 
 
 t 
 
•►HH^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 409 
 
 cuts of four chilflrcn. whom it was their pleasure to 
 see grow to years of niaturily, and tliree enter tlie 
 raniis t>f tiie honored and respected of the cominu- 
 nit3'. Matliias is our subject: Abigail is the wife of 
 Cyrus Hanscom, and Sylvanius V. is liappii}' mar- 
 ried to Miss Sylvinia Philbrooli. 
 
 Our subject, from the lime of leaving the classes 
 of the common school, where he had obtained his 
 education, remained at home, being the only son, 
 and assisted his father in tlie operation of his farm, 
 thus naturally drifting into the working f)f the 
 same, and made it his chosen occupation in life. 
 When his parents removed to Illinois, he of course 
 accompanied them, and continued to reside with 
 them until became to this State. In thej'ear 1808 
 he purchased land in this county, and settled upon 
 it in the year 1871. He is now the owner of a 
 property of 240 acres in extent, including some of 
 the finest undulating pastoral land in the countj\ 
 
 In February of 1867 Mr. Coburn entered the 
 state of matrimony, and was united with Miss 
 Lydia A. Denton. This lady is the daughter of 
 James and Geraima (Vanboltenburg) Dentou, 
 natives of New York and Connecticut. The}' were 
 the parents of eleven children, of whom then- 
 daughter Lydia was the eighth. She was born in 
 New York on the 12th of March, 1842, and contin- 
 ued to make her home with her jiarents until her 
 Hjarriage. She h.as become the mother of two chil- 
 dren, who have received the names of Edward M. 
 and Frederick H., respectively. They have also 
 adopted a daugliter, Emma E. 
 
 Mr. Coburn tikes considerable interest in matters 
 political, and is a stanch friend and supporter of the 
 Uepublican party, and is at all times read}' and 
 anxious to do all in his power to extend its influ- 
 ence and aid in its advancement. He is regarded 
 as one of the most worthy, honorable and valued 
 citizens, and respected accordingly. 
 
 ^ OHN SPARKS. The name of the subject of 
 this sketch, who died a victim to cold and 
 exposure on the 12th of January, 1888, is 
 belli in kindly remembrance by a large pro- 
 portion of the people of this coiiiUy. The story of 
 
 his decease is one of unusual sadness. On the 
 morning of the da}' above mentioned he started out 
 bright and early to Beatrice after a load of coal. 
 Obtaining this he tarried for a time for the transac- 
 tion of other business, and upon completing this 
 started for his home in Lincoln Township, eight 
 miles distant. Soon afterward the storm came on, 
 but he pressed forward, and was within forty rods of 
 his house when his horses were unable to proceed 
 further, and releasing the animals from the wagon, 
 he turned them loose, evidentl}' with the sup|)Osition 
 that he himself would be able to reach his own 
 fireside in safety. Like thousands of others over- 
 taken b}' a Western storm, his senses seemed to 
 have become bewildered, and instead of going to- 
 ward his home, he went directly awa}' from it. The 
 gathering darkness soon hid him from view, and he 
 fell exhausted on the ground and expired. There 
 he was found the following morning. His team in 
 the meantime had reached home after night came 
 on and were discovered in the yard in the morning. 
 It is difficult to conceive why he should have left 
 his horses, as had he mounted one of them it 
 would have probably taken him home in safety. 
 His melancholy demise was the occasion of gei.eral 
 mourning in the community, as he had been a most 
 worthy and exemplary citizen, temperate in his 
 habits, and one who enjoyed the confidence of all 
 who knew him. 
 
 Mr. Sparks was born in North Carolina, and was 
 about fifty-five years old at the time of his death. 
 He emigrated from the South to Indiana with his 
 parents early in life, locating in Monroe County, 
 where he was reared to manhood. There also he 
 was first married, anil later removed to Woodford 
 County, 111., where he established a flouring-mill, put- 
 ting up the structure himself and buying gr.ain for 
 a number of years. He was successful as a financier 
 and accumulated a good pro|)ert}', but was over- 
 taken 1)}' reverses. After losing the sum of ^6,000 
 he sold out and returned to Indiana. Then suc- 
 ceeded his marriage, in Greene County, in Febru- 
 ai-y, 1871, to Miss Martha E. Roberson, who was 
 a native of his own State, and born Sept. 20, 1849. 
 
 Mrs. Sparks when a young girl of fifteen 3'ears 
 removed with her parents from North Carolina to 
 Indiana, where she grew to womanhood. Her par- 
 
 •■► ^ ■ l M» 
 
■^•- 
 
 410 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ents. Jnmes and Maria (Arnold) Roberson, were 
 natives of the same (State as their riaughter, and 
 both died in Indiana, the father in Greene C'oiinty 
 about 1857, when middle-aged. The mother after- 
 ward removed to Terre Haute, where her death 
 took place in 1887, at the age of sixty years. They 
 also were natives of North Carolina, and spent the 
 greater part of their lives amid the quiet pursuits 
 of farm life. 
 
 To our subject and his wife there were born six 
 children, namely: James E., Laura F., George W., 
 I<la M., Alice and Andi'ew C. Of his first marriage 
 there were born to Mr. Sparks four ciiildren: 
 William N.; Sarah, the wife of Richard Foyes, a 
 merchant at Diller, this county ; Mary E., Mrs. 
 Benjamin AVillhoit, of Ciiicago, III.; and John J., 
 who is unmarried and operates the homestead. The 
 family is one of uncommon intelligence, being 
 recognized as belonging to the useful element of 
 the community. Mr. Sparks kept himself well 
 posted upon current events, and uniformly voted 
 the straight Democratic ticket. Mrs. Sparks is a 
 lady of more than ordinary intelligence, and fulfills 
 in a most worthy manner her duties to her children, 
 slinuilating them to good deeds and looking care- 
 fully after their mental and moral welfare. 
 
 <Sn^ OBERT F. HENDERSON. The history of 
 l|L^ Nebraska reveals a vvcll-nigh unprecedented 
 cll\Vi rapidity of development, of resource, settle- 
 \^ ment of country, growth of hamlets, towns 
 and citizens, and general progress in every direc- 
 tion. AmoBg the men who have devoted them- 
 selves self-sacrificinglj', earnestly and constantly to 
 the attainment of this result, should ever be men- 
 tioned the name of Mr. Henderson, who is with a 
 large measure of success operating 1 GO acres of land 
 on section 21, Nemaha Township. A view of the 
 place is shown on another page of this work. 
 
 The parents of our subject were Alexander and 
 Mary (Lantz) Henderson. 'J'hey were both natives 
 of the QuakerState. The family upon the paternal 
 side was of Irish extraction, and upon the maternal 
 of German origin. They were married in Ohio, set- 
 tled in Portage County, and for many years saw 
 
 much prospcritj- as a result of their labor in the 
 pursuit of husb.indry. Later they removed to Illi- 
 nois with their family of five children, and settled 
 in Putnam County, but shortly' after sold out and 
 went to Bureau Countj', where, in 1880, Mr. Hen- 
 derson died, aged seventy-six years. His wife, who 
 is now seventy-four years of age, resides in Beatrice 
 with her daughter. She is the mother of eight chil- 
 dren, who received the names, AVilliam, James, 
 Denisa, John C. Robert F., Walter L., Lewis R. 
 and Leila A. 
 
 The natal day of our subject was the 30th of Octo- 
 ber, 1844, and the place of his birth, Streetsboro, 
 Portage Co., Ohio. The first twelve years of his 
 life were spent in this place, and the foundation was 
 there laid, but about 1858 his parents removed to 
 Illinois, he, of course, accompanying them. His 
 education was completed in Putnam Count}', that 
 State, and he continued upon the home farm in that 
 county until he attained his majority. He re- 
 mained in that count}' until 1875, and in October 
 of that year came to this State, and for a time made 
 his home at Firth, where he had purchased 160 
 acres of land some years previous. The only thing 
 that distinguished it from wild prairie was that 
 forty acres were broken, but there were no groves, 
 not even a tree or shrub, nor any building upon the 
 property. This has all been changed gradual!}-, 
 but as rapidly as the work could be pushed for- 
 ward. Now he has a pleasant, cheerful, comfort- 
 able home, by no means lacking either in decoration 
 or furnishing in those features that make home the 
 brightest and most attractive place on earth. The 
 farm too is highly cultivated, and fully supplied 
 with the various buildings, machines, implements 
 and conveniences required for the proper working 
 thereof. 
 
 In the month of November of the saraeyear that 
 he removed to Nebraska, our subject was united in 
 marriage with Miss Artimissia M. Steele, a lady of 
 education, refinement, and a high order of womanly 
 character. She is the daughter of John M. and 
 Martha J. (Wardlaw) Steele. Her father was born 
 in Ross County, Ohio; her mother near Bowling 
 Green, Ky. Her parents settled after marriage in 
 Ross County, where J. M. Steele was a merchant at 
 South Salem. In 1853 the family removed to Put- 
 
 •► 
 
 / 
 
I 
 
 •4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 411 
 
 nam County, III., and in 1874 came to Nebraska, 
 and settled eleven miles north of Beatrice, where 
 they still resiile. Mr. Steele has attained the ad- 
 vanced age of sixty-five, his wife that of sixty j'ears. 
 Their family includes seven children, who have 
 been named as follows: Artimissia M., Alice, Anna, 
 Harry, Minnie, Wardlaw and Lucretia M. 
 
 Mrs. Henderson was born in Ross County, Ohio, 
 Au». 9, 1850, and was three years of age tvhen her 
 parents removed to Illinois. There she grew up to 
 womanhood, and received in thedaj^sof j'outh that 
 instruction obtainable in the common school. Dur- 
 ing the war, wliile her father was doing dutj- at the 
 front, in Company E of the 4th Illinois Cavalry, 
 they resided at Granville, III. Her father's raili- 
 tarj' experience was confined cliiefl3- to the Central 
 Tennessee campaign. At the time of the removal 
 to Nebraska Mr. Henderson was twent^'-four years 
 of age. There have been given to our subject and 
 wife five children, who have been named as fol- 
 lows: Alice, Bessie, Frank, Lois and Robert. 
 
 Our subject was the first Moderator of the dis- 
 trict, and has since served for five 3'ears. He is at 
 present School Treasurer, and also Township Treas- 
 urer. In his political relations he is connected with 
 the Republican partj', and is honored and respected 
 for his manly, straighi forward and honorable con- 
 duct. In every relation he has sustained and effort 
 made, he has unswervingly followed the dictates of 
 his conscientious principles, and at all times looked 
 to the interests of the county- and State, as well as 
 those of more private limit. 
 
 jl7_^ ARVEY O. MASON. The farming commu- 
 "^^^^ nity of Lincoln Township recognizes among 
 its members no better man than the subject 
 of this sketch. He possesses tliose social 
 qualities which have made him popular among his 
 neighbors, and those elements of character devel- 
 oped in the home circle which render hini careful 
 and conscientious in the discharge of his duties 
 toward his family'- and friends as well as those of 
 public life. In his labors as a tiller of the soil he 
 h.as been more than ordinarily successful, takiu"- 
 the best advantage of modern methods and ma- 
 
 chiner3', and bringing about the most admirable 
 results. In addition to general agriculture, he 
 gives his attention largolj' to stock-raising. His 
 farm, which is ple.asantl}' located on section 1, 
 forms one of the most desirable estates of the 
 county, being embellished with good buildings, and 
 the land in a highly fertile condition. Although 
 being its possessor only since 1887, he has effected 
 very material improvements in its condition. Ly- 
 ing about three miles from the city of Beatrice, it 
 is consequently' valuable, and will continue to grow 
 more so as time p.-isses on. 
 
 Mr. Mason came to this vicinity from Jefferson 
 County, Neb., where he w.as at one time the owner 
 of five farms, the land of which he mostly re- 
 deemed from its original condition through his own 
 perseverance and industry. He has been a resident 
 of Nebraska since 1867, first locating near the cit_v 
 of Omaha, where he engaged in farming two and a 
 half 3'ears. After disposing of his property there 
 at a good round sum, he returned to his native 
 .State of New York, whence he once more crossed 
 the Mississippi and located in Jefferson County, 
 this State, where he lived until coming to this 
 count3'. 
 
 Our subject w.as born in Farmington Township, 
 Ontario Co., N. Y., March 25, I 841. and is the son 
 of Robinson and Mar3- (Brandt) Mason, who were 
 both of New England ancestry, but born, reared 
 and married in Ontario C'ount3', N. Y. Tiiere also 
 they settled until after the birtii of all their chil- 
 dren, and in 1851, disposing of their propert3' in 
 the Empire State and bidding adieu to their old 
 friends and associations, the3' sought the wilds of 
 Columbia County, Wis., where the3' took up their 
 residence, although the father as a lumberman did 
 business largely in Portage and Chippewa Coun- 
 ties. Later in life the parents with the greater 
 part of their famil3' returned to their native Stflte, 
 and the father secured a fine farm in one of the 
 choicest sections of Monroe Count3'. He had now 
 accumulated a fine property, and became inter- 
 ested in the oil regions of Pithole. Pa., obtaining 
 from this product ample returns for his investment 
 of capital. 
 
 The father of our subject, finall3' becoming seized 
 with the Western fever, started toward the Rocky 
 
I 
 
 ^^ 
 
 -•► 
 
 412 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Mountains, and afterward became intercsteri in the 
 gold mines of Sweet "Water Valle3' in Wyoming 
 Territory. He was tbere engaged successfully for 
 some time in quartz mining and in the oi)eration 
 of a stam])ing-mill. Finally he returned to the 
 Empire State, and once more settling on the farm 
 in Monroe County, superintended its operations un- 
 til he was stricken down with paralysis, in March, 
 1874. He lingered, however, nearly eleven years 
 afterward, and eventually passed away at the home- 
 stead. Oct. 10, 1885, wiien seventy-four years old. 
 His mind lemained Ijright and active until his 
 death. 
 
 'Ihe moliier of our sul)ject is still living with her 
 two cliildren at the old home in Monroe County, 
 N. Y., and although seventy-four years old is still 
 bright and active in mind and bod^'. Slie is a lady 
 of more than ordinaiy intelligence, and has the 
 general oversight of her fine propertj'. In the 
 midst of comfort and plenty Mrs. Mason is spending 
 her declining years, beloved by her family and a 
 large circle of friei.ds. In all the relations of life 
 she has distinguished herself by that temperance 
 of judgment and kindness of heart which will be 
 remembered long after she has departed hence. 
 
 Harvey O. Mason was the third child in a fam- 
 ily of five sons and one daughter, all of whom are 
 living. He was a little lad nine years of age when 
 tlie family removed from New York to Wisconsin, 
 and remembers many of the incidents of settle- 
 ment in a new county. He was there reared and 
 educated and attained his majority. He accom- 
 panied his parents upon their return to his native 
 State, which he left the second lime about 18G7, 
 while still a single man. He met his fate in Jefifer- 
 son County, this State, in the person of Miss Jen- 
 nie Shindoll, to whom he was married at Ply- 
 mouth, Feb. 3, 1876. 
 
 Mrs. Mason was born in Kalamazoo County, 
 Mich., Nov. 30, 1856, but when five years old her 
 parents removed to Racine County, Wis., where 
 her father, Jacob Shindoll, purchased a tract of 
 land and engaged successfully in farm pursuits. 
 Mr. S. after the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted 
 in a Wisconsin regiment, served in the army three 
 j^ears, making a good record, and returned home 
 in safety. He is still living, his home now being 
 
 in Jefferson County, this State, where he still car- 
 ries on farming. The mother of Mrs. Mason was 
 in her girlhoorl Miss Mary Nilson. The parents 
 were natives of Germany. Their famil3' consisted 
 of seven children. 
 
 To our subject and his cs imable wife there have 
 been born Ave children, namely: Llewellj'n K., Bj-- 
 ron L., Frank G., George R. and Harvey S. 'J"he 
 eldest is nine years of age, and the youngest one. 
 They form a bright and intelligent group, and still 
 continue under the home roof, being the subjects 
 of careful parental training and receiving the edu- 
 cation in keeping with their station and prospects 
 in life. Mr. and Mrs. Mason are members in good 
 standing of the Congregational Church at Beatrice, 
 and Mr. M., politically, is a stanch Republican. He 
 has distinguished himself as a liberal and public- 
 spirited citizen, and to all enterprises tending to 
 the progress and welfare of the community he 
 lends his cordial and substantial aid. He is widely 
 and favorably known throughout this section as 
 one of its most useful and worthy men. 
 
 ILLIAM W. SILVERNAIL. Years hence 
 •/I the early history of Southern Nebraska 
 I -will be valued more highlj' perhaps than 
 at the present, just as rewards are frequently of- 
 fered for old coins and other articles of a by^-gone 
 age, and the men who to-day' are liuilding a record 
 for the perusal of posterity, instead of being for- 
 gotten will be recalled by the thoughtful individual, 
 and due credit given for the manner in which they 
 have labored to redeem a country from the wilder- 
 ness and make it an abode of comfort and luxury 
 for the generations coming after them. 
 
 These thoughts involuntarily arise in reflecting 
 upon the career of such a man .as the subject of 
 this sketch. An offshoot of the Empire State, he 
 is of excellent parentage, his father having been 
 John Silveruail, of Columbia County, N. Y., and 
 his mother in her girlhood Miss Magdalena Gard- 
 ner, of Rensseliier County, that State. After mar- 
 riage they settled in the former, where the father 
 carried on farming for eight years, and then re- 
 moved to Lewis County. Subsequently he changed 
 v^ 
 
 r 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 TV 
 
 his residence to Berkshire Count3% Mass., where his 
 deatii took place at the age of fiftj'-three years, in 
 1S59. The mother only survived her husband two 
 years, passing away in the spring of 1861, when 
 fifty-six j'ears old. Thej' were the pai-ents of nine 
 children — Margaret. James, Elizabetli, Mary, Will- 
 iam W., of our sketch, Leonard, Amelia, Sarah 
 and Annie. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in Columbia 
 County, N. Y., in December, 1834, and was a child 
 one j-ear old when his parents removed to Lewis 
 County. He completed his studies in the common 
 schools of Berkshire County, Mass., and at the age 
 of twenty-one resolved to seek his fortune among 
 the pioneers of the West. Leaving New England, 
 he set out first for Wisconsin, landing in Kenosha 
 County in the early part of November, and began 
 ■working on the farm of Mr. S. P. Shaw. Here his 
 labors were sweetened b}' the companionship of 
 Miss Rebecca, one of the charming daughters of the 
 house, and the intlustrj" ami intelligence of the 
 young suitor commending him to the goo<l opinion 
 of her relatives, their marriage was celebrated some 
 time later, Nov. 20, 1856. 
 
 Mrs. Rebecca Silvernail is the daughter of 
 Stephen and Hannah (Hicks) Shaw, a very old and 
 highly respected family of this county, who are in- 
 separably connected with its histor}% and the lead- 
 ing members of which are amply represented in 
 this volume elsewhere. Not only have they placed 
 their sign manual upon the broad and fertile prai- 
 ries of the West, but generations ago, in the time 
 of the Pilgrim Fathers, established upon the wild 
 New England coast, and there inaugurated the 
 spirit of freedom to obtain which the}' had left 
 their native land and dared the danger both of 
 earth and ocean. Those sturdy spirits after bat- 
 tling with the elements, with war, with savages and 
 the other ills with which Colonists contended, have 
 gone to their reward, but a posterity has arisen 
 which do them honor, and which, if the exigencies 
 of the times demanded, would be no less brave than 
 they. 
 
 During the absence of her husband, who had gone 
 to fight the battles of his country', the paternal 
 great-grandmother of Mrs. Silvernail escaped capt- 
 ure and death at the hands of the Indians by flee- 
 
 ing with her son Benjamin to the mountains. After 
 the war they settled in Saratoga County, N. Y., 
 where the}' were rejoi led by the husband and 
 father, and there spent the remainder of their days. 
 That boy Benjamin was the grandfather of Mrs. 
 S. He married, reared a family, and spent part of 
 his life in Dutchess County. Steiihen P. was the 
 father of ten children — William, Egbert, Jlargaret, 
 Emily, John B., Aluiira. Hannah, Rebecca, James 
 I. and Stephen \^. 
 
 Mrs. Silvernail was born in Dutchess County, N. 
 Y., Sept. 26, 1836, where she lived until a little 
 girl eight years of age, then accompanied her par- 
 ents to Litchfield County, Conn. She attended 
 school in both States, and was fourteen j'ears old 
 when the family emigrated to Wisconsin, in 1850. 
 She completed her education in Kenosha County, 
 the latter State, and is of the opinion that even at 
 that earlj' period in the histor\' of the Badger State 
 the school advantages rivaled those of the East. 
 She was twentj' years of age at the time of her 
 marriage. 
 
 In the spring of 1857 Mr. and Mrs. Silvernail 
 concluded to join the tide of emigration settling 
 west of the Mississippi, and in companj' with others, 
 whose effects were loaded onto a train of six wag- 
 ons, set out for Southern Nebraska. .Starting out 
 on the 6th of Maj', they arrived in Nebraska Citj' 
 on the 23d of June, and crossed the Missouri River. 
 On the 4th of July following they were on the 
 Blue River, Neb. The lands of the Nemaha Val- 
 lej', however, presented the fairest tract of countrj' 
 which they had yet found, and they accordingly re- 
 turned to the vicinity of their present location, 
 which they had passed on their way further west. 
 Mr. Silvernail pre-empted 160 acres of land, and 
 the family took up their abode in a log house. 
 They remained there five years, then sold out. In 
 1862 they returned castas far as Grundy County, 
 111., where Mr. S. engaged in farming until 1866, 
 then came back to Nebraska, and here h.as since 
 been contented to rem.ain. 
 
 The property of our subject includes 160 acres 
 of thoroughly cultivated land, upon which he has 
 effected first-cl.ass improvements, good buildings, 
 and the other appliances of the modern country es- 
 tate. One of the most pleasing. features of the prem- 
 
 t 
 
 f 
 
-^•■ 
 
 -•► 
 
 414 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ises 's llie large number of trees planteil by tlie 
 hand of the proprietor, cottonwoofl. niapk'. white 
 ash. elm, walnut and box eliler. There is also a 
 fine apple orchard of 150 trees, besides quantities 
 of the smaller fruits — cherries, crabs, plums, grapes, 
 strawberries, gooseberries, etc. Under their flour- 
 ishing roof-tree there have Iteen born six bright 
 children, namely: Herbert, Leonard, Bertha, Sadie, 
 and William C. (the latter twins), and an infant 
 deceased, unnamed. The eldest son, Herbert, mar- 
 ried Miss Minnie Disher, and is farming in Adams 
 Township; they have one child. Leonard married 
 Miss Lillie Nevins, and is following tlie trade of 
 carpenter in Lincoln Center, Kan. ; Bertha is the wife 
 of John Galloway, of Adams Township, this count}': 
 the other children are at home witli their parents. 
 
 Mr. Silvernail for a period of thirty years was 
 identified with the Republican part}', but his strong 
 temperance sentiments led him in 1886 to wheel 
 into the ranks of the Prohibitionists. He was the 
 first Justice of the Peace elected on Nemaha Creek, 
 and for nine years has otliciated as Director in his 
 school district, which is accredited with the pos- 
 session of the best school in the township. He has 
 been sent as delegate to various Republican County 
 Conventions, his sound judgment and "practical 
 good sense making him a valuable aid to the in- 
 terests of the part}' in this section. 
 
 Both our subject and his excellent wife have 
 given uniform encouragement to the projects cal- 
 culated to result to the licst interests of their com- 
 munity, and Mrs. S. has for many years been a 
 v.ahied member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 Mr. S. was a charter memlier of the I. O. G. T., and 
 during its existence of fifteen years in Adams has 
 occupied its important offices, and olticiated as a 
 delegate to the Grand Lodge at Lincoln. 
 
 ANIEL K. NETZLY. Hanover Town- 
 ship has few more sterling specimens of 
 industrious, hard-working, intelligent, hon- 
 orable and progressive manhood, than is 
 the subject of the present sketch, whose home is 
 situated on section C of the above township, and 
 wlio operates 560 acres of agricultural and pastoral 
 
 M* 
 
 land, divided as follows: 1 60 acres of his own jirop- 
 erty on the above section, 1 60 on section 7. in the 
 same township, and 240 on section I of Holt Town- 
 ship. A view of the place is shown in this con- 
 nection. 
 
 The subject of our sketcli was born in Lancaster 
 Township, Lancaster Co., Pa., on the 7th of Octo- 
 ber, 1846. His father went to DuPage County, III., 
 in 1850, where he engaged in agricultural ]>ursuits, 
 and owned 157 acres of land; this was his home 
 until 1868, in which year he died, being about fifty- 
 five years of age; his wife survived him until the year 
 1883, when she also crossed the River of Death, af- 
 ter having attained the age of sixty-seven years. 
 Fourteen children were born to hei-, eight of them 
 being boys, and our suliject was the ninth child. 
 
 It will be noticed that our sul)ject was four years 
 of age when he went to Illinois with his parents, and 
 by the time he had reached his tenth year he was 
 already becoming accustomed to the lighter duties 
 of the farm ; about that time, however, he began to 
 follow the plow, and from that on took his place in 
 all farm work so far as his strength would allow. 
 Agriculture became his life occupation, and is that 
 of which he knows the most, for theie are very few 
 things about practical farming with which he is not 
 fully conversant, or any work lie is incompetent to 
 execute. 
 
 Mr. Netzly continued to make his home with 
 his parents until 188G, in September of which year 
 he vvas united in marriage with Eliza Harlronft, 
 who was born in Lancaster County, Pa.; she was 
 about one year old when her i)arents removed to 
 Illinois, the date of her nativity being May, 1847. 
 There have been five children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Netzly, who are developing such characters as 
 promise a bright future. Their names are as fol- 
 lows: Levi H., Burton G., Carrie A., Aggie Lucy 
 and Nora Chailotte. 
 
 Upon starting for himself in Illinois, our subject 
 rented a farm and was very prosperous. He came 
 to Nebraska in the spring of 1883, and settled upon 
 his farm on section 6, which he had purchased two 
 years previously. He has greatly improved this 
 property, and has devoted much time and attention 
 to its cultivation. In stock-raising, to which our 
 subject has latterly devoted himself more especially, 
 
 =t*-«- 
 
h 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 417 
 
 U 
 
 his previous success hns not forsaken him. He is 
 the owner of forij'-eight head of oriaried cattle, 
 eleven horses, and sixty -five splendid hogs. 
 
 Mr. Netzly has not been prominent in political 
 circles, but h.as. nevertheless, at all times been deeply 
 interested in matters pertaining to tlie political econ- 
 omy of tlie State and Nation, and invariabl3' is pre- 
 pared to discharge every duty tiiat is his as a 
 citizen. He is an aftilinte of tlie Republican party, 
 and has held the ottice of School Treasurer. Both 
 our subject and wife are old and consistent mem- 
 bers of the German Baptist Church, in wliicii they 
 aie liiglil}' esteemed. In the community at large 
 Mr. Netzl}' is quite favorahlj' known, and liighly 
 esteemed as a worth}'. honoral)]e, progressive and 
 valued citizen. 
 
 ^ jfeE.SLEY FELLER.S represents farm [Mop. 
 \/7j// ei'ty in Grant Township to the extent of 
 ^sfl IGO acres of choice land on section 22. 
 To this he came in September, 1881, commencing 
 operations thereon, although not settling here with 
 his family until the year following. He is an Ohio 
 man \>y birth, his early home having been in Find- 
 lay, Hancock County, where in Eagle Township he 
 was born Oct. 30, 1847. He was the eldest son and 
 second child of his parents, Andrew and Sally 
 (Bergman) Fellers, who were also natives of the 
 Buckeye State, being reared and married in Han- 
 cock Count}'. They traced their ancestors to re- 
 spectable old Dutch families of Pennsylvania, and 
 possessed in a marked degree the reliable and sub- 
 stantial traits of their ancestors. The father of our 
 subject, a practical and well-to-do farmer, is still 
 living, and now a resident of Wood County, Ohio. 
 The mother died at the old homestead in Hancock 
 County, in March, 18.58. Andrew Fellers mar- 
 ried for his second wife Miss Elizabeth A. Yates, 
 who is .also living. 
 
 The suhject of this sketch remained a member 
 of the parental household until reaching his ma- 
 jority, and in 1876 went to McDonough County, 
 111., where he reinained for about one month. There 
 also he was married near Colchester, in .lanuary, 
 1876, to Miss Susan Isabel Cherry, who was born 
 
 in that county, April 20, 1 8.')6. Her parents, Abram 
 B. and Margaret (Brownly) Cherry, were n.atives 
 of Ohio. The mother died at Colchester when a 
 j-oung woman. The father is now living with his 
 second wife, on a farm in Saline County, Neb. 
 Mrs. Fellers after the death of her mother was taken 
 into the home of her aunt, in .Saline County, this 
 State, where she lived until a short time before her 
 marriage. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Fellers after their marriage settled 
 in DeWitt Township, Saline County, but lived there 
 onl}' a short time, coming thence to Grant Town- 
 ship. They are now the parents of four children — 
 William A., Andrew B., Elbert W. and Edith B. 
 Our subject and his wife are members in good 
 standing of the Methodist P^|)iscopal Church, at 
 DeWitt, taking an active interest in its [n-osperit}', 
 and contributing liberally to its support. Mr. Fel- 
 lers has alwaj's been w.irmly interested in the suc- 
 cess of the temperance movement, and votes in 
 favor of prohibition. He is a man of excellent 
 habits, healthy and genial, and a general favorite 
 among his neighbors. Our subject has been a resi- 
 dent of Nebraska for the p.ast thirteen j-ears. 
 
 A view of Mr. Fellers' farm and its surroundings 
 is presented on an accompanying p.age. 
 
 .n. . .? .7t'ffl'-.'?i 
 
 /p^EORGE A. CLOPINE. Among the e.irly 
 III (=- settlers and valued citizens of Highland 
 ^^^jj Township, few, if anj', surpass the gentle- 
 man whoso biograph}' is herein sketched, who is 
 a most worthy representative of the Germau- 
 American citizen, than which there are none more 
 desirable as a class. Our subject w.as born upon 
 the 14th of August, 1841, in the beautiful town of 
 Baden-Baden. He is the son of .Jacob and Caro- 
 line Clopine, natives of the same Empire. They 
 are the parents of five children, and of these our 
 subject is the eldest son. 
 
 Mr. Clopine received the rudiments of his edu- 
 cation in his native country, supiilementing it by 
 study in the common schools of this country, so 
 that he is possessed of a fair education in the dual 
 languages. When nine years of age it was his mis- 
 fortune to lose his mother I)V death, a loss at such 
 
 nis- 
 
-4^ 
 
 f 
 
 418 
 
 GAGE COUNTY, 
 
 an age irreparable. Not long after this l)ereave- 
 ment his father emigrated to this country, locating 
 in Scioto County, Ohio. In Januarj-, 1854, being 
 then about thirteen years of age, our subject took 
 passage in a sailing-vessel, and after an ocean voy- 
 age of thirty-five dajs he landed in New York 
 City, imme(liatel3' went West, and joined his father 
 in the above county, and there made his home un- 
 til he reached his twent3'-f]rst year, being engaged 
 during that time in farming and mining. 
 
 In August of 1861 our subject enlisted in Com- 
 pany C, 53d Ohio Infantrj-, which became part of 
 the 15th Army Corps, which was attached to the 
 Army of the Tennessee. In this our subject served 
 throughout tlie Atlanta campaign, fought in the 
 battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, etc., helped 
 to swell the numbers of the heroes who took 
 part in the famous march of Sherman, was one of 
 the campaigners in the Carolinas, and was within 
 five days' march of Richmond when it surrendered. 
 His militarj' experience was finished by the grand 
 review at Washington, after which he was honor- 
 ably' discharged at Little Rock, Aik. His constitu- 
 tion being quite undermined lij' the various 
 vifcissitudcs and exposures incidental to this period, 
 and being incapacitated for labor through chronic 
 rheumatism contracted from the above causes, he 
 receives a liberal pension from the Government. 
 
 Our subject returned to Ohio from Washington, 
 and in October of the same year, viz: 18G5, he 
 was united in marriage with INJiss Elizabeth Fry. 
 This ladj' is a native of Scioto County, and was 
 born on the 19th of January, 1846, to Bernhard 
 and Angcliue Fry, both of them natives of Han- 
 over. Germany. They emigrated to America in 
 the year 1840, and settled first in Scioto County, 
 and subsequently in Pike County of the same State. 
 In this latter Mrs. Clopine was brought up, and in 
 its schools received her education. Of this union 
 there have been born five children, viz: John W., 
 who was born on the 16th of May, 1867; Samuel 
 D., on the 21st of June, 1871 ;Mar}' A., on the 4th 
 of December, 1873; George W., April 19, 1875; 
 and Logan, Sept. 27, 1886. 
 
 Immediatel}' after his marriage our subject re- 
 moved to Southeastern Missouri, and there made 
 his home until the spring of 1872, during that time 
 
 being engaged in farming. At the end of that 
 period he came to Gage County, and bomesleaded 
 160 acres of land, being the northeastern quarter- 
 section of section 14 of Higiiland Township. No 
 one who has not had the actual experience can ever 
 grasp the meaning of the word pioneer life; no one 
 can appreciate its difficulties, hardships, trials, in- 
 conveniences and disappointments. Nevertheless, 
 our sul)ject has endured and labored and overcome, 
 and to-day he is the owner of as fine a farm, in as 
 high a state of efflciencj' and as thoroughly culti- 
 vated, as perhaps any in the county. All of this is 
 due to his own intelligent, indomitable, assiduous 
 effort, continuously inspired and enthused by the 
 affectionate devotion of his faithful companion in 
 life. 
 
 Our subject and his estimal)le wife are both 
 members of the Church of God, Mr. Clopine hav- 
 ing served in the office of Deacon for several years, 
 and also in that of Assistant Sunday-school Super- 
 intendent. For three j'ears he held the appointment 
 of Moderator of the School Board in his dis- 
 trict. In his political sentiments and sympathies 
 our subject is one with the Republican party, at 
 the same time he is not an active politician. In 
 each and every one of the above circles and rela- 
 tionships, religious, social and political, our sub- 
 ject is highl3' esteemed, as is also his wife, and they 
 enjoy the cordial good feeling and best wishes of 
 all, and there are none who can more appreciate 
 the extension of the same. 
 
 ISAAC LAMB. One of the best situated and 
 most productive farms in Blakely Township is 
 that of Mr. Lamb, who in 1 870 entered on 
 section 22 the land which now forms his farm, and 
 is 120 acres in extent. Since the time he settled 
 upon it, when it was in nowise different to the prai- 
 rie around it, he has, bj' diligent, persevering, in- 
 telligent effort, transformed it into a very garden 
 of productiveness, utilizing everj' part and making 
 it subservient to his labor. In addition to this 
 property he is the owner of fort}' acres on section 20. 
 Previous to his settlement as above, our subject 
 rcside(J in Iowa, which had been his home from the 
 
 t 
 
i 
 
 -<- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 419 
 
 3-ear 1 851, and from that time until 1865 he resided 
 in Marion County', and then until his final exodus 
 from the Stnte in Warren Count}'. His chosen call- 
 ing was that of a carpenter and builder, which was, 
 however, supplemented by farming to some extent. 
 He is a native of Ohio, and w.as born in Richland 
 County of that State, upon the (ith of Julj-, ISol. 
 The father of our subject, Lawrence Lamb, was a 
 Virginian by nativit}', and as he grew to manhood 
 adoi)ted as his chosen occupation agricultural pur- 
 suits. He was educated and brought up in the 
 Buckeye State, and shorti}- after attaining man's 
 estate became the husljand of Martha Btirch, like- 
 wise a native of Virginia, but from childhood an 
 inhabitant of Ohio. Their family included six sons 
 and four daughters, our subject being the youngest 
 but one, but of these there are now only four liv- 
 ing. Mr. Lamb, Sr., died at his home in Richland 
 County when fifty years of age, when our subject 
 was but six years of age. His wife survived him 
 nianj' years, and died in Morrow County, at the .ige 
 of eighty years. 
 
 Our subject was reared in his native State, and 
 remained there working upon the faim until he 
 started for the AVest, locating in Iowa. It was 
 while a resident of Marion Count}' that he became 
 acquainted with Miss Isabella McElroy, and was 
 attracted to her by that subtle magnetism, real, 
 powerful, indefinable and unseen, that is the adhe- 
 sive force of the home and .State, and was united 
 with her in wedlock on the 7th of December, 1854. 
 This lady is the daughter of John and Mary A. 
 (Watt) McKlroy. Her father was born in Penn- 
 sylvania, of Irish parentage; her mother, in "Erin's 
 Isle." They were married and settled in Pennsyl- 
 vania, but after a few years migrated to Ohio, and 
 in 1850 removed to Marion County, then just be- 
 ing opened up. Later in life they went to Warren 
 Count}', Iowa, and there reside at present. Her 
 father has reached the very advanced age of ninety- 
 two years, her mother that of eighty-three. All 
 their lives they have been devoted and consistent 
 members of the United Presbyterian Church. 
 
 Mrs. Lamb made her home with her parents un- 
 til the time of her marriage; she was born in Trum- 
 bull County, Ohio, on the 28th of March, 1832. 
 Her education was commenced in the usual institu- 
 
 ■<• 
 
 tion when she was about eight years of age, and 
 continued until she completed the course of in- 
 struction. At home her mother trained her fully 
 in all matters of household duties, cares and re- 
 sponsibilities, and the lesult thereof has been ob- 
 tained in the increased happiness and freedom from 
 friction in her own home since marriage. There 
 have been five cliildren born to our subject, whose 
 names are recorded as follows: Martha A., Mary J., 
 John L., Emma S. and William J. Mary died when 
 about two years of age; Martha is now Mrs. Ed- 
 ward Bartlett (see skeU^h of Mr. Bartlett); John is 
 a resident of Jefferson County, this State, where he 
 has a fine farm of 120 acres; he is the husband of 
 Ella Thompson. The two younger members of the 
 family are still at home, William operating the farm 
 and his sister taking charge of the household. 
 
 This interesting family are greatly resi)e('ted in 
 the community on account of their success in life 
 and their high standard of character, loyalty, and 
 sympathy with every enterprise and project that 
 promises to benefit and advance the interest of the 
 community. Mr. Lamb is very deeply interested 
 in all political questions, and is an affiliate of the 
 Republican party. 
 
 -»-^Ss>-< 
 
 r; OSEPII WINDLE. Among the pioneers of 
 Nemaha Township there are few who have 
 been more deeply interested and earnestly 
 anxious for its advancement than he who is 
 the subject of this sketch, now a prosperous farmer 
 upon section 8. He is the son of Abraham and 
 Mary Ann Windle, natives of Virginia, where their 
 family chronology is clearly traceable for seven or 
 eight generations. The grandfather upon the ma- 
 ternal side (Bubeck) was in the War of 1812, and 
 served as a private throughout the campaign. 
 
 The parents of our subject were married in their 
 native State, where the father had a good farm and 
 was quite prosperous. In 1839, hovvever, he sold 
 his property and took a tract of timber land in 
 Ohio, and erected the primitive log cabin, clear- 
 ing his farm tree by tree and acre by acre. Here 
 they made their home until the year 1870, when 
 he died, aged seventy-seven years. His widow still 
 
420 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 resides in Putnam County, Ohio, and is sixty-nine 
 j'cars of age. Mr. Windle, Sr., was twice married, 
 and by tlie first union became the parent of five 
 children, and by his second, with Miss Bubeck, 
 iiis family was increased by ten others, whose 
 names are recorded as follows: By first wife, Will- 
 iam, Immanuel, Cornelius, James H. and Isaac. B}' 
 second: J.acob and Abraham (twins); Samuel died 
 in infancy; Joseph, Eliza, David, John, Mary A., 
 Rachel C. and Amanda A. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 7th of Januar}-, 18.37, 
 in Shenandoah County, Va. He was two years of 
 age when his familj' removed to Ohio, and it was 
 in the latter State that he received the foundation 
 of his education, which was commenced vvhen he 
 was twelve j-ears of age. When about twenty 
 years of age he went with his brother Jacob to Illi- 
 nois and worked for about two years in McLean 
 County, and then returned home to Ohio. 
 
 In the j'ear 1859 our subject became the husband 
 of Miss Sarah I'^lizabeth Murflld, the daughter of 
 George W. and Hannah (Baker) Murfild, who were 
 natives of Maryland and New York respectivelj'. 
 Grandfather Murflld was one of the heroes of 1812, 
 and was wounded to complete disablement w'hile in 
 that service. Mr. and Mrs. Murflld settled in Frank- 
 lin Count}', and were married there in 1839 ; he died 
 at the age of flfty years, on the 28th of February, 
 1881, at his son's in Indiana. His widow still lives in 
 Delaware County, and has reached the advanced 
 age of sixty -eight. She was the parent of twelve 
 children, wliose names are recorded as follows: Sa- 
 rah E., William, Mary A., Daniel, Corella, Ellen, 
 Tilda, George, Phebe, Johnny (deceased), Imman- 
 uel and Martha. 
 
 The wife of our subject was born in Franklin 
 County, Ohio, July 13, 1840, at the homestead, 
 which was situated on the banks of the Scioto 
 River. She ra.ade her home until the time of her 
 marriage, however, with her grandparents, who su- 
 perintended the process of her education and gave 
 her the best that was obtainable in the common 
 school of that time, and were delighted by the men- 
 tal power manifested during this process, and the 
 revelation of the many beautiful traits, character- 
 istics, qualities and graces that first attracted our 
 subject to her, and have ever since secured to her 
 
 the first and highest place in his life. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Windle settled in Ohio, and previous to our sub- 
 ject's enlistment became the parents of three chil- 
 dren. Their family, however, in all numbered 
 twelve children, whose names are as appended: 
 Ellen J., Charley (deceased), Joseph E.. Joshua 
 JI., Amanda A. (deceased), George W., Clara O.. 
 Martha A. (deceased), Alvina, Flora and John F. 
 (both deceased), and James H. 
 
 Of the children of our subject, Ellen J. was mar- 
 ried to Frank Shelt, and is resilient in Fillmore 
 County, Neb., where he has a well-cultivated farm; 
 they arc the p.arents of three children, who have 
 been named Bertha B., Bessie P. and Mabel O. 
 Joseph E. became the husband of Miss Addie 
 Houk; he also is one of Fillmore County's rising 
 farmers. The}' are the parents of one child, who 
 has received the name Ethel Belle. The remain- 
 der of the children are at home and engaged in 
 school or farm duties. 
 
 The military experience of our subject began in 
 18G4, when he enlisted in Company K, of the 136th 
 Ohio Infantry, and was mustered into service at 
 Camp Chase and departed for Washington City. 
 His t'jrm of service was for 100 days. The first 
 two weeks of service were spent in Ft. Ellsworth, 
 from there his regiment was sent to Ft. Wood, 
 thence sent to Ft. Farnsworth, where the major part 
 of his term of service was spent. Thence he was 
 brought back to Camp Chase, mustered out and 
 honorably discharged, returned home and resumed 
 his farm work. 
 
 In 1872 our subject removed from. Ohio, and 
 arrived at Bennet, Neb., in April of that year, 
 although he had visited and prospected the pre- 
 vious fall, and was so delighted with the outlook 
 that upon his return he sold his property in Ohio, 
 as above intimated, and began a new life in a new 
 countrj'. He purchased from Mr Clough a home- 
 stead of 160 acres in extent for the sum of $250, 
 and from that time, despite some adverse circum- 
 stances and difficulties incidental to life under 
 the most favorable conditions, he has been more 
 than usually successful. His home is very pleas- 
 antly situated and is abundantly supplied with 
 shade trees, while not far distant from it is an 
 exceptionally fine grove, comprising ash, walnut, 
 
 «^ 
 
 
•►Hl^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 421 
 
 box-elder and cotton wood trees. Tlie garden and 
 fields of the farm are bounde<) by well-trimmed 
 hedges, ailding much to the pioturesqueness of the 
 situation. The whole of the farm is well improve<l, 
 and has been brought to a very high state of agri- 
 cultural perfection. 
 
 Mr. Windle has from the first been energetic in 
 projects for the advancement of the coramunit}'. 
 !>hortl3' after arrival he succeeded in effecting the 
 organization of a school district, and was also en- 
 ergetic in the organization of the township, of which 
 he was the first Justice of the Peace. Our subject and 
 wife are very consistent and active members of the 
 Meserveville Methodist Church. Thej' have always 
 been deeply in earnest in religious matters, and active 
 workers in the cause. The first service held and ser- 
 mon preached in Nemaha Township were at the home 
 of our subject, a primitive sod house, but withal 
 comfortable and bright. The preacher was the 
 Rev. Hull, of Adams. His text was " Despise not 
 the time of small things," from which be preached 
 an appropriate and telling sermon to an audience 
 , that more than filled the house, many of whom had 
 come a distance of about ten miles. These things 
 speak with no uncertain souud the inclination, desire, 
 character .and tendencies of our subject and wife, 
 and render further remark unnecessarj'. In regard 
 to political and Governmental questions our subject 
 is in sympathy with the Republican party and usually 
 supports that cause, but never at the sacrifice of 
 wh.at he believes to be the right. 
 
 yARREN E. CHITTENDEN. The farming 
 community of Highland Township contains 
 few more popular or responsible men than 
 the subject of this sketch. A farmer and stock- 
 raiser of ami)le means, he is comfortably located 
 on section 19, where he has ICO acres of land with 
 good buildings, and all the other appliances neces- 
 sarj' to the comfort and success of the modern 
 agriculturist. 
 
 A native of Lake County, 111., our subject was 
 born July 12, 1853, and is the son of John and 
 Sarah (Esty) Chittenden, the former a native of 
 New York SUite and the latter of Massachusetts. 
 
 After marriage the}' settled in Illinois, where thej- 
 still live. Myron Chittenden, the paternal grand- 
 father of our subject, traced his ancestr}' to Scot- 
 land. The first representative of the famil}' crossed 
 the Atlantic prior to the Revolutionary War, set- 
 tling in New England. Mj-ron left his native hills 
 when a young man, and subsequent!}' enlisted as a 
 soldier iu the War of 1812. When theconflict was 
 ended he settled in New York State, and there mar- 
 ried and reared his family. He spent his last days 
 in L.ake County. 111. 
 
 John Chittenden in earlj' manhood was married 
 to Miss .Sarah Esty, and Ihey became the parents 
 of a large family of children, eight of whom are 
 surviving, and of whom Warren E. is the eldest. 
 The next brother, Charles, is farming in Pratt 
 Count}', Kan. ; Sarah J. is the wife of Edward Hej'- 
 decker, of Lake County, 111., where the next brother, 
 Ralph, is also sojourning; Nellie, Mrs. William 
 Cleveland, is a resident of Chicago, 111.; Alice, 
 George and Mamie are in Lake County, III. The 
 parents of our subject were numbered among the 
 early pioneers of Lake Count}-, III., where they took 
 up their abode about 1847, and where they have 
 lived for a period of over forty years. They are 
 about sixty years of age, and as the result of goodly 
 lives an<l correct habits are still in possession of 
 much of the activity of their youth. W. E. Chit- 
 tenden when a young man learned the miller's trade 
 from his father, and worked with the latter for a 
 number of ye.ars. He also assisted his father on 
 the farm, and subsequently made agriculture his 
 chief calling. 
 
 The subject of this history was given a good 
 practical education, and early in life commenced to 
 lay his plans for the future. Among the most im- 
 portant of these was the establishment of a home of 
 his own, and he was accordingly married, in Lake 
 County, III., July 4, 187G, to Miss Emma Pitman, 
 who was born there Feb. 14, 1858. The p.arentsof 
 Mrs. Chittenden, Frank and Sarah (Squires) Pit- 
 man, are natives of England and Canada respect- 
 ively, whence they removed to Illinois about 1855, 
 and are still residents of Lake County. There 
 were bom to them eight children, seven of whom 
 are living: Emma, Mrs. C, was the eldest; Anna 
 is the wife of Joseph Karr, of Antioch, 111.; Charles 
 
 ■?^-:#-^ 
 
■•► 
 
 422 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 is farming in Cortland, this State, and Frederick in 
 tlie vicinity of Anliocli, 111.; Frank continues in liis 
 native county in Illinois, wliere also are the two 
 youngest, Nettie and Warren. 
 
 The six children of Mr. and Mrs. Chittenden 
 were born as follows: Charles W., July 22, 1878; 
 Pearl A., May 7, 1880; Frank, Dec. 25, 1882; 
 AVilliam G., Aug. 26, 1884; Edward J., Nov. 20, 
 188G, and Frederick C, Oct. 2.5, 1887. Our sub- 
 ject came with his family to this county in the 
 spring of 1878, and purchased eighty acres of land 
 from the Burlington & Missouri River Raih-oad 
 Company at SG.25 per acre. Upon it stood poor 
 buildings, and in the cultivation of the soil he com- 
 menced i)ractically on first principles. He has 
 made good headway, and besides bringing his first 
 purchase to a good state of cultivation, added to it 
 until he now has a quarter-section, all of which is 
 in a productive condition. He was exceedingly 
 fortunate in his choice of a wife and helpmate, Mrs. 
 Chittenden having stood bravely by her husliand's 
 side during his labors and struggles, sharing in his 
 toils and privations. She amply deserves the rec- 
 ognition which he generously tenders her, and 
 which is too often withheld from those who most 
 justly merit it. 
 
 Mr. Chittenden uniformly votes the straight 
 Republican ticket, and has served as School Director 
 in his district. They enjoy the friendship of a wide 
 circle of acquaintances, and the hospitalities of their 
 l)leasant home are shared with the best people of 
 their localitj'. 
 
 ON. JOHN M. WARDLAW. Modern his- 
 tory knows but one Republic; but one 
 people capable of governing themselves, and 
 that is America. France cannot compare; 
 it is a Republic in name only ; its people are not 3'et 
 arrived at that condition necessary to self-govern- 
 ment. In the present biographical compendium is 
 presented a brief history of one who has been 
 selected by an intelligent community, and has been 
 honored b}' their placing in his hands the authoritj' 
 to represent them in their Government, and who 
 lias added to that honor that of a faithful, intelli- 
 
 gent and consistent service in the office, and strict 
 fidelity to the trust reposed in iiim. 
 
 Of the ancestors of our subject little is known, 
 excepting that they were Scotch. The great-grand- 
 father of our subject was the first of the family to 
 come to America. He made his home in Virginia 
 until his death. The father of our subject was a 
 farmer and merchant, and migrated to Kentucky, 
 and while there went to Ohio and was united in 
 marriage with Miss Dicke}'. a daughter of William 
 Dickey, a prominent anti-slavery advocate, a cousin 
 of T. Lyle Dickey, of Illinois. 
 
 The father of our subject was a slave-holder, but 
 his wife had been educated to a diametrically 
 opposite idea, and largely through her influence in 
 the year 1843 they removed to Putnam County, 
 111., in 1844 be giving each of his slaves free 
 papers. In Kentucky he had dealt largely in live 
 stock, and w.as very prosperous in every regard. 
 Upon removal to Illinois he rapidly became one of 
 the leading citizens of the community, and one of 
 its most wealthy citizens. He was quite active in 
 political affairs, and served as Sheriff of the county 
 for two consecutive terms, having previously rep- 
 resented in a most able manner his district in the 
 State Legislature, besides holding minor offices. 
 
 The mother of our subject departed this life in 
 the year 1844, leaving seven children, whose names 
 are found in the family record as follows: William 
 D., of Frontier County, Neb., who died in March, 
 1888, aged sixty-three years; Andrew F.. owner 
 of tin extensive sheep farm in Washington Terri- 
 tory; Martha J., the wife of J. M. Steele, of this 
 township; James R., a prosperous f.irmer in Hills- 
 dale, Iowa; our subject; Mary E., relict of R. W. 
 Moore, and resident in AVhite Cit}-, Kan., and Arte- 
 niissa D., now Mrs. Edwanl Smith, of Cortland, in 
 this State. Mr. Wardlaw, Sr., was married a second 
 time, the lady being Mrs. Martha McClung, nee 
 Moore. He came to Nebraska in 1878, and died 
 Aug. 18, 1882. 
 
 Our subject was five years of age when the family 
 removed to Illinois, and received his education in 
 the Granville Academy of Putnam County, and 
 quite early in life began to assist in the store of his 
 father, and the postal duties. In 1861 he enlisted 
 in the 20th Regimental Band, and served fourteen 
 
 ♦■ 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 423 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 monlbs as a musician, liis instrument being a ''B 
 flat " cornet. He was present at the battles of Fts. 
 Henry ami Donelson, Shilob, and tiie siege of Cor- 
 inth, and was mustered out bj' the general order 
 from Wasiiinglon, which mustered out all military 
 bands. He thereupon returned to Putnam County 
 and assisted his father in the duties of his farm. 
 The brothers of our subject, four in number, who en- 
 listed about the same time, went through tlie greater 
 part of the war. 
 
 On the IGth of October, 1865, our subject was 
 united in marriage, at Rochester, N. Y., with Miss 
 Antoinette Smith, a native of Is'ew York, and 
 a daughter of B. H. and Philena (Mortin) Smith. 
 After his marriage our subject took up his residence 
 near Granville, Putnam County, with the exception 
 of one 3'ear spent in Vermilion County, until 1871, 
 when be came to Nebraska and purchased 1 60 acres 
 of unimproved land, and has so far prospered as to 
 be able to purchase an additional eighty acres, and 
 has erected a fine, well-situated and commodious 
 dwelling. His farm is operated upon the line of 
 general farming, with most gratifying results. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wardlaw are the parents of seven 
 children, who have received the names here ap- 
 pended: Carrie, now the wife of George Weiser, of 
 Cortland, Neb.; John J., James G., Philena D., 
 William H., J. Vivian and Emma. The younger 
 members of the familj' are still making their home 
 with their parents. This interesting family are every- 
 where respected and admired, which is probably 
 due to the fact of their high sense of moral duty 
 and opportunity, which is developing in the mem- 
 bers of their family circle those characteristics 
 whicli make men and women honored, beloved and 
 trusted. 
 
 Our subject is a member of the local bodj- of the 
 G. A. R. and Knights of Pythias, in both circles 
 being received with that respect which, as Ameri- 
 cans, his fellow-citizens give to one they admire 
 and esteem. In political matters he has always 
 been deeply interested and earnestly active. He 
 has served as Justice of the Peace for ten 5-ears, 
 and has also represented his district in the Legisla- 
 ture. Besides this he has been several times called 
 upon to assist in the township elections, more es- 
 pcciall}' at the election of Hon. A. S. Paddock to 
 
 ^•- 
 
 the United States Senate. During his term of 
 office our subject succeeded in securing an appro- 
 priation of ^22,000 for a public building at Beatrice. 
 Such deeds make their own mark, and are indelible 
 in the hearts and minds of the people who are in- 
 terested, for b}' it unknown thousands will be 
 helped and interested for good. 
 
 -»/w -vteje^/®-^ 
 
 ^g|-a/S<3i)*v-^»^~. 
 
 THOMAS MAGUIRE is an enterprising young 
 farmer, residing on section 15, Island Grove 
 Township, where he has a fine farm of eiglity 
 acres. He was born in Brookl^'n, N. Y., on the 
 19th of November, 1854, and remained at home 
 until he was twenty-four j-ears of age. His father, 
 John Maguire, was born in Ireland, in tiie yeai' 
 1819, and in June, 1845, he came to New York. 
 He remained in that State for ten years, after which 
 he went to DeKalb County, 111., and there engaged 
 in farming, making his home in DeKalb and Boone ' 
 Counties for ten years. In 1868 he came to this 
 State, and took a homestead of 160 acres on sec- 
 tion 26, Island Grove Township, this county. He 
 has made manj^ improvements on his laud, and is 
 now comfortably situated. 
 
 The mother of our subject was Alice (Talon) 
 Maguire, who was born in Ireland in 1830, and 
 came to America in the year 1845. In 1846 she 
 was united in marriage with the father of our sub- 
 ject, by which union they have a family of seven 
 children, all of whom are now living, and are 
 named John, William. Thomas, James, Albert, 
 Frances and Charles. The children are married, 
 and two of them make their homes in this county. 
 Our subject is the third child of the family, and 
 came to this county with his parents, buj-ing his 
 present farm in the j'ear 1 883. He now has it all 
 in a finely improved condition, with a neat and at- 
 tractive dwelling, and the necessarj^ farm buildings 
 and fences. When he purchased his farm he paid 
 $5 an acre, but his improvements have increased 
 its value'to manj"^ times that amount. He makes 
 a specialty of raising grain, and the breeding of 
 live stock. 
 
 In 1878 our subject was united in marriage with 
 Miss Anna McVey, who is a daughter of Reuben 
 
 ^ 
 
■<^ 
 
 424 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 •Mh^: 
 
 and Mary (Hansbury) McVcy, and was born on 
 tlic "iOlli of January, 1 864, in Iowa. Her parents were 
 natives of Ohio, who removed to Iowa, but are'now 
 residing in Pawnee County, Ncl). By tlieir mar- 
 riage our subject and his wife are now the parents 
 of three bright and interesting cliildren, to whom 
 they iiave given tlie names of Delbert, Lula and 
 Nellie. Mrs. Maguire is an amiable and attractive 
 lady, and by her cheerful and inspiring presence, 
 and the careful management of her home, she 
 proves herself a faithful and devoted helpmate to 
 our sul)ject, and assists him by her kindly advice 
 in the successful management of his farm labor. 
 He is energetic and industrious, and iias made a 
 fair start toward accumulating an ample fortune 
 for the maintenance of his family. While Mr. Ma- 
 guire affiliates vvith the Republican organization, 
 he is sufficiently non-partisan to vote for the 
 candidates whom he believes best qualified for 
 office, no matter to which party they belong. 
 
 ON. HENRY H. SILVER. The name of 
 this gentleman is universally recognized 
 throughout Highland Towushipand vicinity 
 as that of one of its representative citizens, 
 and one closel}' identified with its farming and busi- 
 ness interests. He makes a specialty of stock-rais- 
 ing, and operates successfully a fine farm, 400 acres 
 in extent, pleasantly located on section 6, range 
 6. A native of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, he was 
 born July 29, 1838, and is the son of Amos and 
 Matilda (Spencer) Silver, who were also natives of 
 the Buckeye State. 
 
 The branch of the Silver family to which our 
 subject belongs originated in England, and his later 
 ancestors were for generations residents there. 
 John Silver, one of its later representatives and the 
 first of the family in this country-, crossed the At- 
 lantic prior to the Revolutionary War, and settled 
 in Virginia, where he became prominent and in- 
 fluential, and assisted in the framing of the State 
 Constitution. Another relative of Henry II. later 
 served as a soldier in the War of 1812. 
 
 To the parents of our subject there were born 
 seven children, three only of whom are living. 
 
 namely: David, of Jennings County, Ind.: Ruth A., 
 the wife of Russell Hunt, of Summit County, Ohio, 
 and Henry H., our subject. The deceased, who all 
 grew to maturity but one who died in infancy, 
 were John, Martin and Wright. The mother de- 
 parted this life thirty years ago at the homestead in 
 Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in the year 1858. Amos 
 Silver survived his partner many years, and died 
 at a ripe old age, in December, 188G. He had 
 been a resident of Cuj-alioga Count3' for over half a 
 century, and during that time ha<l thoroughly es- 
 tablished himself in the esteem and confidence of 
 its people. 
 
 Henry H. Silver was reared to manhood in his 
 native county, which at the time of his birth was 
 undergoing its transformation from a wililerness to 
 a civilized community. His education was accord- 
 inglj' somewhat limited, but being fond of reading 
 he became thoroughly well informed upon the 
 general topics of the day, and grew into a 30uth,of 
 more than ordinary intelligence. At the age of 
 seventeen he began an apprenticeship as a machinist, 
 but this not being entirely in consonance with his 
 tastes and inclinations, he returned home a year 
 later, and emharked in business with his father, who, 
 besides operating a farm, vvas also engaged in black- 
 smithing, and attended school. 
 
 Young Silver was thus employed until the out- 
 break of the late war, and soon after the first call 
 for troops enlisted, April 17, 18C1, in Company G, 
 Gth Indiana Infantry. His regiment was assigned 
 to the army of Gen. IMcClellan in West Virginia, 
 and young Silver fought in the battles of Phillipi, 
 and otherwise gained an insight into the perils of 
 war. He vvas subsequentl3' put on detached duty, 
 and had charge of the Government shops at Grafton 
 in AVest Virginia under a Quartermaster. At the 
 expiration of the three months for which he had 
 enlisted, he was duly discharged and returneii home. 
 His inclinations, however, drew him again within 
 the boundaries of the army lines, and returning to 
 the vicinity of Grafton, W. Va., he resumed charge 
 of the Government shops there, where he remained 
 nearly one year. Then he was employed first in 
 Alabama, and then for a time in Kentucky and Ten- 
 nessee. 
 
 Our subject retired from the Government service 
 
-<i*- 
 
 ^-=*» 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 425 
 
 in 18G5, but conlimiGd in tiie vicinity of Ilunts- 
 viile, Ala., wlieie lie lented .").')0 acres of land with tlie 
 view of rai.sing cotton. Tins venture, however, 
 jjroved a disastrous undertaking financially', and he 
 was obliged to .abandon the enterprise. He then 
 entered the employ of Joseph Conner at Hunts- 
 ville, at repairing and selling firearms, and was thus 
 employed for some time. lie finally resumed his 
 old tr.ide in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and in 18G9 
 we find him crossing the plains to California. During 
 the journey, however, his plan of oper.ation was 
 changed, and after reaching Omaha he was induced 
 to become agent for the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing 
 Machine in that localitj'. He finally drifted to 
 Nebraska Cit^', and was variously employed until 
 the spring of 1871. 
 
 Our subject now concluded to settle down, and 
 accordingly homesteaded ICO acres of land on 
 section 6 in Highland Township, this county. The 
 land was in a wild, uncultivated st.ate, but he went 
 to work with a will, and soon began inaugurating 
 improvements which have transformed his property 
 into one of the most desirable estates in this region. 
 As soon us he could see his via.y to the maintenance 
 of a family, he was married, .Jan. 28, 1874, to Miss 
 Sarah Uplinger. This lady was born in Luzerne 
 County, Pa., M.ay 25, 1850, and is the daughter of 
 John and Elizabeth (Wood) Uplinger, of whom 
 further mention is made in the sketch of Jacob 
 Uplinger, found elsewhere in this work. To Mr. 
 and Mrs. Silver there have been born eight chil- 
 dren, si.K of whom are living, namely: John B., 
 Clara L., Henry L., James A., Flora P. and .Mabel. 
 The deceased, Arthur and Frank, died at the ages 
 of twenty-two and nine months respectively. 
 
 For the past four years Mr. Silver has served as 
 Postmaster at Silver post-office, which he was in- 
 strumental in establisliing, which is a great conven- 
 ience to the people in that vicinity. In the year 
 1879 he was elected I13' the voters of this county- as 
 their representative in the Lower House of the Ne- 
 braska Legislature, and in the discharge of his 
 duties .acquitted himself so creditably that he was 
 re-elected. In his political affiliations he is a Re- 
 publican, and votes the straight ticket, and socially, 
 belongs to the G. A. R. Post at Cortland. His real 
 estate embraces 400 acres of valuable land and 
 
 property interests elsewhere. Both he and his es- 
 timable vvife occupy a leading position in society, 
 and their pleasant home is the resort of hosts of 
 friends, whom they have gathered around theui and 
 to whom they ever extend a generous hospitality. 
 Mr. Silver is one of those men whose word is as 
 good as his bond, and whose credit is unlimited. 
 
 A view of the fine farm of Mr. Silver, together 
 with its environments will be found on another page. 
 
 1*^-*^ 
 
 ETER C. THOM is the son of Charles 
 Thom, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, 
 on the 24th of March, 1809. His education 
 in the ordinary branches w.as thorough, and 
 from school he went to the counting-iiouse, and 
 continued employed therein until he came to the 
 United States in 1837, and settled in Seneca County, 
 Ohio. Upon taking his land in the above State he 
 gave all his attention to farming, and became un- 
 usually successful in the same. 
 
 In the year 1837 Mr. Thom was united in mar- 
 riage to Mary E. Weber, daughter of Michael and 
 Catherina Wel)er, natives of Bavaria, who had come 
 to this country two years previous. They made 
 their home in Seneca Count3' from that time until 
 their death. Their daughter Mary, who was born 
 in Bavaria on the loth of September. 1816, had 
 m.ade her home with her parents until their emi- 
 gration, and continued to do so until her marriage 
 as above. With her husband she afterward lived 
 a quiet, busy, useful life, and brought up a family 
 of thirteen children, of whom eleven are now 
 living. 
 
 Six members of the family of Mr. Charles Thom 
 were sons, and have entered into useful and honor- 
 able walks in life. The names of the children of 
 this family are .as follows; Peter Charles (our 
 subject), Catherine, wife of Martin Keinhart; Eliza- 
 beth, who is liappil}- married to Adam Simonis; 
 Jacob, who is successful as a farrier, .and, like his two 
 brothers-in-law, is a farmer and resident of Sen- 
 eca County, Ohio; Michael, of Wyandot County, 
 Ohio; Charles H., a successful farmer; Mary, the 
 wife of Charles Kirvan, both of Seneca Clounty ; 
 John, a resident near Delphos, Ohio; Ann, now 
 
 t 
 
•^1^^ 
 
 4i'C 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 JIi's. Jacob Rinebolt, of Seneca County; George, 
 ongngerl in agriculture in Sumner County of the 
 same State: and Rosa, tbe wife of Philip Schalk, of 
 Seneca County-. All the sons except our suliject 
 have been engaged frora childhood in brickmaking, 
 learning the trade from their fatlier, who carried on 
 that business with unusual success. 
 
 It has already been noted, doubtless, that our 
 subject is the eldest of this large familj'. He was 
 born near Titlin, in Seneca County, upon the 4th 
 of May, 1838, and continued to make his home with 
 his parents until he was fifteen j'ears of age, up to 
 which time he had been in attendance at the public 
 school of the township. Then he went to Union 
 County of that Slate, and learned the blacksmith 
 trade in a shop situated near Darby Plain. Hav- 
 ing learned this trade he continued to work at it 
 steadily and successfully for a period of about fif- 
 teen years. 
 
 When he arrived at the age of twenty-one our 
 subject was united in marriage with Delilah Dailey, 
 a daughter of James and Elizabeth (F'eeler) Dailey. 
 Mr. Dailey was born on the Atkin River, in North 
 Carolina, in 1 808. When a child, his fatlier removed 
 to Kentucky, and after a few years to Indiana. His 
 wife was born in AVest Virginia in 1810. They were 
 married in 1836, and settled in Washington County, 
 Ind., about fourteen years, and then went to Claj'- 
 ton County, where the^' made their home until their 
 death, which came first to Mrs. Dailey, in 1854, 
 and later, in the year 1879, to i\Ir. Dailey. Their 
 family included five children, three of whom are 
 still living. These are Delilah, the wife of our sub- 
 ject; Mary, the wife of Thomas M. Martin, of 
 Sherman Township, in this county; and Rhoda, who 
 is happily married to Mr. Asa Anderson. Of this 
 family Mrs. Thom was the eldest, and was born in 
 Washington County, Intl., on the 24lh of August, 
 1838, and continued at home witli her parents until 
 her marriage. 
 
 On the 16lh of August, 1862. our subject en- 
 listed in Company H. 86th Indiana Infantry. Upon 
 taking his place at the front he and his companions 
 were ordered to Kentucky with Burnside, and con- 
 tinued until Crab Orchard was reached. Here he 
 was taken sick, sent to the barracks, and admitted 
 to the hospital, where upon recovery he was ap- 
 
 pointed Steward of Hospital No. 6, at Bowling 
 Green, Ky., and remained there until it was clo->ed, 
 when he was transferred to Nashville, and served 
 in Hospital No. 5, in the same capacity. From the 
 hospital he returned to the ranks a short time be- 
 fore the battle of Missionary' Ridge, in which en- 
 gagement he took part. In the spring of 1864 he 
 was detailed to a pioneer brigade, and remained in 
 the same until he was mustered out on the 6th of 
 June, 1865. 
 
 The military experience of our subject being 
 finished, he opened a blacksmith-shop at Lexington, 
 Ind., continuing until the j'car 1868. Upon the 
 10th of August of that year he started West with 
 his family, and arrived about the 1st of September 
 in this county, making the whole journey b^' team. 
 He shortly located a homestead claim of 160 acres, 
 on section 20, Sherman Township, and the same 
 fall had finished a dug-out, in which the family 
 lived for about nine j-ears. He worked one week in 
 Nebraska City at blacksmithing, and two months 
 for the Otoe Indians in the same way; the remainder 
 of his time he spent upon his farm. 
 
 In 1869 our subject had good crops, and by 
 patient continuance in labor has had continued suc- 
 cess. It was not long before he had set out 15.000 
 forest trees of various kinds, .and had planted a fine 
 orchard, and year after year has seen only a con- 
 tinuance of prosperity. Nevertheless, in the earlier 
 part of his pioneer life he had to endure many hard 
 and severe trials; at one time he was so reduced 
 and straitened that the only provisions in the house 
 were a single sack of corn meal and a little cofifee. 
 Upon another all thej' could obtain was some bran 
 bread and a few potatoes. During the winter of 
 1 868-69 he trapped mink and sold the fur, thus 
 providing for his family; but his success dates 
 from that time, and now that it has come to him he 
 full}' appreciates it. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thom are the parents of three chil- 
 dren, all of whom reside at home and are in at- 
 tendance up(m the classes of the University of 
 Nebraska. Thej' have received the names here ap- 
 pended, viz: Sarah A., Charles and James A. The 
 young people are bright, intelligent and vivacious, 
 taking full advantage of the excepli<mallj' fine 
 educational sj'stem and institution of the State, and 
 
 t 
 
»► 1 1^^ 
 
 -•►Hl-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 427 
 
 their future is full of radlnnt hope and brilliant 
 prospects. Our subject and wife are justly pruud 
 of their fainil3\ and will, it is hoped, be spared to 
 see them enter and progress in honorable and use- 
 ful careers. There is that in the State, its organi- 
 zations, institutions, and, as some enthusiasts would 
 liave us believe, in the very atmosphere, that which 
 inspires the desire, rouses the ambition and spurs 
 the effort to obtain and sustain a home, and that 
 with most gratifying results; that of our subject is 
 but a sample of many that could be found if it were 
 desired. 
 
 In his political aspirations and sentiments our 
 subject is in harmony with the Republican party, 
 and has for many years been energetic and constant 
 in his advocacy of its principles. He is not an 
 office-seeker, but in his hands have been reposed 
 the official trusts of Township Treasurer, Supervisor 
 of the township, and memlier of the School Board. 
 As an old soldier he is quite a friend of the G. A. 
 R. and a member of that order, having affiliated 
 with the Scott Post, of Blue Springs. It is hardly 
 necessary to add an3thing concerning the character 
 of such a man, his whole life is a testimony, his 
 earlj' struggle and subsequent success a eulog}'. that 
 both command and receive the admiration and es- 
 teem of the community at large. 
 
 •i- 
 
 ^^•^ 
 
 yilLLIAM MANGUS is a worthy representa- 
 tive of the enterprising, intelligent and 
 prosperous farmers of Sherman Townshii). 
 His father, Michael Mangus, was born in Central 
 Virginia in 1808, and has all his life followed agri- 
 culture as his chosen avocation, and still lives in 
 his native State. The maiden name of his wife, the 
 mother of our subject, w^as Sarah Showalter, who 
 was born about 1810. in the same place as her hus- 
 band. Their childhood and youth had been spent 
 largely together, and in 1831 their lives were united 
 in the intimate relation of husband and wife. From 
 that time until her death Mrs. Mangus was a 
 thorough companion and ideal helpmate. Their 
 family included five sons and three daughters, of 
 whom but four are now living. 
 
 Our subject was the eldest of the family, and 
 
 was born on the 20th of October, 1832, in Bote- 
 tourt Count}-, Va. He continued to live at home 
 until he was twenty-two years of age. By that 
 time he had become quite an expert farmer, besides 
 having laid the foundation of a practical education. 
 On Nov. 6, 1859, he became the husband of Cath- 
 erine Garst, daughter of George and Catherine 
 (Marka) Garst, natives of Pennsylvania. Her father 
 was born in the year 1797, and died in 1885, in 
 Roanoke County, Va.; his wife died in 1839. She 
 presented her husband with a family which com- 
 prised thirteen children, eleven of whom are now 
 living. Of these the wife of our subject was the 
 eighth child, and was ushered into life on the 9th 
 of December, 1840. 
 
 After marriage our subject commenced farming 
 in Roanoke Coi(nty, and continued in the same 
 until he enlisted, in 1862, in Company E, 42d Vir- 
 ginia Infantr}', with Gen. Stonewall Jackson, and 
 served under him until his death. Our subject 
 fought in the battles of Chancellorsville, McDowell 
 Mountain, Middletown and Petersburg. At the 
 battle of the Wilderness he was severely- wounded, 
 and lay in the hospital for two months, then went 
 back to duty with his regiment. He was taken 
 prisoner in the valley of the Shenandoah, and lan- 
 guished in confinement for three months, until he 
 was exchanged at Vicksburg. but having contracted 
 the typhoid fever, was sick for two months longer, 
 and was unable to rejoin his regiment until the 
 following year. Then he remained in active serv- 
 ice until two weeks before the fall of Petersburg, 
 when he returned to his family, his time of service 
 having expired. He now set about his farm work 
 with renewed activity', though during his absence 
 his family had done their best to keep everj'thing 
 moving as well as they were able. 
 
 In 1866 our subject removed to Macoupin County, 
 III., and for four years followed agricultural pur- 
 suits in that place. At the end of that period he 
 removed to Christian County, in the same State, 
 and there made .his home until the year 1881, then 
 came to this county and purchased eighty acres of 
 land in Sherman Township, valued at that time at 
 $10 per acre, it being but partly improved. It was 
 nut long, however, l)efore it responded to his 
 efforts and yielded year by year abundantly of its 
 
 n 
 
•>-ll^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 428 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 increase. Of course there were times when j-easons 
 and circumstances hoyond human control prevented 
 unqualified success, hut these occasions were largel}' 
 in the minority, and looking at the period as a 
 whole, the result has been of most gratifying suc- 
 cessful prosperit3'. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Mangus became the parents of 
 twelve children, ten of whom are living. These 
 have been named as follows: Sarah E., who is the 
 wife of Enos Rishel, of Sherman Township; Rebecca 
 Jane, who is happily married to .1. W. Martin, of 
 the same townshij); George W., like his brothers- 
 in-law, engaged in farming; Jeremiah Thomas. Elias 
 Benjamin, Joseph, Mary E., Kate, Charles E. and 
 William, all of whom are still at home. It is a 
 pleasure to our suliject and his wife to be enabled 
 to give their children the opportunit}' of a good 
 education, so that as they step out to take their 
 places in the world they will be somewhat prepared 
 for its experiences. 
 
 Although at all times anxious to bear his full 
 share of all the responsibilities that come to him as 
 a citizen, Mr. Mangus is not a politician nor an 
 office-seeker, but his excellent character and manly 
 bearing, with his deep interest in educational mat- 
 ters, couHuended him to the judgment of the elect- 
 ors, and he is now serving as a member of the 
 School Board, and has also been upon the Board of 
 Election. He is an afliliate of the Democratic party, 
 and one of its firm friends and supporters. 
 
 o^»> 
 
 -^^r 
 
 <f«f-» 
 
 aHARLES W. McCULLOUGH was born in 
 , Clarke County, Ohio, on the 1 0th of Au- 
 '' gust, 1848, where he grew to manhood, and 
 was educated in the common schools. He was 
 there married to Miss Lj-dia Jones, a daughter of 
 Stephen and Elizabeth Jones, who died in the 
 above-named county. Mrs. McCullough was born 
 in Greene Countj'', Ohio, on the 14th of June, 
 1836, and remained with her [larents until the time 
 of her marriage, having received her education in 
 the common schools and under the supervision of 
 a thoughtful and careful mother, who taught her 
 the womanly virtues and accomplishments which 
 
 have made her so estimable a ladj^ Our subject 
 moved to this county in 187.3, and after a two- 
 years residence here he returned to Ohio, where 
 he made his abode until 1883. but having again a 
 desire to look upon the fertile West, he again 
 came to this count}' and bought his present farm, 
 consisting of 160 acres in the northeastern part of 
 section 3, Sicily Township. 
 
 When our subject took possession of his land 
 there had been no improvements made on it, so 
 that he was obliged to begin at the very beginning, 
 breaking the prairie land and getting it in a condi- 
 tion to produce sufficient food for their mainten- 
 ance, and in time bringing it all under cultivation 
 and to a condition of lucrative fertilit}'. He has 
 erected a good house and other buildings, has a 
 windmill pump which fuinishes an abundant sup- 
 ply of water, and in various other w.ajs has made 
 iin])rovcnKnts and increased the value as well as 
 improved the appearance of his farm. He raises a 
 great deal of live stock, chiefly cattle and hogs, to 
 feed which he uses all the corn produced b}' his 
 fields, and last year he bought about 3,000 bushels 
 extra. His thriving condition is due solely to his 
 unceasing industry and excellent management, for 
 he has been obliged to make his own way in life, 
 and is indebted to no man for his success, there- 
 fore he may well feel gratified because of his 
 achievements. 
 
 Our subject and his wife are the parents of two 
 children, named Bessie and Guy, the former of 
 whom was born on the 3d of January, 1872, and 
 the latter on the loth of November, 1875. George 
 McCullough, a brother of our subject, was en- 
 gaged for nearly four years in the service of his 
 country during the late war, and in company with 
 his comrades of Company F, Ist Ohio Artillery, he 
 participated in a number of heavy engagements, 
 but fortunately was Lever wounded. The father 
 of our subject died in Ohio, on the lath of Au- 
 gust, 1882, but his mother still makes her home on 
 the old homestead. Mrs. McCullough's father died 
 on the 20th of Januarj', 1879, and her mother on 
 the 6th of December, 1875. Our subject is a mem- 
 ber in good standing of the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 
 172, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, and politically, he 
 advocates the policy of the Republican party. He 
 
 4^ 
 
 i 
 
t 
 
 '4- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•► 
 
 42'J 
 
 an 1 his wife hive not united themselves witli any 
 religious denomination, but attend the Christian 
 Cliurch renfulirly, and are hi;^hl3' respected and es- 
 teemed members of the community. 
 
 S^JREDERICK SCHENBECK was born in the 
 iN® "0''tlic'''i P^^'^ of Germany, where he grew 
 ^ to manhood's estate and received his edu- 
 cation. There he was married, on the 10th of 
 July, 1865, to Miss Jolianne Kauffmin. and in the 
 spring of 1870 he brought his family to America. 
 They made the vo3'age on the sailing-vessel "'Les- 
 cadea,"and for seven weeks they were intrusted to 
 the care of the ship's crew, landing in New York 
 on the 29th of May. On the 1st of June they ar- 
 rived at Rochester, N. Y., where they lived for 
 eight ye.ars, and then came to Beatrice, Neb., on 
 the lath of March, 1878. For five years our sub- 
 ject worked bj' the month, but in 1883 he began 
 farming for himself on a piece of laml near Bea- 
 trice. He continued farming in that place until 
 the fall of 1 887, when he traded his propertj' in 
 the cit\' for the farm which he now owns on sec- 
 tion 18, .Sicil}' Township. Besides eighty acres of 
 well-improved land which he owns on section 18, 
 he also has eighty acres on section 17. 
 
 The parents of our subject, John and Louisa 
 Sehenbeck, came to America from Germany in the 
 3-ear 1872, and are now living in this count}-. 
 Thej' had a family of eight children, of whom only 
 three survive. When our subject came to America 
 he had no money left after paying for the passage 
 of his family on board the vessel, and it was neces- 
 sary for him to work steadil}' and manage his in- 
 come in the most careful and frugal manner in 
 order to make it meet the requirements of a grow- 
 ing family. This he was enabled to do, and not 
 only this, lint much more, for I)}' careful manage- 
 ment and industry he has succeeded in placing him- 
 self in a comfortable position on a fine farm, of 
 which he is the owner. 
 
 A family of eight children have been gathered 
 about the home of our subject and his wife, all of 
 whom have been spared to them to lighten their 
 burcler.s and console b}' their conipanionship the 
 
 later d.iys of those who cared for them in infancy. 
 The names of the children are as follows: Herman, 
 John, William, Anna, Edward, Frank, P;iul and 
 Matilda. Mr. and Mrs. Sehenbeck are esteemed 
 members of the I.utheran Church, of which their 
 parents were also members. Our subject is so 
 much interested in the carrying on of his farm 
 work, and gives such close attention to his busi- 
 ness, that he does not take a very .active part in 
 politics, but he usually votes for the nominees of 
 the Republican party. 
 
 Only those men who have begun as our subject 
 began — at the lowest round of the ladder, and 
 mounted, step liy step, toward the top, with some 
 struggles and difficulties perhaps, and some encour- 
 agements — can fully appreciate the sense of com- 
 fort and rest which pervades the lives of those 
 who have gathered about them in later life a com- 
 petency, as a reward for their earlj- industrj' and 
 strict integrit}-. 
 
 -^^-^■- 
 
 ^^5:55]EORGE W. McKAY. The business industry 
 ill f—^ of a city may be said to be incomplete un- 
 '^^5 le.ss it includes a re|)resentative from each 
 of the many occupations in which men engage. The 
 minister of the Gospel must be present to point out 
 the path of righteousness; the ph3'sician must be 
 present to insure the perfect physical life; brick- 
 laj-ers, carpenters and artisans of every trade are 
 necessary for the establishing of convenient homes 
 and adorning them with the beauties of art; there 
 is a place for every occupation, and not onlj- a 
 place for it if it chances to be represented, but an 
 inheritance bj' right which it is urged to receive. 
 Our subject is engaged in the livery business, with- 
 out whicii vocation manj' other occupations would 
 lack their present enterprise and flourishing con- 
 dition. Business of all kinds is f.acilitated bj- rapid 
 transit from place to place, and there is no ple.asanter 
 method of covering short distances than by mak- 
 ing use of that tracUible and docile animal, the 
 horse. 
 
 So well does the Arab love his trained and swift 
 steed that rather ih.an part with it he would first 
 part with his children, so essential does it seem to 
 
 1 
 
-^•- 
 
 430 
 
 -•» 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ¥ 
 
 liis liai)j)iiiess; and when on tlie rlesert, both 
 liorso and rider are swa3cd bj' ore and the same 
 impulse. Of all domestic animals the horse is to 
 the greatest extent capable of the highest training, 
 its understanding fonietimes seeming almost human, 
 and its sj'mpatliy willi man, its best friend, ena- 
 l)ling it to follow his guidance in tiie most minute 
 particulars. For the care and management of 
 these useful animals our subject is admirably situ- 
 ated, having about 83.400 invested in his business, 
 iucluding convenient stables and vehicles. He is 
 doing a thriving business. an<l his stables furnish 
 excellent driving steeds, and handsome and luxu- 
 rious road vehicles. 
 
 Mr. McKay was born on the 18th of April, 1860, 
 in Atchison Couut}', Mo., and is a son of Wallace 
 McKay, of this county. He was reared on a farm, 
 and received his education in the common schools 
 of his native county, coming with his i)arents to 
 Wymore in 1883. In 1884 lie went to Sheridan 
 County, Kan., retui-ning to Barnston in 1886, and 
 in March of the following year he engaged in his 
 present business. On the 6th of May, 1888, he was 
 united in marriage to Miss Lydia Stonehocker, a 
 daughter of William Stonehocker, of this place. 
 
 bEVI SHAFFER. The present sketch is de- 
 signed to offer in brief compendium an out- 
 line of the life of the able Superintendent of 
 Gage County Poor Farm. This gentleman is a 
 native of Somerset County, Pa., and was boin on 
 the 16th of March, 1834. His parents, Andi'ew and 
 Sarah (Coin) Shaffer, are also natives of Pennsj'l- 
 vania, but are of German parentage. The father 
 of our subject was by trade a blacksmith, but later 
 in life took up land, became a farmer, and still re- 
 sides in Cambria County, Pa., superintending his 
 farm. • His wife, who is also in the enjo3'ment of 
 good health, considering her age, has presented her 
 husband with five children, who have been named 
 as follows: Samuel, George and William (twins), 
 Hannah, who is the wife of Edward Wright, and 
 our subject. 
 
 Our subject is the oldest of the family, and re- 
 ceived his education while in attendance upon the 
 ■^ 
 
 district school of his native county, but as the home 
 of the family was situated in llie backwoods, he be- 
 came better acquainted with the forge and anvil 
 than the school, and could '-strike" a shoe for his 
 father better than he could read and cipher for his 
 teacher. At the ago of eighteen our subject en- 
 tered a factory where all manner of woodwork, 
 such as fork and shovel handles, was manufactured, 
 and served with one firm for a period of fourteen 
 years, and received excellent wages for that time. 
 When the first rolling-mill at Johnstown, Pa., was 
 set up, our subject helped to saw the timber and 
 lumber of which it was built. 
 
 In 1866 our subject migrated to Black Hawk 
 County, Iowa, and took land and commenced to fol- 
 low farming as a regular occupation. In 1876 he 
 removed to Montgomery County; four j'ears later 
 there was formed in that county a colonj' of Ger- 
 man Baptists or Dunkards, which became known as 
 Maple Grove. Later the colonists removed to Nor- 
 ton County. Kan., and our subject united his fort- 
 une and prosi)ects with theirs, and remained there 
 three years, but his family being sick the greater 
 l>art of the time, he came to Nebraska, and located 
 first in Pawnee Count}', and later, in 1884, in Gage 
 Countj', and rented land in Paddock Township, 
 making his home there for three years. In March, 
 1887, be was appointed to the position he occupies 
 at present, and took charge of the Poor Farm the 
 following month. 
 
 The Poor Farm of Gage County, as may be sur- 
 mised, is well situated; it is 100 acres in extent, 
 contains some of the best land for agricultural and 
 pastoral purposes, and is devoted chiefly to stock- 
 raising and farming. There are upon an average 
 two men engaged upon it. There are fifteen head of 
 cattle, and also three horses, besides a large number 
 of hogs raised yearly. 
 
 Our subject was married, in 18.56, to Catherine J. 
 Carell, who is a native of Bedford, Pa., and the 
 daughter of George and Catherine Carell, natives 
 of Pennsylvania, of Irish and German ancestry, re- 
 spectively, and residing in Johnstown, Pa. ; they are 
 the parents of ten children; eight are now living, 
 and residents of Pennsylvania. The father is sev- 
 enty-eight 3ears of age, and the mother seventy- 
 nine. Mrs. Shaffer has presented her husband with 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 431 
 
 4» 
 
 ten eliildren, nine of whom are living. Their names 
 are recorded as follows: Elizabeth, now the wife of 
 Paul Strayer; Catharine M., now Mrs. William 
 Miller; Francis A.; George; Ella, who is happily 
 married to Walter Kelso; Amanda, the wife of 
 George Beer; Adeline, Marietta and Charlie. Al- 
 though our subject has been appointed to his pres- 
 ent position, and is a member of the Republican 
 part3', he is by no means what is understood by the 
 term politician. His interest in such matters con- 
 fines itself more especially to the more local matters, 
 he is greatl}' interested in his work, and has the 
 satisfaction of knowing that his efforts are appre- 
 ciated by those who placed him there. His religious 
 interests are in the Dunkard Church, of which he is 
 an Elder and active minister. The unobtrusive but 
 manly character and bearing of our subject, coupled 
 with his abilities as a farmer, have won for him the 
 general respect of the community at large. Mrs. 
 Shaffer is also a member of the same church as her 
 husband. 
 
 'Jl—^ ERMAN KRACKE, of Clatouia Township, 
 j) is the proprietor of a valuable farm on sec- 
 tion 31, where he has the finest residence in 
 this part of the count}'. A man of intelli- 
 gence and good business capacity, he holds a lead- 
 ing position in his community, where his thrift and 
 enterprise have ever received a most cheerful ac- 
 knowledgment. Like scores of the men about 
 him, he is of German birtii and parentage, belong- 
 ing to the nationality which has labored so admir- 
 ably in the development of the Great West. 
 
 Our subject was born in what is now the Prussian 
 Province of Hanover, Germany, Aug. 28, 1851, 
 and is the third son of Frederick and Sophia (Oil- 
 man) Kracke, who still continue upon their native 
 soil. He was placed in school at an eavlj' age, where 
 he continued until a lad of fourteen 3'ears. and when 
 quite young assisted in the lighter duties of his 
 father's farm. Nearly his whole life has been spent 
 in the pursuit of agriculture. When a youth of 
 twenty j'ears, being ambitious to achieve something 
 beyond what there seemed a probabilit}' of his 
 accomplishing in his native land, he resolved upon 
 
 emigrating to America. Accordingly in the spring 
 of 187J he took p.issagc on an ocean steamer bountl 
 from Bremen to New York Citj-, and after a voy- 
 age of twelve daj-s landed in the latter metropolis. 
 Thence he proceeded at once to Defiance County, 
 Ohio, where he was employed on a farm six months. 
 Leaving the Buckeye State he crossed the Missis- 
 sippi into Dubuque Count}-, Iowa, where he was 
 employed on a farm two 3'ears. F'rom Dubuque he 
 went into Jackson Countj', of which he was a resi- 
 dent a number of years. In .Jackson County he was 
 married, F'eb. 27, 1879, to Miss Lizzie Felderman, 
 a native of the Hawke^-e State, and the daughter of 
 John and Rebecca Felderman, natives of Germany, 
 and still residents of Dubuque County, Iowa. 
 
 Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kracke 
 came to this county, and settled among the pioneers 
 of Clatonia Township. Mr. K. first secured 160 
 acres of land, and was prospered in his labors as a 
 tiller of the soil. Later he added to his real estate, 
 and is now the owner of 210 acres, which yields 
 abundantly the products of Southern Nebraska. 
 His career from the first has been onward and 
 upward, although he has had his difficulties to con- 
 tend with, and from which few men are exempt. 
 He gave his first best efforts to the cultivation of 
 his land, and then began making the improvements 
 which are now viewed with admiration by the trav- 
 eler passing through this region. The handsome 
 and substantial buildings, the neatly kept fences, 
 the live stock and the farm machinery, are all most 
 creditable to the industry and enterprise of the 
 proprietor. 
 
 Mr. Kracke, politically, sj'mpathizes with and 
 supports the principles of the Republican part}*. 
 He has served as School Director in his district, and 
 is a member in good standing of the Lutheran 
 Church. To him and his estimable wife there have 
 been born five children, one of whom, John F., was 
 born Aug. 17. 1881, and died on the 23d of that 
 month. The survivors are: George, born March 
 1, 1880; Amelia, July 6, 1882; Rose, Dec. 13, 
 1884, and August, Oct. 8, 1886. 
 
 Mrs. Kracke was born in Dubuque County, Iowa, 
 May 4, 1856. Her parents were among the earliest 
 settlers of that section, and are still living, being 
 well advanced in years. They are most excellent 
 
-L 
 
 -•► 
 
 432 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 and worthy i)eople, consistent members of the 
 Lutheran Church. Their family inchirled eight 
 children, six of whom are living, namely: John, 
 Frederic. Mary, Lizzie, Rosa and Rebecca. 
 
 |r^,OBf:RT G. GILMORE, Postmaster of Bar- 
 'ijisr^ key, and one of the earliest settlers of Gage 
 /A\\\\ County, owns and occupies one of the 
 ^^ best farms in this section of country, to 
 which he came in 1875. A native of Pennsylva- 
 nia, he was born in Venango County, July 28, 1839, 
 and is the son of William and Jane (Tede) Gil- 
 more, who were also natives of the Keystone State, 
 and the father of Irish ancestry. The mother, who 
 traced her forefathers back to Germany, is still liv- 
 ing in Venango County. The paternal grandfather 
 of our subject emigrated from Ireland when young 
 in years, and settled in Venango County, Pa., where 
 he married and reared his family, and where with 
 his excellent wife he spent the remainder of his 
 days. 
 
 ' To the parents of onr subject there were born 
 eight children, five sons and three daughters, of 
 whom the following survive: Robert G., of this 
 sketch; Ira B., of Butler County. Pa.; Quinton B., 
 of Mercer County, Pa.; Sarah J., the wife of J. R. 
 Adams, of Venango County, Pa.; Agnes I., Mrs. P. 
 McCracken, of Venango County, Pa.; William W. ; 
 and Anne, the wife of W. Whitman, who still abide 
 in their native county in the Keystone State. Will- 
 iam Gilmore departed this life at his home in Penn- 
 sylvania in February. 1861. The mother, although 
 now over seventy years old, is still hale and hearty, 
 enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life and the es- 
 teem of hosts of friends; she lives in L^tica, Pa., 
 near her former home. 
 
 Robert G. Gilmore was reared to man's estate in 
 his native county, and at an early age was taught 
 those iiabits of industry which have been the secret 
 of his success later in life. He received the advan- 
 tages of a common-school education, and being fond 
 of his books improve<l his opportunities for read- 
 ing and study, becoming well informed upon the 
 general topics of the da}'. His life passed thus 
 unevculfuilv until after the outbreak of the late 
 
 Civil War, and in August. 1861, he enlisted as 
 .a soldier in the Union Arm}', becoming a mem- 
 ber of Company D, 83d Pennsylvania Infantry. 
 His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Po- 
 tomac, and Robert Gilmore participated in many 
 of the important battles which followed, namely : 
 the seige of Yoiktown, the fight of Hanover Court 
 House, and the seven-days fight before Richmond, 
 the second engagement at Bull Run. and the bat- 
 tles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville. 
 Gettysburg and Rap[iahannock Station. Later he 
 was at the battle of the AVilderness, and in the bat- 
 tle of Spottsylvania, in which he received serious 
 wounds, and still carries a rifle ball in his left thigh. 
 At Spottsylvania he was captured by the Con- 
 federates and conveyed to Libby Prison, where he 
 remained three and one-half months, enduring the 
 horrors and sufferings incident to the confinement 
 in that terrible pen, and which is a matter of his- 
 tor}-. In due time he was paroled and exchanged, 
 and three years from the time of his enlistment re- 
 ceived his honorable discharge, Sept. 20, 1864. 
 
 Mr. Gilmore upon retiring from the service re- 
 turned to his native count}' in Penns^'lvania, where 
 he engaged in farming until the spiing of 1875. In 
 the meantime he had been married, that important 
 event transpiring on the 24th of September, 1867, 
 the maiden of his choice being Miss Lucy M. 
 Clough. born July 21, 1841, and daughter of Hor- 
 ace and Ann (Brown) Clough. Her parents were 
 natives of New York and Pennsylvania respect- 
 ively. Then with his family, which comprised 
 his wife and two children, William B., born June 
 4, 1870, and Flora, Nov. 18, 1872, he determined 
 to seek a home in the West. Accordingly, cross- 
 ing the Mississi[)pi he came to this county, and 
 homesteaded eighty acres of land on section 28 in 
 Highland Township, where he settled and has since 
 remained. His land at the time of the purchase 
 w.as in comparatively an uncultivated state, and the 
 improvements which the passing traveler beholds 
 to-day are the result of his own industry' and per- 
 severance. H» lived economically, and from time 
 to time added one improvement after another, and 
 has now one of the most desirable homesteads in 
 this section. His farm comprises 160 acres, which 
 he has brought to an exceedingly fertile condition. 
 
 -•► 
 
<^ 
 
 asMttffffffftg:^ 
 
 nii!iiiiiiiiiini:[i!i!iiwiTpTTnili!)|i)jflfn;ijNPi!|iig^ 
 
 TTtmrnTT 
 
 Residence or James W. Shelley, Sec, 30. Rockford Townshi p. 
 
 aaw^s^fesg 
 
 RE51DENCE OF Jame5 Packer, Sec. 2. Elm Township. 
 
 }aat^iK»'^hi,^S£L'^:=u< 
 
 
 Residence OF 5. 5. Graves. 5ec. 27. Glenwood Township 
 
I 
 
 -^•- 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 43.0 
 
 nnrl he hns plantrd fruit and sh.nde trees, erected 
 tlie liuildiiigs iipcessary ft)r his eomfortand convfii- 
 ieiiee, and surrounded himself and his familj- with 
 all of the comforts and many of tlie luxuries of life. 
 Since locating in Nebraska there have been added 
 to his famil}- two more children to jjladden their 
 home: Leonard B., born June 18, 1875. and Hor- 
 ace C, .Jan. 5. 1880; the_y are all at home. Mr. 
 Gilmore's career as a man and citizen has been such 
 as to commend him to the esteem and eonfidenee 
 of the people of this section, and he has been no 
 unimportiint factor in the encouragement of those 
 projects which have tended for the best good of 
 his communitj-. He received the appointment of 
 Postmaster in the sjjring of 1884, under the ad- 
 ministration of President Arthur, and has conducted 
 the affairs of the oflice in a manner creditable to 
 himself and satisfactory to all concerned. 
 
 The first Presidential vote of our subject was 
 cast for Abraham Lincoln in 18G0, and he has uni- 
 formly been a supporter of Republican principles. 
 He is serving his third term as School Director in 
 his district, and is in favor of everything to im- 
 prove the county and elevate society. 
 
 We present a view of Mr. Gilmore's farm resi- 
 dence on another page of this Album. 
 
 iEORGP: T. MITCHELL is widely and favor- 
 ably known as one of the successful farmers 
 of Barneston Township. His property is 
 situated on section 33, and is 160 acres in extent; 
 it is utilized for the purpose of general farming, 
 supplemented by the raising of stock. Thisgentle- 
 m.-iu is a native of Michigan, and was born on the 
 30th of June, 1856. He is the son of Elislia and 
 Eliz.ibeth Mitchell, natives respectively of New 
 York and England. The former is deceased. 
 
 The parents of our subject removed in 1862 to 
 Guthrie County, Iowa, and continued there to en- 
 gage ill farm and dairj' work. In that place our 
 subject spent the d.ays of boj'hood and youth, and 
 in its schools leceivcd his education, which, al- 
 though not so extensive .asmighthave i)een desired, 
 covered the mofe common branches, and in these 
 was thorough. From the time of leaving school 
 
 ■♦- 
 
 our subject was employed in farming until 1880, 
 when he came to this county, and settled upon his 
 present farm. 
 
 In Se|)teniber, 1881, our subject was joined in 
 wedlock to Martha With, who was born in Illinois, 
 Oct. 8, 18G0, to John AV. and Sarah With, resi- 
 dents of Paddock Township, this county, and na- 
 tives of Maryland. The felicity of this union h.as 
 been more assured and completed by the birth of 
 four children, to whom have been given the names 
 here subjoined: Bertie, George. Ora and Clara E. 
 
 Our subject has for many years been a member 
 of the United Brethren Church, in which commun- 
 ion he. with his family, is held in high regard as a 
 worlhj' and consistent adherent. 
 
 DWARD LEONARD is a successful general 
 farmer and stock-raiser, residing on section 
 14, Lincoln Townsiiip. where lie has a well- 
 improved farm of IGO acres. He purchased it and 
 made his home on it in 1884. since which time he 
 has changed it from rough, uncultivated prairie 
 land to the fertile and attractive fields of a well- 
 regulated farm, and has it well stocked with a good 
 grade of cattle, horses and hogs. He was born in 
 France on the lOth of July, 1861. and when he was 
 about four years old his parents came to the United 
 States and made their home in Illinois. The father, 
 Francis Leonard, w.is born in France, and there 
 spent all his life previous to his coming to America; 
 there he was educated and taught the agricultural 
 arts, and there he married his wife, Margaret Sp.ade, 
 who is, like her husband, of pure French ancestiy. 
 AVhen they left their native country they had a 
 family of seven children, and with them they settled 
 in Effingham County, 111., where one child w.asborn 
 to them. Thcj"^ remained in that place until 1871, 
 when the}' came to this countv, and the father se- 
 cured a tract of unbroken prairie land in Blakely 
 Township, on which the}' live<l until quite recently. 
 The parents are now retired from active business 
 life, and make their home in the city of Beatrice. 
 
 In company with his parents our subject came to 
 this county in 1871. where he continued the pur- 
 suit of his education, and grew up to young man- 
 
 ^ 
 
 r 
 
-I 
 
 430 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 hood. On the 19th of January, 1887, he was united 
 in marriage, in Beatrice, to Miss Kate McHugh, who 
 '"as Iiorn in Warren County, Ohio, on the 21st of 
 December, 1868. She is the daughter of Daniel and 
 Anna (Guckian) McHugh, who were natives of Ire- 
 land, liut had early come to the United States, and 
 were married in Ohio. They came to Nehraska 
 in 1881, since which time thej^ made their home 
 near Filley, where the mother is yet living, aged 
 about forty-four j'ears, the father having died on 
 the 22d of December, 1884, at the age of fort}'-six 
 years. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard are devout members 
 of the Catholic Churcii, and are esteemed as liighly 
 intelligent and respected citizens of Lincoln Town- 
 ship. Tiie former affiliates with the Republican 
 party in politics, and is spoken of among his fel- 
 lowmen as an honest and honorable business man, 
 possessing the confidence of tliose witii wliom he is 
 brouglit in contact in a business and social way. 
 
 -^ .^^ ^ 
 
 FREDERICK W. KASSING. A goodly pro- 
 portion of the pioneer settlers of Gage 
 County have been tiiose who trace their ori- 
 gin to a foreign land, principall3' the Empire of 
 Germany. Of that great nation the ancestors of 
 our subject were a portion, and he also was born in 
 what is now the Prussian Province of Hanover, 
 on the 20th of Jlay, 1838. His parents, Joseph 
 and Elizabeth (Evermann) Kassing, spent their en- 
 tire lives on their native soil. Frederick W. re- 
 mained a member of the parental household until 
 a youth of eighteen years, and then, not satisfied 
 with the outlook for the future, made arrangements 
 with his brother, Joseph K., to emigrate to America. 
 In the summer of 185G, bidding adieu to the 
 friends and associations of their childhood, they 
 embarked on a sailing-vessel at Bremen, and after 
 a tedious ocean voyage of about seven weeks and 
 three days, landed in the city of Baltimore, Md. 
 Thence they soon proceeded to Scioto County, 
 Ohio, where our subject followed cabinet-making 
 several years, a trade he had learned when but a 
 boy in his native town. Upon the outbreak of the 
 Cival War he enlisted, in August, 1861, in Com- 
 pany F, 33d Ohio Infantrj', and participated in 
 
 ♦HJH^: 
 
 many of the important battles which followed. At 
 Perr3'vilie he was wounded in the jaw. and con- 
 fined in the Marine Hospital from the 8th of Octo- 
 ber until the 12th of April, 1863. He then accepted 
 his honorable discharge, and is now tlie recipient of 
 a pension of $\2 per month from the Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 Upon leaving the army Mr. Kassing sought his 
 old haunts in Scioto County, Ohio, and occu- 
 pied himself at wagon-making in both Scioto and 
 Lawrence Counties a number of years. In the 
 meantime he was married, Sept. 14, 1864, to Miss 
 Mary Freye, a native of the Buckeye State, and 
 who by her union with our subject has become tiie 
 mother of nine children. Of these the record is as 
 follows: Emma E. is the wife of Charles Kurtzer, 
 of Lancaster County, this State ; the others, Will- 
 iam, John, Sarah, Louisa, Frank, David, Alice and 
 George, are at home with their parents. 
 
 Mr. Kassing in the spring of 1868 left the Buck- 
 eye State, and coming to this count}', homesteaded 
 eighty acres of land in Clatonia Township, and ou 
 account of his military services secured still further 
 real estate upon a land warrant. He is now the 
 owner of 240 acres, which he lias brought to a good 
 state of cultivation, and upon which he has erected 
 substantial frame buildings. The present dwelling 
 hardly meets his requirements, and in the near fu- 
 ture he expects to put up a residence whicli will be 
 more in keeping with his means and station. He 
 has planted a fine assortment of shade trees adja- 
 cent to the residence, comprising walnut, ash and 
 Cottonwood, which are already of sufficient size to 
 ward off the heat of summer and the storms of 
 winter. The career of Mr. Kassing has been one 
 of great industry and perseverance, and in the pos- 
 session of a fine estate he is enjoying ample re- 
 ward for his toil and sacrifices. 
 
 Mr. Kassing upon becoming a naturalized citi- 
 zen identified himself with the Republican party, to 
 which he has since given his cordial support. He 
 has been quite prominent in local affairs, serving 
 nearly four years as Postmaster at Baden, which is 
 now Clatonia post-office, and being the first incum- 
 bent of this office. He has also served as School 
 Director, and takes a genuine interest in the estab- 
 lishment and support of educational institutions. 
 
 •^ 
 
 1 
 
-^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 437 
 
 Botli he and his excellent wife are raembers in 
 jjood standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 in wliicli our subject has served as Steward and 
 been one of its ciiief pillars. 
 
 Mrs. Kassing was born in Scioto County. Ohio, 
 Nov. 3, 1844, and is the daughter of .loliu and 
 Elizabeth Frej'e. Her parents were natives of 
 Germany, and emigrated to America earlj- in life, 
 before their marri.age, settling in Seiuto Count}', 
 Ohio. There the mother died about 18oG. The 
 father subsequently removed to Lawrence Count}', 
 in the same State, and departed hence about 18()8. 
 Their family included nine children, onl}' three of 
 whom .are living: Adam H.. of Kentuck}'; Eliza- 
 beth, the wife of Daniel Miller, of Ohio, and Mrs. 
 Kassing, the wife of our subject. 
 
 JOHN B. MUMFORD. Among the farmers 
 and stock-raisers of Logan Township, who 
 occupy a prominent place in their chosen 
 occupation, must certainlj' be mentioned the 
 gentleman whose name is at the head of this com- 
 pendium. Our subject was born in Worcester 
 County, Md., on the 2d of September, 1830. 
 Until he attained his majority he continued to make 
 his home with his parents, but nt the age of twentj'- 
 one years he removed to Adams County, Ohio, 
 with his mother. He is a brother of Jacob Mum- 
 ford, a prominent farmer of this count}', a sketch 
 of whose life will be found upon another page of 
 this volume, to which we would refer the reader de- 
 sirous of obtaining further particulars regarding 
 this interesting famil}-. 
 
 Our subject removed in the year 1854 from his 
 farm in Adams County, Ohio, to Argyle, Wis., and 
 theiice to Willow Springs, in the same .State. There 
 he remained until 1865, each j'ear witnessing an 
 increasing prosperitj' and progress. In the latter 
 year he left the State of Wisconsin and removed to 
 this county, settling upon his present farm, which 
 he purchased from his brother. This property was 
 160 acres in extent. Since th.at time he has pur- 
 chiised an additional 240 acres, making the 400 
 acres which is the extent of the farm now op- 
 l)eratcd b}' him. This is all thoroughly well im- 
 
 proved. His fields and jjastures are well fenced, 
 and that part under cultivation presents an ap- 
 pearance of intelligent, thrifty success that argues 
 well for the coming harvest. For his stock there 
 is water in abundance from Bear Creek, which is a 
 stream supplied by a large number of springs, and 
 in the dryest season is still a sure source of supply. 
 Then he has provided a full set of substantially 
 built, well-arr.anged farm buildings, and has erected 
 a very pleasant, commodious dwelling, which is 
 supplied with numberless conveniences that can 
 onl}' be fully appreciated by the thorough house- 
 keeper. He has furthermore set out in the vicinity 
 of his home a large number of fruit trees of various 
 kinds and of choice grades, and provided several 
 groves of One shade and forest trees, which add 
 very much to the beauty of the situation. 
 
 While resident in Adams Count}-, Ohio, our sub- 
 ject was united in marriage with Mary A. Itoush, 
 on the 28th of August, 1853. This lady, who is 
 the daughter of Permeaus and Catherine (Smith) 
 Roush, of Virginia, was born in Ad.ams County, on 
 the 2d of June. 1837. Their union has been blessed 
 and its felicities increased by the birth of nme cliiU 
 dren, whose names are here given: Willie (de- 
 ceased), Sarah, Charles B., George (deceased), Eu- 
 gene, Ida N., Frank, Clara and Luther. Their 
 son Charles, who is a farmer in Logan Township, 
 is the husband of Martha Dearborn, who has pre- 
 sented him with three children — Charley D., Les- 
 lie M. and Mabel E. Sarah is happily married to 
 W. A. Foreman, of whom a sketch appears upon 
 another page of this volume; they are the parents 
 of three children, to whom have been given the 
 following names: Ernest, Walter and Arthur. 
 
 The stock upon Mr. Mumford's farm differs only 
 in parts and points from that usually found upon a 
 first-class and well-regulated stock farm. Perhaps 
 the most worthy of mention of the large number of 
 very beautiful creatures in his stables and pastures is 
 a trotter," Minnie E.," who shows about 2:40 gait; 
 she is a bright bay color and stands sixteen hands 
 high. By all connoisseurs she is considered one 
 of the best built trotters of the State, as shapely 
 in form and of as elegant grace of action as can be 
 found in quite a large district of country. She was 
 sired liy the celebrated "Bret Harte." 
 
 f 
 
-4«- 
 
 438 
 
 gagp: county. 
 
 At present our subject is not in active raeinber- 
 sliip with any society or fratcrnitj', although he 
 was at one time and for many years a member of 
 the Society of Grangers. In political matters he 
 acknowledges allegiance to the Democratic party, of 
 which he has for man}' years been an acknowledged 
 supporter, and for which, in the late campaign, he 
 did all that lay in his power, considering his age. 
 AVhatever influence he possessed in the county, and 
 it is not a little, was given in the interest of the men 
 who are the choice of the Democrats of the United 
 States, as expressed in their convention. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Mumford have been since early life mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are 
 acknowledged among its truest friends, strongest 
 supporters and most consistent adherents. It were 
 indeed hard to find in Logan Township a family 
 held in higher regard th:in that of our subject. 
 
 OHN MORDIIORST. Upon Niagara ave- 
 nue in the city of Wymore there stands an 
 unexceptiouallj' fine brick business block, 
 ) which bears the name of the subject of this 
 sketch, who is one of the prominent citizens and 
 eai'lj' settlers, having located here before the plat- 
 ting of the city. This gentleman was born in Hol- 
 stein, German}', upon the 12th of Januarj-, 1825, 
 and received his education in the public schools 
 of his native place, which was afterward supple- 
 mented by a course in a private acadeni}'. At the 
 age of seventeen he was apprenticed to a butcher 
 for four 3-ears, which was followed by a like period, 
 beginning in the year 1848, in which he was at- 
 tached to the army, and served in the 4th Corps. 
 He saw considerable service in the war in which 
 Holstein sought to free itself from Deimiark. As 
 is well known it failed, but has since become part 
 of the German Empire. Our subject was several 
 times wounded, and still bears some eight or ten 
 scars from the more serious of his wounds. 
 
 In 18.52 our subject left the army and resumed 
 his trade, and continued to follow the same for 
 about five j'ears, when he came to the United 
 States, and proceeded direct to Davenport, Iowa, 
 and settled there in the year 1857. lie made his 
 
 home in that city for .about one year, which event- 
 ually proved to be one of the most im|)ortant in 
 his life, from the fact that he there met and sub- 
 sequently married Miss Louisa Lentz, Dec. l(i, 
 1859, a lady who has since that time aided him 
 largely in achieving the brilliant success which his 
 history shows to be his. Almost immediately after 
 his marriage he went to Muscatine, in the same 
 State, and engaged in his regular business, and in 
 that place all their children were born. Their 
 family included four sons and two daughters, 
 whose names are subjoined : Detlef, John, Jr., 
 Frank S., Anna, Charles and Etta. Of these all 
 but John and Frank are living. 
 
 After remaining in Muscatine for seventeen years, 
 our subject purchased a farm of 240 acres in Potta- 
 wattamie Count}', Iowa, and improved it, taking ex- 
 ceptional pains with the buildings, erecting fences, 
 setting out an orchard and other trees, and in short 
 made it almost a model farm, and made his home 
 there for a period of seven years. In the year 1 879 
 cur subject sold his Iowa property, and came to 
 Blue Springs, Wymore being then an unknown 
 quantity. He entered in business here, having a 
 heav}' contract with the Burlington & Missouri River 
 Railway to furnish meat to the workmen in their 
 employ, in extending the line from Culvertson to 
 Denver, as he had previously done when the track 
 was laid from Table Rock to Antikote. Both con- 
 tracts were a great financial success. Upon re- 
 turning from the absence necessitated by the above 
 our subject opened a market here, and also one in 
 Blue .Springs, and in these also saw a continuance 
 of prosperity, and built the block above referred to. 
 
 The property referred to in our opening para- 
 graph is only one of several buildings in which Mr. 
 Mordhorst is interested, for he is also the owner of 
 an exceptionally fine residence, and quite a number 
 of both improved and unimproved pieces of prop- 
 erty, also a large .and beautiful pasture not far from 
 the city. In addition to the business in live and 
 dead meat, which is by far the lai'gest in the citj', 
 our subject h.as established ice houses, which are at 
 once the first erected and the largest in the eitj'. 
 His butcher establishment our subject now rents to 
 his eldest son, but retains his ice trade, which is 
 everv 3'car growing in importance. He began in 
 
 ^ 
 
 I 
 
M^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 439 
 
 ^ 
 
 187!) wiih one small house, but has been compelled 
 to add to it from year to year, until now his houses 
 have a ("qjaeit)' of 2.000 tons. 
 
 John Mordhorst. Sr., the father of our subject, 
 was born in Holstein in 1795, and in tlie days when 
 education did not occupy its present jiosition, but 
 after he had received what was obtainable in that 
 regard, he learned tlie trade of stone cutting, and 
 made it his life occupation, succeeding in establish- 
 ing quite an extensive buhincss, frequently filling 
 verj- large contracts. He was married about the 
 j'ear 1818, and became the father of seven children, 
 six of whom were sons. He lived until about the 
 year 1872, and was survived by his wife only six 
 months. 
 
 Mr. Mordhorst, our subject, bus at all times been 
 energetic, enthusiastic and public-spirited in every- 
 thing which inoniiscd to be of advantage to the town, 
 and has done, perhaps, more than might be called 
 his share in that regard, and is accorded the heart- 
 iest esteem and siucerest regard of his fellow-citizens. 
 He has served as Sheriflf of Rock Springs, but is by 
 no means an office-seeker. Ever since coming to 
 the country he has sought to becouie fully con- 
 versant with the institutions peculiar to this form 
 of government, and has been conscientious and 
 consistent in his adiiereuce to the Republican party. 
 Socially, he is connected with the 1. 0. O. F., and 
 enjoys the sincere respect of his fellow members. 
 
 ^^ EORGE WILLIAMSON. In no other coun- 
 III gj=, try than America can there be found such 
 ^^Jl a union of nationalities, not simply in the 
 matter of living in neighborly congenialitj', but in 
 the more intimate relations incident to intermar- 
 riage between representatives of divers countries, 
 an illustration of which is found in the parentage 
 of our subject, who is the owner of an excellent 
 farm, situated on section 28 of Glenwood Town- 
 ship, and also the efficient, careful and painstaking 
 Clerk of the township. His father, John William- 
 son, was born about the year 1823, in Ireland; his 
 mother, Margaret Uhl, was a native of Pennsyl- 
 vania. 
 
 Mr. John Williamson received his early educa- 
 
 tion in the parish schools of his native country, and 
 afterward turned his attention to brickiiiaking as a 
 means of livelihood. He emigrated to the United 
 States in the year 1840, landing at Philadelphia, 
 shortly after making his way to Pittsburgh, and 
 followed his chosen calling. In the late unpleas- 
 antness he enlisted in Company A, 75th Pennsyl- 
 vania Infautrj'. After considerable service he was 
 taken |)risoner at the battle of .Missionary Ridge, and 
 incarcerated in Libby Prison, where he succumbed 
 to the horrors of the situation, and died in Novem- 
 ber, 18G3. After this almost crushing aflliction 
 his wife undertook the task of rearing their chil- 
 dren, and from that on lived for them. She had 
 the joy of seeing them started well in life, and went 
 to her last rest on the 31st of January, 1887, at 
 Carroll, Carroll Co., Iowa. 
 
 Of the above family our subject was the third 
 child born. He first opened bis eyes to the light 
 on the 1st of July, 1852, at Pittsburgh, Pa., and 
 was still in his infancy when his parents removed 
 to Frostburg, Md., and one year later the}- removed 
 to Dixon, 111., where he grew to manhood, and with 
 the exception of one year spent in Iowa, lived until 
 the spring of 1879, when he came to Gage County. 
 He settled in Glenwood Township, which he has 
 made his place of residence ever since. He has a 
 very fine farm, including some eighty acres vvell in 
 hand and brought to a high state of cultivation. 
 
 While resident in the cit}' of Dixon our subject 
 became the acknowledged friend of Miss Miltie K. 
 Miller, which relation was exchanged upon the 8th 
 of December, 1872, for the more close compan- 
 ionship of the wedded state. Miss Miller is the 
 daughter of Ephraim and Mary (Boone) Miller, who 
 are residents of Shrewsbury, Pa. Their famil3- in- 
 cluded seven children, Mrs. Williamson being the 
 second. She was born in Peru, 111., on the 13th 
 of January, 1854. Mr. and Mrs Williamson are 
 happy in being the parents of a daughter, Nellie 
 M., who is now thirteen years of age. 
 
 Our subject was elected to the office of Clerk of 
 Glenwood Township by a large majority at the 
 election of 1886, and was re-elected the following 
 year. His first office in the township was that of 
 Constable, to which he was elected in 1885, and so 
 discharged the duties of the same as to lead to the 
 
 • ¥j k ^> 
 
-4•- 
 
 440 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 subsequent office. Mrs. Williamson is a devout 
 member of the English Lutheran Church, and is 
 very highl}' respected therein. Her iuisband has 
 alw.ays been greatly interested in Governmental 
 and political questions, and votes uniformly with 
 the Republican partj". He is a consistent friend of 
 every project that will advance the elevation of 
 societj' morally, or promote its temporal interests. 
 
 ■€^|«*|-" 
 
 c 
 
 HARLES MO.SCHEL, junior member of the 
 firm of Lang & Moschel, is with his partner 
 carrying on a thriving trade in groceries, 
 and everything pertaining thereto, and is located on 
 Fifth and Klla streets, in the city of Beatrice. He 
 first opened bis e^'cs to the light on the other side 
 of the Atlantic, in the village of AVebenheim, Ger- 
 many, Jan. 28, 1847, and was the fouith in a fam- 
 ily' of seven children, five sons and two daughters. 
 These are all living and residents mostly of the 
 United States. 
 
 The parents of our subject. Christian and Mar- 
 garet (Schanzen) Moschel, were of pure German 
 ancestry, and the father spent his entire life upon 
 his native soil. He followed cabinet-making, and 
 died in middle life, about 1854. The mother sub- 
 sequently with five children emigrated to America, 
 and after a brief sojourn in New York City the 
 family proceeded to the vicinity of Peoria, 111., set- 
 tling on a tract of land several miles from the city. 
 Charles at that time was a lad of about seventeen 
 years, and continued with his mother until twent3'- 
 six years old. The family finally removed to the 
 vicinity of Chenoa, 111., and the bo3S still continued 
 the agricultural pursuits upon which they had en- 
 tered when coming to America. The mother died 
 in September, 1886. 
 
 Mr. Moschel, in 1872, crossed the Mississippi to 
 this State, and locating in Beatrice, associated him- 
 self first as a partner with Messrs. .J. Kline & Co., 
 and engaged in general merchandising for a [)criod of 
 fourteen years. He then became a partner of Mr. 
 Lang in the grocery business, in 1887. He was 
 married, Aug. 22, 187G, to Miss Maria Braun, who 
 W.1S born in November, 18r)2, in Germany, and is 
 th.e daughter of Domnis Braun, who, with his wife. 
 
 was a native of Germany, and came to this county 
 in 1878. Mr. B. resides in Beatrice. 
 
 To Air. and Mrs. Moschel there have been born 
 three children — Maria L.. Curl F. and Anna E. 
 They occupy a pleasant home in the southwestern 
 part of the city, and are highly esteemed among a 
 wide cii'cle of friends and acquaintances. Mr. M., 
 socially, belongs to the K. of P., No. 30, at Bea- 
 trice, and politically, gives his supi)ort to the Demo- 
 cratic party. He has steadily declined becoming 
 an office-seeker, but is alwa3-s willing to work for 
 his friends. 
 
 The mother of our subject late in life came to 
 this county', and died at the home of her son, 
 Louis Moschel, in Beatrice, in September, 188(3. 
 Having been born in 1813, she was consequently 
 seventy-three years old at the time of her decease. 
 One sister and two brothers of our subject are resi- 
 dents of Livingston County. 111.; another sister 
 married Mr. J. Klein, and resides in Beatrice. Mr. 
 Moschel was at one time a member of the firm of J. 
 Klein & Co., with whom he continued in business 
 for fourteen years. Upon the dissolution of part- 
 nership the stock was divided, Messrs. Moschel and 
 Lang taking the groceries and Mr. Klein the dry- 
 goods. Among the wide-awake and enterprising 
 business men of Beatrice Mr. Moschel occupies no 
 secondary position. 
 
 ,^^i ONS NELSON. Of the little colony in 
 G.age County of those who are natives of 
 Sweden, who have made this their adopted 
 State and country, few are more worthy of 
 mention in a work of this character than the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, who, with his sons, is among the 
 most industrious and loj'al, and we might add suc- 
 cessful, members of the community. He was born 
 in Sweden, April 28, 1822. As he became old 
 enough he was drafted into the multitudinous 
 details of farm work, and continued upon his 
 father's farm until he became of age, and then 
 farmed on his own account until he came to Amer- 
 ica in the spring of 1870, with his wife and four 
 children, and settled in Sangamon County, 111. 
 There he engaged in agriculture for about two 
 
 ►^h^^.^ 
 
 ^^^1-^ 
 
■<- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 441 
 
 years, hikI then removed to Nemaha Covinty, in 
 this State, anrl continued tfi operate a farm with 
 increasing success for about six years. He then 
 removed to Glenwood Township, this county, wiiicli 
 has been his home ever since 
 
 'Ihe present farm of Mr. Nelson includes 120 
 acres of excellent and well lying land, which he 
 works upon the line of general farming, at the same 
 time raising a small amount of stock. He has made 
 good improvements, his farm being in an excellent 
 stale of cultivation. His barn and other buidings, 
 although not elegant and fiinciful, are good, solid 
 and convenient, erected with a view rather to use 
 than ornamentation. His dwelling is pleasant and 
 well built, and was put up with the same purpose 
 in mind as in the case of the buildings above men- 
 tioned. Its appearance is rendered more pleasing 
 by the abundance of fruit and forest trees in its 
 vicinit}-. 
 
 While yet in his native country, as noted above, 
 our subject was married, the event being celebrated 
 in February, 1848, when he was united with Malena 
 Walderaars, who was born in tlie same country, 
 on tlie 1st of February, 1830. Their family in- 
 cluded four children, whose names are recorded as 
 herein given — Lind, Peter, Nels and Thomas. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Nelson are both nieml^ers of the Lutheran 
 Church, in which communion they were brought 
 up, and to which thej' have ever been faithful. 
 
 Our subject is not what is understood by the 
 term a politician, but he is at the same time duly 
 interested in matteis pertaining thereto, and is 
 usually found voting with the Republican party, 
 which finds in him a stanch friend and supporter. 
 
 4 
 
 J" I AMES D. MYERS is President of the First 
 Commercial Bank, of Odell. He was born 
 in Waverlj', Tioga Co., N. Y., on the 1 4th 
 ' of Maj', 1824, and remained on his father's 
 farm until he was twenty-one years old. after 
 which he spent four years in a store as clerk, and 
 was engaged in the mercantile business for two years 
 at Wavcrlj'. Ii\ the spring of 1 8.52 he went to 
 California, via the Isthmus of Panama, and w.as 
 absent from his native city for about three years. 
 
 Duiing the summer of 18.52 he w.as engaged in the 
 gold mines, and from the mines he went to the val- 
 le}' of the .San Jose, where he engaged in farming in 
 company with a friend. After raising two crops 
 our subject sold his interest and returned to Wa- 
 verly, his trip to California having been a financial 
 success. 
 
 On returning from the Pacific Coast our subject 
 was married, and at once came AVest, traveling all 
 through the summer of 185n seeking a home, and 
 finallj' he decided to stop at Independence, Iowa, 
 where he continued to live for eleven years. He 
 took a prominent part in the building of that town, 
 erecting several business blocks and dwelling-houses. 
 He owned a farm close to the city, and for a time 
 eng.aged in feeding and shipping cattle and stock, 
 also having an interest in the mercantile business in 
 town. In 1866 he sold his farm and moved to 
 Geneva, III., where he bought a flouring-mill and 
 took charge of it for three years, at the same time 
 having connection with a grain and commission 
 house in Chicago. 
 
 Our subject sold his mill and moved to Chicago, 
 where he bought property and continued in the 
 commission business until 1870, when he again sold 
 and went to Chetopa, Labette Co., Kan., with a stock 
 of goods. He located a branch house at Coffe_v- 
 ville, and for two years he took the management of 
 these two stores, in the meantime being engaged 
 in buying and selling cattle, shipping them to 
 Annawan, Henry Co., 111., near which vill.age he 
 owned a stock farm. After selling out his stores 
 in Kansas our subject bought a farm near Dixon, 
 111., and fed cattle on both farms. He sold the 
 Dixon farm in 1875, and again engaged in the 
 commission business in Chicago, in which city his 
 family had continued to reside. 
 
 In the year 1880 Mr. Myers again forsook the 
 commission business, selling his claim, and came to 
 Nebraska in the interest of the Lincoln Land 
 Company'. He bought 360 acres of land in what 
 are now known .as Greenwooil and Paddock 
 Townships, on which the village of Odcll now 
 stands, our subject being instrumental in platting 
 the city. He has since engaged in tiu> mercantile 
 business and again disposed of it. In May, 1883, 
 he established tiie First Commercial Bank, whicli 
 
 ■•► 
 
 f 
 
M^ 
 
 412 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 was an iiuli vicinal bank until March, 1888, when 
 uniler the laws of the State it was organized as a 
 State Bank. He has since continued President, with 
 Franklin Walker as Vice President, and Monroe 
 Robertson, Cashier. They carry on a general bank- 
 ing business, and our subject is also engaged in 
 handling live stock. He is the owner of excellent 
 farming land and valuable town property. 
 
 On the 14th of March, 1855, Mr. Myers was mar- 
 rie<l, in Corning, N. Y., to Miss Elizabeth A. Cress, 
 who was born in Sraithsboro, Tioga Count}', on the 
 Isl of August, 1827. They have become the par- 
 ents of three children : James, Ida and Maggie, 
 the last-named of whom died when she was eighteen 
 months old, and tlie first and second named being 
 at home with their parents. Our subject is a mem- 
 ber of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Republican 
 in politics. He has shown an unusual amount 
 of public spirit and business activity, and in the 
 various cities in which he has been connected with 
 business he has lent his aid to the establishment of 
 reliable firms. Few men who have led such active, 
 busy lives as he have been so universally success- 
 ful in their enterprises. 
 
 " ^ BENEZER MOSES is one of the earliest pio- 
 
 Eneers of Sicily Township, having come here 
 from Delaware Count}', Ohio, in November. 
 1869. He located the farm which he still owns 
 and on which he now lives. When he came here 
 the prairies were not inhabited by white people, the 
 red men still holding undisputed sway over the lands 
 on which the Great Father had placed them. The 
 neighbors were few and far between, there being 
 but seven families of white people, who had their 
 houses built near the creek which runs through the 
 farm of our subject. The Indians then abounded, 
 and they still indulged without molestation in their 
 favorite pastime of hunting, deer and antelope be- 
 ing here in large numbers. 
 
 Our subject was married in Delaware County, 
 Ohio, Feb. 27, 1868, to Mrs. Mahala Cramer, who 
 had previous!}' been the wife of William Cramer, 
 her maiden name, Mahala Hoover. She was the 
 
 mother of two sons by her first marriage, John M. 
 and Jacol) L., who were reared by their mother ami 
 our subject. Soon after Jacob became twenty-one 
 years old both of the boys went to Hayes County, 
 Neb., where they still live, each of them having 
 taken up a claim of land. Jacob was married, on 
 the 27th of August, 1884, to Miss Dora Nickols, of 
 this neighborhood, and with them .lohn now makes 
 his home, their farms adjoining. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Moses have been given a family of 
 six children, of whom Mary, Cyrus E., Laura I. and 
 Emry, are still living, while Clara and Eben are 
 deceased. The wife of our subject departed this 
 life on the 23d of February, 1887, at the age of 
 forty-eight years. During her life she had been an 
 active member of the Methodist Church, an estima- 
 ble and consistent Christian woman. She pos- 
 sessed many amiable qualities, was a kind friend 
 and neighbor, and had faithfully shared with her 
 husband the toils and hardships incident to the life 
 of an early settler in a new and undeveloped coun- 
 try. 
 
 Our subject has a very fine farm consisting of 120 
 acres on section 7, which he has brought to its pres- 
 ent state of cultivation, and on which he has erected 
 good farm buildings. He has had quite an experi- 
 ence in pioneer life, has seen the prairies cleared of 
 their former inhabitants, and in the place of their 
 tents and wigwams there have sprung up countless 
 towns and cities in a thriving and flourishing con- 
 dition, with churches, school-houses, business blocks 
 and handsome residences, all an indication of the 
 rapid progress of civilization in this section of the 
 country. 
 
 When our country was convulsed with the late 
 civil strife, our subject was among the brave men 
 who assisted in her rescue, enlisting in Company B 
 of the Ohio National Guards, on the 28th of May, 
 1863, with which company he remained for six 
 months. Then he enlisted in Company D. 187th 
 Ohio Infantry, in which he served one year, and 
 was discharged on the 2'Jth of February, 1860. 
 With this company he participated in the battle of 
 the Wilderness at Richmond, Va., where they were 
 fighting constantly for seven days. He was also in 
 several smaller engagements, but fortunately he re- 
 ceived no wounds. He is a member of Rawlins 
 
 
i^ 
 
 /^Z^(U^ 
 
► ■ ' ^ » 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 445 
 
 Post No. 35, G. A. R., of Beatrice, and affiliates 
 with the Republican party. To his loyal efforts in 
 her defense, and his unabating zeal in developing 
 her resources, is the country much indebted. 
 
 
 JfACOB KLEIN. There are few more capa- 
 I ble, popular or successful business men than 
 Ij the subject of this sketch, the proprietor of 
 I' the well-known drj- -goods and clothing em- 
 porium in Beatrice. He is a native of Germany, 
 and was born near the city of Bingen, which stands 
 upon the banks of the Rhine, and has been celebrated 
 in song and story. His birth occurred on the 31st 
 of March. 1846. He accompanied his parents, 
 Jacob and Margaret (Weiser) Klein, when they 
 came to the United States in 1855. The family 
 landed in New York Citj', thence went to Peoria, 111., 
 from there across the Illinois River to Tazewell 
 County, where the father leased a farm, and there 
 the}' made their home for over ten 3'ears, after 
 which they removed to Livingston Count}', in the 
 same State. There in 1874 Mrs. Klein departed 
 this life, and was followed on the same m^'sterious 
 journej', in 1879, bj' her husband. Their family 
 included five children, of whom our subject was the 
 3'oungest. 
 
 Jacob attended school in his native country 
 from the age of six to ten 3'ears. The educational pro- 
 cess was continued in the district schools of Illinois 
 for two years; after that he gave his whole time to 
 the work of the farm, remaining with his parents 
 until he was about twenty-three years of age; then 
 he started for himself, at first upon the old home; 
 stead in Livingston County. In 1873 he came to 
 Beatrice, where he has since resided. Immediately 
 upon his arrival he entered into a business partner- 
 ship with Charles Moschel and Emil Lang, under 
 the firm name of J. Klein & Co. This partnership 
 continued until January, 1887, during which time, 
 in answer to the dem.<ind of their business, they had 
 added to their former stock an extensive line of 
 general dry -goods and clothing. Earl3' in 1887 
 the three partners divided up the stock, our sub- 
 ject taking the dry-goods and clothing as his de- 
 
 partment, which has abundantly proved its power 
 to yield a handsome and remunerative profit. 
 
 The business of Mr. Klein is carried on in what 
 is known as the Klein Block, a large, handsome, 
 well-built and substantial building. It is two sto- 
 ries with a ground measurement of 25x110 feet; it 
 is supplied also with a good basement, which is 
 utilized for the purpose of receiving and storing 
 gooils, packages, cases, etc. Since starting for him- 
 self Mr. Klein has added to his stock quite a gen- 
 erous line of furnishing goods; also a hat depart- 
 ment, and another for boots and shoes. He is, 
 perhaps, one of the best established tradesmen in 
 the city, and a worthy representative of the mer- 
 cantile interests, not only of Beatrice but of Eastern 
 Neljraska. 
 
 Mr. Klein was married in the year 1871, the 
 maiden of his choice being Catharine Moschel, of 
 Livingston County, 111., but a native of Germany, 
 who came to America in 18G5. A sketch of her 
 parents is given in the histor3' of her brother, 
 Charles Moschel. Four children have been given 
 to them as the fruit of this union, whose namesare: 
 Jacob A.. Frederick K.. Ida M. and John C. The 
 wife of our subject is the daughter of Christian and 
 Margaret (Schauzen) Moschel, who were born in 
 German}'. 
 
 In addition to his store and his business interests, 
 our subject is largely engaged in other matters. 
 He is a large stockholder, and also a director of 
 the Beatrice Canning Company, and is one of the 
 original twenty who founded the Gage County 
 Agricultural Society. He is also connected with 
 the Beatrice Paper Company, of which he is Vice 
 President, and a member of the School Board. In 
 addition to the above he is .agent for the various 
 ocean steamship companies, and is in power to 
 contract for shipments and sell passenger tickets in 
 the usual way. He is also a Notary Public, ami 
 has quite a large business in the line of collections 
 and foreign exchanges. Upon the list of stock- 
 holders of the Gage County National Bank, the name 
 of our subject is ver}' frequently met with, in fact 
 there are very few, if any, of the various societies, 
 companies and associations that have been pro- 
 jected for tlic benefit and advancement of Bea- 
 trice, with which he has not been identified, and in 
 
 • •► ^ B ^> 
 
446 
 
 4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 every instance an active, sharply intelligent and 
 effective worker, and has devoted himself heartily 
 to the upbuilding of the city of his adoption. 
 
 All that has been accomplished in the life of Mr. 
 Klein, its development and business success, has 
 been practically the result of his own unaided effort, 
 his ambition and business tact, the enterprise and 
 the irrepressible activity, and he is now simply 
 reaping the harvest these have sown in other days. 
 His political opinions are with the Democratic 
 ])artj-, and the influence he wields is alwaj^s in its 
 favor. 
 
 Among the representative citizens of whom por- 
 traits are presented in this volume, the well-known 
 features of Mr. Klein will be welcomed by a host 
 of friends and the public in general. 
 
 ^s^EORGE M. STEECE. Among the citizens 
 (II j__, of Logan Township, there are few who sur- 
 ^^j| pass in any attribute of worth}* manhood and 
 good citizenship the gentleman whoso biography is 
 herein sketched, who, although a representative 
 farmer of the township, is also a member of the 
 bar, and was at one time connected with the edi- 
 torial staff of one of Iowa's well-known papers. The 
 father of our subject. Archibald Stv^ece, was born 
 in Adams County, Ohio, in 1824. His chosen occu- 
 pation in life was that of a stove molder. In 1877 
 he went to Benton Count}', Iowa, and is at present 
 living with his son, our subject. The mother of 
 our subject, whose maiden name was P>llen Sterne, 
 was born in Rockingham County, Va., of which 
 l)lace also her father, William Sterne, though of 
 German descent, was a native. 
 
 Tlie grandfather of our subject was born in 
 Maryland, and afterward removed to Lawrence 
 County. There he founded and operated the Mt. 
 Vernon Furnace, and made his fortune thereby. 
 He died on the Missouri River in 1851, while visit- 
 ing there with a vievv of prospecting for coal lands. 
 His father, the great-grandfather of our subject, 
 came from Holland, and was one of the very earli- 
 est settlers. 
 
 The only child bom to Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan 
 
 Steece was their son George, the subject of this 
 sketch. He was ushered into life in St. Lawrence 
 County, Ohio, on the 2d of July, 1852. He resided 
 with his parents until he attained his majority; 
 after passing successfully through all the classes of the 
 common school he was gi'aduated from the Ironton 
 High .School (Ohio), and was a classmate of the re- 
 nowned Dr. C. F. Creighton, of Lincoln. In 1871 
 he entered the law department at the Ann Arbor 
 University, Mich., and completed, the course, being 
 graduated with honors in 1873, but has never prac- 
 ticed his profession. In Iowa he taught school for 
 several years, and was acknowledged one of the 
 most successful teachers. For four years he was 
 connected with the Benton County Het-ald, a widely 
 circulating journal, and ably conducted. For three 
 years or more our subject worked as its associate 
 editor, and in this department his power was soon 
 recognized. In 1881 he removed to Logan Town- 
 ship, and purchased the place which is still occupied 
 by him, which comprises some 160 acres of well- 
 cultivated, arable land, which has been brought to 
 a very high state of agricultural efficiency from its 
 original condition of untamed prairie. It is abun- 
 dantly furnished with all the improvements that one 
 would expect to find upon any property owned by 
 a gentleman of the ability, taste and education of 
 our subject. Whether attention be directed to 
 house, barn or farm buildings, to orchard, fields or 
 groves, the result is the same, and from each in- 
 spection the verdict would be one of compliment 
 and gratification. One feature of intrinsic value to 
 the property is the Cedar Creek, which, passing 
 through it. provides at all seasons an abundant 
 supply of water. 
 
 In Benton County, Iowa, upon the 20th of 
 January of the year 1879, our subject and Miss 
 Eva Gamlile were united in that closest of all 
 earthly ties, and dearest of all earthly relationships. 
 This lady was born in Wabash County, Ind., on the 
 3d of September, 1860. Her father, George Gamble, 
 at present residing in Pipe Stone County, Minn., is 
 a native of the same county. 'Ihe maiden name of 
 his wife, the mother of our subject, was Mary 
 Squires, also born in Wabash County. She died 
 March 12, 1878. Their family included four 
 children — William. Irene, Homer and Eva. To 
 
-#^ 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 447 ik 
 
 4 
 
 l\Ii-. anf) Mrs. Steece liave been given four chiMren — 
 Lottie, Jessie, Louis L. and Gu^' R. 
 
 Mr. Steece h;is ahvays sustained an interest most 
 intense in everything connected with education, and 
 has filled the ollice of School Director for four 
 years. Both he and Mrs. Steece are devout mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal Ciuirch, and hold 
 their membership at Summit. There are few 
 families more popular or more highly esteemed 
 than this, or more deservedly so. In his political 
 opinions our subject is one with the Republican 
 party, and his political princi|)les are symphonious 
 with theirs. 
 
 J' OHN LYONS, Sr. Familiar among the ear. 
 liest pioneers of tliis countj' is the name of 
 the gentleman which heads this sketch, and 
 who looked upon the face of the country in 
 this section during its first settlement. Of substan- 
 tial stock, the offspring of a sturdy race, his has 
 been a life pregnant with nianj- vicissitudes, and in" 
 which he has looked upon existence in all its phases. 
 Not the least important among his experiences have 
 been those among a pioneer people in the beginning 
 of the development of the Great West, and in the 
 labors which have resulted in the prosperity and 
 wealth of this .section of Nebraska, he has borne no 
 unimportant part. 
 
 John Lj-ons was born Dee. 14, 1827, in Salis- 
 burj', Litchfield Co., Conn. His father, also John 
 Lyons, was a native of England, and his motlier, 
 Charlotte (Bardsley) Lyons, was born in Brookl3'n, 
 N. Y. The ancestry of the father were among the 
 earliest settlers of the no'.v proud "City of Churches," 
 and identified with its subsequent prosperity, which 
 the}- helped to bring about. Their residence there 
 dated from about 1810, and the Lyons family was 
 widel}' and favorably known in that region for sev- 
 eral generations. 
 
 The father of our subject left his native land 
 early in life, and the parents were married in Brook- 
 lyn, N. Y., whence about 1818 they removed to 
 Litchfield Countj-. Conn. The father was a brick- 
 mason and plasterer, but died in 1833, at the early 
 age of thirty-three years. The mother was mar- 
 ried a second lime, but of this latter union there 
 
 were born no children. Of the first there were 
 eight, namely : Amelia. David, Phebe, Mary and 
 Julia, who died in infancy; Charlotte, Jolin and 
 Mary A. Of these but three are living, the two 
 besides our subject being residents of Connecticut. 
 The mother continued lier residence in the latter 
 State for some time, and later took up her abode with 
 her daughter in Berkshire County, M.ass., where she 
 spent her last daj's, and where her death took place 
 Feb. 1 1, 1884, after she had roaclicd the advanced 
 age of ninety years. 
 
 The subject of tliis history began in earnest the 
 battle of life at the early age of seven years, at the 
 death of his father being bound out to one Albert 
 Selleek. of his native county, with whom he was to 
 remain until reaching his majority. At the expira- 
 tion of this time he was to receive a yoke of oxen, 
 a suit of clothes and ten sheep. He labored with 
 little rest and no advantages for education for a 
 period of eleven years, in the meantime receiving 
 harsh treatment from a merciless taskmaster. One 
 of the examples of the cruelty of the latter was 
 beating the boy with twelve apple sprouts until his 
 back was a raw sore. 
 
 As he approached manhood young Lyons con- 
 cluded to stand this mode of life no longer, and 
 accordingly ran awaj-. This procedure was con- 
 sidered a grievous offense. Mr. Selleek advertised 
 him as a renegade who was neither to be harbored 
 nor trusted. The boy. however, in spite of his "rec- 
 ommendations" found friends, and repaired to 
 Dutchess County, N. Y., where he worked at farm- 
 ing until about 1846, and then went to Massachu- 
 setts. After becoming of age he returned to his 
 native county, and the j'ear following w.as united in 
 marriage with one of its most estimable young 
 ladies, Miss Almira Shaw, the wedding taking place 
 .at the home of the bride, Dec. 31. 1849. The 
 young people began the journey of life together in 
 Massachusetts, where Mr. Lyons engaged in farm- 
 ing, and lived there until 1852. 
 
 Mrs. Almira (Shaw) Lyons is the daughter of 
 Stephen P. and Hannah (Hicks) Shaw, who de- 
 scended from some of the finest families of the 
 Empire State, and who were of solid old English 
 stock. She w.as born in Dutchess County. N. Y.. 
 at the country home of her parents in LuGrange 
 
 -^^ 
 
■ ► i r ^- 
 
 " ^ 11 <• 
 
 448 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Township, where she lived until a girl of twelve, 
 reared among the quiet scenes of a Quaker settle- 
 ment. Then she removed with her parents to 
 Litchfield County, Conn., where she remained until 
 her marriage. 
 
 The forefathers of Mrs. Lyons sailed from En- 
 gland in the ship '-Fortune," which was the second 
 to follow the '"Wayflower." in 1G21. Among them 
 was Robert Hicks, of whom she is a lineal descend- 
 ant, and who was a clothes dresser from Loudon. 
 The nest ship, "Ann," brought his wife and chil- 
 dren. They were reunited in the latter part of 
 June. 1G22. Hannah (Hicks) Shaw was of the sev- 
 enth generation of the Hicks family in America. 
 Nothing need here be said of the character and 
 standing of the family in New England, for their 
 history is familiar to everj'one at all posted in 
 regard to the earlj' histor}^ of America. Thej^ were 
 of the solid element of New England, who helped 
 to lay the foundations of its future greatness, and 
 who assisted to instill into its people the spirit of 
 patriotism which eventually made them free. 
 
 Mrs. Lyons was but a maiden of seventeen at the 
 time of her marriage, and on the 8th of November, 
 1850, became the mother of the only son of herself 
 and her husband, whom they named John, and 
 who is now one of the best known and most repu- 
 table citizens of this county, and is represented 
 elsewhere in this woik. In the spring of 1H52 they 
 determined to try their fortunes in one of the rising 
 cities of the West. Accordingly disposing of his 
 interests in Connecticut, Mr. Lyons and his excel- 
 lent wife gathered together their personal effects, 
 and bidding adieu to the friends and associations 
 of their childhood and youth, proceeded by way of 
 tiie lakes to Kenosha, Wis., and renting a farm in 
 that State, followed agriculture for five years. Mr. 
 Lyons then believing that he could do better in the 
 newly opened Territory of Southern Nebraska, re- 
 peated the experiment of removal, taking up his 
 residence among his friends in Adams Township 
 on the 22d of November, 1857, and settling upon 
 land comprising the farm now occupied by George 
 Gale. Mr. and Mrs. Ljons lived squatter fashion 
 in a log cabin for one year, and had in common 
 with the people of that region their full share of 
 hardship and privation. The Shaw family, who 
 
 had preceded them, were the onlj' settlers for miles 
 around, while Indians roamed over the countrj', 
 with eyes alwa3-s open to thievery and mischief. 
 
 Mr. Lyons endured this sort of life until the 
 spring of 1859. In May of that year he changed 
 his location to the present site of Nebraska City. 
 In Maj-. 18G5, the Homestead Law having come 
 into effect, he returned to the Nemaha Valley, 
 and homesteaded 160 acres of land, forty on 
 section 29. forty on section 28, and the bal- 
 ance on section 21. With a portion of this he 
 afterward parted, and is now the owner of 120 
 acres. Upon this he has a comfortable dwelling, 
 and the outbuildings necessary to his convenience, 
 besides the various other appliances gathered to- 
 gether from year to year, and which go toward the 
 formation of the complete home. He has a fine 
 apple orchard, the trees in good bearing condition, 
 and an ample supply of the smaller fruits, currants, 
 gooseberries, grapes and strawberries. 
 
 At one time Mr. Lyons was acquainted with 
 nearlj' all the white people in the three counties of 
 Clay, Gage and Lancaster. He was prominent in 
 its public affairs, voted for the adoption of the State 
 Constitution in 1860 and 1866, and officiated as 
 Justice of the Peace for a term of three 3'ears. He 
 cast his first Presidential vote for Zachary Taylor, 
 and continued uniformly with the Republican 
 party until the election of 1856, when he voted for 
 James Buchanan. Since that time he has supported 
 Republican principles. He united with the Method- 
 ist Episcopal Church in 1866, being one of its 
 charter members in Laona. No man has entertained 
 a deeper interest in the prosperity of Southern 
 Nebraska, and none enjoy in a greater degree the 
 respect of its people. 
 
 fTSAAC SEITZ, Jr. The traveler in passing 
 1^ through the western part of Glenwood Town- 
 /1\ ship cannot fail to notice the fine and well-con- 
 ducted farm embracing 248 acres of fertile land on 
 section 1 9. This has been the property of the sub- 
 ject of this sketch since the fall of 1 885, when he 
 came to this locality from Lee County, 111. He 
 was born ia Dayton, Ohio, Nov. 18, 1843, and was 
 «► 
 
t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 449 
 
 i^ 
 
 taken by his parents when a child two years of age 
 to Lee County, 111., where he was reared to man- 
 hood and remained until coining to this count}'. 
 
 Mr. Seitz was reared as a farmer's bo}-, and to 
 this occupation has given the labors of his man- 
 hood. Possessed with the proper conception of 
 rural life, he has not only made of it a pleasure in 
 the highest sense, but also a source of profit. His 
 land has been brought to a productive condition, 
 and thereon erected not onl}' the buildings essential 
 to the comfort and convenience of the cultured and 
 intelligent household, but those necessary' to the 
 prosecution of agriculture after the most approved 
 methods. The residence, neat and substantial, is 
 flanked bj- fruit and shade trees, the fences are kept 
 in good shape, and the sleek and well-fed live stock 
 add to the interest of the premises. A well-ap- 
 pointed farm enhances the value of property around 
 it, and thus its owner becomes a public benefactor. 
 In this respect Mr. Seitz is one of the most useful 
 members of his community. 
 
 Mr. Seitz commenced the struggle of life on his 
 own account at an earl}' age, and when twenty-six 
 years old was married. Dec. 2, 1869, in AVhiteside 
 County, 111., to Miss Susan Landis, who was born 
 in Pennsylvania and reared in Illinois. They com- 
 menced the journey of life together near Dixon, 
 in Lee County, III., and in due time became 
 the parents of eight children, one of whom, an 
 infant daughter, OIlie, died at the age of eight 
 months. Those surviving are: Cora A., Ervin O., 
 Isaac H., AVilliam A., Agnes M.. Ora L. and Leslie 
 J. Tiie}' are all at home, being carefully trained 
 to habits of industry and honesty, and given the 
 education which will fit them for worthy members 
 of an intelligent community. 
 
 The father of our subject, Isaac Seitz, Sr., was 
 l)orn in Lancaster Count}-. Pa., and upon reaching 
 manhood was married to Miss Elizabeth Flora, who 
 wa-s a native of Somerset C'junty, that State. They 
 soon afterward settled near Dayton, Ohio, but sub- 
 .sequently changed their residence to Lee Count}', 
 111., where both parents si)ent the remainder of their 
 lives. Their family consisted of six children, five 
 sons and one daughter, of whom Isaac, Jr., was the 
 youngest. The twin l)rother of our subject, Abra- 
 ham, lives in Iowa, and his sister near Amboy, III. 
 
 -<• 
 
 The parents of Mrs. Seitz were Henry S. and 
 Fanny (Stauffer) Landis, natives of Pennsylvania, 
 where they were reared and married, and whence 
 they removed to the vicinity of Sterling, Whiteside 
 Co., III., where they still reside, and where the father 
 is engaged in farming. Their family of thirteen 
 children consisted of six girls and seven boys, 
 of whom Mrs. Seitz was the fourth child. She was 
 born March 17, 18.50, and lived with her parents 
 until .assuming control of a home of her own as the 
 wife of our subject. She has aided him in the es- 
 tablishment of one of the most desirable homes in 
 the townshii>. Mr. Seitz is numbered among the 
 most enterprising men of the county, and avails 
 himself of the progressive ideas (jf the day in re- 
 gard to the prosecution of his calling in the most 
 praiseworthy and prodtable manner. In politics he 
 is a Democrat. 
 
 -^ 
 
 r'-^'^ir^ 
 
 IRAM HAUVER is a native of Canada, and 
 \ was born on the 27tli of November, 1822, 
 \^ in Stanbridge Township, situated about 
 ■f^j fifty-five miles from the city of Montreal. 
 He is a son of John and Hannah (Solomon) Hauver, 
 who were natives of Canada. Our subject grew 
 to manhood in his native country, a loyal subject to 
 his Queen, and there learned the trade of a niill- 
 wright, which he followed for about seven years, at 
 the end of which time he turned his attention to 
 farming. 
 
 During his residence in Canada our subject made 
 a visit to some of the States, spending one year in 
 Hot Springs, Ark., and vicinity. In the year 1879 
 he bought a tract of land in this township of the 
 Government, and in January of the year 1880 he 
 came from his native country and settled in this 
 county on section 5, Glenwood Township. He owns 
 160 acres of farming land, on which he is making 
 improvements. It happened that during a severe 
 windstorm in April. 1 885, his house w.-is blown 
 down while the inmates were at home, but fortu- 
 nately none of the family was killed, though our 
 subject and his wife sustained some severe injuries 
 from the falling timbers. 
 
 Mr. Hauver w:us married, Dec. 28, 1849, in Can- 
 
 h 
 
L. 
 
 -•► 
 
 450 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ada, to Miss Elizabeth Douglas, who was born in 
 Yermonl on llie 1st of March. 1823. She is a 
 (laughter of Robert and Jane (Hunter) Douglas. 
 The father was a native of Scollanil, and the mother 
 of England. Our subject and his wife have reared 
 a family of five children, who have grown to man- 
 hood and womanhood. Their names are: Jennie E., 
 William H., Douglas K., Martha E. and L. Edith. 
 Jennie is the wife of Weston W. Wyman, of Low- 
 ell, Mass. ; William II. married Miss Matilda Lange, 
 and resides in this township; he assists bis father in 
 tarniing the home place. Douglas married Miss 
 Lucy Olhet; Martha is the wife of Paul Rochelle, 
 she and her brother Douglas also being residents of 
 Glenwood Township; Edith is engaged in teaching 
 school and resides with her parents. IJy their careful 
 home training and a regard for the excellent princi- 
 ples instilled into their minds by their thoughtful 
 parents, this family of children has been well 
 equipped for useful and honorable positions in 
 social and business life. 
 
 Our subject has acted in the capacity of Road 
 Supervisor for two years, and has been Treasurer 
 of the school funds for four years. He and his 
 wife are prominent members of the Episcopal 
 Church. He affiliates with the Democratic party and 
 keeps himself well informed on all topics of the 
 day. 
 
 'SJONATHAN S. GRABLE. The real-estate 
 I interests of Beatrice and vicinity find one 
 of their most capable representatives in the 
 subject of this sketch, who located in this 
 county in October of 1877. A native of Licking 
 County, Ohio, he was born near the town of Etna, 
 March 10, 1850, and spent his early years amid the 
 peaceful surroundings of country life. 
 
 Jonathan Grable, Sr., the father of our subject, 
 was a native of Northern Virginia, but left the Old 
 Dominion at an early period of his life to settle in 
 the Buckeye State. He was there married to Miss 
 Nancy Essex, who vras the daughter of Isaac Es- 
 sex, also a native of Virginia. Mrs. Nanc}' Grable 
 was born in Licking County, Ohio, and b}^ her 
 union with the father of our subject became the 
 mother of nine children, of whom Jonathan S., 
 ■^« 
 
 of this sketch, was next to the youngest born. Of 
 these four are now living. The mother passed from 
 earth at her home in Etna, Ohio, in 1871. The 
 father died in 1865. 
 
 Young Grable acquired his early education in 
 the district school, but when of suitable years and 
 acquirements became a student at the Wesleyan 
 College in Delaware, Ohio, where he remained under 
 an excellent course of instruction for a period of two 
 years. Then, his father having died, he returned 
 to the farm, where he remained until the death of 
 his mother, which occurred when he was about 
 twenty-one years of age. He was not long after- 
 ward married, Oct. 10, 1871, to Miss Laura Mauger, 
 the wedding taking place at Columbus. Ohio. iMrs. 
 Grable was born in May, 1854, in Licking County, 
 Ohio, and is the daughter of P'rederick and Hester 
 Mauger, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Her 
 father is deceased, and her mother is living in Bea- 
 trice. 
 
 After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Grable continued on 
 the home farm until 1877, when Mr. Grable resolved 
 to cast his lot among the people of Southern Ne- 
 braska. Coming to this county he located first on a 
 farm in Logan Township, and which was situated 
 about four miles east of the city of Beatrice. Here he 
 effected considerable improvement, bringing to a 
 fair state of cultivation 320 acres of fertile land, 
 and continuing a practical agriculturist until 1880, 
 when he changed his location and occupation, leav- 
 ing the farm to eng.age in the harness business in 
 the city, becoming the successor of Charles Everet, 
 and carrying on this business three years. In 1884 
 he became interested in real-estate and abstr.act 
 business, associating himself with J. L. Tait, with 
 whom he operated until the fall of 1887, when the 
 latter disposed of his interest in the business to 
 Mr. S. K. Davis. A short time since Mr. Grable 
 bought out Mr. Davis' interest. He occupies con- 
 venient offices and has all the facilities for the set- 
 tlement of property matters, including a full set of 
 abstract books, thus being able to adjust in a prompt 
 and correct manner the various questions continu- 
 ally arising in the transfer of lands and lots. 
 
 Mr. Grable deals largely in city property, of 
 which lie has secured some valuable ground and 
 a good residence. His family includes six children, 
 
I 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ■151 
 
 foui- bojs and two girls: Harle}' C, Carlton F., 
 Bertie M., Bianclie, Ernest .S. and Laura T. Mr. 
 Grable has held the ofBce of City Treasurer in Bea- 
 triee, and is regarded as one of its most prompt 
 and reliable business men. He is a Director and 
 stockholder in tlie Beatrice Street Railway' in both 
 the northern and southern portions of the city, and 
 is identified in a similar manner with the Masonic 
 Temple Buildingand the Beatrice Paper Mill Com- 
 pany. He is also one of the organizers of the Bea- 
 trice Inter-State Chautauqua Association, and one 
 of its five owners. He is public spirited and lib- 
 eral, and to the enterprises calculated for the prog- 
 ress and welfare of the city gives uniform and 
 generous support. 
 
 WjILLIAM D. NICHOLLS, a worthy repre- 
 sentative of the real-estate interests of the 
 citj' of Beatrice and vicinity, is a native 
 of the Dominion of Canada, having been born in 
 the Province of Ontario, near the county seat of 
 Peterborough, on the 1.5th of June, 1841. He was 
 next to the youngest of the four children compris- 
 ing the family of William C. and Ann (Davie) 
 Nicholls, who were of English ancestry and natives 
 of Bristol, England. 
 
 Walter B. Nicholls, the paternal grandfather of 
 our subject and a native of London, England, was a 
 chandler, and spent his last j'ears in Peterborough, 
 Canada. His son AVilliam C. followed farming, 
 and is still living in Canada, having now arrived 
 at the advanced age of eighty-one years. The 
 mother died in 185'J. William D., of our sketch, 
 spent his earlj' years upon the farm, and acquired 
 his earliest lessons in the common school. He as- 
 sisted his father in the development of a tract of 
 land, and later, with his brother John B., cleared 200 
 acies from heav}' limber in his native Provnice. 
 He continued a resident of the Dominion until 
 twentj'-six j-ears of age, then coming over into the 
 .States, proceeded westward across the Mississippi, 
 and changing his occupation, became a traveling 
 salesman for the firm of Van Brunt <t Sons, dealers 
 in farm implements. In the pursuance of this 
 4* 
 
 business he compassed a large portion of the State 
 of Iowa, and withdrew from it on the 1st of Janu- 
 ar}', 1875. 
 
 Mr. Nicholls, while a resident of Atlantic. Iowa, 
 was united in marriage, Dec. 18, 1874, to Miss 
 Ada L. Pellctt, who was born in Susquehanna 
 Count}-, Pa., July 21, 1851. She made her home 
 with her brothers, and was the first lady teacher in 
 Atlantic, Iowa. Her parents. Jason and Delia Pel- 
 lett, took up their residence near Atlantic, Iowa, 
 about 1888, where the father follows farming and 
 both parents now reside. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholls 
 in January, 1875, moved to Beatrice, and Mr. N. 
 became general agent and traveling salesman in 
 the interests of the McCormick Reaper Companj', 
 of Chicago. He was thus occupied three years, 
 and until the 1st of January, 1878, when he es- 
 tablished in business on his own account in the 
 sale of farm implements, in which he built up a 
 good trade, and continued until Jan. 1, 1884. Then 
 selling out, he first treated himself to a visit to his 
 old home in Canada, and upon his return to Bea- 
 trice became interested in real estate, to which he 
 has since devoted his time and attention. He has 
 been largely interested in farming lands, having 
 transactions throughout Nebraska, Kansas, Colo- 
 rado and Dakota. His office is over Begole & Van 
 Arsdale's dry-goods store. No. 505 Court street. 
 Mr. Nicholls owns a fine three-story brick, which 
 occupies No. 211 Court street, and in the trans- 
 action of his business is supplied with the ab- 
 stracts and all the other appliances necessary for 
 the adjustment of titles and other questions con- 
 stantly arising. 
 
 To our subject and his w-ife there have been 
 born seven children, viz: Walter J., William A., 
 Mary L., Clara M., Lee E., Marjorie E. and Mona. 
 The eldest is thirteen years of age, and the young- 
 est two. They occupy a snug home on the corner 
 of Ames and Seventh streets, and a good position 
 among the cultivated people of the city. Mr. 
 Nicholls is a member of the Board of Trade, is 
 prompt and reliable in his business transactions, 
 and, beginning in life without means and other re- 
 sources than his own industry and perseverance, 
 is an admirable illustration of the self-made man. 
 Besides his city properly, which compiises seveuty- 
 '■ ■» 
 
 i 
 
h 
 
 452 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Hr 
 
 tliree town k>t.s aiirl the business bouse already 
 si)oken of. lie has about $8,000 worth of business 
 anrl residence property in the city. In politics 
 Jlr. Nieholls is a member of the third party, or 
 Prohibitionist. 
 
 (^^HOMAS MAYBOKN. The subject of this 
 slcetch, one of the most highly respected 
 citizens of Glenw^ood Township, an ex-sol- 
 dier of the Union army, and a farmer in good cir- 
 cumstances, is pleasantly located on section 31, 
 where he has a fine homestead and is surrounded 
 with all the comforts of life. A native of Dover, 
 England, he was born Nov. 19, 1843, and emi- 
 grated to America with his parents when but a 
 child. Thej' first settled in Oneida Count}', N. Y., 
 but a year and a half later changed their location 
 to Stark County, 111., wheie Thomas acquired his 
 earl)' education in the common schools and devel- 
 oped into manhood. 
 
 Young Mayborn was still in Illinois upon the 
 outbreak of the late war, and on the '2oth of Sep- 
 tember, 1861, while on a visit to New York State, 
 enlisted in Company A, 14th New York- iTifantry. 
 In the battle of ISIalvern Hill, Va., he was wounded 
 in the right thigh by a minie ball, on account of 
 which he was incapacitated from further service, 
 and was compelled to accept his honorable dis- 
 charge. In the meantime, while lying helpless, he 
 was captured by the rebels, but fortunately re- 
 leased on parole twenty-seven days later. He left 
 the service in December, 1862, and returned to 
 Stark County. 111., remaining there unable to do 
 any labor for more than a 3'ear. AVith the excep- 
 tion of a year spent in the army, he was a resident 
 of that part of the Prairie State until crossing the 
 Mississippi into Page County, Iowa, where he was 
 a sojourner until coming to Nebraska in the spring 
 of 1881. 
 
 The homestead of our subject embraces 160 
 acres of land, upon which he has effected good im- 
 provements, carefully cultivating the soil, setting 
 out fruit and shade trees, and surrounding his fam- 
 ily with the comforts and conveniences of modern 
 life. He gives his attention largely- to stock-rais- 
 
 ing, although the cereals form no unimportant part 
 of the products of his labor. 
 
 The parents of our subject were Thomas and 
 Caroline (Harding) Mayborn, also of English birth 
 and parentage. The father was a farmer by occu- 
 pation ; his death took place in Stark County, HI. 
 The mother is yet living, and a resident of Wash- 
 ington County. Kan. The household circle in- 
 cluded six children, five sons and one daughter, of 
 whom our subject was the eldest. He was married 
 in Stark County, III., April 9, 186.5, to Miss Re- 
 becca, daughter of James and Ann (Carter) .ler- 
 reras, who were natives of England, and emigrated 
 to the United States about 1832. Mrs. M.ay born 
 was born April 5, 1845, in Oneida County, N. Y., 
 and was the fourth in a family of eight children, 
 four sons and four daughters. Of these four are 
 living, and residents of Nebraska. Kansas and Iowa. 
 The mother died in Oneida Countj', N. Y., about 
 1850. The father is still living, and a resident of 
 Washington County, Kan. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Maj'born there have been born 
 four children — Thomas W.. James A., George H. 
 and Charles H. The eldest is twenty-one years 
 of age, and the j-oungest six. In politics Mr. 
 Ma3'born is a member of the Republican part}', and 
 has served in his township as School Treasurer and 
 Road Supervisor. 
 
 (W_^ENRY J. RANDALL, of the firm of R.andall 
 1^ & Sons, carrying on a prosperous business 
 in paper-hanging and house and sign paint- 
 ing, has been established in the city of Bea- 
 trice since the spring of 1880, and is now numbered 
 among its well-to-do business men. He was born 
 in Wiltshire, England, Feb. 14, 1840. and was the 
 second child of Frederick and Ann (Rogers) Ran- 
 dall, whose family included five sons and two 
 daughters. Of these five are living, and resitling 
 mostly in the United States. 
 
 The parents of our subject, in 1851, when Henry 
 J. was a lad of eleven years, emigrated to America 
 with their little family and settled on a farm in 
 Sullivan County, N. Y. There the father died 
 twelve years later, in 1863. The mother is still living, 
 
 »► 
 
L 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 455 
 
 and makes her home with a daugliter in the Empire 
 Slate. Oiir siiliject si)ent his boyhood under the 
 parental roof, acquiring a eomnion-sehool education. 
 At tlie age of seventeen he began his apprentice- 
 ship ns a painter, wliich he followed in New York 
 State for a perioil of four years, and became tlior- 
 oughly acquainted with all branches of the business. 
 He finally embarked in business for himself at Mid- 
 dleton, Orange Co., N. Y., and was greatly pros- 
 pered. Finall}-, however, desirous of a change of 
 location, he came to Nebraska, locating in the city 
 of Beatrice, where he has since remained. The 
 headquarters of the firm are at No. 617 Court 
 street, where they have a convenient location and 
 all the appliances necessary for good work. 
 
 Mr. Randall, at the age of twenty-three, was mar- 
 ried in Sullivan County, N. 'i ., Oct. 1, 1863, to 
 Miss Polly, daughter of Bradley and Eliza (Burr) 
 Sherwood, who were at that time residents of Sul- 
 livan County. The mother of Mrs. Randall was a 
 direct descendant of Aaron Burr, whose career is a 
 matter of histor\-. Mr. Randall's wife was born 
 April 4, 1843, in Sullivan. N. Y. The parental 
 household included eight children, and all are living. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Randall there have l)een born 
 five children, three sons and two daughters, namely : 
 George F., Frederick W., William F., Isabel and 
 Carrie. Our subject, politically, affiliates with the 
 Republican party. Socially, he belongs to the Mod- 
 ern Woodman. A portion of his capital is invested 
 in fifty acres of valuable lan<l just outside the city 
 limits, where he resides. 
 
 -^^B- 
 
 i' 
 
 • DWARD C. LEIGH. The subject of this 
 
 E biography, a leading business man of Blakely 
 Township, is also one of its most successful 
 farmers and stock-growers, and makes a specialty of 
 high-grade Durham cattle. At the head of his herd 
 are " Drapo " and " Geneva George." registered 
 animals, bred in Illinois by Col. Fulkerson. and 
 which have already attained quite a reputation in 
 the West. The former brings down the scales at 
 2,000 pounds, and is the largest of his kinrl in this 
 county. 
 
 Mr. Leigh has been a stock-dealer for a period of 
 
 nine years, raising and feeding and shipping to the 
 Eastern markets. lie has a large tract of land, 840 
 acres, provided with suitable buildings and the 
 other appliances necessary for the successful carry- 
 ing on of this branch of agriculture. He keeps 
 about 200 head of cattle all the year round, and 
 usually about fifty to seventy-five head of calves, 
 which are mostly full-bred. He supplies the cattle- 
 men of this region with sonic of their best breeding 
 stock. 
 
 Our subject has lieen a resident of this county 
 since the fall of 1879, when he located on a part of 
 the land comprising his present farm. He has 
 given his attention mainly since that time to stock- 
 raising. His land lies on sections 29 and 30, and his 
 home is on the former. Formerly he had been a 
 resident of Jersey County, 111., where he was born 
 June 15, 1849, in the town of Jersey ville. His par- 
 ents were natives respectively of England and 
 Pennsjivania; the mother was born near Phila- 
 delphia. His father w.as a farmer by occupation, 
 and the parents continued residents of the Keystone 
 State until 1844. Then, resolving upon a change 
 of location, they emigrated with their little family' 
 to Jersej^ County, III., where Thomas Leigh engaged 
 in farming, and where with his excellent wife he 
 still lives, both having arrived at an advanced age. 
 
 Thomas Leigh, the father of our subject, was 
 born in Lancaster, England, and emigrated with 
 his parents to the United States when a little lad six 
 years of age. They located in Bucks Countj-, Pa., 
 where the paternal grandparents of our subject spent 
 the remainder of their da3's and died when ripe in 
 years. Thomas Leigh is now eighty years old, and h.is 
 made for himself a record as an honest man and a good 
 citizen. He was reared in a Quaker community and 
 still holds to the religious belief of that peace-loving 
 sect. The mother of our subject was in her girl- 
 hood Miss Martha Van Horn, and, Ijke her husband, 
 is a Quiiker in religious belief. She is seventy-eight 
 3'ears old, and li.as fulfilled her duties as wife and 
 mother in the most praiseworlhj- manner, meriting 
 the esteem and confidence of all who know her. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is the youngest of three 
 sons and one daughter. One son, Augustus, died 
 in Jerseyville when about twenty-one years old. 
 The other son and the daughter are residents of 
 
 ^ 
 
 r 
 
-4^ 
 
 45G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Jersey vLlIe. Eflward C. remainerl with his parents 
 in Jersey ville, III., until eighteen years of age, then 
 going eastwarrl to Trenton, N. J., completed his 
 education later at the business college there. UiJOn 
 leaving school he returned to Illinois, and on the 
 22d of Februar}', 1871, was united in marriage with 
 Miss Nettie J. Snell, the wedding taking place at 
 the home of the bride in Jerseyville. Mrs. Leigh, 
 like her husband, was also Ijorn in Jersey County, 
 111., Feb. 12, 1851. Her parents, Asa and Priscilla 
 (Landon) Snell, were natives of Vermont, where 
 they were reared and married, and whence they 
 emigrated afterward to Illinois. They settled in 
 Jersey County about 1840, among the pioneers of 
 that region. The father tilled the soil successfully 
 the remainder of his life, built up a good home 
 from the wilderness, and departed hence in January, 
 1876. Tlie mother survives, and makes her home 
 with her children at the old farm iu Jersey County. 
 Although quite aged, she is still active and indus- 
 trious, and attends quite regularly the services of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which she has 
 been a member for several years. The Snell family 
 included fourteen children, six sons and eight 
 daughters, eleven of whom are living. Mrs. Leigh 
 received careful home training and a good educa- 
 tion in the common schools of Jerseyville, where 
 she remained until her marriage. Of her union 
 with our subject there have been born six children, 
 namely : Laura, Nettie, Augustus, Cora, Martha and 
 Lucretia. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leigh after their marri.nge lived in 
 Jerseyville for a period of eight years, where Mr. L. 
 was most of the time connected with the bankino'- 
 house of Cross & Swollow, occupying a responsible 
 position as confidential clerk, and enjoying iu a more 
 than ordinary degree the coniidence and esteem of 
 the firm. This experience proved invaluable to 
 him, giving him a fine insight into the proper 
 methods of transacting business, and in addition to 
 his natural capacities, has been the secret of his suc- 
 cess. His excellent wife is a member of the Con- 
 gregational Church, at Blakely. Mr. L. has always 
 been interested in Sunday-school work, and has 
 proved himself very efficient in the establishment 
 and maintenance of the schools wherever he has 
 been. He takes an active part, officiating as teacher 
 
 -^•^ 
 
 and contributing in a substantial manner to its en- 
 couragement and support. Politicall}', he votes the 
 straight Republican ticket, and socially-, belongs to 
 the 1. O. O. F. and K. of P. 
 
 ••w-«*iiea'®^ 
 
 i/^^j2ra>-"./w. 
 
 IE 
 
 LI SCHOCK, a retired farmer, and at present 
 engaged in the manufacture of sorghum, 
 has been a resident of Blue Springs since 
 the spr.ing of 1887. His fine two-stor^' residence 
 on Saunders street invariably attracts the attention 
 of the passer-by, and is indicative of the enterprise 
 and ample means of the proprietor, while its sur- 
 roundings are suggestive of the comforts and re- 
 finements of the complete modern home. Mr. 
 Schock has here three acres of land, which in time 
 he proposes to divide into town lots which will net 
 him a snug sum of money. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is the offspring of a 
 good family', being the son of George Schock, who 
 was born in Union County, Pa., in 1799. He ac- 
 quired a good common-school education, and after- 
 ward learned the carpenter trade, which he followed 
 a number of years in Ohio, locating in Seneca 
 County near the j'oung town of Bellevue, and 
 giving at that early day as high as $40 an acre. 
 He owned and operated this until the spring of 
 1870, adding to the labors of general farming that 
 of stock-raising, in which he met with fine success. 
 In the year mentioned he sold his land at §100 per 
 acre, which fact speaks vvell for the manner in which 
 he had improved the land and cultivated the soil. 
 The homestead was recognized as one of the most 
 desirable in that part of the Buckeye State. 
 
 From Ohio the father of our subject migrated to 
 St. Joseph County, Mich., settling on ICO acres of 
 land three miles northeast of Three Rivers, and 
 which he still owns. This also he brought to a fine 
 state of cultivation, and* has one of the most val- 
 uable homesteads in that region. Tlie elder Schock, 
 as the result of a temperate life and correct hiibits, 
 is still iu the enjoyment of health and strength, 
 and every two years visits his children in this 
 State. The mother in her girlhood was Miss Lucy 
 U. AVare, aud was born in Union County, Pa., in 
 1804. She removed with her parents to Ohio at 
 
 1 
 
.h 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 457 
 
 i' 
 
 the nge of ten ^-ears, aiul eontinucd a member of 
 tlie lioiiseliold cii'cle until her marriage. Slie is 
 still livinir, and with iier husband has passed be- 
 j'ond tlie age usually allotted mankind, beini^ eighty- 
 four years of age, while Mr. SchocJ^ is eighty-nine. 
 They are devoted members of the German Reformed 
 Church, and Mr. Sohoek in his younger j'ears was 
 particularly active in Sundiiy -school work, ofliciat- 
 ing as Superintendent from the time he was a young 
 man until the weight of years rendered this im- 
 practicable. 
 
 John Schock, the paternal grandfather of our 
 subject, was also a native of Union County, Pa., 
 and was born about 1778. He acquired a good 
 common-suhoo! education, and emplo3ed himself 
 in farm pursuits, rem.'iining in his native State until 
 after his majoritj'. He then, in 181.5, migrated to 
 Seneca County, Ohio, where he secured a tract of 
 wild land, which in due time he transfoimed into 
 one of the finest farms of that region. lie was the 
 father of eight children, all of whom lived to ma- 
 ture years. After the death of his wife he made 
 his home with his son George, in Ohio, where he 
 spent the remainder of his days, dying about 1881. 
 Grandfather Schock was a Lutheran in religion, and 
 a man of good business capacity. 
 
 Eli .Schock, our subject, was born in Seneca 
 County, Ohio, May 14, ISoO, and was a resident of 
 his n.ative State until a 3^outh of sixteen years. He 
 received a common-school education, and upon 
 leaving home made his way to St. Joseph County, 
 Mich., with his parents, and completed his studies 
 in the school at Three Rivers. After attaining bis 
 majority he worked for his f.ather one year, then 
 making his way to this State, purchased 160 acres 
 of land' in Sicil}' Township, from which he im- 
 proved a good farm, erected suitable buildings and 
 met with fine success, adding to general agriculture 
 the business of stock-raising. He was thus em- 
 ployed for a period of ten years, then selling out, 
 changed his residence to Blue Springs, and estab- 
 lished himself in the business where he may now 
 be found. He is still a young man comparatively, 
 with a prospect of many years yet before him, and 
 enjoys the confidence and esteem of hosts of friends. 
 
 The marriage of our subject with Miss .Susan 
 Steiimietz, of St. Joseph, Mich., was celebrated at 
 
 M* 
 
 the home of the bride, Aug. IG, 1877. The young 
 people commenced the journey of life together in 
 Gage County, Neb., and an; now the parents of 
 four children, viz: IClson L., Ora Sabilla. Jesse Jas- 
 per and Olivia Oretta. They foi'm a bright and 
 interesting group, of whom the parents may well 
 be proud, and are being given those advantages 
 suited to their position in life. 
 
 Mrs. Schock was born in Northampton County, 
 Pa., March 25, ISliO, and is the daughter of (J ideon 
 Steinmetz, a native of Pennsylvania, and a farmer 
 by occupation. The family left the Keystone State 
 when their daughter Susan was young in years, emi- 
 grating to St. Joseph County, Mich., and at once 
 taking possession of a tract of land, where the father 
 tilled the soil until the spring uf 1878. The par- 
 ents are still living, in Rice County, Kan. Their 
 family consisted of thirteen children, four sons and 
 three daughters still living, residents of Kansas, Col- 
 orado and Nebraska. Susan, Mrs. .Schock, in com- 
 mon with her brothers and sisters was given a good, 
 practical education .and received careful home train- 
 ing. Both she arid her husband arc menil)ers in 
 good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 and active in Sunday-school work. 
 
 : ; Co ■:= 
 
 »♦ — _*\f^ 
 
 ERD GERDES. Barncston Township h.as 
 more honorable, thoroughly practical 
 ^^^1) and successful farmers or stock-raisers than 
 the subject of this biographical sketch. He is a 
 native of Germ.any, and vv.as born on the 10th of 
 November, 1852, in Hanover, to Gerd and Trantje 
 Gerdes, both natives of the same country, and the 
 former of whom is deceased. The family emigrated 
 to the United .States in the year 18G9, and after 
 some prospecting settled iuAtchison Count}', Mo. 
 
 Our subject received a good education in his 
 native country, and since coming to America has 
 learned suflicient to form quite a good English edu- 
 cation. He came to this county in 1883, and set- 
 tled where he now resides, upon section 32, where 
 he owns 200 acres of land ; he also owns eighty 
 acres in Marshall County, Kan., both being op- 
 erated as general grain and stock farms. His prop- 
 erty- is quite valuable, well watered and unusually 
 
 ^ 
 
 f 
 

 4o8 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 fertile; his harvests as a rule are quite large, and his 
 stock of the highest order. 
 
 The parents of our subject were the recipients of 
 seven children, of whom Gard. our subject, is the 
 youngest. His father died in 1874, in Atchison 
 County, Mo., having lived to the age of seventy- 
 three years. His mother, who has reached the ad- 
 vanced age of seventy-four, makes her home with 
 our subject at Barneston. Mr. Gerdes was reared 
 in the faith of the Lutheran Church in his native 
 countr}-, and has continued in the same ever since, 
 and is at present affiliated with tiie congregation in 
 Barneston Township, and is among the most devout 
 of the communion. 
 
 -^t^' J»l^ 
 
 <*?*^-*<^S^~ 
 
 WILLIAM O. LANGWORTHY. About 
 thirteen years ago the subject of this sketch 
 decided to cast his lot with the people of 
 Southern Nebraska, and accordingly pitched his 
 tent upon a portion of the land which he now oc- 
 cupies, and which is eligibly located on section 32, 
 in Blakel3' Township. Here he has effected the 
 improvements naturally resulting from continued 
 industry upon the spot which a man calls home, and 
 where his interests most closely center. 
 
 Before coming to this State Mr. Langworthy 
 was a resident of Woodford County, 111., where he 
 had carried on farming for a period of sixteen 
 years. He had removed from Peoria County to 
 that section in 18Gl,and came to Nebraska in I87G. 
 In Peoria, 111,., he had carried on carpentering, at 
 which he had served a regular apprenticeship, and 
 had operated considerably in the South, largely in 
 Alabama. In Illinois he was a contractor, and as 
 the result of his labors handled a large amount of 
 money, and was very successful. 
 
 Mr. Langworthy is a native of Devonshire, En- 
 gland, where his birth took place July 1, 1812. He 
 came to the United States in 1830, when a young 
 man twenty-four years of age, and soon went South, 
 traveling over a large portion of that region both 
 for pleasure and recreation and in pursuit of his 
 business. His father, Robert Langworthy, was born 
 and spent his entire life in Devonshire, where he, 
 too, carried on the trade of carpenter in connection 
 
 with undertaking. The mother, Mrs. Sarah (Oldrej') 
 Langworthy, was born and reared not far from the 
 home of her husband, and there passed away some 
 3'ears after the death of her liusband. They were 
 people of the highest respectability and worth, and 
 members in good standing of the Church of England. 
 Their family consisted of ten children, six sons and 
 four daughters, of whom William, our subject, is 
 the sole survivor. 
 
 In his native England Mr. Langworthy received 
 a good education, and was reared in a manner be- 
 fitting the son of worthy and intelligent parents. 
 He learned the carpenter trade under the instruction 
 of his father, and was well qualified upon coming to 
 this country to make his own way in the world. 
 Upon taking up his abode in Woodford County, 
 111., he abandoned the bench for farming. He had 
 met and married in New York City Miss Caroline 
 Oldrey, who was also of English birth and parentage, 
 and who first opened her eyes to the light among 
 the Devonshire hills, on the lOtli of March, 1813. 
 Mrs. Langworthy is the only daughter of her father, 
 Samuel Oldrey, by his last marriage, her mother in 
 her girlhood having been Miss Ann Furneaux. The 
 Oldrey family was an old and highly respected one 
 in Devonshire, and generally well-to-do, accumulat- 
 ing a large amount of property. 
 
 The parents of Mrs. Langworthy lived to a ripe 
 old age, maintaining that consistent Christian char- 
 acter in keeping with their almost lifelong connec- 
 tion with the Church of England. Their family 
 consisted of five children, three of whom are living 
 in England. Miss Caroline received the advantages 
 of the best local schools, and was taught bj" a 
 careful mother those household duties which are 
 so important to the comfort and happiness of a 
 home. Being bright and ambitious to do for her- 
 self, she went to the city of London when quite 
 3'oung, and after the manner of those times applied 
 herself to domestic employments, and also- became 
 a skilled seamstress. She finally' became a lady's 
 maid, and thence advanced to the position of trus'.ed 
 housekeeper. Subsequently she was raised to the 
 post of companion, and in this capacity traveled 
 over the whole of the English Empire, including 
 Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France. Being pos- 
 sessed of more than usual intelligence, this oppor- 
 
 I •► 
 
 t 
 
■^•- 
 
 ^-•^l--*« 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 459 
 
 tunity for instruction and observation was improved 
 by her to the utmost, and she retains to this day 
 a clear recollection of the cities she visited and tlie 
 incidents connected therewith. In addition to this 
 she has been an exhaustive reader of English and 
 Scotch history. It is seldom there is met with a 
 lady of brighter intellect, or one who has made such 
 good use of her time and opportunities. 
 
 Mrs. Langworthy made the acquaintance of our 
 subject in England, having been born in the same 
 parish, and by previous arrangement joined him 
 in the United States, May 4, 1853. They were 
 married in New York City, on the 16tli of May, 
 1853, and commenced the journey of life together 
 in a snug home at Peoria, 111. Mrs. L. has been 
 the efficient helper of her husband in all his under- 
 takings, being equally interested with him in the 
 building uj) of their homestead. Their union has 
 been blessed b}' the birth of six children, two of 
 whom, Sarah 0. and Sarah J., died in early childhood ; 
 John owns a farm in Jefifersou Count3', but lives 
 with his parents; AYilliam R. owns and operates a 
 farm in Chase County; he married Miss Florence 
 Stansbur^-, of Jefferson Count}'. Lewis manages 
 the home farm; and Carrie is the wife of W. N. 
 Sparks, a well-to-do farmer of Lincoln Township. 
 
 Mr. Laugworthj-, upon becoming a naturalized 
 citizen, identified himself with the Republican 
 party, of which he has since been a cordial sup- 
 porter. Both he and his wife belong to the Episco- 
 pal Church, but they give liberal contributions to 
 other churches. The}' occupj^ a good position 
 among the better element of Gage Counts, and 
 have contributed materially to its moral and intel- 
 lectual advancement. 
 
 — ^•S^sOSr-i 
 
 " ^^i) 
 
 ■■■ :ax: -<» 
 
 , LIAS C. WILCOX. The father of our sub- 
 
 ^ ject, Levi V. Wilcox, was born about the 
 
 ]L=^ i year 1797 at New Providence, Essex Co., 
 
 N. J., fifteen miles from New York City. There 
 
 he received a common-school education, after which 
 
 he moved to Ohio, settling near New Lebanon. 
 
 i" 
 
 ' For two j'ears he was engaged in filling a contract 
 on the Miami Canal, building several sections, his 
 l)art of it being in the vicinity known as Shaker 
 Swamps. When he w.as about forty years old he 
 
 ] moved to Fountain Count}', Ind., on the Wabash 
 River, in which place he bought a' farm and spent 
 some time in making improvements on it. Then 
 selling this land, he crossed the AVabash River into 
 Warren Count}', and there im|)roved 400 acres of 
 land, on which he resided until the time of hisdeatii 
 in 1854. 
 
 As to his birth our subject cannot tell positively, 
 but in the year 1850, while tramping across a field 
 in New Jersey, in the neighborhood of his late 
 father's home, lie found a turtle with the name of 
 
 j his father and the date 1815 cut on it. About the 
 year 1816 the father of our subject married Miss 
 Hulda Crane, of New Jersey. They were the par- 
 
 I ents of eight children, of whom four are still living, 
 
 ■| all having arrived at the age of maturity save one, 
 whose death occurred at the age of nineteen, and a 
 sister at fourteen years of age. Those who are sur- 
 viving are Col. Frank Wilcox, of Champaign, 111.; 
 Mrs. Annie Adkison, of Winterset, Iowa; John 
 Wilcox, a farmer at Storm Lake, and our subject. 
 Hulda Crane was the daughter of John Crane, of 
 New Jersey, her death occurring in Indiana in the 
 year 1837, at about thirty-seven years of age. Her 
 father was a farmer in New Jersey, his land lying 
 along the Passaic River one mile from New Provi- 
 dence. He belonged to Capt. Wood's minute men 
 of Revolutionary War fame. He was born about 
 the year 1762, and died on the 4th of March, 1844. 
 His wife was Miss Betsey Mulfurd, who died 
 in 1828. 
 
 Levi Wilcox, the grandfather of our subject, w.as 
 born in New Jersey about the year 1760. He was 
 a farmer in Essex County (now known as Union 
 County), and he also belonged to Capt. Wood's 
 minute men. He married Miss Esther Valentine, 
 and to them were born four children, as follows: 
 Daniel M. AVilcox; Rachel, who married William 
 Van Blarkam, of Paterson, N. J. ; Betsey, who married 
 Capt. Joseph Doly. of the same section, and for her 
 second husband Joseph Wilson, of Morristown. N. 
 J.; and Levi V., the father of our subject. Levi 
 Wilcox died in 1843, aged about fourscore years. 
 ■► 
 
i 
 
 -4•- 
 
 460 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 His wife died in 1836, our subject living witii her 
 at the time. 
 
 AVilliam Wilcox was born in New Jersej', and 
 died at the age of sixty-six years, having lived on 
 tile same tract of land as that occupied by his 
 family, his death occurring before the memory of 
 our subject. He had four sons, one of whom fol- 
 lowed Daniel Boone to Kentucky, and soon lost his 
 life there. Peter Wilcox, the father of William, 
 arrived from England in 1736, and the Elizabeth- 
 town Association surveyed to him 400 acres of 
 land in New Jersey. This is shown by the records 
 in the Presbyterian Church at Westfleld, N. J. Levi 
 V. Wilcox served as Deput}^ .Sheriff in his native 
 Stale. All of tiiese ancestors of our subject were 
 members of the Methodist Church, and with his 
 grandfather Wilcox, Lorenzo Dow used frequently 
 to stop. The descendants are still living on the 
 family farm, the only living brother of Hulda Crane 
 now residing near Vallisca, Iowa, aged eighty- 
 six j^ears. 
 
 Elias C. Wilcox, our subject, was born on the 4th 
 of February, 1822, iu Essex County, N. J. He re- 
 ceived a good common-school education, after 
 which he worked on the farm of his grandfather, 
 living vvith him until seventeen years of .age. He 
 then clerked for two years for Woodruff & Co., of 
 Elizal)ethtown, and iu 1841 he went to Indiana 
 and joined his parents. For awhile he worked on a 
 farm, after which he clerked in a store until 1847, 
 when he was appointed Collector of Tolls on the 
 AVab.ash Canal, at Covington, Ind. He received 
 his appointment from Stearns Fixher, well known as 
 the Superintendent of the State Public Works, and 
 held his position until the fall of 1854, when he was 
 elected Clerk of the Court for Fountain County 
 on the Republican ticket, or rather Whig, the Re- 
 publican party hardly being then born. He was re- 
 elected in 1858 for the same olHce, and held his 
 position until November. 1862. 
 
 From that date until the close of the war our sub- 
 ject occupied the position of Provost Marshal for 
 Fountain County, having his headquarters in Cov- 
 ington, the place of his home. He spent the 
 summer of 1866 in traveling over the State of Ar- 
 kansas in behalf of the Western Stage Company. 
 He was there opening mail routes and ai)pointing 
 
 Postmasters, for which he had a commission from 
 the Government alread}' signed, our subject taking 
 bond and returning to the Government. The next 
 year he moved to Champaign Count}'. III., where 
 he raised a very large crop of grain and 160 acres 
 of corn, the latter selling at eighty cents per 
 bushel. 
 
 In the spring of 1868 our subject moved to 
 Union County. Iowa, where he bought a new farm 
 of 160 acres, and improved it with a house, barn 
 and other farm buildings He remained there two 
 years, and in the fall of 1869 he was selected by 
 the people without any effort on his part, and was 
 nominated for Countj' Auditor. The nomination 
 resulted in his election, and after occupj'ing the 
 position for two years he was re-elected in 1871, 
 and held the office until 1873. To the end of the 
 year during this term he lived at Afton, Iowa. In 
 1874 he moved to Sheridan in the same State, and 
 eng.aged in the lumber business, which he continued 
 for three years, and thence went to Farragut, where 
 he had charge of a stock of goods until 1881. after- 
 ward selling, and coming to W3-more when the cit}^ 
 had just been platted. 
 
 In June. 1882, the Blue A^alley Bank was organ- 
 ized, and our subject became its cashier, serving in 
 that capacity for five 3'ears. In the meantime he 
 was elected City Treasurer, to which position he h.as 
 successively been elected until the present time. 
 He is also the Treasurer of the School Board, and 
 is engaged in the real-estate and insurance business. 
 Our subject attended the convention held at Phila- 
 delphia in 1856. which nominated John C. Fremont, 
 and he has since been with the Republican party. 
 He is also a Chapter member and Master of the 
 Blue Lodge, of Wymore. 
 
 On the 8th of February, 1848, Mr. Wilcox was 
 united iu marriage with Miss Rachael V. Fields, at 
 Covingtt)n, Ind., which union has been blessed with 
 four children, of whom three are living, viz : Albert 
 C. Kate L. and Frank. The wife of our subject 
 was born at Clarksburg, Va., in 1828, and is a 
 daughter of John Fields, who was born in Pennsyl- 
 vania about the j'e.ar 1802. He lived for awhile at 
 Clarksburg, Va., then moved to Covington, Ind., 
 in which place he was Postmaster and Justice of the 
 Peace, and died theie in 1876. Mrs. Wilcox re- 
 
 - ^ ^ ^ m ^' 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4G1 
 
 u 
 
 ceiverl a common-school education, and lived with 
 lier parents until the time of her marriage. Her 
 mother was Miss Harris, a native of Virginia, her 
 (leatii occurring ahout ISoti. 
 
 Albert C. Wilcox married Miss Carrie Wallace, of 
 Sheridan, Iowa, and lhe_v are the parents of two chil- 
 dren — Anna and Laird E; they live in McPherson 
 County, Kan., the husband having charge of the 
 McKinley Hellicker Investment Company for the 
 State of Kansas. Frank is engaged in tlie loan 
 business in Horace, Greeley Co., Kan. Our subject 
 has been a resident of AA'yniore from the time it was 
 plaUed out through the corn fields to its present 
 enterprising state, and has done very much to help 
 bring about its improvements. 
 
 <fp^ DWARD ARNOLD is a public-spirited far- 
 fe] mer residing on section 16, Glenwood Town- 
 /iLa^ ship. His father, George Arnold, is a native 
 of Bavaria, German}', and his mother. Catherine 
 (Bishop) Arnold, was a native of Switzerland. They 
 were married, and continued to make their home in 
 Switzerland until .about the year 1845, when the}' 
 came to America. On their arrival in this country 
 they settled in Essex County, N. J., and afterward 
 moved to Ohio, and the mother died iu Licking 
 Count}', Ohio, on the (Jth of August, 1854. The 
 father is now a resident of Columbus of the above- 
 named State. They were the parents of four chil- 
 dren, whose names are: Edward, Margaret, Louisa 
 and George. 
 
 Onr subject was born in Switzerland on tiie 7tli 
 of May, 1844, and was but eigliteen months old 
 wiien his parents emigrated to this country. He 
 spent his early life in New Jersey and Ohio, coming 
 frotn the latter State to Nebraska in 1867. His 
 father carried on the coopering business in the small 
 village of Etna, Ohio, in which place our subject 
 was reared to manhood. He received a common- 
 school education, and lived at home until he came 
 to this State, with the exception of three years and 
 eight months spent in the service of his country .is 
 a soldier. 
 
 On the 29th of October, 1861, Mr. Arnold en- 
 listed as a private in Company E, 76th Ohio In- 
 
 • > m^^^ 
 
 fan try, and was afterward promoted to the rank of 
 Sergeant. During his connection with the army he 
 participated in thirty-tlirce general engagements, to- 
 getiier with battles of lesser note. At the battle of 
 Ringgold, Ga., he was wounded in the right arm 
 and side, and was incapacitated for service for about 
 two months, whicii time he spent in the hospital. 
 For his loyalty in the service of the country, and 
 because of the wound whicli he received, he is al- 
 lowed a pension by the Government. Although a 
 stated amount of money at intervals can hardly be 
 said to be a fair exchange for the health .and com- 
 fort of any man, it is yet his just due, and a mark 
 of appreciation which should never be withheld 
 from those who gave much in so good a cause. 
 
 At the expiration of his term of service our sub- 
 ject returned to Ohio, and after remaining in that 
 .State for one year, he came to Falls City. Richard- 
 son Co., Neb. He then eng.iged in farming, ami 
 after a residence there of three years he came to 
 this county, in the spring of 1870. He settled in 
 Midland Township, where he lived for thirteen 
 years, and in 1883 he moved to Glenwood Town- 
 .ship, in which he owns a farm of 200 acres on sec- 
 tions 9 and 1 6. He has erected a good house and 
 buildings, and has m.ade many noticeable improve- 
 ments on his land. 
 
 On the 20th of February, 1870, Mr. Arnold was 
 united iu marriage, in Falls City, with Miss KateM. 
 Paxton, who is a daughter of William and Lucinda 
 (Moss) Paxton. .She was born in Barren County, Ky., 
 on the 17tli of March, 1848, and came to this State 
 in 1865. To their home h.is come a family of ten 
 children, all of whom were born in this county, 
 and their names are mentioned as follows: George 
 P.. Charles W.. Alice M., E<1ward L., Ernest .1., 
 Archie. Arthur G., May B., Maggie E., and an in- 
 fant son unnamed. Mrs. Arnold is a member of 
 the Christian Church. The older members of the 
 family were aflforded the advanUiges for receiving 
 good educations, and are fitting themselves to adorn 
 the stations in life in which they m.ay be placed, and 
 are an honor to their parents, while the younger 
 members are still in the enjoyment of their child- 
 hood d.iys, and arc happy ami free from care. 
 
 While our subject has given careful attention to 
 his occupation, and has made very fair improve- 
 
 i 
 
^ 
 
 462 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^i^^ 
 
 ments on his farm, he has not forgotten that it is the 
 fluty of ever}- man to taive a certain shave of tiie 
 responsibilities of public affairs, and during the 
 year 1887 he served as Supervisor of Glenwood 
 Township. While living in Midland Township he 
 held the office of School Director for ten 3'ears, be- 
 ing amply qualified bj- education and general exec- 
 utive ability to fill that office. He is an advocate 
 of the policy of the Democratic organization, and 
 is a highly esteemed member of the Reserve Post 
 of the G. A. R., at Odell. Under the manage- 
 ment of just such men as our subject will the county 
 continue to improve, until finally it will i-each the 
 rank of the older settled counties, and its .advan- 
 tages for educational and religious growth be un- 
 excelled. 
 
 ■vfl ACOB FEESE, widely and favorably known 
 I throughout the southwestern part of this 
 ' count}', has been a memberof the community 
 ^^J of Glenwood Township since the fall of 1 883, 
 when he settled upon his present farm, which com- 
 prises 153 acres of productive land on section 1. 
 During the five j'ears of his residence here he h.as 
 established himself in the esteem and confidence of 
 his fellow-citizens bj' his energy, enterprise, and 
 his qualities as a desirable and useful member of 
 society. He is making good improvements on his 
 farm, bringing the land to a fine state of cultiva- 
 tion, and in all respects contributing his quota to 
 the upbuilding of the rich territory of Southern 
 Nebraska. 
 
 The Feese family is believed to lie of German 
 aneestr}', settling in the South after coming to this 
 country. David Feese, the father of our subject, 
 was born in Ashe County, N. C, and upon reaching 
 manhood was married to Miss Lucinda Hill, who 
 was a native of Hardin County, Ky. They first 
 settled in McDonough County, III., and from there 
 in 1834 removed to Des Moines County, Iowa, 
 settling among the earliest pioneers of the Hawkeye 
 State. Mr. Feese took uj) a tract of Government 
 land in what is now Flint River Township, and 
 there with his estimable wife carried on farming 
 and spent the remainder of his daj's, passing awaj' 
 
 March 10, 1888, at the advanced .age of eighty 
 years. He was a good man in the best sense of the 
 term, industrious, honest and public-spirited. He 
 was affectionately known throughout that region as 
 '•Father Feese," and is kindly remembered by hosts 
 of friends. A consistent member of the Christian 
 Church, he took an active part iu its deliberations, 
 and contributed liberally to its support from the 
 abtiudance of means with which Providence had 
 blessed him. 
 
 The hospitable roof of David Feese was ever 
 ready to shelter the destitute and needy, and his 
 hand ever ready to assist the deserving poor. As 
 a bright exponent of the Christian virtues, the father 
 of our subject fulfilled conscientiously ever}- known 
 duty. He set before his children the example of 
 thrift, industry, economy, and those moral traits of 
 character which won their confidence when young, 
 and which, now they are further advanced in 3-ears, 
 sliiues brighter as memory holds them within its 
 most sacred precincts. The mother, too, was amply 
 fitted for her position as the wife of such a man, 
 being in all good works his sympathizer and helper. 
 They lived congeniallj' together for a period of 
 forty-four years, and then the mother passed to her 
 rest at the homeste.ad in Iowa, Oct. 7, 1879. They 
 differed somewhat in religious views, the mother 
 being a Baptist, and belonging to the Baptist 
 Churcli at Danville. They were married in 1827, 
 and became the parents of fifteen children, four 
 sons and eleven daughters, twelve of whom survive. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the seventh child 
 of the parental family, and was born in Flint 
 River Township, Des Moines Co., Iowa, Nov. 26, 
 1842. He wjis reared as a farmer's boy and edu- 
 cated in the district school, remaining under the 
 home roof until reaching his majority. He then 
 commenced working for himself, continuing in his 
 native county two j-ears longer. He then pur- 
 chased a fjirm in Henrj- County, Iowa, but iu less 
 then a ye.ar returned to his earlj' tramping ground. 
 He engaged in mercantile pursuits in Danville a 
 few months, then sold out and invested his capital 
 in another farm, this time in Flint River Township, 
 and upon which he continued three years. Thence 
 he changed his residence to Fremont County, Iowa, 
 purchasing another farm, and living there until 
 
 ■•►^C--^ 
 
fe** -- 
 
 til 
 
 I JJI I L I jl ■I WM i -JUUJ. ' J l .-L-.- -U- 
 
 fc1lW|t|1t"ill««''"'''1It'''1!''''''"'"'''"'''- ""' ■ ■ 
 
 
 i.-r~::r^-^'-' ^^'^^j^^:^>^- '-■ ■ ;■ r- 
 
 Residence OF John IVl u ller ,Sec . 19. H ighland Townshi p. 
 
 
 Stock-dale Farm, Residence of 0. R. Deming,Sec.9.HighlandTown5hip. 
 
,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 465 
 
 September, 1883, when he deciderl to cast his lot 
 among the people of Southern Nebraska. 
 
 The marriage of Jacob Feese and Miss Mary 
 Abbie Mains was celebrated March 23, 18C3, at 
 the home of the bride in Pleasant Grove Township, 
 Des Moines Co., Iowa. Mrs. Feese is the daughter of 
 Philip and Sarah (Egglcston) Mains, who were born 
 and reared in the Buckeye State. 'I'hey were mar- 
 ried in Indiana, and \vere residents of Des Moines 
 County, Iowa, for sixteen years, also residents of 
 Fremont County for the same length of time. 
 From there they came to Nebraska, settling in Pad- 
 dock Township, this countj', in February, 1887, 
 where they now live. They have been the parents 
 of thirteen children, eight of whom are now living. 
 
 Mrs. Feese was the fifth child of the parental 
 household, and was born in Clermont County, Ohio, 
 Marcli 23, 1846. She grew up amid the surround- 
 ings of a comfortable home, and acquired her edu- 
 cation in the common school. She was carefully 
 traineil b^' an excellent mother to habits of industry 
 and economj\ and remained under the home shel- 
 ter until her marriage. Of her union with our sub- 
 ject there have been born four children: Cora E., 
 the wife of Simeon liogrefe, of Wymore, this State; 
 Ida L., Mrs. Jacob Young, of Sicilj- Township, this 
 count}"; Philip Jean and Edwin L., at home with 
 their parents. Wliile a resident of Iowa Mr. Feese 
 held the various township offices, and has always 
 been recognized as a public-spirited citizen wherever 
 his lot in life has been cast. Both he and his esti- 
 mable wife are members in good standing of the 
 Baptist Churcii. Mr. F. cast his first Presidential 
 vote for Lincoln, but is indei)endent in politics, re- 
 serving the right of the free American citizen to 
 support the men whom he considers best qualified 
 to serve tlie interests of the people. 
 
 « IV>ILLIAM CRAIG, Mayor of Blue Springs, 
 \/iJ/' '^"*^' l'i'"g<ily identified with its business 
 WW affairs, reijresents considerable real estate 
 in which he is largely interested, the greater por- 
 tion being city propertj'. He is also conducting a 
 nourishing hardware business, and as a man and a 
 citizen ranks among the most highlj- respected resi- 
 
 dents of this county, and we are pleased to present 
 his portrait on tlie opposite page. 
 
 Our subject is of stanch Pennsj'lvania stock, his 
 father, Thomas Craig, having been born in Carbon 
 County, that State, in 1800. He received a com- 
 mon-school educition, and upon reaching manhood 
 engaged in farming for a time, and later for nearly 
 a half-century occupied himself as a hotel-keeper 
 successfully at Lehigh, Water Gap. He was also 
 owner of the stage line running between IMauch 
 Chunk and Easton, from which lie derived a hand- 
 some income. In .addition to this lie wasextensively 
 engaged in rafting lumber from the Upper Lehigh 
 to Easton, Mauch Cliunk and other points, having 
 his own boat and making considerable money in 
 this enterprise. During the memorable freshet of 
 1841 he lost heavily in boats and lumber. He con- 
 tinued as a hotel-keeper until the time of his death. 
 For a number of j'ears he dealt largely in general 
 mcrch.andise. 
 
 The father of our subject was married in early 
 manhood to Miss Kuntz, who died young, leaving 
 two children. Subsequentlj', in 1828, he was mar- 
 ried to Miss Catherine Hagenbuch, and the}' be- 
 came the parents of six children, five of whom lived 
 to mature years. The father died in 18.t9, at the 
 hotel which had been his home for so many years. 
 Mrs. Catherine Craig, the mother of our subject, 
 also a native of the Kej'stone State, was a daughter 
 of a hotel-keeper at Lehighton, where he spent 
 many j-ears of his life, and where he entered upon 
 his final rest. Mrs. Craig remained with her par- 
 ents until her marriage, and survived her husband 
 twelve years, her death taking place at Lehigh Gap, 
 in 1871. 
 
 The parents of our subject were members in 
 good standing of the Lutheran Church, and the 
 father was especially prominent and active in all 
 those matters pertaining to moral and religious 
 education. The paternal grandfather of our sub- 
 ject, Thomas Craig, Sr., a native of Northampton 
 County, Pa., served sis a General in the Revolution- 
 ary War, and after the independence of the Colo- 
 nies had been established, returned to his native 
 place, where he engaged in farming, and lived to 
 the ripe old age of ninety years. He was a lifelong 
 Democrat, and the father of six children. 
 
•»-HI^^^ 
 
 466 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 The sulijecl. of this sketch wns born at Leliigh 
 Gap, Pa., April 22, 1841. His [)rimfiry studies 
 were eondueterl in the schools of his native town. 
 Later he became a student at Allentown Seminary, 
 and completed his education in the Agricultural 
 College in Center Countj'. He then began teach- 
 ing, but subsequently, in company with his brother 
 John, embarked in general merchandising at Lehigh 
 Gap, to which he added the business of boat-builder 
 and railroad contractor. These interests he oper- 
 ated extensivelj' and successfullj'. and subsequently 
 dealt largely in lumber and coal at the same place, 
 where he continued to live until the fall of 1882. 
 Socially and politically, he was prominent in this 
 county and community, and in fact the entire 
 famil}' were widely and favorably known through- 
 out that region as comprising a portion of its best 
 element. Three of his brothers were in the Penn- 
 sylvania Legislature, and two were elected to the 
 State Senate. 
 
 Mr. Craig in 1882 disposed of his interests in the 
 Keystone State, and coming west into Southern 
 Nebraska located at once in Blue Springs, this 
 count3^ establishing himself in his present business. 
 Each year has added to his stock and his patronage, 
 and he is rapidly approaching the point where, if 
 he so wishes, he can retire, having already a com- 
 petence. His promptness and reliabilitj' in his 
 business transactions have made him a general 
 favorite with the men of his community, while 
 socially, together with his family, he occupies an 
 enviable position. He takes a warm interest in the 
 building up of the town, and does whatever lies in 
 his power to further its moral and educational inter- 
 ests. He cast his first Presidential vote for Mc- 
 Clellan. but changed his politics and sustained the 
 Rei)ubliean party until 1880, when his strong tem- 
 jjerance proclivities led him to give his support to 
 the Prohibitionists. He has been a member of the 
 School Board almost from the time of coming here, 
 and was elected to his present position of Mayor in 
 the spring of 1888. The fact that the Republicans 
 lead in tiiis locality speaks well for his standing in 
 the community. Religiously, he belongs to the 
 Evangelical Association and is an energetic laborer 
 in the Sundaj'-school. 
 
 Mr. Craig was married, Sept. 20, 1867, to Miss 
 
 "^•- 
 
 Mattie E. Gish, of Berlinsville. Pa., and they are 
 now the parents of five children, viz : Annie E., Will- 
 iam A., Frederick G., Jesse V. and Mattie F. They 
 are all living at home with their parents, and being 
 given the training and education which will qualify 
 them for useful and worthy members of society. 
 Mrs. Craig was born Jan. 29, 1844, in Berlinsville, 
 Northampton Co., Pa., and is the daughter of Abram 
 and Elizabeth (Hummel) Gish, who were natives of 
 Pennsylvania, and are now deceased. Her father 
 was a man of prominence, farmer and merchant 
 combined, and officiated as a Justice of the Peace 
 for many years. He was, with his excellent wife, a 
 member of the Evangelical Church, and departed 
 this life at his home in Berlinsville in 1878. The 
 mother was a member of the same church, and 
 departed this life in June, 1884. 
 
 During the six years' residence of Mr. Craig in 
 this county, he has fullj^ established himself in the 
 esteem and confidence of the people about him. He 
 was nominated by the Prohibition convention of 
 1888 as candidate for Senator, an indicatiou of 
 the estimation in which he is hel<l, and a great 
 compliment to his worth and ability. 
 
 —^ • ^ '■ i# * *<- 
 
 ■^OHN P. WAGNER. The firm of G. W. 
 Maurer & Co., dealers in farm implements, 
 is recognized as one of the most enterprising 
 and prosperous in the city of Beatrice, and 
 is closely identified with the growth and pros- 
 perit}' of the city. Our subject was born in New 
 Brunswick, March 15, 1848, where he lived until a 
 lad ten years of age. His parents then removed to 
 Kenosha County, Wis., and settled on a farm, remain- 
 ing in the Badger State until coming to this county in 
 April, 1867. Tiiey are now living on a farm one 
 mile and a half northeast of Beatrice. The father, 
 John W. Wagner, was born in Ireland, and married 
 Miss Ellen Lane, who was a native of New Bruns- 
 wick. They are the parents of eleven children. 
 John P. was reared to farm pursuits, and acquired 
 his education in the district school. He remained 
 under the parental roof until about sixteen years of 
 age, then repaired to Racine, Wis., where he learned 
 the machinist trade, and worked two years. After- 
 
 ••^ M ^' 
 
-^*" 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 467 
 
 ward he became traveling salesman for the Geiser 
 Tbrasliing Jlachine C(>ini)ai)3-, and in their interests 
 compassed a large proportion of the Northwest, go- 
 ing through Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan, and was 
 tlius emplo3"ed for a period of four years. Subse- 
 quently he was engaged in the retail trade at Syl- 
 vania, Racine Co., Wis. 
 
 Mr. Wagner, in tiie spring of 1878, established 
 his present business in Beatrice, in the building 
 which he now occupies. The house carries a gen- 
 eral line of everything pertaining to its branch of 
 trade. Mr. Maurer became a partner in the business 
 in February, 1 888. Their square dealings and cor- 
 rect business methods have made the house one of 
 the most popular in the city. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was married, Jan. 16, 
 1 880, to Miss Nettie D. Shear, who was born in Lock- 
 port, N. Y.. and is the daughter of J. D. and Mary 
 Ann (Spickerman) Shear, natives of New York 
 State, and now living in Thomas County, Kan. Mr. 
 and Mrs. W^agner occupy a snug home on North 
 Plighth street, and are the parents of one child, a 
 son, Lee E., born in July, 1882. The W'agner Block 
 was put lip by our subject in 1883. It is 50x100 
 in dimensions, and two stories in height with base- 
 ment. The latter is occupied by other parties. Be- 
 sides his town propert}' Mr. Wagner owns two 
 farms which are largely devoted to stock purposes. 
 He makes a specialty of fine horses, principally trot- 
 ting stock. 
 
 i-*^ 
 
 R. ROBERT S. ALBRIGHT, physician and 
 surgeon, holds a good position among the 
 members of the profession in the city of 
 Beatrice, where he enjoys a good practice, 
 and numbers among his friends and patrons its best 
 people. His earliest recollections are of a modest 
 home in the vicinit}' of Martinsburg, Blair Co., 
 Pa., wliere his birth took place Oct. 21, 1861, the 
 youngest of a family of seven children, six of whom 
 are living. His parents were John and Sarah 
 (Hamm) Albright, who were .also natives of the 
 Kej'stone State, and traced their ancestry to Ger- 
 many. 
 
 When our subject was a little lad five years of 
 
 age. his parents removed to Ogle County. 111., set- 
 tling on a farm, where the}' lived until 1876, the 
 father dying that j'ear. In the spring of 1884 the 
 mother removed to Beatrice. A more extended 
 record of their lives will be found in the sketch of 
 Rev. G. H. Albright a brother of our subject, and 
 which will be found elsewhere in this volume. 
 Robert S. grew to manhood in .Ogle Count}-, 111., 
 where he attended the common schools, completing 
 the scientific course at I^olo. He began the study 
 of medicine at Polo, under the instruction of Dr. 
 J. B. Snyder, and subsequently took a course of 
 lectures at Rush Medical College, Chicago, from 
 which he was graduated in 1884. In the spring of 
 that year he came to Beatrice, and unaided and 
 alone made his way slowly upward to his jiresent 
 position. He is a close student, and keeps himself 
 well posted upon modern theories and methods. 
 Politically, he supports the Republican ticket, and 
 is a member of the Nebraska State Medical Society. 
 He is still single. 
 
 \t^OIIN SCHMUCK, of Beatrice, was born in 
 Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, near the beau- 
 tiful blue Rhine, April 2, 1834, and is the 
 son of Peter and Mary E. (Bader) .Schmuck. 
 His father was by occupation a shoemaker. He left 
 his native country for the United States, and his 
 family never after saw or heard from him. About 
 si.K years after this event the mother emigrated to 
 America with her children, and settled at Mendota, 
 111., where she died in her sixtieth year. She was 
 the mother of six children, three sons and three 
 daughters, our subject being the second born. He 
 commenced to lay the foundation of his education 
 when he was six years of age, and continued with 
 fair regularitj' until his fourteenth birthday. He 
 was then apprenticed for the usual term of three 
 years to learn his trade, after which he traveled as 
 a journeyman shoemaker until he reached his twen- 
 tieth J'ear. 
 
 In the year 1854 our subject emigrated to Amer- 
 ica, this being four years before his mother and the 
 rest of the family came, and landed after an ocean 
 voyage of thirty-seven days in New York; thence he 
 
A. 
 
 40 8 
 
 GAGI-: COUNTY. 
 
 went to Lyons. N. Y., and after a time on to "Water- 
 loo, in the same State, working at his trade in 
 eacli place. From tiic latter place he transferred the 
 sphere of his operations to Jlendota, 111., where he 
 remained tibont three years, and then went to Bloom- 
 ington in the same State, and from there he went 
 to Tennessee, where he remained one winter, and 
 then returned to Illinois, stopping at Peoria, in each 
 of these places working at his trade. In 1873 he 
 found his way to Nebraska, and went onto a farm 
 which he purchased. This was just before the ever- 
 memoralile grasshopper visitation, and as they went 
 to work and ate u|) every green blade and leaf upon 
 the farm, he returned to the city, to the bench, lap- 
 stone, awl and wax-end, and began again uniting 
 upper to sole. In this he continued up to 1887, 
 every year witnessing a marked increase in his 
 sales and business. 
 
 In 1887. our subject having invested his savings 
 from time to time in the purchase of eitj' property, 
 realized in the increased values quite a handsome 
 profit, and from that time he has continued to be 
 interested in real-estate transactions with a most 
 unusually fortunate experience. In the same year 
 he built what is known as the Schmuck Block, a 
 ver}' fine brick structure three stories in height, and 
 covering a ground surface of 23x94 feet. The first 
 floor of this building is occuiiied by Schmidt & 
 Jones' store; the second is built into offices, and the 
 third is used for dwelling puiposes. Over against 
 the present success, prosperity and ease of circum- 
 stances, must be placed in remembrance, in order to 
 the full appreciation thereof, the practical nothing- 
 ness possessed, excepting onl\' his trade, at the time 
 when he started in life for himself at the age of 
 seventeen, and to-day he can look back and know 
 that his life has been financially a perfect success. 
 He has recently sold his farm. 
 
 The companion of our subject for the last twen- 
 ty-eiglit years, one who has shared the trials, diffi- 
 culties and hardships with liim in the past, as she 
 enjoys also the prosperity of the present, is Anna 
 (Kemp) Sclimuck, who was united to him in mar- 
 riage on the loth of February, 18G0. This lady 
 was born in Butler County, Ohio, near Cincinnati, 
 June 7, 1839, and is the daughter of Christian 
 and Mary (Souiers) Kemp. Through all the years 
 
 of her faithful wedded life she has considered at 
 all times their interests and happiness one. This 
 highl}' respected familj' might serve as an example 
 and inspiration to many just starting in the path of 
 life. In one especial feature is the success of our 
 subject noticeable and worth}' of thoughtful imita- 
 tion — it is the fact that he began life with a thor- 
 ough knowledge of a trade, and was from the 
 beginning a skilled laborer. The world .always has 
 room for and will welcome such. 
 
 ) EN JAM IN F. HERTZLER is the youngest 
 of a family of eight children born to Chris- 
 tian and Barbara (Myers) Hertzler, natives 
 of Lancaster County, Pa. The father of 
 our subject was a farmer by occupation, and upon 
 his marri.age settled in Cumberland County, and so 
 man.aged his business that financially he was quite 
 well-to-do. He w.as one of the most intelligent and 
 efficient practical farmers in the county, and his 
 advice was often sought and usually followed. He 
 spent his last days, as did also his wife, on the Cum- 
 berland County farm, and died at a good old age. 
 Their family included eight children: Mary, the 
 wife of Jacob Eberly, of Mechanicsburg, Pa.; 
 Christian, who is one of Cumberland County's 
 prosperous farmers; Samuel; Elias; Barbara, wife 
 of John Myers, of Cumberland Count}', Pa. ; Jacob 
 and our subject; all but the latter are residents 
 of Pennsylvania. The second eldest child, Abram, 
 died in the year 1871, aged thirty-three years. 
 
 Our subject grew up surrounded by all the work 
 and worry, hush and rush, light and shadow, of 
 farm life. At an early age he was given a place in 
 the common school of the district, and from that 
 went to farming, continuing to reside with his par- 
 ents until he attained his majority. In Mechanics- 
 burg, Pa., in 1874, he was united in marri.age with 
 Elizabeth Nisley, who was born in Cumberland 
 County, Pa., to John and Rebecca Nisley, who were 
 natives of that State. Their daughter was born at 
 Mechanicsburg, Jan. 25, 1856. 
 
 After their marriage, which was celebrated at 
 Mechanicsburg, our subject engaged in farming, 
 and dealt more or less extensively in live stock 
 
 - ^ > ji <• 
 
t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 469 
 
 until the j-ear 1884, when he came to Nebraska and 
 purcliased his present farm, which iiad been some- 
 what improved, but since that time our subject has 
 largely remodeled everything and added not a few 
 valuable improvements to those already made. 
 He works his farm in the interest of general agri- 
 culture, to which is added some dealings in stock, 
 although this is not extensively engaged in by Mr. 
 Hertzler. Mr. and Mrs. liertzler have a very inter- 
 esting family of four children, who have received 
 the names. Bertha, .Joseph. Annie and Benjamin 
 Franklin. 
 
 The life and home of Mr. and Mrs. Hertzler pre- 
 sent some idea of the sentiment in the mind of 
 Henry Payne when he wrote his world-renovvned 
 poem concerning '-home." The underlying princi- 
 ple that makes their home so pleasant and their 
 lives so cheerful and beautiful is the fact of their 
 whole-hearted belief in the Christian religion, and 
 their continued practice of its tenets, which it has 
 been frequently remarked seem always to have that 
 effect. They are members of tiie United Brethren 
 Church, and have been from tiie time of their resi- 
 dence in Pennsylvania. In all matters of civic and 
 political nature Mr. Hertzler is deeply interested, 
 and is usually found to vote with the Republican 
 partj-, of which lie has been a stanch and firm sup- 
 porter for many years, and upon all occasions of 
 special interest he is found devoting even more 
 than his usual energy to tiie advancement of its 
 interests. 
 
 BER E. HILTON. The name of our sub- 
 
 Eject is most intimately connected with the 
 modern improvements along the line of en- 
 gineering triumphs introduced into the city of 
 "Wymore, and without question he has had more to 
 do with the efficiency' of the appliances in use in the 
 city than any other. He first came to the city in 
 the year 1884, having previously been here and 
 purchased property in the emploj^ of the Burlington 
 & Missouri River Railroad as civil engineer in 
 ch-irge of the work of that company at Diller. then 
 of the finishing and examining of all the work from 
 that place to Blue River. He has held the position 
 
 V 
 
 -4•- 
 
 of City Engineer for three consecutive terms, and 
 while holding this ollice was also employed by 
 Messrs. Reynolds Bros, to take charge of the en- 
 gineering and lajing down of the Wymore Street 
 Railroad. 
 
 Eber Hilton, the father of our subject, was born 
 in Ohio, in the year 1818. He was educated and 
 reared in his native State, and after completing his 
 schooling became a fanner, remaining with his 
 mother, who was a widow, operating the home farm 
 until he was almost of age. He then married Miss 
 Elizabeth McMacken, when he took a farm in 
 Defiance Count}', Ohio, where he spent the re- 
 mainder of his life, dying at the age of thirty years, 
 in 1848. To them were born three children, all of 
 whom live, and one son, Joseph J., who met his 
 death at the age of nineteen in the United States 
 service. 
 
 Elizabeth McMacken, the mother of our subject, 
 was the daughter of Judge Joseph McMacken, of 
 Ft. Wayne, Ind.. and was born about 1821, and 
 resided with her parents until the time of her mar- 
 riage. Upon the death of her husband she was left 
 with three children, and in order to their support 
 taught school for several years, and about 18y4 
 married Judge W. D. Ha3'maker, after a widowhood 
 of six years. Her children always had a home 
 with her in this new relation, and found as near as 
 such a thing is possible a second father in the 
 second husband of iheir mother. Judge Haymaker 
 has since been twice to the Legislature from De- 
 fiance County, in which district his home was made 
 after his marriage. 
 
 The grandfather of our subject, Joshua Hilton, 
 was born in Maine, and removed about the year 
 1812 to the Miami Valley, in the vicinity' of the 
 city of Daj'ton, Ohio, and afterward went to a farm 
 upon the banks of the Maumee River in the north- 
 western part of the State. The condition of the 
 countiy could not perhaps be better expressed than 
 bj' stating the fact that between his house there and 
 Ft. Wa3'ne there was but one house, and between 
 his home and where Toledo now stands only two 
 houses. The first house erected b}' him was of the 
 logs he had hewn in clearing his farm, but after- 
 ward he made brick suflicient, and put up a larger 
 and more comfortable dwelling, which still stands. 
 
h 
 
 470 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^h^ 
 
 Our sulijeot was born on the 9th of Januaiy, 
 1S49, about three months after the lime of his 
 father's death, wliieh occured in the above-men- 
 tioned brick house at Defiance. As soon as he 
 came to a proper age he was given a good, practical, 
 common school education, gradually' helping in tlie 
 various duties of the farm until lie was enabled 
 largely to take control. His step-father died when 
 he was about ten j-ears of age. and lie remained at 
 home thus einplo3-ed as above until lie was about 
 twenty-one years of age. From there he went to 
 the city of Washington, and spent one year as clerk 
 in the agricultural department. The next eight 
 \ears were spent in the office of the City Engineer 
 of Toledo, in hard and diligent study in order to an 
 intimate acquaintance with the details of his chosen 
 calling. Jn the year 1879 he came West and worked 
 for the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company, 
 and upon the 1st of November of the same year 
 engaged with the Burlington ife Missouri River Rail- 
 road Company, and continued in their employ for 
 two and a half j'ears, and then went to Montana on 
 the Northern Pacific Railroad for five months, 
 when he returned home to his mother, who vvas 
 lying very sick. He staid with her until the 
 spring, and then returned to tlie employ of the Bur- 
 lington & Missouri River Railroad Company, and 
 continued in their employ until quite recently, 
 whenever there was an}' work to do, and the value 
 the}' set upt>n his services is shown in the fact that 
 he has only been unemployed ten montiis in over 
 seven years, and was engaged iirincipall}' in charge 
 of grading and bridging, he holding the position of 
 Division Engineer of the company. For the last 
 three years our subject has held the office of City 
 Engineer, and had charge of everything pertaining 
 thereto. 
 
 At Defiance, Ohio, Sept. 7, 1.S54, there was 
 born to Herman and Ann Willerling a daughter, 
 named Rillia. Her father was a native of Germany, 
 and came to the United States about tlie year 1842, 
 took up a tract of land and settled in Ohio. As 
 their daughter grew she was given a practical edu- 
 cation, and as she advanced to years of womanhood 
 began to develop and manifest those traits of char- 
 acter and personal qualities which first attracted the 
 attention of our subject, and have since encircled 
 
 his life with a halo of hajjpiness. This ladj- was 
 married to our subject at Defiance, Ohio. Sept. 14, 
 1883. 
 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Hilton are members in good 
 standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
 active in its enterprise, prominent in its Sunday- 
 school work, and very efficient in any engagement 
 of a similar nature. Our subject is one of the 
 Trustees of the church, and discharges the duties 
 connected therewith with that conscientious thor- 
 oughness that has marked iiis whole life, witli the nat- 
 ural result tliat lie and Mrs. Hilton are most highly 
 esteemed, not so much on account of their pro- 
 fession as their practice. 
 
 SAAC N. McCONNELL. The real-estate busi- 
 ness of Beatrice forms no unimportant portion 
 , I of its transactions, and the subject of this sketch 
 is one of its oldest representatives. He is a native 
 of Ohio, and was born near Buc^tus, in Crawford 
 County, April 21, 1846. He was the sixth child in 
 a faniil}' of five sons and eight daughters, onlj- two 
 of whom are now living, our subject and his sister, 
 Maria B., wife of Dr. O. O. Wells, of Beatrice. The 
 parents were Alexander W. and Maria G. (Glass- 
 gow) McConnell, both of higlil}' respectable fami- 
 lies, and the descendants of substantial Scotch-Irish 
 ancestry. The father was a carder and fuller by 
 occupation; be also carried on a woolen-mill for 
 several years. He departed this life at his home in 
 Bucyrus. June 10, 1882. The mother is still living, 
 and makes her home with our subject at Beatrice. 
 
 The boyhood of Mr. McConnell was spent in his 
 native town, where he attended the public school 
 during his earlier j'cars; his business experience 
 began when, but a lad of thirteen, he entered a store 
 of general merchandise as clerk. Later, when sev- 
 enteen j'ears old, he enlisted in the Union Army, 
 becoming a member of Company E, i36th Ohio 
 National Guards, and was mustered into the service 
 of the United Slates Mjiy 2, 1864. and with his 
 comrades was sent to Ft. Worth, Va., where they 
 were assigned to garrison duty ; be gained an insight 
 into the methods of general warfare, but did not par- 
 ticipate in any active engagement. He w.as mustered 
 ^ 
 
 f- 
 
t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ••► 
 
 ill 
 
 out Ann;. 2"i. 1 804, and returning to his native 
 town in llu; Bucl^eye State resumed his old position 
 in the store where he had been employed fornoerlj', 
 continuing there for a period of five j'ears and un- 
 til coming to this county. 
 
 Mr. AlcConnell came to Beatrice in Januarj-, 
 1869, and at once opening a real-estate office began 
 entering land for non-residents. When this began 
 to change hands he operated on commission, and was 
 thus actively employed until the cit}' and country 
 began to develop, when he hitndled city propert}', 
 and to this kind of real estate has of late years 
 given most of his attention. He has been consid- 
 erably' interested in farming lands, and has a busi- 
 ness which extends 100 miles west of this point- 
 He has a fine residence in the citj' besides his farm 
 propert}-. The grounds around llie former are 
 greatly admired, and are not only a matter of pride 
 in the town but highl^^ indicative of the taste and 
 means of the proprietor. 
 
 Mr. McConnell, politically, votes the straight Re- 
 publican ticket, and has been prominent in the 
 political affairs of this locality, representing his party 
 iff the State Convention. Mr. McConnell was elected 
 Mayor of the cit3' of Beatrice for two terms. 
 
 •«ccfi/i§^@- — M 
 
 
 HRISTIANNAS L. HUTCHINSON is an 
 enterprising farmer who has recently located 
 ^^(7 on his fine farm, which he purchased some 
 j^ears ago on section 15, Paddock Township. He 
 is a sagacious, clear-headed, wide-awake man, and it 
 is his pride that he is classed among the self-made 
 men of the country, he having acquired all his 
 property by hard labor and judicious management 
 while still a young man. He was born June o, 1852, 
 in Berks County. Pa., being a son of John .S, and 
 Sarah E. (Van Hart) Hutchinson, natives of Penn- 
 sylvania. 
 
 The parents of our subject moved from Pennsji- 
 vania to Macoupin County, 111., in 1854, and staid 
 there for about ten years, the father being engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits. Thence they removed to 
 Logan County in the same State. They subse- 
 
 quently, however, took up their abode in Champaign 
 County, 111., where they still reside. They are now 
 enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life, and are held 
 by .all around them in respect and esteem for their 
 man}' sterling qualities of mind and heart. They 
 are faithful members of the Presbyterian Church, 
 and are known to be true Christians by their work. 
 
 Christiannas Hutchinson, of whom we write, was 
 reared on an Illinois farm and lias made agriculture 
 his business ever since he became a man. He re- 
 mained an inmate of the parental household until 
 he was twent3'-three, rendering his father great as- 
 sistance in the management of his farm, as he was 
 strong, active, and knew how to work to the best 
 advantage. At the age mentioned Mr. Hutchinson 
 began life for himself without inonej', but with 
 plenty of pluck and muscle, and to these he attrib- 
 utes his success. April 7, 1881, he took a very 
 important step tow.ird establishing the cozy home 
 th.at he now enjo3-s b}' his marriage to Miss Anna 
 C. Johnston. She is a daughter of Hale and Luc}' 
 Johnston, who live in Champaign County, 111. 'Ihe}' 
 are members of the Presb3'terian Church, and are 
 highly esteemed people. The m.arriage of our sub- 
 ject and his wife has been blessed to them b}' the 
 birth of two daughters — Ella and Anna B. 
 
 In February, 1884, Mr. Hutchinson set his face 
 toward Nebraska with the intention of investing 
 some of his hard-won cash in the wonderfull}^ fer- 
 tile farm lands of Gage County, and he then bought 
 IGO acres on sectioft 15, Paddock Township. Al- 
 though he w.as well pleased with this local! 13' he did 
 not immediatel3' locate here, but returned to his 
 home in Illinois. In March, 1888, he came back 
 here to settle on his land, having wound up his 
 affairs in the Prairie State. He soon bought an 
 additional eight3' acres of land adjoining his first 
 purchase, on which he has built corn cribs, wagon 
 sheds, etc. Although he has been here but a short 
 time, with characteristic energ}' he has alread3' made 
 man3' valuable improvements on his farm, all of 
 which is under cultivation, except the part devoted 
 to pasturage. He has set out a thrift3' orchard of 
 seventy-five apple and forty peach trees. From 
 experience he has found hog-raising very remuner- 
 ative, and he is going to .give special attention to 
 that branch of stock-raising, he having brought 
 
 f 
 
 \- 
 
u 
 
 472 
 
 ^i^HI-0« 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 some full-l)loodefl Poland-Cliina lioss witli him from 
 Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Iliitcliinson bears a fine reputation in his oUl 
 iionie as heing a practical man, of sound principles 
 and 8tnl)ilit_y of jnirposo. one whose word was never 
 doubted, one in whom iiis neigiiLors put perfect 
 confidence, and as such he maj' be regarded as a 
 great acquisition to this community. He and his 
 wife are stanch members of the Presbj'terian 
 Church, and their influence will always be found 
 on the side of the right. Politicall_v. Mr. Hutchin- 
 son belongs to the Republican party, and he is firm 
 in his support of its policy. 
 
 HILLIP.I. MYKRS. The subject of this 
 )]] writing is among the most valuable citizens 
 -^-., the country possesses. He is making it his 
 J \ r;hief business to provide the f.armer as he 
 goes about the work of producing material for the 
 world's market, and the tradesman in the commer- 
 cial world, with the highest class of animals, in har- 
 mony with the law of ■' the survival of the fittest," 
 He is one of the most substantial farmers and horse- 
 raisers of the county, and his beautiful farm is lo- 
 cated on sections 20 and 21, Midland Township. He 
 has been a resident of this county since 1873. and 
 of the State since 18C0. He was born on the 30th 
 of May, 1835, in Prussia, and is the son of Jacob 
 and Margaret (Julius) Myers. The family came to 
 the United States in the spring of 1836, and settled 
 first in Albany. N. Y.. where for about four 3'ears 
 the father of our subject followed the occupation of 
 gardening. In September. 1840, the}^ remove<l to 
 Kenosha County, Wis., and entered laud and en- 
 g.aged in farming and stock-raising. The journey 
 from Albany was taken by w.ay of the Erie Canal 
 to Buffalo, and thence by way of the lake to Wis- 
 consin. His family included at that time, besides 
 himself and wife, five children. The boats at that 
 time ran only about once in three months. He 
 brought considerable property with him in the ves- 
 sel, consisting of household and other goods, .and 
 as this w.as a day liefore the erect'on of freight 
 houses, the goods upon being removed from the 
 vessel were piled upon the beach, where, he was in- 
 
 M» 
 
 formed, they would be perfectly safe, but that 
 night a storm arose and in the morning they found 
 everything had been washed into the lake anil lost, 
 leaving them with only the few things they wore 
 or had carried in their hands. 
 
 Left as above described. Mr. Mj'ers. Sr.. sought 
 emi)loyment. and, for two years worked as hard as 
 it was possible for him to do, and was successful in 
 making a fresh start. He became the owner of an 
 exceptionally fine and well equipped farm, and for 
 many years prior to his death enjoj'ed the golden 
 harvest of his success. He was called to his last rest 
 at the age of seventy-nine years, in the year 1876. 
 His widow survived him until the j'ear 1885, and 
 died at the good old age of ninety j-ears. Their 
 family of five children all grew up to j'ears of ma- 
 turity, and it w.as their pleasure to see them well 
 started in life. Jacob, the eldest son, is one of 
 California's "'forty-niners," .and is a resident of 
 Colusa County, th.at State; Catherine, the second 
 child (deceased), was the wife of Dr. Edward Hop- 
 kins, of California, in which State her brother An- 
 drew resides; Francis G, went to California in 
 1849, and raised the first grain in that State, and 
 thrashed it with the first machine used there; it was 
 a one-horse tre.ad power, open C3'liuder thrashing- 
 machine, and was brought by way of Cape Horn, at 
 a cost of $5,000; he is now a resident of Kenosha, 
 Wis, The youngest child w.as our subject, Phillip J. 
 
 At the time of the removal of the family to the 
 United States our subject was less than a year old, 
 and his early memories, therefore, center around 
 the Kenosha homestead. Here he received his early 
 education and training in farm work and care of 
 stock. He continued to reside at home until he 
 was twenty-two j'ears of age, when he started for 
 himself. In 1859 he w.as united in marriage with 
 Mary Biehn, She w.as born in Bavaria, Germanj-, 
 April 17, 1835, and was the daughter of Fred and 
 Margaret Biehn. The family came to America in 
 the year 1850, and settled in Kenosha County, not 
 far from the family of Mr. Myers, Sr. 
 
 For several years after his marriage our subject 
 continued farming in Wisconsin, but in the year 
 1869 determined to go West, and settled in Jeffer- 
 s<jn County, Neb., being accompanied bj' his lirother- 
 in-law, Zachariah Slater. They brought from Wis- 
 
t^ 
 
 ••► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 475 
 
 consin 700 sheep, the first lirought to this part of 
 the State. 'J'lieir venture proved to he an abun- 
 dant success, and n-hcn the}'' dissolved partnership 
 not king after each liad 2.000 he.ad. Mr. Myers 
 bought sheep from tlie East, alw.ays seeking to ob- 
 tain the finest animals of the best grades, until he 
 became the owner of 'i.oOO head. With these he 
 continued his ranch and business until 1S73, when he 
 removed to Gage County, remaining in that busi- 
 ness until 1884. carrying at all times a vcr}- large 
 stock of the most valuable class of animals. In 1884 
 he sold all excepting some thoroughbred Merino 
 sheep, of which he was reputed to possess the best 
 in the United States. In 1888 he realized from his 
 220 sheep 4,.325 pounds of Merino wool, an average 
 of nineteen pounds and eleven ounces, being the 
 highest yield for any entire flock in the United 
 States. 
 
 Mr. Mj'ers settled upon the premises now occu- 
 pied by him in the 3ear 1882. while the land was 
 yet in its unimproved state. To-day he is the owner 
 of one of the finest farms and residences in the 
 county. His farm comprises 240 acres, but his 
 total real estate includes 1..360 .acres. Six miles 
 north of Ids home he has a farm of 320 acres: the 
 balance of the estate is in Kansas. He is engaged 
 now as a breeder of thoroughbred draft horses and 
 roadsters, and in this he is just as deeply interested 
 and tlun-ough and successful as in sheep-rearing. In 
 presenting the view of Mr. Myers' home place the 
 artist has sketched some of the m.agnificent animals 
 of whicli he is the owner. The splendid specimens 
 of the horse and sheep shown in the view should 
 be a source of gratification to their owner, and a 
 satisfaction to the farmers of the communit}' to know 
 that they have near them such valuable stock. 
 
 Mrs. Myers died in March. 1863, leaving three 
 children: Sophia, now the wife of Dr. B. B. Davis, 
 of McCook, Neb.; Frank H., and Julia L., who is 
 the wife of J. W. Mayer, of Beatrice. Oct. 20, 
 1864, Mr. Mj'crs was married a second time, the 
 lad}' being Miss Anna Slater, and by this union 
 there have been seven children, three living — ^Mary, 
 Ada and Kirk; those deceased are Willie E.. Ed- 
 ward, Julius and Walter. Mrs. Mj'ers is the daugh- 
 ter of Jerry and Marv (Barraclough) Slater; they 
 were both natives of Yorkshire, England. In 1849 
 
 -^ 
 
 they settled in Racine County, Wis. Mrs. flyers 
 was also born in Bradford. Yorkshire. Our subject 
 was tlie first Su|)ervisor of Midland Township, an 
 office, in common with everj- other, he would rather 
 be excused from. His political asjjirations are to 
 see the best men holding the reins of Government, 
 the men who will rule and govern, direct and man- 
 age nflfairs with :i view to the best interests of the 
 people. He is a stanch Republican and a strong 
 supporter of the principles of that party. He is 
 one eminently respected, and also regarded as among 
 the best and most valued citizens, not only in Mid- 
 land Township, l)ut of Gage Countj'. 
 
 #I^> 
 
 J' AMES H. SCOTT came to this county in 
 186'J, when there was not a house in sight 
 from his home, which was situated on quite 
 an eminence south of the pl.acenow occupied 
 by the city of Wymore. His nearest neighbor 
 lived over beyond where the city now stands, and 
 the business portion of the neighboring city of Blue 
 Springs consisted of only a store and a post-office. 
 Mr. Scott bought a homestead where the cit}"^ of 
 W^'more now stands, at second hand, paying onl}' 
 $2 per acre. He was here for five or ten years be- 
 fore the jiopulation was much inctreascd. and after 
 the cit}' began to flourish he remained here until 
 1884, when he went down to his land in Kansas and 
 remained four years, making some improvements. 
 He returned to Wymore in 1888. 
 
 Our subject was born in DeWitt County. 111., in 
 1 837. and lived there until he became a j'oung man, 
 when he went with his mother to Iowa, thence to 
 Missouri, where he lived for quite a time, then com- 
 ing to this pLace, dividing part of the time between 
 his present home and his land in Kansas. He has 
 seen the improvements as they were made since the 
 time that a bare prairie lay stretching its undula- 
 tions before the eye to the present thriving city of 
 3.000 inhabitants. 
 
 Mr. Scott was united in marriage with Miss Good- 
 win, who died leaving two children — James W. and 
 Levi W. Then he was married to Miss Mary C. 
 Tisdale, an<l to them there have been born seven 
 children. The}' are all at home with their parents. 
 
.t 
 
 I*- 
 476 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 the older ones having the best advantages for re- 
 ceiving their education, and we name them as fol- 
 lows: Andrew C, Lillie Maj', Nancy I., Alexander, 
 Benjamin B. and Henry J. 
 
 For nineteen years our subject has lived in this 
 vicinity, and has built for himself a fine house on 
 tiie bluff south of tiie city. He has improved his 
 farm and divided up a goodly portion of it into 
 city lots, which of course were very valuable. He 
 has given attention to general farming and stock- 
 raising, and is the owner of seventy acres of land, 
 part of which lies within the city limits, besides 
 other town lots; and in Hodgeman County. Kan., 
 he has a half section of good laud. He enjoys 
 the best reputation, and by all of his townspeople 
 he is highly mentioned as an honorable friend and 
 neigiibor. William Scott, his father, vvas born in 
 the East, afterward moving to Ohio, and died when 
 our subject was onlj' five or six years old. Scott's 
 Addition to Wymore was made and recorded six 
 years ago, and is now all improved. Much credit 
 is due our subject for his enterprising and honora- 
 ble mode of conducting business, and to him is the 
 city indel)ted for a goodly share of its improve- 
 ments. 
 
 ERCY J. SMETHERS. There are few 
 more attractive homesteads within the lira- 
 its of Gage County' than that owned and 
 occupied by the subject of this sketch, who 
 is one of the younger memliers in its farming com- 
 munity, and who is pleasantli' located on the south- 
 east quarter of section 20. in Glenwood Township. 
 Here he has a neat and substantial residence, a good 
 barn, and the other buildings necessary for the suc- 
 cessful prosecution of his calling. He has planted 
 a large number of fruit and shade trees, and grad- 
 ually added the other embellishments which form 
 tiie complete home and serve to increase the beauty 
 and value of his property. The traveler passing 
 through this section will notice this farm and form 
 his opinion as to the habits and character of the 
 proprietor. 
 
 Mr. Smethers comes of good Pennsylvania stock, 
 his parents, Josiah and Mary (Hill) Smethers, hav- 
 ing been natives of the Keystone State, born, reared 
 
 and married in Luzerne County. From there in 
 about 1853 they emigrated to Lee County, 111., 
 settling near Dixon, where the father carried on 
 farming. They came to the State of Nebraska in 
 the year 1878 and here settled on a farm in Glen- 
 wood Township, where they lived until 1887, then 
 took up their abode in Lanham, where they now 
 reside. The}' became the parents of ten children, 
 five sons and five daughters, of whom Percy J. was 
 the third child. He was born in Lee County, 111., 
 Sept. 30, 1856, where he lived until a young man 
 of twenty-two years, becoming familiar with farm 
 pursuits and acquiring his education in the com- 
 mon schools. 
 
 Not long after reaching his majoritj' our subject 
 was united in marriage with one of the most esti- 
 mable young ladies of his native county. Miss Mary 
 Uhl, who was born June 17, 1857. and is the daugh- 
 ter of Hiram and Margaret (Willielm) Uhl, who 
 were natives of Peuns3'lvania. The mother departed 
 this life in Lee County, 111., about 1858, and the 
 father still resides there. Their family consisted of 
 four children, two now living. Mr. Uhl subsequently 
 married Nancy Hughes, by whom he had four 
 children. 
 
 Mv. and Mrs. Smethers lived in the Prairie State 
 a year after marriage, then came with the parents 
 of our subject to this county. They located in 
 Beatrice, where they lived one year and one-half, 
 when Mr. S. bought 160 acres of Government land 
 which comprises his present farm, and which was a 
 part of the Otoe reservation. It was in an unculti- 
 vated condition, and it is hardly necessary to say 
 that it h.as required no small amount of labor and 
 good management to bring it to its present state. 
 Each year sees something added to its value, and 
 already in its appointments there are mirrored the 
 essential requirements of the complete rural home, 
 the abode of peace and plenty, and one of the best 
 monuments of industry and perseverance that a 
 man can build for himself. 
 
 Mr. Smethers signified his early political views 
 by casting his first Presidential vote for Gen. Han- 
 cock, and has since uniformly supported Democratic 
 principles. Religiously, he and his excellent wife 
 belong to the English Lutheran Church. The}' 
 have three children: Nettie V.,Elroy and Stella F., 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 477 
 
 the eldest ten j'ears of age and the youngest two. 
 Mr. Smethers believes in the education of the 
 3'oung, and his children will he given the advan- 
 tages suitable to their position in the communitj'. 
 He has alwa3's piaintained a warm interest in the 
 social and moral welfare of his townsliip, and in his 
 district has served as Treasurer of the school fund. 
 
 ^- 
 
 V|]OHN HAND is an honored pioneer of Pad- 
 dock Township, lie being one of the very 
 ^^^^ , first settlers in this neighborliood. When he 
 (^^/ came here in 1878, and bought of the Gov- 
 inent his present place, comprising 100 acreson sec- 
 tion "20, there was but one other settler here, S. S. 
 Spires, who had preceded him onlj- a short time 
 previously. Then A. McCliing settled on a quar- 
 ter of section b4, a few weeks later. All the coun- 
 try around was wild, unbroken prairie, the haunt of 
 numerous Indians, and the home of wolves, deer, 
 and other wild game. In the decade that lias elapsed 
 since then Mr. Hand has witnessed many wonder- 
 ful changes, and has taken an active part in bring- 
 ing about the present advanced condition of the 
 township and county. His experience as a pioneer 
 was fraught with manj' interesting incidents, and as 
 related by him, are well worth listening to; we are 
 sorry that the brevity of this biographical sketch 
 will not allow us to insert an account of his early 
 life in this county in these pages. 
 
 Mr. Hand was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, 
 March 7, 1 830. His parents were Thomas and Char- 
 ity (Andrews) Hand, natives respectively of Ohio 
 and Maryland. The f.ather was born in 1804, and 
 died in his native State, Aug. 28, 1852, having 
 scarcely passed the prime of life. His estimable 
 wife-survived him many years, her death occurring 
 in Ohio in 1873. She was born in 1798, and when 
 fourteen years of age left her native Maryland to 
 live in Ohio, where she spent the remainder of her 
 life. 
 
 The son of that worthy couple, who forms the 
 subject of this sketch, was reared in his native 
 county, and made his home there until twentj'-one 
 years of age. Being a vigorous, enterprising young 
 man, ambitious to make his own way in the world, 
 
 he left Tuscarawas County when he attained his 
 majority, and went to Van Wert County, in the 
 same State, where he lived for several years. There 
 he met Miss Juiia A. Whitby, and they were united 
 in marriage Jan. 21, 1855. She is a model wife and 
 mother, devoted to the interests of her family. Of 
 this marriage eight children have been born, tive of 
 whom survive. 
 
 After marriage Mr. Hand continued to reside in 
 Ohio for some years, but in 1868 he removed with 
 his family to Clinton County, Iowa, where they 
 lived until 1878, when they came to Nebraska, and 
 located in their present home. At that time Mr. 
 Hand's financial condition was at a low ebb, and 
 after arranging fur the purchase of a quarter-section 
 of Government land which formed a part of the 
 reservation, he had just enough money left to make 
 the first payment. Prosperity has since smiled upon 
 him, and he has been enabled to improve his land 
 into as One a farm as there is in this neighborhood, 
 and the harvests that he reaps from it put him in 
 possession of a good yearly income. He has erected 
 a cozy and conveniently arranged house, a stable, 
 and has other necessary out-biiildings, and his 
 place is neat and well-kept in appearance. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hand are highl3- respected in this 
 community' ;^they are sincere Christians, and were 
 formerly connected with the AVesleyan Methodist 
 Church, while they were residents of Ohio. Mr. 
 Hand is a man of unblemished repute, is careful and 
 considerate in his dealings with others; he is a hard 
 and constant worker, with much practical sagacitj'. 
 and is highly deserving of the prosperity that has 
 resulted from his efforts. He is a straight Repub- 
 lican in his political sentiments, and never fails to 
 give his hearty support to the candidates of his 
 party at the polls. 
 
 JOHN KEPPLE, one of the progressive and 
 prosperous farmers of Barneston Township, 
 was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., on 
 the 12th of November, 1835. His father, Ja- 
 cob Kepple, now deceased, was born in the same 
 place, of German descent. The maiden name of 
 his wife, the mother of our subject, was Martha 
 
 "^^^1^ 
 
-^^ 
 
 j 
 
 478 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Deeiuer, a native of Pennsylvania to wliom he was 
 married about 1825. Their family circle incliulcd 
 ten children, and of these our subject was the fifth 
 child. It was their privilege to see their children 
 grow up and enter upon honorable and useful ca- 
 reers. Tliej' are scattered in various parts of the 
 Eastern States, and so far as is known the circle is 
 yet unbroken by death. 
 
 In the public schools of his native county our 
 subject busily employed the days of his j-outh, and 
 is possessed of a fairly thorough English education. 
 On leaving school he engaged in farming, and in 
 the spring of 1865 went to St. Anthony Falls, 
 Minn., but before the winter set in had removed to 
 Rock Island County, III. In the former place he 
 had worked in a sawmill, but ui)on moving to Illi- 
 nois he engaged on a farm, and so continued un- 
 til 1872, when he went to JNew Mexico, and was 
 occupie<l in mining, and thence three j'ears later he 
 went to the Black Hills, traveling through the 
 mountains, mining a little and prospecting. This 
 continued for about three years, by which time he 
 came to Nemaha Cit}' ; that was in the j'ear 1 878. 
 His removal to this county' dates from 1881, when 
 he settled upon his present farm. 
 
 Mr. Kepple is one who has never drained the cup 
 of matrimonial bliss, and yet withal seems to thrive 
 and prosper, although denying himself such com- 
 panionship. 
 
 ILAN E. CHAPMAN, operating as general 
 insurance agent and auctioneer at Beatrice, 
 cast his lot with the people of Southern 
 Nebraska in July of 188C, and has been 
 closel}' identified with the interests of this county 
 since that time. He previously lived a year in the 
 western part of the State. A native of Bureau 
 Count}-, III., he was born near the little town of 
 Walnut, July 18, 1861, and was the fourth in a 
 family of five sons, the offspring of Ozias E. and 
 Sarah (Beeman) Chapman, who were natives of 
 Medina Count}-, Ohio. Our subject is the name- 
 sake of his paternal grandfather. Ozias Chapman 
 was a successful farmer and stock-raiser, and, 
 leaving the Buckeye State at an early perio<l in his 
 
 life, settled in Bureau County, III., where bc>th par- 
 ents still live at the old homestead. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared a farmer's 
 boy, and pursued his first studies in the district 
 school. He was fond of his books and ambitious 
 to learn, and at an early age developed into a 
 teacher, officiating as pedagogue in the building 
 where his father and subsequently his four lirothers 
 had discharged the same duties. Young Chapman, 
 in the spring of 1885, striking out for himself, 
 started for the State of Nebraska, and located first 
 at Clay Center in Clay County, establishing in the 
 business to which he still gives his attention. Six 
 months later he removed to Phelps County, and 
 became editor of the Berlrand Journal, with which 
 he was engaged four months. Then returning to 
 Illinois he was married, June 30, 1886, to Miss 
 Lizzie A. Waterhouse. and then, selecting Beatrice 
 as his future field of operations, came to this city 
 where he has since resided. Not long afterward he 
 associated himself in partnership with J. W. Eber- 
 sol, and as Ebersol, Chapman & Co., they operated 
 together for eighteen months, wiien Mr. Chapman 
 purchased the interest of his partner and succeeded 
 to tlie business, which he has since carried on alone. 
 His insurance transactions represent the leading 
 companies of the United States, including the 
 Hartford of Connecticut, the German-American of 
 New York State, and many others equally prominent 
 and popular. He also represents the Mutual Life 
 of New York, and the Union Central, of Cincinnati, 
 Ohio. In politics he is a stanch Republican. 
 
 -» -HH-^ijs^::^Ag)-^-HH-«- 
 
 ^^FUSTIN L. WAY was born in Ashtabula 
 W'LLm County, Ohio, on the 26th of October, 
 1829, and is the son of Elisha ai)d Anna 
 Way, who were natives of Connecticut 
 and Massachusetts respectively. The early years 
 of his life were spent on a farm in his native 
 county, where he remained until the year 1854, the 
 greater part of the time at the home of his parents. 
 In that year he moved to Henry County, 111., and 
 settled near Kewanee, in which place he made his 
 home until 1871, being engaged in farming. He 
 then went to Page County, Iowa, and again en- 
 
 -•► 
 
 t 
 
-^•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 479 
 
 gaged in farming on some land which he had 
 foiinerl}- pureiiaspd, remaining there nntil 1881, 
 when he came to this count}" and settled in Glen- 
 wood Township, lie owns 160 acres of good farm- 
 ing land on section 2, on which he has made 
 noticeable improvements, both in the state of its 
 cultivation and in the manner in which he has 
 adorned it with a good house, barn, and all the nec- 
 essary farm buildings and fences. He is engaged 
 in general farming and stock-raising. 
 
 On the 26lh of October, 1879, our snbje'ct was 
 united in marriage, in Kewanee, 111., with Miss 
 Anna Butterwick, who is a native of Newcastle, 
 P^ngland. She is the daughter of Thomas and 
 Anna Butterwick. By this marriage thej- have be- 
 come the parents of seven children, who are named: 
 Ella, Bertha, Ross, Daisy, Haven, Howard and 
 Lloj'd. Both Mr. and Mrs. Way are active mem- 
 bers of the Baptist Church, and are highly esteemed 
 in society. The former advocates the cause of the 
 Rei)ublican party in politics, and as far as he is 
 able aids in the upbuilding of his section. Among 
 business men his word is as binding as would be a 
 written agreement, and it is alwa^'s understood that 
 he can be relied upon doing whatever he promises 
 to do. His integritj' and uprightness of character 
 are unimpeachable, and among good and public- 
 spirited citizens he stands in the first rank. 
 
 ■^ AMP:S C. BRINKWORTH is Chairman of 
 the Board of Public Works of the beautiful 
 and tasty citj' of Beatrice, upon whom rests 
 largely the responsibility of many of the 
 most important works that have for their object 
 the public welfare. In Somersetshire, England, 
 onr .subject was born on the 20th of Jul}', 1853. 
 His father. John Brink worth, a native of the same 
 countj', was a farmer, and had charge of some 
 600 acres, so that our subject became full}' accus- 
 tomed to agricultural life even from his earliest 
 cliildliood. The maiden name of the mother of 
 our subject was Fannie Uncles. Of this uriion thir- 
 teen children were born, ten of them grew to ma- 
 turitj-,and all of them have come to this country. 
 It was the goorl fortune of our subject to receive 
 
 i~ 
 
 that valuable inheritance, a good education, first 
 under a private governess, who instructed him in 
 the more elementary branches preparatory to his 
 admission to the Crosscombe Academj', at Cross- 
 combe, England, which he attended for several 
 j'ears, and from which he was graduated. He was 
 seventeen jears of age when he came to this coun- 
 try in company with his parents and the other 
 members of the family. They settled in Living- 
 ston Count}', 111., and eng.aged in agricultural pur- 
 suits, in which also our subject continued for three 
 years. For the six years immediately following he 
 was engaged working with one man at the carpen- 
 ter trade, and in that time became a very expert 
 master workman, fully competent to t.ake charge of 
 anything in his line and execute it in a proper 
 manner. 
 
 Becoming acquainted with the daughter of Ben- 
 jamin F. Hotchkiss, of Odeli, Livingston County, 
 Mr. Brinkworth was united in marriage to her 
 Dec. 25, 1874. There have been born to them 
 three children : Bennie, who was born in Illinois 
 and died at Beatrice, aged seventeen months; James 
 Edwin and Edith Beatrice, whose presence in the 
 home have maile it more attractive and felicitous. 
 
 Miss Hattie Hotchkiss, the wife of our subject, 
 was born at Ottawa, 111., on the 21st of May, 1853. 
 Her father is deceased. The maiden name of his 
 wife was Delia Baldwin. Their residence in this 
 State dates from March, 1877. They were the 
 parents of five children, of whom their daughter 
 Hattie is the youngest. The mother resides in 
 Beatrice. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Brinkworth came to Nebraska in 
 March, 1877, and with their one child settled in 
 Beatrice, which even at that time gave promise 
 of a noteworthy future although then very small, 
 and, owing to the undeveloped surroundings, some- 
 what dull. At this time our subject was compar.i- 
 tively poor in purse and possessions of that nature, 
 but rich in having sound health, a clear mind, and 
 a thorough knowledge of a good trade and of agri- 
 culture. 
 
 ImmedLately establishing his family in as nice a 
 home as he could, our subject set to work and in- 
 vested all his ready money in lands, city property, 
 etc., buying rather with a view of holding than of 
 
480 
 
 1 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 selling, but conducting that feature of his busi- 
 ness somewhat according to circumstances. From 
 this beginning he has steadilj" progp'ssed until he 
 has attained his present position, which is one in- 
 dicative of unqualified success. Besides his excep- 
 tionally good I'esidence on South Seventh street, he 
 is the owner of various valuable city properties. 
 
 The growth of the cit^' of Beatrice necessitated the 
 organization of a Board of Public Works, of which 
 it is the lionor of our subject to be the first Chair- 
 man, to which position he was appointed by Mayor 
 PL O. Krctsinger for a term of two years. P]very 
 duty devolving upon him in the execution of the 
 functions of his office has been so performed as 
 to win the heartiest congratulation and apprecia- 
 tion of the citizens. Owing to his careful super- 
 vision, the city sewerage is almost perfect — a most 
 important matter from the standpoint of health. 
 In politics he is a Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Brink- 
 worth are respected citizens. 
 
 =iS4tf= 
 
 -^ir^-x" 
 
 ^/OUN R. IIIGGINS, in the spring of 1882, 
 I settled upon a tract of vvild land on section 
 ^^^ I 2G, in Grant Township, which by the exer- 
 1^^' cise of constant industrj- he has transformed 
 into a valuable farm. It is KSO acres in extent, al- 
 ready fairly well sui)plied with good buildings, and 
 eacii year adds st.mething to the attractiveness and 
 value of the property. Not the least among the 
 surroundings conducive to the comfort of the 
 family is a fine young orchard of choice apple trees, 
 and Mr. H. has also planted shade trees, having in 
 view the comfort of his live stock and the general 
 embellishment of the farm. 
 
 Peoria, 111., had formerly been the home of our 
 subject, where he lived from tlie time he first drew 
 breath until reaching manhood. He was born Aug. 
 22, 1854, and is the son of James and Mar\- (Burns) 
 Higgins, wiio settled in Peoria County during its 
 pioneer days. James Higgins was born in Ireland, 
 and crossed the Atlantic when a mere boy, settling 
 with his parents at Peoria, III., during the daj'S 
 when it was known as Ft. Clark. There he was 
 reared to manhood, receiving a limited education, 
 and married Miss Burns, whose parents had likewise 
 
 emigrated to the West about the same time that the 
 parents of Mr. Higgins settled in Peoria County. 
 His father, James Higgins. was a marble cutter by 
 trade, and at this emploj'ment spent the greater part 
 of his active life. He was a man of many excellent 
 qualities and became one of the most highly re- 
 spected citizens of Peoria, where he spent many 
 years, and where his death occurred when his son, 
 our subject, was but a lad of tender jears. The 
 mother had previously passed awaj', and thus 30ung 
 John R. was orphaned at an early age. He had twc) 
 brothers and one sister, and upon the death of the 
 father the family was scattered, the brothers hav- 
 ing to take care of themselves, and the sister died 
 in Peoria in infancy. James Higgins, the j-ounger 
 brother of our subject, is a resident of Virginia, 
 and engaged in the hardware business. 
 
 John R. Higgins, thrown upon his own resources 
 earl}' in life, made his way through many difficulties 
 and secured a practical education. This experience, 
 however, proved of essential benefit, making him 
 independent and self-reliant, and fitting him admira- 
 bly for the difficulties which art the common lot of 
 man. He suffered no discouragement to overcome 
 him, and in due time began to see his way toward 
 the establishment of a home of his own. On the 
 1st of March, 1877, he was united in marriage with 
 Miss Melissa, daughter of Peter and Melissa (Rob- 
 inson) Sheen, the wedding taking place at the home 
 of the bride in Woodford County, 111. Peter Sheen 
 was formerly one of the most prominent residents 
 of Peoria, whence became to Nebraska about 1882. 
 He is now an extensive land-owner in Grant Town- 
 ship. He settled in Peoria when it was a mere 
 hamlet containing but one store. He married his 
 wife there, and she is yet spared to her home and 
 family. 
 
 Mrs. Higgins was born in Peoria, 111., April 22, 
 1857, and was reared to womanhood in her native 
 town, acquiring a common-school education. .She 
 was carefullj' trained by an excellent mother to 
 those habits of industry and economy which have 
 fitted her to preside properly over the home which 
 has been built up solely by honest labor. Of her 
 union with our subject there have been born four 
 children, two of whom. Arthur and Jessie, are liv- 
 ing. Herbert and .an infant died at the age of 
 
 ^h^: 
 
 ••^ M ^' 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 about twenty rlnys. Mr. Higgins has very little 
 time to devote to political matters but keeps him- 
 self iiiformerl upon current events, and uniformly 
 votes the Democratic ticket. Both he and his ex- 
 cellent wife stand nell among their neighbors, and 
 their home forms the resort of a large circle of 
 warm friends. 
 
 \rSAAC O. BRACE. Among the farmers of 
 Glenwood Township whose intimate knowledge 
 of their calling and success in the same are 
 worthy of mention in connection with any volume 
 treating of the township, is tlie subject of the pres- 
 ent writing, wliose farm is situated upon section 9, 
 and is ICO acres in extent. He is the son of Isaac 
 and Avey (Rippberger) Brace. The father of our 
 subject was born in .Spencer, N. Y., March 17, 
 1823; his mother in Germany. 
 
 Our subject, the only child of his parents, was 
 born in Silver Creek Township, Stephenson Co., 111., 
 Nov. 27, 1855, and was left motherless when about 
 two years of age. The years of his childhood and 
 youth were spent upon the farm and in the common 
 school of the township, and as a j'onng man he 
 worked upon his fatlier's farm, continuing to do so 
 until the year 1876, when he went to California, 
 remaining for two years. The first was spent upon 
 a ranch, the second in the mountains, and was not 
 altogether wanting in success. lie then returned to 
 Stephenson County, and remained until 1879, when 
 became to this county with his fatiier. and settled 
 in Midland Township, where thej' made their home 
 until 188G. Then our subject removed to his pres- 
 ent property- in Glenwood. Into the work of im- 
 proving his farm in this countj' our subject has 
 entered with intelligent enthusiasm, concentrating 
 his energies, and bestowing much hard labor upon 
 it, with results that must be gratifying. 
 
 While a resident in Midland Township Mr. Brace 
 became the hnsljand of Miss Maggie McCnne, on 
 the 25th of Eebruarj-, 1885. This lady is the 
 daughter of David and Sarah (Linheart) McCune, 
 who are natives of Pennsylvania. Their daughter 
 was born near Rochelle, Ogle Co., 111., June 14, 
 1856. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 Brace two children, who bear the names Maud E. 
 and Harry. 
 
 The father of our subject was one of the early 
 pioneers of Stephenson County, and took great pride 
 in watching its rapid development, and was second 
 to none in his anxiety and efforts to that end. He 
 settled there while yet unmarried in the year 1842, 
 and at the age of nineteen years. His home previ- 
 ous to this settlement had been in Madison County 
 N. Y., where he had lived for several years. He 
 was married in Stephenson County, and resided in 
 Silver Creek and Ridott Townships until he re- 
 moved to this .State. 
 
 On all matters of political interest our subject is 
 inclined to take his stand with the Republican 
 partj', but never at the expense of principle. He 
 is a friend to good morals, and anxious to do all in 
 his power as a citizen to forward the highest inter- 
 ests of the Republic. 
 
 i^^^HOMAS BARRY is an extensive and pros- 
 ffn^^ perous farmer of Gage County, owning and 
 ^^^ managing a fine large farm which is classed 
 as one of the best in Paddock Township. Mr. 
 Barry is a native of Ireland, and thence he emi- 
 grated to the United States in thej'ear 1850, landing 
 in New York City March 1, friendless, homeless and 
 penniless. Notwithstanding these discouraging facts 
 he was not disheartened, but immediately sought 
 work, anything that his hands might find to do, 
 that he might earn an honorable living and not 
 be dependent on strangers for what he ate. He 
 soon found employment as a porter in Barker's 
 Hotel, and thus engaged for three years. At 
 length he left the great metropolis of the Empire 
 State and went to Philadelphia, where he hoped to 
 obtain more lucrative employment. He staid 
 there but a few weeks, however, and then proceede<t 
 to Cleveland, Ohio, where he passed the ensuing 
 three j-ears. From there he then went to St. 
 Louis, and spent a like period of time in that city. 
 We subsequently find him located in Pike County, 
 III., where he began farming on his own account, he 
 having been often employed as a farm hand since 
 his arrival in the United States. He rented a farm 
 
 i= 
 
 <*• 
 

 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 in that count}-, and carried it on «iihgood financial 
 results for some 3'ears. It was in tiiis i»eriod of his 
 life that our subject obtained his war record, for 
 while a resident of Illinois he volunteered to serve 
 his adopted countrj- in tlie fall of 18G4, and was 
 mustered into the ranks of the Federal army as a 
 member of Company C, UlHli Illinois Infantry, and 
 did good service as a brave and loyal soldier until 
 tl>e close of tiie war. 
 
 On his retirement from the armj' Mr. Barry re- 
 moved to Peoria Count}', 111., and after staying 
 there nearly seven ycais, he went to Livingston 
 County, in the same .Slate, where he lesided about 
 ten years. At the expiration of that lime he came 
 to Gage County, Neb., attracted hither by the re- 
 j)orts of the lichness and productiveness of the soil. 
 With admirable judgment he selected a tract of 160 
 acres of wihl |)rairie lan<l on section 27, Paddock 
 Township, which is still included in his present 
 farm. He now has it all under a fine state of 
 tillage; he has erected a fine house, a handsome, 
 large structure, a good barn, granaries, corn cribs, 
 and has made all the needed improvements to make 
 it one of the show places of the township. He has 
 also increased the acreage of his farm by purchases 
 of other land from time to lime; he bought eighty 
 acres on section 34, joining the home place on the 
 south, and he also owns 160 acres in Barneston 
 Township. We have seen that INIr. Barry arrived 
 in this country without money, and in all his pros- 
 perity he has not forgotten that many a day he has 
 toiled hard for the paltry sum of fifty cents. Indeed, 
 it is his pride that he is a self-made man, and that 
 he owes his present financial standing solely to his 
 own exertions. He now proposes to live at ease 
 during his declining years, suri-ounded by all the 
 comforts that money can buy, and he will be en- 
 abled to leave a legacy to his children. 
 
 During all these years of struggle and toil Mr_ 
 Barry has had the efficient aid of a capable wife, 
 to whom he was married in New York City in 1853. 
 Mrs. Barry is likewise a native of Ireland, and 
 her maiden name was Catherine O'Brien. Their 
 marriage has been blessed to our subject and his 
 wife by llie birth of ten children, eight of whom 
 survive, namely: John W., William H., Dennis, 
 Thomas S., George D., Mary E.. Jane an<l James. 
 
 Three of their cliildren are married; the remainder 
 live at home with their |)arents. John married 
 AnnaSheron; William married Leltie A. McAllis- 
 ter; Dennis married Hattie A., daughter of Marquis 
 Spencer, whose biography appears in this work. 
 The family are all members of the Roman Catholic 
 Church, of Odeli. Mr. Barry Is a strong Democrat 
 in his political views, but his sons are sturdy Re- 
 publicans and Prohibitionists. Mr. Barry is a 
 genial, generous, whole-souled gentleman, liberal 
 and public-spirited, and Is liked and res[)ected 
 throughout the community. 
 
 -. ^^ ^ 
 
 ON. ISAAC W. FUNCK. The subject of 
 this sketch is the oldest resident dentist of 
 the city of Beatrice, and a man holding a 
 high position in the community. Intelli- 
 gent, of good education, and self-made in the broad- 
 est sense of the term, his career has been one upon 
 which he can reflect with pardonable satisfaction. 
 At the county Republican Convention, held in 
 Beatrice in August, 1888, he was chosen the can- 
 didate of his party for State Senator, and was 
 elected by a handsome majority. 
 
 Dr. Funck was born in Huntingdon County, Pa.. 
 April 25, 18-18, and was the third child in a family 
 of three sons and one daughter, of whom only 
 three are living. The parents, Abraham and 
 Catherine (Winters) Funck, were born and reared 
 in the State of Pennsylvania, where the father 
 learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed 
 during early manhood. Later he engaged in farm- 
 ing, and spent his entire life in his native State, his 
 death taking place in Huntingdon County, in Au- 
 gust, 1883. The mother is still living, and con- 
 tinues at the old homestead. The parents on both 
 sides of the house were of German descent. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared as a far- 
 mer's boy, and pursue<l his early studies first in the 
 district school, later attended a select school, and 
 finally entered upon an academic course at Kisha- 
 coquillas. Upon approacliing manhood he began 
 teaching during the winter season, and worked on 
 the farm In summer. He commenced the study of 
 dentistry at Huntingdon, under the instruction of 
 
 •► 
 
■^*- 
 
 i^^^i-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 483 
 
 Dr. Thomns J. Gibson. He left his naLive State 
 in 187!, crossinir tlie Mississippi and coming- to 
 Nebraska, taking n|) his abode first in P'alls Cit\-. 
 In 1873 lie became a resident of Beatrice. He now 
 occupies oHices in the Gage County National Banlc 
 Block, where he lias all the modern appliances for 
 his work, and of the latter lias sufficient to keep 
 him coiistantl}' einplo3ed. He has been quite 
 prominent in public affairs, having been Road 
 Supervisor of tiie city of Beatrice. 
 
 The Doctor was married, April 16, 1872, to Miss 
 Susan Stump, of Falls City. Mrs. Funck was born 
 March 3, 1853, in Wells County, Ind., and is the 
 daughter of Samuel and .Sarah (McFaddin) Stump, 
 who were natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia 
 respectively. The fatlier is now deceased, but 
 the mother is still living. Of this union there 
 are four children, viz : Alice, Albert, Edith and 
 Warren. Dr. Funck, politically', votes the Repub- 
 lican ticket, and socially, belongs to the I. O. 0. F., 
 being a member of Beatrice Lodge No. 19, in 
 which he has passed all the Chairs. 
 
 -i- 
 
 #-# 
 
 -i- 
 
 /^h HESTER H. CALKINS, an extensive land- 
 
 //f(SJ) 
 
 (II owner and breeder of blooded horses, has 
 
 ^^Jf' his headquarters in the city of Beatrice, to 
 which he came in 1879. He is a man very capable 
 and enterprising, one who is never idle, and his in- 
 dustry has been rewarded in the possession of a 
 fine property accumulated mostly through his own 
 efforts. He was born near the city of Springfield, 
 in .Sangamon County-. III.. April 24, 1841. being the 
 second child of Daniel A. and Lavina (Inuman) 
 Calkins, who were the parents of three sons and 
 cue daughter. 
 
 Daniel A. Calkins was born in Vermont, and 
 before his marriage left his native hills, settling in 
 the State of New York. The mother was a n.ative 
 of the latter State, and there the parents were mar- 
 ried. They took up their residence in that State 
 for a time, and then Mr. Calkins, desirous of a 
 larger field of operation, emigrated to Sangamon 
 County, 111., and engaged quite extensively in stock- 
 raising. He is still living, and has arrived at the 
 advanced age of eighty-five years; the mother is 
 
 sevent3'-eight years old. Years ago they left .San- 
 gamon County, removing to Will County, III., and 
 about 1874 to Iroqouis County, where they now 
 live. 
 
 When the subject of this sketch w.as a lad about 
 twelve years of age his parents removed from San- 
 gamon County to Will Count3', 111., where he com- 
 pleted his education in the district s('liool. and 
 developed into manhood. He continued with his 
 parents, occupied mostly in farming pursuits, and 
 left Will County in 1879. coining directly to Bea- 
 trice, this State. Shortly afterward he purchaseil a 
 tract of new land in Filley Township, upon which 
 he spent one 3'ear, effecting considerable improve- 
 ments, then removed to Beatrice, where he has 
 since lived. He added from time to time to his 
 first purchase, and is now the owner of 640 acres, 
 the greater part in a productive condition, provided 
 with suitable farm buildings. .Since coming to this 
 count}' he has improved seven farms, one of them 
 having been land upon which the town of Ellis now 
 stands; another lies in Sicil}' Township. The farm 
 in Fille^' Township is mainl}' devoted to his stock 
 operations. Noticeable among his horses are three 
 magnificent draft animals of Norman, Clydesdale 
 and Morgan stock, respectively, and one of them, 
 "Black Traveler," is in the habit of carrying off the 
 blue ribbons, having taken first premium at the State 
 Fair in Lincoln, where he was in competition with 
 twenty -six others. 
 
 Mr. Calkins is also interested in the breeding of 
 Holstein cattle and Poland-China hogs, and in this 
 line also exhibits some of the finest animals to be 
 found in the county. His career has been essen- 
 tiall}' that of a self-made man. He started out for 
 himself at the age of thirteen years, with no capital 
 but a pair of willing hands, and worked six years 
 for one man on a farm in Will Count}'. He was 
 married, Oct. 7, 1867. to Miss Emma Boot, of 
 Kane Count}', 111., by whom he had three children 
 — Ida, Cora and Alice. The present wife of our 
 subject, to whom he was married Sept. 10. 1887, 
 was formerl}' Mrs. Ilattie L. Martin, nee Adams, 
 daughter of Benjamin and Helen (Purcel) Adams; 
 her parents are deceased. (Jf this union there has 
 been born one child, a son, Chester II., Jr. 
 
 Mr. Calkins, politically, votes the straight Repub- 
 
 ■— •^ 
 
•^1^^ 
 
 ^^ m -<• 
 
 484 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 liean ticket. In addition tu liis landed interests he 
 is tlie owner of valuable city propert}', including a 
 good residence in Beatrice, which, with its sur- 
 ronndings, forms one of its most pleasant and at- 
 tractive homes. 
 
 -Js-^ir^^ 
 
 Ilf)l) ^ell-educated gentle 
 
 /4v^ with the farming int 
 
 (@)) the subiect of this si 
 
 \|J^_^ ENRY RICE. Among the intelligent and 
 
 lemen who are identified 
 interests of Gage County, 
 subject of this sketch occupies a promi- 
 nent position, as he is the owner of one of the finest 
 farms in Paddock Township. It comprises 240 
 acres of well fenced and highly cultivated land, 
 pleasantly located on sections 20 and 29, Paddock 
 Township, and with its handsome residence, com- 
 modious barn and other farm buildings, adds much 
 to the scenic features of this locality. 
 
 Mr. Rice was born in Maryland, Sept. 20, 1842. 
 He was eaily left an orphan, as his parents, Henry 
 and Hannah (Friedly) Rice, natives of Maryland, 
 died, the former before the birth of our subject, and 
 the latter when he was but three years old. He 
 then fell to the kindly care of his aunt, Catherine 
 Rice, a sister-in-law of his father, and Ijy her he 
 was taken to Ogle County. 111. He was there 
 reared by his aunt and given the benefit of a 
 superior education in Mt. Morris College, which 
 excellent institution of learning is located in that 
 county. He can scarcely have completed his col- 
 legiate education when he went forth as an untried 
 and youthlul soldier, to learn on Southern battle- 
 fields the bitter lessons of the hardships and dan- 
 gers of war. as he was but twenty-one j'ears old 
 when he enlisted, Dec. 12, 18G3, in Company D, 
 4th Illinois Cavalry. lie served nearly three years 
 with his company, taking part in tiftj'-eight engage- 
 ments, among which were Vicksburg, Red River, 
 etc., winning a record for coolness and efHcienc}^ 
 in the hour of battle of which he may well be 
 ])r()ud. In June. 1 866, he was honorably discharged. 
 Notwitlistanding the many times he had been under 
 fire he returned home unhurt and without a woui.d, 
 except by a horse falling on him in a charge. He 
 is now a member <jf theG. A. R., Reserve Post No. 
 1 4H, of Odell. 
 
 When Mr. Rice began life for himself he had no 
 
 money, but his education was his capital, and he 
 adopted the profession of a teacher. He was en- 
 gaged as a schoolmaster for eight years with marked 
 success, and thus obtained the means to enable him 
 to become a farmer. He first turned his attention 
 to agricultui-e in 1874, and for some time farmed in 
 the summer and in the winter season resumed his 
 pedagogical duties. In March, 1883, Mr. Rice 
 came to Gage County, and purchased his present 
 farm, on which then stooil a small house and barn. 
 The replacement of these, and the numerous other 
 splendid improvements that he has brought about, 
 testify to his arduous labors and to the money that 
 he has so judiciously expended iu order to accom- 
 plish so much in a com para tivelj"^ short time. iNIr. 
 Rice undoubtedly owes his success to his indomit- 
 able will, close attention to the details of his busi- 
 ness, and to his financial abilit3\ 
 
 Our suliject was married in Ogle Count}', III., 
 March 2.'), 1874, to Miss Marj' J., d.aughter of 
 Samuel and Janet Hitt. Their pleasant home circle 
 is completed by the three children who have been 
 born to them — Charles E. ; George and Andrew, 
 twins. 
 
 ARVIN F. WESTON. Among the most 
 worthy citizens of Barneston Township is 
 the subject of the present writing, whose 
 residence and farming property is situated 
 on section 5. He is the son of Charles and Delana 
 (Brimmer) Weston, and was born at their home iu 
 Washington County. N. Y''., on the 19th of April, 
 1843. His father was a native of Massachusetts, 
 and prior to his removal to LaSalle County, III., 
 in 1847, he followed the trade of a shoemaker, but 
 from that time until his death he operated his farm 
 in that place. He died at the age of seventy-five 
 years, in 1875. 
 
 Of the seven children born to the parents of our 
 subject, only he and his sister Lydia survive. This 
 lady is now the wife of William Evans, of Chicago, 
 in which city they reside. Our subject received 
 a fair education in the common branches iu the 
 usual institution of learning iu LaSalle County, 
 where he was brought up, and from earliest boy- 
 hood worked upon the farm, and has continued to 
 
 i 
 
-€*■ 
 
 GAGE COUMTY. 
 
 485 
 
 make husbandry the occupation of his life. Al- 
 though but about four j'cais of age when bis parents 
 removed from New York, the journej' made such an 
 impression upon the mental retina as to be retained, 
 at least in outline, until the present. There were 
 but two methods of travel used in that trip; from 
 the East to Chicago tiiej- journeyed via tlie Lakes, 
 and thence to Peru, their destination, by wagon. 
 
 In the late war our subject served for three 
 months in Compan}' G, ISDth Illinois Infantr}-, and 
 at the conclusion of that period for another three 
 months in Companj- B, 68th Illinois Infantry. His 
 military experience was not so startling, dangerous 
 or terrilile as man}', because for the greater part of 
 the time his regiment was either performing guard 
 duty or was held in reserve. At the close of the 
 war he returned to his home at LaSalle, and en- 
 gaged in farming. In 1882 Mr. Weston came to 
 this county, and settled where he now resides, and 
 where he has been coutinuouslj' engaged in farming 
 and stock-raising. 
 
 In Ihe Masonic fraternity our subject is recog- 
 nized as a member in good standing; he is also con- 
 nected with the Knights of Pythias, and usu.ally 
 meets with them in W'ymore. In his political opin- 
 ions and principles he is in harmonj- with the Re- 
 publican partj', of which for many years he has been 
 a stanch friend and ardent supporter. In the com- 
 munity at large our subject is a recognized friend 
 of good morals and every enterprise 'and organiza- 
 tion that looks to that end. and is proportionately 
 respected by his fellow-citizens. 
 
 t >K:-r '<- 
 
 EWIS E. WALKER, insurance and loan 
 (^ agent, has his office at the corner of Court 
 L^^ and Sixth streets, in Beatrice, and occupies 
 a good position among the business men of his com- 
 munity. His earliest recollections are of a modest 
 hon7e, com|)rising a log house on a farm in West 
 Point, in the vicinity of Lodi, Wis., where he first 
 opened his eyes to the light June 28, 1854. The 
 eldest of four children, two sons and two daughters, 
 he is the son of Isaac V. N. and Mary E. (Davis) 
 
 Walker, who were natives of New York State, the 
 father born in the town of Chatham, and the mother 
 in the now flourishing cit}' of Troy. After marriage 
 the}- emigrated to Wisconsin, settling on a farm 
 among the pioneers of Columbia County, where 
 they still live. 
 
 The brothers and two sisters of our subject are 
 residents of Wisconsin. The boyhood of Lewis E. 
 was passed in the manner common to farmers' sons, 
 he attending the district school and assisting in the 
 lighter duties around the homestead. After attend- 
 ing the school at West Point, near his home, he 
 entered the Lodi High School, from which he was 
 graduated in the class of '74. Later he became a 
 student of the University of Wisconsin, at Madison, 
 from which he was .again graduated in the class of 
 '78. In the meantime he also officiated as teacher 
 in the Madison Busmess College, and during his 
 junior and senior years, in connection with R. M. 
 LaP'ollette, a fellow student, now member of Con- 
 gress from the Third Wisconsin Congressional Dis- 
 trict, he published and edited the University Press. 
 
 Upon leaving school our subject began the stud}' 
 of law in the office of Richard Lindsay, in Lodi, 
 Wis., and after becoming duly advanced entered 
 the law department of the State University at Madi- 
 son, from which he was graduated in 1880. He 
 commenced the practice of his profession in the city 
 of Portage, Wis., and later became the associate of 
 Baker & Walker, a law firm of that city, with 
 which he continued about two years, and then, on 
 account of failing health, retired from office busi- 
 ness, and took up his residence on a farm near Lodi, 
 Wis., which change proved very beneficial. In 
 1883 he came to Nebraska, establishing himself at 
 Beatrice, where he has since remained. 
 
 For two 3'ears after taking up his residence in the 
 above city our subject was connected with the firm 
 of Thomas Yule <fe Son, in the abstract and loan 
 business. In November, 1885. he established him- 
 self in his present business, and has met with uni- 
 form success. He w.is married, .Sept. 25, 1878, to 
 Miss Bessie J., daughter of Thomas Yule, a highly 
 respected citizen of Beatrice, and of this union there 
 are three children, two daughters and a son — JIary 
 Grace, Louise E. and Robert Yule. The little fam- 
 ily occupies a tasteful home in the northeastern part 
 
 »► i <• 
 
M^ 
 
 48G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 i 
 
 of the city, and by tlie social circle in wbicli thej' 
 move are held in high esteem. 
 
 Mr. Waliier represents the Second Ward in the 
 City Council, and was one of the orjianizers of the 
 Beatrice Building Association, of which he is Secre- 
 tary and Treasurer. He is also a Director and 
 Secretarj' of the Masonic Building Association. 
 While attending the University at Madison, in 11S76, 
 he was appointed Superintendent of the Wisconsin 
 Agricultural Deijartnicnt at the Centennial. Politi- 
 cally, he gives his support to Republican princi- 
 ])les. He identified himself with the Congregational 
 Church about 18b4, was one of the first Superin- 
 tendents of the Congregational Sunday-school, and 
 was for a time Church Treasurer. He is a member 
 of Beatrice Lodge Jso. "26, A. F. & A. M. He was 
 a member of the Alpha Chapter of Wisconsin, of 
 the Phi Kappa Psi. college fraternity. 
 
 eARP^Y B. JAMES is a prominent farmer and 
 stock-raiser of Gage County, and owns a 
 farm which is one of the largest and best 
 cultivated in Paddock Township, and, with its ample 
 aiul substantial buildiugs, its fine residence of stone, 
 the handsomest in the township, adds greatly to the 
 attractiveness of the scenic features of the surround- 
 ing country. He is a pioneer of this township, and 
 has taken a prominent part in developing its agri- 
 cultural interests. 
 
 Mr. James is a native of Illinois, born in Marshall 
 County, Aug. 4, 1837, to William and Jarusha A. 
 (Bird) James, natives of Tennessee. In 1834 his 
 parents removed to Marshall County, 111., and thus 
 became identified with its early settlers, taking an 
 active part in promoting its growth, and living to 
 see its development into a wealthy and populous 
 county. The father died therein 1877, having 
 rounded out a period of seventy-five j'ears, wherein 
 he had well performed the part of an honest man, 
 a devoted citizen, a kind husband and a good father. 
 His worthy wife, who shared with him the full re- 
 spect of the community where they lived for so 
 many years, died in 1850. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was reared in his native 
 county, and at the age of twenty-one he started out 
 
 in the world to make his own waj-. with no other 
 capital than a sound mind in a sound l)ody. AVith 
 steady courage and persistent devotion to duty, he 
 has now .'icquired wealth, and, what is better, the 
 honiM- and respect of all with whom he associates. 
 From his native place he went to Woodford County, 
 111., and remained a resident of that county for 
 many years. He was married in Marshall, Dec. 10, 
 18G1. to Miss Susan Wienteer, a daughter of John 
 and F'anny Wienteer, who still live in Woodford 
 County. She was a woman whose many amiable 
 qualities won for her the esteem of all. She led a 
 true and consistent Christian life, and was a mem- 
 ber of the Baptist Church. Her death, which took 
 place Fel). 8, 1 880, was a sad loss to the home cir- 
 cle and to society. To her and her husband had 
 been born three children — John C, Frank E. and 
 Fanny. The latter died July 10, 1880, aged six 
 months. Mr. James was a second time married, 
 Dec. 29, 1880, Mrs. Rebecca McClay,of Woodford 
 County, III, becoming his wife. She is a native of 
 Pennsylvania, and a daughter of William and Bar- 
 liara Fehrnian, who were likewise natives of that 
 State. Her father died in Cowley County, Kan., 
 aged about eighty, and her mother died in McLean 
 County, III., Nov. 9, 1878, aged seventy-seven 
 years. Mrs. James has been previously twice mar- 
 ried, James O. Campbell, to whom she was united 
 Sept. 8, 1857, being her first husband. By that 
 marriage she had two children, William T., and 
 Mary S., now Mrs. Leander C. Payne. Mr. Camp- 
 bell died March 19, 1865, having been shot on the 
 battle-field of Goldsboro, N. C. He enlisted Aug. 
 10, 1862, in Company E, 125th Illinois Infantry, 
 serving faithfully until his death. He was a valued 
 member of the Christian Church. Mrs. James was 
 married to Wills E. McClay, Feb. 1, 1866. He died 
 March 9, 1873. He was a devoted member of the 
 Presbyterian Church. 
 
 On the 13th of August, 1862, Mr. James laid 
 aside his work to goto the assistance of his country 
 on Southern battle-fields, and his military record 
 shows that he was a brave and efficient soldier. 
 He was a member of Company H, 77th Illinois In- 
 fantry, and with his regiment took part in many 
 battles, among which may be mentioned Chickasaw 
 Bayou, Arkansas Post, Magnolia Hills and Vicks- 
 
 / 
 
 t 
 
I 
 
 ! 
 
 <•• 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 487 
 
 4 
 
 burg. He was mustered out of service July 10, 1865. 
 and notvvithstanding the many dangers that he en- 
 countered, he came home unscathed and in good 
 health, except that he was suffering somewhat from 
 the effects of a sunstroke received at Ft. Gibson, 
 Miss. He is now a member of Coleman Post No. 
 115. G. A. R., of Wymore. 
 
 In Februarj-, 1881, Mr. J.anies removed to Ne- 
 braska with his family and located on his present 
 farm of 480 acres, on sections 1, 2, 1 1 and 12. 
 There was then on!}' a house and barn on the place, 
 but he has since erected a fine stone house, and has 
 otherwise greatly improved the value of his farm, 
 so that it is one of the best imi)roved farms in this 
 township. He also owns ICO .acres of land on sec- 
 tions 10 and 11, all the pi'operty that he has thus 
 far .acquired being the result of his untiring indus- 
 try and good business ability. Mr. James has bceu 
 particularly^ successful in raising cattle, the Short- 
 horns being his favorite breed, and he usually feeds 
 about 100 bead a 3'ear. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. James occupy a high social posi- 
 tion in this community, and their geniality, kind- 
 ness and genuine hospit.alit}' make their pleasant 
 home very attractive to the friends vvho have 
 gathered around them since their residence here. 
 They are active in every good work for promoting 
 the m.iterial and moral interests of Paddock Town- 
 ship, and they contribute liberally to the support 
 of the Baptist Church, of which they are members. 
 In his views of the political questions of the day 
 Mr. James finds himself in harmonj' with the Re- 
 publican partj'. 
 
 > LIVER NEWCOMER is a farmer residing 
 on section 23, Glenwood Township, and is a 
 son of Joel and .Sarah (Adams) Newcomer, 
 who are natives of Washington Count}', Md. The}' 
 moved to Ogle Count}-, 111., in which place the 
 mother died in the spring of 1857. and the father 
 died about the year 1872. They had a family of 
 five children, of whom four are living; their names 
 are: Ann M., John Q., Oliver, Emurilla and Cathe- 
 rine. Ann M. was the wife of .Milton McConle}', 
 and died in Ogle County, 111.; John Q. died 
 
 <• 
 
 when he was quite young; Emurilla is the wife of 
 Joseph C. Moats, of Ogle County, III.; Catherine is 
 a resident of Ogle County. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 20th of February. 
 1839, in AVashington County, Md., where he spent 
 the first sixteen years of his life on a farm. At 
 that age he went with his parents to Illinois and 
 settled in Lincoln Township, Ogle Count}'. He 
 received his education from the common schools, 
 and when he became old enougii to devote himself 
 to an occupation he chose that of agriculture. He 
 remained in Ogle County until the spring of 1884, 
 when he came to this county and settled on section 
 23, on which he owns 160 acres of land all under 
 cultivation. He has made comfortable improve- 
 ments, having erected good and convenient build- 
 ings and surrounded his fields with rows of fencing. 
 He gives his attention to general farming and stock- 
 raising, and makes a specialty of raising horses. In 
 politics he is a Republican. 
 
 
 JAMES F. COLGROVE is one of the sub- 
 stantial farmers who have been most active 
 in developing the agricultural resources of 
 Gage County, and his beautiful farm, with 
 its broad, well-tilled acres and various valuable im- 
 provements, finely located in Paddock and Sicily 
 Townships, indicates that he is a practical, wide- 
 awake man, who has been decidedly successful in 
 his chosen calling. 
 
 Mr. (^olgrove is a son of Andrew and Almira 
 (Baxter) Colgrove, natives of New York, and he 
 was born in Steuben County, N. Y., July 31, 1853. 
 When our subject was three years old his parents 
 left their old home in New York to settle in Win- 
 chester, Ind. After living there about eight years 
 they removed to Rochester. Ohio, and thence to 
 Florida, Mo., in 1859. They subsequently lived in 
 the State of Illinois for a period of twelve years, 
 Then they came West again, and located in Marys- 
 ville, Kan., where the father died on the anniver- 
 sary of his birth, Jan. 27, 1881, when fifty-seven 
 years old. He was in every way a worthy man. 
 
■^^ 
 
 48S 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 *t 
 
 an intelligent citizen, a trust}' neighbor, and a trierl 
 friend. The respected mother of our subject came 
 to make her home with him after his father's death, 
 and is still a beloved member of his household. 
 
 He of whom we write received a fair education 
 in the various States where his j^arents resided from 
 time to time. He was the third of the nine children 
 born to his parents, of whom six survive, two boys 
 and four girls. His brother William lives in Marys- 
 ville, Kan. ; Mary, the eldest sister, is now Mrs. 
 Randolph Robb, and lives in this county; she was 
 previously married to Rola Hood, who died ni 1865. 
 Cintha married John Bell, and they both died in 
 Southern Kansas; Emma is now Mrs. Thompson 
 Richards, and lives in Smith County, Kan. ; Ella is 
 Mrs. John With, of this county. Three children died 
 in infancy. Our subject came to Gage County from 
 Marysville in 1878, and Iiought 160 acres of Gov- 
 ernment land, finely located on section 3, Paddock 
 Township, and on section 35, Sicily Township, and 
 in 1882 he i^urchased the farm where he now resides. 
 This comprises 160 acres, eighty of which are on 
 section 3, Paddock Township, and eighty on section 
 34, Sicily Township. The land is in a good state 
 of cultivation, is well fenced, has ample and con- 
 veniently arranged farm buildings, a comfortable 
 dwelling, substantial barn, etc. He pays attention 
 chiefly to raising cattle and hogs, from which he 
 makes good profits, and he feeds all the grain that 
 he raises. Mr. Colgrove has acquired his property 
 solely by his own exertions, and although he is still a 
 young man he may be counted among the st>lid men 
 of the township. When he went to Marysville he did 
 not have a dollar, but notwithstanding the discour- 
 agements of drouths and grasshoppers in 1875, 
 1876 anil 1877, he kept steadily' at work, and by 
 downright hard labor has accumulated a compe- 
 tency. 
 
 Mr. Colgrove was united in marriage, April 16, 
 1874, in Princeton, 111., to Miss Mar}', daughter of 
 John W. and Elizabetii (Clark) With (of whom see 
 sketch in another part of this Album). The follow- 
 ing is a record of the seven children born to this 
 marriage: John W., born Sept. 6, 1875; Milla M., 
 born Feb. 28, 1877, died Nov. 12, 1887; James A., 
 born July 31. 1879; Charles H., Oct. 11, 1881 ; Ed- 
 ward F., March 25, 1884; Elizabetii A., born March 
 
 4« — 
 
 27, 1886, died Jan. 12, 1887; Elmer L.. born Nov. 
 16, 1887. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Colgrove are people of high repute 
 whose sincerity and uprightness in the daily walks 
 of life make them deservedl}' respected by all. 
 They are among the most active members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, and are never behind 
 in an}' good work. Politically, Mr. Colgrove is a 
 true Republican, and never fails to cast his vote in 
 the interests of his party. 
 
 -^s^>«^»s> 
 
 •^-itf-'^^Se?- 
 
 AVID CHAMBERLIN is doing a thriving 
 business as dealer in oil and gasoline, 
 and may during business hours be seen 
 dealing out these fluids from his wagon 
 on the streets of Wymore to his many customers. 
 He also furnishes the dealers with what oil they 
 sell in the city, thus making him a wholesale 
 dealer as well. He was born in Macomb, 111., on 
 the 29th of October, 1859, and is a son of Isaac and 
 Mary (Adair) Chamberlin, both of whom were na- 
 tives of Adams County, Pa., the former born near 
 Gettysburg, at the foot of the Alleghany Mountains. 
 They were married in Macomb, in which pLace our 
 subject was born, and spent the first twelve years of 
 his life. His father died in 1881, and his mother in 
 1880. When our subject was twelve years old his 
 parents moved on a farm about eight miles from 
 his native town, where he lived for about seven 
 years, and had an experience in common with 
 young farmer boys in tilling the soil, sowing seed 
 and gathering the harvests, and caring for the 
 young and docile domestic animals. 
 
 In 1878 Mr. Chamberlin left the scenes of his 
 early youth for those of the fertile and attractive 
 West, and made his home in Blue Springs, this 
 county, where he farmed with his brother one and 
 one-half years, then engaging in the restaurant 
 business until 1886, when he took charge of a board- 
 ing train on the Burlington & Missouri River Rail- 
 road, at the same time having a lunch counter at 
 the Wymore depot one j'ear of his residence in Blue 
 Springs. In 1886 he removed to Wymore, where 
 he continued in his former business until November 
 of 1887, when he eng.aged in handling oil and gaso- 
 
 r 
 
u 
 
 ^ii^Hh-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 SO 
 
 line, having now built up quite a large and lucra- 
 tive trade, and conducting all his business in a 
 perfectly honorable and straightforward way. He 
 is but a j'oung man, and the confidence with which 
 he has inspired his customers, and the esteem in 
 which he is held b}' them, give promise of a contin- 
 uation of his success, and the building up of a 
 reputation very gratifying to a young business man. 
 He procures bis goods in large quantities from Lin- 
 coln, selling at a fair price and on lil)eral terras. 
 
 On the 23d of June, 1887, our subject was united 
 in marriage to Miss Alice L. Bacon, a daughter of 
 William and Diana (Fairchild) Bacon, of Wymore, 
 the former a native of Connecticut, and the latter 
 of Ohio. Mrs. Chamberlin was born on the 29th 
 of March. 1 860, in McLe.in County, 111., and re- 
 mained with her parents until the time of her mar- 
 riage. She received a good elementar3' education 
 from the schools of her native town, and possesses 
 the accomplishments and virtues of a true womanly 
 heart and disposition, which fit her to make her 
 home a most attractive one. Our subject affiliates 
 with the Republican party in politics, and is a mem- 
 ber in good standing of the A. F. & A. M. 
 
 ->'w -vta£j2/®^5' 
 
 x/^-Sl/^fT^TTSv* -\/v\* . 
 
 5;ILLIAM S. WIKOFF. Among the repre- 
 sentative men engaged in the stock interests 
 of the citj' of Wj'more might be mentioned 
 the gentleman whose name appears at the head of 
 this sketch, who was one of the early settlers on the 
 Otoe Reservation and citizens of W3-more. The 
 father of our subject, W. W. Wikoff, was born in 
 New Jersey, in 1808. He was given a common- 
 school education, after which he went to farming. 
 While yet quite a young man he bought a farm in 
 Warren County, Ohio, and remained successfully 
 operating the same until 1838-39, when he removed 
 to Sangamon County, 111., and bought a farm near 
 Island Grove. This he improved and built upon 
 and made his home until 1866. He then went to 
 New Berlin and purchased a small place, and lived 
 a quiet, retired life until February, 1880, when he 
 died. 
 
 The father of our subject became the husband of 
 Sarah C. Sinard, in Ohio. This union was cemented 
 
 
 b}' the birth of eleven children, of whom seven lived 
 to maturity, four of this number being sons. His 
 wife was born in tlie same State in the year 1810. 
 She was the daughter of William Sinard, and resided 
 at home until her marriage. Throughout her life 
 she manifested such traits of char.ncter and disposi- 
 tion as have made her a place in the hearts of her 
 family and friends that can never be otherwise filled. 
 They were devout members of the Christian Church, 
 and most deeply interested in its obligations. Mr. 
 Wikoff, Sr., filled the office of Road Commissioner, 
 and was for manyye.ars School Trustee. Ilis polit- 
 ical sympathies were with the Democratic party, 
 and he was continuously loyal to the same. Our 
 subject was born in Warren County, Ohio, Feb. 13, 
 1832, was educated in the usual institution, and 
 from that went onto the farm, continuing to operate 
 the same until he attained his majority. After this 
 he farmed for two years upon his own account, and 
 then went into business at New Berlin with a full 
 stock of merchandise, clothing and groceries. Then 
 followed eight 3'ears of incre.asing prosperity and 
 good success. In 1862 our subject sold his business 
 and took a trip west tiwough quite a number of 
 States. He crossed the plains with a team from Illi- 
 nois to Council Bluffs, Omaha, Ft. Laramie, crossed 
 the Snake River above Ft. Hall, via Ft. Badger, 
 prospecting throughout the mountains for gold, 
 struck a mountain corral, and had to turn back, 
 finally struck upon an old trail and followed it to 
 Deer Lodge Vallej', then going through to San 
 Francisco, via Portland, Ore. Leaving San Fran- 
 cisco our subject proceeded to New York via the 
 Isthmus of Panama, after an absence of a little over 
 twelve months, in which time he had received only 
 two letters from home. 
 
 The three years following the return of our sub- 
 ject from San Francisco were spent upon a farm 
 which hepurchased near New Berlin. At the close 
 of that period he sold his property in order to go 
 to Southern Kansas, and there bought 160 acres of 
 excellent farming land, situated about four miles 
 west of Humboldt. This was in the year 1867, and 
 he continued for three years occupied in the vari- 
 ous improvements of his farm, but was sick the 
 greater part of the time, and therefore sold out and 
 went to Hamburg, Fremont Co., Iowa, and for 
 
 f 
 
-U 
 
 >•»* 
 
 400 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 eight years was engnwed in shipping stock, and be- 
 came the lie.aviest shipper at tiiat [Joint. In 1878, 
 at tiie close of tiiat period, Mr. Wikoff removed 
 to liis present home upon tiie Otoe Reservation, his 
 prop<'rly Ijeing situated on section 36 of Sicil^y 
 Townsliip. This includes IGO acres of splendid 
 bottom land, upon which he has made many exten- 
 sive improvements, including a house of consider- 
 able pretensions to beauty of adornment and 
 comfort of arrangement, the usual farm buililings 
 and stock houses in the same proportion, and forest 
 and fruit trees of man}^ varieties. He is still engaged 
 in ship[)ing stock, and rents the farm to one of liis 
 sons; another of his sons has been handling stock 
 with his fatlier for about five j'ears, and they are 
 the princifjal buyers of Wymore, the larger portion 
 of their stock going to Kansas City. 
 
 ITpon the 18th of September, 1853, our subject 
 was united in marriage with Miss Marj' E. Allen, of 
 Berlin, 111. There have been eleven eiiildron born 
 to them, and of these nine are still living, whose 
 names are here ai)pended: Laura F., Weslej^ \V., 
 James A., William W., Lee Cars, Horace D., Mary 
 C, Minnie and Ella Belle. Mrs. Wikoff was born 
 near .Jacksonville, 111., Sept. 14. 183.5. She is 
 the daughter of James Allen, a farmer of Sangamon 
 County, III., and quite prominent among his fellow- 
 citizens. He vvas the husband of Rosaline Coring- 
 ton, and became the parent of three children. Mr. 
 Allen died in 1864, his vvife surviving until the 
 19th of May, 1888. Of theeinhlren of our subject 
 the eldest daughter liecarae the wife of Drew Ryan, 
 a farmer of Comanche County, Kan., and has seven 
 children; Wesley married Mary E. Mewhirter, of 
 Cass County, Iowa, where he operates a good farm ; 
 James A. and Lee C. are unmarried and live at 
 home; William is on a homestead in Hitchcock 
 Count}-; Horace married Alice Fink, and lives at 
 Beatrice, Kan. ; the remaining children are still at 
 home. Our subject and wife are both members of 
 the Christian Church, and among the most devout 
 and consistent in that comnuiiiion. He is a man 
 who has brought his religion into continued prac- 
 tice, .and has learned that it is well before engaging 
 in any great undertaking to seek for guidance, and 
 his trust being in God, he has advanced, fearing no 
 danger, and this doubtless is largel}' the cause of his 
 
 -4« 
 
 progress in life. In the fraternity of the A. F. <fe 
 A. M. our subject is an honored and trusted fraler 
 and member. He has been School Director for two 
 terms, and at jiresent occupies the office of Super- 
 visor, and in these and every other relation has so 
 carried himself as to receive the highest esteem and 
 confidence of his fellow-citizens, in which also 
 every member of his family shares. 
 
 3"»-; 
 
 yp^ILLIAM R. JONES has been a resident 
 of this count}' since the year 18.57, and 
 '^f^' consequently deserves the honor due to an 
 early pioneer, and to an ever loyal and enterprising 
 citizen. He was born in Lawrence County, Ohio, 
 on the 9tli of September, 1846, and is a son of 
 Samuel and Rebecca (Pethouil) Jones, natives of 
 Grayson County, Va., and Ohio, respectively. 
 They were married in the last-named State, and at 
 different times made their homes in Lawrence, Gal- 
 lia .and Scioto Counties until 18,55, when they came 
 West, and established a new home in Platte County, 
 Mo. After six months' residence in that .State thev 
 moved to Jefferson County, Kan., whence in 1857 
 they came to Nebraska, and settled on Indian 
 Creek, four miles north of Beatrice, on section 10, 
 Midlaml Township, though at that time the flour- 
 ishing little city was barely in existence, the or- 
 ganization of Gage County with Beatrice for its 
 county seat occurring that same year. 
 
 The father of our subject, three years after his 
 arrival in this pl.ace, went up the Little Blue River 
 and kept a ranch on the overland stage route, in 
 Nuckolls County. He remained there nearly one 
 year, and then returned to his farm in this '■ounty, 
 after which, in 18G8, he went to Lincoln and kept a 
 livery stable for a short time, but again returned 
 to his farm. He died in 1872, and his bereaved 
 wife now makes her home in Beatrice. Our sub- 
 ject is the eldest of a large family of children, and 
 had reached the age of eleven years when his par- 
 ents came to this county; having since made his 
 home here, he has witnessed the vast changes which 
 have taken [ilace in the last quarter of a century. 
 
-^*- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 493 
 
 4 
 
 On the 15th of September, 18G6, Miss Hester A. 
 Henton became the faithful companion and help- 
 mate of our subject, and lias shared with him the 
 trials and felicities of life for many years. She is 
 a daughter of James M. and Susan Henton. who 
 aie now residing in Oketo, Kan., and was born on 
 the '23d of November, 1846, near Des Moines, Iowa, 
 in which place her parents were among the early 
 pioneers. Later s!ie resided in Illinois, then re- 
 turned to Iowa, and still later as the wife of our 
 subject she came to Nebraska. She has been the 
 mother of nine children, of whom Albert, Rena and 
 an infant are ilece.ased, and Minnie L.. Susie, Ru- 
 hania, Hettie, Rebecca and Willie are living. 
 
 After his marriage our subject resided for awhile 
 on Indian Creek, then accompanied his father to 
 Lincoln to engage in the liverj* business, after which 
 he returned to this countj- and took a homestead 
 on section 11, Midland Township, on w-hich he re- 
 sided until 1877. In that year he came to his 
 present farm on section 24. where he owns 220 
 acres of fine land, all under cultivation and devoted 
 to tiie purposes of general faiming and stock-rais- 
 ing. He is a breeder of high-grade Short-horn 
 cattle, and also gives some atiention to Jersey stock. 
 He gives special attention to the breeding of road 
 horses, and is the owner of the celebrated stallion 
 '• Bret Harte," which is one of the finest road 
 horses in the State, and is resistered in the Second 
 Volume of AVallace's Trotting Register. For three 
 years our suliject has kept a dairy on his farm, and 
 disposes of the milk in Beatrice. 
 
 The farm belonging to our subject is crossed by 
 Bear Creek, on whose banks are beautiful groves of 
 native timber, which augment both tiie value and 
 appearance of the place, while from the stream an 
 abundant supply of water is secured for the stock, 
 as it has its natural course near the stock barns. 
 The house, of which a view is given in this connec- 
 tion, is a neat looking and commodious building, and 
 under its roof is gathered a happy family, presided 
 over by a loving and devoted mother, and in every 
 respect an estimable lady. 
 
 After the Indian massacre occurred on the Little 
 Blue River, Mr. Jones was among the first to wit- 
 ness the horrors of that awful scene, and help to bury 
 the unfortuu.ate dead. As an old resident of this 
 
 county he is acquainted with its history and the 
 progress of its development, and perhaps no one 
 has taken a greater satisfaction in witnessing the 
 changes that have come about from 3'ear to year 
 than has he. He is interested in all matters per- 
 taining to church, school and State, and his voice 
 may be heard among those of active men in approv- 
 ing of all measures by which the good of the com- 
 munity can be secured. Politically, he affiliates 
 with the Democratic party. Socially, he is con- 
 nected with the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 19, Bea- 
 trice P^noampment No. 10, and Canton No. 5. 
 
 
 f^lS. 
 
 HERMAN P. LESTER. Few citizens of 
 Beatrice are better known than tlie gentle- 
 man whose history forms the basis of the 
 article here offered. He is a native of Con- 
 necticut, and was born at Deep River, in Middlesex 
 County, on the 28th of February, 1844. His parents, 
 Elijah T. and Lucy (Wolcott-Pratt) Lester, removed 
 to DeKalb County, III., when our subject wasabout 
 eleven years of age. His father was by trade a 
 plasterer, stonemason and bricklayer; he located 
 in the town of Sandwich, where, in September, 1 871 , 
 he was killed by the cars. The widowed motlier 
 and her two children continued their residence 
 in the same place for some time, and Mrs. Lester 
 still resides there. Her son James H. is a resident 
 of Brown County, Dak., where he is a successful 
 farmer. Grandfather James Lester, now in his 
 ninety-eighth year, is of Irish descent, and was 
 born in Hamburg, Conn., where at present he makes 
 his home. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was reared in Sand- 
 wich, III., and educated in the public schools. At 
 the age of eigiiteen he entered the Union Army, 
 enlisting in August, 1862, in Compan3' A, 127th 
 Illinois Infantrj'. The regiment was sent South, 
 and attached to the lath Army Corps, with Gen. 
 Sherman in command. It took part in seven- 
 teen of what might be called the decisive battles of 
 the war, chiefly those that led up to the capture of 
 Vicksburg. Among the more worth3' of mention 
 
 i^^^i-^ 
 
-4^ 
 
 t 
 
 -•► 
 
 494 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 are : Aikans.is Post, Chickasaw Baj on, near Larkins- 
 ville, Ala., and inanj' others. He received upon 
 the 16th of June. 1865, an honorable discharge, 
 after a service of three years lacking two months. 
 Upon returning to Sandwich our subject engaged in 
 business at transferring, which he continued to follow 
 for several years. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Lester removed to Beatrice, and 
 the following year began business in a small way 
 as a liveryman. This he has continuously ex- 
 tended, and has supplemented at times by the pur- 
 chase and shipment of stock; necessaril}', and as 
 a legitimate part of his business, he has handled a 
 large numl)erof horses, and has made considerable 
 profit tiiereby. The points to which his consign- 
 ments are mostly made would be included in the 
 following States: Illinois, Kansas and Colorado, and 
 Dakota Territory. 
 
 In 1883 the business of our subject had so in- 
 creased as to necessitate larger and better quarters; 
 he accordingl}' built a fine brick stable, which is 
 50x100 feet, and 27 feet in heigiit. It has been 
 designed with special reference to its adaptability 
 for its purpose, and is one of the best in the county. 
 Upon an average he uses in his business twenty 
 horses and buggies daily. In addition to the above 
 well-established business our suljject owns 320 
 acres of excellent farming land, about four and a 
 half miles north of Beatrice, the greater part of 
 wliich he keeps in jjasture for his horses and stock, 
 having fifty head of the former, and twent3--five to 
 thirty head of cattle. Upon this property he has a 
 very excellent, commodious barn, 40x100 feet, 
 ground measurement. 
 
 Mr. Lester was married, on the 16th of June, 
 1868, to Miss Agnes Blodgett, of LaSalle County, 
 111., and the daughter of John C. and Nancy 
 (Gillett) Blodgett. This lady was born at Gallip- 
 olis, Ohio, in January, 1846, and until her mar- 
 riage resided with her parents and received her 
 education at the public schools. At the time of 
 her marriage she was a teacher. There have been 
 born to this union three children, to whom have 
 been given the names here subjoined : Marion, 
 Violet L. and John 'E. 
 
 For two years Mr. Lester has had a seat in the 
 City Council, and in that time made the most of 
 
 every opportunity' afforded him to serve his con- 
 stituents. He is a stanch Republican, and is gen- 
 erally recognized as a tried and true friend of his 
 party. A view of Mr. Lester's property is pre- 
 sented on an adjoining page. 
 
 ' ^ EORGE THUMANN. This energetic and 
 
 G enterprising member of the farming com- 
 munity of Clatonia Township, owns and oc- 
 cui)ies a desirable estate on section 9, to which he 
 has given his time and attention since the spring 
 of 1882. He is one of the most worth}' representa- 
 tives of his reliable German nationalit}', and was 
 born in what was then the Kingdom of Hanover, 
 Jan. 6, 1844. His parents, Heiny and Henrietta 
 Thumann, were natives of the same Province as 
 their son, and are now both deceased. 
 
 Our subject received a good education in his na- 
 tive tongue, and remained with his parents until 
 reaching his m.ijority. Then, desirous of better 
 opportunities than the" Fatherland afforded, he 
 crossed the Atlantic, taking passage at Bremen on 
 a sailing-vessel, and landing in New York Citj' after 
 a voyage of forty-two days. He was there em- 
 ployed in a brewery nearly one year, then mi- 
 grated westward to Chicago, 111., where he was 
 engaged as a butcher two and one-half j'ears. At 
 the expiration of that time, longing for a sight of 
 the old faces, he recrossed the Atlantic, and shortly 
 afterward was married to one of the playmates of 
 his childhood. Miss Anne Bear, the wedding tak- 
 ing place in INIarch, 1869. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thumann immediatelj^ after their 
 marriage boarded a steamer bound for America, 
 and our subject now with his young wife took up 
 his abode in Tazewell County, 111., where he rented 
 s. tract of land and began raising vegetables for the 
 market at Mackinaw. He was thus occupied success- 
 fuUj' a number of j'ears, but in the spring of 1882 
 decided upon a change of location, and accordingly 
 crossing the Mississippi came to this countj', and 
 located on the land which he now occupies in Cla- 
 tonia Township. He here has 160 acres, and con- 
 sidering the fact that he landed in America the 
 first time with $6 in his pocket, which constituted 
 
 •► 
 
 i 
 
h 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 40") 
 
 his only capital when beginning life for himself in 
 the New AVorkl, his present condition is indicative 
 of something nioro than ordinary itersevcranec and 
 industry. In the huililing up of his homestead he 
 has reared one of the best monuments to his enter- 
 prise and perseverance which could be erected. He 
 is a man who attends strictlj' to his own concerns, 
 and stands high in the opinion of his neighbors. 
 Politically, he votes the Democratic ticket. He has 
 served ns School Treasurer of his district three 
 years, is public-spirited and liberal, believes in edu- 
 cating the young, and is in favor of everything 
 tending toward the moral and intellectual progress 
 of the people. He was reared a Lutheran, and loy- 
 all}' adheres to the faith of his childhood. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Thumann there have been born 
 six children, all living, namely: Henry, George, 
 Matilda, Peter, Jlary and Minnie. The eldest is 
 eighteen 3ears of .age. the 3'oungest three, and thej' 
 are all at home with their parents, forming a family 
 group of which the latter m.aj' well be proud. 
 
 OHN WILLIAM CALLAN. In the world's 
 great hive of industrj^ some are leaders and 
 some are followers. Some are only fitted 
 
 for followers, while some will be found in 
 
 the front ranks, despite the drawb.acks which may 
 assail tliem. To the latter element is the world 
 indebted for its progress, for no man can labor and 
 contrive successfully without his operations having 
 a m.aterial bearing upon the condition of those 
 around him. His very example proves an impetus 
 to many who would otherwise be slothful, while the 
 products of his hand and brain are often wide- 
 reaching in their material effects upon the people 
 whom he may never see or know. 
 
 These thoughts were involuntarily produced in 
 reviewing the career of the subject of this histor}', 
 who is one of the go-ahead men of Gage County, 
 one of those not to be kept under as long as there 
 is a top to gain. It is found that on his father's 
 side he is of Irish ancestry, although John Callan 
 was born in Maryland, where he was reared and 
 married a lady whose birthplace was probably not 
 far from that of her husband. She was in her girl- 
 
 hood Miss Harriet E. Hoffman, and .after uniting 
 their lives and fortunes thej' settled in their native 
 State, where the death of the father occurred while 
 he was j'et a j'oung man. 
 
 After the death of her first husband the mother 
 of our subject contracted a second niarri.age, with 
 Mr. Samuel Stanton, and is now living in Lee 
 County, 111. Of her first marriage there were born 
 five children, of whom .Tohn William was the 
 eldest. Of the others two are living, one in Odell, 
 this county, and one in Chicago. Our subject was 
 born in Alleghany County, Md., INIay 22, 1852, 
 and came to the West with his mother and step- 
 father when he was about sixteen years old. He 
 received the education commonl}' acquired by the 
 farmer boy in the district school, and at an earl}- 
 age became familiar with the various pursuits of 
 rur.al life. He lived in Lee County, 111., until 187-3, 
 then migrating to Page Count}-, Iowa, purchased a 
 farm, and carried on agriculture there until the fall 
 of 1882, when he came with his family' to this 
 count}-, and settled on section .32, in Glenwood 
 Township, where he still lives. Here he has 120 
 acres of fertile land, which yields bounteousl}- the 
 rich crops of Southern Nebraska, and is rapidly in- 
 stituting those improvements essential to the con- 
 venience and comfort of the modern and i)rogressive 
 farmer. His buildings are substantial, the fences, 
 live stock and machinery in good condition. Among 
 the embellishments of the place is a fine arraj- of 
 sh.ade and fruit trees, planted by the hand of the 
 present proprietor, and adding not only to the 
 beauty but the value of his property. 
 
 Mi-. Callan was married, in Page Count}-, Iowa, 
 Sept. 13, 1877, to Miss Eveline, daughter of John 
 T. and Elizabeth (St. Clair) Calhoun, who were na- 
 tives of Pennsylvania, but are now residents of 
 Jewell County, Kan. Mrs. Callan was born in 
 Cedar County, Iowa, Jan. 15, 1854, and lived there 
 until she was three years old, when she was taken 
 by her parents to Page County, Iowa. She was 
 reared under the home roof, receiving a fair edu- 
 cation, and continued at home until her marriage. 
 Of her union with our subject there have been born 
 four children — Floyd W., Addie M., Lizzie B. and 
 Lois E. The eldest is ten years of age and the 
 youngest five. They form a bright and interesting 
 
 :?^::f^ 
 
,t 
 
 -•► 
 
 496 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 JtZ 
 
 family, in whom the parents entertain a pardonable 
 ])ride. 
 
 Mr. Callan upon becoming a voter cast his first 
 Presidential ballot for Seymour in 1807. Since 
 that time he has been a uniform supporter of Dem- 
 ocratic principles. He has held various local offices, 
 among them that of Road Overseer, and School 
 Director in Glenvvood Townsliip. Mrs. Callan is a 
 member of the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 ^^ UGU8T WOLF, a citizen of Paddock Town- 
 ^/Ui! ship, post-office address Wymore, well rep- 
 resents the class of enterprising and capa- 
 ble young men who within the past few 
 years have come to the front to aid the older far- 
 mers in developing the wonderful agricultural re- 
 sources of Nebraska. Mr. Wolf is a general farmer, 
 raising both grain and stock, and he has already 
 made a success of his ' agricultural ventures, as is 
 shown b}' the fine condition of the farm that he 
 owns on section 4, with its comfortable dwelling 
 and many other good improvements. 
 
 Our subject was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. 
 18, 18.!)7,ason of Adolph and WilLieluiina (Beer- 
 heuke) Wolf. When August was three years old 
 his parents took him to Freeport, 111., and there he 
 was reared to manhood, receiving meanwhile an 
 excellent education in the public schools. He ac- 
 companied his parents to Nebraska in 1879, and 
 has since been a resident here. He is an energetic 
 and spirited young man, and desirous of becoming 
 the owner of a farm on this rich and productive 
 soil, he set to work with a will to earn the necessary 
 money with which to buy it. In a few j'ears he 
 had labored to such purpose that he was enabled to 
 purchase the eighty acres on section 4, Paddock 
 Township, comprising his present well-cultivated 
 farm. He immediately commenced its cultivation, 
 and he has since erected a good and comfortable 
 dwelling, and made many other substantial im- 
 provements, thus greatly increasing its original 
 value. 
 
 Our subject has not been unaided in his arduous 
 toils, for early in 1883 he returned to his old home 
 in Illinois to claim as his bride Miss Wilhelmina 
 
 Kracht. to whom he was united in marriage on the 
 8th of March, and to her he is greath' indebted for 
 cheerful counsel and ever ready assistance in build- 
 ing up their cozj' home; she was born in Germany. 
 Her parents, Frederic and Fredricka Kracht, still 
 reside in Freeport, 111., where they are attendants 
 of the Evangelical branch of the Lutheran Church, 
 of which they are devoted members. Two weeks 
 after his marriage Mr. Wolf returned with his^'oung 
 wife to this place, and that 3-ear he bought and lo- 
 cated on his farm. In their pleasant home three 
 sons have been born to them, who complete the 
 household circle, of whom the following is the rec- 
 ord: Albert E. was born Jan. 22, 1884; Frederic A. 
 June 24, 1885. and Edward A.. Nov. 15, 188G. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wolf are members in good stand- 
 ing of the German Reformed Church, and they .are 
 highly esteemed in this community as kind and 
 trusty neighbors, friends to be relied upon in an 
 emergency. Mr. Wolf, while doing all that he can 
 to promote the best interests of this township, does 
 not aspire to office; politically, he strongly favors 
 the policy of the Republican party. 
 
 a^^ AMUEL RINAKER, junior member of the 
 law firm of Griggs & Rinaker, at Beatrice, 
 was born in the city of Carlinville. 111., 
 Sept. 14, 1860, and is therefore still a 
 3'oung man. His father. Gen. John I. Rinaker, 
 Chairman of the Illinois Railroad and Warehouse 
 Commission, is a prominent attorney of Macoupin 
 County. 111., and was born in the city of Baltimore, 
 Md. He emigrated to Illinois early in life and 
 married Miss Clarissa Keplinger, who was born in 
 Morgan Count3', 111. The parents are still living. 
 Samuel was the second of their family of four sons, 
 all of whom are still living. 
 
 Our subject pursued his early studies in the pub- 
 lic schools of his native cit}', and upon approaching 
 manhood became a student of Blackburn Univer- 
 sity at Carlinville, from vvhich he was gr.aduated in 
 the class of '80, receiving the title of B. A. He 
 entered upon the study of law under the instruction 
 of his father and an elder brother, in their office at 
 Carlinville, and after becoming duly prepared was 
 
 •^ 
 
 t 
 
-4^ 
 
 ii4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 497 
 
 admitted to the law department of Yale College, 
 New ll.Tven, Conn., where he pursued Iiis studies in 
 1882 and 1883. After examination in Chicago by 
 the Appellate Court, he was admitted to practice in 
 the fall of 1883 bj' the Supreme Court of the .State of 
 Illinois, and in January, 1 884, coming to Nebraska, 
 he chose the city of Beatrice as his future scene 
 of operations. Soon afterward he formed a part- 
 nership with Hon. N.K. Griggs, and the firm is now 
 in the enJojMuent of an extensive and lucrative 
 practice in all the courts of Southern Nebraska. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Rinaker entered into a still closer 
 partnership with one of the most estimable young 
 ladies of the city of Carlinville, Miss Carrie Maj'o, 
 who was born and reared there. Her parents, Sam- 
 uel T. and Elizabeth (Palmer) Maj'o, were natives, 
 the former of Virginia, the latter of Kentucky-, and 
 both ai'e now living at Carlinville. Their family 
 included eight children, four of whom are living. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Kinaker there has been born 
 one child, a son, Samuel M., Sept. 25, 1887. They 
 own and occupj' a neat and substantial residence in 
 Fairview Addition in the eastern part of the city, 
 and enjoj' the society and friendship of its best 
 people. Mr. Rinaker is a general favorite in social 
 and business circles, and belongs to the K. of P. 
 Politically, he is a Republican. 
 
 •ji? IND NELSON. In the present sketch it is 
 I (^ our pleasure to offer a succinct compendium 
 /I'— ^vs of the more prominent features in the life 
 of the well-known and popular Supervisor of Glen- 
 wood Township, a man of remarkable versatility, 
 business energy and enterprise, possessing in a large 
 measure the magnetism which attracts and holds 
 many friends. He was born in Sweden on the 12th 
 of JJul^-, 1849, and is a son of Mons Nelson, a na- 
 tive of the above country (see sketch). 
 
 Our subject lived in his native country until in 
 the spring of 1868, when he emigrated to America. 
 The nineteen years of his life had been spent in ac- 
 quiring in the schools of his native place the more 
 indispensable foundation subjects of an education, 
 supplemented later by such instruction and work as 
 would make him a first-class farmer. Upon his 
 
 ^1 
 
 arrival in America our subject went almost at once 
 to Chicago, and after some time spent in that city 
 proceeded to Champaign County of the same State, 
 where he was employed for about six months, and 
 then went to Paxton, Ford Co., 111., which waa his 
 home for about a year. The two years following 
 he spent in Springfield of the same Slate, and at the 
 close of that period he came to Nebraska in the 
 3-ear 1872, and continued to make his home in 
 Nemaha County for six years, and then came to 
 Gage County' and settled in Glenwood Township, 
 and has continued his residence here ever since. 
 
 The farm of our subject is some 240 acres in ex- 
 tent and well situated; the soil is admirably adapted 
 to farming purposes, and owing to the good work 
 bestowed, and attention given to it, is one of the 
 most productive and well-cultivated in the township. 
 In .addition to the improvement in the state of the 
 ground itself, our subject has added others in the 
 shape of a cum|)lete and well-built t^et of farm 
 l)uildings and a pleasant, comfoitable dwelling, also 
 the various shade and fruit-bearing trees that go so 
 far in this section of country' to make the summer 
 pleasant. 
 
 At Tecumseh, Johnson County, of this State, Mr. 
 Nelson became the husband of Anna Miller upon 
 the 6th of March, 1875. This lady was born in 
 Bedford County, Pa., on the 13th of August, 1850, 
 and is the daughter of Simon and Elizabeth (Fos- 
 ter) Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are the parents 
 of six children, whose names are recorded as fol- 
 lows: Bessie, Offle C, Linus E., John W., Austin H. 
 and George W. 
 
 In beginning life our subject began with practi- 
 callj' nothing, and whatever has been attained is 
 the result of his earnest, manly efforts, which have, 
 however, been supplemented by the faithful affec- 
 tion, counsel, sympathy and aid of his devoted wife. 
 Ill the fall of 1887 the people of the township, 
 recognizing the worth of our subject, elected liim 
 Supervisor, and are gratified to notice the efficiency 
 with which he fills the position. 
 
 In addition to the work of the farm our subject 
 has an extensive business as buyer and shipper of 
 cattle and hogs. Socially, he is connected with the 
 A. O. U. W., the I. O. O. F. and the Masonic fra- 
 ternity, and in each is always welcomed as a true 
 
 ^ 
 
,t 
 
 ■► ■ 4* 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 and faithful brother. He takes a deep interest in 
 political matters, and votes for and works with the 
 Republican party. He is a friend to every project 
 and enterprise of a practical natuie that looks to 
 the upbuilding and advancement of the county and 
 community, and in everj- such matter is among the 
 most energetic workers. 
 
 <a l>ILLIAM A. WAGNER, City Clerk of Bea- 
 \sJ/i *-i''<-'e. liecarae a resident of Nebraska in July, 
 
 V^^ 18G7, settling with his parents on a farm in 
 Midland Township, tliis county. He remained with 
 tliem until 1868, in the meantime occu[)ied in teach- 
 ing. He took up his residence in Beatrice in April 
 of I8C8, entering the store of Blakel}', Reynolds & 
 Co., as cleric, and remained witii them one year. At 
 the expiration of that time he went into the law 
 office of J. B. Weston, with whom, however, he re- 
 mained but a short time. He was Deputy until 
 1876, a part of the time in the office of the County 
 Treasurer and the balance of the time in the office 
 of the County Cleik. 
 
 Upon leaving the Clerk's office our subject en- 
 tered into partnership with L. T. Griggs, and en- 
 gaged in the sale of farm implements until 1881, 
 when lie disposed of his interest in the business to 
 his partner. He then opened a coal and wood yard 
 and also dealt in baled hay until 1887, then sold 
 out, having been elected for the second term to his 
 present office. 
 
 Mr. Wagner was born at St. John, New Bruns- 
 wick, Jan. 6, 1845, and is the eldest son of a family 
 of eleven children, the offspring of John W. and 
 Ellen (Lane) Wagner, natives of the same Province. 
 They came to Wisconsin iu 1858, and to Nebraska 
 in 1867, and both are still living, making their 
 home on a farm two miles north of Beatrice. Of 
 their large family of children eight are still living, 
 six in Nebraska, one in Dakota and one in Missouri. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was a lad of thirteen 
 years upon the removal of the family to Kenosha 
 County, Wis., and lived with his parents on the 
 farm there until reaching manhood. He was given 
 a practical education in the common schools, com- 
 pleting his studies at Racine, and commenced his 
 
 duties as instructor in Howard's Commercial Col- 
 lege at Racine. He accompanied his parents to this 
 county, settling with them on a farm in what is now 
 Midland Township, and his subsequent course we 
 have already indicated. 
 
 The marriage of our subject and Miss Mary L. 
 Blodgett, of Somonauk, 111., took place Oct. 27, 
 1870. Mrs. Wagner was born in 1844, in Ohio, 
 and is the daughter of John E. and Nancy (Gillette) 
 Blodgett, who were natives of New York, and are 
 now deceased. Mr. Wagner was the first elected 
 City Clerk of Beatrice under the new organization, 
 which went into effect in October, 1871. He was 
 re-elected the following j-ear, holding the office un- 
 til 1873, and in 1877 was again selected to fill the 
 position, serving this term also acceptably-. In 1885 
 he was again brought before the people for the 
 office of City Clerk, and has since held it without 
 opposition, running the last year far ahead of his 
 ticket. 
 
 Mr. Wagner, in May, 1886, was appointed Water 
 Commissioner, and still holds this office. Politically, 
 he is conservative in his views, aiming to support 
 the men whom he considers best qualified to serve 
 the people. Socially, he is a member in good stand- 
 ing of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Beatrice 
 Lodge No. 26, and Chapter No. 10. 
 
 g^ AMUEL N. TOBYNE is engaged in farm- 
 ^^^ ing on his land on section 10, Blue Springs 
 (ll/_J)) Township, in which vicinity he has made 
 his home for about twenty years. He was 
 born in Ogle County, 111., on the 2d of October, 
 1859, and is a son of James N. Tobyne, anativeof 
 Canada, who came to Illinois when he was a young 
 man, and thence brought his family to this county 
 in April, 1868. He made his home on section 10, 
 near the present home of our subject, and in the 
 early day of his arrival there were but few settlers 
 here, though Indians and wild animals were quite 
 plentiful. Our subject has always lived on a farm, 
 his father having been engaged in agricultural pur- 
 suits, and thus he has a thorough understanding of 
 the vocation which is so essential to the country. 
 In his younger days our subject experienced in 
 
 • ^^ f 4* 
 
-^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 499 i i 
 
 common with the sons of other early settlers all the 
 hardships and i)rivations of pioneer life, being 
 tanght to work at an early age, that he might as- 
 sist in the impi-ovement of the family circumstances, 
 and receiving hut a limited education because of 
 the absence of educational advantages. He has 
 also, in common with liie inhabitants of this section 
 who have grown to manhood here, witnessed the 
 vast changes that have been made in the past two 
 decades, in religious and educational advantages, 
 in the breaking and cultivating of wild prairie land, 
 which has been transformed into smiling fields bear- 
 ing abundant harvests, and in the organization and 
 building of various towns and cities which have 
 sprung up in an incredibly short time. 
 
 On the 29th of April, 1882, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Adelia S. Knapp, a 
 daughter of Albert H. Knapp, of Th.ayer County, 
 six miles from North Alexandria. She was born in 
 Wj'oming County, Pa., on the 27th of February', 
 186G, her father also being a native of the same 
 State, whence he had moved to this State in the 
 j-ear 1880. By their marriage our subject and his 
 wife are the parents of three children, named "Wil- 
 son E., Eoe A. and an infant daughter. Mr. 
 Tobyne has been prominently identiiied with the 
 educational affairs of his township, having served 
 as School Treasurer for a period of four years, 
 and being now the worthy incumbent of that office. 
 lie never seeks official honors, but his ability has 
 been recognized and appreciated by the people of 
 his community, who have conferred upon him un- 
 sought the public honors. He possesses the full 
 confidence and esteem of his fellowmen, and is very 
 popular in the township. 
 
 .lames N. Tob^'ne, the father of our subject, was 
 born near Toronto, Canada, on the 21st of April, 
 1820. in which place he lived until he was twenty- 
 one j"ears old. In 1841 he left his native country 
 for Winnebago County, III., whence after ten years' 
 residence he moved to Ogle County. There he re- 
 mained engaged in farming until 18G8, when he 
 came to this county with his family, and made his 
 home on section 10, Blue Spring Township, near the 
 home of his son Samuel. lie married Mrs. Caroline 
 Zeitz, who was a native of Germany, and had come 
 to the United States when she was six j'ears old. 
 
 By her former marriage, with Mr. Stroke}', she was 
 the mother of three children, two of whom, named 
 Frederick A. and George R. Strokey, are now liv- 
 ing. Mr. and Mrs. Tobyne were the parents of 
 seven children, five of whom are now living, and 
 make their homes in the following places: Henrietta, 
 in Gage County; Samuel N. and Seth E., in Blue 
 Springs Township; Permelia C. and Ida A., in Gage 
 County. One son, the oldest of the family, died at 
 the age of seventeen 3-ears, and the other, William 
 H.. died when a child. The parents of this family' 
 of children were well known as early pioneers of 
 this countj', and as such, and as an honorable m.an 
 and woman, they possessed the esteem and friend- 
 ship of the people of the community. The death 
 of the father occurred on the Gth of April, 1882, at 
 the age of sixtj'-two years, and that of the mother 
 occurred in December, 1881, at the .age of si.xt}"- 
 two years, the death of both being greatly regretted 
 by their many friends and acquaintances. 
 
 Seth E. Tobyne, a son of James N. and a brother 
 of Samuel N., above mentioned, makes his home on 
 section 10, Blue Springs Township, where he has 
 lived for many years. He was born in OgleCount}-, 
 111., on the 27th of January, 1 862, and with his father 
 and the remainder of the famil}' he came to this 
 county in the spring of 1868. He has grown to 
 manhood and has constantly been surrounded with 
 the scenes adjacent to bis present home, though 
 there have been vast changes since his arrival when 
 a young boy. He has ahvaj's lived on a farm, and 
 when he was a boy he lierded cattle on an exten- 
 sive range, the business at that time being largely 
 engaged in and verj' lucrative. To describe the 
 scenes and events of his life is but to repeat the 
 description given in the sketch devoted to his 
 brother, for in common they shared the trials and 
 hardships of the pioneer life. On the 25th of Feb- 
 ruary, 1883, he was united in marriage with Miss 
 Ettie Early, a daughter of Marshall Earl}', who was 
 born in Mercer County, Ohio, on the 28th of March, 
 1861. .Her parents were from Ohio, and she made 
 her home with them until the time of her marriage, 
 receiving her education in the common schools of 
 her native count}', and perfecting herself in the 
 graces and accomplishments of a true womanly 
 sphere. By their marriage they are the parents of 
 
-I 
 
 500 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 four cliildren, bearing the names Rolla, Ethel, Delia 
 and an infant daughter, Jessie. 
 
 Mr. Tobyne is the owner of 120 acres of good 
 and well-improved farming land in Blue Springs 
 Township, and 160 acres in the State of Colorado. 
 On his home farm be has made many valuable im- 
 provements, having a good house, barn and other 
 farm buildings, which are well kei)t and in good 
 condition. By giving close attention to his occu- 
 pation he has brought his land to a verj' fine state 
 of cultivation, which makes it the source of a lucra- 
 tive income to him. He affiliates with the Repub- 
 lican party, but does not take an active part in 
 politics, and both he and his wife are well-known 
 and highly respected members of the Blethodist 
 Episcopal Church, sustaining the reputation whicii 
 thej' bear of being honest, industrious and intelli- 
 ffent citizens. 
 
 <^?t^- 
 
 -i^fit;-* 
 
 ^i^'RANKLIN WALKKR is a farmer, stock- 
 ||i=^^ raiser and banker, residing on section 25, 
 ^ Elm Township. He is a sou of George P. 
 
 and Polly (Countryman) Walker, his father having 
 been born in Somerset County, Pa., where he died 
 in the year 1876, at the age of seventy-nine years. 
 The mother was also a native of the same county, 
 and is still living. They were the parents of nine 
 children, our subject being the fifth child, and his 
 birth occurring on the 9th of November, 1828, in 
 Somerset County. At that time the schools were 
 conducted by subscription, or paying members, and 
 it was' in a school of this kind that our subject re- 
 ceived his education. At the age of eighteen years 
 he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter trade, and 
 having learned the business he followed it until the 
 year 1865. 
 
 On the 9th of Novenil)er, 1851, our subject was 
 married, in Ohio, to JVIiss Anna M. La Boiteaux. 
 Her father was Samuel J;a Boiteaux, who was born 
 at Mt. Pleasant, Hamilton Co., Ohio, where he fol- 
 lowed the trade of a cooper, and where he d'ed in 
 1887, at the age of eighty-one years. Her mother 
 was Maria Louisa (Wright) La Boiteaux, who was 
 born at Batavia, Ohio, on the 8th of February, 
 
 1811. They were the parents of nine children, Mrs. 
 Walker being the third child. 
 
 To our suliject and iiis wife have been given a 
 famiij- of five children, whose names we mention: 
 Mary Louisa, Eliza Jane, George W., Lillian M. 
 and Ella L. Mary L. was married to Aubert Z. 
 Dennis, and is now living at Walker, Iowa; thej- 
 have two children, Luella M. and Jay L. Eliza 
 Jane was married to Edgar Bigsby, and is now liv- 
 ing at Kirksville, Mo.; they have four children — 
 Emma L. (deceased), Frank L., Aura and Glen. 
 George W. was united in marriage to Miss Rachel 
 Bevins, and is living in Sicilj' Township, where he 
 is engaged in farming; they have two children — 
 Grace M. and Mary G. Lillian May was married 
 to Dexter S. Lilly, residing at Gladstone, Kan., and 
 has three children — Walter E., Lina P. and Golda 
 1. ; Ella is married to J. P. Squire, residing In Red 
 Willow County, Neb., and has two children — Guy 
 and Roy. 
 
 Besides carrying on the farm which he owns, our 
 subject has an interest in the First Commercial Bank 
 at Odell, of which he is the Vice President and one 
 of the Directors. The bank was organized in 1884, 
 and re-organized in March. 1888. He was elected 
 Treasurer of Elm Tovvnship in 1886, which office 
 he still holds, and is also the Collector for the town- 
 ship. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., having 
 his membership in the Woodbine Lodge No. 126, at 
 Mt. Healthy, Hamilton Co., Ohio. He is a prom- 
 inent and active business man, and takes a great in- 
 terest in the advancement of his community, and 
 the fostering of those institutions by which the 
 social, educational and business interests can be 
 improved. He is a member of the Democratic 
 organization, and firmly believes that the prosperity 
 of the country can be secured under its control and 
 government. 
 
 ESSE COZINE. Among the honorable citi- 
 zens of Paddock T(jwnship, Gage County, 
 no one more worthily represents its farming 
 ^&)j interests than the gentleman whose name 
 stands at the head of this sketch. He is a native 
 of Indiana, born in Dearborn County, Dec. 11, 
 1822. When he was but six years old he had the 
 
'^*- 
 
 ■^^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 jOl 
 
 misforluiie to lose his father, John Cozine, an hon- 
 orable, intelligent and upright man. The mother 
 of our subject, whose maiden iianre was Abigail 
 Bruce, after the death of her first husband became 
 the wife of Edmund Chisman. After his father's 
 death our subject was reared in the home of his 
 grandmother, Tabitha Bruce, with whom he lived 
 until he grew to manhood. He was an active, 
 enterprising j-ouug man, and at an earlj' age was en- 
 abled to establish a comfortable home of his own, 
 and June 30, 1845, was married to Miss Martha 
 Clarke. She was to him indeed a helpmate in the 
 truest sense of the word, and to her cheerful assist- 
 ance and kind counsel he was much indebted for his 
 success in life. 
 
 Mrs. Cozine was a devoted and valued member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and her earnest- 
 ness and sterling worth secured her manj' warm 
 friends, and her death April 23. 1876, at the 
 age of foi'tj'-seven j'ears, was felt to be a per- 
 sonal loss by man}' besides the bereaved famil}-. 
 To her and her husband were born eleven children, 
 five of whom survive, and the following is their 
 record: Samuel, born June 13, 1846; Nancy Q., 
 born May 21, 1848, died Nov. 10, 1864; Abigail, 
 born Oct. 19, 1850; William R., born March 29, 
 1853. died Nov. 17, 1879; John A., born July 27. 
 1856; Jacob C, born Feb. 28, 1858, died March 
 11, 1861 ; Chancy C, born May 11, 1861 : Robert 
 D., May 10, 1863; Elizabeth R.. born June 23, 
 1865. died Oct. 4, 1879; Henry A. Newton, born 
 March 7, 1867, died Sept. 17, 1879; Mary M.,born 
 April 17, 1869. Samuel Cozine married Emma 
 McVicker, and they live at Iowa Falls; John mar- 
 ried Eliza .Smith, and they live in Barber County, 
 Kan. ; Robert married Elfa Bunnell, and they live 
 in Washington County, Kan.; Abigail married 
 Francis Parrott, and the}' live near Iowa City. 
 
 The paternal grandparents of our subject were 
 Martin Cozine and F^lizabeth Smith, of Indiana and 
 Ohio respectively, the grandfather of Scotcii ances- 
 try and the grandmother of English. Mr. Cozine 
 lost his life by the blowing up of a steamer on the 
 Mississippi River between New Orleans and St. Louis. 
 The grandmother died in Dearborn Count}', Ind. 
 
 In 1850 our subject removed with his family to 
 Iowa, and the}' staid there until 1879, when they 
 
 came to Nebraska. Mr. Cozine purchased IGO 
 acres of unbroken prairie land on section 24, Pad- 
 dock Township, from the Government, paying §3.50 
 an acre therefor. By persistent energy and well- 
 directed toil he has reclaimed this wild bit of 
 prairie, and improved it into one of the finest farms 
 in this vicinity, its present value being $25 an acre, 
 and he has it all under good cultivation and well 
 fenced. He has erected a substantial, commodious 
 dwelling, stable, and other necessary farm build- 
 ings. 
 
 Mr. Cozine is a man whose integrity is above re- 
 proach ; his neighbors find in him a true and oblig- 
 ing friend, and to his family, of whom he has reason 
 to be proud, he is the kindest and most indulgent 
 of fathers. In his political views our subject is a 
 strong adherent of the Republican party, and he 
 has reared his sons to be stalwart Republicans. 
 
 ^^EORGE E. EMERY, County Clerk of Gage 
 III g— , County, has been a resident of this .State 
 ^^J! since 1862, having moved to Nebr.aska from 
 Kansas with his parents when only three years old. 
 He was born in the city of Lawrence, Kan., March 
 17, 1859, and is the elder of two children of 
 Charles N. and Mary M. (Benson) Emery, the 
 former a native of Maine, and the latter born in 
 the city of Limerick, Ireland. 
 
 The mother of our subject crossed the Atlantic 
 with two brothers early in life, and after living for 
 some time in Brooklyn and Chicago, moved to Law- 
 rence, Kan., where she met Mr. Emery, whom she 
 married May 4, 1858. In 1864 the parents of our sub- 
 ject moved to Liberty Farm, in this State, where, on 
 August 9. they were burned out by the Indians. 
 The family then moved to Kearney, Neb., residing 
 there a year or more, and in July, 1867, moved to 
 Beatrice, where they have since lived. 
 
 The subject of this sketch w.as a little lad eight 
 years of age when his parents took up their abode 
 in Beatrice, and he obtained his early education in 
 the imperfect public schools of the rising young 
 town. About 1867 the family repaired to Shaw- 
 nee County, Kan., settling in its capital city, To- 
 peka. tieorge E. there completed his education. 
 
 ^ 
 
«► ir^ 
 
 .t 
 
 }02 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 A j-ear later, upon the return of the parents to Bea- 
 trice, lie at'ooiiipanied them, ami when seventeen 
 years old entered the office of the Beatrice Express 
 to learn the printer's trade, a good knowledge of 
 which he gained in the course of his three-years 
 apprenticeship. He was, however, destined to a 
 different sphere, and about 1878 received the ap- 
 pointment of Deputy Postmaster, first under Al- 
 bert Towle and later under Jacob Drum, serving in 
 this capacity a period of three years. 
 
 Mr. Eraer}' entered the Clerk's office as a Deputy' 
 in 1881, and after the satisfactory performance of 
 the duties therewith connected for a period of four 
 years, he was elected County Clerk, in 1885, and 
 re-elected in 1887. He has excellent business capac- 
 ities, is conscientious in the performance of his 
 official duties, and has made a record altogether 
 creditable to himself and satisfactory to the people 
 at large. In July, 1884, he was united in mar- 
 riage with one of the most estimable J'oung ladies 
 of this county. Miss Julia A. McGee, who was born 
 in Bolton, Yt.. and is the daughter of Andrew H. 
 and Mary McGee, who were natives of Vermont, 
 and are still residents of the Green Mountain State. 
 Of this union there is one child, a son, Calvin A., 
 who was born March 14, 188U. The home of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Emery is pleasantly located in the north- 
 ern part of the city of Beatrice, and they enjoy the 
 friendship of a large circle of acquaintances, com- 
 Ijosed of its choicest people. Mr. P2mery cast his 
 first Presidential vote for Garfield, and in his 
 political views is a decided Republican. 
 
 '^^HOMAS J. RILE, of Blue Springs Township, 
 /jf^^\ is numbered among the solid men of this 
 %^^ county, and is a good citizen, who has made 
 tor himself an enviable record and hosts of friends. 
 A native of McDonougli County, 111., he was born 
 at his father's rural liomestead, five miles from the 
 then village of Macomb, May 22, 1854, and is the 
 S(jn of AVilliam H. Rile. The latter was born in 
 Montgomery County, Pa., April 26, 1811, and 
 leaving the Keystone State when a young man 
 twenty-seven years of age, emigrated to Warren 
 County, Ohio, settling there in 1838. Five j-ears 
 
 later he changed his residence to Jersej' County, 
 111., and in 1849 to McDonough County, where he 
 carried on farming and remained until 1882. 
 
 The mother of our subject was in her girlhood 
 Miss Eliza Plowman, and the parental family con- 
 sisted of six children, four sons and two daughters, 
 three of whom are living. Elizabeth is single and 
 at home; Georgia married AV. S. Bourne, and is a 
 resident of Beatrice, Neb. : they have two children 
 — Fann3' and Etsel. The parents came to this 
 countj' in the spring of 1882, and make their home 
 with our subject. Tiie properly of Mr. Rile lies 
 two miles east of the city of Blue Springs, antl com- 
 prises a well-cultivated farm 160 acres in extent. 
 The buildings are neat and substantial, the barns 
 and other outhouses all that are required for com- 
 fort and convenience, and the homestead in all 
 respects has about it the air of peace and plenty, 
 which is one of the most attractive features of rural 
 life. 
 
 Mr. Rile was married, Sept. 20, 1883, to Miss 
 Mary McMillan, who was born in McDonough 
 County, III., March 26, 1863, and is the daughter 
 of John and Catherine (Kelly) McMillan, who 
 were natives of Scotland ; the father is deceased, 
 and the mother is living in McDonough County, 
 111. Of this union there have been born three chil- 
 dren, two living, Frederick and Everett B. The 
 deceased child, Alta, died when two and a half 
 months old. 
 
 William II. Rile, the father of our subject, is a 
 well-educated man, and during the early history of 
 his section of Illinois was an important factor in 
 its growth and development. Endowed with more 
 than an ordinary degree of common sense, he was 
 one of the most enterprising and useful pioneers of 
 McDonough County. He lived there during an 
 important period of its development, and during 
 the construction of the Chicago, Burlington & 
 Quincy Railroad, which resulted in the establish- 
 ment of new towns along its line. Mr. Rile being 
 the County Surveyor, was efficient in the laying 
 out of these places, some of which have grown to 
 importance, among them the little city of Bushnell. 
 He located on a tract of land which is now five 
 miles east from the pieseut city of Macomb, bein, 
 among the very first to venture out upon the fertile 
 
 tile T 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 .50:5 ,i 
 
 prairie, the settlers having previously clung to tlie 
 timber uiuler the erroneous impression that the 
 prairie was valueless. Mr. Rile became widely 
 known in that region, and was numbered among its 
 most highlj' respected farmers. He reared a family, 
 the members of which do him honor in their stand- 
 ing as citizens, and their usefulness in promoting 
 the moral well-being of societ3'. Thomas J., the 
 subject of this sketch, especially, is a man in whom 
 everybody has confidence, and who is held in uni- 
 vers.al respect. 
 
 ••«a£j2/©^* 
 
 ls<j — >*^.SU3Ttf»v. 
 
 ILLIAM P. YULE. The water supply of 
 Gage County is one of which many might 
 be envious, and of which it must be proud, 
 because its facilities are largely increased therel)3', 
 its grain and stock farms are of far greater value 
 than they otherwise could be, its crops surer, even 
 in drouth 3'ears, and the cattle upon its broad acres 
 are not called upon to suffer as in other places in 
 similar seasons. Grant Township has its full quota 
 of this and the other natural advantages bestowed 
 with such lavish hand by good Dame Nature in this 
 part of her domain. The farm of the gentleman 
 wiiose life is here succinctly traced, located upon 
 section lo of Grant Township, possesses its full 
 .share of these. Soap Creek, a stream fed b>' springs 
 innumerable, gives a good suppl}' of fresh water 
 to all the pastures on this property', which to a stock 
 farmer such as our subject is invaluable. The farm, 
 in addition to this, is well and admiral)l3' situated, 
 and the face of tiie countr3" in this district is such 
 as makes it especially desirable for stock purposes, 
 its rich soil ampl3' rewarding the husbandman also 
 for his toil. 
 
 Since his coming to the county in 1882 the sub- 
 ject of this ivriting has devoted himself to the 
 . improvement of his property b3- the erection of 
 barns, stabling, granar3', cattle sheds and pens, and 
 all the divers buildings needed upon a stock and 
 grain farm; also the i)utling up of a dwelling that, 
 should be in keeping with his social position and 
 demands of his faniilv. He has now a most tiior- 
 ouglil3' equii)ped ranch and pleasant, comfortalile 
 
 home. His particular care is given to the raising 
 of stock. 
 
 Our subject came to Nebraska from Mercer 
 County, 111., where he had a farm of 160 acres, 
 which he had ovvned for about twent3' 3'cars, and 
 had brought to a very advanced state of fertilit3' 
 and productiveness, suppl3'ing it with all the neces- 
 sary buildings for his purpose, as he has also done 
 for his present propert3'. Mr. Y^ule was born 
 Feb. 6, 1826, in Cayuga Countv, N. Y. His fam- 
 ily is of Scotch ancestr3'. His father was a native 
 of the above State, and followed the occupation of 
 a shoemaker. Later in life he became a fanner in 
 Livingston Countj-, N. Y.. where he died at the age 
 of fift3'-two 3'ears. The maiden name of his wife, 
 the mother of our subject, w.as Permelia Guyle. 
 She survived her husband several 3'ears, and after 
 his death went to Illinois, tiience removed to Ana- 
 mosa, Jones Co., Iowa, where she died at about sev- 
 enty years of age. 
 
 Of nine children born to his parents, most of 
 whom are now deceased, our subject was the first- 
 born. He was about si.x 3'ears of age vvhen his par- 
 ents removed to Livingston Count3'. N. 1'., and 
 continued to reside there until he had attained his 
 majority. He obtained a fair education (at that 
 time it would have been called good) in that count3', 
 and subsequently began te.aching school, occupied 
 at the same time in reading law, which, upon being 
 admitted to the bar, he began to practice at Mt. 
 Morris. It was not long before he had built up a 
 remunerative practice and represented an extensive 
 clientage, but bis assiduous labors began to tell 
 upon his health, and he vvas finall3' compelled to 
 quit his practice, and removed to Ogle County, 
 111. Thence he went to Henderson County, and 
 finalh' settled in Jlcrcer Count3', of the same State. 
 
 While thus pleasantly engaged our subject em- 
 braced the opportunity of bringing into his life 
 a completer and fuller felicit3' b3' taking as his 
 wife Miss E^sther Harsha. This interesting event 
 was celebrated Feb. 4, 1857. 'Ihe lady of his choice 
 was born Ma3' 24, 1830, in Washington County, N. 
 Y. Her parents were David and Nancy (Harsha) 
 Harsha, who, although bearing the same name, were 
 not previoush' related. The husband was a native 
 of Ireland, his wife of Washington County, where X 
 
 t 
 
O^l^^ 
 
 504 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 they were innnicd niul settled tu fanning life. Both 
 died at an advanced age upon the old homestead. 
 They were the parents of eleven children, their 
 daughter Esther being the ninth. The youngest 
 child had attained thirty-three years of age before 
 the first member of this interesting family was re- 
 moved by death; all but one were married, and all 
 but three are now living; the youngest of the sur- 
 viving members is fifly-lwo years of age. 
 
 The wife of our subject was educated at Argyle, 
 N. Y., and knew no home other than that of her 
 ))arents until our subject took her to grace his own. 
 They are the parents of two children, viz: Maggie 
 J., who is now happily mairied toErank Boggess, a 
 photographic artist at Astoria, Fulton Co., 111., and 
 Henry L., viho remains at home, and is his father's 
 chief assistant in the opeiation of his extensive 
 farm. 
 
 Our subject is identified, in political matters, 
 with the Republican party; he has filled with much 
 credit to himself and satisfactitm to the people the 
 office of Justice of the Peace, in which his fine sense 
 of justice, his law experience and clear intellect, 
 greatly assisted him in rendering right and impar- 
 tial judgment. The religious connections of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Yule are with the United Presbyterian 
 Church, and their membership was in the local con- 
 gregation of Norwood, 111. They are held in the 
 highest possible regard by all their fellow-members, 
 and in society at large none are more esteemed. 
 Their home is such as one might well envy, and 
 their ]jersonal character is worthy of all emulation. 
 
 ■^^S*^" 
 
 DIBBLE. In Blakely Township, and upon 
 section 12, is an exceptionally fine farm 
 some 520 acres in extent, known through- 
 i^out the State as the Blue Mound farm. It 
 were very difficult to find in Nebraska a more de- 
 lightful situation; the house is situated upon one 
 of the higher points of ground, not far from where 
 the Big Blue River winds its way, broad, deep, 
 bright and silent, tliioughout the entire length of 
 the fai'm. Along its banks for a considerable dis- 
 tance are heavy limber growths of walnut, ash, 
 maple, elm, Cottonwood, willow and mulberry 
 
 trees, affoidiiig in funr.rr.er luxuriant, cooling shade, 
 and in winter, a most grateful shelter from wind 
 and storm. Beyond and around the ground bil- 
 lows away in gentle undulation or heavier rolling 
 prairie, and yet so considerable is the altitude that 
 from the house, looking away to the southeastward, 
 can be plainly seen the spires, towers, and to some 
 extent, the buildings of the city of Beatrice, and 
 the reflection of the electric lights can be seen in 
 the mirror from the bed which Mr. and Mrs. Dib- 
 ble occupy. The intervening space is filled, as is 
 all the country round, with well-cultivated farms 
 and long stretches of pastoral ranch land. Such 
 are the surroundings of the home of our subject, 
 and the above may serve as a '-hint," at least, of the 
 beauties with which nature has lavishly endowed 
 this delightful spot. 
 
 The homestead of our subject upon the above 
 land dates from the year 1865; since that time Mr. 
 Dibble has made a well-nigh national reputation as 
 a sheep-farmer and breeder of the higher grades 
 and thoroughbred stock. As noted above, his land, 
 and in fact that of the entire district, is peculiarly 
 adapted to stock-raising, the climate also being 
 propitious. The presence of the Blue River, wliich 
 affords an inexhaustible sujjply of pure living 
 water, coupled with the beautiful and immense 
 groves, and the abundance of succulent, nutritious 
 grasses, all combine to make the ranch of our sub- 
 ject exceptionally available for his purpose. To 
 those who know the rigors of winter in that lati- 
 tude and the opposite extreme of summer, it would 
 be a matter of surprise to learn that large numbers 
 of stock of all kinds can winter without any shelter 
 than that supplied by the woods upon the ranch, 
 and that without any considerable discomfort, and 
 a loss of less than one per cent. 
 
 In the matter of stock-raising Mr. Dibble is by 
 no means a tyro; his whole life has been a constant 
 accumulation of intellectual power to this end, and 
 Nebraska has received from him very much as the 
 one who has largely helped to bring it into promi- 
 nence as a stock-raising country. Along the line 
 of his business he is very enterprising, and possesses 
 a full quota of Western go-aheadiliveness. In 
 quite a number of instances he has exhibited stock, 
 and in the large majoiity of cases has carried off 
 
u 
 
 ■» II » 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 505 
 
 the best of the awards. He indulges in tlie pleasure 
 of devoting special attention to raising a high 
 grade of Poland-Cliina hogs, Merino sheep, Durham 
 cattle and Norman and Percheron horses. 
 
 Tlie rei)utation of our subject has been made, 
 perhaps, more along the line of sheep-raising than 
 any other, and he has identified himself with the 
 raising exclusively of Merinos, having become one 
 of the largest feeders and shippers of the .State, 
 and has the honor of having shipped the first 
 $1,000 worth of wool out of Southern Nebraska. 
 He commenced this br.anch of the business in 
 the year 1871, having tlien one ewe, and from 
 that beginning has gone cm 3^ear by year, ever 
 increasinglj' successful. He has owned and man- 
 aged flocks of 1,500 head but usually averages 
 about 1,000. Some idea of the value of the prod- 
 uce may perhaps be gained from the fact that our 
 subject has shipped from his ranch to Boston a car- 
 load of wool, receiving for the same the sum of 
 i!2,000. 
 
 The same energy and spirit of progress that has 
 made him so successful as a farmer and stock-raiser, 
 he has brought to bear upon his surroundings, and 
 has been delighted by it to advance the interests 
 of the county at large, and quite a large number 
 of the neighboring farmers and citizens are located 
 as the result of the hospitality, courtesy and intel- 
 ligent information communicated and extended by 
 our subject, and at all times he has been ready to 
 sustain such enterprises as were for the benefit of 
 the count3' or comnuinit3\ 
 
 Mr. Dil)ble is a native of Somersetshire, En- 
 gland, where he was born in Mark Parish, March 
 1, 1836. The father of our subject was Richard 
 Dibble, a native of the same county, where his 
 family had lived for genenations. a thrift}', sturdy 
 race, as the oak, the national tree. As a young 
 man he entered the employ of the '■ lord of the 
 manor," and later married Charlotte Banfield, who 
 was born in the same parish as himself and had 
 grown up to mature j-ears with him. She first saw 
 the light in the house of the old Temple farm, 
 jround which gather a thousand sweet, lingering 
 memories of the familj'. This farm was part of 
 the property of the Diocesan Bishop of the Es- 
 tablished (Episcopal) Church, which church was the 
 
 religious home of both families for generations. 
 The Temple farm had throughout all its history 
 been the home of the Banfield family, as, likewise, 
 the old farmhouse ne.ar the Plach farm, where our 
 subject was born, had been to his family. It is 
 not, therefore, surprising that Mr. Dibble looks for- 
 ward with a pleasurable delight that thrills his en- 
 tire being to revisiting in the near future these 
 well-renieml)ered scenes and places. Whenever 
 this occurs it will be the happiness of our subject 
 to be able to impart to his friends and relatives 
 upon the other side much practical information 
 regarding America and Americans, and to describe 
 with graphic lucidity the varied phases of pioneer 
 life in the Great West, as well as that of its unparal- 
 leled progress and development. 
 
 After the marriage of the p.arents of our subject 
 they settled near their native place, and Mr. Dili- 
 ble, Sr., continued after the death of his first, and 
 also his second wife, and there also married his 
 third. After some j'ears, during which several 
 children were born of this third family, Mr. Dibble 
 removed, .and with his wife and famil}' emigrated 
 to the United .States and located in Yorkville, Ra- 
 cine Co.. Wis. In this place, after a settlement of 
 some years, the father and step-raother of our sub- 
 ject went to their last rest. The third wife died in 
 1881. at the age of fifty-three 3'ears, the father 
 having preceded her to the better land in 1870, 
 aged about sevent}- 3'ears. The first and second 
 wives of Mr. Dibble, and seven of his children, 
 repose beneath the sod in the churchyard of .St. 
 Mark's Church in Somersetshire. The famil3' of this 
 gentleman included aliout twenty children. 
 
 Our subject was one of two children by the 
 second marriage, the other being his sister Char- 
 lotte, now Mrs. Ostrom, of Grand Rapids. Jlieh. 
 The brother and sister were separ.nted for a period 
 of twent3'-one 3-ears, and met at Grand Rapids but 
 a few years since, and from that time our subject 
 has made a practice of visiting her at regular in- 
 tervals. He was sixteen 3-ears of age when he came 
 with his father and step-mother to the United 
 States, and settled at Yorkville, where he continued 
 until he attaine<l his majorit}'. Then for a few 
 3-ears he traveled throughout the South and West, 
 and l)eing of an ol)serviMg anil inquiring disposi- 
 
 V 
 
 - w 
 
h 
 
 -•► 
 
 506 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 tion. he gathered a vast stove of curious, amusing 
 ami instructive information. In his Western jour- 
 neyings he stooil amid the stupendous and over- 
 whelming magnificence of the Rocky Mountains, 
 and also crossed the apparently limitless extent of 
 Nebraska's rolling prairies. This was as early as 
 the year 1857, and while he was 3-et unmarried. 
 From thence he drifted back to the Wisconsin 
 home, reaching it in the year 1859, and from that 
 time on continued industriously and steadily in 
 farming until 18G4, when he went into the service 
 for the defense of his adopted country, serving in 
 the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, but although 
 in the service for about eight months, he did not 
 happen to be in manj' major engagements, and in 
 April of 1865 received an honorable discharge. 
 
 At Waterlord, not far from the Wisconsin home 
 of our subject, he was united to Miss Johanna 
 Johnson, on the 23d of April, I8G0. who was born 
 near the city of Christlania, Norway, Nov. 15, 
 1 833. She is the daughter of John Johnson, a 
 native of the same count}', by occupation a farmer. 
 The maiden name of her mother was Anna Hanson, 
 a native of the same place. Her father died at the 
 same place in which he was born, in the year 1839, 
 while yet in middle life. His widow survived him 
 many years, and died at the home of her daughter, 
 IMrs. Dibble, and had then attained the advanced 
 age of eighty-one years and six months, dying 
 March 21, 1885. She had spent the last year and 
 a half of her life with her daughter, from whom 
 she had been separated for thirty-three years b}' 
 the Atlantic and half the western continent. Such 
 a journey at so advanced an age is very unusual, and 
 is only possible bj' reason of the facile tiansit in the 
 floating and rolling palaces of modern travel. Un- 
 til that date she was the oldest lady who had 
 crossed the Atlantic. She had all her life been a 
 devout member of the Lutheran Church, and died 
 in the comfort of the Christian faith; she was 
 a grand, noble, motherly woman, and greatly be- 
 loved in her own land, and although her life in 
 this country was of such short duration, the same 
 womanly graces had won for her a large circle of 
 friends. 
 
 After Mr. and Mis. Dibble were married their 
 efforts were united and their ambitions one in re- 
 
 gard to the desire to build a home for the future. 
 They decided therefore, to brave the West with its 
 pioneer hardships, trials and difficulties, and pro- 
 ceeded hitherward even bef(jre the aborigines had 
 deserted it. They accordingly settled in what is 
 now Nebraska. It was not altogether unusual for 
 Indians to camp upon his farm, and once or more as 
 many as 400 or 500 of the Otoe tribe made their camp 
 in the vicinity' of his home. Upon one occasion 
 our subject was badl}' scared while returning from 
 the settlement that has since grown to be the city 
 of Beatrice. He was nearing his house, where he 
 had left his wife and family, and heard near by a 
 noise, strange, unusual and unaccountable. His 
 fears taking shape in a moment, he supposed that 
 his familj^ were being massacred, and leaving his 
 team rushed to the house, where his .aflfectionate 
 solicitude was satisfied to find that there was no 
 danger; but the noise was still unaccounted for, 
 and it was only later that he discovered that the 
 scare was needless and without foundation, its cause 
 and originator being a stiange animal of the bovine 
 tribe tliat had strayed into the neighborhood. 
 This Mr. Dibble tells partly as a joke upon himself, 
 and yet it points to the fact that their life was not 
 without danger nor lacking in adventure. 
 
 The familj- of Mr. and Mrs. Dibble includes six 
 children, whom it has been" their pleasure to see 
 well started in life, and who evidence those manly 
 traits and womanly attributes that are so desirable 
 and indispensablj- integral factors of the true no- 
 bility. The names are as follows : Charlotte A., 
 Alia M., Harry A. J., Etta M., Lillie D. and Lucy 
 F. A. Tiie eldest daughter is the wife of Palmer 
 Stevenson, a builder and contractor at Lincoln; her 
 sister Alia is happily married to Oliver C. Sher- 
 man, a farmer of Blakely Township, operating a 
 part of the homestead, together with her brother. 
 The latter is the husband of Ellen Shattenkirk. 
 The three younger members of the famil}' are still 
 at home. 
 
 Mr. Dibble still continues his faithful allegiance 
 to the religious faith in which he w.as reared, and 
 which has been to him a guide and comfort through- 
 out the years of his life. His wife, likewise, con- 
 tinues m the faith of hey fathers. He is social!}' 
 connected with the fraternitj' of the A. F. & A. M., 
 
 ■► 
 
I 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 o07 
 
 and is a memlier of Blue Lodge No. 26, in Bea- 
 trice. His political faith is along the line of the 
 principles of the part}' founded by Jefferson, and 
 so ably represented at the White House in the per- 
 son of President S. Grover Cleveland and his most 
 estimable lad}'. Enough has been said concerning 
 our subject to indicate to the reader the character, 
 aspirations and disposition of the man, and further 
 remark would be superfluous. While such men are 
 at the head of our households, while such wives and 
 mothers as Mrs. Dibble have the care and training 
 of the children of the Ilepul)lic, America must and 
 will rise in the scale of nations, and advance in 
 every qualit}', attribute and power that makes a 
 nation great, and that without anj' fear of retro- 
 gression. 
 
 At one time Mr. Dibble acted as reporter for the 
 Agricultural Departmental Washington, D. C, for 
 Southeastern Nebraska, manj* of which have ap- 
 peared in the montlil}- reports from the department 
 of agriculture. 
 
 -S-^-f-s^^^fn-^ 
 
 <* 
 
 ■OHN L. HILL. The home surroundings of 
 this gentleman are more than ordinarily 
 pleasant, and as the natural consequence in 
 the case of the man who helps himself, he 
 lias been assisted by "all the favoring winds that 
 blow" to a generous portion of the good things of 
 this life, namely, a corapetency and a host of 
 friends, which comprise a large proportion of this 
 world's trc'isures. 
 
 Our subject is the offspring of a good family, be- 
 ing the son of Nathan Hill, who was a native of 
 Luzerne Count\% Pa., where he was reared to man- 
 hood and married Miss Judith Billhiraer, whose 
 birthplace and childhood's home was not far from 
 that of her husband's. They lived in that locality 
 for a time after their marriage, the, father engaging 
 in farming, and about 1853 emigrated to Leo 
 Count}', 111. There also Nathan Hill pursued his 
 former occupation of farming, and departed this 
 life at his home in South Dixon Township, in June, 
 1876. The mother still survives, and makes her 
 home on the old homestead in Lee County, 111. 
 To Nathan and Judith Hill tliere were born eleven 
 
 •►-■-^^ 
 
 children, seven sons and four daughters. Of these 
 all are living; sis are residents of Illinois, one of 
 Minnesota and four of Nebraska. John L., our 
 subject, was the fifth child, and was born in Luzerne 
 County, Pa., Dec. 27, 1845. He was a little lad 
 eight years of age when his parents removed from 
 the Keystone State to Illinois, where he was reared 
 to manhood and acquired his education in tlie com- 
 mon schools of Lee County. Early in life he be- 
 came familiar with farm pursuits, and with the 
 exception of one year spent in St. Joseph, Mo., was 
 a resident of that county until going to Iowa, in 
 March, 1873. 
 
 In the Hawkeye State Mr. Hill followed farming 
 for a period of four years, then determined to cast 
 his lot with the people of this county. In 1879 he 
 selected a tract of land 160 acres in extent, and 
 embracing the east half of the northwest quarter of 
 the west half of the northeast quarter of section 31, 
 in Glenwood Township, and since that time has 
 given his attention to its improvement and culti- 
 vation. He has now a neat and substantial set of 
 frame buildings, fruit and shade trees, improved 
 farm machinery, a fair assortment of live stock, 
 and the other essentials of the modern profitable 
 farm estate. The evidences of enterprise and in- 
 telligence are to be seen on every hand, and the 
 homestead in all its appointments forms one of the 
 most attractive pictures in the landscape of this 
 region. 
 
 In addition to the other good things which have 
 fallen to the lot of our subject he has been fortu- 
 nate in the selection of a wife and helpmate, Mrs. 
 Hill possessing those qualities most essential to the 
 comfort and happiness of a home, namely: thrift, 
 industry, neatness and cheerfulness. She was in 
 her girlhood Miss Frances J. Black, and they were 
 married at the home of the bride, in Page County, 
 Iowa, Dec. 25, 1878. Mrs. Hill is the daughter of 
 James and Susan (Wolfe) Black, who were natives 
 of Washington County, Pa., where they settled 
 after their marriage and lived until emigrating to 
 Lee County, Iowa, at a very early day. Thence 
 they went into Page County, Iowa, about 1853, 
 where they now reside, the father carrying on farm- 
 ing. They are the parents of seven children, four 
 sons and three daughters, of whom Mrs. Hill was 
 
 "•► 
 
 i 
 
 f 
 
u 
 
 -•► 
 
 508 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 tlic fiftli child. She wan born in Page County. 
 Iowa, Oct. 29. IS.'in, and reared to womanhood in 
 that county. Her education was acquired in the 
 common schools, and she remained a member of 
 the parental household until leaving it to preside 
 over one of her own. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Hill there has been born one 
 child only, a son, Raymond, March 31, 1880. He 
 is now a liright boy eight years of age, and it is 
 hardly necessary to say, the light of the household. 
 Our subject keeps himself posted upon matters of 
 general interest to ever}' intelligent citizen, and 
 without meddling much in politics, gives his uni- 
 form support to the Democratic party. He believes 
 in education and all the moral reforms of the age, 
 and is a man whose opinion is generally respected. 
 Although having served as School Treasurer in his 
 district, his preference is to leave the responsi- 
 bilities of office to those less absorbed in the peace- 
 ful [)ursuits of agriculture. 
 
 C~*^- 
 
 -^ 
 
 VILLIAM N. ACTON, a respected resident 
 of Paddock Township, is prosperously en- 
 gaged in agriculture, owning a valuable 
 farm, which lies partly in Gage County, Neb., and 
 parti}' in the adjoining countj' of JMarshall, in Kan- 
 sas. He is pre-eminently a self-made man, as all 
 he is and all he has he owes to his own tireless and 
 energetic labors, he having had to encounter many 
 adversities, and to endure many hardships in his 
 early life that would have daunted a less resolute 
 and courageous mind, and his personal history 
 should serve to awaken the emulation of the youth 
 of to-da}', or of future generations, who may 
 peruse these pages. 
 
 Our subject was born in Charles County, Md., 
 Randall and Sedocia (McDonald) Acton, natives 
 of Mar3'land, being his parents. Very early in life 
 that saddest misfortune that can happen to a child 
 befell him, as he was deprived by death of a kind 
 mother when he was very young. As soon as he 
 was large enough to work he was thrown on his own 
 resources, as his honest, hard-working father found 
 life too severe a struggle with poverty to properly 
 care for his son. Under this discipline he became 
 
 -^m . 
 
 a manly, sturdy, self-reliant lad, well able to cojje 
 with the difficulties that beset his pathway. When 
 William was seventeen years old the death of his 
 father severed the last tie that bound him to the 
 old home in Marjland, and he started on foot on 
 the long journej' across the Alleghany Mountains 
 to Richland County, Ohio, arriving at his destina- 
 tion footsore and weary, having traversed a distance 
 of 600 miles, mostly over wild and mountainous 
 country. He subsequently weat to Franklin County, 
 Ohio, and l)eing an honest, open-hearted lad, will- 
 ing to labor, he found no difficulty in securing a 
 position as a farm hand, and was thus employed by 
 the month until his first marriage, which took place 
 Sept. 9, 1839, to Miss Almira Wilcox. He then 
 lented a farm, on which he lived until 1842. In 
 that year he removed with his family to Henry 
 County, Iowa, and there his first wife, a most esti- 
 mable woman, passed away July 9, 1846, after a 
 few years of happy wedded life. Two children had 
 been born to that marriage — Emeline, who died in 
 1843, anil George, 'llie son, now a conductor on 
 the Northwestern Railway, did valiant service in 
 the late war for three ^'ears, having been a mem- 
 ber of the first cavalry company organized in Henry 
 Count}', Iowa. The second marriage of our sub- 
 ject, which took place in Iowa, Dec. 23, 1847, was 
 to Miss Jemima E. Cook, who has abl}' seconded 
 his efforts in establishing a pleasant and comfortable 
 home. Their union has been blessed to them by 
 the birth of six children, namely : Frank W., Albert 
 B., Ella M., Oscar D., John L. and Charlie M. 
 
 In the spring of 1873 Mr. Acton removed to 
 Wichita, Kan., and resided in that then small ham- 
 let, a mere trading-post, until the fall of 1874, 
 when he returned to ISIontgomer}' Count}', Iowa. 
 He continued to live in that State until 1882, and 
 then returned to this part of the country, and se- 
 curing a suitable location in the northern part of 
 Marshall County, Kan., he bought a farm, com- 
 prising eighty acres, in the Indian reservation, ad- 
 joining Gage County. In the few years that have 
 since intervened he has been more than ordinarily 
 successful as a farmer, and by incessant labor and 
 able management he has made many fine improve- 
 ments and brought his land to a high state of cult- 
 ure. He has besides made money enough so that 
 
*l>-t^^-a»fK»^l-j.--^.^.^,Mi*>i^'^:-^Ki'LvX2^^^ 
 
 Residence or Edward Roberts , Sec. 28. Barneston Township. 
 
 RcsiDENCE OF G. H. Gale, Sec. 10. Filley Township. 
 
I 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 511 
 
 V 
 
 he hfts been enabled to increase the original acre- 
 age of his land liy the purchase of eighty acres of 
 adjoining land on section 35, and forty acres of 
 land on section 30, buying iiis present lionie in this 
 county in the spring of 1887. 
 
 This brief record of the life of our subject shows 
 him to be a aian well worlhj' of the respect and 
 confidence of his fellow-citizens. In his political 
 sentiments he is an earnest Republican, although he 
 ■was reared in the midst of slavery. 
 
 It is worliij- of remembrance in view of the pres- 
 ent Presidential campaign of 1888, and of the ilhis- 
 trious candidate of the Republican partj', that Mr. 
 Acton cast his first vote for William II. Harrison. 
 Our subject talics a deep interest in tlie develop- 
 ment of this part of the country, to which he has 
 contributed so much time and energy, and he cheer- 
 fully aids all proposed improvements, but he is not 
 an aspirant for olRce, preferring the peace and com- 
 fort of his own fireside to the responsibilities and 
 Worries of puhlic life. 
 
 * IfelLLIAM WOOLSEY, Supervisor of Lin- 
 \/yj/l coin Township, is also one of its leading 
 VTxy farmers, and owns 1 60 acres of good land 
 on section 6. He came to this place in the winter 
 of 1880, and has since bent his energies to its im- 
 provement. He has now a good farm dwelling 
 with barns and out-buihlings to corresi)ond, a fair 
 assortment of live stock, and all the other appliances 
 of the modern agriculturist. 
 
 Mr. Woolsey came to this section from McKean 
 County, in the northwestern part of Pennsylvania, 
 where for a period of five and one-half j'ears he 
 had been engaged with the State Line Oil Compan3^ 
 In his capacity as foreman he became thoroughly 
 familiar w'ith this valuable [)roduct of the subter- 
 ranean earth, and was greatlj" interested in the ex- 
 periments and discoveries made tliroughout the oil 
 regions in general of the Keystone State. From 
 1804 until 1880 he was almost uninterruptedly en- 
 gaged in the matters pertaining to the development 
 of this product. 
 
 Our subject was born in Fairview, Erie Co., Pa., 
 March 8, 1843, and is the son of Joseph Woolsey, 
 
 a native of Dutchess County, N. Y. His paternal 
 granilfather and his great-grandfather bore the 
 Christian name of Sampson. The latter was a na- 
 tive of England, and crossed the Atlantic as an 
 officer of the British Revenue uniler King George 
 III. Being an intelligent man, he soon perceived 
 tlie justice of the cause of the Colonists, and accord- 
 ingly arra^-ed himself on their side. A large re- 
 ward was offered liy the King for his capture, dead 
 or alive, as he had been a very efficient officer, and 
 was a man of more than ordinary capabilities. He 
 eluded the vigilance of the British, liowever, did 
 good service as a Revolutionary soldier, and after 
 the conflict was ended settled in Dutchess County', 
 N. Y., where he spent the remainder of his life. 
 Sampson Woolse^', Jr., succeeded his father on the 
 old homestead in Dutchess Countj% and there died 
 at a ripe old age. He carried on farming, and 
 reared a family of seven sons and one daughter, 
 of whom Joseph, the father of our subject, was the 
 fourth child; all are deceased. Joseph Woolsey was 
 born at the old homestead in Dutchess County, where 
 he spent his boyhood and youth, and after leaving 
 the district school learned tiie trade of blacksmith. 
 While still unmarried he left his native place, and 
 migrating to Cuyahoga County, Ohio, established a 
 smith}' near the town of Cu3'ahoga Falls. There 
 also he was married to Miss Hcttie Brown, a native 
 of that county, and the daughter of Judah Brown. 
 The latter was born in one of the New England 
 States, where he was reared to manhood, and learned 
 the trade of shoemaker. While still a J^oung man 
 he also emigrated to Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 
 where he followed his trade in connection with 
 farming, and where his death took place from a 
 cancer on the face, about 1856. 
 
 Joseph Woolsey, the father of our subject, after 
 his marriage left the Bucke3'e State, and settling in 
 Erie County-, Pa., followed his trade there until his 
 death, which took place in 1860, at the advanced 
 age of seventy-six years. The mother survived her 
 husband a period of nineteen j'ears, and her death 
 took place at the age of seventj'-seven. Joseph 
 Woolsey was an old-line AVhig, politically, and 
 both parents were members in good standing of 
 the Baptist Church. Our subject has in his pos- 
 session an ancient wine glass of Holland manu- 
 
 -•► 
 
f, L 512 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 facture, a curious and hamlsome article, which 
 was brought to America by one of bis ancestors 
 prior lo the Revolutionary War. Joseph Wooisey 
 was imbued with the same patriotic sentiments that 
 actuated his father before him, and later did good 
 service in the War of 1812. together with Judah 
 Brown, the maternal grandfather of our subject. 
 
 The subject of this history was the youngest of 
 twelve children, four sons and eight daughters, born 
 to his parents. All the sons and five of the daugh- 
 ters are still living, making their homes in the Slates 
 of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Will- 
 iam was repred to manhood in his native county, 
 acquiring a common-school education. After the 
 outbreak of the late Civil War he enlisted, Aug. 9, 
 1862, in Company C, 14.')th Pennsylvania Infantry, 
 under Capt. Loomis and Col. H. L. Brown. The 
 regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, 
 and fought its first battle at Antietam, Sept. 17, 
 1862. On the 13th of December following they 
 were present at the battle of Fredericksburg, Va., 
 and here Mr. Wooisey received a bullet wound- 
 through both thighs, and crippling his left ankle. 
 This, it is hardly necessary to say, confined him for 
 a time in the hospital, and incapacitated him for 
 further service. He received his honorable dis- 
 charge in the spring of 1863, and returned to his 
 old home in Erie County, Pa. 
 
 Mr. Wooisey early in life had been taught those 
 habits of industry which form the b.asis of all true 
 manhood, and while young in 3'ears was thrown 
 upon his own resources, becoming familiar with 
 hard work. Upon retiring from the service he mi- 
 grated to the oil regions of Pennsylvania, and there 
 began an apprenticeship which continued for a 
 period of fourteen j'ears. He was married in Erie 
 County, July 2, 1872, to Miss Hannah Wolf, who 
 was born in Mill Creek Township, that county, 
 Feb. 9, 1848. She is the eldest daughter and child 
 of Henry and Caroline (ILayberger) Wolf, who 
 were natives of Tennessee, and who are still living, 
 continuing at the home which they have occupied 
 so many j'ears in the town of North East, Erie Co., 
 Pa. They have attained to a ripe old age, and are 
 numbered among the most highly respected people 
 of that region. Their family included seven chil- 
 dren, six of whom are living. 
 
 Mrs. Woolsej' was reared and e^lucated iu her 
 native county, and lived with her parents until her 
 marriage. She and her husband have no children, 
 but have performed the part of parents to a girl 
 and boy, Mary C. and George H., to whom they 
 have given their own name, and who are now four- 
 teen and eleven j'ears old respectively, and con- 
 tinue with them. The Wolf family is of German 
 ancestrj', and possesses in a marked degree the re- 
 liable and substantial qualities of that nationality. 
 This branch of the familj* possesses those social and 
 mental qualities which have fitted them to occup}- 
 a leading position in the coramunit\^ where they are 
 the encouragers of those projects tending to the high- 
 est good of its people. Mr. Wolf in about 1856 
 liecame identified with the People's Savings Bank at 
 North East, Pa., with which he is still connected. 
 Since the time of casting his first vote he lias been 
 an ardent sup|)orter of Democratic principles, and 
 sociall}', belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a 
 member of Lodge No. 399, at North East, Pa. 
 Mr. AVoolsej'. politically, votes with the Democratic 
 ])arty ; socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity. 
 Lodge No. 26, at Beatrice; he is also connected 
 with the G. A. R., Post No. 201 , at Plymouth, Jef- 
 ferson Co., Neb. 
 
 --^+|-^<^4+^— 
 
 >HOMAS HAND is a fine representative of 
 the enterprising and energetic young far- 
 mers of Gage County who are nobly doing 
 their part toward sustaining and developing its 
 great agi'icultural interests. He is a son of John 
 Hand, whose biography may be found on another 
 page of this volume. Mr. Hand already has his 
 farm on section 35, Paddock To>vnship, under good 
 tillage, supplied with the necessary buildings, and 
 stocked with cattle of good grades, and he may well 
 feel proud of what he has accomplished within a 
 few years. 
 
 Mr. Hand was born Oct. 31, 1857, in the State 
 of Ohio, and there the first 3'ears of his life were 
 passed. He was a lad of eleven years when the 
 removal of his parents and their family to Clinton 
 County, Iowa, took place. There the next ten 
 years of his life were spent, and he grew to be a 
 
 -t 
 
I 
 
 -^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 513 
 
 man, sturcl}', vigorous and self-reliant, well able to 
 make his own w.ay sueecssfiilly in the world. He 
 was twenty-one years vf age when he came to Ne- 
 braska with his parents. He made his first pur- 
 chase of land of the Government, buying eighty 
 acres on section 3.5, and had just money enough to 
 meet the payment. He set to work with a will to 
 improve it and get it under cultivation, and he 
 prospered so well in his farming ventures that he 
 was subsequently cuahlcd to buy forty acres of 
 land adjoining his own, in the same section, pur- 
 chasing it of his sister, who had taken it under the 
 provisions of one of the land acts and had proved 
 upon it. He now has a valuable farm, well adapted 
 both to grain and stock raising, in which he engages 
 quite extcnsivel}' with good fin.aiicial success. 
 
 Mr. Hand was married, April 9, 1885, to Miss 
 Bessie Craven, a daughter of Isaac and Ellen 
 Craven. Mrs. Hand was born in England, and 
 when a child of four years came to the United 
 States with her parents. They located in Mont- 
 gomery County, low.a, and there Mrs. Hand was 
 reared and educated. In September, 1881, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Craven removed with their familv to Mar- 
 shall Count}-, Kan. 
 
 Mr. Hand is a young man of good habits and 
 sound principles: he is intelligent and well informed, 
 and is classed among the best citizens of Paddock 
 Township. He takes quite an interest in political 
 questions of the d.aj', and is a firm supporter of the 
 Republican party. He and his amiable young wife 
 are members of the Evangelical Methodist Church, 
 and they are zealous workers within its fold. 
 
 ^^ EORGE R. GREER, at present a well-known 
 III g— ^ resident of the city of Beatrice, has spent 
 ^^j) the most active j-ears of his life as a farmer 
 and stock-raiser, in which business he met with uni- 
 form success, accumulating a fine property. Mar- 
 shall County, Ind., was his early tramping ground, he 
 having been born in the vicinity of Plymouth, Aug. 
 15, 1842. His father, John Greer, was farmer and 
 carpenter combined. The latter was born in Virginia 
 in 1806, and is now living in Bourbon, Ind. 
 
 The mother of our subject was in her girlhood 
 Miss P. M. Parks, and was born in Kentucky, in 
 1814. The household circle Included seven chil- 
 dren, six sons and one daughter, of whom six are liv- 
 ing, namely : Elizabeth, James M., George R., John 
 F., Marshall F. and Oliver P. George R. was the third 
 child, and spent his time after the manner of most 
 farmer's sons, attending the district school and as- 
 sisting in the lighter labors around the homestead. 
 Soon after reaching bis majority he commenced 
 farming on his own account, settling on a new and 
 heavily timbered tract of land near Bourbon, Ind., 
 consisting of eight}' acres, which lie cleared and 
 upon which he effected consideralile improvement, 
 and where he continued to live until the spring of 
 1877. 
 
 The 1st of April in the 3ear above mentioned 
 found our subject looking around in this county for 
 a permanent settlement. He first located in Nen)aha 
 Township, and after living there a year changed 
 his residence to Logan Township, where he pur- 
 chased 320 acres of new land, upon which he settled 
 and set himself vigorously about its improvement. 
 This locality pleased liiui and here he continued to 
 reside, adding each year something to the value of 
 his property. He subsequently purchased eighty 
 acres more, and is now the owner of 400 acres in 
 one body. He h.<vs a suljstantial and commodious 
 residence, a good barn, and all the other out-build- 
 ings required for his convenience and for carrying 
 on agriculture in a profitable manner. 
 
 Mr. Greer some years ago turned his attention 
 largely to the raising of cattle and hogs, and in the 
 feeding and shipping of these has realized a snug 
 fortune. The family removed from the farm to 
 Beatrice in March of 1885, the parents being anx- 
 ious to secure for their children a better education 
 than could be obtained in the country schools. Mr. 
 Greer purchased a neat residence on Ella street, 
 where they have since sojourned. The wife of our 
 subject, to whom he was married Oct. 4, 1862, was 
 in her girlhood Miss Margaret Martin, and their 
 wedding took pbce at her home in Bourbon, Ind. 
 Mrs. Greer was born near Chillicothe, Ohio, Sept. 
 2, 1843, and is the daughter of Franklin and Louisa 
 Martin, who were natives of Massachussetts. The 
 father is deceased. The mother lives near Bourbon, 
 
 ^ 
 
 f 
 
ii 514 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Ind. The parental famil}^ consisted of nine chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Our sulijectand his vvife commenced the journey 
 of life together in a neat and modest home in Indi- 
 ana, making it a rule to live within their income, 
 and have labored harmoniously togetlier with one 
 common interest. Their union h.as been blessed with 
 three children, namely: Elmer E., wlio has partial 
 man.agement of the farm ; Walter O., who operates 
 there with his brother; and George Martin, who is 
 pursuing his studies in tiie schools at Beatrice. Mr. 
 Greer while a resident of Logan Township served 
 as Justice of the Peace until his removal to Beatrice. 
 Political!}-, he affiliates witii tlie Republican party, 
 and is a prominent figure in the county conventions, 
 being often chosen as a delegate to these assem- 
 blies. 
 
 /^' APT. NATHANIEL HEREON, Chief of 
 'l[ ^ the Fire Department of the cit^' of Beatrice, 
 '^^^y and ex-racmber of the Nebraska Legislature, 
 is one of the most prominent and popular men of 
 Gage County. He would be singled out in any 
 community as a personage endowed by nature with 
 more than ordinar}' gifts. He is of commanding 
 presence, of Herculean muscle, of fine features, and 
 his deep bass voice is at once musical and impressive. 
 His career has been marked by a nobility of pur- 
 pose all through life, in his social and domestic 
 relations as well as before the public, in his civil as 
 well as his military service in the Union Arm}' dur- 
 ing the late war. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in Guernsey 
 County, Ohio, Aug. 13, 1834. His parents were 
 Tliomas and Jane (Triplet) Herron, the former a 
 native of Penns3'lvaiiia and the latter of Virginia. 
 Thomas Herron was a shoemaker by trade, and en- 
 gaged in the boot and shoe business for many years. 
 During the late war lie enlisted as a private in the 
 12th Indiana Cavalr}', refusing a Lieutenant's com- 
 mission, and after being discharged he returned to 
 his home; he was afterward killed in a railroad ac- 
 cident in Indiana. By this sad calamitj- two sons 
 were left fatherless — Nathaniel (our subject) and 
 his brother Thomas. Both were soldiers. 
 
 As a boy young Herron at an early ago evinced 
 
 the brilliancy of intellect and the resolution of 
 character wliich have since distinguished him. He 
 was fond of his studies, and when a lad of thirteen 
 years became a student of Dayton (Ohio) Acadeni}'. 
 Later he served an apprenticeship at the shoema- 
 ker's trade under the instruction of his father, and 
 worked at this until reaching his majorit}'. At the 
 age of twenty-two 3'ears he left the home of his 
 childhood, and making his way to Indiana set up 
 in business for himself at Delphi, in Carroll County. 
 He was a great favorite among young and old, and 
 there became acquainted with a most estimable 
 j-oung lad}'. Miss Delilah T. McFarland, to whom 
 he was married Sept. 25, 1858, and soon afterward 
 removed with his bride to LaFayette, Ind., where 
 he again established the boot and shoe business, and 
 carried on a prosperous trade until the breaking ' 
 out of the war. With an habitual unselfishness 
 which had been the distinguishing trait of his 
 character, he now laid aside his personal plans and 
 interests, and enlisted in Company G, 20th Indiana 
 Infantr}'. His popularity with his comrades at 
 once secured for him the Captainc}' of the company. 
 The 20th Indiana was assigned to the Army of the 
 Potomac, and Capt. Herron did valiant service as 
 a soldier in the country around Richmond, when it 
 was believed he could be still more useful in re- 
 cruiting the 16th Indiana Batter}-. The plans con- 
 nected with this were subsequently changed, and 
 Capt. Herron became a member of the 72d Indiana 
 Infantr}', which was then, iu 1862, being organized. 
 He was again given a Captain's commission, and 
 assigned with his regiment to the Army of the 
 Cumberland, declining a Majorship. 
 
 After a few months, being greatly debilitated by 
 continued fever. Capt. Herron was obliged to ac- 
 cept his honorable discharge. He returned to his 
 old haunts at LaFayette, Ind., but after recovering 
 his strength again hastened to the rescue of his 
 country, enlisting this time with the 150th Indiana 
 Infantry. Henceforth he did dutj' on the non- 
 commissioned staff, and remained in the service 
 until the close of the war, receiving his final dis- 
 charge in August, 1865. 
 
 After leaving the army Capt. Herron resumed 
 business in LaFayette, Ind., one 3'ear, then crossing 
 the Mississippi located in Waukon, Iowa, where he ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
»► m ^ » 
 
 GAGE COU.NTY. 
 
 515 
 
 i' 
 
 built up an extensive boot and shoe trade, and 
 where he resided five years. Thence, in 1871, he 
 came to this county and liomesleaded 160 acres of 
 land in C'lalonia Township. He not only labored 
 incessantly in improving his own property, but 
 ever lent a helping hand when possible to those 
 about him. Many arc the men whom he befriended, 
 and who still live to speak of the kindness thej' 
 experienced at his hands. He endured in common 
 with the other pioneers hardship and privation, the 
 discouragement of indifferent crt>ps, the battle with 
 the grasshopper plague, and in the main was suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 Capt. Herron was earl}- recognized as one of the 
 most industrious and skillful farmers of the new- 
 county, but became piominent in local affairs, and 
 in 1877 was elected a member of the Legislature 
 to fill a vacancj\ In the fall of 1879 he was elected 
 Sheriff of Gage County by a large majoritj'. He 
 had in the meantime removed to the citj- of Bea- 
 trice in order to complete the education of his two 
 lovely daughters. Loretta May and Leta Grace. 
 This period of his life was so fraught with content 
 and happiness that he one day remarked to his wife 
 he feare<l it could not last. His words proved pro- 
 phetic, for during the winter of 1879-80 scarlet 
 fever carried aw^ay these lovely girls, and the 
 stricken parents were bowed to earth under the 
 stroke. In their deep affliction they had the sym- 
 pathy of the entire community. These children, 
 like their parents, were possessed of more than 
 ordinary intelligence, and were fine musicians, hav- 
 ing inherited the rare art of singing and voices of 
 more than ordinary melody from their parents, 
 Capt. Herron being a magnificent bass singer and 
 his wife a fine alto. 
 
 For the period of six years Capt. Herron filled the 
 office of Sheriff acceptably-, receiving the last two 
 terms a unanimous election, the Democrats bring- 
 ing forward no candidate against him. He at oue 
 time, with the exception of one vole, received the 
 entire support of both parties. In 1886 he was 
 appointed Chief of the Fire Department at Bea- 
 trice under Maj'or E. O. Kretsinger, and immediatelj' 
 organized two volunteer companies, which were 
 soon followed bj' two more. His services in the 
 department have been characterized by that zeal, 
 
 energ}- and conscientiousness which have distin- 
 guished him through life in ever}- worthy cause. 
 The result is that the city of Beatrice possesses the 
 finest fire department of any city in Nebraska. 
 
 Soon after he became connected with the de- 
 partment Capt. Herron was presented with a gold 
 badge b}' the hook and ladder companj', which was 
 soon followed by the presentation by the three 
 hose companies of a silver trumpet which is valued 
 at the sura of §60. Through his untiring efforts 
 in the giving of musical concerts ami the solicit- 
 ing of private donations, assisted by other means, 
 Capt. Herron succeeded in obtaining a hook-and- 
 ladder truck for the department without expense 
 to the cit3', and which is valued at ^400. He has 
 indeed become one of the indispensable features 
 of the department. He carries his honors with 
 exceeding modesty. He identified himself vvith the 
 Masonic fraternity and with the I. O. O. F. manj' 
 years ago, and is also a Past Commander in the 
 G. A. R. While a resident of Clatonia Township 
 he was instrumental in the organization of the first 
 Sunday-school within its limits. His politics have 
 already been indicated, and the Republican party 
 has no more efficient man in the county. His 
 property consists of three ilwelliugs in the city of 
 Beatrice, besides a choice vineyard, embracing five 
 acres northeast. His residence is pleasantly situated 
 on Ella street, and is the frequent resort of hosts 
 of friends. 
 
 Mrs. Herron, who has proved a mostsuitable help- 
 mate to such a man as her husband, was born May 20, 
 1814. in Carroll County, lud., and is the daughter of 
 Enoch and Delilah (Knight) McFarland, who were 
 natives of Kentucky and Ohio respectively ; they 
 are both deceased. 
 
 eHRISTIAN HILL. The gentleman whose 
 name stands at the head of this sketch is one 
 of the most substantial and reliable citizens 
 of Glenwood Township, with whose business and 
 agricultural interests he has been identified for a 
 period of twenty' j'ears. A native of Luzerne 
 County, Pa., he was born Nov. 18, 1840, and reared 
 to manhood amid the quiet pursuits of country life. 
 
51G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 When a lad of about thirteen years he left the hills 
 of tiie Keystone State with his parents, and his 
 home thereafter was in Lee Count}', 111., until he 
 was a man nearly thirty-nine years old. Thence, in 
 March, 1879, he came to this county, and has since 
 been a resident of Glenwood Township. He owns 
 and occupies a good farm of ICO acres on section 
 29, and is surrounded by those comforts and con- 
 veniences which are the legitimate reward of the 
 man whose labors have been characterized by per- 
 severance and integrit}-. He has labored industri- 
 ously in the improvement of his homestead, as its 
 appearance indicates. Besides the erection of suit- 
 able buildings he has planted fruit and shade trees, 
 which not onl}' serve to embellish his property', but 
 add materially to its value. 
 
 The parents of our subject, Nathan and Judith 
 (Billhimer) Hill, were natives of Luzerne, Pa., 
 The father was a farmer by occupation, and died in 
 Lee County, 111., in 1876; the mother is now living 
 at the old homestead in Lee Count}'. 
 
 Christian Hill was reared to habits of honesty 
 and industry, and at an early age learned those 
 lessons of self-reliance and economy which have 
 been the secret of his success in later years. When 
 twenty-one years old he began the struggle of life 
 on his own account, and at the age of twenty-three 
 established domestic ties of his own by his union 
 with one of tlie most estimable young ladies of 
 Lee County, 111., Miss Ellen M. Bossemeyer, to 
 whom he was married on the '6d of September, 
 1863, at Cairo. Mrs. Hill is the daughter of Fred- 
 erick and Hannah (Gaunier) Bossemeyer, the for- 
 mer a native of the Province of Hanover, Germany, 
 and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father emi- 
 grated to the United States at an early period in 
 his life, and after marriage the parents settled in 
 the Keystone State, whence they emigrated to Illi- 
 nois in 1852 or 1853. There the father engaged in 
 farming, and departed this life at his home in 
 Dixon, in March, 1883. The mother is still living 
 and a resident of Dixon, 111. Their family con- 
 sisted of ten children, seven of whom are living. 
 Mrs. Hill was born Dec. 8, 1846, and spent the 
 opening years of her life in Pennsylvania. She 
 completed a good practical education in Illinois, 
 and remained with her parents until becoming the 
 
 mistress of her own household. Of her union with 
 our subject there have been born eight children, 
 seven sons and one daughter, six of whom survive, 
 namely: Franklin .M.. Alice M., John A., Herbert 
 N.. Elmer F. and Arthur; George E. and Chalmer 
 A. died when young. Mrs. Hill, about 1878, identi- 
 fied herself with the Lutheran Evangelical Church, 
 of which she has since been a devoted member. Mr. 
 Hill has for his religion the precepts of the Golden 
 Rule, and in politics is a stanch Democrat. 
 
 ^|*j^. 
 
 ^ETER NELSON. Of the large number 
 who have come from across the sea to 
 :^ make for themselves and their loved ones 
 a home in the New World, there are few 
 who are more worthy of success than the intelligent, 
 industrious, indefatigable and independent sons of 
 Sweden, who from their habit of settling in colonies 
 would appear to be somewhat intrenchant in their 
 proclivities. The farm of our subject is upon sec- 
 tion 5 of Glenwood Township, adjacent to his 
 father, Mons Nelson. (See sketch.) 
 
 Our subject was born in the southern part of 
 Sweden_on the 26th of May, 1853. and received in 
 the schools of his native country a fair education. 
 He came to the United States in 1870 in company 
 with his father, who settled in Nemaha County. 
 Our subject remained upon this homestead assisting 
 in its work until the year 1877, when he started in 
 life on his own account, having been working up 
 to this desirable end since he had attained his 
 majority. He now made his home in Kearney, 
 Neb., and for four years engaged in business as a 
 liveryman, thence removing at the end of that 
 period to this county, in the fall of 1882, when 
 he settled in Glenwood Township upon a farm of 
 120 acres, which he has greatly improved, and 
 brought to a splendid condition. 
 
 While in Kearney our subject was united in mar- 
 riage, March 31, 1880, with Ch.arlotte Dahlstrom, 
 who is the daughter of Samuel and Charlotte (Han- 
 son) Dahlstrom. She was born in Central Sweden, 
 on the 15th of August, 1855. There have been 
 given to our subject and wife two children, Oscar, 
 the first-born, however, living only six months. 
 
 ■•► 
 
»► 11 ^^ 
 
 ' »» I I ♦ 
 
 GAGE COUNTV. 
 
 517 
 
 Their second child, Lero^', was born Au^. 28, 1882, 
 and is a source of continuous delijjht to iiis parents. 
 Our subject is possessed of large intelligence, 
 which he has not omitted to strengthen and im- 
 prove by stud}', and by his energj', thrift and labor 
 is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous 
 farmers in his district. He takes great interest in 
 educational matters, and lias been called upon to fill i 
 some of the school ofKces. He is a highl3- esteemed 
 member of the I. O. O. F. and the A. O. U. W. 
 His sympathies as a politician are with the Repub- 
 lican party, and by the members of the same in his 
 district he is looked upon as a valuable adjunct to 
 the working force of the party. It is not too much 
 to say that in days not far distant it is more than 
 probable that his efforts will be recognized, and it 
 is certain that should such opportunity' arise the 
 people of Nebraska will have no occasion to regret 
 their selection. 
 
 -^ • ^ " ^ ■' '<— 
 
 ^ IfeARREN COLE. The Great West has not 
 \/sJl/ '^"'y developed energetic and enterprising 
 \^^ business men from its native residents, but 
 it has held out irresistible inducements to men of 
 sound judgment and excellent ability, who have 
 been attracted from the older and more populous 
 States; it has not onl}' been the haven of thousands 
 of poor men, who have come with empty purses and 
 hands, willing to replenish them by honest laljor, 
 but it has proved the most promising and lucrative 
 investment for men of wealth and influence. 
 Among those of the latter class who have assisted 
 in the development of the natural resources of so 
 rich a country, and have been closely identified 
 with the interests of this State, is the gentleman in 
 wliose honor this sketch is written. He has been a 
 resident of this county since 1880. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 3 1st of March, 1835, 
 in Troy, N. Y., and is a son of Lewis and Polly 
 (Coon) Cole, who were also natives of NevV York. 
 Of their ancestors we have the following record : 
 The great-great-grandfather of our subject, accom- 
 panied by his two brothers, came to the United 
 States from Holland, and were early settlers in New 
 York City. The great-grandfather was a slave- 
 
 owner in Dutchess County, N. Y., and all of the 
 ancestors of our subject resided on the Hudson 
 River, and were engaged in mercantile and agri- 
 cultural pursuits. The grandfather was John 1. i". 
 Cole. About the year 1800 the father of our sub- 
 ject was engaged in the mercantile business in Troy, 
 in which he continued for several 3'ears, but later 
 in life, having accumulated a large amount of 
 wealth, he discontinued his business, and lived a 
 retired life in the enjoyment of ease and comfort. 
 He died in 1872, eleven years after the death of the 
 mother of our subject, and was the father of ten 
 children, eight sons and two daughters, of whom 
 our subject is the 3-oungest. 
 
 While living in his native cit}' Mr. Cole received 
 an academic education, and vvhile verging on young 
 manhood, when he was not at school, he worked at 
 the carpenter trade on buildings near Troj', be- 
 longing to his father. The old homestead in that 
 cit3' has been in possession of the family for over 
 100 years, and is at present ownedby Thomas Cole, 
 a brother of our subject. In 1857 Mr. Cole went 
 to AVoodford County, III., to look after some land 
 which he owned, and he also worked at his trade 
 and made his home in that county until he came to 
 Nebraska, on a similar errand, to look after his 
 land and property, which required his attention the 
 greater part of the time. From a healthy boj- he 
 had grown to be a strong man of portly physique, 
 and when the Civil War engaged the attention of 
 the country's loyal citizens our subject was inca- 
 pacitated for service in her behalf because of his 
 portliness, but in order to prove his loyalty he paid 
 a substitute 81,000. His father sent two men to 
 represent the family in that trying crisis. 
 
 In 1880 our subject came to Nebraska, and set- 
 tled on the land which constitutes his present home 
 farm, consisting of 320 acres on the south half of 
 section 26, Midland Township, adjoining the cor- 
 poration of Beatrice. Eight j'ears ago this land 
 was raw prairie, on which no improvements had 
 been made, but bj^ the enterprise of the owner 
 there are now fine maple groves, fruit orchards, 
 and other trees in abundance, while the fields yield 
 excellent harvests of all kinds of cereals and farm 
 produce. The residence which adorns this fine farm 
 is one of the handsomest and best in the county, is 
 
i 
 
 '4*- 
 
 518 
 
 -•► 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 large and commodious, and furnished in excellent 
 st3'le and taste. The farm buildiniis are large and 
 substantial, and harmonize in appearance wit); the 
 iiandsome house. Jlr. Cole owns 480 acres of land 
 in this county, and has some valuable property in 
 Florida. He is one of the founders of the People's 
 Bank in Beatrice, and has been connected with it 
 sijice the tiuje of its organization. The business 
 block in which this bank is located was built by our 
 subject, and is the finest in the city, and one of tlie 
 finest in the State, and is owned by the banking 
 com pany. 
 
 The gentleman of whom we write was married. 
 May 13. 1857, to Miss Laura M. Diistin, who was 
 born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., and is a daughter 
 of N. A. Dustin. They have two ciiildren living, 
 named Emma E. and Albert T.; Lj'dia E. is de- 
 ceased. Mrs. Cole is anjesteemeil member of the 
 Baptist Church, and is a talented lady, possessing 
 many charms of true womanhood. Mr. Cole has 
 never connected himself with anj' secret or religious 
 society, but is well known as a leading man in 
 public affairs, having frequently held office in his 
 township. He is a Republican in politics, is quite 
 wealthy and enterprising, and enjoys the reputation 
 of being the owner of the most valuable and best 
 located farm in the county, while his association 
 with the bank gives him prominence among busi- 
 ness men in Beatrice. 
 
 JS! RNEST BOSSEMEYER is the proprietor of 
 one of the best appointed farms of Glen wood 
 Township, pleasantly located on section 19, 
 and in him we find one of the most intelligent, ener- 
 getic men of this county. A native of the then King- 
 dom of "Westphalia, situated in the northern part of 
 the German Empire, he was born June 18, 1838, 
 and comes from tliat sturd3-and substantial element 
 which has done so much toward the development 
 of the Great West. To Germany is America largely 
 indebted to-day for the progress she has made as a 
 nation of freedom and intelligence, and one who 
 has obtained her best elements from the sons of the 
 Fatherland. 
 
 Our subject spent the years of his childhood and 
 
 early youth amid the scenes of his birthplace, and 
 in common with the ciiihlreii under one of the best 
 governments in the world, was placed in school at 
 an early age, remaining under instruction until a 
 lad of fourteen. He was bright and ambitious, 
 took kindly to his books, and when sixteen j-ears 
 old had formed a well-developed plan for the fu- 
 ture. This was none other than emigration to 
 America, upon whc)se soil he believed he could 
 sooner realize those worthy ambitions which had 
 visited his couch in dreams when a l)oy. 
 
 Y'oung Bossemeyer, in November, 1854, bade 
 adieu to his native land and the scenes of his child- 
 hood, and proceeding to Bremen embarked on a 
 sailing-vessel bound for the citj- of Baltimore, 
 where he lauded six weeks later, and after a brief 
 sojourn made his way to a point south of Dixon, 
 in Lee County, 111., where he engaged in farming 
 and remained for a period of eight 3'ears. He then 
 changed his location to the vicinity of Sterling, 
 where he remained two years, was thereafter in 
 Morrison one j'ear, then, crossing the Mississippi, 
 took up his abode in Hardin County, Iowa. In the 
 Hawke3'e State Mr. Bossemev'er engaged in farming 
 until the fall of 1882, when he came to this count3' 
 and settled in Glenwood Township, of which he 
 has since been a resident. 
 
 The property of Mr. Bosseme3'er includes IGO 
 acres of finel3' cultivated land, upon which he 
 has effected good improvements, full3- in keeping 
 with the enterprise and intelligence which he pos- 
 sesses in no ordinar3' degree. The farm residence 
 is noticeable for its air of convenience, neatness 
 and comfort, and the barn and other out-buildings 
 are good. There are fruit and shade trees, choice 
 live slock, cattle, horses and swine, and all the 
 other appliances of a well-regulated counlr3' estate. 
 
 While industriousl3' engaged in the tilling of the 
 soil, our subject has at the same time given due 
 attention to the cultivation of his intellect, being 
 one of the best informed men in Gage County. He 
 ciiooses a choice and instructive course of reading, 
 is independent in religious thought and convictions, 
 and stands upon that broad and liberal platform 
 characteristic of the scliool of modern thought. 
 The world of art and nature provides him abun- 
 dant recreation, .ind he delights in following the 
 
m 
 ■*('■ 
 
 ps^' 
 
 ^ ^':- 
 
 ,i\^- 
 
 
 V^ 
 
 Vf-—L.t'^ayVX-/:2.-'^'V^ 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 02I iL 
 
 researches of science, wliose course is ever onward 
 and progressive. In his domestic relations he is 
 pc'Luliarl}' blessed, having a ver3' interesting and 
 intelligent fauiii}', composed of a wife and six 
 children, the latter comprising a group of which 
 the parents have reason to be proud. 
 
 The marriage of Ernest Bosseme^'er and Miss' 
 Anna Ackerraan was celebrated at the home of the 
 bride, in Sterling, 111., Dec. 25, 18G3. Mrs. B., 
 like her husband, was born in Germany, her early 
 home h.aving been in Hesse-Cassel, where she first 
 opened her eyes to the light Aug. 12, 184G. Her 
 parents were Paul and Christine Ackerman, natives 
 of German^'. The mother has long since been 
 dead, and the father is living in Whiteside County. 
 111. Mrs. Bossemeycr came to the United States 
 with her father in 18.iO, and until her marri.age 
 was a resident of Illinois. This union resulted in 
 the birth of eight children, two of whom, John and 
 Clara, died at the ages of nine months and five 
 j'ears respectively. Those surviving are: Eliza- 
 beth, Henry, Frank, Ernest, Harry and P.aul; the 
 eldest is twenty-four years of age. Eliz.abeth is the 
 wife of George Marshall. "Amidst the surroundings 
 of such a home .as theirs, it is but natural thej- should 
 grow up possessing all the qualities of good citizen- 
 ship, an honor to their parents and useful members of 
 the community. Mrs. Bossemejer is a lad^' of more 
 than ordinar3- intelligence, the suitable companion 
 in all respects of such a man as her husband. In 
 politics Mr. Bossemeyer supports the principles of 
 the Republican partj-. 
 
 1- 
 
 ANIEL FREEMAN, who is one of the best 
 known citizens of this count}-, has been a 
 prominent character here since the close of 
 the war, and as a farmer and stock-raiser has 
 accumulated quite a fortune. His home is located 
 on section 26, Blakcly Townshi|), the ground being 
 well ailapted to general farming and stock-raising, 
 lying as it does along Cub Creek, which supplies it 
 with water, and at the same time furnishes an abun- 
 dance of timber. The farm at |)resont embraces about 
 1,480 acres of land, 160 acres of which formed the 
 
 original homestead, the first one taken in the United 
 States, and which has a histor}' of national interest. 
 
 Mr. Freeman was born in Preble County, Ohio, 
 on the 26th of April. 1826, and was of a fine fam- 
 ily, most of the members of which have been en- 
 gaged in agricultural ])ursuils. His father, Samuel 
 Freeman (who died on the 6th of February, in 
 the year 1887, at Abingdon, Knox Co., 111., at the 
 advanced age of eighty-four 3'ears), w.as born in 
 Vermont in the early part of the present century-, 
 and came of a hard}-, old New England ancestr}'. 
 While yet a single man he went to Ohio, where he 
 married after a time a jMIss Plirebe Willis, who is 
 a native of that State, and is yet living at her home 
 in Abingdon, at the good old age of eighty-four 
 jears, still in possession of her mental faculties, and 
 cheerful and liappj' as is her natural disposition. 
 In 183.1 the parents of our subject had moved to 
 the above-named city, where they were among the 
 earl}' pioneers of Knox Count3-,and for many years 
 prominent citizens and successful farmers, the father 
 being prominent as a politician in l)ehalf of the 
 old Whig and Republican principles for many \-ears. 
 
 Our subject is the eldest but one of a familj^ of 
 six sons and one daughter, all his brothers now be- 
 ing deceased, while the sister, who is the eldest of 
 the family, is \-et living on a farm near Abingdon, 
 the wife of Walter Richmond. Fourof the brothers 
 of our subject died when j-oung and single men, 
 one of them. .James H., having served as a private 
 in the 83d Illinois Infantr}- during the Rebellion, 
 and d^-ing from exposure and sickness at Ft. Donel- 
 son. He was a graduate from Abingdon College, 
 and had a bright future before him. Our subject 
 was not quite ten years old when liis father moved 
 from Preble Count}', Ohio, to Illinois, and he grew 
 to manhood in the latter State, and about the time 
 of the war became connected with the interests 
 of the Government, and was sent West and South- 
 west. While thus engaged he traveled over a large 
 portion of the undeveloped Western country, be- 
 coming one of the most familiar characters of this 
 section. He was peculiarly adapted for coming in 
 contact with uin-uly frontiersmen and the native 
 Indians, n.iture having endowed him with an un- 
 usually commanding ph3'sique, whose nobility was 
 heightened by his military air, and his keen black 
 
■♦- 
 
 " ^ m < • 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -t 
 
 eye seemed to penetrate tbrougli hidden things. 
 He lias ridden over the wilds of the "West acting as 
 a watch against the wary Indians, for weeks at a 
 time, leaving his saddle only to gain refreshment 
 by sleep, and then making it his pillovv as he lay on 
 the hard ground. Such h.as been the character of 
 his experience that he has a wide range of informa- 
 tion and unlimited knowledge of the country in 
 which he took up his permanent residence before 
 the close of the war. 
 
 Mr. Freeman has been interested in the promo- 
 tion of the welfare of his countj', and while he is 
 a prominent figure in local politics, he is classed 
 among the independent Republicans. He was mar- 
 ried in Illinois to Miss Elizabeth Wilber, who was 
 born in Ohio, and came to Illinois when she was 
 j'oung. She was a true helpmate to her husband, 
 and sympathized with him in his labors until the 
 time of her death, which occurred in Rock Island, 
 111., in 1861. She left three children, of whom we 
 have the following record : J. F'. makes bis home in 
 Des Moines, Iowa; Charles lives in Hoxie, Kan.; 
 Lorctta, the wife of Martin Rich, also makes her 
 home in Hoxie. Our subject was a second time 
 married, in Scott County, Iowa, on the 8th- of Feb- 
 ruary-, 1865, to Miss Agnes Suiter, who was born 
 in Le Claire, that county, on the 16th of Novem- 
 ber, 1843, and is the daughter of John .and Eliza 
 (Wright) Suiter, who are natives of Ohio. The 
 father was a rapids pilot on the Mississippi River, 
 and his father was also eng.aged in a like business. 
 The grandfather of Mrs. Freeman, Philip Suiter, 
 was an early settler in Ohio, where he spent a num- 
 ber of years, and afterward came to this State, mak- 
 ing his home in DeWitt, Saline County. There he 
 lived a retired life for some time, and died on the 
 25th of November, 1884, at the age of eight^'-five 
 years. He had been four times married, bis last 
 wife surviving him but a short time, she having 
 died since 1884. John Suiter moved to Iowa 
 when the State was in the beginning of its develop- 
 ment, while he was yet a j'oung and single man, 
 and he became engaged as a pilot for .boats over 
 the rapids between Le Claire, Davenport and Rock 
 Island. He has since made bis home in the first- 
 named cit}-, and having retired from river life, be 
 devotes some attention to farming, bis place on the 
 
 river now being supplied bj- bis two sons. He is 
 now sixt3'-six years old, and is living in Le Claire 
 with his wife, whom be married in Iowa. 
 
 Mrs. Freeman was reared to womanhood in her 
 native countj', entering Abingdon College when 
 she was fourteen j-ears old, and after completing 
 her education she taught school for some time, 
 one term of which labor was spent in this count}-, 
 she being the first teacher in BKakely Township, and 
 her school taught in a private house. She is the 
 mother of seven children, one of whom, named 
 Daniel, died when he was three 3'ears old, and of the 
 remaining six, Samuel. James, John, Frank and Le 
 Claire, are at home; Eliza is the wife of Webster 
 Carre, and resides in Beatrice. Mr. and Mrs. Free- 
 man are highly esteemed as old settlers, and are in- 
 fluential and enterprising citizens. The following 
 extract from the Beatrice Daily and Weekly Ex- 
 press descriljes the manner in which our subject 
 secured bis homestead in this county: "One of the 
 events connected with the early settlement of Gage 
 County, which will eventuall}^ form a page of na- 
 tional history, is the taking up of the homestead of 
 Daniel Freeman, the first under the Homestead Act. 
 The securing of the first homestead, or the filing of 
 the first application by Mr. Freeman, was more by 
 accident than design. The ''Homestead Act" was 
 approved on the 20th of May. 1862, and took efl'ect 
 Jan. 1, 1863. In July, 1862, Mr. Freeman pur- 
 chased a "squatter's right," which he held until the 
 31st day of December following. The rights of a 
 squatter consisted in his possession of the land b}' 
 actual settlement thereon, and whatever improve- 
 ments be bad made, in this case the improvements 
 being a log cabin, a log stable and a little breaking. 
 The Government land-office was located at Brown- 
 ville, and on December 31 Mr. Freeman went to 
 that place to make an entr}' and file his application 
 under the homestead laws. At this time be bad 
 been regul.arlj' enlisted in the United States Army, 
 and was in Nebr.aska upon special duty. He was 
 under orders to report to headquarters, and was 
 therefore in some baste to file his application, for 
 which purpose be had gone to Brownville. At the 
 hotel where Mr. Freeman put u|) there was a ball, 
 and upon invitation he joined the party. Balls at 
 that time were not as frequent as now, and places 
 
 ■ ^^ 11 <• 
 
-€^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 523 ,i 
 
 large enough to hold a ball in were still scarcer 
 than balls. During the evening's entertainment 
 Mr. Freeman was introduced to a ^oung man wlio 
 was to be clerk or assistant to the land-ofliee r6- 
 ceiver. By this 3'onng man Mr. Freeman was in- 
 formed that tiie next day being New Year's, and 
 consequently a holiday, the office would not be 
 open. Mr. Freeman stated the urgency of his busi- 
 ness, and that he was ordered to report to the army 
 headquarters without delaj\ and said it would be a 
 great accommodation to him if he could file his ap- 
 plication before leaving for the army. Upon this 
 representation of the state of affairs, the clerk sent 
 for the Register, and at midnight the office was 
 opened, and before 12 :05 o'clock on the morning of 
 Januar}' 1, Mr. Freeman had made his filing upon 
 the first homestead ever taken under the Homestead 
 Act. Herewith is a verbatim copy of the record, so 
 far as it relates to the homestead in question : 
 
 The United Slates of America to Daniel Freeman. 
 Homestead Certificate No. 1, Application No. 1. 
 
 The United States of America., to all whom these 
 presents shall come. Greeting: Whereas — There 
 has been deposited in the General Land Office of 
 the United States a certificate of the Register of 
 the Land Office at Brownville, Nebraska, whereby 
 it appears that pursuant to the Act of Congress ap- 
 proved the 20th of May, A. D., 1862, "to secuKe 
 homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain," 
 and the acts supplemental thereto, the claim of 
 Daniel Freeman has been established and duly con- 
 summated in conformity to the law for the south 
 half of the northeast quarter, and the northeast quar- 
 ter of the northwest quarter, and the southwest 
 quarter of the northeast quarter, of section twenty- 
 six, in township 4, north of range 5 e.ast, iu the dis- 
 trict of lands formerly subject to sale at Brownville 
 (now Beatrice, Neb.), containing one hundred and 
 sixty (160) acres, according to the official plat of 
 the survey of the said land returned to the General 
 Land Office by the Survej'or General; 
 
 Now Know Ye : That there is therefore granted by 
 the United States unto the said Daniel Freeman the 
 tracts of land above described, to have and to hold 
 the said tracts of land with the appurtenances there- 
 of, unto the said Daniel Freeman and his heirs and 
 assigns forevei. 
 
 In Testimony Wliereof: I, Ulysses S. Grant, Presi- 
 dent of the United States of America, have caused 
 these letters to be made Patent and the Seal of the 
 General Land Office to be hereunto affixed. 
 
 Given under my hand at the citj- of Washington 
 the first day of September, in the year of our Lord 
 one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, and of 
 the Independence of the United States, the ninety- 
 fourth. 
 
 U. S. Grant, President. 
 < '^'-^ J I. Barrett, Secretary. 
 
 I SEAL. ^ J ^^ Granger, Recorder of the 
 General Land Office. 
 
 Recorded Volume 1, Page 1. 
 
 Filed for record at the office of the County Clerk. 
 January ,5th, A. D., 1870, at 4 o'clock P. M., and 
 recorded in Deed Record "F." at Page 114. Re- 
 corded January 6th. A. D., 1870. 
 
 Mrs. W. C. Strohni, of this city, is now painting 
 a large picture of the old homestead, and the new 
 and comfortable mansion in which Mr. Freeman 
 now resides, which will be forwarded to Mrs. John 
 A. Logan, at her request, and placed among her 
 great collection of antiquities and relics. Mr. Free- 
 man has certainly com[)lied with the spirit and let- 
 ter of the law in taking this piece of land, having 
 made it his continuous home ever since his dis- 
 charge from the army. It is located just four miles 
 from this city. A view of it, engraved from a pho- 
 tograph, is presented in this volume. VV^e are the 
 more gratified, however, to present to our readers 
 the portrait of the distinguished owner of this prop- 
 erty. This may be found on an adjOiniug page. 
 
 Jlr. Freeman has been prominently identifieil 
 with the public affairs of this count}-, having been 
 Sheriff and Coroner of the county, and Justice of 
 the Peace of his township for twelve years, and he 
 justly merits a commendatory notice in this work. 
 
 kAWRENCE SHEEN, who is oper.ating the 
 farm of his father in Grant Township, has 
 been a resident of this county only since 
 the spring of 1 887, but has alreadj' established him- 
 self as an enterprising and industrious citizen, emi- 
 nently fitted to rank among the members of a 
 
 T 
 
«► ir^ 
 
 624 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 commutiit}- more than oixlinaiih* intelligent. He 
 is the youngest son and cliild of Peter and Melissa 
 (Robinson) Sbeen, who aie now living retired in 
 Peoria Count}', 111., wiicre thej' settled during its 
 pioneer daj's. The elder Sheen, it is believed, 
 represents property to the amount of $100,000. 
 He was for a time a lesident of this eountj', and 
 purchased a section of land in Grant Township, of 
 which he still retains ownership. 
 
 The faflier of our subject is a native of Ireland, 
 but crossed the Atlantic with hisparents when a mere 
 child, the latter settling in Peoria County. 111., where 
 Peter was reared to manhood. There also his son, 
 our subject, was born, Nov. 14, 1869. The pa- 
 rental household included fifteen children, and one 
 of the sisters married J. R. Higgins, of Grant 
 Township, this count}', a sketch of whom appears 
 elsewhere in this volume, and in which mention is 
 made more fullj' of the parents. Mr. Sheen is a 
 3'oung man energetic and capable, takes pride in 
 his farming, and is a general favorite among the 
 peojile of his community, who during his brief so- 
 journ here have learned to value him at his true 
 worth. He operates 160 acres on section 26. 
 
 --.w/v ^\*jZiZ^2/©'^^ 
 
 ^.gJ»OTT*V> -V^y^-. 
 
 ON. SOLON M. IIAZEN, late a member of 
 the Nebraska Legislature, is now engaged 
 as a general merchant, and also gives a 
 large share of his attention to farming and 
 stock-raising. He is a man of means and promi- 
 nence, and one who has contributed materiall}' to 
 the business and agricultural interests of South- 
 ern Nebraska. His farm lies just outside the cor- 
 poration, on Mud Creek, in Rockford Township, 
 and comprises 160 acres of fertile land, which has 
 been brought to a fine state of cultivation. Within 
 the city also he owns quite a number of unim- 
 proved building lots, which will in due time un- 
 doubtedly realize for him a snug sum of money. 
 He is industrious, energetic and enterprising, just 
 such a man as is needed in the progress and ad- 
 vancement of a growing town. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is the son of Suel 
 Hazen, who was a native of Fonda Count}-, Vt., 
 whence he removed early in life to Little Falls, 
 
 N. Y. There he completed his cducaticm. His 
 falhoi- having died when he was but a little lad 
 two years of age, he was taken into the home of 
 his brothers, with whom he lived until fifteen. He 
 then went up into the Black River Country, in 
 the Empire State. 
 
 Solon IL Hazen was born in Denmark, N. Y., 
 Aug. 11, 1829, and continued there under the pa- 
 rental roof until reaching manhood. He received 
 a common-school education, and when of suitable 
 years and attainments adopted the profession of a 
 teacher, and thereafter for some years taught and 
 studied alternately until approaching the thirtieth 
 year of his age. Then, desirous of a change of 
 scene and occupation, he migrated across the Mis- 
 sissippi in 1857 to Brown County, Kan., where he 
 spent one winter, and whence the following April 
 he came to this county. 
 
 Mr. Hazen. upon taking up his abode in Southern 
 Nebraska, found himself among the earliest pio- 
 neers, there being then but a few families in this 
 region, viz: that of Mr. Marlin, Henry Elliot, 
 three other families, Jacob Toff, the son-in-law of 
 Elliot James, and a Mr. Johnson and family. There 
 were also Rankin Johnson and Pjit Geary, who oc- 
 cupied log houses north of the present site of Blue 
 Springs. They had settled upon wild land, and 
 were doing their best to make a living and culti- 
 vate the soil. Of those early settlers only Mrs. 
 James M. Johnson and our subject are living, be- 
 sides some of the children of the former. Mr. 
 H.azen found a log house on the land he purchased 
 containing three rooms, and occupied his claim 
 until the fall of 1861. Then, returning to Lewis 
 County, N. Y., he engaged in teaching until 1867. 
 A few months later he purchased the Journal and 
 Republican at Lowville, which he conducted three 
 years. In 1 868 he removed with his family to the 
 West, taking up his abode at Blue Springs, this 
 county, and has since been a resident of this lo- 
 cality. 
 
 The marriage of our subject and Miss Prissa A. 
 Vary, of Harrisburg, N. 1'., w'as celebrated at the 
 home of the bride. Dee. 24, 1863. This lady is 
 the daughter of Deacon Willett Vary, and was born 
 Oct. 27, 1837, in New Y'ork. Mr. and Mrs. Hazen 
 became the parents of eight children, seven of whom 
 
 n 
 
t 
 
 ■<^ 
 
 
 !t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 are living, viz: Nellie, Anna. Grant and Grace 
 (twins), Bessie, Lulu P. and George. Clarence 
 died when six j'ears 61d ; Nellie, the eldest daugh- 
 ter, is the wife of Omer J. Deland, and Anna tlie 
 wife of James Shields, both of Blue Springs. The 
 other children arc at home with their parents. The 
 family residence is pleasantly located just outside 
 the cit}'. and in all its appointments is indicative of 
 tine taste and ample means. 
 
 Mr. Hazen in 1884 was elected to the Nebraska 
 Legislature, on the Republican ticket, and was 
 soon placed on various important committees, in- 
 cluding that of Ways and Means, and Cities and 
 Villages, and was also Chairman of the Peniten- 
 tiary Committee. In this position, as in all others 
 which he has been called on to fill, Mr. Hazen 
 exhibited the same industry and efflniency which 
 have been the most leading traits of his character. 
 Among other good works which have been placed 
 to his credit was the introduction of the bill per- 
 fecting the title to propert^^ in the city of Wyraore, 
 which he engineered safel^^ through until it be- 
 came law. He also entered a bill to compel rail- 
 roads to establish depots in towns of 500 population. 
 His vote was alwa^-s recorded on the side of the 
 people and in behalf of their best interests. 
 
 Besides his legislative labors Mr. Hazen has held 
 the office of County Comrai.ssioner, two 3-ears at 
 one time and one year at another time. He was 
 Justice of the Peace at Blue Springs, and incum- 
 bent of the post-office at Blue Springs from 1869 
 to 1878, there having been very few holding this 
 office previously at this point. He was the second 
 Surveyor of Gage County, an<l has been one of its 
 most industrious and efficient men. 
 
 The genealogy of the Hazen familj- is found to 
 be as follows: Suel H.azen was born at Denniston, 
 Vt., Ai)ril 25, 1793, and married Betsey' Graves, of 
 Copenhagen, N. Y., Jan. 7, 1815. They resided at 
 Denmark, and became the parents of seven chil- 
 dren. Suel, the son of Edward, was born at Gro- 
 ton, Mass., May 21, 1738, and was twice married, 
 first to Sarah Willard, of Lancaster, Jan. 10, 1758. 
 After her death he was united in marriage to Mrs. 
 Bathrick, of Lunenburg. Mr. Hazen resided in 
 Shirley until 1790, then moved to Swansea, and 
 from there, in 1794, to Little F:dls, N. Y., where 
 
 his death took place in 1796. Samuel Hazen, his 
 father, was born July 20, 1699, and married Sarah 
 Harriraan, of Rowley, Oct. 1, 1723. They lived 
 there until 1730, and removed thence to Groton in 
 1749, when he purchased a farm. Afterward this 
 w.as annexed to Shirley, forming its entire southern 
 boundary' line. The estate remained in the family 
 for five generations. He was Selectman of Sterling 
 in 1753, when the town was organized, and after- 
 ward held the same office several j'ears. Says the 
 Record of Shirley: '-Few families pass through four 
 generations like the Hazens, of Shirley, maintaining 
 such a general good character, and sustaining such 
 invariable thrift." His father was the Rev. Edward 
 Hazen, the immediate ancestor of the family who 
 first represented it on this side the Atlantic. He 
 was born in 1660, and died in 1748. He married 
 Jane Prichard. His father, Edward, was born Sept. 
 18, 1649, and also came to Rowlej". 
 
 v 
 
 <^ |)ILLIAM TOWNSEND has for a number 
 of j'ears creditably served in the employ- 
 ment of the Government as Postmaster in 
 Hanover Township, the post-office having been lo- 
 cated at his residence in 1874. He was one of the 
 appraisers of the land when securing a right of way 
 for the Union Pacific Railroad, and has been prom- 
 inently identified in public affairs in this county- 
 since 1870. He was born on the 1st of February, 
 1829, in Delaware County, N. Y., and is a son of 
 Moorehouse and Anna (Johnson) Townsend, who 
 were natives of Fairfield Countv, Conn., and New 
 York State, respectively. The father was a bo^' 
 nine years old when, in 1812, his family moved from 
 Connecticut to New York, and having all his life 
 lived in close proximitj' to the great ocean, he grew 
 up with a desire to tr^' his fortune on the water. 
 He became a sailor and followed the life of a ''jolly 
 tar" until he was about thirty years old, when he 
 quit his roving life and engaged in farming. 
 
 The father of our subject resided in his native 
 State until the j'ear 1864, when he went to LaSalle 
 County', III., and remained until the time of his 
 coming to Nebraska in 1870. He settled on a farm 
 in Hanover Township, on which he lived for eight 
 
 * 
 
 r 
 
]^ 
 
 52G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 years, his floath occiiniiig in 1S7S. The mother of 
 our siiliject is still living, .■iiid although she is eighty- 
 three years old she enjoys gooil health, and is in 
 jiossession of all her faculties. !She makes her home 
 with her children, who are glad to have with them 
 the mother who has done so much for them, and 
 besides our subject they are: P^unice, the wife of 
 D.aniel Griffin; Caroline, the wife of William Bar- 
 rett, and Wallace. 
 
 Our subject was early initiated into the duties of 
 farm life, of which he was expected to assume his 
 share, and he received his education from the com- 
 mon schools under some disadvantages, the greatest 
 of which was the distance which he was compelled 
 to walk in order to reach the school-house. The 
 nearest school was held .at a distance of four miles 
 from his home, in order to reach which he had to 
 cross a mountain. We can imagine that the jour- 
 ney to and fro was not altogether devoid of pleas- 
 ure, since our subject had presented to him the 
 varied beautiful scenery of a mountainous c(mntry, 
 and inhaled the fresh, invigorating air. 
 
 On the 24th of November, lH51,our subject w.as 
 married in Bradford County, Pa., to Miss Mary 
 iJenton, who was a native of Delaware County, N. 
 Y., and in about the year 18.30 had removed with 
 her parents to the first-named State, whither our 
 subject went to claim her as his wife. Our subject 
 sold his property for $5,500, and invested the 
 amount of $5,000 in land in Connecticut, Trhither 
 he went in 18(54, to Fairfield Count}'. He subse- 
 quently found that other parties had a life lease on 
 the same land, and he was obliged to vacate it, but 
 still holds the deed, and will come into possession of 
 the land upon the death of the present occupants. 
 In 1866 he went to Illinois and rented some hand in 
 La.Salle County, and while living there his house 
 was destroyed b}' fire. He concluded to go further 
 West, and thus came to Nebraska, and purchased 
 1 60 acres of raw prairie land at $7 per acre, and 
 has .added to that amount until now he is the owner 
 of 320 acres of land devoted to farming and stock- 
 raising. 
 
 On the 11th of March, 1874, our subject was 
 
 called to mourn the death of his wife, who left eight 
 
 children to his care, namely: Robert, Paulina, 
 
 D:iniel (deceased;, Duvvane, Emma, James, John 
 
 4» 
 
 and IMary E. Two years later our subject married 
 Mrs. Mary .Jane Post, nee Shearer, who was a native 
 of Pennsylvania, and was born in Perry Count}' on 
 the 6th of October, 1842. By this marriage they 
 have one child, named Cora Belle. Mr. Townsend is 
 an able advocate of the Republican party, and has 
 taken an active part in the public affairs of his 
 township, having served as Justice of the Peace for 
 several years. He is a public-spirited and enter- 
 prising citizen, and for many years has been an 
 honored and influential member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. 
 
 -««/---e^i2i.■'.»!g-^^■^^&-.*^^S;^r^r^>-'w^ 
 
 eHARLES E. VAN PELT, whose beautiful 
 farm is situated on section 7 of Sherman 
 Township, has brought into his daily farm 
 occupations and duties all th.at vim, enterprise, 
 nervous energy, ambitious progressiveness and 
 shrewd common sense which are the characteristics 
 by which the Western American is chiefly endowed 
 in the mind of the foreigner, who reads or speaks 
 about him. His father, R. H. Van Pelt, was born 
 in New Jersey, in 1808. He left that State when 
 twenty two years of age, and went to Jersey County, 
 III., and entered heartily into agricultural work, 
 continuing in the same until the year 1858, when 
 he died. 
 
 The maiden name of the mother of our subject 
 was Penelope Stout, who was born in New Jersey, 
 in the year 1810. She married Mr. Xaa Pelt pre- 
 vious to his removal from their native State to 
 Illinois. Their family came to include seven chil- 
 dren, all of whom were bright, naturally healthy 
 sons. Of these five attained man's estate and en- 
 tered the ranks of honorable citizenship. The 
 names borne by them are as here appended : Alex- 
 ander, a farmer of Jersey County, 111. ; Clark, a resi- 
 dent of Macon County, Mo., and the proprietor 
 of a flrst-class harness-making establishment; Win- 
 field S., of Jersey County, III, who is following the 
 trade of a carpenter; our subject, and Wilbur F., a 
 furrier of Macon County, Mo. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born upon the 
 Jersey County homestead, on the 22d of December, 
 1846, and continued to reside with his parents un- 
 
 ■^^ 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 l~ 
 
 til he nttained his majority. There was little room 
 in his life, filled as it was with farm duties and labor 
 from lioyiiood, for the edncationnl process, although 
 this miglit have been changed had the opportunity 
 for obtaining an education been more complete, but 
 there was ver}' little chance for such profitable in- 
 vestment of time and mental ixjwer, and tiie result 
 was that his education, by force of circumstances, 
 was somewhat neglected ; but upon the more pr.ac- 
 tical subjects of labor he was more at home, and 
 entered the years of manhood full^- equipped for 
 the conflict. 
 
 The removal of our subject to Nebraska occurred 
 in 1869, when he came to this county and purchased 
 f\ quarter-section of land at the rate of ^2 per acre. 
 It w,as, of course, in a virgin state, and he iramedi- 
 atelj' set to work to bring about a more complete 
 and useful order of things, bestowing much thought 
 and labor upon it. It was not long before smiling 
 fields, waving grain and tasseled corn took the place 
 of the tall, waving, why prairie grass. His claim 
 shanty was removed after the lapse of a few j-ears, 
 and a more commodious and beautiful residence 
 took its place, but it lacked attr.active power and 
 comfort to him. Sept. 27, 1877, he supplied the 
 "one thing needful" to transform the house into a 
 home. That year he entered into wedlock with Car- 
 rie Linscott, the attractive and accomplished d.augh- 
 ter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Linscott, natives of 
 Indiana, but subsequently residents of Ohio, where, 
 in Greene County, their daughter Carrie was born 
 upon the 1st of October, 1852. Her father still 
 resides at the old home, which was sanctified to him 
 bj' the birth of his child, and made more sacred in 
 subsequent years as the scene of the last hours of 
 his wife, who died Oct. 8, 1881, aged fifty -eight 
 years and six months. The' home of our subject 
 and his, wife has been illuminated, and its felicitj- 
 enhanced, h}' the birth of five children, to whom 
 have been given the following names: Linscott 8., 
 Wilbur F., Fannie L., Richard F. and Carrie. 
 
 Mr. Van Pelt was among the early pioneers of 
 this State, and settled when neighbors were few and 
 far between, when Nebraska City was the depot of 
 import and export, and the only market. He ex- 
 perienced all the trials, difliculties, hardships, pri- 
 vations and pleasures of pioneer life, and has 
 
 4* 
 
 watched with keen interest the phenomenal develop- 
 mentand brilliant advance of this State, that has just 
 passed the point in number of j^ears between minor- 
 ity and majority. Our subject's political sympa- 
 thies are with the Republican party, and always 
 have been. He has held with much honor and 
 credit the most important offices of the township, 
 including that of Justice of the Peace for a term 
 of four years, of Assessor for ten years in succces- 
 sion,and member of the School Board for six years. 
 Socially, he is connected with the ancient fraternity 
 of Free Masonr3', and is a true and faithful frater 
 of the lodge at Beatrice. His working tools are 
 not allowed to lie b\' in idleness, but each and every 
 one are used after their own order and in their sev- 
 eral works, with the result, necessary and natural, 
 that he is honored and respected, not merely within 
 the m3'stic circle of his Masonic home, but also 
 wherever true manhood and high character are ad- 
 mired and esteemed. This sentiment is likewise 
 shared in by his wife and family. 
 
 LBRIDGE H. BURINGTON, real-estate 
 f-j agent. Notary Public and Police Magistrate 
 _' — ^ for the city of Blue .Springs, is numbered 
 among its prominent and well-to-do citizens. He 
 is the owner of a fine home on Washington street, 
 between Broad and Main, and has other improved 
 real estate in this citj-. 
 
 Our subject is the offspring of an excellent fam- 
 ily who trace their ancestry b.ack to the early set- 
 tlers of Vermont and New Hampshire. His father, 
 Rensselaer Bnrington, was born in the State 
 of Vermont, in 1812, where he was reared and 
 educated, and learned the trades of carpenter and 
 millwright. These trades he followed until about 
 twenty-five years of age, then leaving New En- 
 gland, established himself as a boot and shoe manu- 
 facturer in Springfield, Pa. He operated thus 
 successfully for a period of fifteen 3'ears, then dis- 
 posing of his interests in the Keystone State, mi- 
 grated to Lee County, 111., and purchasing a tract of 
 land, built up a fine farm. He sojourned there also 
 fifteen 3-ears, then crossed the Mississippi into Tama 
 County, Iowa, where he kept a confectionery store. 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -^ 
 
 Later he retiiriierl to Illinf)is, ostaMishing a similar 
 store and adding to it a stocit of groceries. In 1879 
 he sold ont, and coming to lliis eonnt\' tf)ok up his 
 residence in Blue Springs, where he spent the re- 
 mainder of his life. 
 
 The father of our subject was a ver_y industrious 
 ami enterprising man, and during his early man- 
 hood greatly interested in pulilic affairs, and served 
 as a Captain of Militia until the repeal of the law 
 i-elating to military affairs. Religiously, he was first 
 connected with the Christian Cliurch, and later vvith 
 the First-Day Adventists. lie was married, in Ver- 
 mont, in 1833, to Miss Lucy Pike, a native of New 
 Hampshire, and tliej' became the parents of six 
 children, all of whom lived to mature years, and of 
 whom four still survive. Mrs. B. was the daughter 
 of .John and Clarissa (Parker) Pike, and was born 
 April 12, 1<S13. She continued at home during her 
 childhood and youth, and is still living, making her 
 home with her son, our suliject. Rensselaer Bur- 
 ington departed this life Jan. 17, 1881. 
 
 Tlie paternal grandfather of our subject, Ami 
 Burington by name, and a native of Connecticut, 
 was a millwright by trade, and also carried on farm- 
 ing. Upon removing from his native State he 
 located first in Vermont, and thence removed to 
 Erie Countj', Pa., where he s|)ent the remainder of 
 his life. Elbridge II., the subject of this sketch, was 
 born in Springfield, Erie Co., Pa., Feb. 8, 1837, 
 where he remained with his parents until reaching 
 his majority. He w.as educated in the common 
 schools and worked with his father on the farm un- 
 til leaving Pennsylvania in 1859, and settling in 
 Lee County, 111. He preceded the family to the 
 latter place, they following the next year. He was 
 a resident there for a period of twenty-seven years, 
 working on his farm in Amboy and also engaging 
 in carpentering. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Burington, who had always given 
 much attention to religious subjects, and who un- 
 questionably possessed fine talents as a speaker, 
 entered the ministry and thus labored in the Mas- 
 ter's vineyard for a period of ten 3'ears. In the 
 meantime he was also employed at his trade and 
 carried on his farm. At the expiration of this time 
 he abandoned manual labor and accepted the pasto- 
 rate of both the Advent and Christian Churches at 
 
 different points, continuing in the ministry there- 
 after, and being located six 3'ears in Genoa. De 
 Knib County. Subsequent!}- he spent one year as 
 an evangelist, and then returned to his former 
 charge, remaining another 3-ear. lie was held in 
 high esteem by the people among whom he labored, 
 and withdrew from the ministr}' only when failing 
 health eom[)elle(l the step. 
 
 Mr. Burington came to this county in the spring 
 of 1880, and after a season of rest and quietude 
 resumed his trade of carpentering, and finallj' o|)er- 
 ateil as a contractor and builder. He assisted in 
 the erection of many of the important buildings of 
 Blue Springs, including Rice Bros.' Block, the Bar- 
 inger Block, and indeed most of the brick lilocks 
 now standing. He also purchased ground which he 
 built upon, and is now the possessor of valuable 
 property. He worked industriously during a sea- 
 son when many others, discour.aged, left the place. 
 He was flnall}' compelled to abandon his contract 
 business and take up something less laborious; giv- 
 ing his attention wholly to re.al estate, he is now in 
 the enjo3'ment of a handsome income. 
 
 The marriage of Elbridge H. Burington and 
 Miss Mary A. Aldrich was celebrated at Inlet, Lee 
 Co., 111., M.ay 1, 1858. This union resulted in the 
 birth of four children, one of whom died in infanc}'. 
 Those surviving are: Orin E., Eva M. and Alice B. 
 Mrs. B. is the daughter of Joseph and Zilpha Aid- 
 rich, and w.as born in the State of Vermont, on 
 the ■27th of November, 1836. AVhile she was still a 
 child her parents removed to Pennsjdvania, where 
 they lived eighteen years, then migrated to Illinois, 
 settling in Lee Count}', where the mother died in 
 the spring of 1858. She vvas a lad}' possessing all 
 the womanly virtues, and was regarded with the 
 utmost affection by her children and all who knew 
 her. 
 
 Mr. Burington is a man positive in his ideas, 
 well educated and liberal minded, and while differ- 
 ing with many upon the importaut questions of the 
 day, possesses that high-bred courtesy which is care- 
 ful not to give offense. TVhile warmly and consci- 
 entiously attached to the principles of his peculiar 
 faith, he still treats with respect the opinions of 
 others, and his rare conversational powers make him 
 a most interesting companion. He is deeply at- 
 
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 0.31 
 
 tachcd to his home nnd faniil^y. a man whoso exam- 
 ple is worthj' of imitation. 
 
 Orin E. Bmington is a young man of fine nat- 
 ural abilities and good education, and is prosecuting 
 !t successful business in books and stationery at 
 Blue Sfjrings; he was inari'ied, June 2, 1S88, to 
 Miss Rosa Jones, of this citj', and the}' occupy' a 
 snug home not far from the father's. Eva M. is 
 the wife of John Itumbaugh, a well-to-do farmer of 
 Sicily Township, and they are the parents of one 
 child, a son, Loy E. ; Alice B. married Mr. W. J. 
 Harris, a prosperous farmer of Harlem County, 
 this State, and they are the parents of two children 
 — May Pearl and William E. 
 
 Mr. Buringlon is Vice President of the Board of 
 Trade in Blue Springs, and has held the various 
 minor offices of his township, including that of Jus- 
 tice of the Peace. 
 
 'Tw' OHN E. CLARK. Among the subjects of Her 
 Brittannic Majest\', Queen Victoria.who have 
 left the protection of the standard and trans- 
 ferred their vows of fealty and lo^'alty to 
 the flag of the great Republic, have made their 
 home in the United States, and have learned to 
 love tire stars and stripes, is the gentleman whose 
 name appears at the head of this sketch, who was 
 born in Lower Canada. 
 
 Our subject is the son of Samuel and Rebecca 
 (^Ewart) Clark, both natives of the Dominion, but 
 at present residing in Jefferson County, Neb. 
 Our subject was the third of twelve children born 
 to his parents. When he was about one year old 
 his parents removed to Scott County. Iowa, and 
 there our subject received his education and was 
 reared to manhood, his father having there set- 
 tled upon a farm. Not until he was twenty-three 
 years of age did our subject remove from that 
 home, and in that period he had proved his ability 
 in the common school where he was educated, 
 graduated to the more active pursuits of the farm, 
 and subsequently worked in all the strength of his 
 j'oung manhood. 
 
 About the year 1 8«0 our -subject removed from 
 Scott County to Kellugg, in Jasi)cr County, Iowa, 
 
 where he remained farming for about four years,, 
 and then, in December of 1884, came to this 
 county and settled in Glenwood Township, taking 
 uii a farm on section 8, upon vvhich he has since 
 resided. Since that time he has brought his farm 
 to a high state of agricultural efficiency, and is 
 continually' planning and executing some addi- 
 tional improvement. Mr. Clark has recently erected 
 excellent out-buildings and dwelling, and has the 
 entire property' well fenced and everything in a 
 good state of repair. Adjacent to his house are 
 some 1,200 shade tr-ees of various kinds, and a fine 
 orchard containing not less than 200 excellent fruit 
 trees of various kinds. His sole attention, so far 
 as his farm is concerned, is given to stock-raising 
 and general grain production. 
 
 Mr. Clark became the husband of Miss Nancy 
 Roul on the 22d of January, 1881, at Kellogg, 
 who has since presented him with four children, 
 three of whom are living. Their names are herein 
 subjoined as follows: William E. (deceased), Sam- 
 uel. Eva Slay and Willis II. Mrs. Clark was born 
 in the North of Ireland, on the 22d of Januaiy, 
 1861, and accompanied her parents to this country 
 when four years of age. She is the daughter of 
 William J. and Martha Roul. Mr. Clark is strongly' 
 attached to the Democratic partj', and is inclined 
 to be quite energetic in its interests. He is a man 
 of considerable mental power, reserve force and 
 energy, and since his settlement has gained many 
 friends by his manl}' bearing and high character. 
 
 •i- 
 
 ^ SAAC L. FISKE, member of the well-known 
 firm of LaSelle, Fiske <fe Co., and son-in-law of 
 the senior partner, is a gentleman of excellent 
 business capacities and a favorite in the financial 
 circles of the thriving city of Beatrice. A native 
 of New York State, he was born near the village of 
 Lebanon, in Madison County, July 3, 1856, and 
 was the second of the three sons born to Luman 
 and Angeline (Close) Fiske. The parents of our 
 sultject were natives of New York. The paternal 
 grandfather, John Fiske, a native of Massachusetts, 
 emigrated to New York State at an earl}' day, and 
 was for manj' j'ears engaged in farming in IMadisou 
 
 lt J¥ '^* 
 
-4^ 
 
 ,t 
 
 .-)32 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^County, where he spent the last years of his life. 
 The Fiske fainilj- is of English descent, as also was 
 the Close family, and the motiier traces her fore- 
 fathers among the earl}' settlers of Connecticut, 
 where the}' located probably during the Colonial 
 days. 
 
 The father of our subject was a farmer by oc- 
 cupation, and Isaac L. early in life became familiar 
 with rural pursuits. After leaving the district 
 school he became a student first of Whitesboro 
 Universit}' and then of Clinton University, spend- 
 ing one year in the latter institution; at the age of 
 sixteen 3ears he began teaching. He otliciated as 
 teacher three terms in the district school, and sub- 
 sequentl}' taught two j'ears in the village school 
 at Lebanon, besides two terms of a select .school. 
 Later he became Principal of the High School at 
 Smyrna, N. Y.. where he remained until 1878. 
 
 Tiie mercantile career of Mr. Fiske began when 
 he was seventeen j'ears of age, prior to attending 
 the university. He then engaged in farming one 
 year, and in the spring of 1880 sought tiie West, 
 coming to Beatrice, Neb., and entering the es- 
 tablishment of H. A. LaSelle as clerk. Here he 
 remained six months, and was then employed with 
 the firm (;f Hastings & Scott three and one-half 
 j-ears. In July, 1884, he formed a partnership 
 with W. M. LaSelle in the grocery business at Cort- 
 land, the half of winch business the firm still owns. 
 In July, 1888, he returned to Beatrice, and in com- 
 panj- with his partners purchased the grocery stock 
 of George R. Scott, which also included boots and 
 shoes. The firm is now in the enjoyment of a 
 generous patronage, the several members being men 
 of probity, and carrying on their business in a 
 manner which has commended them to Lhe esteem 
 and confidence of their fellow-citizens. 
 
 On the 26th of May, 1876, our subject was united 
 in marriage with Miss Addie M., daughter of W. 
 M. LaSelle, his present partner. Mrs. Fiske was 
 also born in Madison County, N. Y., in August, 
 1857. She has been well educated, and received 
 careful home training from her excellent parents. 
 Of this union there has been born one child—Flor- 
 ence M. Mr. Fiske votes the Republican ticket, 
 and, although not ambitious of office for himself, 
 always takes a generous interest in the political 
 
 preferment of his friends. Socially, he belongs to 
 the Modern Woodmen. The firm of La,Selle. Fiske 
 & Co. is considerably interested in lands, owning 
 several tracts in both Kansas and Nebraska. 
 
 \T:0HN B. McGLAUGIILIN is a prosperous 
 farmer of Rockford Township, where he has 
 160 acres of splendiil lan<l on section 1. He 
 is a son of David and Hannah (Brad}') Mc- 
 Glaughlin, both of whom were born in Westmore- 
 land County, Pa. The paternal grandfather, John 
 McGlaughlin, came from Scotland when he was 
 sixteen years old, and made his home in Northum- 
 berland County, Pa. Samuel Brady, the great In- 
 dian hunter, w.as a cousin of grandfather Brady. 
 After their marriage the parents of our subject 
 m.ade their home in McKeysport. Pa., and the father 
 was a pilot on the Ohio River for twentj'-five 
 years. In 1857, with his family, he moved to Illi- 
 nois, and bought a farm in Rock Island County, on 
 which he prospered well. He was a member of the 
 old Whig party, and died in 1870, at the age of 
 fifty-seven j'ears. The mother resides on the home- 
 stead in Rock Island County, 111., and is sixty-five 
 years old, having seen her children become useful 
 men and women. There were eight in the family, 
 two of whom, named Jacob and Artemus, died in 
 infancy, .ind the remaining six bear the names of 
 James B., Joseph, John Marks, William, Abraham 
 and Barbara. 
 
 Our subject, the oldest of his father's family, was 
 born on the 5th of Januaiy, 1841, in McKej'sport, 
 AUeghenj- Co., Pa. He enjoyed very good educa- 
 tional advantages in his Eastern home, and was six- 
 teen years old when he moved to Illinois, afterward 
 attending the common schools for several winters 
 and securing a thorough education. There he ap- 
 plied himself to farm work until the time of the 
 breaking out of the war. when he enlisted as a pri- 
 vate for the three-months service in 1862. He en- 
 tered Company F, 69tli Illinois Infantry, and was 
 mustered into service at Camp Douglass in Chicago, 
 where he did guard duty over 10.000 rebel prisoners. 
 In the fall of 1862 he took them to Vicksburg to 
 have them exchanged, and was disch.arged at Camp 
 
 t 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 .533 
 
 4- 
 
 f 
 
 Douglass after having- served six months instead of 
 three. 
 
 Our subject tlien returned home, and for two 
 years applied himself diligently to the management 
 of his farm affairs, but in 1865, when more troops 
 were needed for the service of the countr\% he again 
 enlisted for one year, or during the continuance of 
 the war. He was mustered into service at Camp 
 Butler and departed for New Orleans, thence to Mo- 
 bile; Spanish Fort and Ft. Blakely had been taken 
 three days before their arrival. Our subject then 
 went to Montgomery, Ala., engaged in guard duty, 
 and was taken ill with fever, with which he laj- in 
 the hospital for about two months, and was then 
 discharged on account of physical disability, reach- 
 ing home about the month of September. He came 
 to Nebraska in 1867, and went as far west as the 
 mountains, making an extensive tour through Kan- 
 sas, Missouri and Nebraska, finally choosing Gage 
 County as the place he would rather make his home. 
 He located a homestead of 160 acres, and entered 
 200 acres besides in Sherman Township. 
 
 In the fall of the same year our subject returned 
 to Illinois, where he was married, in March, 1 868, 
 to Miss Phoibe King, a daughter of James and 
 Charlotte King, who were natives of Manchester, 
 England. They were married in that city, the 
 father being an overseer in a large cotton factory, 
 and in 1840 with their four children they came to 
 America, making their home near Troy, N. Y. The 
 father became connected with some of the leading 
 cotton factories of the East, and was very prosper- 
 ous. Of his family- there are now five living, all of 
 whom were born in America, and whose names are 
 Phoebe, Eiliza, Jennie, Nellie and Vinnie. Mrs. 
 McGlaughlin was born in New York City in Au- 
 gust, 1843, and was a babe when her parents moved 
 to Lowell. She enjoyed very good educational 
 advantages, and became an accomplished musician, 
 going to Illinois when she was twenty-one years 
 old, and engaging as a music teacher. 
 
 In the spring of 1868 our subject and his wife 
 came to the homestead, and resided in Sherman 
 Township for several 3'ears, but in 1881 they sold 
 out with the intention of going to California; after 
 making a visit to Rock Island County- thej' con- 
 cluded to remain in this State, and purchased their 
 
 present farm of 160 acres on section 1. When our 
 subject bought it. in 1882, it was raw prairie land, 
 and he now has 100 acres under cultivation, with 
 groves of box-elder and cottonwood trees, and has 
 erected a splendid one and a half story frame 
 dwelling. Since his coming to his present place 
 the Rock Island Railroad has been constructed, and 
 the new village of Rockford is laid out onl3' a few 
 rods from his residence. 
 
 Our subject has taken an active interest in the 
 political affairs of his township, and being an ardent 
 Republican he has been sent as a delegate to the 
 County Convention. His honorable war career en- 
 titles him to a membership in the Rollins Post No. 
 3.T, G. A. R., at Beatrice. He has several times 
 served on the jury, and in various ways he has distin- 
 guished himself as a good and law-abiding citizen, 
 and is socially connected with the A. F. <fe A. M. 
 Mr. and Mrs. McGlaughlin are highlj' respected and 
 influential members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, and as one of the prosperous families are 
 well known in the leading society' circles. 
 
 »-^^- 
 
 JONATHAN CARPENTER. The subject of 
 this notice, a retired farmer in comfortable 
 circumstances, after many j'ears of active 
 labor is now enjoying the fruits thereof in a 
 comfortable home in the city of Beatrice, surrounded 
 by all that is needful for his well-being and happi- 
 ness. His has been a varied experience, in wuich 
 he has seen much of life, and learned many valu- 
 able lessons. As a soldier of the Union Army 
 during the late war, he traveled over a goodl}' 
 portion of the South, and endured in common with 
 his comrades the hardships and privations insepa- 
 rable from the life of the patriot, doing battle for 
 the land which gave him birth. After returning to 
 the arts of peace he entered upon the quiet labors 
 of the agriculturist, and meeting with success, is now 
 numbered among the retired farmers of this county 
 who have been enabled to secure for themselves the 
 wherewithal which shall insure them against want 
 in their declining years. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was born near H.igers- 
 town, in Washington Countj', Md., July 31, 1841, 
 
534 
 
 GAGE COUKTY. 
 
 
 and was the second of nine children, seven sons and 
 two daughters, the offspring of Jeremiali and Su- 
 sannah (Cross) Carpenter, the former born and 
 reared in Lancaster County, Pa., and the hitter a 
 native of Buonesboro, Md. Of their children eight 
 are still living. The maternal grandfather, Robert 
 Cross, was a marble cutter by trade, and carried on 
 a prosperous business. He spent his last days in 
 ]Mar3'liuid. The parents of our subject emigrated 
 to Illinois, and from there in 1884 to Nebraska, 
 settling in this county, where they still live. 
 
 Jonathan Carpenter of this sketch was reared to 
 manhood on the farm of his father, and attended 
 the common school during his boyiiood. He was 
 still a resident of his native State upon the out- 
 break of the late war, and enlisted in Company B, 
 1st Maryland Cavalry, which was sent first to Web- 
 ster, Va. , and then down the Shenandoah Valley to 
 Lynchburg, participating in the meantime in the 
 battles of that campaign. Mr. Carpenter was with 
 Sheridan in the memorable battle of Winchester, 
 witnessing the defeat of Gilroy after the week's 
 fighting, and later assisted iu the battle of Gettys- 
 burg. At Mt. Jackson the Union boys captured 
 380 head of cattle, twelve wagons, and a quantity of 
 car wheels from which to manufacture shells. At 
 one time Mr. Carpenter was thrown from a horse 
 upon a pile of railroad iron, near Flagg's Mills, Va., 
 sustaining serious injuries, having four ribs broken, 
 and his foot and head also badly hurt. Later a 
 shell bursting near his head completed the sum of 
 his afflictions, and for a time destroyed his hearing. 
 This, however, he recovered from, but such was the 
 shock to his system that he was glad to receive his 
 honorable discharge, which was given him in Sep- 
 tember, 1864. 
 
 Mr. Carpenter now returned to liis native county, 
 and from there went to Lancaster County, Pa. He 
 subsequently returned to Hagerstown, Md., and 
 engaged in teaming in the employ of the Govern- 
 ment about four months. His next location was 
 Chambersburg, where he served an apprenticeship 
 to the trades of stonemason and bricklayer, and 
 where he spent two years. In the meantime, Jan. 
 o, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Maria 
 Baughman. This lady was born in Franklin 
 County, Pa., Jan. 14, J 840, and is the daugliter of 
 
 Jacob and Eliza Baughman, who were natives of 
 Greencastle, Franklin Co., Pa. 
 
 After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter settled in 
 Greencastle, Pa., where our subject engaged in 
 farming, and where tliey lived until October of 
 1870. They then moved to Ogle County, 111., 
 settling on a farm, where the3- labored for a period 
 of nine 3-ears. Mr. Carpenter, then desirous of 
 seeking his fortune on the other side of the Missis- 
 sippi, came to this count}', and purchased 160 acres 
 of land in Highland Township, about sixteen miles 
 north of the city of Beatrice. Here he erected 
 good buildings and brought about the improve- 
 ments necessary to his comfort and convenience, 
 and in 1880, feeling that he was entitled to retire, 
 sold his farm and took up his residence in the citj'. 
 He is a quiet, unobtrusive man, a peaceable and 
 law-abiding citizen, rejoicing in tlie prosperity of 
 his adopted State, and interested in the enterprises 
 which will cause her to continue in her. onward 
 course. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter had born to them 
 three children, viz: Henry L., a resident of Bea- 
 trice; Elizabeth and Jeremiah, the two latter de- 
 ceased. 
 
 LLET G. DRAKE, of Beatrice, owns a 
 good property' and has been largely instru- 
 ■/j mental in the advancement of the various 
 interests tending to the growth and prosperity of 
 the city. Upon coming here he purchased tiie drug 
 stock of Dr. R. S. Albright, and continued the 
 business at the old stand until June, 1888. He 
 then sold, and since that time has found ample em- 
 ployment in looking after his property interests. 
 
 Our subject was born near the then modest town 
 of Bradford, in McKean County, Pa., March 20, 
 1863, and was there reared to manhood. His par- 
 ents, Joshua J. and Elizabeth (Hayter) Drake, were 
 also natives of the Keystone State, and the father 
 a farmer by occupation. He spent his entire life 
 upon his native soil, and departed hence in the year 
 1875. The mother died in 1880. The parental 
 family included onl}' our subject. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of Mr. Drake were spent 
 in a manner similar to that of most farmers' sons, 
 his services being utilized about the homestead 
 
 ^ 
 
-^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 535 ^ 
 
 during the seasons of sowing and reaping, while in 
 winter he pursued his studies in the district school. 
 When further advanced he became a student of 
 Chamberlain Institute at Chamberlain, N. Y., and 
 subsequently attended a commercial course in 
 Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 
 Upon leaving college, his father having died, he 
 was engaged in the settling up of the estate. 
 
 Mr. Drake entered upon his business career in 
 the oil regions of Pennsjivania, where he oi)erated 
 to good advantage until Ma}' of 1886. Resolved 
 now upon a change of residence and occupation, 
 he sold out, and coming to this State, located in 
 Beatrice, of which he li.as since been a resident. 
 In the meantime lie has invested large sums of 
 money in western lands in Nebraska and Kansas, 
 besides considerable city property in Beatrice. He 
 has a fine residence on the corner of Lincoln and 
 Sixth streets. His family consists of his wife and one 
 child only, the latter a son, Ellet B., who was born 
 Aug. 20, 188G. 
 
 The marriage of our subject with Miss Nellie 
 Bradley, of Friendship, N. Y., was celebrated at 
 the home of the bride, June 11, 1884. Mrs. Drake ' 
 is a native of the Empire State, having been born 
 in Allegany Count}-, in 1862. Her parents, Solo- 
 mon J. and Elizabeth Bradley, were natives of 
 Singland. Her father is deceased ; her mother is liv- 
 ing in Beatrice. Mr. Drake identified himself with 
 the Masonic fraternit}', and is a member of Beatrice 
 Lodge No. 26, of Livingston Chapter, and Mt. 
 Hernion Lodge No. 7. In polities he is a stanch 
 Republican. 
 
 ' LVAH H. BRUBAKER. The firm of Bru- 
 baker & Remaly, merchants and bankers, 
 occupies a leading position among the 
 business interests of Lanham, where these 
 gentlemen have been established together since 
 March, 1888. The subject of our sketch bears the 
 reputation of an energetic, reliable business man, 
 one who is ambitious for the prosperity of his 
 adopted town, and whose efforts to increase its pres- 
 tige and standing have earned for him well-merited 
 praise. 
 
 Mr. Brubaker is a native of Howard County, Ind., 
 
 4* 
 
 his birth taking place at the homestead of his par- 
 ents, on tiic IGth of October, 1846. He is conse- 
 quently in the prime of life, with a prospect of 
 many j-ears of usefulness and i)rosperit}'. He was 
 reared as a farmer's boy, and acquired those habits 
 of thrift and industry which have been the secret of 
 his success in most of his undertakings. "When 
 about eight years of age his parents removed from 
 Howard to Cass County, Ind., where Alvah so- 
 journed until a youth of nineteen. Thence he 
 changed his i-esidence to Bourbon, and a year later 
 we find him in Warren Count}', 111., where he en- 
 gaged as a carpenter and joiner, and where he 
 operated for a period of six years. From Warren 
 he next proceeded to Lee County in the same State, 
 and securing a tract of land in the vicinity of Dixon, 
 carried on farming until the spring of 1886. 
 
 The attention of Mr. Brubaker now being turned 
 toward the young and rapidly growing Slate of 
 Nebraska, he crossed the Father of Waters, and 
 coming to this county, located in Lanham, which 
 has since been the scene of his operations. He first 
 embarked in general merchandising in partnership 
 with !Mr. H. M. Smethers, but three months later 
 purchased the interest of his partner, and carried 
 on the business alone until the spring of 1888, 
 when he associated himself with Mr. Remaly. 
 They carry a full stock of everything pertaining to 
 their line of trade, and in their banking o[K'rations 
 enjoy the patronage of the leading business men of 
 this part of the county. The Lanham Exchange 
 Bank is superseded by no institution of its age 
 in the whole county. 
 
 Our subject occupies, with an interesting family, 
 a handsome and well-appointed home in the northern 
 part of the town. He was married in Lee County, 
 111., Dec. 24, 1871, to Miss Anna M. Hill, a daughter 
 of Nathan Hill. Mrs. Brubaker was born in Luzerne 
 County, Pa., Feb. 28, 1850. and was reared to 
 womanhood under the parental roof. Her mother 
 was Miss Billhimer, and is now living in Lee 
 County, 111. 
 
 To our suiiject and his estimable lady there have 
 been born eight children, two of whom are deceased, 
 namely : Blanche, who died when two years old, 
 and a babe who died unnamed. Those living 
 are Nathan A.. Lulu E., John L., Harlow E., Em- 
 
i 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 met and Imogene. Mr. Brubaker. although having 
 little time to devote to political matters, keeps 
 himself posted in regard to matters of general in- 
 terest, and uniformh' supports Republican princi- 
 ples. He is a man whose opinions, deliberatel}' 
 formed, are held in general respect. 
 
 JOHN W. WITH, one of the pioneer settlers 
 of Paddock Township, with whose agricult- 
 ural interests he is prominently identified, 
 owning and occupying a farm on section 
 11, is honored and esteemed by all in the com- 
 munity as a thoroughly upright citizen, and as a 
 man whose moral character and private life are ir- 
 reproachable. He w.as born in Maryland, Caroline 
 County, Jan. 29, 1827, his parents lieing George 
 and Mary "With. He was reared in his native 
 State to a strong and noble manhood, and when 
 about twenty-four years of age he went to Dela- 
 ware, and in that State the succeeding eighteen 
 years of his life were jiassed. There he secured a 
 good and capable wife, who has actively assisted 
 him in acquiring his property. She was a Miss 
 Sarah E. Clark, of that State, and to her he was 
 united in marriage June 3, 18.52. Of tiiis union 
 six children have been born, as follows: William 
 D., who married Miss Carrie Kear; Mary A., who 
 married James Coigrove, whose biography appears 
 in this volume; John H., who married Ella Col- 
 grove, a sister of James; Martha J., who married 
 George T. Mitchell; Charles F. and Charles H., who 
 died in Delaware in 1865, at the age of three 
 yejirs. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. With removed with his family to 
 Bureau County, 111., but after living there a few 
 years he returned to Delaware in 18(13. In 1872 
 !>e again took up his residence in Illinois, whence 
 he removed in the year 1876 to Cass Countj', 
 Iowa. In 1880 he sought with his family a new 
 home in Gage County, Neb., having decided to 
 avail himself of the marvelous .agricultural resources 
 of this county. P.addock Township was not organ- 
 ized until the fall of the year in which he took up 
 his residence in it, and the farm of eightj^ acres on 
 section 1 1, on which he then located, was in a com- 
 
 plete state of nature, forming a part of the unbroken 
 prairie. With persistent and well-directed industry 
 he has since toiled to get it under cultivation, and 
 to make the numerous improvements that have so 
 increased its value and added to the neatness and 
 thrift of the pl.ace, the abundant harvests that re- 
 sult from his labors showing him to be a sagacious, 
 practical man, emploj'ing none but the best meth- 
 ods in conducting his agricultural pursuits. 
 
 Mr. With is one of the most whole-souled and 
 kind-hearted men in existence, and his frank, genial 
 qualities, combined with true courtesy and tact, 
 have gained him hosts of warm friends wherever 
 he has lived. His home is in the center of that true 
 hospitality wherein host and hostess vie with each 
 other in entertaining and making comfortable the 
 stranger who m.a}' happen within their gates. Mrs. 
 With is a devoted member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, and shares with her husband the re- 
 spect in which he is held. Mr. With is a solid 
 Republican in his political opinions, and uses his 
 influence to promote the interests of his partj^. 
 
 ^^ OL. JAMES H. ODEN, formerly an officer 
 (l( _ of the Union Army, and late prominent 
 ^^^' among the farmers and stock-raisers of this 
 eount}^ retired in March of 1888 to his home 
 in the city of Beatrice, where he is now numbered 
 among its most highly esteemed citizens. He has 
 for man3' years been identified with the most im- 
 portant interests of Southern Nebraska, and is a 
 man whose worth and efficiency in the community 
 are most properly appreciated by the people of this 
 region. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in Nicholas 
 Count}-, Ky., Feb. 15, 1831, and is the son of 
 W'illiam C. and Elizabeth (Darrel) Oden, the father 
 a native of the southern part of Kentuck}-, and the 
 mother of Tennessee. The parental family in- 
 cluded nine children. James, the eldest of the 
 famil}', was reared on the '• old plantation," and at- 
 tended school in Carlisle, making good use of his 
 time, so that he eventually developed into a country 
 school teacher, and was thus employed three terms. 
 He, however, preferred farming as actual business. 
 
 -•►■ 
 
*► l l "^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 537 
 
 4- 
 
 and followed this mostly- thereafter until the out- 
 lirciilv of Uu' \v;ir. Ik' then considered it bis dut3' 
 to laj' aside his personal [jlans and interests, and en- 
 listed in Company I. 7th Kentucky Cavalry, with 
 which he did valiant service under the command of 
 Gen. Nelson. 
 
 Young Oden participated with his comrades in 
 manj' of the important Ijattles of the w.ar, being 
 present at the scige and capture of Richmond, the 
 battle of Big Hill, and shared in the fight at 
 Donelson. On account of cold and exposure he 
 suffered greatly in health, and was seized with 
 rheumatism. He was taken to the hospital at 
 Cynthiana, K}'., where he was confined until the fall 
 of 1863, and then returned to his home. His father 
 being County Clerk of Nicholas Count}-, James re- 
 ceived the appointment of Deputy, but on account 
 of the Union sentiments of the elder Oden, he was 
 ordered to leave the countrj'. The famih' then 
 fled to Monroe County, 111., settling near .Salem, 
 where the father engaged in farming, which he fol- 
 lowed in that section for a period of four years. 
 
 James H. Oden determined upon another change 
 of residence, and removed to Knox County, 111., 
 and from there to AVarren County in the same State, 
 where he remained for a period of ten 3-ears, still 
 continuing engaged in agricultural pursuits. In the 
 spring of 187iS he crossed the Mississippi into this 
 State, and settled on a farm four miles north of the 
 citj' of Beatrice, in Logan Township. There he 
 secured 160 acres of land, upon which he operated 
 until in March, 1888, when he abandoned active 
 labor and took up his abode in the city. He has 
 always been a lover of fine horses, and is now con- 
 siderably interested in stock, owning a very fast 
 pacer which has made a good reconl among the 
 roadsters of this countj*. He put up a neat and 
 commodious residence in 1887, and is surrounded 
 by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of 
 life. 
 
 Our subject, under the tutelage of his honored 
 father, became thoroughly inibued with Union 
 principles, and after the outbreak of the Rel)ellion 
 enlisted as a private. He was promoted to the rank 
 of Major, and given charge of a wagon and am- 
 bulance department. Later he was permitted to 
 return home and raise a company, of which he was 
 
 made Captain, and which was constituted a home 
 guard. Me thus stood in readiness for action if 
 called upon, but iiai)pi!y the emergency did not 
 arise. 
 
 Upon reaching his majority Mr. Oden was united 
 in marriage with Miss Sar.ah A. Berry, who l)ecame 
 the mother of five sons, and departed this life at her 
 home in Kentuckj' in 18G0. Mr. Oden w.as married 
 the second time, to Mrs. Sarah F. Hardwick, a native 
 of Kentucky, and at that time a resident of Abing- 
 don, 111. Of this union there has been born one child, 
 a son, Charles V., who is now twenty-four j-ears 
 of age. There had been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 William Hardwick one child, a daughter, Mary J., 
 who is now the wife of Silas Estes, of Beatrice. Mr. 
 Hardwick died in 1857. 
 
 Mr. Oden, politically, is a solid Republican, and 
 has been elected to the tjffice of Justice of tlie Pe.'icc, 
 but having no [jolitical aspirations refused to 
 qualify. He has served .as Clerk and Judge of 
 Elections several times, and is always willing to give 
 his services to the interests of his party. He has 
 been uniformly prosperous in his business and 
 farming transactions, although not escaping the 
 common lot of man in meeting with some reverses. 
 On the 17th of April, 1885, his dwelling was de- 
 stroj'ed by fire, involving a total loss with all its 
 contents, as he had no insurance. The clothing and 
 personal effects of the family shared the same fate, 
 and Mr. Oden had not even a coat to his back. 
 The house was rebuilt, and from the proceeds of 
 the farm he realizes a handsome income. 
 
 ylLLIAM M. YOUNG, Postmaster of Blue 
 Springs, and also following the profession 
 of an auctioneer, operates likewise as ''mine 
 host" of the Central Hotel, which he owns, together 
 with residence property, and other real estate in the 
 city. He has built up the record of an honest man 
 and a good citizen, and is widely and favorably 
 known as one of the most useful and worthy resi- 
 dents of this county. 
 
4 
 
 r)38 
 
 f 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Our subject is of excellent Pennsylvania stock, 
 his fatlier, Josepii Young;, having been born in that 
 State in 1800. lie removed with his brother at 
 an early age to Trumbull County, Ohio, where he 
 was educated and reared to manhood. Upon 
 reaching his raajorit}' he took up his residence in 
 Brown County, and followed boating on the river 
 for a time, after which he engaged in farming. In 
 the fall of 1828 he was united in mariiage with 
 Miss Mary Moore, and they removed to Johnson 
 County, Ind., settling upon a tract of Govrn- 
 ment land. After some iiBprovements the father 
 sold out, secured other land, and repeated the ex- 
 periment of buying, improving and selling, until he 
 became owner of one of the best farms in that re- 
 gion, and where he lived until 1853. 
 
 The father of our subject in the year mentioned 
 crossed the Mississippi, and purchased an improved 
 farm of 220 acres, upon which he laliored, adding 
 to its value, until 18G2. Then selling out once 
 more he returned to his place in Indiana, of whjch 
 he regained possession, and there spent the remain- 
 der of his life, passing away on the 8th of Ai)ril, 
 1871. He was prominent and [lopular among the 
 people of that region, an honest, hard-working man, 
 ever ready to perform his dut}', whether at home in 
 his family or among his neighbors. A member of 
 the Presbyterian Church at Shiloh since its organi- 
 zation, he continued its liberal supporter until the 
 close of his life, and was foremost in the enterprises 
 calculated to built up morality and religion. The 
 jiarcntal household included ten children, nine of 
 whom are still living, and residents mostly of the 
 United States. 
 
 Mrs. Mary Young, the mother of our subject, 
 was born in Brown County, Ohio, in 1807. and 
 lived there until her marriage. She was a devoted 
 wife, a tender mother and faithful friend. After a 
 life spent in doing good she passed from earth at 
 her home, Aug. 25, 1866. She was the daughter 
 of Jonathan Moore, of Brown County, Ohio, where 
 he settled in the pioneer da3's, engaged in farming 
 and freighting, and from the uncultivated soil built 
 up a good farm and provided a comfortable home 
 for his family, which included sixteen children. 
 The great-grandfather of William M. "1 ouiig was one 
 of three brothers who emigrated from Ireland, proba- 
 
 bly during the Colonial days. One went South and 
 one settled in Maryland. The other settled in 
 Pennsylvania, and from him sprang this branch of 
 the family. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born on the old 
 Young homestead in Johnson County, Ind., Nov. 
 2, 1833, and there lived with his parents until 
 reaching manhood. After the removal of the 
 family to losva, William M. taught school winters, 
 and farmed in summer, and when prepared to es- 
 tablish a home of his own was united in marriage 
 with Miss Sarah E. Kiikiiatrick, Jan. 5, 1855. 
 This union was lilessed 1)3' the birth of seven chil- 
 dren, of whom onl^- three are living — Alma Belle, 
 George W. and Edgar H. Mr. Young continued 
 farming upon a large tract of land which he pur- 
 chased in Iowa, and where he lived until 1875. 
 He was then em[)loyed in a hardware store a' year, 
 after which he went back to his farm and lived un- 
 til 1881. In the winter of that year he sold out, 
 and purchased 160 acres of land in Sicil^y Town- 
 ship, Gage County, which he began to improve and 
 later sold, investing a portion of his capital in 
 real estate in Blue S|)rings. 
 
 One strong motive for the removal of Mr. Young 
 to the town was that he might give to his children 
 the advantages not to be olttained in the country. 
 He kept hotel and was variously occupied until 
 the spring of 1886, when he received the appoint- 
 ment of Postmaster, and assumed charge of the 
 office on the 6th of Februaiy. He has discharged 
 the duties connected therewith in a creditable and 
 satisfactorj" manner, and manifested his usual cour- 
 tes.v of demeanor in his dealings with the public. 
 
 Mr. Young, jjoliticall}', is a stanch Democrat, 
 and in the Hawke3'e State officiated as Deputy 
 Sheriff. He has served as School Director twelve 
 3-ears in succession, and with his famil3- belongs to 
 the Presbyterian Church, of which he has been a 
 member since a youth of eighteen years. 
 
 Mrs. Sarah Young was born in Decatur County, 
 Ind., Aug. 29, 1833, and lived there with her 
 parents until a young lad3' of twent3' 3'ears. Thence 
 she removed with them to Jefferson County', lona, 
 where they settled on a farm and where she 
 was married. She departed this life Sept. 25, 1875. 
 She was a woman of many amiable qualities, be- 
 
X 
 
Wi 
 
 Ai 
 
 1 
 
 '-'%.. 
 
 
 ^.a-^ 
 
 (^04^qJ&U^, Jv^, 
 
,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 541 
 
 \ 
 
 loved by her famil}- and respected by all who knew 
 her. 
 
 John K. Kiik|)atrifk, the father of Mrs. Young, 
 ^vas a native of Kentucky, whence he removed 
 to Indiana. He there married Miss Frances Tack- 
 ett, and engaged in farming, continuing a resi- 
 dent of the Hoosier State until the fall of 1853. 
 The household circle was completed by the birth 
 of eight children, and the mother passed away at 
 the homestead in Iowa, in 1862. The parents 
 were members of the Presbyterian Church, in which 
 the father officiated as Elder for many years. 
 
 The eldest daughter of our subject. Alma Belle, 
 became the wife of J. M. Hinkle, a practicing 
 attornej- of Fairfield, Iowa, and is the mother of 
 one child, a daughter Clara Dell. George Washing- 
 ton is a conductor on the Burlington <fe Missouri 
 River Railroad, and makes his home at W3'more, 
 this count3"; he married Miss Jennie Snook, of Fair- 
 field, Iowa, and the^' have one child, a daughter, 
 Vida. Edgar H., a conductor on the same road as 
 his brother, married Miss Alice Bacon, of Blue 
 Springs, and they are living at Wymore. 
 
 On the 17th of September, 1880, Mr. Y'oung was 
 the second time married, to Miss Elizabeth Job, 
 then a resident of Fairfield, Iowa. She was born 
 in Guilford County, N. C, Aug. 18, 1835, and 
 lived there until the fall of 1878, when she re- 
 moved alone to Iowa. Her father, Thomas Job, a 
 ver^- intelligent and capable man, was a farmer by 
 occupation, and also taught school during his 
 younger years. He died at his home 'n North 
 Carolina, in March, 1881. Tiie mother is still liv- 
 ing, and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. 
 Y'oung. 
 
 I EY. THOMAS QUICK, Rector of St. Joseph's 
 Church at Beatrice, and whose portrait is 
 (ii ^\ on the opposite page, was born in the county 
 ^of Lancashire, England, Nov. 17, 1833. 
 His education, begun in his native shire, was com- 
 pleted in one of the best schools of Belgium. 
 Father Quick is the founder of the Boys' and Girls' 
 Orphan Industrial School. This institution is lo- 
 cated in Manchester, England ; it is one of the 
 largest schools of the kind in England, and is very 
 
 popular, and the means of furnishing homes to 
 thousands of orphans, giving to them that moral 
 and religious training by which thej' grow up to be 
 useful and worthj^ citizens. 
 
 Owing to excessive labor for a period of twenty 
 j-ears the health of Father (Juiek became seriously 
 impaired, and he was advised by his friends and 
 physician to seek the climate of the country on 
 this side of the Atlantic. He reached New York 
 City in the fall of 1885, and thence proceeded 
 South to Georgia, whence, after a sojourn of three 
 months, he came to this State bj' invitation of the 
 Bishop of Omaha, and while in that city decided to 
 settle in Beatrice. To the latter town he came in 
 May, 1886, and assumed charge of St. Joseph's 
 Church. This religious body now comprises about 
 180 families, and under the administration of the 
 present pastor the church building has lieen en- 
 larged to twice its former size, and a school has 
 been opened numbering 100 pupils. In the mean- 
 time also Father Quick completed n church in Cort- 
 land twenty miles distant, and presented it to the 
 Bishop free of debt. He is honored and revered 
 by the Irish generall}', on account of having been 
 confessor to the three Manchester martyrs, Allen, 
 Larkin and O'Brien, and stood on the scaffold with 
 them when they died. His sj'mpathies are warmlj' 
 with the Irish cause, and when we say this it is 
 sufficient recommendation of the broad and catholic 
 spirit characteristic of the man. Not onl}' in his 
 own parish does be possess the universal friendship 
 of his people, but in the community at large he is 
 highly- respected for his erudition and the higher 
 traits of character which he has uniformly exhibited. 
 
 <^-^!^-^ 
 
 4^K- 
 
 <«»«?-• 
 
 ERRY WALKER, the well-known Super- 
 ill visor of Paddock Township, is the son of 
 Peter Walker, who was born in Somerset 
 County, Pa., in 1776. The maiden name 
 of his mother was Charlotte Roamsperk, a native 
 of Frederick County, Md. The}' settled in Somer- 
 set Count}', Pa., and there continued to make their 
 
 •• ^ w ^ ' 
 
« ► i r^ 
 
 t 
 
 542 
 
 GAGE CUINTY. 
 
 4 
 
 home until their death. They were the parents of 
 ten children, all of whom lived to years of maturity. 
 Our f^ubject was the youngest child, and was born 
 in Brothers Valley, now Summit Township, Somer- 
 set Co., Pa., on the 23d of January, 1817. 
 
 From his earliest years oiir suliject was intrusted 
 with little tasks and duties, which were increased as 
 he advanced in years and experience, and later 
 supplemented b^' the lessons of the school. After 
 completing his education in the usual institution 
 he continued upon the old homestead until he was 
 twenty-seven years of age. He tlien took a farm 
 of his own, and operated the same successfull}' until 
 he was about thirty, when he was elected Superin- 
 tendent of the County Poor House, and held the 
 same for eight years. He was also engaged in 
 mercantile pursuits for some years, and in the year 
 1858 was elected Sheriff of his native countj-, served 
 three years, and for one other term served as 
 Deputy- Sheriff in the absence of the gentleman 
 elected. 
 
 In the year 1864 Mr. Walker removed to Dixon, 
 111., and engaged in superintending the work of his 
 farm, which was situated not far from the city. 
 While there he served two years upon the Board 
 of Aldermen, and for two j-ears as Street Commis- 
 sioner. He was also elected and served two terms 
 as Marshal. He made his home in Dixon for a lit- 
 tle over thirteen years, but in the fall of 1887 re- 
 moved to this county, and settled upon the site of 
 what is now tiiecity of Odell. During the Garfield 
 administration he was appointed Postmaster, and 
 held the office for about three years. In 1887 he 
 was elected Supervisor of Paddock Township, and 
 has continued to hold that office. He has also 
 served upon the City Councmand has t.aken deep 
 interest in matters of schools and education. 
 
 While still resident in his native county our 
 subject was united in marriage, on the 11th of No- 
 vember, 1838, with Miss Lydia Miller, born in 
 the same district, Sept. 22, 1817, and a daughter 
 of Abram and Mar3' Miller, both of whom lived 
 and died in Somerset Count}'. The home of our 
 subject has been rendered more completely attract- 
 ive and happy by the birth of a son, who h.as 
 been named Charles, and is now a prosperous manu- 
 facturer and resident in Sedalia, Mo. 
 
 -♦• 
 
 Our subject is the owner of several pieces of 
 valuable property- in Odell. In 1887 he was chosen 
 Postmaster in the State Senate, during the 1887 
 session. He has been a lifelong member of the 
 Republican party, and always votes its ticket. As 
 a citizen and officer our subject is very highlj' es- 
 teemed by the community at large, as well as by 
 those who are more intimately acquainted with him. 
 
 R. CIIARI.es C, GAFFORD is a leading 
 and prominent physician and surgeon in 
 Wymore. His father, Joseph Gafford, was 
 born in Baltimore, Md.. in 1822. He re- 
 ceived a commcm-school education in the city of 
 his birth, and while still a young man he went to 
 LaFayette, Ind., where he was for mauj' years en- 
 gaged in the furniture business. In 1873 he re- 
 moved with his family to Wliite Cloud, Kan., 
 where he continued in the same business until about 
 1880. when he bought a farm eight miles north of 
 Hiawatha, Kan., on which he still lives. He mar- 
 ried Miss Dorcas Sherwoo<l, and to them have been 
 born eleven children, ten of whom are still living, 
 viz: William, Delia, Anna, Alvin, Charles C. (our 
 subject), Elizabeth, John, George, James and Daniel. 
 Dr. Gafford was born on the 3d of April, 1860, 
 in Des Moines, Iowa, and when he was a small child 
 his parents moved to Rensselaer, Ind., thence to 
 Burlington, Kan,, and .again, to AVhite Cloud. In 
 Burlington our subject began the pursuit of his 
 education, supplementing it with a High School 
 course at White Cloud, after which he began the 
 study of medicine in the year 1877 with Dr. J. 
 Bussing, of Hiawatha, Kan. He took a course of 
 lectures in 1879-80, and another course in 1880-81, 
 at Keokuk, Iowa, being graduated on the 3d of 
 March in the class of '81. 
 
 Immediatelj' after his graduation our subject 
 came to Wymore and began the practice of his 
 profession, where he continued for two years, when 
 he completed his professional knowledge by a 
 course at the New York Polyclinic in the spring of 
 1883. Then he returned to Wjmorc, and has con- 
 tinued his practice up to tlie present time, having 
 become a prominent surgeon in this vicinity, also 
 
 m^ 
 
.f 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 543 
 
 being the surgeon for the Biir]ington & Missouri 
 River Railroad, and examiner for all the old-tiiue 
 insurance companies doing business in Wymore. 
 
 Dr. Gafford was elected to the State Legislature 
 in 1886, on the Republican ticket, serving as Chair- 
 man of the Committee on Asylums, also on the 
 Committee of Labor, his term as yet unexpired. 
 He is quite a j'oung man, and has an excellent 
 beginning for a life of prominence and usefulness. 
 Mrs. Gafford was formerly Miss Mary Fenton, of 
 Randolph, N. Y. 
 
 j|/_^ ENRY WILLLVMSON has for five ye.irs 
 been Justice of the Peace iu Glenwood 
 Township. He is a son of John William- 
 son, who was born in Ireland, and Margaret 
 (Uhl) Williamson, who was a native of Pennsyl- 
 vania. His father emigrated to America a number 
 of years ago, and at the time of the Civil War he 
 enlitsted in Company A, 75th Illinois Infantry. In 
 the battle of Mission Ridge he was taken prisoner 
 and thrown into Libb\' Prison, in which place he 
 died in November, 18(53. The mother died in Car- 
 roll. Carroll Co., Iowa, on the 31st of January, 
 1887. The3' had a family of six children. 
 
 Our subject was born in Dixon, Lee Co., 111., on 
 the 6th of December, 185.5. He spent his early 
 life in the town of his nativity-, and was about 
 eight years old when his father died, after which 
 gad event he went to live with his uncle on a farm, 
 a little distance from the city. He remained with 
 his uncle until he became twenty-one years of age, 
 and then took a course of instruction in Baylies 
 Business College, at Keokuk, Iowa. He again re- 
 turned to Dixon and remained for about six months, 
 and he. then went to Carroll, in Iowa, at which 
 place he was eng.iged in buying grain and selling 
 coal. For two years he engaged in that busi- 
 ness, and in the spring of 1 880 he came to this 
 county and settled on section 30, Glenwood Town- 
 ship, where he owns 160 acres of land. He h:is 
 erected good and comfortable buildings, and is well 
 supplied with modern conveniences in the way of 
 agricultural implements and articles of general 
 utility which so much facilitate the work on a farm. 
 
 He h.is improved the land until it is in a fine state 
 of cultivation, and it is devoted to the purposes of 
 general farming and stock-raising. 
 
 On the 1st of April, 1881, our subject was mar- 
 ried in this township to Miss Nellie A. Faxon, a 
 daughter of John W. and Asenath (Olds) Faxon, 
 who are old and esteemed citizens here. She was 
 born in Whiteside County, III., on the 21st of Feb- 
 ruary, 1859, and is the mother of two children — 
 George F. and John H. Our subject was first 
 elected Justice of the Peace in the fall of 1883, 
 and he has so admirably discharged the duties of 
 that office that he has continued in the same ca- 
 pacity until the present time. He is among the 
 number of enterprising men who realize the ad- 
 vantage of learning in all the walks of life, and 
 has been prominently connected with the manage- 
 ment of the schools in his township, having served 
 as Director. He is a member of Jasper Lodge, A. 
 F. & A. M., of Odell. and is heartily in favor of 
 the administration of the Republican party. His 
 family are well situated and enjoy the respect of 
 all the residents of the community. 
 
 ^ ^3^ — 
 
 <^ I^ILLIAM TATGE, dece.ased. This gen- 
 
 ¥ 
 
 tleman was one of those who came from 
 beyond the seas to this freer country, with 
 its larger opportunities, more promising outlook 
 and happier institutions. He was born upon the 
 9th of April, 1839, in Germany, and spent the 
 years prior to his manhood in his native countrj', 
 where also he received his education and instruc- 
 tion in his chosen occupation. He was about twenty- 
 seven years of age when he determined to take his 
 journey to the great country of which he had 
 heard so much, and which seemed to be a very 
 Eldorado. 
 1 Upon landing in the New World our subject 
 went at once to Bremer County, Iowa, and speedilj' 
 found work as a laborer, by which he was enabled 
 to save sufficient to begin farming upon his own 
 account after about eighteen months. Upon the 
 26th of Januar}'. 1868, in the same count\% he was 
 united in marriage with Mi.ss Emma Meier, who 
 was, like himself, a native of Germany, in which 
 
 ■«► i <• 
 
« ► i r^ 
 
 " ^ ► ^ 1 1 < • 
 
 544, 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 country she was born on the 10th of December, 
 1848. She was seventeen years of age when she 
 came to the United States. It was her misfortune 
 and sorrow to be bereaved of her mother while 3'et 
 in her seventh year, and when she came to this 
 country she did so alone, leaving her father and 
 step-mother in the old home. She came believing 
 that in America she could make a better success of 
 life than by remaining on the other side. Upon 
 landing she proceeded at once to Iowa, and it was 
 not long before she made the acquaintance of our 
 subject, with the above-mentioned result. They 
 concluded to trj' their fortune in Nebraska, and re- 
 moved hither in the year 1873. purchasing 240 
 acres in Blakeh' Township, and lived upon it for 
 about seven years, improving it and bringing it to 
 a high state of cultivation. He then sold out, and 
 purchased 320 acres of new land, and set to work 
 to bring it to as perfect a state of cultivation as pos- 
 sible. This is the place of residence of Mrs. Tatge 
 and her family. It was not long before this farm 
 began to sliow signs that tliere was back of the 
 activities at work upon it u mind and strength 
 determined to achieve the conquest of the original 
 condition of things and the institution of a higher 
 cultivation. A very pleasant home and beautiful 
 farm are the result, for our subject was a si)lendid 
 farmer, and, withal, a hard worker, and as a result, 
 as his high moral character and genial, liberal spirit 
 became known by his new neighbors, he was 
 greatly admired and respected. His last sickness 
 and death resulted from rheumatic trouble con- 
 tracted in the old country', and which led him down 
 into the -'Valley of Death" on the 25th of .January, 
 1885. 
 
 Since the death of her husband Mrs. Tatge has 
 taken the reins of government of both farm and 
 household into her own hands, and has relied 
 entirely upon her own resources, with tlie gratify- 
 ing result that there are few farms better managed 
 or more successfully operated than that upon sec- 
 tion 8 of Blakely Township, a fact wliich speaks 
 volumes regarding her mental powers, intelligence 
 and ability. She is the mother of seven children, 
 two of whom, William and Henry, are deceased. 
 Those who are still living are: Caroline, the wife of 
 Mr. Fred Vieselmeyer, a farmer in Colorado; John, 
 
 Frederick, Emma and Ida. Mrs. Tatge and her 
 famil_v are members in good standing in the Luth- 
 eran Church, into which they were introduced, and 
 in which tiiej' have continued, since the earliest days 
 of life. 
 
 This deeply' interesting family have received the 
 most hearty sympatlij^ and esteem of the commu- 
 nity, and are in every way worthy thereof. They 
 have exhibited a brave and noble spirit in all that 
 has been undertaken and effected since the death 
 of our subject, which affliction was borne with the 
 utmost patience and resignation. 
 
 %->!*■ ^- 
 
 -^ 
 
 ^^EORGE B. REYNOLDS, one of the most 
 III g— , successful general farmers of Lincoln Town- 
 ^^^ ship, is pleasantly located on section 15, 
 where he owns and oper.ates 160 'acres of good 
 land. He came to Lincoln Township from Beatrice 
 in the spring of 1883, locating upon a farm which 
 had no improvements, and has since Industriously 
 em|)loyed his time cultivating the soil, putting up 
 the necessarj^ buildings, and effecting the improve- 
 ments which have transformed it into one of the 
 most desirable homesteads of this region. With 
 genuine enterprise and good taste he has planted a 
 grove of maple trees adjacent to his dwelling, 
 which in due time will add greatly to the beauty 
 and value of the property. His stock and farm 
 machinery are highly creditable to his enterprise 
 and good judgment, and as a business man and 
 citizen he is looked upon as one of the important 
 factors of his community. 
 
 Prior to settling upon this farm Mr. Reyno'ds 
 had been engaged in mercantile business at Bea- 
 trice for a period of fourteen years. During that 
 time he dealt in general merchandise, carrying a 
 large stock of the articles most generallj' in use at 
 the farm and in the village household. His straight- 
 forward methods of doing business gained for him 
 a large patronage, and he there laid the founda- 
 tions of the success which has uniformly attended 
 liim. He became a resident of this State in the 
 fall of 1868, emigrating across the Mississippi from 
 Sullivan County, N. Y'., where his birth took place on 
 the 19th of August, 1834. There his boj'hood and 
 
 t 
 
I 
 
 -<•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 bio 
 
 i~ 
 
 j-outli were passed upon a farm, and he became 
 familiar with agricultural pursuits, which he fol- 
 lowed during his early manhood. 
 
 Andrew Reynolds, the father of our subject, also 
 a native of the Empire State, was born in Orange 
 County, where he lived until twenty years of age. 
 Then starting out for himself, he cast his lot among 
 tlie pioneers of Sullivan Count}', that State, taking 
 ui) a tract of land in the woods, and building 
 thereon a comfortable homestead. In that county 
 he was also married to Miss Catherine Van Ben- 
 schoten. This lady was of German ancestry, but 
 a native of New York State, and the daughter of 
 Garrett Van Beuschoten, who had served as a sol- 
 dier in the Revolutionar}' War, and spent his last 
 days in New York. 
 
 The parents of our subject began life together 
 among the early settlers of Sullivan County, N. Y., 
 which continued their home until they departed 
 hence. The father engaged in farming his entire 
 life. The homestead is located in Fallsburg Town- 
 ship, and there the parents passed from earth, the 
 father in 187G, at the age of eight\'-four years, and 
 the mother in 1877, aged eighty-three. They were 
 most excellent and worthy people, and members in 
 good standing of the Baptist Church. The house- 
 hold circle included live sons and three daughters, 
 three of whom are living, and of whom George B., 
 our subject, was the youngest son. 
 
 !Mr. Reynolds attended the pioneer schools of his 
 native county when a boj", and later became a 
 student of the institute at Bethany, Pa. He was a 
 j-outh of more than ordinary intelligence, fond of 
 his books, and at the earl}' age of eighteen j'ears 
 began teaching, at which he was engaged several 
 years during the winter seasons. At the age of 
 twenty-four years he was married in the county of 
 his birth, Dec. 28, 1858, to Miss Stella B. Sherwood. 
 This lady was born in Liberty, Sullivan Co., N. Y., 
 Aug. 22, 1837, and is the eldest daughter of 
 Bradley B. and Eliza (Burr) Sherwood, who were 
 natives of Counecticut, and who came to this State 
 about 1^80. The mother died in Beatrice in the 
 fall of 1887, when past seventy years of age. The 
 father, aged nearly eighty, is still living, and makes 
 bis home with his daughter, Mrs. Henry Randall, 
 of Beatrice. The parents unitetl with the Trcsby- 
 
 4* 
 
 terian Cluirch early iu life, and as members of tlie 
 community performed well their part. 
 
 Mrs. Reynolds was reared in Liberty Township, 
 Sullivan Co., N. Y., where she pursued her first 
 lessons in the district school, and later became a 
 student of a higher school at Pleasant Mount, Wayne 
 Co., Pa. Like her husband she possesses rare in- 
 telligence, and as a member of society and the 
 mother of a family is fully equal to the duties of 
 her high position. Jlr. and Mrs. Reynolds con- 
 tinued residents of their native county in New 
 Y''ork State until 1868, when they came with their 
 sou to Nebraska, and settling in Beatrice, remained 
 there until after the birth of two children. Thence 
 they removed to their present home iu Lincoln 
 Townsliip. The}' have now but three children liv- 
 ing. The eldest, Nathan, married Miss Emma Per- 
 kins, and is now editor and proprietor of the 
 Tecumseh Republican, having been connected with 
 the State Journal at Lincoln for some time; Gil- 
 bert and Stella are at home. The latter is teach- 
 ing, and the former managing the farm. William 
 died at the age of four years. Mr. and Mrs. Rey- 
 nolds are connected with the Presbyterian Church at 
 Beatrice. Mr. R. is a stanch Republican ijolitically, 
 takes an active part in local politics, and has served 
 as Chairman of the Countj' Central Committee for 
 some time. While a resident of Beatrice he was 
 elected City Treasurer, serving creditably, and since 
 coming to Lincoln Township has also served as 
 Township Treasurer. As an efficient and capable 
 man, he has fulfilled all the duties of life in the 
 most praiseworthy manner, and enjoys the esteem 
 and confidence of all who know him. 
 
 '*^. 
 
 ■^^^^i^^k^^^T^^f^^--^ 
 
 DWARD G. WALTHER, City Clerk of Blue 
 
 E Springs, also conducts a prosperous saddlery 
 and harness business, doing his own manu- 
 facturing, ajid enjoying a good patronage. He 
 came to this city on the Sth of July, 1881, and for 
 four years was employed at his trade in diflfcrent 
 places. He established in business on his own 
 account in December, 1885, and enjoys a monopoly, 
 having the only harness store in tlie i)lace. He is 
 straightforward and methodical in his business trans- 
 

 546 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 actions, nnd a man in wluin the people Lave 
 abundant confidence. 
 
 Ricliard "Waltlier, the father of our subject, was 
 born on the otlier side of the Atlantic in Saxonj', 
 Germany, on the -27th of August. 1839, and left 
 the Fatherland with his father when a lad ten j-ears 
 of age. The family settled near AVatertown, Wis., 
 where the father first occupied himself in farming, 
 but later engaged in mercantile l)usiness. There 
 our subject pursued his first studies, and upon ap- 
 proaching manhood served an apprenticeship at the 
 harness trade. Later he established himself in busi- 
 ness at Hustisford, where he operated until 1868. 
 In the meantime he had been married, and now 
 crossing the Mississippi came to this State, settling 
 first in Plattsmouth. where he lived until 1870. He 
 then changed his residence to Franklin County, 
 taking up 1 60 acres of land. There he engaged 
 extensively in hunting and trapping, which was at 
 that time a very lucrative employment. In time, 
 however, the tide of immigration served to reduce 
 the number of fur-bearing animals, and in 1873 
 Mr. Walther abandoned his business as a trapper, 
 and engaged in farming and the milling business. 
 In 1880, with his son, he lemoved to Cedar Rapids, 
 Iowa, and resumed harness-making. From there, a 
 3'ear later, he came to Blue Springs, establishing 
 the shop which he conducted until 188.'i, when he 
 sold out to his son, E. G., our subject, and went to 
 Florida, and engaged in fruit-growing and general 
 farming. In 1888 he returned, and located in 
 Brunswick, Mo., and is engaged in the harness 
 business. 
 
 While a resident of Wisconsin Mr. Richard Wal- 
 ther was united in marriage with one of his own 
 countrywomen, Miss Antonio Yahr, and they be- 
 came the parents of five children, Edward G. being 
 the only son. Two of his sisters are now in Gage 
 County, Neb., and two in Wisconsin. The mother 
 died at her home in Hustisford in 18G9, and the 
 father married again. He was a man prominent in 
 the affairs of his community, serving as Justice of 
 the Peace, and after coming to Nebraska was 
 greatly interested in its advancement and progress. 
 As one of its pioneer settlers, and a man in all 
 respects worth}', he was held in the highest esteem. 
 He was the incumbent of the various school offices 
 
 of his township, and gave his support and encour- 
 agement to those projects calculated for its advance- 
 ment and prosperit}-. ■ 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in Hustisford, 
 Wis., July 10, 1862, and was a little lad of seven 
 j-ears when he came with his sister to Plattsmouth, 
 Neb. He was cared for by strangers until the sec- 
 ond marriage of his father, in 1872, when he went 
 to live with him in Franklin County. There he 
 remained until he was nineteen jears old, serving 
 an apprenticeship at the harness business, and upon 
 leaving home was employed at different places until 
 188o. He then purchased the business of his father 
 in Blue Springs, where ho has since been established, 
 and is now on the highway to prosperity. He is 
 popular among his townsmen, and a member in 
 good standing of the I. O. O. F. 
 
 The mother of our subject was born in Germany, 
 and was the daughter of Ernest Yahr, a n.itive of 
 the same locality, and of pure German ancestrj'. 
 The family crossed the Atlantic when their daugh- 
 ter Antonio was a child of eleven 3'ears, and set- 
 tling on a farm in Dodge County, Wis., remained 
 there with them until her marriage. In the Father- 
 land Ernest Yahr was employed as a woolen manu- 
 facturer, but upon coming to this country' engaged 
 in farm pursuits. He departed this life about 1882. 
 His excellent wife had preceded him to the silent 
 land in about 1 844. They were most worthy peo- 
 ple, and members in good standing of the German 
 Lutheran Church. The father and his sons im- 
 proved a fine farm from the wilderness of Dodge 
 County, Wis., and the latter .are now numbered 
 among its best citizens. Politically, Mr. Walther 
 atliliates with the Republican party. 
 
 ^ l*;ILLIAM G. WASHBURN, Secretary and 
 \rJ// Treasurer of the Beatrice Sewer Pipe 
 ^/^ Company, is a native of Maine, and was 
 born in Calais, Washington County, May 26, 1851. 
 He lived there with his parents, George and Eliza 
 (Gilmor) Washburn, until a lad of thirteen years. 
 George Washburn, father of William G., was Cap- 
 tain of Company K, 12lh Maine Regiment, and 
 served during the late war, mostl}' under command 
 
 •^ 
 
I 
 
 -4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 547 
 
 of Gen. Butler. He died at Honlton. Me.. April 15. 
 1883; the mother is still living, making her home 
 with our subject. Their famil}' consisted of six 
 children, three sons and three daughters. The eld- 
 est daughter, Emily W., died Feb. 24, 1884; two 
 brothers, Charles Fremont and George A., reside in 
 Gage Countj-, this Slate: Marj- E., single, and Julia 
 C, the wife of Horace Waite, are residents of Boston. 
 The father was a native of Kennebec County, Me., 
 and the mother of Belfast, Ireland. 
 
 When William G. was thirteen his p.arents changed 
 their residence to Honlton, Aroostook County. There 
 our subject attended school and continued until a 
 3'outh of nineteen years, being occupied when not 
 at his studies as the assistant of his father in his 
 flouring-mill and on his farm. He completed his 
 studies at Houlton Academy Jn Maine, and then 
 leaving his native State went to the town of Holy- 
 oke, Mass., where he was employed bj' the lumber 
 firm of Wiggin & Flagg, with whom he remained 
 five and one-half years. In Maj', 1872, we find 
 him in Chicago, 111., and the employe of S. K. Mar- 
 tin, a lumber dealer, as traveling agent; he was 
 thus occupied until 1876. Then, returning to Mas- 
 sachusetts, he engaged with a Boston lumber firm, 
 handling their material on commission, and was 
 connected with the lumber trade at the Hub until 
 in December, 1878. 
 
 In Januarj', 1879, Mr. Washburn formed a part- 
 nership vvith S. K. Martin, of Chicago, and they 
 established a lumber business in Beatrice, where they 
 operated together until January, 1888; at tiiat time 
 they closed out the j-ard at Beatrice and Mr. Wash- 
 burn disposed of his lumber interests. In the mean- 
 time they established branch yards at Wymore and 
 Libertj' ; the two latter are being managed by the 
 brothers of Mr. Washburn for S. K. Martin & Co. 
 The Beatrice Sewer Pipe Company was incorpo- 
 rated in 1884 and began business in 1885, and our 
 subject was one of the original stockholders. On 
 the 25th of May, 1887, he was elected Secretary, 
 and in 1888 Treasurer, which position he holds at 
 the present time. The factory is located half a 
 mile south of the citj', although within the corpo- 
 rate limits. It furnishes employment to fort3'men. 
 Mr. Washburn devotes his entire time to the busi- 
 ness, and is considered the proper man for the place 
 
 he occupies. They have built up a large and grow- 
 ing trade and the output is of a superior quality. 
 
 One of the most important events in the life of 
 our subject was his marriage, April 15, 1881, his 
 bride being Miss Flora E., daughter of D. O. and 
 Julia A. (Peabody) Wight, of Boston, Mass. Of 
 this union there have been born four children, 
 namely: Edward Wight, Jessie Beatrice, Arthur 
 Wendell and Edna Gilmor. Mr. Washburn repre- 
 sented the First Ward as Alderman for a period of 
 four years, and is an ex-President of the Board of 
 Trade. Politically, he is an uncompromising Dem- 
 ocrat. 
 
 "' ' % ' ^ *t L ' 1 ' %" '" 
 
 UGUST VONDERFECHT. The subject of 
 this sketch, a man in the prime of life and 
 midst of his usefulness, occupies a promi- 
 nent position as a leading farmer and stock- 
 raiser of Ciatonia Township, where he has lived for 
 the last twelve years. He has built up from a tract 
 of wild land a valuable farm, and is numbered 
 among the well-to-do citizens who have made their 
 mark in Gage County as men of industry and intel- 
 ligence. 
 
 Our subject first opened his ej'cs on the other 
 side of the Atlantic, in the Province of Hanover, 
 Germany, March 24, 1847. His parents were John 
 and Sophia (Long) Vonderfecht, and he was their 
 youngest son. Their famih' included nine children, 
 three of whom are living; two are residents of G.age 
 County and one of Germany. The father died 
 about 1886; the mother is in Germanj\ 
 
 Young Vonderfecht received a practical educa- 
 tion in his native countr}', and early in life became 
 familiar with agricultural pursuits. In the early 
 part of 1866, determining to seek his fortunes on 
 the Western Continent, he embarked on a sailing- 
 vessel from the port of Bremen, and after a tedious 
 voyage of eleven weeks and one day, he set foot 
 upon American soil in tl\e city of New York. Dur- 
 ing the voyage they had run out of provisions and 
 about a third of the piissengers were thrown over- 
 board, and the balance were half starved upon 
 their arrival at their journey's end. Our subject 
 proceeded directly to Tazewell County, 111., where 
 he was employed three years as a fann laborer, and 
 
 i 
 
 f 
 
i 
 
 -^- 
 
 -•► 
 
 548 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 with a small amount of money which he had man- 
 aged to save, now started for Nebraska. He first 
 homesteaded eighty acres of land on section 34 in 
 Buda Precinct. Lancaster County, upon which he 
 resided six years. Not being quite satisfied with 
 the result of his labors there, he resolved to change 
 his residence, and accordingly settled on the land 
 which he now occupies, and which is pleasantly lo- 
 cated on section 20. Here he now has 240 acres, 
 all of which he has brought to a productive condi- 
 tion. He has also erected substantial buildings and 
 surrounded himself and family with those comforts 
 and conveniences indispensable to the happiness of 
 the modern .igriculturist. 
 
 Our subject, while a resident of Tazewell County, 
 111., was united in marriage with Miss Maggie Hel- 
 ler, and they are now the parents of five interesting 
 children, three sons and two daughters; they are 
 all living and named respectively: William H.; 
 Emma Sophia, born Jan. 1, 1872; Lena, April 13, 
 1873; Edward, July 31, 1877, and Ernst. April 3, 
 1884. Mr. Vonderfecht is Democratic is politics, 
 and a member in good standing of the Lutheran 
 Church. He occupies the position of Moderator in 
 bis school district, is quite prominent in local affairs, 
 and a man whose opinions are uniformly respected. 
 
 -^tS^OSc-i- 
 
 # 
 
 4 
 
 \^^ ANIEL MOSCHEL, a leading German 
 farmer of Lincoln Township, owns and oc- 
 cupies 160 acres of land, which he has 
 brought to a good state of cultivation, and 
 upon which he has erected a substantial set of frame 
 buildings. A view of the homeste.ad is presented 
 on an adjoining page. In addition to general agri- 
 culture he gives considerable attention to stock-rais- 
 ing, keeping a goodly assortment of cattle, horses and 
 swine. He possesses the true thrift and industry 
 which are national characteristics of his race, and is 
 one of the most peaceable and law-abiding citizens 
 in this community. 
 
 Our subject came to this township in 1882, re- 
 moving from the vicinitj- of Beatrice, where he had 
 a farm of eighty acres which he impioved from the 
 raw prairie, lie first set foot upon the soil of Ne- 
 4« 
 
 braska in 1876, and the greater part of that time 
 has been a resident of Gage Count3-. A native of 
 the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germ.any, he was born on 
 the 17th of March, 1854, and came to the United 
 States with his mother, Marg.Tret (Shantz) Moschel, 
 his father. Christian Moschel, having died in his 
 native Germany when Daniel was a child of eight- 
 een months. The widowed mother brought all her 
 children with her, and the}' located first in Tazewell 
 County, 111., where they maintained themselves by 
 farming, and where the}- lived until crossing the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 The mother of our subject died near the city of 
 Beatrice at the age of seventj'-four years, Oct. 
 4, 1876. Both parents belonged to the Protestant 
 Church. Daniel is the youngest of seven living 
 children, and acquired his education chiefly in the 
 schools of Tazewell Countj-, 111. He was earlj' in 
 life made acquainted with hard labor, and thus 
 formed those habits of industry which have re- 
 sulted in his ultimate success. After coming to this 
 county he was married in Lincoln Township, Oct. 
 0, 1878, to Miss Sophia Knoche. Mrs. Moschel 
 was born in Illinois, Jan. 5, 1860, and is the daugh- 
 ter of Christopher Knoche, a sketch of whom 
 appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Knoche left 
 Illinois in 1870, and taking up his abode in this 
 county eng.iged in farming. The parents are now 
 residents of Gage County. 
 
 Mr. Moschel and his wife began the journey of 
 life together in Midland Township, and worked in 
 harmony to build up a homestead. Their union has 
 been blessed by the birth of sis children, one of whom 
 died in infancy, and another, whom they named 
 Clara, when two months old. The survivors are 
 Christian, Carolme, Minnie and Elmer. The eldest 
 is nine years of age and the youngest one year. Mr. 
 Moschel as the native of an Etnpire having among 
 its laws the admirable one of compulsory education, 
 believes in securing to the young those advantages 
 which will make of them worthy and intelligent 
 citizens, and accordingl}' will give to his children 
 the education which his means and station will jus- 
 tify. He cast his first Presidential vote for Tilden, 
 identifying himself with the Democratic part}', of 
 which he still reuiains a firm supporter. The home- 
 stead which he has built up, adding greatly to its 
 
 •^ M ^9 
 

 r-r?itir^'- -r-f^-''^-' 
 
 ■fc^qfcSSfci:^fe-.x>v^'-i^ -..■.--■-^ '^^'.-.irr^^^^^i^^^i^aM^y:-: 
 
 Residence OF W. J. Burge5S,Sec.27 Grant Township 
 
 
 '^■^.■>.^'«,-^->XrK^^*y^:riJ<'*^^»a-.^.-~iMr»'^-t~-'.^^^ 
 
 Residence OF Daniel Moschel,Sec 2 . Lincoln Township. 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 551 
 
 value since lie came into possession of it, is recog- 
 nized ns tliat of an inihislrious ami intelligent 
 citizen, who is liiglilj' worthy of representation in 
 this worl\. 
 
 ^ .^^ ^ 
 
 *' 
 
 y^ILLIAM .T. BURGESS, a general farmer 
 and stock-raiser of Grant Township, owns 
 W^ real estate on section 27 to the extent of 
 , IGO acres of good land, which he homsteaded dur- 
 ing the early settlement of Nebraska. Making his 
 purcl'.ase directly from Uncle Sam, the spring of 
 1867 found him located where he has since lived, 
 and where his most industrious efforts have been 
 exerted in the building np of a homestead which 
 will be for him a snug haven during his declining 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Burgess came direct to this section of the 
 countrj' fro'u Racine County, Wis., which was the 
 home of his bojhood and youth, and where his 
 birth took place in Dover Township, March 14, 
 1846. His parents were Nchemiah and Sophia 
 (Woodman) Burgess, and he was their second son 
 and child. Nehemiah Burgess was born in Ver- 
 mont, and emigrated to AVisconsin while a single 
 man. Securing a tract of land in the wilds of 
 Dover Township, he transformed the uncultivated 
 soil to a productive condition, and erected the build- 
 ings necessary for the comfort of his family'. Pre- 
 vious to this, however, he had been united in mar- 
 riage with one of the most estimable young women 
 of that section. Miss Sophia Woodman, ivho was 
 born in Palm}'ra, N. Y., and migrated with her 
 parents to Wisconsin after attaining mature years. 
 
 The parents of our subject began life together in 
 the most primitive fashion, making it a point to 
 live within their income, and experienced all the 
 hardships and difficulties of life in a new settle- 
 ment. They continued residents of the Badger 
 Suite until 1867, then crossing the Father of Waters, 
 came to this county, and the father departed hence 
 in the fall of 1877. The mother is still living, and 
 makes her home with her children in Grant Town- 
 ship. 
 
 Our subject was reared to manhood in his native 
 county, and acquired his education in the district 
 
 <^« 
 
 ! schools. He came to Ncbr.iska a single man, and 
 was married in Grant Township to Miss Alice A. 
 Kinzie, who was born near Elkhart, Ind., Oct. 19. 
 1854. Her parents, Daniel and Marv (Anderson) 
 Kinzie, were natives of Virginia and Oliio respect- 
 ively, and were married in Elkhart County, Ind. 
 After the birth of several children they emigrated 
 to Iowa County, Wis., their daughter, Alice A., 
 being then a little child three years of age and the 
 fourth in the farailj". The father had learned the 
 miller's trade in early manhood, and followed it 
 mostlj' until coming to Nebraska. Here they lo- 
 cated in Grant Township about 1874, where the 
 death of both pai-ents occurred when thej' were ripe 
 in 3'ears. Mrs. Kinzie was a most estimable ladv, 
 and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. Mr. K., politically, was a stanch Democrat. 
 
 Mrs. Burgess received an excellent education in 
 her native county, where she continued at home 
 with her parents, and accompanied them to Ne- 
 braska when a young woman. Of her union with 
 our subject there have been born four children — 
 Dora M., Cora A., William E. and Maude. The 
 home and its surroundings present a pleasant pic- 
 ture of rural life in the midst of |)eace and plent}-, 
 and surrounded by a comraunit3' where the inmates 
 are held in the highest respect. Mr. Burgess cast his 
 first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and uni- 
 formly supports the Republican party. He has al- 
 ways taken a warm interest in local affairs, and 
 under the new law was elected second Supervisor 
 of Grant Township, the duties of which ofBce he 
 discharged in a manner highly creditable to himself 
 and satisfactory to the people. During the late 
 war he served as a soldier in the Union Arm3', en- 
 listing in Company G, 2d Wisconsin Cavalry, his 
 regiment being assigned to the Western and South- 
 western divisions of the arnij-. 
 
 After twenty-one months of honorable service, 
 during which time our subject met the enemy in 
 various skirmishes and endured manj' hardships 
 and privations, he received his honorable discharge, 
 returning home unharmed, with the exception of 
 the natural results of privation and exposure. There 
 were times when the soldiers suffered severely for 
 the want of wholesome food and water, and thej' 
 were often obliged to go long periods without any- 
 
 1^^:*^ 
 
,t 
 
 -4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 thing at all to eat or drink. Mr. B., socially, be- 
 longs to the G. A. R. Post, at DeWitt. Among the 
 views of many of the excellent farms presented in 
 this volume may be found that of Mr. Burgess' 
 place. 
 
 ellARLKS E. TUCK. Logan Township con- 
 tains few citizens more enterprising, honor- 
 able and patriotic to the institutions of the 
 State and country than the subject of this sketch. 
 In earlier life he traveled the I'ough road of ex- 
 perience, to reach the position of his present suc- 
 cess in life, and has often found in the compan- 
 ionship which it has been his privilege to enjoy, 
 the stimulus, inspiration and help to prosecute his 
 journey toward this most-to-be-desired goal. His 
 beautiful farm, which, thanks to his intimate knowl- 
 edge of agriculture and his physical abilitj' to util- 
 ize the same, has been brought to an almost perfect 
 state of agricultural efficiency, is 160 acres in ex- 
 tent, and contains within its borders some of the 
 most fertile and tillable land in the county. 
 
 Our suliject is the son of Edward and Mary A. 
 (Fry) Tuck, natives of New Hampshire and Massa- 
 chusetts respectively. His father, whose chosen 
 occupation in life was that of a farmer and drover, 
 was born in the year 1817. In 1856 he went to 
 Henderson County, 111., where he continued in hus- 
 bandry until he died, in 1864. His wife was born 
 in 1827. and is at present residing in Woodland, 
 Cal. Their union was completed by the birth Of 
 eight children, whose names areas follows: Lyman 
 P.; Charles E., our subject; EllaT., Elma A., Mary 
 E., Mercy A., Harold W. S. and Albert F. The 
 grandfather of our subject on his father's side was 
 Col. Edward Tuck, of the United States Army in 
 1812. Mr. Tuck's great-grandfather was a soldier 
 in the Revolution, and died in the mountains while 
 returning from the war. 
 
 Grafton, N. H., is the place of the birth of our 
 subject, which took place upon the 31st of Decem- 
 ber, 1849. His education was that common to the 
 times, and was the best the schools of the district 
 afforded. At the age of seventeen he began farm- 
 ing for himself. 
 
 In 1880 our subject removed to Logan Township, 
 Gage County, and settled upon the farm at present 
 
 occupied by him, which, however, owes all its i'l^- 
 provements, everything that distinguishes it from 
 its primitive condition, to his intelligent efforts. His 
 house occupies one of the best sites on the farm, is 
 substantially built and well designed ; although not 
 what would be called a grand house, it is to our 
 subject grander than the grandest; better than the 
 best could be, were the faces of those who make 
 this home what it is absent. Besides the residence 
 he has put up a good barn and windmill, has put 
 out groves and orchard, and his well-tilled fields 
 are all well fenced or hedged. In 1885 our subject 
 went to California, but not being satisfied with the 
 outlook he returned here the same year. 
 
 Upon the 8th of October, 1875, in Washington 
 County, Iowa, our subject was united in marriage 
 with Phebe Walker. This lady was born in Vinton 
 Count}', Ohio, on the 23d of September, 1850. She is 
 well educated, attended the Washington County 
 (Iowa) High School, and has taught school for three 
 terms, in which she manifested an abilit}' and power 
 not usual excepting among older and far more ex- 
 perienced educators. Her father, John Walker, 
 was born in England, in the sixth year of the present 
 century, and was brought to the United States in 
 1818, when his parents removed hither. His first 
 home in the New World was near Muskingum, 
 Ohio, in the days when the State was first being 
 opened up, and when it was in the beginning of its 
 pioneer experience. He removed to Washington 
 County, Iowa, in 1867, and there made his home 
 until his death, in 1883. Her mother, whose 
 maiden name was Susan Ellis, was born in Ohio in 
 1809, and now resides with her son. Mrs. Tuck has 
 become the mother of three children : Minnie A., 
 who was born on the 18th of Jul}', 1877; also Susan 
 Stella and Mary Ella, twins, who were born on the 
 25th of July, 1881. 
 
 The farailj' of which the wife of our subject was 
 a member comprised besides the parents thirteen 
 children, whose names are here appended: Edward, 
 William M., Thomas, Naomi, Anna and Elizabeth 
 (both of whom are deceased), George W., Fletcher, 
 Samuel, Leonard, Mary, Phebe and James W. 
 Edward enlisted in the 18th Ohio Infantry, in the 
 year 1861, for a term of three years, and served 
 throughout that period, and not without commenda- 
 
 • ► fjV : 
 
; 
 
 -^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -■► 
 
 553 
 
 tion for distinguished conduct; William M. en- 
 listed as a 100-days man in the Ohio Home Guards, 
 in 1 864 ; he was slightly affected in his leg. but not 
 sufficient to hinder such service as might be de- 
 manded of him in this connection, but he was taken 
 into actual service in the South at a time when 
 there was special demand for men ; there he be- 
 came rapid!}' worse, and is now helpless and de- 
 pendent. Fletcher enlisted in the 43d Ohio Infantry- 
 in 1861. was taken sick, and died at Corinth; 
 George enlisted in the 118th Illinois Infantry, and 
 during his service contracted disease from which he 
 has never recovered; he received au honorable 
 discharge and returned to his home. Thomas en- 
 listed in the Home Guards and was taken into 
 actual service, and served his full term ; Leonard 
 enlisted in 1863 in the 114th Ohio Infantry; he 
 received a wound in the head, and while in the hos- 
 pital was taken sick with measles and died. 
 
 The wife of our subject is a very devout member 
 of the Methodist Church, and attends at Prairie 
 Chapel ; she is looked upon as one of the most de- 
 vout and earnest of its members, and is universally 
 respected. Mr. Tuck is at present Treasurer and 
 one of the Trustees of the said church. He is 
 also now in his third consecutive term as Township 
 Treasurer, besides which he has been School Treas- 
 urer for one term. In each of these offices the 
 manner of his conduct of affairs has been most sat- 
 isfactory in every regard. Socially, he is promi- 
 nently connected with the Masonic fraternity, and 
 has been adjudged worthy of being raised to the 
 sublime degree of a Master Mason, and of being 
 advanced to the eminent degree of a Knight 
 Templar. He is affiliated with the order in Beatrice, 
 where he holds his membership in lodge. Chapter 
 and Commandery. The politics of our subject are 
 along the line of the principles of the Republican 
 party, of which he is an old member, and has al- 
 ways been considered a firm friend and supporter. 
 
 •i- 
 
 #-# 
 
 EVAN J. RODERICK, Treasurer of Gage 
 County, was born in the Principality- of 
 Wales, at the modest home of his parents in 
 the little village of Taliesiu, on the 21st of June, 
 
 1856. When a lad twelve years of age, his parents, 
 Evan and Ann (Jones) Roderick, who were of the 
 same nativity and: nationality as their^son, emi- 
 grated to America, settling first in Wdkesbarre, 
 Luzerne Co.. Pa. There his father engaged in the 
 boot and shoe business, and there botli parents 
 spent the remainder of their lives. 
 
 To the parents of our subject there were born 
 four cliildren, three sons and one daughter, of 
 whom Evan was the youngest. His brother Ed- 
 ward is in partnership with him, the firm name 
 being Roderick Bros., dealers in general merchan- 
 dise, at Blue Springs; his sister is deceased; the 
 other brother, George, is a farmer in .Sicily Town- 
 ship, this county. Evan completed his education in 
 the commercial department of Wyoming Seminary, 
 at Kingston, Pa., and began his business experi- 
 ence as a clerk in a drj'-goods store at Wilkesbarre, 
 with John Roderick. His next engagement was 
 with the firm of Schofield and Riley, of whose busi- 
 ness he assumed the management until the year 
 1876. Thence he migrated to New York City, and 
 engaged as traveling salesman for the commission 
 firm of Mooretingue <fe Co., dealers in dry -goods, 
 principally dress fabrics. He was next located in 
 Utica, N. Y., and emplo3'ed as head salesman with 
 the firm of Shepherd <fe Co., with whom he remained 
 two and one-half years. 
 
 At the expiration of this time Mr. Roderick es- 
 tablished himself in business on his own account in 
 a store of general merchandise at Floyd Corners, 
 Oneida Co., N. Y. ; later he formed a partnership 
 with his brother, and they continued together until 
 our subject came to the West. Upon his arrival in 
 this county he located in Blue .Springs, where he 
 still crirries on mercantile business in partnership 
 with his brother. They have built up a good busi- 
 ness, and as the result of a liberal patronage put 
 up a neat storehouse covering an area of 24x90 
 feet, built of brick and two stories in height. In 
 1885 he became interested in the breeding of 
 horses, including both fast trotting stock and draft 
 animals. He had previously to this secured a 
 tract of land which is now devoted to his stock 
 
 operations. 
 
 In the fall of 1885 Mr. Roderick, who had long 
 been recognized as a valued addition to both the 
 
 f 
 
-4^ 
 
 554 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 business and social circles of tliis county, was 
 chosen as tlie nominee of the Reijubiican party for 
 Treasurer of Gage County, and soon after his elec- 
 tion assumed the duties of his office, in January, 
 1886. The result of the election was one of which 
 he has reason to be proud, as his opponent was a 
 prominent member of the communit3', as well as of 
 the Democratic party. Mr. R. was the first Repub- 
 lican candidate elected to any iuiportant ofHce 
 outside of the city of Beatrice, and such was the effi- 
 ciency vvith which he fulfilled his duties that he was 
 re-elected to the same office in November, 1887, 
 and is now (i888) approaching the completion of 
 the first 3'ear of his second term. He was re- 
 elected by a much larger majority than at first, and 
 appears to be in all respects the right man in the 
 right place. 
 
 Mr. Roderick was married in Princeton, Bureau 
 Co., 111., in October, 1885, to Miss Mollie B. 
 Crossley, who was of Princeton, 111., and is the 
 daughter of Dr. George W. and Mary C. (Sbugart) 
 Crosslej'. Dr. Crossley was a native of Princeton, 
 111., and was one of the most prominent and popu- 
 lar physicians of that part of the Prairie State. He 
 and his wife are both deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. 
 Roderick there has been born one child, a daughter, 
 Gwendolen. The farm of Mr. Roderick embraces 
 160 acres of valuable land, adjacent to the town of 
 Blue Springs. It is hardly necessary to state that 
 he is an active Republican. Sociallj', he belongs to 
 the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Blue 
 Lodge, at Blue Springs. He is also a Knight Tem- 
 plar, a member of Mt. Herman Commandery, at 
 Beatrice. 
 
 \T/ AMES TAYLOR is a son of Jacob and Alice 
 I Taylor, whose biography appears in this 
 ^-^1 work. He was born on the 15th of Febru- 
 l^K^ ary, 1853, in England, and when a child he 
 was brought by his parents to America. He was 
 reared in Illinois, receiving his education in the 
 district schools, and afterward he took a course of 
 study in the Davenport (Iowa) Business College. 
 
 On the 23d of Januar3% 1881, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Massey, of 
 this county, she having conic from England, her 
 
 native country, in the spring of 1880. Her parents, 
 George and Selina Massey, are natives of England, 
 in which country the father still lives. 
 
 To brighten their home and add a charm to their 
 lives, there have been given four children to our 
 subject and his wife, viz: Charles E., Arthur G., 
 Lillian M. and John Sherman. Mrs. Taj'lor is a 
 member of the Church of England. 
 
 Mr. Taylor is the owner of a fine farm of 160 
 acres, located on section 24, Sicily Township, on 
 which he lives. He has his farm in a good state 
 of cultivation and splendidly improved. Besides 
 giving particular attention to the growing of grain, 
 he has been interested in the raising of livestock, of 
 which he raises enough to use all the grain grown 
 on his farm. He is also the owner of another farm 
 consisting of 142 acres on section 28. He is an 
 energetic and enterprising young farmer, and has 
 met with success, as his present prosperous condi- 
 tion indicates. He is a Republican in politics, and 
 is interested in the advancement of all educational, 
 business and social movements. He enjoj's the 
 confidence and esteem of his neighbors, and is al- 
 ways pleased to knovv of their success. 
 
 EUBEN CAVETT. Upon section 26 of 
 if Rockford Township is the farm of our sub- 
 V, ject, which is some 200 acres in extent, and 
 ^^P) exhibits in every department most unmis- 
 takable signs of enterprise, thrift, progress, success 
 and ability, all the more praiseworthj' because Mr. 
 Cavett is even now only in the full vigor of his 
 manhood. He is the son of James and Lucy A. 
 (Barnes) Cavett, who were born, the father in 
 Pennsylvania, the mother in Ohio. James Cavett, 
 the grandfather of our subject, came from Scotland 
 and settled in the Ke^'stone State in an early da3'. 
 As a young man the father of our subject settled 
 in Ohio. Thence, in 1846, he migrated to Ogle 
 County, 111., and died there at the age of thirty- 
 eight years, in 1855, having for several years by 
 his industry been in quite easy circumstances. His 
 wife, who is sevent^'-one j'ears of age, resides with 
 our subject. The family circle included four chil- 
 dren, two of whom survive. Their names are lie 
 
 n 
 
•«» 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 colder! as follows : C3'nthia A., who died in cliild- 
 liuod, as did also her brother, John I). Besides 
 these are Reuben, our subject, and his sister Eliza- 
 beth, who is now Mrs. H. C. Colburn, and lives 
 at Blue Springs, this county. 
 
 On r subject was born Sept. 21, 1841, upon the 
 old farm in Van Wert Countj-, Ohio. He was five 
 years of age when the faniilj' removed to Illinois, 
 and fourteen when lie lost his father. Owing to the 
 newness of the country- his education was received 
 in a private school, and in consequence of his 
 father's death was confined within far narrower 
 limits than had been designed. From a youth 
 until the year 1862 he took charge of and managed 
 the farm, but in response to the call for men in that 
 year he enlisted for a term of 100 days in Company 
 I, 140th Illinois Infantiy, was mustered into the 
 service at Springfield, III., and almost immediately 
 departed for Memphis, where the regiment was em- 
 ployed in guarding the Memphis & Charleston 
 Railroad. At the expiration of the 100 d.ays, he 
 received an honorable discharge at Chicago, and 
 returned home and resumed farming. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Cavett was hap|)il}' wedded to Miss 
 Calesta Todd, a daughter of Wilkenson and Aletha 
 Todd, a lady whose home .and school education has 
 both tended to fit her for a position in either 
 domestic or social circle whenever she should be 
 called upon to occupy them. She has without 
 doubt brought into the life and home of our sub- 
 ject influences that have given to it tone, color and 
 completeness. She is the youngest of a family of 
 six children, and was born at Findla}', Ohio, on the 
 IGth of September, 1844. When but three j-ears 
 of age she was left fatherless, and was just prepared 
 to enter into her teens when her mother also was re- 
 moved by death, and she was left in the most awful 
 loneliness, that of the orphan. A cousin, Mrs. J. 
 Bixby. of Findlay, was deeply moved b}' this sad be- 
 reavement, and adopted, her into her family, which 
 was her home until her marriage. 
 
 After their union our subject and his wife con- 
 tinued upon the farm in Ogle County-, year by year 
 increasing in prosperity. In 1880 this property 
 was sold, and they removed to Nebraska, and in 
 the fall of the following year their present farm 
 w.as purchased. If a well-built, roomy house. 
 
 ^ 
 
 beautifullj- furnished and pleasantly' situated, make 
 a home, then our subject has a home; but without 
 doubt these things, however beautiful, and much to 
 be desired, would lose their attraction were it not 
 for those who are its brightness, the famil}- circle, 
 wiiich. besides the wife and mother, includes three 
 children, whose names are here given, viz: Luc}', 
 Charles H. and Nettie A. Besides these there is one 
 little one, Wilbur, who was laid awjiy to sleep until 
 the great awakening, having departed this life at the 
 tender age of four years. 
 
 For several years our subject has ably filled the 
 office of School Director, a position eminently 
 congenial to him. since his interest in educational 
 matters has alw.ays been great. Our subject never 
 has been what would be called a politician, but has 
 at the same time ever been mindful of his duty as a 
 citizen, and usually votes with the Republican 
 part}-, which looks upon him as a faithful friend and 
 supporter. This deeply interesting and intelligent 
 family- are held in universall}- high regard by the 
 comraunitj' in which thej' reside, and there are none 
 who more appreciate such sentiments than they. 
 
 l]|^^ OBERT J. CULLY is a prosperous farmer 
 jlts*^ and stock-raiser residing on sections 31 and 
 /*i'* 32, Elm Township. He is the son of Samp- 
 ^^son and Elizabeth (.lohnson) Cully, the 
 former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsyl- 
 vania. They were married in Fayette County, Ind., 
 where the father was engaged in farming until the 
 time of his death, at the age of seventy -one years. 
 The mother departed this life when she was sixty 
 years old. Our subject was born in Faj-ette Count}', 
 Ind., on the 29th of November, 1830, and was the 
 eldest of fourteen children born to his parents. He 
 attended the common schools in the district and 
 spent most of his early life on his father's farm. 
 
 When our subject was twent^'-five years old he 
 went to Morgan Count}', III., and engaged in farm- 
 ing for two j'ears, subsequentlj' moving to Marion 
 County. Iowa, where he purch.ased 150 acres of land, 
 on which he made his home for twent\-two years. 
 During his residence in Marion County he was 
 Deputy Sheriff one year. At the end of that time 
 
 *► 1 1 ^ ' 
 
 • ^M <• 
 
J^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 Oi>b 
 
 gagp: county. 
 
 be moved to this State and began the work of cul- 
 tivating a farm of 480 acres in Elm Township, 
 which was originally a part of the Otoe and Missouri 
 Reservations. Much hard work and constant dili- 
 gence were necessary in order to bring the farm to 
 its present condition, and it is now the source of a 
 lucrative income. Our subject has made many 
 improvements, and has beautified and adorned his 
 home with groves of trees and rows of beautiful 
 hedge fences, which are kept well trimmed and add 
 very much to the attractiveness of the place. He 
 is engaged in general fanning and stock-raising, and 
 of the grains he makes a specialty of raising corn 
 extensively. 
 
 Mr. Cully was married in Marion County, Iowa, 
 on the 4th of April, 1850, to Miss Ellen Ives, 
 a daughter of Josiah and Mary (Coughlin) Ives, 
 the former of whom was a native of New Jersej' 
 and the latter of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Cully was 
 born in Plymouth, Pa., on the 23d of December, 
 1833, and when she was but a child her parents 
 moved to Sunbury, Ohio; from there they moved 
 to Meudota, 111. After residing there a few years 
 they went to Marion County, Iowa, and about 
 1874 to Des Moines, the same State, where the 
 father is now living a retired life; the mother died 
 Jan. 26, 1878. 
 
 Mr. Cully made the acquaintance of the lady 
 whom he made his wife in Iowa, and by their mar- 
 riage they have had a family of ten children, five of 
 whom are deceased. The surviving members are: 
 James P., John A., William S., Charles T. and Jo- 
 siah S. James P. married Miss Florence Pickering, 
 and they now live in Elm Township, and have two 
 children in their home, whose names are Ralph H. 
 and Inez; William S. married Miss Lora Brandt, 
 and thej' also live in Elm Township, and have one 
 child, Clarence; John A. married Ada Gear; they 
 also live in this township. The other two children 
 are living at home on the farm. 
 
 The gentleman of whom we write has served as 
 School Treasurer for five years, and has been at the 
 head of many of the important improvements in 
 the educational advantages of this township. He 
 was elected Justice of the Peace in 1881, and after 
 serving for four j-ears he was re-elected. He 
 has been a member of the I. 0. O. F., and he and 
 
 his wife are honored members of the Baptist 
 Church, at LSteele City. Our subject has no small 
 amount of inventive genius, of which he makes use 
 in facilitating the labor on the farm, as an illustra- 
 tion of whicli he has had made a large force mill 
 about 1,250 feet from the house, which forces water 
 to the kitchen for general purposes, having to 
 make a rise of thirty-five feet. 
 
 Mr. Cully has reached the age at which he can 
 afford to cease his arduous labors, and as he has 
 been prosperous in his vocation, and has a pleasant 
 home with conveniencies and luxuries abounding, 
 he is well situated to enjoy tiie remainder of his life 
 in happy contentment. He is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, though originally a Whig; his first vote for 
 President was' for Gen. Fremont, and during the 
 war he was a stanch Union man. He has lived long 
 enough to see the evil effects of the use of spiritu- 
 ous liquors, therefore he is a strong temperance 
 advocate. Mrs. Cully is a very hospitable and 
 estimable lady, and unsurpassed in domestic virtues. 
 
 <S|OEL C. WILLIAMS, President of the Blue 
 Springs Bank, and ex-Mayor of the city, is 
 a gentleman widely and favorably known 
 throughout this region, having been closely 
 identified with its business interests for the last nine 
 j'ears. He represents valuable property, owning a 
 fine residence with handsome grounds, and other 
 real estate in the city. He transacts a general bank- 
 ing business, and from his prompt and straightfor- 
 ward methods has gained the esteem and confidence 
 of a large circle of friends and patrons. The Blue 
 Springs Bank was established in 1880, and has be- 
 come one of the indispensable institutions of the 
 county. 
 
 The main points in the parental history- of C)ur 
 suljject are substantially as follows: His father, 
 John Williams by name, was born in New Jersey 
 about 1823, and was there reared to manhood. 
 There also he was married to Miss Elmira Ran- 
 dolph, who became the mother of our subject, and 
 who died when he was a small child. He was then 
 taken into the home of his grandparents, bj' whom 
 he was reared until eighteen j^ears of age. 
 
 ■•► 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 "^T* 
 
 Joel C Williams was born in Jerseyville, III., 
 Oct. 6, 1H48, anil is conseqnpnlly a man in llic 
 l)rinio of life and liic midst of his usefulness. He 
 remained a resident of his native city until reaching 
 liis majority, receiving a good education, and em- 
 ploying liimself when not in school at farming. In 
 April of 1 809, desirous of trying his fortune in 
 one of the rising communities of the West, he 
 came to thi.s county, and purchased an unimproved 
 farm on section 20, in Sherman Townsiiip, which 
 lie lived upon and cultivated for a period of ten 
 years. In the meantime he effected the various 
 improvements suggested to the modern and pro- 
 gressive farmer, putting up a dwelling, and erecting 
 the other buildings necessarj' for his comfort and 
 convenience. He planted an orchard, set out fruit 
 and shade trees, enclosed tlie fields with hedge, and 
 in fact built up one of tlie best farms in the county. 
 He sold it in 1881, soon after coming to the city of 
 Blue Springs. 
 
 Mr. Williams is a man of more than ordinary 
 ability, and has been uniformly successful in his 
 business and farming operations. While having 
 much to engross his mind besides the ordinary rou- 
 tine of office cares, he has ever kejit in mind the 
 matters pertaining to the general welfare vf his 
 commuuitj', and lias signalized himself as a liberal- 
 minded and public-spirited citizen, giving liis sub- 
 stantial support to the entcrjjrises calculated to 
 advance the common interest, and enhance the 
 reputation of the citj^, both as a business point and 
 a desirable jilace for residence. These qualities of 
 his character have been generously recognized by 
 the people of tliis county and city, by whom lie has 
 been chosen to fill important offices. He was 
 Treasurer of the city schools for a period of six 
 years, and was elected to the Mayoralty on the 
 Eepublican ticket in the spring of 1887. He has 
 fulfilled the duties of his office in a manner credit- 
 able to himself and acceptable to the people. He 
 was a member of the School Board for several 
 terms, and has been foremost in the establishment 
 and maintenance of the institutions calculated to 
 advance the rising generation in the manner which 
 should make of them useful and worthy citizens. 
 
 The marriage of Joel Williams and Miss Carrie 
 IJonnalley was celebrated at the home of the bride 
 
 in Jersey County, III., Jan. 29, 1870, .and the young 
 |)eoplc began the journey of life together in Gage 
 County, wiiere Mr. Williams was engaged in f.arra- 
 ing. In due time they became the parents of two 
 children, a daughter .-lud son, Nettie and Thomas, 
 who are now att(Miding school. Mrs. Williams was 
 born in Pennsylvania, Aug. 18, 1849, and is the 
 daughter of Tliomas K. and Susan Donnalley, who 
 were born and reared in the Keystone State. A 
 few years after their marriage they immigrated to 
 Illinois, locating near tlie then young town of 
 Jersey ville, where Miss Carrie was reared to woman- 
 hood, and acquired her education in the public 
 schools. There also she became acfjuainted with 
 her future husband. She continued a member of 
 the parental household until her marriage. 
 
 Thomas K. Donnalley w.as a farmer by occupa- 
 tion, and with his excellent wife a member in good 
 standing of the Presbyterian Church. They are 
 still living at the homestead near Jerseyville. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Williams upon coming to Nebraska found 
 themselves compar.atively pioneer settlers, there 
 being very few neighbors near them, and onl^- a 
 small portion of the land around them under culti- 
 vation. Mr. Williams first purchased a half-section, 
 to which he ad<ledas his capital allowed, and finally 
 became the owner of 400 acres, all of which he 
 brought to a productive condition. 
 
 John AVilliams. the father of our subject, was 
 married to a Miss Randolph, daughter of Lewis 
 Randolph, of Delhi, 111. She also was a native of 
 New Jersey, where she lived with her parents until 
 her marriage, and departed this life at her home 
 near Verdon, in 1851. Lewis Randolph was born 
 in New Jersey, where he was reared to manhood, 
 and thence emigrated to Illinois during its pioneer 
 days. He purchased a tract of wild land in Jersey 
 County, and which now lies near the town of Delhi. 
 From this he Iniilt up a fine farm, which is now 
 valuable, and from which he receives an income 
 amply sufficient for his declining j'ears. He has 
 been prominent in the affairs of his community, 
 and is a member in good standing of the Baptist 
 Church. His birth having taken place in 1804, he 
 has now arrived at the .advanced age of eighty-four 
 years. His wife in her girlhood was Miss Marj'' 
 Compton, also a native of New Jersey, and they 
 
 I 
 
-4^ 
 
 558 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 became the parents of seven children, all of whom 
 lived to years of maturity. Lewis Williams, the 
 only living brother of our subject, is a resident of 
 Fairmont, Nub, wliere he is engaged as engineer 
 in the railroad shops of that place. Socially, Mr. 
 Williams is a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 85, 
 of Blue Springs. Politically, he is a stalwart Re- 
 publican. 
 
 '10^.' 
 
 ON. OLIVER TOWNSEND, dealer in cloth- 
 ing, hoots and shoes, at Beatrice, and enjoy- 
 ing a prosperous trade, came to Beatrice in 
 18G7, and is recognized as one of the lead- 
 ing business men of the city. A native of LTlster 
 County, N. Y., he was born Oct. 4, 1834, and was 
 the youngest son of a family of nine children, born 
 to .Joseph and Nancy (Tomkins) Townsend. The 
 mother died when our subject was thirteen years 
 old; the father died about 1867. 
 
 .Tosepli Townsend was born in Connecticut, 
 whence he emigrated early in life to Ulster County, 
 N. Y., where he spent the remainder of his days en- 
 gaged extensively in farming and stock-raising. 
 He was one of the earliest pioneers of that region, 
 and departed hence in 18G7. This branch of the 
 Townsend family traces its ancestry back to En- 
 gland, the first re|)resentatives crossing the Atlantic 
 during the Colonial days. They were people gen- 
 erally well-to-do, honest, industrious and upright, 
 and uniformly held a good position in the com- 
 munity where they settled. The mother of our 
 subject was a native of the State of New York, and 
 died at the old homestead in Ulster County, about 
 1847. The household circle included seven sons 
 and two daughteis, four of whom are living, three 
 sons aiid one daughter. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared as a farmer 
 boy, and acquired his education in the district school 
 of his neighborhood. Upon ai)proaching manhood 
 he left the parental roof, and repaired to Knights- 
 ton, N. Y., where he began his business career, 
 first as a clerk in a hotel and afterward occupied 
 the same position at Hudson in Columbia County; 
 later he resumed his studies in the High School .at 
 Chiverack, and afterward attended school at Eilen- 
 villo, his native State. In the spring of 1856, be- 
 
 ing a young man twenty-two years of age, and 
 desirous of seeing something more of the world, he 
 migrated west into Huron County, Ohio, where he 
 was employed at farming until the winter season. 
 In January' following he proceeded still farther 
 westward to Sioux Citj', Iowa, and in the fall of 
 1857 sought the region of Southern Nebraska, and 
 was not long in making up his mind to remain 
 here. 
 
 In the fall of 1857 Mr. Townsend staked a claim 
 of 160 acres, whicii land now forms part of the town 
 site of Beatrice. Building a post and rail fence he 
 commenced operations as an agriculturist, operating 
 thus four 3'ears. Mr. Townsend h.as a very fine 
 orchard of thirty acres adjoining the city limits on 
 the northeast. In 1865 he formed a partnership 
 in the merchandise business with H. M. Reynolds, 
 and .at that time was located at the intersection of 
 Court and Third streets, before the time of rail- 
 roads. They operated together until 1867. Dur- 
 ing that 3'ear Hon. Nathan Blakel^' was admitted 
 into the firm, whicli then assumed the style of 
 Blakely, Reynolds & Co. Four years later Mr. 
 Blakely sold out his interest, and the firm of Rey- 
 nolds & Townsend continued until 1872, when Mr. 
 Reynolds purchased the entire stock and Mr. Town- 
 send retired from the business. 
 
 Mr. Townsend now became interested in the 
 furniture business, and two years later in the cloth- 
 ing trade. To the latter since 1877 he has devoted 
 his entire time and attention, with most excellent 
 results. He established himself at his present 
 quarters. No. 41'.) Court street, in Noveml)er, 1887. 
 He carries a full stock of clothing, hats, caps, boots, 
 shoes, etc., and by the exercise of honesty and in- 
 tegrity receives an extended patronage from the 
 leading citizens of the county. Politically, he is 
 a stanch Republican, and has served as a member 
 of the School Board several terms. He had pre- 
 viously' served under Mr. Blakely a short time as 
 Deputy. In 1858 he was elected County Clerk, of 
 which office he was the incumbent for a period of 
 ten years, and at the same time officiated as Register 
 of Deeds. In 1867 he was elected a member of 
 the first session of the State Legislature, served 
 acceptably two yeais, and took an .active part in the 
 removal of the capital from Omaha to Lincoln. 
 
 ■<»■ 
 

 " Pleasant-View- Farm" Residence of Joseph 
 
is.Sec's. 8. 9. 16 &.\X. Grant Township, Gage County, Neb 
 
-^^ 
 
 t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 yG3 '^ 
 
 Mr. Townsenrl wns manied, in tlie spring of 1878, 
 to Miss Kate Monce, who was born in Ohio in 1860, 
 and is the daughter of Samuel Monce, Esq., one of 
 the early residents of Nebraska City. Her father 
 is deceased ; her mother, Mrs. Monce, is still living. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Townseud have had born to them 
 three children, only one girl now living, Jeane 
 Beatrice. 
 
 OBERT J. SMrrH, dealer in lumber, wood 
 and coal at Beatrice, and having his head- 
 <Sm\\ quarters on West Court street, is a native 
 [^ of the Dominion of Canada, and w.as born 
 near Woodstock, the county seat of Oxford County, 
 Feb. 6, 1849. He was the fourth in a family 
 of eight children, five sons and three daughters, the 
 offspring of James W. and Margaret (McAvoy) 
 Smith, the former born in the county- of Kent, En- 
 gland, and the latter in Ireland. The parents were 
 brought by their parents to Canada when children. 
 The father of our subject w.as a farmer by occupa- 
 tion, and carried on agriculture in the Dominion 
 until coming to the States in the fall of 1866. At 
 that time they located in the vicinity of Grand 
 Rapids, Mich., upon a tract of land where the father 
 labored until his death, which took place in Julv, 
 1874. The mother is still living there. 
 
 All of the brothers and sisters of our subject 
 grew to mature }'e.i-.s. Robert J. spent his boy- 
 hood d.ays in Canada, attending school and work- 
 ing on bis father's farm. After the removal of the 
 famil}' to Michigan he became interested in the 
 lumber trade, and was for a period of seven years 
 connected with the prominent business established 
 b}^ David Fisher. Upon withdrawing from this he 
 resumed farming, at which he was occupieil a num- 
 ber of. years, and also worked considerably as a 
 carpenter. 
 
 The fall of 1882 found our subject making his 
 way to this State, and after his arrival in Beatrice 
 he engaged as a salesman for the extensive lumber 
 firm of Washburn & Co., remaining with them 
 four years. At the expiration of this time his large 
 experience in this business seemed to justify him in 
 establisliingon his own account and taking a partner, 
 John R. McKim. He opened an office at No. 324 
 
 West Court street, Beatrice, and they continued a few 
 months. Mr. Smith then disposed of his interest in 
 the Inisiness to his partner, and established a new 
 yard, which he has since conducted with flattering 
 success. He keeps a full stock of everj'thing in his 
 line, sash, doors, blinds, and all the building mateiial 
 required for the construction of both dwellings and 
 business houses. His promptness in serving his 
 patrons, and his correct methods of doing business, 
 have secured for him an extensive patronage 
 throughout Gage County. 
 
 Robert J. Smith and Miss Addie Corbin, of Grand 
 Rapids, were united iu marriage Aug. 2, 1 879, at 
 the home of the bride in that city. Mrs. Smith is 
 the daughter of Charles and Elsie (Inman) Corbin, 
 who were natives of New York, and who went to 
 Michigan in 1848. She was born in New York. 
 Jan. 20, 1847. Her parents are now residents of 
 Beatrice. Of this union there have been born seven 
 children, viz: Jennie M., Mary E., Margaret E., 
 Charles E., James W., Maude C. and Edna. Mr. 
 Smith, politically, is quite conservative, but usually 
 casts his vote in support of Democratic principles. 
 The family residence, a neat and substantial struc- 
 ture, is located in the western part of the city, and 
 forms a home in keeping with the means and stand- 
 ing of the proprietor. 
 
 -«ai2a/!5^.«^^^,.®fa/ZrOT»v.-i 
 
 ylLLIAM C. STROHM, manager of the firm 
 of Kilpatrick Bros. & Collins, well known 
 among the business interests of Beatrice, is 
 a n.ative of Dauphin County. Pa., having been born 
 near the city of Ilarrisburg, Oct. 8, 1854. He is 
 the only son of Thomas and Mary (Hicks) Strohm. 
 whose family consisted, besides himself, of five 
 daughters. They also were natives of the Key- 
 stone State, and the father during the younger 
 years of bis life was occupied in agricultural pur- 
 suits. Upon retiring from active labor he took up 
 his abode with his excellent wife in the village of 
 Linglestown, where they now live. 
 
 The boyhood of our subject was passed in his 
 native county, where he attended the common 
 school. He began teaching at the age of fifteen 
 years, and was thus employed several winters, at- 
 
 -•► 
 
504 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 tending school in the meantime during the summer 
 season. In due lime lie hecamo a student of the 
 State Normal School, at Millersville, Pa., and upon 
 emerging from this, not yet satisfied with his store 
 of knowledge, entered Heidelberg College, at Tif- 
 fin, Ohio. Here he pursued his studies until in 
 June, 1876, when he was graduated. 
 
 In October of the 3'ear mentioned young Strohm 
 made his way to Utah Territorj', and settling at 
 Ogden was given a position with the banking firm 
 of J. E. Dooly & Co., wiiich was afterward merged 
 into the Utah National Bank. At the same time 
 he was employed by the United States Govern- 
 ment, as local agent for the post-office department. 
 In 1878, returning to Ohio, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Augu.sta Randall, of Tiffin, who 
 was born Sept. 10. 185(j, in Henry County, Ohio, 
 and is the daughter of Edwin and Ellen (Palmer) 
 Randall. Her parents were natives of Maine and 
 New York respectively, and are now living in 
 Seneca Count}', Ohio, on their farm. 
 
 In October, 1881, Mr. Strohm entered the em- 
 ploy of Collins & Stevens, who hel<l the contract 
 for the construction of the Oregon Short Line Rail- 
 way. With them he remained until the fall of 
 1 88;"), then accepted a position with Kilpatriek 
 Bros., large railroad contractors, with headquarters 
 at Beatrice. Mr. Collins was subsequently made 
 a partner in the business. To Mr. and Mrs. 
 Strohm there have been born three children — 
 p;dwin, Leah and Gusta. In politics Mr. Strohm 
 is a stanch Republican of the old school. 
 
 ^¥( OHN H. REYNOLDS, of Wymore, is a mem- 
 I ber of the firm of E. P. Reynolds & Co., 
 ! well known from ocean to ocean, and from 
 ' the Lakes to the Gulf, as railroad contract- 
 ors and bridge builders. The firm comprises E. 
 P. Reynolds, Sr., of Rock Island, our subject, and 
 his brothers, Benjamin and E. P., Jr., all residing 
 at Wymore. They have built over 1,000 miles 
 of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, in- 
 cluding that from Table Rock to Red Cloud and 
 Beatrice; also from McCook to Denver. They have 
 built about the same amount for the Rock Island 
 
 i* 
 
 system, besides a numljer of other railw.ays of les- 
 ser e.xtent. There are quite a number of large 
 bridges both for raihv.a}- and general traffic pur- 
 poses, man}- of them across large and important 
 streams, several of them being considered quite 
 triumphs of engineering skill. The majority of 
 their larger works have been constructed since 1880. 
 The firm located its Wymore branch on the 1st of 
 June, 1882, at a cost of 130,000. In 1885 they 
 built ihe Wymore Street Railway, which extends 
 out as far as Blue Springs. In this enterprise our 
 subject and his brother Benjamin own two-thirds 
 of the stock; E. P., Jr., Samuel Wymore, P. A. 
 Managan, Alexander Stewart and I. Liberman carry 
 the remainder. The line is built of the best steel 
 rails on a rock ballast road-bed, and is traversed by 
 modern cars of excellent construction, which are 
 drawn by as fine horses as could be procured for 
 the purpo.se. It is one of the best equipped and 
 operated lines in the State. Our subject is its 
 President, his brother Benjamin Vice-President and 
 general manager, and E. P., Jr., Secretary and 
 Treasurer. Our subject and his brother Benjamin 
 are the owners of the Wymore Citizens' Bank, 
 which has a paid-up capital of §30,000, and is one 
 of the strongest banks in Gage County, and under 
 the efficient management of Mr. J. K. Lee is doing 
 a very large business. Its cashier is Mr. Lake 
 Bridenthall. 
 
 Another enterprise in which our subject is in- 
 terested is the Tonzalin Hotel, being a member of 
 the company which built and owns it. It is con- 
 sidered by all its guests as the finest hotel, out- 
 side of Omaha, in the State. It is owned by a 
 stock company, of which the Re3'nolds Bros, are 
 principal holders, and E. P., Jr., is President. It 
 is a fine brick structure, covering about 160x150 
 feet, and erected by the Reynolds Bros, at a cost of 
 $60,000. They also erected the first hotel built in 
 Wymore — the Potter House. Both J. H. and B. 
 Reynolds own very fine residences in the city, and 
 also considerable town property and land adjacent 
 thereto, besides about sixty acres between Wy- 
 more and Blue Springs, all of which will shortly 
 be covered by surbnrban residences. 
 
 Our subject takes great interest in his farm, 
 which is situated on Indian Creek, seven miles west 
 
 •Mh^: 
 
>^ 
 
 ^^-^jd-tldyO 
 
t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 oC.j 
 
 of the cit^-, on the Burlington & Missouri River 
 Railroad, with a private si<le trai.-k running ujwn 
 it. Tlie farm comprises 1,440 .acres, well fenced 
 and in excellent condition. It is supplied with 
 first-class buihHngs of various kinds, and is well 
 stocked with cattle, hogs and brood mares. The 
 principal business in the line of stock-raising car- 
 ried on at this farm by our subject is th.at of mule- 
 raising. This farm is most excellently situated, 
 and includes some of the finest land in the count)'. 
 In addition to the above our subject is the owner 
 of a quarter-section in Sherman County. 
 
 E. P. Reynolds, Sr., the father of our subject, is 
 a native of Vermont, and was born on the 13th of 
 Februar}', 1817, and was there reared to manhood. 
 In 1837 he went to Rock Island, 111., which has 
 since continued to be his home, and where he has 
 built up a large business as contractor, etc., as in- 
 dicated in the opening paragraph. He has twice 
 been elected Maj-or of Rock Island, and has the 
 name of being, perhaps, the best Mayor Rock Isl- 
 and has ever had. He was married to Miss Eliza 
 Young, in Rock Island, 111., in 1 847 : she died after a 
 happj' wedded life of eleven 3ears. Her children 
 were four — our subject, Benjamin and two sisters. 
 In 1859 Mr. Re^'uolds married a second time, his 
 wife being Amanda Ogden, and to them w;is born 
 one child, E. P.. Jr. His residence is one of the 
 finest in Rock Islan<l, and his farm is likewise very 
 fine. It is devoted to stock-raising of the higher 
 and blooded grades. In addition to these he is 
 the owner of several pieces of city property. So- 
 cially, he is connected with the I. O. O. F., and 
 politically, with the Republican i)art3'. 
 
 Our subject, John H., was born in Rock Island, 
 111., Feb. 9, 1848, and there remained until 1880. 
 Upon his graduation from the High School he en- 
 tered the emplo}- of his father, remaining with him 
 until the fall of 1879. Upon the establishment of 
 the Wymore branch about that time he look his 
 present position in connection therewith, purchased 
 his farm, and entered upon the life that has been in 
 every waj' prosperous and successful since that 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Reynolds has, in the interests of business 
 and sometimes of pleasure, traveled largelj- through- 
 out the continent, and has covered the greater part 
 
 of the ground between Portland, New Orleans, and 
 the E.aslern seaboard. During the summer our 
 subject is nearl)' always away from home, super- 
 intending the execution of various contracts, but 
 nominally- his home is in this city. The companion 
 of his life is Miss Mary Claiborne, to whom he was 
 united in marriage at Glenwood, Iowa, Dec. 25, 
 1879, who has presented him with one daughter, 
 Bessie. Mrs. Re^-nolds was born on the 12th of 
 Januarj-, 1 853, in France, and is the daughter of 
 C. B. E. and Mary Claiborne, of French and En- 
 glish ancestrj'. The mother is deceased ; the father 
 resides at Glenwood, Iowa. Mrs. Reynolds attends 
 the Episcopal Church, but is not a member. Mr. 
 Re3'nolds is liberal on the subject of religion, and 
 gives his support to all churches. Socially', he is a 
 Mason and Knight Templar; political!)-, a stalwart 
 Republican. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Rej'nolds 
 is the center of the best society in the city. 
 
 ■ -<JiC£;©^''^^^^»^^'OTrz»--i 
 
 ^^^iJEORGE P. MARVIN, editor and proprie- 
 ill ,-— , tor of the Gage County Democrat, was born 
 '^^S in ShuUsburg. LaFa^-ette Co., Wis . on the 
 24th of March. 1851, and continued to reside there 
 until the year 1859, when he removed to Richardson 
 County, this .State, and until 1879 made his home 
 in that and Nemaha Counties, during which time 
 he learned the printer's trade. In 1865 he freighted 
 on the plains. Then, returning to Falls City, he, 
 in companj' with his father, entered upon the pub- 
 lication of the Southern Nebraskan. In 1867 he 
 returned \o the mountains, and was occupied in 
 freighting and traveling until the spring of 1869. 
 Afterward, re-establishing at Falls City, he worked 
 at the printer's trade which he had learned, and 
 also carried on the publication of the Press until 
 selling out in 1876. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Marvin came to Beatrice and es- 
 tablished the Gage County Democrat, which is now 
 published both as a daily and weekl)'. It is a 
 seven-column quarto of fifty-six columns, neatly 
 printed and ably edited, and is acknowledged !is 
 one of the leading Democratic journals of South- 
 ern Nebraska. Mr. Marvin is a bold and fearless 
 writer, sound on tariff reform, an<l warm in his 
 
 T 
 
 ■•► 
 
 i 
 
,t 
 
 riGG 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 support of the present administration. The Demo- 
 crat is rc.id by men of botli. parties, and however 
 much they may differ with it in political sentiment, 
 thej' are compelled to acknowledge the force and 
 candor of its arguments, and respect the sincerity 
 of its principles. It has become one of the indis- 
 pensable institutions of the county and Southern 
 Kebraska. The office of the Democrat is equipped 
 with a full complement of printing material for a 
 general line of job pi'inting, including a good as- 
 sortment of dii-play type, a fine steam power press, 
 and the ordinary modern inventions cc)nnected with 
 the "art preservative." lie has his share of the 
 couiilj' printing as; well as a generous jiatronage 
 from the business men of Beatrice. 
 
 While a resident of Falls City, Mr. M.arvin was 
 married to Miss Anna R. May. who was born in 
 St. Louis, in January. 1855, and is the daughter of 
 D. H. and Martha A. May, who were natives of 
 Ohio, and are now residing in Kansas. Of this 
 union tliere have been born five children — Frankie 
 M., Julia A., George T., Earl M. and Paul. Julia 
 A. and George T. are deceased. Mr. Marvin is 
 an ardent supporter of Demociatic principles, and 
 socially, belongs to Lodge Ko. 19, L O. O. F. 
 
 i\ ARQULS SPENCER is an honored member 
 of the farming community of Gage County, 
 and his valuable farm in Paddock Town- 
 ship, with its well-tilled acres, with the 
 handsome residence and substantial out-buildings 
 that adorn it, ranks with the best managed and 
 finest looking places in this locality. Mr. Spencer 
 is a native of Athens County. Ohio, where he was 
 bom July 15, 18"28. His parents were Nehemiah 
 and Emma (Lotiedge) Spencer, natives of New 
 York .Slate and Ohio respectively. 
 
 Our subject was reared in his native county, 
 growing to a strong and vigorous manhood. In 
 1847 he went to Lee County, Iowa, and in 1853 
 took up his residence in Fremont County, the same 
 Slate, where he was married, June 21, 1855, to Miss 
 Catherine Davis. There were four children boru 
 to them, of whom Margaret E. died Oct. 9, 1871 ; 
 William I. was born March 24, 1868; Henry E., 
 
 Oct. 1, 18G7; Hattie A., Oct. 2, 1870. Thishouse- 
 iiold was sadly bereaved Jan. 2.3, 1 884. by the death 
 of the loving mother and devoted wife. Mr. 
 Spencer was married to his present wife, formerly 
 Miss Margaret Davis, March 12, 1885. 
 
 When the w-ar broke out in 1861 our subject was 
 among the first to proffer his services to defend his 
 countrj', but for physical reasons the examining 
 surgeons rejected him. Again and again he made 
 attempts to enlist, but he was not allowed to do so 
 until 18G4, when he was drafted on the 5th of No- 
 vember, and served faithfully until the close of the 
 war as a member of Company E, 13th Iowa In- 
 fantry. 
 
 Mr. Spencer came to Gage County, Neb., in 
 18G9, and located four miles south of Adams, in 
 Adams Township, where he took up 120 acres of 
 land under the provisions of the Homestead Act. 
 When the reservation on which he lives was opened 
 to settlement in 1878, he bought his present farm 
 of IGO acres, and immediately moved onto it. It 
 was then wild, uncultivated prairie, but he now has 
 it ail well fenced and under tillage, except that 
 part of it that he devotes to pasturage, and he has 
 erected a commodious and conveniently arranged 
 frame dwelling and other needed farm buildings. Mr. 
 Si)encer has not acquired all of this flue property 
 without years of hard labor, as a cool, clear head 
 and a good practical knowledge of agriculture were 
 his only capital when he went to Iowa to make his 
 home. He obtained the means for properly carry- 
 ing on farming by making rails, or in doing what- 
 soever came to his hand that might bring him in a 
 dollar, and by his able management of his funds he 
 has now acquired a sufficient competency to enable 
 him to pass his declining years free from the cares 
 that infested his early days, in the exceedingly 
 comfortable home that he has built up. He farms 
 to both grain and stock, principally hogs and 
 cattle. 
 
 Mr. Spencer is a member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, to which his first wife also belonged. 
 It will be seen from the date of his settlement that 
 Mr. S. was numbered among tiie pioneers of 
 Paddock Township, and he has been a prominent 
 factor in promoting its growth, and his name is in- 
 dissokibly connected with its history, which would 
 
 1 ' 
 
u. 
 
 gagp: county. 
 
 567 
 
 1)0 incomplete without mention of liim. In the 
 course of a useful life Mr. Spencer has always borne 
 the reputation of being a just, upright, God-feai'ing 
 man, and lie has ahvaj's been true to the various re- 
 sponsibilities resting on him as a husband, father 
 and citizen. He takes an earnest interest in the 
 political situation of the day, and his views are in 
 acccird with the Republican party oa the important 
 questions under discussion. 
 
 ?RANK COOK. Upon section 36 of Elm 
 
 Township resides the subject of this sketch, 
 who. in addition to being one of the pros- 
 perous farmers of the county, has also been 
 honored by his fellow-citizens by being elected to 
 the office of Supervisor of his township. His father, 
 William Cook, was a native of Georgia; his mother, 
 whose maiden name was Mary A. Smith, was born 
 in Pennsylvania. Upon their m.arriage they first 
 settled in Cincinnati, subsequently removing to 
 Missouri, making their home in Clinton Count}-, 
 where they remained until their death. Their fam- 
 ily included six children, our subject being the 
 fifth. 
 
 Upon the 3d of August, 1837, in the Queen City 
 of the West, our subject was born, and when seven 
 years Later his parents removed to Missouri he, of 
 course, accompanied them. In that State he was 
 reared to manhood, making it his home until 1863. 
 His earl}' life was speut upon the farm, receiving 
 also such education as was obtainable in the com- 
 mon schools of that time in that western district. 
 In 1865 our subject came to Otoe County, and made 
 his home at Nebraska City for perhaps two years, 
 then removed to Fremont County, Iowa, where he 
 engaged in farming until 1878. At that time he 
 returned to Otoe County, lived there for one year, 
 and in the spring of 1879 established himself in 
 Elm Township, of this county, which has been his 
 home ever since. 
 
 The farm of Mr. Cook includes 110 acres of 
 prime, arable land, well suited for purposes of agri- 
 culture or pastoral pursuits, and he has continued 
 from the first day of his settlement to progress with 
 the work of improvement. His farm buildings are 
 
 good, being well built and conveniently arranged, 
 and his home pleasant and comfortable. His land 
 originally belonged to and was part of the reserva- 
 tion. 
 
 Upon the 2d of July, 1870, while residing iu 
 Fremont County, Iowa, our suliject was united in 
 marriage with Mrs. M. Cook, the widow of James 
 P. Cook; her maiden name was Higginbotham. 
 This lad}' was born in Kentucky, on the loth of 
 March, 1837, and by her first marri.age became the 
 mother of two children, who were named respect- 
 ively: AVilliam M. and Alonzo. By her union with 
 our subject there have been four children, whose 
 names are as appended: Marvin, Elva, Louis B. 
 and George Walter. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Cook are members of the religious 
 communion bearing the name the Church of God. 
 After holding some of the minor offices in the town- 
 ship, at the fall election in the year 1886 our sub- 
 ject was elected to his present office of Township 
 Supervisor, and re-elected the following year. He 
 is a member of the A. O. U. W., and among its 
 most efficient and enthusiastic members, and is 
 therefore highly esteemed in that fraternity. 
 
 lENJAMIN P. THOMAS is the editor and 
 proprietor of the Wymore Union, a stirring 
 and spicy Republican weekly paper pub- 
 lished here every Thursd.ay. He was born 
 in Livingston County, 111., on the 25th of March, 
 1862, and there received his elementary education. 
 When he was thirteen years old he came to Bea- 
 trice, and finished his education at the Beatrice 
 High School when he was eighteen years old. At 
 that age he went into the composing-room of the 
 Beatrice Demoerai office, giving some attention also 
 to locals and soliciting. He remained in that office 
 for four years, all the time improving and working 
 up in position, until when he left he was the fore- 
 man of the office. 
 
 After leaving the Democrat, our subject, though 
 still quite young, bought the Table Rock Argus, 
 which he conducted successfully for about two 
 years, when he sold out and went to Pawnee, at 
 which place he soon traded for the Liberty Jour- 
 
 •►Hi-^*- 
 
 f 
 
■^^ 
 
 yG8 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 1= 
 
 na!. He edited tliat jdiiinal for t^o niid a half 
 years, when lie again sold out. aiul came to his pres- 
 ent place and pajier on the 1st of March, ltSS8. He 
 bought the Union, and in the short time that it has 
 been under his nianagement he has increased the 
 list of his subscribers and put his paper on a firmer 
 foundation. 
 
 On the 15th of November, 1887, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Louie Cams, of Sew- 
 ard. She is the daughter of Mrs. M. E. Cams, and 
 is the sister of ex-Lieut. Gov. E. C. Cams, of 
 Seward, with whom she has made her home. She 
 was born on the 18th of Ma_Vi 18C2, in Pennsyl- 
 vania, and when quite j'oung she went to Illinois, 
 where her father died in 1876, after which she 
 came with her brother to Seward, and made her 
 home with him until her marriage. Her mother 
 is still living with a daughter in Liberty, having 
 been born in Pennsylvania in tiie 3"ear 1820. 
 
 While he was attending school our subject lived 
 with Capt. J. E. Hill, State Treasurer, and he still 
 calls Mr. Hill's house his home. He is a mem- 
 ber of the orders of A. O. U. W. and M. W. A., 
 and takes an active and prominent part in the 
 politics of the Eepublican party. Bj' his industry 
 and intelligence he has acquired all his possessions, 
 and he has won the respect of all with whom he 
 has come in contact in business or social life. Be- 
 sides owning his newsjjaper, he is the owner of vil- 
 lage j>roperty and a house and lot in Libert}'. Lie 
 is but a young man, and the field of journalism is 
 a broad one, and we predict for Mr. Thomas a very 
 successful and honorable career. 
 
 AVID W. ROYER resides on section 31, 
 Hanover Township, and is numbered among 
 the more prominent and well situated far- 
 mers of this county. He is a native of 
 Franidin County, I'a., having been born in that 
 place on the 4th of January, 1 850, and is a son of 
 John and Anna (Shank) Royer, who were also na- 
 tives of the same place. They are of German an- 
 cestry-, but the immediate ancestors for several 
 generations have resided in Pennsj'lvania. The 
 father of our subject is a farmer and still resides in 
 4« 
 
 his native State, where he owns a valual)le farm of 
 over 200 acres, besides having assisted all of his 
 childien to a start in life b}' giving them a mar- 
 riage portion. The mother died in 1855, leaving 
 six children, of whom we have the following rec- 
 ord : Susan is the wife of Peter L. Eshelman ; Anna, 
 the wife of Henry Laughlin; Mary, wife of David 
 Smith; Catharine, wife of Jeremiah Frieze, all of 
 whom reside in their native county of Franklin ; 
 John C. resides in Abilene, Kan. The father mar- 
 ried for his second wife Elizabeth McClannahan, 
 and by this union nine children have been born to 
 them. 
 
 The earliest recollections of our subject are of 
 the scenes of his country home, and as he grew 
 older he assisted in the work of his father's farm, 
 and experienced a life in common with all farmers' 
 boys. He was educated in the common schools, 
 and by his close application to the tasks assigned 
 him he was enabled to secure a fair education, to 
 which has been supplemented a practical knowledge 
 of business life from his experience with the world. 
 He resided in his native State until 1872, when he 
 came West and stopped at Polo, Ogle Co., 111., 
 where he engaged as a farm hand, and in the fall of 
 1873 he took a trip to California for the purpose of 
 seeing the Great West, on which tour he was absent 
 for nine months. He then returned to Illinois, 
 where he remained until 1876, in which 3'ear he 
 came to Nebraska and engaged as a farm hand, 
 afterward operating a farm for himself. 
 
 In the fall of 1878 Mr. Royer was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Mary E. Gockley, who is a daughter 
 of Isaac and Susan Gockley, and was born in Jo f^a- 
 viess County, 111., on the 18th of March, 1862. Her 
 parents were natives of Pennsylvania, and she had 
 come to the West with her mother after the death 
 of her father. She received her education in the 
 district schools, and remained in her native county 
 until the year 1874. After his marriage our sub- 
 ject iHirehased the farm he now owns, paying §900 
 for IGO acres, although it was then raw prairie land 
 and not very inviting. He at once went to work 
 to improve it, and has added greatly to its utility 
 as well as its attractiveness, having erected a good 
 residence and barn, and in various ways increased 
 its value. He is engaged in general farming, at 
 
 f- 
 
I 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 5G9 
 
 wliich he has been uniformly successful, and re- 
 ceives a lucrative income from the produce. 
 
 Bertha, Hattio. IMelvin and Celia are the names 
 of the four children who have added a brightness 
 to the home of our subject and his wife, and whose 
 young hands are already beginning to lift a little 
 of the burden from the hands of the devoted par- 
 ents, and who in a few years more will be their 
 mainstay and comfort.. Our subject is a member 
 of the Republican organization, and is at present 
 serving as Treasurer of his township, enjoying the 
 confidence and esteem of his fellowmen and giving 
 general satisfaction as a public ottice-holder. Mrs. 
 Rover is a member of the Dunkard Church, and is 
 in every respect a worthy and estimable lady. 
 
 ■^/OHN E. REMMERS has risen to his present 
 prosperous and prominent position by the 
 exercise of those sterling qualities of man- 
 hood which surelj' bring success, sooner or 
 later, to their possessor. He has surmounted diffi- 
 cult barriers by the mere force of perseverance, and 
 while his progress has not been extremely rapid, it 
 h.as been perfectly sure and safe, as his business 
 transactions have been conducted with the sti'ictest 
 integrity and uprightness. His father, John, and 
 mother, Catherine (Henrechs) Remmers, were na- 
 tives of East Friesland, in the extreme northern part 
 of Hanover, Germany. The father was engaged in 
 farming, and also owned a brickyard, but becom- 
 ing financiallj' embarrassed, he left his native coun- 
 tr3' and came to America with his family in 18G8. 
 His destination was Springfield, 111., and being com- 
 pelled by force .of circumstances, which led him to 
 cross the water in the hopes of bettering his fort- 
 une, he and his sons engaged to work in a harvest 
 field. The weather being extremely warm, and the 
 labor arduous, the father of our subject unfortun- 
 ately fell a victim to sunstroke, and thereby lost 
 his life. His death was a great bereavement to his 
 family, and it was because of this earl^- trouble that 
 our subject was obliged to call into requisition all 
 the force of character and will that he possessed, in 
 order to sui>ply the place of the family protector. 
 In the fall of 18G(S the mother of our subject 
 
 and her children came to Nebraska, and settled on 
 Bear Creek, close to Beatrice. There were eight 
 children in the famil}'. whose names are: Anna, 
 Thomas, Christopher, .John E., Dedrich and George 
 (deceased); two died in Germany. The mother 
 afterward married John Eilers, and died at Ster- 
 ling, this State, in 188.3, at the age of fifty years. 
 Our subject was born on the Gth of November, 1 8.50. 
 in Friesland, Germany, much of which country is 
 diked to exclude the water, and includes several 
 islands in the North Sea. He began to attend 
 school when he was six years old. and the oppor- 
 tunities for acquiring an education being verj'good, 
 he fitted himself by close application to his studies 
 for the life work that Lay before him. When he 
 came to this .State he was a boy seventeen years 
 old, and he broke the prairie land and worked out 
 by the month until he w.as twent3'-one 3'ears old, at 
 which age he settled on a claim of eighty acres on 
 section 10, Nemaha Township. In 1877 he ex- 
 changed his claim for 160 acres, paying the differ- 
 ence of price in cash. 
 
 On the 10th of September, 1878, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Arena Steinmann, a 
 daughter of Henry H. and Rachel (Yelken) Stein- 
 mann. They were also natives of Friesland, Han- 
 over, and were married in Menard County, III., 
 coming to this State in 1864, and settling in Ne- 
 maha County'. The father still lives on his farm in 
 the above-named county, and is sixty-nine 3'ears 
 old. He is one of the enterprising gentlemen who 
 helped to locate the State capital at Lincoln, and 
 in his count}' he has served as Commissioner many 
 times, and is otherwise distinguished among promi- 
 nent men. He is ver}' well situated financially, and 
 owns a section of well-improved land. The mother 
 is fifty-six j-ears old. and his shared her devotion 
 among nine children, five of whom were born in 
 Illinois, their names as follows: Henry, R.achel, 
 Arena, John, Bunn, Minnie, Christopher, Annie 
 and Am}', the three latter deceased. 
 
 Mrs. Remmers was born on the 10th of February, 
 18,59, and passed her early childhood d.ays until she 
 reached the age of five j^ears in Illinois, when she 
 came with her parents to this State. .She attended 
 the public schools, which were ver}' good for that 
 early time, and received a thorough training in the 
 
 V 
 
u 
 
 570 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 common-school branches, and she is a lady of worth 
 and nnusual ahility, no doubt inheriting mnch of 
 her mental qualification from her father, who has 
 won a distinguished name. She is the mother of 
 two children, named Catherine and Henry, and in 
 her devotion to her family she exemplifies her real 
 character and worth. 
 
 Mr. Remmers is one of the early settlers of this 
 county, and he deserves much credit for having so 
 successfully combated the circumstances surround- 
 ing him in his earlier da3'S, because of the death of 
 his father and his previous financialloss. He is the 
 owner of 300 acres of good land on sections 12 and 
 1. which he devotes to the purposes of farming and 
 stock-raising, having now sixty head of cattle on 
 his farm. He and his wife are members of the 
 Lutheran Church, and are high in the esteem of 
 their neighbors. His S3'mpathies are with the Re- 
 ])ublican party, and he is always pleased to note the 
 improvement of the public in general as to morals 
 and education. 
 
 -^^ ^^ 
 
 ^=^E0RGP: R. SCOTT, one of the wealthy and 
 [II __, prominent men of tlie city of Beatrice, repre- 
 ^^^5) sents a large amount of property, including 
 three or four good farms and valuable real estate in 
 the city. His business place is located at No. 119 
 North Fifth street, where he carries a complete stock 
 of dry-goods and carpets, and enjoys a liberal ])at- 
 ronage from the solid i)eople of Gage and adjoin- 
 ing counties. He established himself here in March, 
 l.S.sO. and is numbered among the solid men of the 
 city. 
 
 Mr. Scott was born in Oneida County. N. Y., at 
 the modest homestead of his parents, near the vil- 
 lage of Little Falls, May 13, 1802. His parents 
 were John A. and Keziah (Owens) Scott, and he 
 was their eldest child, their family including three 
 sons and two daugiiters. The mealier was a native 
 of England, and crossed the Atlantic at an early age. 
 John A. Scott was born in Oneida County, N. Y., 
 and for many j^ears was engaged in mercantile busi- 
 ness at Kaneville, 111. The family went to Illinois 
 when George R. was a little child two j'ears of age, 
 settling first in McHenry County. Thence they re- 
 
 M» ; 
 
 moved to Kaneville. in Kane County, where the 
 father still followed general merchandising, and 
 where his death took place Aug. 10. 1862. The 
 mother was subsequently married again, ancl is now 
 a resident of Hinckle}' 111. 
 
 The subject of this sketch passed his early years in 
 his native county, and attended the public school. 
 Upon becoming further advanced in his studies, he 
 repaired to Aurora, III., and became a student of 
 the Jennings Seminary, where he took a two-years 
 course. Upon returning to Kane County he taught 
 school for a time, and afterward going toRochelle, 
 was occupied as clerk in a dry-goods store for five 
 years. We next find him in Waterman, 111., of 
 which he was a resident eighteen months, established 
 in business for himself. In the spring of 1880 he 
 turned his steps westward, crossing the Father of 
 Waters, and coming into this State. Shortly after- 
 ward he took up his residence in Beatrice, of which 
 city he has since been a resident. He established 
 a store of general merchandise, .associating himself 
 in partnership with Peter E. Hastings, and under the 
 firm name of Hastings & Scott these gentlemen 
 operated together three years. Mr. Scott then i)ur- 
 chased the interest of his partner, and conducted the 
 business alone until Jan. 1, 1888, when he took in 
 his brother, W. W. Scott, the firm name becoming 
 Scott Bros. They carry a full line of dry-goods 
 and carpets, and occupj' a position at the head of 
 the trade in this section. 
 
 Mr. Scott, while a resident of Rochelle, was mar- 
 ried, Feb. 13, 1878, to Miss Edith M. Boyce, the 
 wedding taking place at tlie home of the bride in 
 Rochelle. The career of Mr. Scott has been more 
 than usually successful, and his propertj' is the ac- 
 cumulation mainly of his own industry and good 
 judgment. Politically, he is a Republican. The 
 family residence is a handsome structure located on 
 North Fifth street of the city, and with its adjacent 
 grounds and surroundings forms one of its most 
 attractive homes. His pLice of business was de- 
 stroyed by fire on the 13th of September. 1886, on 
 which, however, there was an insurance sufficiently 
 ample to cover all loss. 
 
 Scott Bros, own the fine building on Court street, 
 a white brick front, put up in the winter of 1886- 
 87, occupying an area of 50x100 feet, being two 
 
 :^^h-^ 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ;j73 . , 
 
 stories in height, built of brick, its finishings and 
 furnishings being everytiiing required to make it 
 attractive in appearance, and convenient for the 
 jnirpose to which it is adapted. Scott Bros.' store 
 is now located on North Sixth street, in the Spencer 
 Block. Mr. Scott has invested largely of his sur- 
 plus capital in Nebraska land, owning in Gage 
 County alone 320 acres, which have been divided 
 off into three good farms. He also has land in 
 Kans.as and Colorado. 
 
 ^#^ 
 
 OSEPH ELLIS. One of the most enterpris- 
 ing. ])ros|)erous farmers and largest land- 
 owners of Gage County, is the gentleman 
 of whose life a brief sketch is here given. 
 ]\Ir. Ellis is the owner of 2,000 acres of land, and 
 480 acres under lease; 1,500 acres of this land are 
 situated in Grant Township, of which over 500 
 acres have been brought to a high state of cultiva- 
 tion. This is situated on section IG, where he re- 
 sides. His farm is thoroughly well stocked with a 
 ver^' high grade of cattle and thoroughbred Siiort- 
 horns. From his ranch he ships generally about 
 twenty cars of stock annually. His farm buildings 
 are unsurpassed, and his residence such as is befitting 
 a man of his social status and financial abilit}'. It 
 is an elegant, two-story frame building with base- 
 ment, and of some pretensions to scientific archi- 
 tecture. The appreciative reader will turn with 
 pleasure to the double-page illustration, showing 
 this property, and also to the portrait of the owner 
 thereof. 
 
 Mr. Ellis is one of the Directors of the People's 
 Bank, at Beatrice, his brother John being the 
 President, Warren Cole, Vice-President, and H. L. 
 Ewing, Cashier. Since 1872 our subject has been 
 verj' active in every i)roject that promised advan- 
 tage to the district, and has brought to bear upon 
 every undertaking the same energy, push, common 
 sense and business integrity that have marked his 
 life and made him the successful man he is, for in 
 his earlier days he was quite poor, and by no means 
 rich when he came to this place. 
 
 Our suliject was born in Yorkshire, England, 
 April 3, ] «44, and is the son of .John and Mary 
 
 (Nettleton) Ellis. His father was by occupation a 
 farmer, and one of the most practical and enthusi- 
 astic in his county. The family' on both sides is of 
 what would be called good ancestry, and their his- 
 tory can be traced without difficulty for many 
 generations as natives of that district. The famil3' 
 included six children, all of whom came with their 
 i parents to the United States, and settled for a time 
 in New ,Ierse3', afterward removing to Woodford 
 Count}', 111., where Mr. Ellis, Sr., bought a new 
 farm. In this country there have been two chil- 
 dren (twins) born to them. The jiarents have since 
 resided at that place, and the father, continuing his 
 allegiance to the religious training of his j'outh. is 
 identified with the Episcopal Church in the neigh- 
 borhood. The mother belongs to the Methodist 
 Episcopal communion. 
 
 The education of our subject was received in the 
 Woodford County schools, and his knowledge of 
 farming was largely obtained in the same county. 
 When he became seventeen j'ears of age he enlisted 
 in August, 1861, in Company B, 47th Illinois In- 
 fantry, Capt. Miles and Col. Rush commanding. 
 The regiment was attached to the Army of the 
 West, and in it our subject fought at New Madrid, 
 Island No. 10, Ft. De Russey, Pleasant Hill, Hen- 
 derson Hill. Clowtinsville, Marksville, Pittsburg 
 Landing. Farmington (where Col. Miles was killed), 
 luka. Miss., and shortly afterward the battle of Cor- 
 inth, Oct. 3, 1862, where our subject was wounded 
 in the right arm, with which he was confined in the 
 hospital for some time; lejoining his regiment in 
 time for the battle of Vicksburg, he was at its sur- 
 render. He was also at the battles of Lake Chicot 
 (Ark.), June 6, 1864; Tupelo (Miss.), July 14 and 
 15, and Abbeville (Miss.), Aug. 23, 1864. In Oc- 
 tober, 1864, he received an honorable discharge at 
 Springfield, 111., after serving three years and two 
 months. Our subject still feels at times the effects 
 of a severe sunstroke received while guarding a 
 batterj' at Rienzi, Miss. 
 
 Upon return to Woodford Countj' our subject 
 became the husband of Margaret Miller, a native 
 of the Buckeye State. She was born in Butler 
 County, in the year 1840, and went to Illinois with 
 her parents while a child. She is the daughter of 
 Alexander and Eliza Miller. She came to this State 
 
 ■•► 
 
'4— 
 574 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 in 1872 with her luisbanri ; there have been six 
 children Iiorn to them, and to them iiave been 
 given the names here appended: F^mery S.. Frank 
 O., Harry O., Otto and Lora E., all of whom are at 
 home; also Edith M., now deceased. 
 
 Mr. Ellis saw suftieient during the war to satisfy 
 him that the onl}' political party he coiild affiliate 
 with was the one for which he fought, and he has 
 ever since continued consistently in his adherence 
 to the same. He is recognized as a stanch and in- 
 fluential friend of the party and an energetic worker 
 in its interests. Bj' reason of his military experi- 
 ence he is an enthusiastic member of the G. A. R. 
 at DeWitt, and is held in high regard by his com- 
 rades of the post. His name is and has been promi- 
 nent liefore the people as one having the progress 
 and advancement of the township and count}' at 
 heart, and he has done much to this end. As a 
 man and citizen he has been true, upright and loyal; 
 in society at large he is received as a generous 
 friend and gentleman, and in every relation has 
 won for himself the respect and admiration of his 
 compeers. 
 
 Mr. Ellis is one of the representative men of the 
 county, and his portrait is very appropriately given 
 in connection with this outline sketch of his life. 
 
 ENRY WAGNER, a pulilic-spirited and 
 y wide-awake citizen of C'latonia Township, 
 came to this section of country during the 
 period of its early settlement, and 'is now in 
 the enjoyment of a good home on section 15. His 
 infant years were spent on the other side of the ocean, 
 in Baden, Germany, where he was born Nov. 8, 1841. 
 His parents were John and Catherine (Bence) Wag- 
 ner, and they are now deceased. They emigrated to 
 America with their family, and took up their abode 
 in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. After a year's 
 residence there they migrated to Dearborn County, 
 Ind., where the father engaged in farming, and 
 where they lived seven years. Thej' then returned 
 eastward as far as Lawrence County, Ohio, where 
 our subject continued until reaching manhood. He 
 received but a limited education, and at an early 
 age entered the iron mines, where he labored for a 
 
 number of years, then began farming. Subse- 
 quently he worked in a coal mine, and after the 
 outbreak of the war was in the employ of the 
 United States Government in the building of tem- 
 porar}' bridges for the use of the army, mostly in 
 Tennessee and Alabama. He thus spent two sum- 
 mers, while in the winter he staid with his par- 
 ents in Ohio. We next find him in Washington 
 Count}', Mo., where he was employed at the Irona- 
 del furnace two years. From there he recrossed 
 the Father of Waters, and took up his abode in 
 Montgomery County, 111., where he carried on 
 farming a period of five years. 
 
 Our subject while a resident of Missouri was 
 married, Dec. 3, 1868, to Miss Eliza Barron, who 
 became the mother of two children: Eliza J., now 
 deceased, and Freilerick V.. a resident of Nebraska. 
 The wife and mother departed this life in 1872. 
 Mr. Wagner was the second time married, Dec. 24, 
 1874, to Miss M.aggie, daughter of Robert and 
 Mary A. (Croflford) Lowry, who are natives of 
 Ireland, and are now residing near Cortland, this 
 State. Of this union there were born five chil- 
 dren, namely: Robert H., William J.; John, who 
 died when nineteen months old; Thomas E. and 
 Lewis F. 
 
 In the spring of 1 875 Mr. W.agner came to this 
 county and made arrangements for future settle- 
 ment, laboring here on a tract of land two years 
 before bringing his family. He purchased a quarter- 
 section of the Burlington & Missouri River Rail- 
 road Company, in Clatonia Township, at $7 per 
 acre, taking possession and commencing in earnest 
 the cultivation of the virgin soil. Not a furrow 
 had been turned, and there was no other sign of 
 improvement. He labored amid many disadvan- 
 tages after the manner of the early pioneer, and 
 was in due time compensated in the possession of a 
 farm and all the comforts of life. He was ap- 
 pointed the third Postmaster of Clatonia post-office, 
 which office, now, however, is extinct. Politically, 
 he is an earnest supporter of Republican principles. 
 He has labored intelligently, and been careful to 
 encourage those enterprises which would aid in the 
 progress and development of his adopted county. 
 He is one of the worthiest representatives of the 
 men who struck out boldly without other means 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 •«»- 
 
 i)lO 
 
 than their own resources, and by a course of rigid 
 economy and untiring industry, built u|) from first 
 principles a homestead which forms a nucleus from 
 wiitcli their posteritj' will reap manj' advantages. 
 
 -^ 
 
 '.^^HOMAS R. ZIMiMERMANN. In the subject 
 (//(^^ of this sketch we have an example of the 
 ^^^ progressive and aspiring qualities of man- 
 hood which have enabled him to become one of the 
 most successful and prosperous farmers of Logan 
 Township, having worked his waj' up from a lowly 
 ))Osition to one of wealth and influence. He is the 
 owner of 1,560 acres of well-improved land, de- 
 voted to the purposes of farming and stock-raising. 
 He is a son of Kankin and Anne Zimmermann, who 
 were natives of Germany, the death of the former 
 occurring in 1842 and th.at of the latter in 1835. 
 There were five children of that household, who 
 were named Tillie, Claus, Rachael, Fannie and 
 Thomas. Our subject, the j-oungest of the family, 
 was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1833, and suf- 
 fered the loss of his mother when he was about two 
 3'ears old, scarcelj' old enough to realize what a 
 great loss it w.ns. 
 
 Our subject remained in his native country until 
 lie was twenty-two j'ears old, receiving but little 
 instruction from text-books, l)iit having an experi- 
 ence in the world which enabled him to cultivate 
 shrewd and careful business habits. Thinking that 
 in America there would be better opportunities for 
 him to exercise his talents he embarked from Bre- 
 merhaven in 1853, and lauded in New York City 
 after a long voyage. He made a short visit to va- 
 rious cities, including Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh, 
 Pa., and !St. Louis. Mo., stopping for one j'ear at 
 Belleville, 111., and at Petersburg, 111., for three years. 
 In 1861 he went to Ritzier County, Neb., and from 
 there removed to this count}' and made his home 
 on section 4, Logan Township, for eight years. He 
 then sold his farm and bought another on section 7, 
 consisting of 200 acres, on which he has made very 
 many improvements and has been more than ordi- 
 narily prosperous, as much so perhaps as any far- 
 mer in the county. At dififerent times he purch.ased 
 land, until now he is the owner of 1,560 acres, all 
 
 of which he rents excepting the farm on which he 
 makes his home. 
 
 On the 28th of January, 1861, our subject was 
 united in marri.ige. in Petersburg, 111., to Miss 
 Catherine Miller, who was born in Hanover, Ger- 
 many, on the 6lh of January, 1843. Her parents, 
 Elliot and Abby (Johnson) Miller, were natives of 
 Hanover, in which country the mother died, the 
 father afterward coming to America, and departing 
 this life in Lebanon, 111. There were four children 
 in their family, whom they named Elliot. Mattie, 
 Catharine and Albert. After their marriage our 
 subject brought his wife to his attractive home, 
 which she has graced bj- her charming and womanly 
 presence, and, as she shares with her husband the 
 desire to pi'ogress and improve, the}' have together 
 labored toward the same end, and are now rewarded 
 for their industry and careful management. Their 
 buildings are all in excellent condition, and the 
 farm being in a fine state of cultivation jMelds ex- 
 cellent harvests of grain and general farm produce. 
 
 The home of our subject and his wife has been 
 the birthplace and shelter of five children, named 
 Annie, Abby, Fannie. Elliot and Matilda, three of 
 whom have already left the parental roof and are 
 nicely established in their own homes. Annie mar- 
 ried Herman Dorn, and with their three children, 
 named Thomas, Rankin and Hannah, they live on 
 a farm in Logan Township; Abby married Ilenr}' 
 Mintz, and with their two children, named Criss and 
 Tena, they live on a farm in Logan Township; 
 Fannie is the wife of Edward Boughman, living in 
 Hanover Township, also engaged in farming; they 
 have two children deceased : Rachel, born April 10, 
 1865, died Aug. 28, 1865, and Rankin, born Oct. 
 1, 1875, died April 5, 1876. 
 
 Part of the land belonging to our subject lies in 
 Hanover and part in Logan Township, and from its 
 abundant harvests he receives a large income, which 
 enables him to rank with the wealthy farmers of the 
 township. He takes an active interest in the pub- 
 lic welfare, and has been for one year Road Over- 
 seer, discharging the duties of that position with 
 credit to himself and satisfaction to the public. 
 Politically, he favors the Democratic partj-, and his 
 religions sympathies are with the Evangelical Lu- 
 theran Church, both he and his wife being esteemed 
 
k 576 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 members of tliat church in Hanover. By their affa- 
 ble anrl pleasing manners and kindly' courtesy they 
 have won a large circle of admiring friends and 
 acquaintances, who speak of them in terms of the 
 highest respect, and they are well worthy of an 
 honorable mention among the best citizens. 
 
 <J¥)AMES RATHBUN, a well-to-do citizen of 
 I Glen wood Township, and the owner of 320 
 j acres of fine farming land, comprising the 
 '^^Jj greater portion of section 12, is pursuing the 
 even tenor of his way as a peaceable and law-abid- 
 ing citizen, devoting his attention to agricultural 
 pursuits and making a specialty of stock-raising. 
 He came to this State from Henry County, 111., in 
 the fall of 1881, settling where he now lives, and 
 where l-.e has effected many iui|)rovements and is 
 contrilniting his share toward advancing the inter- 
 ests of one of the most progressive communities of 
 the West. 
 
 The Rathbun family have for several generations 
 traced their ancestry among the people of New 
 England, and the fatiier of our subject, Ebenezer 
 Rathbun by name, was born in Vermont, where he 
 was reared to manhood, and wlience he migrated to 
 Washington County, Ohio; thence he removed to 
 LaSalle County, 111., settling in Ottawa; afterward 
 he lived in both Peoria and Henr}' Counties, and 
 with his excellent wife spent his last days in the lat- 
 ter, passing away about 1874. The mother of our 
 subject was in her girlhood Miss Martha Hall; she 
 was born in Ireland and crossed the Atlantic in her 
 3-outh, settling with her parents in Ohio. She be- 
 came the mother of ten children, and accompanied 
 her faniilj' in their various removals until their final 
 settlement in Henry Count\', III., where her deatii 
 took place Oct. 5, 1878. 
 
 Four of the brothers and sisters of our subject 
 are yet living, mostly in Nebraska. James was born 
 in Washington County, Ohio, Dec. 28, 1830, and 
 was the seventh child of the family. He was reared 
 to farm pursuits, educated in the district school, and 
 continued under the home roof until twenty-six 
 years of age; then, crossing the Mississippi in quest 
 of a location for a home of his own, he selected 
 
 Southern Nebraska as his abiding-place, locating 
 upon his present farm in Glenwood Township. 
 Here he has erected a good house and effected other 
 improvements, indicating liim to be a man of per- 
 severance and industrj', one who has a proper 
 appreciation of those things which shall be for the 
 comfort of his family and his own reputation as a 
 member of the commuait}'. In addition to other 
 pioneer labor he has set out a goodly assortment of 
 fruit and other trees, cultivated the soil in a judi- 
 cious manner, and lives independently and in a 
 manner befitting a lord of the soil. 
 
 Mr. Rathbun assumed matrimonial ties Feb. 25, 
 1858, the lad}' of his choice being Miss Marj' Ann 
 Wolf, born in Knox County, Ohio, June 24, 1836. 
 Peter and Jane (Biggs) Wolf, the parents of Mrs. 
 Rathbun, were natives of the same county as their 
 daughter. They left the Buckeye State about 1839, 
 and are now residents of Wasiiington Territory, 
 where the father carried on farming. Their family 
 consisted of ten children, all of whom are living. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Rathbun there have born eleven 
 children, eight of whom are living, namely: Frank, 
 George, Lewis, Charles, John, Alice, Carrie and 
 Lizzie. The deceased children died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Rathbun cast his first vote in his native State 
 for Pierce, and has since given his support to the 
 Democratic party. 
 
 -^ 
 
 NDREW WALKER. The northwest quar- 
 ter of section 24 in Clatonia Township, 
 which is owned and operated by the sub- 
 ^1 ject of this sketch, is noticeable on account 
 
 of the thoroughness with which it has been cul- 
 tivated, its comfortable buildings, and the gen- 
 eral air of thrift and industry which surrounds it. 
 Mr. Walker was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. 8, 
 1859, and is the son of Herman and Sarah (Blum) 
 Walker, the father deceased and the mother a resi- 
 dent of Lincoln, Neb. 
 
 Herman Walker was a native of Germany, whence 
 he emigrated in early life, and his wife, Sarah, was 
 born in Dayton, Ohio. Andrew was their only 
 child, and in 1868 came with his parents to this 
 county, they settling among the earliest pioneers 
 
i. 
 
 ••» 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 f 
 
 of Clatonia Township. The father only lived a 
 few years thereafter, dying when comparatively a 
 young man, in 1S59 or 1860. Tiie mother subse- 
 quently married Lewis Brewing, and was .ignin left 
 a widow, Mr. D. passing away on the 3d of Maj% 
 1884. 
 
 Andrew Walker was reared to manhood in this 
 county and educated in the common schools. On the 
 13lh of Novemlier, 1883, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Louisa Keller, who was born in 
 Iowa, Aug. 20, 1857. Her parents were n.atives of 
 Germany. The father is deceased and the mother 
 lives with our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Walker are 
 the parents of two children: Waldo W., born Feb. 
 16, 1885, and Margaret S., Feb. 15, 1888. They 
 are members in good standing of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Walker, politically, 
 is a Republican with Prohibition tendencies. He 
 is serving as Moderator in his school district, was 
 elected the first Clerk of Clatonia Township after 
 its organization, and re-elected twice since. Dur- 
 ing his younger years he attended school at Mt. 
 Pleasant, Iowa, a year, and by the reading of the 
 current literature of the day keeps himself w-ell 
 posted upon matters of general interest. He is a 
 man intelligent to C(jnverse with, straightforward 
 and prompt in his business transactions, and in all 
 respects a valued citizen. 
 
 /^^v ILAS S. SPIER is a well-known and repre- 
 
 ^^^ sentative farmer residing on section 36, 
 
 |fl£_Jl) Paddock Township. His father, Isaac Spier, 
 
 was born in Columbia Countj', N. Y., and 
 
 his mother, Laura (Spaulding) Spier, was born in 
 
 Chester, Mass. After their marriage they settled in 
 
 Canaan, Columbia Co., N. Y., in which place the 
 
 husband died on the 26th of August, 1867. The 
 
 wife died at the residence of her son, our subject, 
 
 in Paddock Township, on the 8th of January, 1887. 
 
 They had a familj* of three children, of whom 
 
 Sarah A. became the wife of Joseph Bunnell, and 
 
 BIdith M. became the wife of W. R. Kirk. 
 
 The only son, our subject, was born in Canaan, 
 Columbia Co., N. Y., on the 27th of April, 1846. 
 He spent the early 3'ears of his life on a farm, and 
 
 received the principal part of his education in the 
 common schools. He lived at home until he was 
 eighteenjyears old, when he came to Nebraska, and 
 spent si.x months of the j-ear 1866 in Omaha. He 
 afterward went to LaCrosse, Wis., at which place 
 he remained about one and a half years, being em- 
 ployed as a book-keeper in a fruit store. He then 
 went to LaGrange County, Ind., and was engaged 
 in farming from the fall of 1868 until the spring of 
 1877, when he went to Black Hawk County, Iowa, 
 and remained for one year. In the spring of 1878 
 he came to Nebraska, and settled in Paddock 
 Township, in which he bought 200 acres of land. 
 
 Our subject has made improvements on his farm 
 and has erected a number of necessary and con- 
 venient buildings. He gives his attention to general 
 farming, and makes a specialty of raising sheep and 
 horses, keeping considerable live stock. He was 
 married in Alden, Phue Co., N. V., on the 'Jth of 
 November, 1 870, to Miss Lucinda L. Oaks, a daugh- 
 ter of Samuel G. and Luana (Lewis) Oaks. The 
 father of Mrs. Spier was born in Bridgewater, 
 Oneiiia Co., N. Y., on the 1st of January, 1800, and 
 her mother was born in Herkimer County, of the 
 same State, on the i8th of Januarj', 1808. By that 
 marriage they had a family of five children — Sa- 
 mantha L., Abraham, Mary E., William G. and Lu- 
 cinda L. The father died in the cit}' of his birth 
 on the 24th of April, 1851, and the mother died 
 in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, on the 25th of 
 September, 1884. 
 
 Mrs. Spier was born in Clarendon, Orleans Co., 
 N. Y., on the 31st of Maj-, 1847. She is an ac- 
 complished and excellent woman, a sympathizing 
 wife, and a devoted mother to her children, of whom 
 she has three, their names, Anna L., Marion W. and 
 Isaac. They have enjoyed the advantages of re- 
 ceiving a good education, making excellent use there- 
 of, and are distinguished for their intelligence, 
 genial dispositions and pleasing manners, and are 
 ornaments to their home and the young society of 
 the neighborhood. 
 
 Our subject has taken an important part in the 
 public affairs of his township, having served in an 
 olHce most of the time since his removal to this 
 county. He h.is been Assessor for two terms. Treas- 
 urer for the same length of time, and is now the iu- 
 
.t 
 
 -4*- 
 
 u7« 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 cumbent of tbe latter oflice. He is a member of 
 the A. O. U. W., and is a Republican in politics. 
 He and his family are attendants on the services of 
 the Presbyterian Church, and are well known as an 
 estimable family. 
 
 WILLIAM H.STOCKTON, who is operating a 
 livery and sale stable at Beatrice, has his 
 headquarters on West Court street, and 
 is in the enjoyment of a generous patronage from 
 the i)eople of the city. lie keeps a goodly assort- 
 ment of horses and road vehicles, and conducts his 
 business in tliat straightforward manner which com- 
 mends him to his fellow-citizens as a man worthy to 
 be numbered among those who liy their enterprise 
 are contributing to the general advancement of its 
 interests. This stable was established by Mr. 
 Stockton in March, 1881, and is now numbered 
 among the leading enterprises of the city. 
 
 Our subject was born near the town of Green- 
 bush, Warren Co., III.. April 14, 1850, and is the 
 second child of James and Jane (White) Stockton, 
 who were natives of Indiana and earl3' settlers of 
 Warren County. The father was a farmer by occu- 
 pation, and after manj' years' residence in Warreu 
 County, removed across the line into Fulton, where 
 his death took place in May, 18G5. The mother 
 survived her husband but little over twelve months, 
 passing awa}' in June of the following year. Their 
 other children are residents of Nebraska and Iowa. 
 William II. Stockton early in life became familiar 
 with the various employments of the farm, and ac- 
 quired his education mostly in the district school. 
 He remained under the parental roof until a youth 
 of nineteen years, then with very little capital 
 started out on his own account. In 1873 he began 
 operations as a stock-dealer, and six 3'ears later 
 crossed the Jlississippi into Warren Count}', Iowa, 
 and continued the shipping of cattle and swine to 
 Chicago. He was thus occupied in that region 
 until 1881, when he came to Beatrice and began 
 trading in horses, soon afterward establishing his 
 stables. In August, 1887, he put up the building 
 which he now occupies, and which covers an area 
 of 32x1 20 feet. He gives employment to four men. 
 
 Mr. Stockton wdiile a resident of Warren County, 
 Iowa, was united in marriage with Miss Mattie 
 Evans, the wedding taking place in December, 1 879. 
 This lady is the daughter of Charles and Bettie 
 Evans, natives of Indiana, and now of Kansas. 
 Their family' consisted of Ave children. Of this 
 union there has been born one child, a daughter, 
 Mabel, who is now eight j'cars old. Mr. Stockton is 
 conservative in politics, usually giving his support 
 to the Democratic party. 
 
 The parents of our subject had each been married 
 before uniting their fortunes, and the mother had 
 three children by her first husband, Mr. White, one 
 son and two daughters — Thomas, Sarah and Eliza. 
 The father by his first marriage had two sons — 
 Thomas and Aaron. These are now mostly resi- 
 dents of Missouri. The paternal grandfather of our 
 subject, Thomas Stockton b^- name, was a native of 
 Indiana, and spent the last years of his life in 
 Illinois. 
 
 ijilSAAC N. YOTHER has been a resident of this 
 county since the year 1872, and in the time of 
 /li his residence here he has built up an enviable 
 reputation for integrity and enterprise, and has 
 taken an active interest in the public affairs of his 
 township. His father is Henr^' Yother, who was 
 born in Pennsjdvania in 1809, and has been a 
 clergyman all his life, combining with that noble 
 professi<jn the occupation of a farmer. He married 
 Miss Catherine Myers, the mother of our subject, 
 who died in Pennsylvania in the year 1861, and in 
 1864 he left his native State, and moved to Living- 
 ston County, 111. In 1871 he came to this county, 
 and still makes his home here. 
 
 Our suliject is the fourth child of a family of 
 twelve, eight sons and four daughters, and was born 
 in Fayette County. Pa., on the 29th of September, 
 1842. He remained at home until he reached the 
 age of twenty-one years, receiving his education 
 from the schools of his native town, after which lie 
 was engaged in farming. In 1872 he came to this 
 county, and made his home near Blue Springs, re- 
 maining there until 1883, at which time he bought 
 a farm of 120 acres on section 13, Island Grove 
 Township. The farm is now in a fine state of cul- 
 
 ■^•- 
 
-4»- 
 
 -! 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -=L» 
 
 o71) 
 
 tivalion. and presents an attractive appearance, with 
 its nicclj' arranged cluster of convenient farm 
 huildin<is. and its fields of waving green, separated 
 by rows of substantial and well-kept fences. 
 
 On the loth of December. 1870, Mr. Yolher was 
 united in marriage with Miss Mary Loucks, a daugh- 
 ter of Henry and Barbarj' Loucks, who were natives 
 of Pennsylvania. She was born on the 18th of 
 July, 1S3.5, in Westmoreland, Pa., and remained in 
 her native State until the j-ear 1870. B\' her mar- 
 riage with our subject she has become the mother 
 of three children, one son and two daughters, to 
 whom have been given the names of Henrj' L.. 
 Carrie Elizabeth and Annie Winnifred. These chil- 
 dren are now verging on j'oung manhood and 
 womanhood, and are fitting themselves to relieve 
 their kind parents of man}' of the burdens of 
 domestic duties, and to become useful and honor- 
 able members of society. Mr. Yother warml}' advo- 
 cates the policj' of the Republican part}' in politics, 
 and is gratified to hear of the public improvements 
 in educational and religious matters, as well as of 
 those relating to the government of the country. 
 For five 3ears he has been an honorable member of 
 the School Board, and has proved himself an enter- 
 prising and loyal citizen. 
 
 ^ AMES KINZIE. Of Grant Township's vet- 
 eran pioneer settlers, the subject of this 
 sketch is one of the most worthy of intro- 
 
 duction to the readers of this volume. Since 
 
 his establishment in the count}' he has been unre- 
 mitting in his efforts and most unwearied in his en- 
 deavors to advance the interests thereof in every 
 possible manner. His first entry of land dates from 
 the year 1861. He is the owner of 280 acres of 
 most excellently improved and cultivated land, and 
 is certainly to be numbered among the best farmers 
 of the county. His property and residence are 
 situated upon section 8, his home being beautifully 
 located, and affording the necessaries of comfort 
 and convenience, and not a few luxuries of life. 
 His property is well stocked with timber and well 
 sui)plied with water. 
 
 The father of our subject, William Kinzie, wel- 
 
 comed his son to the present life on the "iid of 
 iJecember, 1816, at his home in West Virginia. The 
 grandfather of our subject, John H. Kinzie, was 
 born of Scottish parents, in New Yoik City, and 
 until this time the name had been prefixed by the 
 syllable, Mac, represented in the usual manner. He 
 was one of the heroes of the Kevolutionary Army, 
 and also of the War of 1812. He saw much of 
 military life and was a recognized able soldier and 
 officer. He was one of the first to be in what is 
 now Chicago, being Indian agent for that district, 
 and making it his headquarters. 'Ihe well-known, 
 important business thoroughf.are in that city, Kinzie 
 street, received its name in his lionor. He died at 
 a very advanced age, while that town was still 
 known by the name of Ft. Dearborn, his death be- 
 ing very sudden and caused by heart disease. 
 
 William Kinzie, the father of our subject, was 
 born in what is now Detroit, Mich. He grew to 
 manhood in the State of Ohio, and served through 
 the War of 1812. His chosen occupation in life 
 was that of farming. The maiden name of his wife 
 was Rebecca Martin, wliom he met and married in 
 the southeastern part of the State. After this im- 
 portant and interesting event they continued to" 
 malve their home in Ohio until 1832. They then 
 removed to Elkhart County, Ind., took up land and 
 improved a new farm. His wife died in 1842, 
 somewhat past middle life; somewhat later the 
 widowed husband came to Nebraska, and in the 
 year 1869 died at the home of our subject, vvhere 
 he had been residing for some lime, in his seventy- 
 eighth year. 
 
 Our subject was the third child and first son of 
 a family of ten children, four of whom were daugh- 
 ters. One of the sons died from sickness during 
 military service. The subject of our sketch was 
 reared in Ohio and Indiana, and entered upon his 
 majority in the latter State. There, also, in 1848, 
 he became the husbai.d of Lydia E. Hatch, who 
 was born in Pennsylvania, in the year 1831. She 
 is the third daughter of Albert and Sally A. (Wood) 
 Hatch, both of whom are now deceased. They de- 
 parted this life at LaPorte. Ind. They were natives 
 of New York State, and after their marriage made 
 their home there until after the birth of two chil- 
 dren, then removed to Pennsylvania. In 1837 they 
 
 L ^ ^' 
 
i 
 
 '4*- 
 
 5«0 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 went to the Iloosier State, making their home at 
 Elkliart for a time, but the fatlier, who was liy trade 
 a millwriu'bt and a skilled workman, not long after- 
 ward removed to Chicago, and was employed in 
 the carshops of that city. He finally removed to 
 LaPorte, wiiere he established a foundry, and in- 
 vented and brought out the first corn sheller in the 
 countrj' for the use of Messrs. Peck & Co., the ex- 
 tensive grain dealers in that cit}'. 
 
 Lydia Kinzie, daughter of the above and wife of 
 our subject, received a good education in the Indi- 
 ana schools. This was subsequently supplemented 
 by her own most laudable, ambitious efforts at self- 
 improvement, whicii have made her a well-educated 
 lady, and have also given her a perfect command 
 over what she has learned, and made it possible for 
 her to utilize the same at any time. Siie has be- 
 come the mother of eleven children, and it is her 
 happiness to have them all living; seven of them 
 are married and have homes of their own, and fill 
 honorable and responsible positions in life. They 
 are as follows: Mary E., the wife of John Wehn, 
 Jr., editor of the Opposition, at AViiber, Neb.; 
 William, who is married to Sarah Barnhouse, and 
 living upon a farm in Grant Township; Laura J., 
 the wife of Calvin C. Goodhart, an engineei' on the 
 Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, and resident 
 at Wymore; John D., who is still at home; Sally 
 A., now Mrs. James Clary, and living in Jefferson 
 County, Neb.; Agnes, the widow of Peter Shawm, 
 at present residing with her parents; Alice, happily 
 married to Charles Morris, a farmer in Grant Town- 
 ship; Emma R., wife of Tom Collister, of Frontier 
 County; James E. and Erastus E. (twins), still at 
 home; and Clarissa B., also still with her parents. 
 Upon the roll of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 at DeWitt, are found the names of our subject, his 
 wife, and several members of their family. They 
 are among its most able supporters, stanch friends 
 and consistent members, and as a result are very 
 highly esteemed. The subject of our sketch is not 
 in the front rank of politicians, but is ever ready to 
 do his full duty as a citizen with all loyal eager- 
 ness. He usually votes with the Democratic part}'. 
 Although not much found in political circles, his 
 bright, genial smile is seldom missed from any 
 gathering, religious, social or otherwise, where pro- 
 
 <■ 
 
 jects and plans are to be perfected or carried out 
 for the benefit of the community or even a more 
 prescribed circle, if only the object be right, honor- 
 able, charitable or beneficent. Both himself and 
 wife have always been the true friends of such 
 enterprises, and hold a very warm place in the 
 hearts of those who know them. 
 
 (^^ AMUEL E. RIGG, Postmaster at Beatrice, 
 ^^^ and also carrying on a flourishing drug 
 (ll/_j) business, stands well among the citizens 
 and business men of this part of the Stale, 
 as one intimately identified with its most important 
 interests. He comes of substantial German ances- 
 try, who settled in the Keystone State during the 
 Colonial days and engaged mostly in agricultural 
 pursuits. He was born near the town of "Washing- 
 ton, in Washington County, that .State, M.a}^ 20, 
 1852, and his parents were Joseph and Catherine 
 (Earhart) Rigg, descended from (Quaker stock, the 
 former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of 
 Athens County, Ohio. Jose|)h Rigg, in 18G7, mi- 
 grated to Illinois, locating in Champaign County, 
 where he operated as a miller, and where his death 
 took place Sept. 22, 1882. The mother, after the 
 death of her husband, joined her sons in Beatrice, 
 Neb., where she now resides. 
 
 To Joseph and Catherine Rigg there were born 
 two children onl}', Charles M., and Samuel E., of 
 our sketch. The elder is now engaged in the real- 
 estate business in Beatrice. Samuel pursued his 
 early studies in the common schools of Ohio and 
 Illinois, and later was a student in the Illinois State 
 Universitj' at Urbana. He began his business career 
 as clerk in a drug-store at Champaign, III., and later, 
 going South, was employed in the same capacit}' in 
 a drug-store at Hot Springs, Ark., where he so- 
 journed for a period of five years. He has also been 
 a resident of the States of Georgia and Ohio, being 
 in the ft)rmer at the outbreak of the late Civil War. 
 He had been there about one and one-half years, 
 and from there returned to Ohio. 
 
 Mr. Rigg, in Ma^' of 1879, migrated to this 
 county, and began clerking in the drug-store of 
 Hinkle & Jackson, at Beatrice, with whom he re- 
 
^$.^ 
 
 '^,^^: 
 
 
■<»■ 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 583 
 
 niained four years, and then secured an interest in 
 the business, becoming associated with Mr. J. W. 
 Hiniile, under the firm name of Hiniile & Rigg, 
 whicii partnership continued five j'ears. Mr. Hin- 
 kle, then retiring, disposed of his interest to Mr. 
 Jackson, and the firm of Jackson & Rigg now com- 
 mands a large proportion of the patronage extended 
 to this line of merchandise in the city. They carry 
 a full stock of everything pertaining to their line 
 of trade, and by their strict business methods have 
 built up a substantial and lucrative business. Mr. 
 Rigg is a stanch Democrat politically, and received 
 the appointment of Postmaster in March, 1886. He 
 has hosts of friends in the community, his course 
 having been that which commands respect and con- 
 fidence. 
 
 The marriage of Samuel E. Rigg and Miss Mary, 
 eldest daughter of G. W. and Amanda E. (Jones) 
 Hinkle, of Beatrice, was celebrated at the home of 
 the bride in this city, Oct. 18, 1881. Mrs. Rigg 
 was born Nov. 6, 1860, and was given the advantages 
 of a common-school education. She was reared 
 to womanhood in Beatrice, and remained at home 
 until her marriage. Her father is a native of Ohio 
 and the mother of Illinois; the latter died when 
 Mrs. Rigg was about four years old. Mr. Hinkle 
 resides in Beatrice. Their family consisted of four 
 children. 
 
 *°* "& ' ^ ' fl ' ^ * S" '" 
 
 '^.RUMAN L. DAVIS, one of the largest 
 sheep and stock i-aisers in the State, operates 
 the ranch comprising the entire extent of 
 sections 17 and 18 of Hooker Township. He is the 
 son of John and Jane (Waters) Davis, natives of 
 New York State. Our subject represents the sixth 
 generation of his family in this country, and is of 
 English and Scotch extraction. His grandfather, 
 John Davis, served with distinction in the War of 
 1812. Upon their marriage the parentsof our sub- 
 ject settled in Saratoga County, N. Y., where his 
 father owned a farm and followed his trade as a 
 carpenter. Their marriage occurred in the j'ear 
 1842, in Wayne County. In the year 1860 he 
 purchased a farm in Warren Count}- and removed 
 to it; they are still living and in comfortable cir- 
 
 cumstances. Mr. Davis has reached the advanced 
 age of sixty-two, and his wife the age of fifty-eight. 
 Their family included five children, who received 
 the names Howard, Harvey, Alpheus, Byron and 
 Truman L. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 25th of December. 
 1854, at Millbrook, Warren Co., N. Y. At the age 
 of about six 3'ears, iiis parents removed to Saratoga 
 Count}', where he attended the common school for 
 some time. When about fourteen years of age he 
 left home to work, and eng.aged with Messrs Den- 
 nison & Belden, contractors for the Erie and Wel- 
 land Canals, working as a boy of all work. His 
 disposition, intelligence, and rapidly developing 
 ability, were marked by his employers, and at the 
 age of fifteen, an opportunity occurring, he was 
 given the preference and placed in charge of a 
 gang of men, and in this position remained four 
 years. This was the school in which he learned 
 how to handle a body of men, and the many details 
 thereof that have since been of such help to him upon 
 his''ranch and elsewhere. 
 
 Upon leaving the canal Truman, with his brother 
 Howard, engaged in business in a meat-market in 
 Saratoga, where he continued until 1877, when he 
 came to Beatrice. Here for the first 3'ear he worked 
 by the month, then rented the farm next to where 
 he had worked, and continued upon it with increas- 
 ing prosperity for five years. It was while here 
 he became acquainted with Mr. J. B. Long, of 
 Washington County, N. Y. This gentleman rented 
 the Hooker farm, and converted it into a sheep 
 ranch. He subleased the land to Mr. Davis, who 
 has personal charge of the farm. 
 
 On the 6th of August, 1885, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Lj-dia White, a 
 daughter of William and Jennie White, who were 
 natives of Tennessee, where the}' settled and con- 
 tinued until after the war. Mr. White was by 
 occupation a farmer and planter, but upon removal 
 to Nebraska he was engaged in the hotel business. 
 About two years were spent in Nebraska; then they 
 removed to Burr Oak, Kan., and there Mr. White 
 opened a hotel. At present he has a good farm, 
 upon which he resides, situated in Butler Count}', 
 that State. He is now forty-six years of age, and 
 his wife thirty-six. Their three children have been 
 
 ■► 
 
-4^ 
 
 ;'>«4 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 named Lyf'ia. Josephine and Ella. Their daughter 
 Lydia, the wife of our subject, was born on the 4th 
 of February, 1869. She remained at home with her 
 parents until her marriage, and was well educated in 
 the common and Normal schools at Peru. There 
 have been two children born to our subject: Pearl, 
 who was born May C, 1886, and Byron, who died 
 in inf.incy. 
 
 Mr. Davis has under his immediate supervision, 
 control and management, 1,280 acres, being 960 
 acres of Hooker and 320 acres of Scully land. 
 There are ten teams kept continually at work in 
 connection with the ranch, and a force of never 
 less than twelve men. Besides his teams he usually 
 has about forty bead of horses in his pastures, but 
 aims chiefly to feed for the market. In 1884 there 
 were fed 6,000 head of sheep, and in 1885 10.000; 
 the following year 7.000, and in 1887 11,500; this 
 year (1888) there will probablj' be fed about the 
 same number. These figures tell something of the 
 measure of his success, even far better than any 
 merely complimentary sentence could do. About 
 tlie 1st of November usually the sheep are brought 
 in from the pasture and housed for the winter. 
 This is the largest sheep ranch in Eastern Nebraska, 
 and enjoys a widespread and favorable reputation. 
 
 It is interesting to notice the amount required 
 by our subject for feed purposes alone for a season. 
 Tlie figures which are as follows are startling: Of 
 oats he uses 2,000 l)ushels ; of corn 40,000 bushels ; 
 of hay 2,000 tons; and of oil cake ninety tons. 
 The ranch is fully supplied with the various sheds, 
 yards and buildings requisite for its successful oper- 
 ation, and all of them have been erected accord- 
 ing to the most improved plans ; the place is also 
 provided with a five-ton scale, which is in constant 
 use, and three large and powerful windmills. There 
 are twelve sheep yards, ten having a capacity of 
 1,000 sheep, and two with a capacity of 500. By 
 this means every grade of sheep can i)e kept sepa- 
 rate, their feeding attended to better, and in shipping 
 this arrangement saves much time and trouble. 
 Shearing time is quite a busy season upon the ranch, 
 there being usually from 6,000 to 7,000 sheep 
 sheared annuall}'. 
 
 Mr. Davis is heartily esteemed in the community, 
 and is greatly admired because of his high personal 
 
 character, business ability and success. In political 
 matters he usually votes with the Republican party, 
 but is careful to deposit his ballot where, in his 
 belief, the best interests of the people will be served. 
 The portrait of the enterprising gentleman whose 
 life has been so briefly sketched here will be gladly 
 received by the patrons of this work. As a fitting 
 companion picture we present the jjortrait of his 
 estimable wife. 
 
 ■\ll EFFERSON H. BROADY, Judge of the First 
 Judicial District, having his residence at 
 Beatrice, has for many years Ijeen recog- 
 nized as one of the leading members of the 
 bar of Southern Nebraska. He was born on a 
 farm near Liberty, in Adams County, 111., April 
 14, 1844, and is the son of John C. and Anna 
 (Wigle) Broadj', the latter of Belgian ancestry. 
 The mother was also born in the Prairie State, 
 where she was reared to womanhood. Her fqther 
 was John Wigle, a farmer, miller and pioneer tav- 
 ern-keeper by occupation, and a man prominent in 
 his community. His house was the stopping-place 
 of the travelers, and a sort of headquarters for the 
 settlers. 
 
 John C. Broady was of Scotch descent, and a na- 
 tive of Kentucky. His mother died when he was 
 seven j-ears of age, and he was taken from Ken- 
 tucky at an earlj' age to Knoxville, Tenn., and 
 thence to Vienna. Ind., where he was bound out to 
 an old-school Presbyterian preacher to learn the min- 
 istry according to the old Scotch Covenantor's 
 faith. This was too much for the exuberance of 
 youth, and he fled from there to the frontier in 
 Illinois, and enlisted in the Black Hawk War. 
 John C. Broady continued a resident of Adams 
 County, 111., where he followed farming and spent 
 the remainder of his days, his death occurring in 
 1878. The mother survived her husband one year, 
 dying in 1879. Their family included seven liv- 
 ing children, four sons and three daughters, who 
 now reside in the States of Illinois, Nebraska, Mis- 
 souri and Kansas. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the fourth child 
 of the family, and passed his boyhood and youth 
 
 - ► ^ ■1 <• 
 
.t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 585 
 
 on the farm, becoming familiar with the various 
 eniploj'ments of rural life. His eiirly studies were 
 conducted in the district school, and later he be- 
 came a student of Pa^'son High School, from which 
 he was graduated with honors, and not long after 
 engaged as a teacher. Being of a delicate constitu- 
 tion, he was unfitted for the arduous labors of the 
 farm, and devoted much of his time to reading 
 upon the political topics of the day. He soon de- 
 veloped excellent powers as an orator, and was es- 
 pecially efHcient as a political organizer when a boy 
 of twelve j'ears. During the memorable campaigns 
 of Stephen A. Douglas, while yet a schoolboy, he 
 was dubbed the "Little Giant" of his community, 
 ou accouut of his active interest in promoting the 
 success of the Democracy in organizing the boys 
 of his acquaintance iuto a band of campaigners. 
 
 As he advanced to maturity young liroady grew 
 more healthy, but none the more inclined to farm- 
 ing or manual labor. When near his majority he 
 was incidentally drawn into newspaper discussions, 
 and attracted much attention as a forcible and 
 vigorous writer. From that time he was seldom at 
 home, and taught considerably in order to raise 
 funds for the further prosecution of his studies. 
 He was at one time for several months connected 
 with the office of the Springfield (111.) Register, 
 having in view the acquirement of the printer's 
 trade, but later abandoned this, and determined 
 that the profession of law would be more congenial 
 to his tastes and more in keeping with his capabili- 
 ties. 
 
 Young Broadj', accordingly, in the fall of 1865, 
 entered the law department of the Michigan Uni- 
 versity, where he at once took a leading position 
 as a del)ater. Two years later he was graduated 
 with honors, receiving the degree of LL.B. on the 
 27th of March, 1867. Soon afterward he entered 
 the law office of Skinner ik Marsh, at C^uincy, 111., 
 but in July following, determining upon a per- 
 manent location, crossed the Father of Waters, 
 and on the 1st of August took up his abode at 
 Brownville, Neb. In a few months he formed a 
 partnership with Hon. E. W. Thomas, and not long 
 afterward the firm of Thomas <k Broady began to 
 give evidence of its future importance. They 
 discarded everything but strictly legal business, 
 
 and are now ranked among the finest practitioners 
 west of the Mississippi. 
 
 The subject of this sketch, a clear-headed and 
 decidedly practical man, is a close student and ex- 
 tensive reader, and possesses the qualities of reso- 
 lution and perseverance in no ordinary degree. In 
 the fall of 1883 he was elected Judge of the First 
 Judicial District, composing the counties of Gage, 
 Johnson, Nemaha. Richardson and Pawnee. In 
 the fall of 1887 he was re-elected to the same office, 
 and is now serving his fifth year and second term. 
 Politically, he is a stanch Democrat. He was a 
 member of the Nebraska Constitutional Convention 
 in 1875, and the same year was elected Prosecuting 
 Attorney for the district comprising the counties 
 of Lancaster, Cass, Otoe and Nemaha. When re- 
 tiring from the ordinary duties of his profession in 
 order to assume his judicial office, he had several 
 important cases pending in the Circuit, Supreme 
 and P'ederal Courts. His natural abilities and ac- 
 quirements are uniformly recognized throughout 
 the profession in Southern Nebraska. 
 
 Judge Broad}', on the 2d of November, 1871, 
 was united in marriage with Miss Nannie J. Mac- 
 Donald, of Rock Springs. Pa. The marriage was 
 celebrated at Albia, Iowa. Mrs. Broady was born 
 and reared in Penns3'lvania, and is the daughter of 
 Dr. John G. and Jane (Bailey) MacDonald, who 
 resided in Spruce Creek Valley, Pa. Of this union 
 there have been born seven children, viz: Anna, 
 Grace, Bracton, John C, Jefiferson H., Jr., Joj'ce 
 and Beatrice. The eldest is sixteen years of age, 
 and the youngest eight months. 
 
 >* IfelLLIAM II. ROULSTEN, of Glen wood 
 \&//l Township, was born in Worcester, Mass., 
 W% Oct. 5, 1855, and migrated with his par- 
 ents to Illinois when a little lad four years of age. 
 Thej' settled in Henry County, where the father 
 engaged in brickmakiug; he died when AVilliam H. 
 was only about five years of age, and the latter 
 continued under the parental roof assisting his 
 mother until a \-outli of fourteen j-ears, when she 
 died. Then, crossing the Father of Waters into 
 Page County, Iowa, he worked two years at brick- 
 
•<^ 
 
 58G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 making near the town of Creston, later at SLenan- 
 (loali. At the expiration of tliis time he began 
 operations as a tiller of the soil, anil to this calling 
 has since given his time and attention. 
 
 Mr. Roulsten, in January, 1881, settled in Glen- 
 wood Township on section 31. Upon the eighty 
 acres of land which he then secured he has labored 
 industriously, bringing the soil to a good condition 
 and producing the crops which in this region thrive 
 so well under the hand of the judicious husbandman. 
 As a man and citizen he occupies a good position, 
 and may be accounted among the useful and praise- 
 worthy members of the community. 
 
 The familj' history of our subject, which is next 
 in importance to that of the man himself, is in its 
 essential points as follows : His father. Eli Roulsten, 
 was a native of Vermont, and upon reaching man- 
 hood was united in marriage with a most estimable 
 lady, Miss Clementine Wood, whom it is believed 
 was also a child of the Green Mountain State. 
 After marriage the parents of our subject settled in 
 Worcester, Mass., where the father was occupied in 
 briclcmaking, and whence they migrated about 
 1 H68 to Henry ( /Ounty, 111. There they engaged in 
 brickmaking, and the father departed this life in 
 1860. The mother passed away in 1870. They 
 were the parents of two children only, William H. 
 and Herbert E. : the latter lives in Henry County, 
 111. 
 
 Ml'. Roulsten was four years old when his parents 
 removed from Massachusetts to Illinois, and in the 
 latter State received his rudimentary education. 
 After becoming a resident of Shenandoah, Iowa, he 
 formed the acquaintance of Miss Amy L. Brewer, 
 and they were made one at the home of the bride 
 in that place on the lyth of December, 1878. Mrs. 
 Roulsten was born in Carroll County, III., July 29, 
 1859, and is the daughter of Oliver H. and Elvira 
 (Westfall) Brewer, who were natives of Virginia 
 and emigrated to the Prairie State. The mother 
 died in Carroll County about 1866. Mr. B. is still 
 living, and a resident of Page County, Iowa. Mrs. 
 R. was the youngest of a family of six children, and 
 was reared to womanhood in Illinois. She acquired 
 a common-school education, and remained a member 
 of the home circle until her marriage. Of her union 
 with our subject there have been born five cbildreu 
 
 — Oliver E., Herbert R., Jesse W., Blanche and Jay 
 0. The eldest is nine years of age and the young- 
 est nine months. 
 
 Mr. Roulsten has little to do with politics or the 
 world at large. He, however, keeps himself posted 
 upon matters of interest to the average citizen, and 
 as a voter is a stanch Republican. 
 
 j^s^ AMUEL OSCAR WISHERD is undoubt- 
 ^^^^ edly more extensively eng.aged in agricult- 
 ^X[/_^ ural pursuits than any other man in this 
 county, having under his immediate super- 
 vision 2,800 acres devoted to that purpose. He 
 owns all of section 24 in Nemaha Township; section 
 9 in Adams Township; section 1 in Hanover 
 Township; one-half of section 6 in Hooker Town- 
 ship; one-fourth of section 5 in Hanover Town- 
 ship; the south half of section 21, and eighty acres 
 on section 2 in Adams Township, making in all a 
 total of 2,800 acres. He also controlled all of sec- 
 tion 1 1 in Adams Township. Our subject has the 
 assistance of his brother John in the management of 
 this large estate, the latter having ranches in Mis- 
 souri and Arkansas. 
 
 The parents of our subject, Edward and Amanda 
 (Smith) Wisherd, were born near Hagerstown, Md., 
 and the father traces his ancestry back to an old 
 Scotch family', who settled in that State in Colonial 
 times. The parents were married in Hagerstown, 
 and began their happy wedded life on a farm in their 
 native State, on which they remained until 1854, 
 when they moved to Fulton County, 111. The 
 father became a land-owner, and went into business 
 in that place, afterward removing to McDonough 
 County, the same State, where they lived for twelve 
 or fourteen years. After that length of time they 
 changed their residence to Atchison County, Mo., 
 in which place the mother died in April, 1885, at 
 the age of sixty-one years. The father still remains 
 there, and has reached the age of sixty-five years. 
 They had a family of six children, whose names 
 are: John A., Samuel Oscar, Mary E., William H., 
 Jennie V. and Mattie (deceased). 
 
 Our subject was born near the early home of his 
 parents, on the 14th of July, 1853, and was but one 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 587 
 
 year old when they moved to Illinois. He atteiide(l 
 the district schools in Fulton County, and after his 
 removal to McDonough County he continued the 
 pursuit of his education in the common schools un- 
 til he reached the age of nineteen years, when he 
 entered college at Carthage. At the age of twenty 
 years he and his brother John rented a farm, and 
 together took the management of it, the father giv- 
 ing them each a team of horses, and allowing our 
 subject the proceeds of his labor, though he ha<i not 
 j'et attained his majority. 
 
 The brothers first took charge of a farm contain- 
 ing 480 acres, and as they were very energetic, hon- 
 est, and possessed excellent business capabilities, 
 the owner of the farm was inspired with perfect 
 confidence in their ability and integrity, and fur- 
 nished means for buying cattle and stock. They 
 staid on this farm for two years, and were very suc- 
 cessful, but imbibing the current "Western fever," 
 they resolved to try their fortunes in Missouri. 
 In that State they purchased land to the amount of 
 about 4,000 acres, and put it all under cultivation, 
 having to break it and improve it. and carry on the 
 work themselves. For awhile the price of land 
 was at a standstill, and there came over the finan- 
 cial horizon of the energetic young men a cloud of 
 somewhat dark aspect. 
 
 In April, 1878, our subject returned to Illinois 
 in order to consummate his marriage with Miss 
 Hurley, a daughter of William and Johanna (Wolf) 
 Hurley. The father was a native of Indiana, and 
 the mother of Illinois, and they made their home 
 in Fulton County, 111., until 1887, when they moved 
 to Burlington, Col. The father is about fifty-two 
 years old, and has been prosperous in his business; 
 the mother is fifty years old. Mrs. Wisherd's grand- 
 father, Thomas Wolf, was one of the earliest pio- 
 neers of Fulton County, having first made his home 
 there in the year 1830. There were four children in 
 the parental family, all of whom were born in Fulton 
 County, 111., whose names are Alice M., Mary J., 
 Nettie E. and Ella L. Alice M., who became the 
 wife of our subject, received the principal part of 
 her education from the common schools, and hav- 
 ing used to good advantage the opportunities af- 
 forded her, she became well fitted to adorn the 
 pedagogic profession, which she did for a short 
 
 time. But she was soon called to Missouri to grace 
 the new home and possessions of our subject with 
 her willing hands, smiling face and genial manners. 
 She became the mother of one child, named Ethel, 
 and since their residence in this county another 
 little daughter, named Maud, was added to the 
 happy home on the 11 th of December, 1883. 
 
 Having sold a large part of the laud which he 
 owned in Missouri, and bought 2,600 acres in this 
 State, our subject came in the spring of 1882 and 
 began making improvements on his new purchase. 
 He broke 2,000 acres of land the first year, and the 
 next year he settled on section 24, all of which he 
 now owns and operates, besides the large amount 
 above named. He employs between twenty and 
 twenty-five men, whom he keeps under his imme- 
 diate supervision. A few of the men are married, 
 and are hired by the year, and for their accommoda- 
 tion our subject has built several houses. He has 
 200 head of cattle, and raises from 200 to 300 head 
 of hogs per year. 
 
 Mr. Wisherd has built a very fine house, and 
 has adorned it with all the conveniences and lux- 
 uries that wealth can supply. Mrs. Wishard is in 
 every respect a charming lady, and she and her 
 husband understand perfectly the art of entertain- 
 ing the many guests who find their way to the well- 
 appointed home. In politics our subject is a Re- 
 publican. 
 
 ylLLIAM LAMB. This gentleman is prom- 
 inent among the business interests of the 
 city of Beatrice, and quite extensively en- 
 gaged in the grain trade. He came to Nebraska dur- 
 ing the period of its early settlement, and when his 
 adopted city was little more than an unpretentious 
 hamlet. No man has watched with warmer interest 
 the growth and development of one of the brightest 
 communities of the West, while at the same time he 
 has been no unimportant factor in assisting it to its 
 present condition. 
 
 A native of Madison County, N. Y., our subject 
 was born in the town of Brookfield, Aug. 8, 1821. 
 He was the fourth in a family of eight children, the 
 sons and daughters of Asa and Celinda (Angell) 
 Lamb, who were both natives of Connecticut, whence 
 
 ^' 
 
h 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 i= 
 
 tliey emigrated to Madison County. N. Y., during 
 its pioneei- days. The father secured a tract of 
 land and carried on farming until his death. Asa 
 Lamb, the paternal grandfather of our subject, 
 served valiantly in the Revolutionary War for a 
 period of seven years, receiving many wounds in 
 his conflicts with the enemies of his country. His 
 blood frequently stained the frozen ground, but he 
 possessed an iron constitution and recovered to re- 
 turn to his Iiomo. After the war was over he set- 
 tled in Brookfleld, and lived to the ripe old age of 
 nearly ninety years. His son, Asa, Jr., the father 
 of our suliject, spent his last years in Brookfleld, 
 and died at the advanced age of eighty-seven; the 
 mother died in 1838. 
 
 Our subject spent his boyhood and youth in the 
 manner common to the sons of the pioneer farmer, 
 and received a pr.actieal education in the schools of 
 iiis native county. When a youth of eighteen years 
 he left home and began serving an apprenticeship 
 at the trade of wagon-maker, not far away, and fol- 
 lowed this business for a period of twenty-flve years. 
 In the spring of 18,5,5 he left his native State, and 
 proceeding westward, took up his abode in Elgin, 
 III., where he lived five years. Thence he went to 
 Rochelle, and was a sojourner there seven years. 
 The spring of 1868 found him looking further west- 
 ward, and crossing the Mississippi, he located in the 
 j'oung city of Beatrice, where he began buying and 
 selling grain, and in due time branched out into a 
 trade in agricultural implements, being engaged in 
 this business five years. His next venture was in a 
 hardware store which he established at Beatrice, and 
 which he conducted six years. 
 
 We next find Mr. Lamb, whose course seems to 
 have been steadily onward, raised to the position 
 of Vice President of the Beatrice National Bank, 
 with which he was connected three or four years. 
 His other business interests finally' constrained him 
 to withdraw from this institution, and he found it 
 better for him to conflne his attention to the grain 
 trade. In the meantime he invested his spare capi- 
 tal in real estate, and is now the owner of three 
 good farms, the lands of which have been brought 
 to a highly fertile condition, and which are well 
 stocked with good grades of domestic animals. The 
 family residence is situated in Beatrice. It was 
 
 4» 
 
 erected in 188,5, and is a handsome, two-storj' frame 
 structure, finely finished and furnished, and, with 
 its surroundings, forms one of the most attractive 
 homes in the city. 
 
 In the twentj'-first year of his age our subject 
 was united in marriage with Miss Maria Joslyn, the 
 wedding taking place at the home of the bride, in 
 Madison County, N. Y.. in 1841. Mrs. Lamb is 
 the daughter of Artemus and Mary (Howard) Jos- 
 lyn, who were natives of Massachusetts, and are 
 both deceased. They moved to Illinois .about 18.55. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Lamb there have been born two 
 children only, a son and daughter: William H., 
 now engaged in the livery business in Superior, this 
 State, and Augusta M., the wife of John M. Liud- 
 sey, of Colorado. Mr. Lamb, politically, is a 
 stanch supporter of Republican principles, and keeps 
 himself well posted upon matters of State and Na- 
 tional interest. He held the office of Justice of the 
 Peace for two terms, or a period of six years. So- 
 cially, he belongs to the A. F. & A. M., being a 
 member of Bates Lodge No. 26, also of the Chap- 
 ter and Commandery at Beatrice. Mr. Lamb as- 
 sociated himself with Mr. John Kellogg, and the 
 firm thus brought into existence has been in suc- 
 cessful operation since that time. Too much credit 
 cannot be given Mr. Lamb for the industry and 
 perseverance with which he fought the battle of his 
 earlier years, and from which he has come out fully 
 equipped with a competence. William H., the son 
 of our subject, during the late war, enlisted in the 
 62d Illinois Infantr}-, and gave a patriotic service 
 of four years in assisting to preserve the Union. 
 
 '^'^^lEN REYNOLDS is connected with the Citi- 
 zens' Bank in W3'more, and is one of the 
 influential business men of that flourishing 
 little city. He was born in Rock Island, 
 111., on the 16th of January. 1854, and is a son of 
 Elisha P. and Eliza (Young) Reynolds, who are 
 natives of Vermont. After their marriage they 
 made their home in Rock Island, and are the par- 
 ents of six children, who bear the names of John H., 
 Bettie, Lnc}', Sarah, Ben and Frederick. Our sub- 
 ject si)ent his early years in Illinois, and received 
 
 i^iU. 
 
I 
 
 4*- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 589 
 
 i~ 
 
 his education from the public schools, after which 
 he engaged with his father in making railroad con- 
 tracts, in which Ijusiness his fatiier lias been engaged 
 for thirt\'-six j'ears. They have built and helped 
 to build man}' of the leading railroads in Illinois, 
 Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and other States and 
 Territories, and since the accession of our subject as 
 a member of the firm it is known as E. P. Reynolds 
 & Co., railroad contractors. 
 
 In 1873 our subject went to Cooper County, 
 Mo., to engage in raining lead, where he continued 
 for three years, after which he engaged for a like 
 period in agricultural pursuits. Then, leaving his 
 faniil}' he traveled around for some time in the ex- 
 pectation of securing a better location in which to 
 continue his business, and in 1882 he came to Wy- 
 more, to which place he brought his famil}' and has 
 since made his home. Four years after his arrival 
 in Wymore he eng.iged in the banking business, 
 without discontinuing his former vocation, and 
 now he is successfully engaged in both banking 
 and railroad building. The city of his residence 
 offers great inducements to a man of his vocation, 
 since it is doing all in its power to become a rail- 
 road center, and in its turn the railroad company is 
 doing much to add to the growth and prosperity' of 
 the cit}', having made it the junction of the Bea- 
 trice Branch of the Burlington & Missouri River 
 Railroad, with the Southern main line of the same 
 road to Denver. 
 
 On the 6th of February, 1877, our subject was 
 united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Harris, a 
 daughter of George W, and Mary F. (Tyler) Har- 
 ris, of Wymore, who were natives of Virginia. 
 Mrs. Reynolds was born on the 14th of March, 
 1859, in Missouri, and by her marriage she has 
 become the mother of three children, whose names 
 and birthdays are mentioned as follows: Mary P. 
 was born on the 5th of February, 1878; Ben, on 
 the 16th of June, 1881; and John H.,on the 23d of 
 June 1887. These three children have brought 
 much sunshine to the home of their parents, and 
 the eldest, the daughter, will soon be of suflicient 
 age to be a helpful companion to her indulgent 
 mother. 
 
 Besides his prominent connection with the bank 
 our subject is Vice President and manager of the 
 
 4* 
 
 Blue Springs & Wymore Street Car Company, 
 which is an institution of very great convenience to 
 the inhabitants of these friendly cities. He is an act- 
 ive and consistent member of the Masonic fraternity. 
 Blue Lodge, and of the Chapter and Comraandery 
 at Beatrice, an institution whose principles are 
 worthy of the highest admiration. Mrs. Reynolds 
 is an esteemed member of the Christian Church, and 
 is a talented and amiable lady, whose refined and 
 womanh' qualifications have won her a host of ad- 
 miring friends. She is a faithful and devoted wife 
 and mother, and is well fitted to adorn the position 
 in society which the prominent position of her hus- 
 band accords her. Mr. Reynolds is considered one 
 of the leading and most enterprising business men 
 of Wymore, and as such has done very much to aid 
 in her improvements, having a reputation for 
 strictest integrity and honorable dealing. 
 
 -^- 
 
 ^JREDERICK RUPPRKCHT is the owner of 
 k^ 160 acres of improved land on section 24, 
 ^ Lincoln Township, on which he has made 
 his home since 1881. When the land came into his 
 possession it was in a rough and uninviting con- 
 dition, but he has since brought the greater part of 
 it to a good state of cultivation, and has made 
 man}' improvements, among which was the build- 
 ing of a comfortable and attractive house and a 
 good barn. He came to this county in 1880, and 
 for one year rented a farm in Blakel}' Township, 
 previous to which he had made his home for ten 
 3'ears in Logan and Mason Counties, III. He owned 
 a farm there for several j'ears, on which he worked 
 and made some improvements, but thinking that 
 this rapidly developing State afforded greater in- 
 ducements, he sold it and came to this county. 
 
 Our subject was born in Bavaria, Germany, on 
 the 9th of July, 1835, and his ancestors were na- 
 tives of the same place. His parents, George and 
 Anna (Gundelfingcr) Rupprecht. came to the 
 United States in the year 1883, and are making 
 their home in Lincoln, Logan Co., 111. The father 
 was a butcher by trade, and he has now arrived 
 at the ailvanced .age of eight\'-one 3'ears, the mother 
 being seventy-eight years old. Our subject re- 
 
 H*^ 
 
t 
 
 590 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 mainerl with his parents until he was twenty-three 
 years old. and after his school daj'S were over he 
 learnerl the trade of a butcher under his father's 
 instructions. He came to the United States when 
 he was a single man, and after spending some years 
 in traveling through the different .States in pursuit 
 of his vocation, he decided to make his home in 
 Logan County, 111., and in 1864 he went back to 
 Germany and remained six months, when he re- 
 turned to Logan County. 
 
 Mr. Rupprecht was united in marriage in New 
 York Cit^-, on the 25th of August, 1865, to Miss 
 Margaret Martz, who was born in Bavaria, Ger- 
 many, on the 28th of August, 1839. She was a 
 young woman when she came alone to the United 
 States, and made her home in New York City until 
 the time of her marriage with our suliject. Her 
 parents .are still living in the Fatherland. By their 
 marriage our subject and his wife are the parents 
 of six children, named: Anna, Mary, Sallie, Fred, 
 Jacob and Lydia. They are well-known and es- 
 teemed members of the Lutheran Church, in Bea- 
 trice, and are true and loyal citizens of their 
 adopted country. Mr. Rupprecht affiliates with the 
 Democratic partj', and among his fellowmen he 
 bears a reputation for strictest integrity and up- 
 rightness. 
 
 ^^ARRETT AND OLIVER COOPER. It is 
 
 III (-— , onl}' one step back from the contemplation 
 ^^ll! of the question that occurs forcibly to one's 
 mind in p.assing through the central markets of 
 some great city, "Where does all the meat consumed 
 daily in the cities of the world come from.'" to the 
 boundless plains and vast ranches of the South and 
 West. Among the ranchmen of Nebraska who 
 have made for themselves a name by their success 
 in their chosen occupation, will be found the broth- 
 ers whose names stand at the head of this biograph- 
 ical compendium. These gentlemen are the sons 
 of Peter and Mary (Serrick) Cooper. Their father 
 was born in Morris County, N. J., their mother 
 in Warren County, Ohio. They were united in 
 marriage in the latter State, but soon removed to 
 Illinois, and settled in Rochelle, where Mr. Cooper 
 
 bought a farm and was increasinglj- prosperous 
 j'ear by 3'ear. He is now the owner of 582 acres 
 of excellent agricultural and pastoral land; in ad- 
 dition he is oper.ating quite extensively as a finan- 
 cier, and is one of the most wealthy citizens of his 
 district. He is, although sixt3'-six years of age. en- 
 joying good health, and in reality is much younger 
 than many who have not attained his years numeri- 
 cally. His wife is fiftj'-two j-ears of age. The}"^ 
 are the parents of fourteen children, whose names 
 are recorded as follows: Mary, Garrett, Oliver, 
 Edith, Alma C, Nettie (deceased), Albert, Minnie, 
 Willie, Charles, Howard, Florence, and two who 
 died in infancy. 
 
 Garrett Cooper, the elder of the two brothers 
 presented in this sketch, was born on the 14th of 
 January, 1858, at Rochelle. 111. His education 
 comprised that obtainable in a good common school, 
 and was designed to be rather practical than orna- 
 mental. Being the eldest son he was early brought 
 into requisition in many ways upon the farm, and 
 upon leaving the school continued .at home in 
 charge of a farm of about 200 acres. In 1 885, accom- 
 panied bj- his brother Oliver, he came to Nebr.aska, 
 and purchased a half-section of land, the remaining 
 half being purchased by their father, thus m.aking 
 them the proprietors of an extensive and m.agnifi- 
 cent farm, 640 acres in extent, and comprising the 
 whole of section 31. A view of their place is pre- 
 sented in connection with this sketch. 
 
 This property h.as been planned and laid out by 
 our subject .and his brother; they have also erected 
 a commodious dwelling. Not far distant from the 
 house there is a very fine orchard, containing over 
 150 trees, bearing the choicest varieties of apples, 
 l)esides cherries, plums, apricots and grapes in 
 abundance. In connection with their ranch there 
 are large and well-built stables and horse barns; 
 two cattle sheds affording ample accommodation for 
 their herds, besides several others for the use of 
 their hogs. By a perfect sj'stem of pipes, tanks and 
 reservoirs, an abundant supply of water is obtain- 
 able in every part of their propertj'^ by the aid of 
 two magnificent and powerful windmills. The 
 trade of Mr. Cooper and his brother is very exten- 
 sive. They are both feeders and shippers of stock, 
 and have constant work for six teams, and rarely 
 
 i~ 
 
^3!is^^^Si!^^!saa!;?^^S^S^S|5^p^gg^S^;^g^5^^ 
 
 3i3SS!?«e9a3r«js 
 
 .J!-ii»fe-SM«l 
 
 RESIDENCE OF G.P & Oliver Coo per, Sec. 31. Nemaha Tov/nship. 
 
 ■ '--j"^-iiii*r;Ot^-!«^',;*^*^j':;7-'';;«7^.5t-'^.vr-. --- -,, w^ ■ . 
 
 
 !ji««5l£«i!>Mi— »ita*!«»«o^ ■»J»™«**'-<5^" ':?i'i&y< 
 
 =^.--f=>-:.- 
 
 »iii ^aS-ii g ^ ^^>isSia;^» «i-i- ; ^A„ i v :^' feaa»a^>^a?i;^ 
 
 
 Residence of W-. A. Hooker , Sec. 32. Adams Township. 
 
I 
 
 -^- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 593 
 
 if ever have less than 200 head of cattle and a 
 similar number of hogs upon their ranch. 
 
 Oliver Cooper is the junior partner of the firm 
 of Cooper Brothers, and is joint proprietor with his 
 brother Garrett of the beautiful ranch and farm 
 which includes the whole of section 31, of Ne- 
 maha Township. He was born near Rochelle, in 
 Flag Township, Ogle Co., 111., on the 9th of Decem- 
 ber, 1859. The long, fierce struggle between the 
 North and the South, wherein the opposing forces 
 had marched and countermarched from Baltimore 
 to Little Rock, and from the Mississippi "to the 
 sea," was just drawing to a close when our subject 
 began to attend the school of the district in order 
 to laj' the foundation for the experiences of his 
 life. By the time he had attained early manhood 
 he was perfectly familiar with the work of farming 
 and stock-raising, and continued to give his atten- 
 tion to the same until the year 1 885 ; then he formed 
 a copartnership with his brother Garrett, and with 
 him purchased the west half of section 31, their 
 lather having purchased the whole section in the 
 year 1872. The whole 640 acres are now well in 
 hand, and used either for stock-raising or general 
 grain farming. That part under cultivation has 
 by constant attention been brought to a super- 
 excellent condition, the whole farm being under 
 splendid management, that makes it impossible that 
 it should be otherwise than in the highest degree 
 productive. 
 
 The dwelling-house erected by the brothers is 
 a fine two-story frame, and was built in 1884; 
 it is most pleasantly situated, and so arranged in- 
 ternal!}' as to afford the largest amount of conveni- 
 ence and comfort, while the beautiful in decoration 
 and furnishing has not been overlooked. In another 
 part of the farm there are provided extensive 
 cattle sheds, 26x180 feet in dimensions. There is 
 also a very commodious horse barn, having provis- 
 ion for sixteen horses. These are supplemented by 
 the granary, corn crib and other necessary buildings, 
 of which we would only mention the former, as 
 comprising a ground surface of 28x72 feet, and 
 having a capacity' of 8,000 bushels of grain. So 
 extensive is the business of the firm that 200 tons 
 of hay and 15,000 bushels of grain are required 
 per annum for feeding the stock. One remarkable 
 
 and noteworthy feature of the farm is the unusuallj' 
 complete system of water-works, which, under the 
 powerful pumping of two very fine windmills, sup- 
 plies by a system of piping, tanks and reservoirs the 
 house, barn, sheds and every part where required 
 with good, wholesome, fresh, pure water. 
 
 It is doubtful if in the State of Nebraska, or any- 
 where among those in a similar branch of business, 
 there can be found more enterprising, intelli- 
 gent and able managers and ranchmen than Garrett 
 and Oliver Cooper. Their success is entirely their 
 own, in spite of the fact that in the beginning it 
 was within the power of their father to help them 
 to a good start; but that would have been a more 
 disastrous failure had they not possessed that which 
 was needful to move forward from that commence- 
 ment. They have already attained a very high 
 position among the members of their particular call- 
 ing and business, and it goes without saying that the 
 future has still larger things in store. 
 
 Our subject thinks deeply and feels strongly in 
 regard to political matters, and aims not so much 
 to attain prominence as a partisan as to vote for 
 men of principle and power; men who will hold the 
 office given them as a sacred trust from the people, 
 to be used only in their behalf and for their truest 
 and highest interest. His brother Garrett enter- 
 tains the same lofty ideas and occupies the same 
 high ground; usually in the larger issues of national 
 campaigns he votes with the Republican party. 
 
 ^^ 
 
 -V- 
 
 ^ LBERT M. T. MILLER. The farm of this 
 SO! gentleman, which is 160 .acres in extent, is 
 situated on section 23, Holt Township, 
 ^ where he settled in the j-ear 1880. He 
 
 w.as born near Hagerstown, Md., Nov. 22, 1847, 
 and is the son of David and Catherine (Myley) Mil- 
 ler, who are also natives of Maryland. His pater- 
 nal grandparents were natives of Virginia, and lived 
 in Chambersburg, Pa. They had two sons, the 
 father of our subject, who resides near Hagerstown, 
 Md., and his brother, who resides in Chambersburg, 
 Pa. His maternal grandparents were natives of 
 Lancaster County, Pa. 
 
 The parents of our subject were married and set- 
 
 ■^^h^ 
 
694 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 tied in Clear Spring-, Mfl., a small town of about 
 1,500 inhabitants, wliicli was founded by the Rev. 
 Martin Myers, the great-grandfather of our subject, 
 and from which Mr. Miller receives in accordance 
 with the laws of Maryland a ground rent, which, 
 however, now only amounts to sixty-two cents per 
 annum. Thf> people desired to have the town named 
 after its founder, but in deference to his wishes it 
 was called Clear Spring. In this town the father 
 of our subject continued the labors of the Rev. Mr. 
 Myers as clergymfi'i in the Baptist communion, but 
 at the same time he devoted some attention to sow- 
 ing and reaping upon his farm, of a different natiu'e, 
 but witii equal success as that sown in his pulpit. 
 The mother of our subject died in 1858. leaving 
 seven children, our subject being tiie eldest. 
 
 The family of which our subject was a member 
 comprised besides the latter, five sons and one 
 daughter, who were named as follows: David Lewis, 
 now a resilient of Sterling, 111., and occu])ied as 
 special agent for the Phoenix Insurance Company ; 
 Abraham M., who is farming in Davenport, Nel). ; 
 Joseph T., wiio died at tiie age of twenty -six years; 
 Mary E., who is now .attending the Baptist Train- 
 ing School at Chicago, 111. ; John M., who has an 
 extensive livery stalile in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and 
 Daniel Newton, who died at the age of two years. 
 Mr. Miller, Sr., contracted a second matrimonial 
 alliance in 1867, the lady being Miss Catherine 
 Kurtz, of Franklin County, Pa. After this mar- 
 riage they removed to Ogle County, 111., and set- 
 tled near Polo, wiiere Mr. Miller died in 1871, 
 leaving his widow and five children by his second 
 marriage. 
 
 Our subject was reared upon the farm, and was 
 given by his parents a good, thorough business 
 education, and while yet in his teens began to util- 
 ize it somevvhat by buying wool in connection with 
 his farm work, and continued so to do for several 
 years. In 18G7 his parents removed to Illinois, he 
 of course accomi)auying them. Jan. fi, 1870, he 
 was united in marriage with Mary C. Price, a 
 daughter of Daniel G. and Catherine (Weller) 
 Price, natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland re- 
 spectively. Their daughter Marj' was born in 
 Ogle County, 111., on the 28th of September, 1845. 
 
 After his marriage our subject rented land four 
 
 miles from Polo, and went to work as a general 
 farmer and stock-raiser, to which was added subse- 
 quently the business of l)utcher. In 1875 he re- 
 moved to Marshall County, Iowa, and there contin- 
 ued, ever increasingly prosperous, until June, 1880, 
 when he removed to this State. The journey was 
 lengthened in point of time by the fact that he 
 brought with him a herd of twenty cattle, driving 
 them the entire distance. In the fall of the year 
 of his removal he purchased his present property, 
 then in a ravv state, and black from a quite recent 
 fire that had swept the whole district. It was a 
 most uninviting spot to settle upon, but within an 
 incredibly short space of time it was rendered en- 
 tirely unrecognizable, thanks to the efforts and labor 
 of our subject. The first house lie erected was only 
 a claim shanty, but it had to sulHce under the cir- 
 cumstances, and in it they passed a winter of health 
 and enjoyment in spite of some inconveniences and 
 hardships incidental to that season. Since that time 
 his present comfortable and commodious home has 
 been built, and although warmer and better in every 
 regard than its predecessor, it is to be doubted if it 
 can ever contain a brighter or happier faniil}' than 
 that wiiich gathered during that first winter. His 
 farming operations are upon the line of general 
 agriculture, and extend beyond the limits of the 
 home farm, taking in the cultivation of 480 acres 
 of leased land. 
 
 The family of Mr. and Mrs. Miller includes six 
 children, whose names are herein given: M3'le3^ 
 Price, Mary Grace, Stephen Daniel Gehr, Martha 
 Albertie, Sudie Bl.anche and Winogene. Mr. Mil- 
 ler has served as a member of the School Board, 
 and was repeatedly solicited to extend the term of 
 his office, but his time w.as so fully occupied as to 
 prevent his giving such attention .as he deemed 
 necessary, and he declined further service. His 
 political sympathies are such as lead him to affili- 
 ate with the ReiJublican party, but at the same 
 time he is very firm upon the question of Prohibi- 
 tion, and takes exception to the platform of his 
 party upon that subject. There is that in the home 
 of Mr. Miller that makes it peculiarly pleasant to 
 .all who come within the range of its influence; it is 
 an influence realized and felt, rather than describ- 
 able, and arises from the ever-consistent devotion 
 
 I 
 
h 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 r>or> 
 
 of our subject and his family to the teachings and 
 example of the religion that has flooded the world 
 in this era. and is the mainspring of our ])resent 
 civilization. Mr. Miller and family are members 
 of the Baptist Church, and are most devoted to the 
 principles of that comnninion. 
 
 H. SMITH, a well-known citizen of Bea- 
 trice, has in earlier years had his full share 
 of labor and work, and now with his fam- 
 ily is enjo3ing to the fullest possible ex- 
 tent the reward thereof. It is to be doubted if 
 any other citizens can be found more respected and 
 esteemed, possessing a larger circle of friends, more 
 truly appreciated by society generally. Mr. Smith 
 was born in Middletown. Conn.. April 22,1830. He 
 is tiie son of John B. and Fannie (Pardee) Smith. 
 His father was born in Middletown and his mother 
 in Southington, Conn. The family is of English 
 descent upon the paternal side, upon the maternal 
 it is French. The grandfather of Mrs. Fannie 
 Smith was in llie Revolutionaiy War with LaFa}'- 
 ette, whom he accompanied from France. The 
 father of our subject was an Englishman and far- 
 mer, and amassed considerable wealth prior to his 
 death in 1870, which occurred when he was eighty 
 years of age. His wife only survived him two 
 years, and was sevent3'-two j'ears of age at the time 
 of her demise. Their family circle numbered twelve 
 children, our subject being the seventh born. 
 
 Our subject was one who greatly enjo3'ed the 
 time of his school life. He first attended the com- 
 mon school of his native place, and later was grad- 
 uated from the High School. After his graduation 
 he spent three years at an apprenticeship learning 
 the trade of a stonemason, earning in that time but 
 §90 During these three 3^ears he worked upon 
 man3' buildings, both public and priv.ate, in Hart- 
 ford, New Britain and Middletown. 
 
 The happiness and prosperity of our subject's 
 life have been greatly increased and assured by his 
 marriage with Jane Elizabeth Crossle3', the accom- 
 plished daughter of David and Maria (Chamberlain) 
 Crossle3', natives respectively of England and Con- 
 necticut. The wife of our subject was one of ten 
 
 ■M* 
 
 children born to them, and is their sixth child. 
 Her father was a carpet weaver, and had begun at 
 a vpr3' early .age in the world-renowned carpet mills 
 of his native country, progressing from stage to 
 stage until he was employed upon the finest work 
 produced. Upon coming to America he continued 
 to follow his trade, and that with abundant success. 
 Both he and his wife had passed the allotted term 
 of threescore years and ten before the tale of life 
 was told, and thev' la3' down to their last rest. 
 
 Mrs. Smith was born on the 7th of April, 1 830, in 
 the city of Middletown, and has been used to city 
 life from that time. Like her husband she was edu- 
 cated in the common and High Schools of Middle- 
 town, and left the latter institution with a well- 
 stored mind, and an ability developed by training 
 to utilize the knowledge accumulated during her 
 school days. She has become the mother of two 
 children, whom it has been her joy to see grow up 
 and manifest characteristics most commendable, 
 and such as assure a brightness and completeness 
 of life in every way most to be desired. Her 
 daughter, Nellie R., is now the wife of J. L. Burgess, 
 of Beatrice (for further remarks see sketcli of this 
 gentleman). Her son, John B., is assistant cashier 
 in the German Bank of the same city. 
 
 Our subject continued to work at his trade for 
 about one year after his marriage; for about twelve 
 months after that he was engaged in business as a 
 grocer; he then purchased a farm, and for two and 
 one-half years continued to operate it with his usual 
 good fortune. At the end of that period he sold 
 this property, and going to Louisiana, became a 
 sutler in the arm3'. Returning to Connecticut in 
 1864, he engaged in furnishing substitutes for the 
 army. The following 3'ear he went to Canada, and 
 purchased a large number of horses, which he sold 
 at fair but remunerative prices in his native State, 
 and was so encour.aged by his success that he con- 
 tinued in that business for about twenty 3'ears. He 
 is a splendid judge of horses, and has accumulated 
 a comfortable competenc3'. The date of his settle- 
 ment in Beatrice was April, 1885. Mr. Smith has 
 invested considerably in real estate, and has built 
 several tenement houses. 
 
 The home of our subject is one of the best in the 
 city, whether in point of architecture or internal 
 
 =fc*> 
 
^H*. 
 
 596 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 decoration ; from its entrance hall through ever3' 
 room and corridor are indications of affluence in 
 the richness of its furnishings, but they are also 
 inilicative of truest refinement, art and estheticism. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are very favorably known 
 as host and hostess, the most difficult, perhaps, of 
 all social positions; to them, however, it is no task, 
 their genial, pleasant and easy manners, their cor- 
 diality, their large resources and experiences, render- 
 ing it easy for them to make the visitor and guest 
 thoroughly at home. 
 
 Mrs. Smith is one of the prominent members and 
 able supporters of the Baptist Church, where also 
 our subject attends. Mr. Smith is a Republican. 
 He is a member of the societ}- of the Knights of 
 Honor, and he and his wife are both members of 
 the Chosen Friends. Mr. Smith is the owner of 
 some fine thoroughbred Jersey cattle, which he 
 brought with him from Connecticut, which are, 
 perhaps, the best in this count}-. His residence 
 is located on LaSalle street. 
 
 PRANK A. ROSEMAN is one of the enter- 
 prising and exemplary young farmers of 
 Gage County, residing ou section 17, Glen- 
 wood Township. His father, Godfried Roseman, 
 was a native of German}', and was married to Ro- 
 sollia Seiberlichs, also a native of the same country. 
 In the year 1868 they came to America, and at first 
 settled in AVisconsin, but afterward removed to 
 Iowa. The mother came with her children from 
 Poweshiek County, Iowa, to this county in 1880. 
 She owns a farm of 160 acres in Glenwood Town- 
 ship, on which she has made substantial improve- 
 ments, having erected a good house and farm 
 buildings. She is tlie mother of nine living chil- 
 dren, all of whom were born in her native country 
 before she came to America, and their names are 
 Otto, Paul, Minnie, Ernest, Ida, Gustave, Mary, 
 Frank A. and Tony. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 28th of September, 
 1864, in Germany, and was about four years old 
 when his parents came to this country, consequently 
 he remembers but little,- if any, of the incidents 
 
 connected with the journey. In 1880 he came with 
 his mother to this county, and has since been en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits, taking the charge of 
 his mother's farm. He is an active, industrious, 
 go-ahead young man, possessing considerable abil- 
 ity, and he has a very fair start for a successful 
 career. 
 
 On the '25th of September, 1887, Mr. F. A. Rose- 
 man was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie Nie- 
 naber, at that time a resident of Washington County, 
 Kan. She is a daughter of William and Anna 
 (Laverentz) Nienaber, who were natives of Ger- 
 many. Our subject and his wife are the parents of 
 one child, William G., who was born July 13, 1888. 
 They and their mother, with whom they make 
 their home, are members of the Lutheran Church, 
 and are esteemed as honorable and conscientious 
 Christians. 
 
 Our subject is a member of the Republican party 
 in politics, and in his short career he has already 
 won distinction as an able advocate of the measures 
 tending to the improvement of his section, and the 
 elevation of its society. Thus far he has not sought 
 any public office, believing th.at to be the right of 
 the older members of the community, and devoting 
 his attention closely to the occupation in which he 
 is engaged. 
 
 »«a£iZ/©-^- 
 
 |?4 — »-^.5JiZ?r«v. 
 
 ^ I^OODWARD R. YOHE. The Great West 
 \rJ// is in tjie hands of the young men. AVhat 
 W^ it is they largely have made it; what it 
 will be is the problem upon which they are working. 
 Among the most high-principled, intellectual and 
 go-ahead of Gage County's farmers, few surpass 
 the subject of this writing, who is possessed of the 
 same noble traits as those with which his father was 
 endowed, and which are also possessed by his brother 
 John. His farm comprises 240 acres on section 27, 
 Hooker Township, and which is operated both for 
 cattle-raising and grain-growing. 
 
 Mr. Yohe is the son of Henry and Mary (Dick) 
 Yohe. (For a more complete history of this inter- 
 esting family we would refer the reader to the 
 
 I 
 
RESIDENCE OF W.R. YO H E , SEC. 27, HOOKER TP 
 
 ^m 
 
 ^h\i'''t%i^m 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•»• 
 
 599 
 
 4* 
 
 sketch of the life of John Yohe.) They were the 
 parents of three children, who grew to years of 
 maturity: Barbara; John; and our subject, Wood- 
 ward R., who was born Oct. 18, 1854, at Reynolds- 
 ville, Pa., and was only about six or seven years of 
 age when his father died. After this afHiction our 
 subject remained with his mother until he was about 
 fifteen years of age, and then began to work out. 
 With what little experience he had been enabled to 
 gather in tht;se years at home, coupled with his own 
 bright, active disposition and ruddy health, he was 
 quickly enabled to take a full day's work and per- 
 form it as well .as many older and more experienced 
 hands. This life he continued for about six years. 
 
 In 18G8 our subject came to Nebraska, accom- 
 panied by his step-father, reaching this township in 
 the beginning of the fall, but shortly after bought 
 his time from his step-father, and went back to Iowa 
 to his brother John. They made such arrangements 
 as made them joint owners of 120 acres of land in 
 Mills County of that State, and continued to oper- 
 ate the same with a constantly accruing success for 
 about six years ; they then traded that land for 320 
 acres in Nebraska, their present home. This re- 
 moval was made in 1881, and they continued to 
 work their farm together until our subject was mar- 
 wed. By that time the brothers were owners of 
 480 acres, and upon dividing it, the portion re- 
 ferred to above became that of our subject; upon 
 it he has seldom less than 150 head of steers and 
 120 head of hogs per annum. The brothers con- 
 tinue to work together one-half of section 34. 
 
 Mr. Yohe became the husband of Miss Nettie A. 
 Metcalf, at Baxter Springs, Kan., on the 14th of 
 February, 1884. This lady is the daughter of 
 Thomas and Amanda Metcalf. She was born in 
 Mills County, Iowa, Feb. 13, 1866. She made her 
 home with her parents the greater part of 'the time 
 until her marriage, removing with them, at the age 
 of sixteen, to Kansas, residing in Johnson County 
 for about two years. Their acquaintance was formed 
 in Nebraska. To our subject and wife was born a 
 daughter, Sept. 4, 1888, who is named Winnie R. 
 
 Mr. Yohe is at present Treasurer of the school 
 district; he has also served as Constable for two 
 years. He was re-elected but declined to serve. 
 Since the casting of his fii'st vote he has been a con- 
 
 stant friend and adherent of the Republican part}', 
 and gives his influence and vote in its behalf. 
 
 Among the numerous views presented in this 
 volume of leading homesteads of Gage County 
 may be found that belonging to Mr. Yohe, which 
 is given in connection with this sketch. 
 
 ICHARD LEWIS, of Hanover Township, 
 was one of the earliest settlers of this region, 
 dl^l to which he came in the fall of 1870. He 
 "^1 at once located upon 160 acres of land 
 which he homesteaded in Hanover Township, and 
 here he has since remained. His career as a man 
 and a citizen has been creditable in the extreme, he 
 being the possessor of those qualities which have 
 secured him hosts of friends and made of him a 
 valued and useful citizen. 
 
 Our subject, a native of South Wales, was born 
 Nov. 8, 1844, and is the son of James and Ann 
 (Owens) Lewis, who were also of Welsh birth and 
 parentage, their home being in Radnorshire. The 
 father was a farmer and stock-grower, and dealt 
 largely in Hereford cattle. The mother passed 
 away when her son Rictiard was a little child two 
 years of age, and he was reared by a step-mother. 
 James Lewis was subsequently married twice. Of 
 his union with the mother of our subject there were 
 born five children, and of the second and third three 
 each. Richard was the youngest child of the first 
 wife. 
 
 Young Lewis received a very good education, 
 and at the age of fourteen was graduated from a 
 graded school. He was a bright and ambitious lad, 
 and at an early age determined to emigrate to 
 America. Upon leaving school he accordingly, 
 starting out alone, engaged passage on a sailing- 
 vessel at Liverpool, April 13, 1862, and after a voy- 
 age of five weeks arrived at Quebec, Canada, May 
 19, following. A feeling of home-sickness seized 
 him when he realized the distance which separated 
 him from the scenes of his childhood, but the 
 necessity for exertion left him little time to sit 
 down and brood over his troubles. He finally made 
 his way to Toronto, joining a brotlier there, with 
 whom he worked three years at farming. He 
 
 • > P ^" 
 
 f 
 
"4r^ 
 
 600 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 crossed over into the States Feb. 21, 1865, and 
 making Ills way westward took up his abode in 
 Kenosha County, Wis., where he was employed on 
 a farm for a period of six years. 
 
 Our subject in the fall of 1871 left the Badger 
 State and cast his lot among the people of Southern 
 Nebraska. IIeemi)loyed himself diligently in the 
 improvement and cultivation of the land which he 
 secured, and four years later. May •22. 1875, was 
 united in marriage with Miss Anna, daughter of 
 Edward and Jane (James) George. The wedding 
 took place at the home of the bride in Beatrice. 
 The parents of Mrs. Lewis were also natives of the 
 Principality of Wales, where they were reared and 
 married, and whence in 1855 they emigrated to 
 America with their six children. Like our subject 
 they also proceeded westward to Wisconsin, settling 
 in Green County. Leaving there iu the fall of 
 1880, they came to this State and took up their 
 abode in York County, where they still live on a 
 farm. Mr. George has now arrived at the advanced 
 age of seventy-eight years, while his excellent wife 
 is sixtj'-seven. Of the fifteen children born to 
 them, nine are yet living, and Mrs. Lewis was the 
 third in order of birth. 
 
 The wife of our subject was also born in Wales, 
 June 18, 1851. Her first recollections are of the 
 ocean waves which rushed around the ship bringing 
 her father's family to this country. She was reared 
 and educated in the schools of Green County, Wis., 
 and there made the acquaintance of our subject. 
 She has stood bravely by his side in his toils and 
 sacrifices, performing her duties faithfully as a 
 piuneer wife and mother. Of this union there 
 were born four children, one of whom, Viola, died 
 at the age of thirteen months. Those surviving 
 are Lizzie, Charles A. and Leslie. They are living 
 at home. 
 
 The farm of Mr. Lewis by a process of careful 
 cultivation yields in abundance the choicest crops 
 of Southern Nebraska. Their home, although not 
 elegant, is supplied with everything for their com- 
 fort and convenience, and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are 
 respected and beloved wherever they are known. 
 Many are the kind acts which they have performed 
 both to friend and stranger, and they are spoken of 
 far and near as among the best and most kind- 
 
 hearted people of this region. The sound common 
 sense of Mr. Lewis has secured for him the highest 
 regard of all who know him. He votes the straight 
 Republican ticket, and is now serving his sixth 
 term as School Director in his district. He is 
 frequently chosen as Clerk of Elections, and has 
 filled the office of Assessor. Both he and his esti- 
 mable wife are members in good standing of the 
 Free- Will Baptist Church, at Grand View. 
 
 I 1»)ILBER L. ROGERS. Among the old set- 
 \aj// tiers of Blakely Township, who has helped 
 V^^\5 forward the work of development, and who 
 has also shown his devotion and patriotism under 
 more trying and dangerous circumstances, is the 
 subject of this biographical epitome. His home- 
 stead is well situated upon the banks of the Big 
 Blue River on section 13, and being so well watered 
 it gives an opportunity for crops, even in dry sea- 
 sons, when those Jess favored in this regard are suf- 
 fering greatly. The above river is a very valuable 
 stream; for the greater part of the distance it runs 
 over a bed of solid rock and between deep banks. 
 At this point it is about 100 feet wide, and is of 
 sutHcient strength to give quite a mill current. 
 
 Our subject was born upon the I7th of October, 
 1835, in Wells Corners Township, Erie Co., Pa. 
 He is the son of Henry and Mariah Rogers, natives 
 of Connecticut and Vermont respectively. His 
 early days were spent in attention upon the classes 
 at the school-house, and as soon as he was strong- 
 enough in farm work. His family have been en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits for several genera- 
 tions back, but have never been so engrossed that 
 they could not answer the call to duty in defense 
 of their country. Henr^- Rogers, the father of our 
 subject, had a grandfather and two uncles in the 
 Revolutionary War, and in the wars of later date 
 this family has always had its representative. 
 
 In Genesee County, N. Y., in 1824, Mr. Henry 
 Rogers became the husband of Miss Maria Freeman, • 
 a native of Vermont, and of an Eastern family. lie 
 was at that time but twenty-one years of age. He 
 continued to follow his trade, that of a carpenter, 
 with considerable success, until in 1840 he re- 
 
«► m^^ 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 601 
 
 i 
 
 moved to Iowa, then still a Territoiy. anfl made his 
 liome in .lohnson County, which had just been or- 
 ganized. There he took land and began to farm, 
 working, however, at his trade in connection there- 
 with. In 1808, with his wife, he came on a visit to 
 Nebraska, and while here his wife was removed by 
 death. A few years afterward he removed with 
 his children to this State and took land, continuing 
 farming operations until his death, which took 
 place Jan. 31,1887; he was a good, intelligent, 
 warm-hearted man, and greatly respected. At 
 the time of his death he had reached the ad- 
 vanced age of eiglity-four years, but had retained 
 the use of all his powers until almost the last. 
 
 Our subject is the j-oungest son of a family of 
 seven chililren, six of whom lived to maturity, four 
 of them being residents of Nebraska, the other two 
 in Kansas and Iowa respectivel}-. Our subject was 
 just about six j^ears of age when his parents re- 
 moved to Ohio, and subsequently to Indiana and 
 Illinois, and finallj' to Johnson Countj', low^a. In 
 these latter States he . received his education, and 
 was reared to manhood in Johnson Countj'. As a 
 farmer he became quite an expert in the days of 
 his early manhood, having been brought up amid 
 its scenes from his earliest recollection, and seemed 
 naturally to drift into that calling. Subsequent 
 years have proved him not only thoroughly fur- 
 nished with knowledge, but power to make his 
 chosen calling a success. 
 
 Somewhat late in life Mr. Rogers enlisted for a 
 term of three months in the 1 st Iowa Infantry, under 
 the command of Col. Bates. He went with his regi- 
 ment to Wilson's Creek, Mo., where Gen. Lyons, 
 who was then expecting to leave the Iowa troops, 
 was killed, and also a number of other officers. At 
 the expiration of its term of service the entire 
 regiment was honorably discharged, and our sub- 
 ject re-enlisted, in Company K of the 13th Regi- 
 ment, under the command of Col. (afterward 
 Major General) Crocker; the Captain of the com- 
 pany was Sydney E. Woodford. The first engage- 
 ment of note was that at Shiloh, which kept them 
 active for two days. Later the regiment marched 
 to Corinth, and engaged in the "battle at that place. 
 This was followed by the Holly Springs expedition, 
 Vicksburg, and a number of lesser engagements, in 
 
 all of which the behavior and valor of the com- 
 panj' called for special mention, and led to the 
 veteranizing of it as a whole, which occurred in 
 December, 1863. Our subject continued to fight 
 the battles of his country until the close of the war; 
 then he received his third and last discharge on the 
 2d of July, 18G5. He was once home upon a fur- 
 lough, and that at tiie time of the veteranization. 
 Upon his return he was one of Gen. Sherman's 
 command, and took part in the campaign of that in- 
 trepid General. He was taken prisoner on the 22d 
 of July, 1864, and for two months languished in 
 Andersonville Prison, then was sent to Florence 
 for a similar period, when he was paroled and sent 
 home, and was shortly after discharged as above. 
 
 Upon returning home from the war our subject 
 settled down to the work of the farm, and was 
 married to Anna E., daughter of Samuel E. and 
 Bethia (Yeoman) Wilson, who was born in Wash- 
 ington County, Iowa, June 28, 1844. Her mother 
 had died in the same county, in the year 1852, in 
 her thirtieth year. Her father is still living, and 
 a farmer in Saline County, Neb. He was married 
 a second time, in the year 1854, to Miss Sarah 
 Dawson. Mrs. Rogers of this sketch is the eldest 
 daughter of her familj'. which included two sons 
 and four daughters. She was reared in Iowa and 
 educated in the usual institution; she came to this 
 State with John Carpenter while a young woman, 
 and has since resided in it the greater part of the 
 time. She has given birtii to five children, two 
 deceased — Benona and Edith ; the former died 
 when eight years of .ige, the latter in infancy. 
 The three living children are May E. and Samuel 
 H., who are at present teaching in the public 
 school, and Leon E., who is at home and assists in 
 operating the farm. 
 
 Our subject has been Assessor of the township 
 for several years, and is at present a member of the 
 School Board. This office also he has held for 
 several years. In religious matters he is independ- 
 ent, in political is a supporter and stanch adher- 
 ent of the Greenback party. In the interests of 
 the progress of manufacturing in the county Mr. 
 Rogers gave to Robison & Howard five acres of 
 land, incliuling a mill site and dam on the Big Blue 
 River; also a site for a mill residence, making in 
 
 h 
 
i 
 
 602 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 "^ir* 
 
 all a vciy valuable and munificent gift. This is 
 mentioned simply to indicate llie spirit, disposition 
 and character of the man, who has always been 
 most highly respected by the community. 
 
 •Mh-H: 
 
 HILLIP J. ZIMMERMAN. Among the 
 successful settlers and valued citizens of 
 Lincoln Township must certainlj- be men- 
 tioned the name of the gentleman whose 
 biography is herein sketched, whose farm is located 
 upon section 17, and presents every appearance of 
 thorough, practical, scientific cultivation, thrift 
 and economj', using those words in their best sense. 
 The farm is 560 acres in extent, and has been 
 brought by our subject to its present state of ef- 
 ficiency by continued care and intelligent, well-di- 
 rected, industrious effort. In 1879 he entered his 
 first land, taking up 480 acres, then raw prairie 
 land. The following year he located upon it, and 
 from that time its transformation began and has 
 since continued, until to-day his farm and home 
 compare most favorably witli any in the township. 
 Previous to his coming to tliis county our sub- 
 ject resided in Sheboygan County, Wis. There he 
 had lived for twenty j'ears, all the time engaged 
 working at his trade, that of a carpenter. During 
 that period he became the owner of forty acres of 
 land, which he worked successfully. While a resi- 
 dent in the Badger State the clarion notes of war 
 attracted the attention of our subject, ,nnd his loy- 
 alty to the Union led him to enlist in the service, 
 which he did upon the 20th of August, 1862. He 
 became a member of Company II, 2Gth Wisconsin 
 Infantry, under command of Capt. Hans Paple 
 and Col. Jacobs, of the Army of the Cumberland. 
 Upon reaching the front the regiment went into the 
 engagement at Chancellorsville, after participating 
 in a number of minor engagements and skirmishes; 
 there our subject, in company with a large part of 
 his regiment, was taken prisoner on the 3d of May, 
 1863, and sent to Castle Thunder. They remained 
 as prisoners of war for three weeks, then were pa- 
 roled, and were then sent to the Union lines and 
 exchanged in September. 
 
 In October of 1863 Mr. Zimmerman rejoined 
 
 his regiment at Bridgeport, Ala., and participated 
 in all the major battles of the campaign until the 
 close of the war, and also took part in the famous 
 "march to the sea." In 1865, he was, with his 
 regiment, veteranized at the close of the war, at 
 Washington, D. C. The total number of months 
 included in our subject's military experience from 
 his enlistment to his discharge was thirty-four. 
 During that time he was a combatant in twenty of 
 the major engagements, .besides an innumerable 
 multitude of smaller battles and lesser fights. 
 With the exception of the mishap of being taken 
 prisoner and one small flesh wound, he escaped un- 
 hurt, and was honorably discharged at AVashington, 
 on the 13th of June, 1865. 
 
 After leaving the ranks our subject returned to 
 Wisconsin, and upon the 15th of December, 1868, 
 was united in marriage with Magdalene Kleinehans. 
 This lad^- is a native of Germany, and the daughter 
 of John and Elizabeth Kleinehans, who were mar- 
 ried in Germany, and settled in Sheboygan County, 
 Wis. Mrs. Zimmerman has presented her husband 
 with eight children, all of whom are living, and 
 have developed bright, vivacious, inquiring dis- 
 positions, and daily afford fresh proofs of promising 
 intelligence. Their names are as here recorded : 
 Frank, Jacob, Magdalene, Anna, Clara, Joseph, 
 George and Mary. 
 
 Mr. Zimmerman is a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, 
 Germany, where he was born on the 31st of Octo- 
 ber, 1843. The names of the parents of our sub- 
 ject were Jacob and Anna (Schmidt) Zimmerman. 
 His father was by occupation a carpenter, and fol- 
 lowed the same all his life. The father and hus- 
 band died in his native country in the year 1851. 
 The mother of our subject after the death of her 
 husband removed with her three sons and came to 
 the United States, settling in Wisconsin, where two 
 other sons had settled in the year 1857. There she 
 continued to live until her death, in 1879, at the 
 age of seventy-three years. Both herself and hus- 
 band were members of the German Catholic Church, 
 of which communion our subject and wife are also 
 adherents. 
 
 The reputation of Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman 
 throughout the county is unquestionable, and they 
 are the recipients uf the entire respect of the com- 
 
^ 
 
 ^^^ • f/^c^.^^r' 
 
•**■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 *? 
 
 (JO.j 
 
 miuiity. Our subject is one who lias taken great 
 interest in bniliiiiig up tlie tovvnshi]) and county, 
 and made considerable effort in locating the station 
 of Ellison the Chicago, Kansas it Nebraska Railroad. 
 In his political relations our subject is a Repub- 
 lican, and holds the office of Treasurer of the town- 
 ship, as he has also held that of Clerk. Among 
 the people of his nationality in the county Mr. 
 Zimmerman is perhaps the most prosperous, and he 
 is certainly held in high regard and looked upon as 
 one of the most valued citizens. 
 
 <rv MLLIAM PLUCKNETT. One of the most 
 \/\/r extensive land-owners and prominent citi- 
 '^^^ zens of Grant Township, and at the same 
 time one of its earliest settlers, is the gentleman 
 whose biography is herein sketched, and whose por- 
 trait is given on the opposite page. He is the owner 
 of 1,500 acres of some of the best land in the count}', 
 situated for the greater part in Grant Township, 
 and upon either side of the Big Blue River, a 
 stream, at this place, of considerable importance. 
 His residence is on that part of his property that is 
 on section 33 of Grant Township, and is most 
 pleasantly situated on the banks of the river, and 
 amid surroundings natural and acquired that make 
 it a most desirable position. 
 
 For the greater part of the time since his settle- 
 ment our subject has lent his energies to farming, 
 but for several years p,ast h.as given considerable 
 attention to stock-raising, and is the owner of quite 
 a number of verj' fine and choice aminials. At 
 present he raises and feeds about 200 head of cattle, 
 and the other classes of stock in proportion. There 
 are few if any who have been more successful in 
 this calling than he, and few are more particular, 
 not simplj' in regard to the qualit}- and breed of 
 the animals, but also every thing regarding their daily 
 attention and care. Mr. Plucknett has been a resi- 
 dent of this Stite since 18()1; at that time the 
 Indians still roamed where their own sweet will 
 dictated throughout this portion of the country, 
 and it was not unusual for depredations to be com- 
 mitted, and occasional!}' a scalp taken without the 
 owner's consent. Despite these somewhat discour- 
 
 aging features of life in this district, our subject 
 took up his land and went to work with all the 
 enthusiasm, pluck, and disdain of danger th:it char- 
 acterize his countrymen. 
 
 Although rather enjoj'ing the circumstances of 
 his environment, which had sufficient of the spice 
 of danger to give them a smack of pleasantness, our 
 subject would not endanger his family; he sent 
 them back to the older settlements, and remained 
 himself upon the farm to take his chances. His 
 faith in the future of the country was unbounded, 
 and he saw the time was not far distant when the 
 whole valle}' would be i:)eopled by a happy and 
 prosperous communitj'. That "Truth is stranger 
 than fiction" we are somewhat inclined to doubt, 
 in view of some more modern novel productions, 
 and yet there are phases in the experience of Mr. 
 Plucknett that would warrant the emphatic reitera- 
 tion of the above platitude. 
 
 It is well-nigh impossible to find any more public- 
 spirited and loyal citizen than our subject, or one 
 more self-den)'ing in his activities, and the cause 
 must be sought for in the fact that he recognizes 
 that he came to the country a comparatively poor 
 man, one whose own country offered little or 
 no prospect of advancement to either himself or 
 famil}', and that this condition has been fully met 
 b}' his adopted country, and that she is therefore 
 worth}' of any and every effort that it is in his 
 power to make in return, seeing the success that 
 has come to him and his is far more than they in 
 their most sanguine moments had hoped. 
 
 Reference has been made above to the coming 
 of our subject to the United States. He and his 
 family are of |)ure English descent, and he was 
 born on the 13th of March, 18'27, in Somersetshire, 
 England, and in the same county the family history 
 can be traced for several generations. They appear 
 to have been an agricultural |)eople. of strictest 
 honor, integrity and loyalty, of unimpeachable up- 
 rightness and spotless reputation. The father of 
 our subject, who bore the given name of AVilliam, 
 was united in marriage with Elizabeth Brown, of 
 the same county, who, like her husband, had lieen 
 brought up in the faith of the Church of England. 
 Mr. Plucknett died in 1861, aged fifty-three years. 
 His wife, the mother of our subject, survived her 
 
 ■» ■ 4 » 
 
 
606 
 
 GAGE COUKTY. 
 
 I of I 
 ▼ Rol 
 
 husband until Christmas Day of 1884, at which 
 time she was seventy-seven years of age. During 
 the August previous she had been greatly rejoiced 
 by a visit from her son, the subject of this writing, 
 from whom she had been separated for twenty-eight 
 years; and during the rapidly speeding days of 
 that visit she seemed to take a renewed interest and 
 jtleasure in life, as, with him, she rejoiced in his 
 life's success and welfare. This is to our subject, 
 also, a bright memory, that after so long a sejjara- 
 tion it should have been his happiness .to spend 
 those days in the old home, so soon to be broken. 
 
 Our subject is the eldest of seven children, 
 four of tiiem being sons. He received the best 
 education obtainable in the parish school at his 
 home, and remained a resident of his native shire 
 until he was twenty-six years old. when be came to 
 this country and located in Ohio, where he was a 
 resident in Ashtabula County for four years, and 
 tlien returned to England. During his visit he in- 
 duced quite a number of his old neighbors and 
 country-people to emigrate to this country, and as 
 instructed by our subject they went to Illinois and 
 located in Hancock County, where he also made 
 his home. Later several of the families removed 
 to this State, and added their names to the honora- 
 ble i-oU of its pioneer settlers. 
 
 While in Hancock County Mr. AVilliam Plucknett 
 was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Hawlett, 
 a native of Yarmouth, the renowned shipping point 
 and headquarters of the North Sea fishing fleet of 
 England. In that city she was born in the year 
 1837. and came to the United States with her par- 
 ents, Samuel and Charlotte Hawlett, in the year 
 1854, who, after living some time in Hancock 
 County, removed to Iowa, where both her parents 
 died in Audubon County-, well advanced in years, 
 having passed the allotted threescore years and 
 ten. In common with almost all the English colo- 
 nists of that party, they had been brought up ac- 
 cording to the religious tenets of the State Church 
 (Episcopal). Mrs. Plucknett presented her husband 
 with eight (children, two of whom are now deceased, 
 viz: James, who died in infancy, and Herbert at 
 the age of thirteen years. The surviving members 
 of the family are as follows: .lohn W., George A., 
 Robert, Jane E., Emily and Mary. The eldest sou, 
 
 who is an extensive and enterprising farmer in Chej'- 
 enne County, Kan., is the husband of Sarah Reed, 
 of Iowa; their second son is one of Grant Town- 
 ship's valued citizens and enterprising farmers, and 
 is united in marriage with Olliva Benjamin; Robert 
 is at home ; the eldest daughter is happily married 
 to John Hawse, the owner of a good farm in Saline 
 County; her sister Emily is now Mrs. Crosier 
 Rogers, of DeWitt, and her husband is a relative 
 of the well-known business man of that name in the 
 same town; Mary, the youngest, continues to make 
 her home with her parents. 
 
 After marriage our subject rented land in Han- 
 cock County, 111., and after a period of about two 
 and one-half 3'ears he removed to Iowa, where he 
 made his home in Shelby County; then, in pur- 
 suance of plans made several years before, he came 
 to this State and built up a home iu the midst of 
 the prairie. From that time until the present he 
 has continued with unflagging, zealous enterprise 
 to push forward every undertaking that meant ad- 
 vancement for his adopted State, and has been 
 abundantly rewarded by the unprecedented prog- 
 ress made. 
 
 From his earliest connections with this country 
 as a citizen, and his study of its political econom}*, 
 Mr. Plucknett has continued a firm Republican, and 
 considers all efforts in behalf of that party oppor- 
 tunity well utilized. The foregoing compendium 
 entirel3- i^recludes the necessity of any merely com- 
 plimentary eulogy. His history reveals character, 
 mental power and manliness, with all those qualities 
 and attributes that are incidental component i)arts 
 of the higher types of manhood. 
 
 
 'Sj OHN ORTMAN. One of the most pleasant 
 homes and admirably conducted farms in 
 Midland Township is that of Mr. Ortman, 
 which is situated on section 16. His resi- 
 dence in the townshii) dates from 1882. He is a 
 native of Lancaster County, Pa., where he was 
 born on the 15th of October, 1842, to Joseph and 
 Martha Ortm.an, likewise natives of that Slate. 
 In the year 1850 a dark shadow overhung that 
 Pennsylvauian home; the all-powerful Conqueror 
 
 •► 
 
 f 
 
-€^ 
 
 t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 607 
 
 crossed the thresliold, and removed the husband and 
 father. The mother, recovering from the first shock 
 of her affliction, began to live more than ever for 
 her children, and employed her best powers in mak- 
 ing a home for them, and sending them fortii into 
 the world fully equipped for whatever might befall. 
 She, however, had to face the additional sorrow of 
 the death of two of her childien within a few days of j 
 that of her husband, the cause being typhoid fever. 
 This left her two children, whom it has been her 
 happiness to see occupying honorable positions in 
 life, respected b^' their neighbors and friends. 
 These are our subject and his brother Levi, who 
 is living in Lancaster County, Pa., where also Mrs. 
 Ortman makes her home. 
 
 The early life of our subject was fully occupied 
 with farm and school duties; he has been engaged 
 in the innumerable details and various parts of the 
 farming industry from his childhood up, and is, 
 therefore, quite proficient and practical. It will 
 have been noticed in the foregoing paragraph that 
 our subject was but eight years of age when his 
 father died. AVhen fourteen 3-ears old, in company 
 ■with an old neighbor, he went to Carroll County, 
 111., to work by the month on a farm. When 
 about nineteen years of age, in the year 1861, he 
 enlisted in Company I, 34th Illinois Infantry, and 
 went to the front. Two years later, when the first 
 pioneer regiment was organized, our subject was 
 chosen as a member, transferred to the same, and 
 served during the remainder of his term for three 
 _Vears. This period having expired, he re-enlisted, 
 and shortly after a regiment known as the 1st 
 United States Veteran Volunteer Engineers was 
 formed, our subject chosen as a member thereof, 
 and in it served throughout the remainder of the 
 war. He was in the battles of Shiloli, Resaca, Buz- 
 zard's Roost, Kenesaw Mountain, Corinth, and many 
 minor engagements. The war being over, he re- 
 ceived an honorable discharge at Nashville, Tenn., 
 and returned to Carroll County, 111. 
 
 Upon the 30th of August, 1870, Mr. Ortman was 
 united in marriage, in Whiteside County, with Miss 
 Elizabeth Potter, a daughter of Jacob and Julia 
 Ann Potter. Miss Potter was born in Carroll 
 Count}', III., March 28, 1847, ami was brought up 
 and educated in her native place, making her home 
 
 •with her parents until her marriage. Her marriage 
 has been blessed and the current of its joy widened 
 and deepened b}' the birth of three children, who 
 have received the following names: Willie Benton, 
 Fred L. and Edith E. 
 
 Upon his marriage our subject removed to Red 
 Oak, Iowa, where he purchased a farm and made 
 his home for about ten years, increasing from year 
 to year in wealth of storehouse and barn. In 1880 
 he sold that propertj' and removed to this State and 
 township. Here he took up eighty acres of land 
 and went to work to make a farm; he has devote<l 
 much care and attention to its cultivation, and n>uch 
 thought and labor upon the erection and beautif^'- 
 ing of his home. His farm is provided with all the 
 usual and necessary out-buildings, which have been 
 erected with a view to accommodation, conveni- 
 ence and practical utility, rather than adornment; 
 but even this has not been entirely overlooked. 
 
 The political sympathies and sentiments of our 
 subject are such as lead him to the ranks of the 
 Republican party, and he is a strong advocate and 
 a stanch friend of the same. His quiet, manly in- 
 dependence and industry, high character, his intelli- 
 gent and energetic enterprise upon his farm, and 
 his honor in matters of business, receive their rec- 
 ognition from his fellow-citizens, who accord to our 
 subject and family' heart}' esteem. , 
 
 ^- 
 
 -^■f-*- 
 
 R. ALEXANDER C. SABIN, phj-sician 
 and surgeon at Beatrice, is a native of Knox 
 County, Ohio, and was born near the town 
 of Bladensburg. When a lad of thirteen 
 years, his parents removed to Bloomington, 111. His 
 father. Dr. Daniel Sabin, was a native of Virginia, 
 and his paternal grandfather was born in New En- 
 gland. The mother in her girlhood was Miss 
 Rhoda Williams, a native of Greene Count}', Pa., 
 and the daughter of Abraham AVilliams. 
 
 The subject of this sketch continued to live with 
 his parents in Bloomington, III., where his father 
 pursued the practice of medicine a short time. In 
 1882 he, with his family, came to Nebraska, locat- 
 ing in Beatrice, where both parents passed aw.ay, 
 the father in 1887. The household circle consisted 
 
«► ir ^ 
 
 C08 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, 
 of whom there are now living six sons and two 
 daughters. Of these our subject is the eldest son 
 and third child. His father being the owner of a 
 farm, his bojhood and youth were passed amid the 
 quiet scenes of rural life, and he pursued his early 
 studies in the district school. Later he became a 
 student of Eureka College, in Woodford County, 
 111., where he spent three years. 
 
 Soon after leaving college our subject entered 
 upon the study of medicine under the instruction 
 of his father, and began practicing that same year, 
 1862. He, however, became also interested in 
 farming and stock-raising, to which he also gave 
 considerable time and attention until 1873, then, 
 disposing of these interests, resolved to give his 
 best efforts to his profession. He located in Bloom- 
 ingtou. 111., at which place, however, he remained 
 only one year, thence removing to Farmer City, 
 where he sojourned three years. He attended 
 lectures later at Bennett Medical College in Chicago, 
 from which he was graduated in the spring of 1882. 
 Previously to this, however, he had decided upon 
 a location in Burlington, Iowa, and later took up 
 his residence there. In June, 1883, he came to 
 Beatrice, and in the course of time built up a busi- 
 ness extending not on!}' throughout this county, 
 but the whole State. 
 
 Dr. Sabin, not being able to dismiss his interest 
 in live stock, perfected his arrangements for em- 
 barking extensively in the breeding of fine horses, 
 and now has some of the choicest trotting stock in 
 the West. One of the colts in which he takes most 
 pride is "Sabin Counselor," a year old, which won the 
 first money from the State Breeders' Association, 
 which held its exhibition at Lincoln, Aug. 16, 1888, 
 the purse being $275. This animal made the re- 
 markable time of 3 :10 after one month's training, 
 making three seconds over any previous record 
 upon the grounds, and the Doctor was offered 
 $5,000 for him, which he refused. He has twelve 
 head of as fine animals as are to be seen in Southern 
 Nebraska, and in his care and keeping of them ex- 
 hibits a peculiar adaptability to the business. For 
 tliis purpose he invested a portion of his capital in 
 510 acres of land, upon which he has erected, the 
 buildings necessary for his convenience and the 
 
 proper care of his stock. He put up a handsome 
 and substantial residence two stories in height, and 
 of modern stj'le of nrcliitectiire, comprising all the 
 latest conveniences and finished in the finest style 
 of the builder's art. This is located at the corner 
 of Eighth and^ Lincoln streets. An extensive lawn 
 assists in completing the beauty of a most attractive 
 home. 
 
 The wife of our subject, to whom he was mar- 
 ried Nov. 15, 1862, was in her girlhood Miss Elma 
 Garretson, of McLean County, 111. Mrs. Sabin is 
 the daughter of Talbott Garretson, and came to 
 this county with lier parents when a little girl. Of 
 her union with our subject there have been born 
 nine children, seven of whom are living, namely: 
 D. T., Olive Belle, Robert Grant, Rhoda May, 
 Hudson Burr, Alex C, Jr., and Daisy Cornelia. 
 
 -►l-i-|'=^^a|+-l- 
 
 ^ ON. GEORGE B. EVERITT, attorney-at- 
 law, and a leading member of the bar in 
 Beatrice, is of Southern birth, and was born 
 )} in Goldsboro, N.C.,Nov. 10, 1850. The 
 eldest son and second child of a famil3' of ten 
 children, he has now only one brother and one sis- 
 ter living. His parents, David B. and Sarah (Car- 
 ney) Everitt, were also natives of North Carolina, 
 and both were of Scotch and English ancestry. 
 The father was a planter by occupation, and rested 
 from his earthly labors in Jauuaiy, 1885. The 
 mother is still living. The maternal grandfather 
 of our subject was James Carney, Esq., who was a 
 native of Virginia, and spent his last years in 
 Goldsboro, N. C. 
 
 The subject of this sketch remained in North 
 Carolina on his father's plantation until a j'outh of 
 eighteen years, his studies having been conducted 
 in the Everittville schools. He now entered Trinity 
 College, from which he was graduated with honors 
 in the class of '73. Youug Everitt commenced 
 the study of law under the instruction of Chief 
 Justice Smith, of Raleigh, N. C.,who still holds his 
 exalted position upon the bench. He was admitted 
 to the bar in January, 1874, and commenced the 
 practice of his profession in Concord, N. C. In the 
 spring of 1877 he removed to Winston, and in the 
 
 9^ 
 
t 
 
 GAGE COUKTY. 
 
 G09 
 
 fall of 1878 was elected to the State Senate of 
 Noitli Carolina for tbe comities of Forsythe and 
 Stokes. In tbe campaign of 1880 he was Ihecantli- 
 (late of the Repiihlican party for elector of the State 
 at large. In .June, 1881, he was appointed Collector 
 of Internal Revenue for the Fifth District of North 
 Carolina, and in June, 1883, under the administra- 
 tion of President Arthur, was appointed Register of 
 the land-office at Mitchell, Dak. This position he 
 held until March, 1888. 
 
 In .June following Mr. Everitt came to Beatrice 
 and resumed the regular practice of his profession. 
 Although his residence here has been comparatively 
 brief he has fully established himself in the esteem 
 and confidence of the community. He was married, 
 in Dccembei-. 1875, to Miss ]\Iary Graves, a native 
 of his own State, and the daughter of Dr. Calvin and 
 Caroline M. (Foust) Graves, also natives of North 
 Carolina, and at that time residents of Trinity. Of 
 this union there were born two children — Malcom 
 G. and Mary M. Mrs. Everitt died in November, 
 1882. The present wife of our subject, to whom 
 he was married in Jul}', 1884, was formerly Miss 
 ISIartha Davis, of Philadelphia, Pa. She is the 
 daughter of Allen and Helen (Smyth) Davis, of 
 Beaufort, N. C, and of this marriage of our-subject 
 there have also been born tvvo children — George B., 
 Jr., and Anne .S. Mr. Everitt is a stanch Repub- 
 lican, and a man of broad and comprehensive views 
 on the great questions of American nationalit}'. He 
 is a pleasing, graceful and eloquent sjjeaker, and a 
 lawj'er of fine ability. 
 
 -~vu-"«iLei.'.'!<s^g* 
 
 >»gS-SV3OT>-'vw. 
 
 i' 
 
 fs=^RANK MOSELEY. The wonderfully rapid 
 
 Pw development of Gage (Jount3' could onlj' 
 have been brought about by men of great 
 force of character, much ability, and sturdy powers 
 of endurance. The gentleman whose name stands 
 at the head of this brief biographical sketch is a 
 fine representative of such men, who came to this 
 part of Nebraska a few years ago and settled in 
 Paddock Township, although he is not one of the 
 earliest comers. Since taking up his residence here in 
 1883, locating on the wild, unbroken iiruirie land, 
 comprising 240 acres (IGO on section 21 and eight}' 
 
 4* 
 
 on section 28, Paddock Township) of which he then 
 became the owner, he has developed it into one of 
 the most desirable farms in this vicinity. All of 
 his landed propert}' that is not devoted 1o jxastur- 
 age is under a high state of cultivation, and well 
 repays by abundant harvests the care and time that 
 he has bestowed upon it. He has erected comfort- 
 able buildings, and everything about the place 
 denotes that he is a practical, methodical man. He 
 has paid much attention to raising cattle and hogs, 
 and his farm is now well supplied with stock of 
 good grades. 
 
 Mr. Moseley was born in Lee County, III., Oct. 
 1, 1852, a son of Joseph and Margaret (Moore) 
 Moseley, natives of England and Pennsylvania. 
 Mr. Moseley, father of our subject, closed a long 
 and useful life in Illinois, June 22, 1886. He was 
 a man of unimpeachable integrity, of good common 
 sense, and was much res|)ecled by his neighbors and 
 friends. The worthy mother of our subject, whose 
 maiden name was Margaret Clintob, was twice mar- 
 ried, her first husband's name being Moore. Her 
 sons, John Moore and William Moseley, served in 
 the late war, being members of Company A, 75th 
 Illinois Infantry. They were in the army two years 
 and eleven months, but both escaped from the 
 perils of battle unwounded. Mrs. Moselc}' is now 
 spending her declining years in Thayer Count}-, Neb. 
 Our subject was reared and educated in bis 
 native county; he went to Page County, Iowa, in 
 1876, and he was there married, Nov. 26, 1879, to 
 Miss Lovisa A., daughter of William Beers, of Page 
 County, Iowa. Four children have been born of 
 their marriage — Nellie M., Fred R., Ida J. and an 
 infant, P;iul. In the fall of 1879 Mr. Moseley came 
 with his bride to Thayer County, this State, which 
 he had previously visited the spring before his mar- 
 riage, and they lived there until the spring of 1883, 
 when Mr. Moseley removed with his family to 
 Gage County, and settled on his present farm. Mr. 
 Moseley and his wife richly deserve the esteem and 
 respect in which they arc held. They have a pleas- 
 ant home, and whoever crosses its threshold is sure 
 of a cordial welcome and hospitable entertainment. 
 Mr. Moseley is a man of upright, straightforward 
 character, of great cap;ibility, and wilh energy 
 I enough to i)ut through what he has once begun. 
 
t 
 
 '^ CI 
 
 -•► 
 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 As a good citizen shoulrt he takes great pririe in 
 bis townsiiii), and ims t;ikcn a prominent part in its 
 growth. Politically, he champions the Republican 
 pal■t}^ 
 
 -♦-e- 
 
 '\f]AMES W. SHELLEY has been endowed by 
 nature with a splendid [ihysique, great 
 mental force 'and moral strength — the requi- 
 1^/' sites of a truly grand character. He has 
 IMSsed through a long ])eriod of eventful pioneer 
 experience, in which the sterling qualities of man- 
 hood were developed and formed into graceful 
 attributes of a truly noble character, while his zeal- 
 ous efforts toward the developing of the natural re- 
 sources of this State and tlie fostering of the public 
 institutions of his county are worthy of the highest 
 commendation. His parents, Francis and Fanny 
 (Hollingworth) Shelley, were born in England, the 
 former in Staffordshire atid the latter in Derbyshire. 
 The father was a shoemaker \iy trade, and removed 
 with his fauiily to America in the year 1855, making 
 his home in Portage County, Wis. He worked for 
 a time on a farm near Stevens' Point, and in 1861 
 he brought his family to Nebraska, taking up a 
 homestead on section 1 9, Rockford Township, where 
 he prospered well. He died May 25, 1884, at the 
 age of seventy-two years, but the mother of our 
 subject still lives in Holmesville with her son 
 Pirnest, the j-oungest of her six children, who bear 
 the names of ISIyra, James W., Thomas, Robert, 
 Joseph and Ernest. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 5th of February, 
 1843, in Derbyshire, England, and was but twelve 
 years old when he left his native country. There 
 he had enjo}'ed excellent advantages for obtaining 
 an education, but during his residence at Stevens' 
 Point, Wis., the educational advantages were ex- 
 tremely limited and of an inferior grade. When his 
 parents came to this State he was eighteen years 
 old, and manifested his cour.agc and intrepidity by 
 driving a yoke of oxen all the w.ay from his former 
 home to this State. Here he found plenty of op- 
 portunities to develop the real worth of his young 
 manhood, and in 1804 he took up a homestead 
 claim of 120 acres, working and imi)roving it, and 
 
 <• 
 
 making his home with his parents for the six j-ears 
 succeeding his purchase. 
 
 In 1870 our subject was united in marri.age with 
 Miss Mary E. Bailey, a daughter of A. F. Bailey, 
 who is a native of New Hampshire. Her mother is 
 Janet (Ford) Bailey, and was born in New York 
 State. The father was a farmer, and the family re- 
 sided in Kenosha County, Wis., until 1863, when 
 they came to this State and made their home on 
 Cub Creek, nine miles west of Beatrice. The par- 
 ents now reside in that city, the father aged seventj'- 
 seven years, and the mother sixty-five years, they 
 having cared for a family of eight children, whose 
 names are as follows : Cornelia, Charles, Hattie, 
 Mary, Annie, Myra, Clara and Clyde. Mary, the 
 wife of our subject, was born Jan. 31, 1851, in Ke- 
 nosha County, Wis., and was a girl twelve years old 
 when she came to this State with her parents. She 
 attended the common schools and secured a thor- 
 ough education, being amply qualified to engage in 
 the profession of teaching in this county, at which 
 she continued for five or six terms. She was teach- 
 ing at the time our subject made her acquaintance, 
 and he having provided a comfortable home for his 
 bride brought her to it. 
 
 By this happy marriage they have had born to 
 them seven children, of whom Violetta died when 
 she was eight years old, and the other six are 
 named: Annie, Willie, Bessie (deceased), Eloise, 
 Hattie and Merton. Mr. Shelley voted for the 
 adoption of the State Constitution in 1866, and he 
 was also instrumental in organizing the county into 
 townships, having seen the prairie in its native 
 state converted into fertile fields of waving grain 
 and rich meadow land. He worked on the Otoe 
 Reservation for two years, and really secured his 
 best start during that period. He owns 450 acres 
 of well-improved land, on which he has built a 
 commodious and attractive farm dwelling, a view 
 of which is given in this volume. He has corn 
 cribs, granaries and a tool-house, all under one roof. 
 He cribs 3,000 bushels of corn and 2,000 bushels of 
 grain in his storehouse, and in order to secure this 
 large result he carries on farming extensively-, and 
 is one of the most enterprising men of Rockford 
 Township. He is a member of an association 
 which owns an extensive Norman and Clyde breed- 
 
 ■» 
 
:h 
 
 GAGE COUNT r. 
 
 >•► 
 
 fill 
 
 ing establishment at Blue Springs. He has some 
 very valuable horses, and uses four teams of the 
 fourteen head in operating the work of his farm, 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Shelley are influential members of 
 the Methodist Episco[)al Church at Holmesville, of 
 which our subject was one of the earliest members 
 and Trustees. He has been prominentli' identified 
 with the educational work in his township, having 
 served as School Moderator for three years, and 
 doing all in his power to secure the best schools. In 
 strict accordance with his Christian character he 
 disapproves of the use of intoxicating drinks, and is 
 an ardent advocate of the temperance cause, there- 
 by identifj-ing himself with the Prohibition part}'. 
 Among business men and in his social relations he 
 bears an unblemished reputation, and enjoys the 
 good-will of all. 
 
 JF. KEN YON has a good farm of 120 acres 
 on section 9, Blakely Township, which is de- 
 voted to farming and stock-raising, most of 
 the land being under cultivation. He bought 
 
 his farm in 1871, l)ut he did not make his home on 
 it until 1877, and as it was in an uncultivated con- 
 dition when it came into his possession he has had 
 an experience in common with the other farmers of 
 this section in the breaking and tilling of prairie 
 land. He came to Blakely Township direct from 
 Logan County, 111., driving across the country with 
 a team of horses in the month of October, 1 877. 
 He was comparativelj' without means when he came, 
 and his greatest desire was to establish a home 
 which he might call his own, and on which he might 
 labor as an independent man. He has succeeded 
 well from the beginning, and is now pleasantly sit- 
 uated to enjoy what has been secured by much hard 
 labor and constant application. 
 
 Our subject was born in Adams Township, Jeffer- 
 son Co., N. Y., on the '29th of October, 1843, and 
 is a son of R. A. and Lydia (Rhodes) Kenyon, the 
 former of whom was a nati'^e of Rhode Island, and 
 the latter of New York. The father was a deer- 
 skin tanner and glovemaker, and in 1844 the par- 
 ents with their small familv moved to a place near 
 Marshall, Calhoun Co., Mich. In 1 848 the family 
 
 went to Kalamazoo County, and made their home 
 near Gull Lake, where the father carried on his vo- 
 cation for seven years, afterward engaging in farm- 
 ing. In 1864 he went to Logan County, 111., and 
 is still living there in the enjoyment of good health 
 and mental faculties, active and industrious as ever, 
 though he has reached the age of seventy-eight 
 years. He lost his wife in Kalamazoo County, 
 Mich., in 1852, when she was but thirty-eight j'ears 
 old, and the mother of seven children, three sons 
 and four daughters. 
 
 Our subject was the fifth child of the family, of 
 whom three sons and two daughters are now living, 
 and all married and established in homes of their 
 own. C. H. Kenyon is living in Clieyenne County, 
 this State ; Thomas W. is a shipper of stock, and 
 lives in Lincoln, 111. ; Elazan, the wife of George 
 Blain, an architect, and Marinda M., the wife of 
 Stephen R. Cushing, a carpenter and joiner, have 
 their homes in San Jose, Cal. The father of our 
 subject was a second time married, to Mrs. Roxana 
 P. (Miller) Brewer, who was a native of Vermont. 
 She was the mother of two children by her former 
 marriage, one of whom is deceased and the other, 
 Mary L., is now the wife of Thomas W. Kenyon. 
 
 Our subject was one year old when his father 
 moved to Michigan, and twenty-one years old when 
 he went to Lincoln, Logan Co., III. At the beginning 
 of the late civil troubles he was but seventeen years 
 old, and he enlisted in Company B. 32d Illinois 
 Infantry, under command of Col. John Logan, a 
 cousin of Gen. John A. Logan. The regiment was 
 connected with the Army of the Tennessee, and 
 went to the front in December, 1861, coming in 
 contact with the enemy at Shiloh, Ilatchie, Vicksburg 
 and Jackson, and also being engaged in the campaign 
 with Sherman to Atlanta. After the fall of that 
 place our subject was afflicted with sore eyes, 
 .and was absent from his company from the 21st of 
 June until the 1st of September, 1864. He went 
 to rejoin his regiment and was taken prisoner near 
 Marietta, Ga., but on the 13th of December in the 
 s.ame year he was paroled, and a little later was sent 
 home on parole furlough. He was honorably dis- 
 charged on the 5th of September, 1865, at Leaven- 
 worth, K.an., having served for over four years as a 
 hard-working and loyal soldier, for which he deserves 
 
 f 
 
i 
 
 612 
 
 aAGK COUNTY. 
 
 lasting honor. lie never was wonnrlefl. but he lost 
 the use of one eye from disease, and tlie other has 
 suffered in sympathy' with it. With liis regiment he 
 marched 6.000 miles in sixteen montiis. and liesides 
 the regular engagements lie participated in many 
 minor battles and skirmishes. Snch devotion to 
 his country and disregard of self proves him to be 
 the possessor of a true, manly heart, and among 
 brave soldiers his memory will always be cherished. 
 After his discbarge from the service of his coun- 
 try our subject returned to Lincoln, III., and there 
 met the lady whom he made his wife on the 12th 
 of December, 1H75. Miss Maria L. 'i'urk, now Mrs. 
 Kenyon, was born on the 1st of Ma}', 1844, in War- 
 ren County, Ohio, and is the third child of James 
 and Anna (Crespin) Turk, also natives of Ohio. 
 The father was a gunsmith, and he took his fam- 
 il}' to Lincoln, Logan Co., 111., in 1867, in which 
 ])lace both parents died, the father in 1873, aged 
 sixty-two years, and the mother in 1870, aged fifty- 
 seven 3-ears. Five of their children survive them, 
 and in eompanj' with Mrs. Kenj-on spent their 
 earlier years with their parents until their death. 
 Mrs. Kenyon was educated in her native county, and 
 possesses many charming qualities of womanhood, 
 which fit her to adorn her home and the society in 
 which she moves. Our subject and his wife are 
 well-known and influential people, and are among 
 the leaders in educational, social and religious 
 work. The latter is a meral)er of the Universalist 
 Church. Mr. Kenyon is a stanch Republican, and 
 warmly advocates the cause of that party. 
 
 -^nn.-'^tji£^tS^^ 
 
 ^,gl/5OT*v- -w~- 
 
 \f/AME8 L. BOYDSTON. No less credit is 
 due to the energetic young men who are 
 carrying on the work which their forc- 
 (^// fathers began in a new country, than to 
 those who first opened a path in the wilderness. 
 The subject of this sketch, one of the j'ounger 
 members of the communitj' of Fillej' Township, is 
 tilling a portion of the soil on section 36, and by 
 his thoroughness and skill laying the foundations 
 for a future competence. He has 320 acres of fer- 
 tile land, neat and substantial buildings, a fair as- 
 sortment of live stock and machincr}-, and about 
 
 .^ 
 
 400 fruit trees in good bearing condition, occupy- 
 ing ten acres of ground. A view of the home 
 place accompanies this brief sketch of the enter- 
 prising owner. 
 
 Curtis Boydston. the father of our subject, was 
 born in Greene County, Pa., about 1821, and lived 
 there until 185.5. That year he left the Keystone 
 State and emigrated to Warren County, 111. In 
 early life he had learned the carpenter trade, com- 
 bined with cabinet-making, and continued that and 
 farming until convinced that he could do better at 
 the lumber business. He followed the latter ac- 
 cordingly for a time, but is now farming in Warren 
 County, that State. He has been twice selected to 
 represent the people of that count}' in the Legis- 
 lature of Illinois, and in political matters in that 
 State takes a prominent position. 
 
 The mother of our subject. Mrs. Orpha Boyd- 
 ston, was a native of Greene County, Pa., her birth 
 taking place in 1821. She accompanied her family 
 to Illinois, and died therein 1856. The parental 
 household included eight children, six sons and two 
 daughters, and five are now living, namely : Ulysses 
 A., Station Agent at Alameda. Cal.; Newton L., 
 telegraph operator at Virginia City, Nev. ; James 
 L., of this sketch; William L., of Galesburg, 111., 
 a conductor on the Chicago, Burhngton & Quincy 
 Railroad, and Frank, a grocer, of Newton, Kan. 
 
 The subject of this biographj' was born Feb. 14, 
 1848, in Greene Count}', Pa., and remained with the 
 family of his father until twenty-eight years of age. 
 In 1881 he crossed the Mississippi and began farm- 
 ing in Harvey County, Kan., where he operated for 
 two and a half years. In the winter of 1885 he 
 came to this county, purchased his present farm, 
 and has each year made good progress, so that in 
 the near future he expects to enlarge the sphere of 
 his operations and engage quite extensively in the 
 raising of cattle and hogs. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Boydston took place in 
 April. 1885, his bride being Miss Ada, daughter of 
 Royal and Julia Wiswell, who were natives of Ver- 
 mont, and emigrated to Illinois about 1850; they 
 removed from Warren County to Galesburg. The 
 father is now living retired from active labor in 
 California. Mrs. Boydston was born in Warren 
 County, 111.. Jan 29, 1855, and spent her childhood 
 
v.^'t^d^f^g-^^ja^^jg^ 
 
 »>3s^^^s^s^£s^^'-^^&m 
 
 ^fc^^^gisfc.,; -, 
 
 Residence or J. L. Boydston ,5ec.36, Rlley Township 
 
 " *';w«*ss*«a^**»»»- 
 
 |&"^" 
 
 fi^ 
 
 .^:::,^^: ^m^mMf^- MMi 
 
 Residence OF Hon. J.W.Williams, Sec. 18. Fi lley Township. 
 
h 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 filo 
 
 4* 
 
 *■ 
 
 and y'>iitli ^itli her parents until lirr marriage. Mr. 
 and Mrs. B. are now tlie parents of two brig:lit eliii- 
 dren: Earl W., born March 14. 1887, and Altha R.. 
 July 2.5, 1888. 
 
 Our subject cast his first Presidential vote for 
 Grant, and uniformly supports the principles of the 
 Republican party. He is a quiet, unassuming citi- 
 zen, attending strictly to his own affairs, but giving 
 his support to those measures calculated to advance 
 the interests of his community. He and his excel- 
 lent wife enjoj^ the respect and confidence of a 
 large circle of acquaintances, and in their pleasant 
 home are surrounded by all needful comforts. 
 
 \]l^ ON. ,TOHN W. WILLIAMS. Among the 
 r solid citizens of P"illey Township, none are 
 held in more genuine respect than the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. He is a farmer of ample 
 means and pleasant surroundings, realizes a good 
 income from his agricultural transactions, and is 
 contributing his full quota to the business and in- 
 dustrial interests of G.ige County. His property 
 has been secured by the exercise of patient indus- 
 try- and economj', the surest guarantee of success, 
 and if Providence has richl}' blessed him, it is no 
 more than he deserves. 
 
 The father of our subject, Mathew Williams by 
 name, was of American birth and parentage, and 
 began life in the State of Indiana. Upon reaching 
 manhood he married a lady of Irish descent, and 
 also a native of Indiana. The3- settled upon a farm 
 in Waj'ne County, and there became the parents of 
 three children, our subject .and two sisters, the lat- 
 ter of whom are both now deceased. John W. was 
 born Aug. 20, 1840, but while yet a child, his par- 
 ents removed to JIarshall County, Ind., where he 
 spent his boyhood on the farm, and in attendance 
 at school. When of suitable age he commenced 
 working out, and in 1856 went with his parents to 
 Bureau County, III., and there made his home with 
 his uncle for a period of four years. 
 
 Young William, in 18G0, returned to his native 
 State, and the year following, upon the outbreak of 
 the war, enlisted in Company C, 20th Indiana In- 
 fanti'3', and after a six-weeks drill on the old Tip- 
 
 pecanoe battle-field near LaFa^yette, the regiment 
 was ordered to Cockej'sville, Md., where, in addition 
 to the regular drill, they were engaged in building 
 railroad tracks and bridges. Thence they were de- 
 tailed to Cape Ilatteras. N. C. There the^' were 
 forced to retreat from the enemy, and in addition 
 to this a disastrous flood nearl}' washed themaw.ay, 
 the troops being forced to wade in water up to their 
 mouths for two hours, and three miles from shore. 
 
 Old Point Comfort, in Virginia, was the next 
 destination of the 20th Indiana and some others, 
 where they went into winter quarters. During the 
 spring campaign they took part in the battles of the 
 Monitor and Merrimac, witnessing the destruction 
 of the latter, after which followed the battle at Nor- 
 folk, Va. Thence thej' were called to reinforce 
 McClellan, and participated in the seven-days bat- 
 tle before Richmond, retreating to Harrison's Land- 
 ing. Subsequently soon followed the engagements 
 at Orchard, Charles City, Cross Roads, IMalvern 
 Hill, and then thej' again were halted at Harrison's 
 Landing on the James River, where thej' encamped 
 six weeks. 
 
 Upon again t.aking up their line of march our 
 subject and his comrades received orders from Gen. 
 Pope, and fought at Manassas Junction and in the 
 second battle of Bull Run, where their Colonel was 
 killed upon the field, together with many otlier 
 otRcers. They were next at Chantilly, Ya., where 
 the gallant General, Phil Kearney, breathed his 
 last upon the battle-field. Their next move was 
 on to Washington, D. C, where they were placed 
 among the fortifications around Arlington Heights, 
 the regiment being so crippled by losses that it was 
 not thought best they should engage in the Atlanta 
 campaign. They were afterward, however, ordered 
 to Virginia, where Mr. Williams partipatcd in the 
 battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and 
 met the rebels at Gettysburg, Pa. In the distribu- 
 tion of the Kearney medal of honor, given those 
 who distinguished themselves in the memorable 
 engagement at Chancellorsvdle, Mr. Williams re- 
 ceived one of the twenty coveted prizes struck oflf 
 by the War De|)artment. and it is hardly necessary 
 to say it vvill be preserved by his posterity as a 
 priceless relic. 
 
 Lentil the battle of Gettysburg Mr. Williams had 
 
 !?^*-*« 
 
-4•- 
 
 616 
 
 ■•►■ 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 carried the musket of a private, but soon after this 
 was given the commission of First Lieutenant. His 
 regiment was subsequentl3' sent to quell the draft 
 riot of 18G3. in New York City, where they were 
 stationed about six weeks. Next his eom])any 
 formed one of the three wliich were sent up the 
 East River to assist Gen. Dix in the guarding of 
 2,700 rebels. Mr. Williams states that the story 
 of rebels suffering in Union prisons is untrue, as 
 the prisoners had wholesome food and sufficient 
 clothing. 
 
 Lieut. Williams witli his regiment was later as- 
 signed to the Army of the Potomac, dnd afterward 
 did good service in the battle of the Wilderness, 
 where he was wounded in tlie shoulder, and on 
 account of the thickly folded blanket which he 
 carried escaped fatal injury. At Spottsylvania 
 Court House his Captain was killed, and Lieut. Will- 
 iams was tendered a Captain's commission and at 
 once assumed command, leading the color company 
 of the regiment through tiie remainder of the battle. 
 At this engagement the colors vvere riddled by 
 fort3'-five bullets. Capt. Williams followed the 
 fortunes of his regiment until the close of the war, 
 being thereafter at Cold Harbor, and he was one 
 of the first to make the assault on Petersburg, fol- 
 lowing the rebels from there to Appomattox Court 
 House, and having the unspeakable satisfaction of 
 witnessing their surrender. Capt. Williams ex- 
 perienced many hairbreadth escapes, and, in recall- 
 ing the events of that terrible time, often wonders 
 that he escaped with his life. He received his 
 honorable discharge on the 12th of July, 1865, at 
 Jefferson ville, Ind., receiving the brevet of Major 
 after having served four years. The last year of 
 the war, so great had been the losses, four Indiana 
 regiments were consolidated into one — the 7th, 
 14th, 19th and 20th. 
 
 Upon his retirement from the army Mr. Will- 
 iams sought his old haunts in Marshall County, Ind., 
 where he followed farming seven years. He had 
 in the meantime, Oct. 30, 1866, been married to 
 Miss Martha J. Fife, daughter of Thomas and 
 Sarah (Reed) Fife, of Marshall Countj", Ind., and 
 who was born there Feb. 25, 1845. The parents of 
 Mrs. Williams were natives of South Carolina, and 
 are now residents of Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Will- 
 
 iams spent the first six years of their wedded life in 
 Indiana, and in 1872 our subject found his way to 
 this State, and purchased 104 acres of land on sec- 
 tion 18, in Filley Township, where he settled with 
 his family as soon as he could erect a dwelling, and 
 where they have since lived. 
 
 Mr. Williams has been fully as successful .as a 
 farmer as he was a soldier. Upon his arrival in this 
 township he had been preceded by Mr. F"illey and 
 Mr. Gale only, and consequently may be named 
 among its pioneer citizens. The improvements 
 upon his farm (a view of which is herewith pre- 
 sented) have been brought about througii his own 
 efforts. One year he suffered the loss of his crops, 
 with the exception of his wheat. In 1876 he added 
 to his real estate b>' tiie purchase of eighty-eight 
 acres, and now has all that he cares to operate. 
 Mr. Williams has in all 373 acres, all of which lie 
 in Filley Township, except eighty in Logan Town- 
 ship. 
 
 To our subject and his excellent wife there have 
 been born seven children, six of whom are living, 
 namely: Fannie L., Kate A., Josephine M.ay, Clara 
 Beatrice, Arthur F. and J. Channing. Mr. Williams 
 and family are connected with the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, at Fdley. 
 
 Mr. Williams votes the straight Republican ticket, 
 and besides serving as County Commissioner has 
 been Township Supervisor three years, and Director 
 in his school district for a period of fifteen years. 
 During the late memorable campaign he was chosen 
 by the votes of his district to represent it in the 
 liCgislature of the State. His excellent judgment, 
 ripe experience and undoubted honesty, will be of 
 great value to not only his own immediate con- 
 stituency, but tiie people of the entire State. 
 
 \¥/ OSEPH B. LEVIS. This gentleman comes 
 
 I of a long line of honored ancestors, whose 
 
 II genealogy reaches back to the " right tight 
 (^^ little isLind across the sea," and figures 
 somewhat more or less prominently in English his- 
 tory. The Levis famil3' came from England over 
 200 years since, and settled in what is now Pennsyl- 
 vania. The father of our subject, Brlnton Levis, 
 
 •►Hh-^: 
 
I 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 fil7 
 
 was born in Chester County, Pa., about the year 
 1805, and was there reared to manhood and served 
 as a young man tlirough the whole Mexican War 
 under Gen. Lee, in the position of Quartermaster. 
 At the close of the war he returned to the Qualter 
 State, where he made his home until 1852, and then 
 removed with his family to Illinois, settling in 
 Fulton County, where he was engaged as surveyor 
 and school teacher. 
 
 The father of our subject died in Illinois, aged 
 eighty-two years, in the fall of 1837. He had won 
 considerable distinction during his life and was an 
 adventurous spirit. In early boyhood he showed 
 signs of great precocity, accompanied by fearless 
 daring. Leaving his parents while still a small bo3'. 
 he boarded a man-of-war with the intention of 
 serving as a sailor, but was not received; being thus 
 deterred in his efforts and his design frustrated, he 
 managed to secure a position as clerk upon a mer- 
 chant vessel, and remained in the service about 
 two years, in that time circumnavigating the globe, 
 besides a number of other trips. When he enlisted 
 in the Mexican War service he with the same fear- 
 less spirit went forward, diligent in every duty. Of 
 the 106 men who enlisted at the same time, in the 
 same company, only five returned home, the father 
 of our subject being one of that number. In his 
 later 3-ears he made his home with his son Joseph 
 until his death, which occurred in 1887. The 
 maiden name of his wife, the mother of oursubject, 
 was Phebe Ann Ring, who was born in the year 
 181 1, in Delaware County, Pa., and died on the 5th 
 of December, 1878. aged sixty-seven years, four 
 months and five days. She was the mother of 
 eleven children, whose names appear in the family 
 register as follows: Hannah, William, Joseph 
 Brinton, Rebecca, George, Ada, Nathaniel, Martha 
 A., Franklin, Sarah J. and Mary. 
 
 Our subject was a debutant upon the stage of 
 life upon the 4th of March, 1835. at Chadd's Ford, 
 Delaware Co., Pa., in the house where Gen. Wash- 
 ington had his quarters prior to the battle of Brandy- 
 wine. At the age of seven years he accompanied 
 his parents to their new home in Custer County; at 
 fifteen to the State of Illinois. His education was 
 obt;iined in the old-fashioned rate school. In the 
 'f latter .State he hired out by the mouth and continued 
 
 so to do until he arrived at the age of thirty-five. 
 In 18fil lie made a trip to Texas, but the war broke 
 out and he was forced to return to Illinois. This 
 trip was disastrous to him; throughout the immedi- 
 ately preceding seven years he had labored for one 
 man. and in that time was enabled to save sufficient 
 to i)urcha.se a herd of cattle, and attempted to move 
 with them overland to the Lone Star State. But 
 for the war and Spanish fever he would have cleared 
 a handsome profit, but under the circumstances it 
 was impossible, and all his money having been 
 launched in this venture it was the death blow to 
 his hopes for the time; en route he lost the larger 
 number of them by the Spanish fever. 
 
 Going back to Illinois Mr. Levis began life 
 anew, and worked for one year by the month, and 
 saved enough to purchase a team and rented a farm. 
 Upon the 16th of May, 1872, he was married to 
 Mrs. Amanda C, a daughter of Thomas and Unity 
 (Parker) Smith. Her father was born near Wheel- 
 ing, W. Va.. her mother in Mohawk Township, 
 Coshocton Co., Ohio. Her parents settled in the 
 latter State and made it their home until the year 
 1847, when they removed to South Fulton, Fullon 
 County. Her father was by occupation a chair, 
 cabinet maker and painter. Upon his removal to 
 Illinois he turned his attention to farming: he is 
 still living, and is aged eighty-one years. The 
 mother of Mrs. Levis died in 1881, at the ripe age 
 of sixty-five years. They were the parents of ten 
 children, whose names are as herein recorded: 
 Phoebe E., Amanda C, Uriah C, Mary J., Hannah 
 J., Hebron M., Isaiah L., Louis W., James E. and 
 Ruey A. 
 
 The wife of our subject was the second child in 
 the above famil3% and was born Sept. 9, 1835, in 
 Fallsbury Township, Layton Co., Ohio. She began 
 while quite small to spin, weave and pull flax, ad- 
 vancing by regular gradation step by step until she 
 w.as enabled to perform an}' and every part of the 
 process between the preparation of the raw material 
 and the finishing of the garment read}- for the 
 wearer, for in those days all. garments, whether 
 woolen or linen, etc., were made at home. Her 
 education was somewhat restricted, owing to the 
 fact that she was two miles from the nearest school- 
 house, and frequently- it w.as impossible to traverse 
 
 h 
 
618 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 the path that led thereto. At an early age she 
 began to work out as a means of support, and was 
 the fashioner of her life experience. She was 
 married to Moses Robertson, of Indiana, and by 
 that union became the mother of one child, Elviana, 
 who is since deceased. She was afterward married 
 to James W. Boyd, and presented him with two 
 sons: James F., who is now in Jolinson Count3', 
 Neb., and George W., deceased. Her third mar- 
 riage was with our subject. Their family numbered 
 two children: Annetta, deceased, and Lenora M., 
 who resides at home and is attending school. 
 
 In 18C5 Mr. Boyd and his wife (now Mrs. Levis) 
 heard tlie report of the remarkable work done in 
 the Idaho gold mines and the success there possible, 
 and accordingly made it convenient to journey 
 thither in the hope of bettering their position. 
 They settled in the vicinity of Boise City; for some 
 time they had realized that their porteraonnaie had 
 been in a state of chronic decHne. and upon arrival 
 it was to them an acliing void that demanded im- 
 mediate strenuous efforts to fill. Tiiis the}' accord- 
 ingly set about at once, Mr. Boyd in the mines, 
 his wife as cook for the miners, for which she re- 
 ceived $70 a month. Mr. Boyd also took up 
 a timber claim and ke|(t it for a short time, and 
 then sold his privilege, returning to Illinois via 
 Salt Lake City, of which place Mrs. Levis' recol- 
 lections are most vivid. Tlie financial outcome of 
 this trip over and above all expenses connected 
 with their return journey, was the munificent sum 
 of $15,000 in "dust." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Levis remained in Illinois about 
 four years after their marriage, but came to this 
 State and settled in Nemaha Township in 1880, 
 and to their present home in 1883. Our subject is 
 the owner of 160 acres of excellent land and tvventy 
 head of cattle. In all he operates 320 acres, and is 
 recognized as one of the leading and most success- 
 ful farmers of his district. He is a prominent 
 member of the Farmers' Alliance, and one of its 
 energetic and strong supporters. For about three 
 years he has been School Moderator, discharging 
 the duties of that ollice with satisfaction to all con- 
 cerned. In political matters he is strongly in favor 
 of the present administration, and usually votes and 
 works in the interests of the Democratic party. 
 
 Mrs. Levis is a member in good standing of the 
 Christian Church at Hooker, and is considered 
 among its most devout and consistent members. 
 She is one of the charter niemljers of the cause at 
 that place. In the community Mr. and Mrs. L. are 
 held in the highest estimation on account of their 
 personal worth, as well as their success, which has 
 been signal in view of all the adverse circum- 
 stances encountered. 
 
 ^^ 
 
 -{- 
 
 JOHN POSTLEWAIT is an old Virginian, a 
 son of Joseph Postlewait, and a native of 
 Monongalia County, Va. His mother was 
 Margret Gle.ason. who was a native of Prince 
 George County, Md., and b,y their marriage they had 
 a family of ten children, of whom our subject was 
 the third. His father died in Ohio, and his mother 
 in Burlington, Iowa. The gentleman of whom we 
 write was born on the 3d of July, 1820, and when 
 he was two years old his parents went to Licking 
 County, Ohio, where he remained until the year 
 
 1853, when he went to Burlington, Iowa. In that 
 city he was engaged in shipiiing and feeding stock 
 and buying grain, and in that business continued 
 until 1861, when he returned to Ohio. In 1866 he 
 again went to Burlington, and in 1871 toOttumwa, 
 Iowa, at which place he engaged in mining until 
 1884. 
 
 In the spring of 1884 our subject came to this 
 State, and resided for about six months in Odell, 
 afterward moving to his farm, consisting of 120 
 acres on section 10, Glenwood Township. He has 
 made fair improvements on it, and is pleasantlj' sit- 
 uated in one of the happiest of homes. The main 
 line of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, 
 from Kansas City to Denver, passes through his 
 farm, and within four rods from his house. He was 
 married in Pennsylvania, on the 5tli of September, 
 
 1854. to Matilda F. Craft, who was born in Union- 
 town, Pa., on the 7th of October, 1830. Mrs. 
 Postlewait is a daughter of George and Eliza (Work- 
 man) Craft, both of whom died in Ohio, having 
 reared a family of ten children, of whom the wife 
 of our subject was the sixth. By this marriage onr 
 subject and his wife have become the parents of 
 
 •► 
 
 t 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Gl'J 
 
 two children — George C. and Henry J. Henry J. 
 
 died in OUiirawa, Iowa, when lie was fifteen years 
 old, and George C. Is a resident of Glen wood Town- 
 ship, and resides with his parents. 
 
 While living in Ottnmwa, Iowa, Jlr. P. was one 
 of the County Commissioners, and he was also a 
 candidate for the State .Senate, having been defeated 
 b}' the Republican candidate by but a few votes in 
 a Rcpulilican district, which speaks well for his 
 popularity. Since his arrival in this county he hiis 
 held the office of Treasurer in his township, and is 
 regarded as one of the truly re[)rcsentative men of 
 this section. He is a Democrat in politics, and is 
 an enterprising business man. He and his wife are 
 members of the Catholic Church. They took a 
 nephew, Gilbert G. Postlewait, to their home when 
 he was two and a half years old, and as his foster- 
 parents, they have regarded him as one of their own 
 children. Mrs. Postlewait is an accomplished and 
 intelligent lady ; in her home she is an admirable 
 wife and mother, and in the circles of society her 
 amiability and charming manners have won for her 
 a host of friends and admirers. 
 
 eHARLES ZIEGENHAIN takes rank among 
 tiie skilled and scientific farmers of Lincoln 
 Township, where he has a fine farm of 
 eighty acres on section 16, all in a splendid state of 
 cultivation, well supplied with substantial buildings, 
 and lying just outside the corporation of the vil- 
 lage of Ellis. He has been a resident of this State 
 since 1877, and for a few years he rented a farm 
 and assumed the management of it, at which he w.as 
 so successful that he was soon enabled to purchase 
 a farm of his own. In 1882 he securer! his present 
 farm, and since that time he has made most of the 
 improvements on it, showing by his excellent judg- 
 ment in the construction of the buildings and the 
 general thrift}^ appearance of the place his knowl- 
 edge of agricultural arts, and his ability to practice 
 them. Previous to his residence here he had made 
 his home in Taylor County, Iowa, to which place 
 he had gone from McLean County, III. He made 
 his home in the latter place from the year 18C7 to 
 1876, engaged in farming, as he has since been. 
 
 Our subject was born at Frankfort on the Main, 
 Germany, on the 2Ist of July. 1825. His parents, 
 .John and Magilalena (Fischer) Ziegenhain. were 
 also natives of the same country', and of pure Ger- 
 man ancestrj'. In 1833 they came to the United 
 States, and died on the way from New Orleans to 
 St. Louis, in the same year, the father at the age of 
 forty years, and the mother when thirt^'-nine years 
 old. Our subject was but eight years old when he 
 came with his parents to this country, and after his 
 double bereavement he returned to his native 
 country to make his home among the family rela- 
 tives and friends. He was there educated in his 
 native tongue, and was early taught to depend upon 
 his own labor for his maintenance, thus early de- 
 veloping the quality of self-reliance, without whicli 
 very few people achieve success in life. 
 
 Li his native country our subject met and mar- 
 ried Mis's Anna E. Doonbrack, who was a native of 
 Bremen, and had spent all her life there previous to 
 her marriage, after which she came with her hus- 
 band to the United States, and died in 1876 at her 
 home in McLean County, III. She was then aged 
 fifty-three years, and was the mother of six children, 
 one of whom, named Mary, died in Iowa, when she 
 was twenty years old. Of the children who survive 
 we have the following record: John is in Blooni- 
 ington. 111. ; Herman married Miss Amanda Schello, 
 and resides in Gage County ; Lizzie is the wife of 
 Charles McQueen, and makes her home in Gage 
 County; William was educated in the college at 
 Springfield, 111., and is a minister in the Lutheran 
 Church, at St. Louis, Mich., and Charles resides in 
 G.age County. All the children have received good 
 educations, and are prospering well in their different 
 vocations. 
 
 Mr. Ziegenhain was a second time married, in 
 Beatrice, to Mrs. Rosa Schmidt, nee Groser, who was 
 born in Saxony, Germany, and when she was a girl 
 came alone to America. She was first married in 
 Pennsylvania, whereafter a time her husband died, 
 leaving her with three children, named August, 
 Fred and Edward, all of whom are yet single. Our 
 subject and his wife are well-known and active 
 members of society, who number among their 
 friends the best and most influential citizens of the 
 community, and have taken a warm and active 
 
■<*• 
 
 620 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 interest in the Lutheran Cliurch, of Blakely Town- 
 ship, whose cause and the cause of religion the}- 
 have been laboring to promote. Our subject is a 
 well-informed and ardent Republican in politics, 
 and is highly esteemed as a business man and loyal 
 citizen. 
 
 -<34 
 
 T-T 
 
 =€>- 
 
 OBERT KYD. In the following sketch is 
 presented an outline of one whose experi- 
 ence of life is many-sided, and if opportu- 
 nity offered would present many chapters of 
 absorbing interest, and not a little of instruction. 
 Our subject was born at Dungiven, County London- 
 derry, Ireland, Sept. -2. 1830. He is the son of 
 Robert and Elizabeth Kyd, natives of the same 
 place. lie left Ireland April 7, 1848, and arrived 
 at New York May 11. lie had served two years as 
 an apprentice at carriage-making when a boy in 
 Ireland, and worked for a few months in a wagon 
 and wheelwright shop in New York until the fall of 
 1849, when he went to New Orleans, and superin- 
 tended the loading and running of flatboats from 
 that city to the lower coast until the spring of 1850, 
 when he went to Cincinnati. In that city he con- 
 tinued to make his home until 1884, and worked 
 upon the canal boats for some time, and then 
 bouo-ht an interest in a boat, and for the next 
 twelve years continued to run as a canal boat Cap- 
 tain, at one time owning as many as three boats. 
 
 In the late war our subject was Captain of Com- 
 pany B, of the Fremont Guards of Ohio, for four 
 months, and they were upon guard duty for the 
 larger part of the time. Subsequently for five years 
 he served in the National Guards, as Captain of the 
 same company, 8th Regiment, Col. S. S. Fisher. In 
 1884 he came to this county, and in the month of 
 February of that year settled where he now resides. 
 He is the owner of 280 acres of land, which he oc- 
 cupies in general farming and stock-raising. In the 
 latter department he gives attention almost solely 
 to graded stock of the higher orders, and is very 
 particular concerning their surroundings and treat- 
 ment. 
 
 Upon the 28tli of February, 1861, our subject 
 and Miss Mary Martin were joined in holy matri- 
 
 mony, and their union has been fruitful in the birth 
 of five children, four of whom are still living. 
 Their names are recorded as follows: Annie (de- 
 ceased in infanc}'); William J., engaged as topog- 
 rapher for the Union Pacific Engineering Corps; 
 Rol)ert R., James H. and Annie E.. all of whom are 
 unmarried. Mrs. K^'d is the daughter of Mattiiew 
 and Elizabeth Martin, and was born at Stranorlar, 
 County Donegal, Ireland, on the 5th of February, 
 1 835. Her parents were natives respectively of Scot- 
 land and Ireland, and were residents of Stranorlar, 
 but are now deceased. 
 
 AVhile a resident of Cincinnati our subject was 
 for fifteen years Captain of the guard of the work- 
 house, and also helped the Sheriff of that place in 
 his duties through the terms of the District Court. 
 He has at all times taken a very deep interest in 
 educational matters, and those enterprises that were 
 for the advancement of the interests of the rising 
 generation. He has been successful in building 
 here perhaps the finest countrj' school-house in the 
 entire county. Mr. Kyd has given to his children 
 the best High School education the city of Cincin- 
 nati afforded, and is proud of the fact that his son 
 William took the third prize for drawing at the 
 general examination ot the Cincinnati public school 
 in the year 1876, the lad being then but twelve years 
 of age. 
 
 Our subject stands high in the Masonic fraternity, 
 with which he has been connected for thirty years. 
 He has received all the degrees, from that of En- 
 tered Apprentice to Knight Templar inclusive, and 
 in Lodge, Chapter and Commandery is highly 
 esteemed by his fellow-members, as he is also bj' 
 the community at large. 
 
 ,T. "^ 
 
 jWi\ ICHAEL KNOCHEL has resided foi eight 
 /// \\\ years on his present farm, consisting of 160 
 acres of good land on section 24, Lincoln 
 Township, on which he has made many 
 improvements. For ten years previous to his resi- 
 dence here he was engaged in farming in Logan 
 County, 111., where he had met with good success, 
 but not so much as his ambition led him to expect. 
 He was born in the Rhine Province, Germany, on 
 
■^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 021 
 
 i 
 
 the 1st of Xovpiuber, 1833, anil is of pure German 
 ancestry, his father, Michael Knochel, being a n.-itive 
 of the same countn", and uniliiig liimseif in mar- 
 riage with a German lady named Elizabeth Stout. 
 The parents lived in their native country until they 
 had gathered about them a family of twelve chil- 
 dren, seven sons and five daughters, after which 
 they came to the United .States and made their 
 home in Erie C'ount}% Pa., in 1853, just one 3'ear 
 after their son, our subject, had come. The family 
 were bereaved of their father in 1868. when he was 
 about sixty-one years old, but the motlier is still 
 living in Erie County. Pa., and is now eighty-five 
 years old. still retaining all her faculties, and quite 
 active for one of her advanced .ige. 
 
 Our subject was educated in his native tongue in 
 Germany, and in 1852 came alone to the United 
 States, making his home in Erie County. Pa., where 
 he began life as a farm laborer. There he spent 
 the next twentj' years of his life, having in the 
 meantime married, on the 20th of October, 1857: 
 Miss Mary P.age, wlio was also born in the Rhine 
 Province, Germany, on the 2Gth of March, 1832' 
 Her parents, Ludivich and Barbara P.age, lived and 
 died in Germany. AVhen she was a voung woman 
 she came alone to the United States and became 
 the wife of our subject. .Since their marriage they 
 have labored in unison, and have together endured 
 many hardships in the endeavor to make and save 
 a competence for their later d.ays. Our subject 
 worked for sixteen years in a sawmill in Pennsyl- 
 vania, and since his removal to this State he has 
 prospered well, and has reaped the rewai-d which 
 seldom fails to come to those who exercise tlie 
 sterling qualities of manhood, industry and per- 
 severance. Their farm has been improved by good 
 buildings and fences, and its fertility increased so 
 that it is in a condition to bring forth abundant 
 harvests, and repay the owner for the great labor 
 he has expended on it. 
 
 To the pleasant home which has been prepared 
 by the considerate parents have come si.x children, 
 named: Weudel, Kate, Grace, Barbara, George 
 and Valentine ; all are at home with their parents. 
 
 Mr. and Jlrs. Knochel and family are members of 
 the German Catholic Church, and as is characteristic 
 of the adherents of that organization, they are devout 
 
 in their religious duties and industrious in their dail}' 
 vocations. The former afliliates with the Democratic 
 party in politics, and is a highly esteemed member 
 of society' in his community-, having won the re- 
 spect and friendship of those with whom he comes 
 in contact by his disi)lay and evident possession of 
 the admirable qualities of manhood. 
 
 |IL_^ON. HIRAM WADSWORTH PARKER. 
 
 •^^^'' one of the capitalists and prominent busi- 
 ness men of Beatrice, is of Kew P^ngland 
 birth and parentage, his native place being 
 the town of Oakham, Worcester Co.. Mass., where 
 he first opened his eyes to the light Dec. 17, 1827. 
 His father, Luke Parker, also a native of the Hay 
 State, was born in 1790, and married Miss Taniar 
 Hastings. 
 
 The Parker family was first represented in Massa- 
 chusetts, proljably during the Colonial days. They 
 were of English ancestry, and Luke, the father of 
 our subject, was a tanner by trade. Hiram W. 
 about 1834 removed with his parents to Athens 
 Count}', Ohio, where they lived three years, and 
 where the father followed his trade. Thence they 
 removed to Chillieothe, where our subject com- 
 pleted his education at an earl}' age. When a lad 
 of fourteen he enteTed the office of the Scioto Ga- 
 zette, the oldest paper in the Buckeye State, and 
 served an apprenticeship of seven years at the 
 printers' trade. He next held a position in the of- 
 fice of the Ancient Metropolis, which was then 
 under the control of George Armstrong, a resident 
 of Omaha. Here he remained two years. In 1848 
 he proceeded to the city of Columbus, becoming 
 an employe of the Ohio State Journal, then under 
 the editorial charge of W. B. Thrall and Henry 
 Reed. In 1850 Mr. Parker left Columbus and es- 
 tablished the Ironton liecjitster, in Lawrence County, 
 Ohio, which he conducted until 1858. He then 
 disposed of the office and its appurtenances to R. 
 N. Stimpson, who was subsequently editor of the 
 Marietta Register. 
 
 In the fall of 1857 Mr. Parker visited Nebraska 
 and determined uiion his future location. A year 
 later he took up his residence seven miles north of 
 
■^^ 
 
 022 
 
 .t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 the present site of Beatrice, and tiiere resided until 
 tiie spring of 1805. Tlienee lie removed to the 
 southern part of Seward County, and purchasing 
 land laid out the town of Camden, erected a saw- 
 mill, and made general preparations to establish 
 himself in business. Two years later he had a 
 flouring-mill in operation, a large building with two 
 run of buhrs. This proved the nucleus around 
 which a goodly number of emigrants gathered and 
 built up their homes. The Burlington & Missouri 
 River Railroad in Nebraska, having left the em- 
 bryo town some six miles north, resulted in the 
 paralyzing of its eit^' pretensions, but its agricult- 
 ural and water privileges, among the best in the 
 .State, received ample recognition, and had the effect 
 to keep there a class of intelligent and progressive 
 men. 
 
 Mr. Parker upon coming to this section of 
 country was at once recognized as a valued addition 
 to its farming and business interests, and as a man 
 eminently fitted to hold responsible positions. In 
 the fall of 18G0 he was elected to represent the 
 counties of Johnson, Gage and Clay in the Territo- 
 rial Legislature, and later was elected County Judge 
 under the old Territorial law. He also served as 
 County Clerk and Postmaster, besides acting as 
 Commissioner of Seward County for a term of 
 three years. In 1871 he was solicited to accept the 
 nomination for Secretary of State, but after the first 
 ballot withdrew his name. That same year he was 
 elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Conven- 
 tion at Lincoln, and was also appointed Register of 
 the United States Land Office at Beatrice, which 
 position he held for a period of thirteen years, 
 under, the administrations of Grant, Garfield and 
 Arthur. 
 
 In 1852, while a resident of Ohio, Mr. Parker 
 was united in marriage with Miss Almira T. Dole, 
 of Portsmouth, Ohio, and a graduate of Grand 
 River Institute, in Ashtabula County. They spent 
 the first six years of their wedded life in Ohio. 
 They are now the parents of four children, but two 
 of whom are living, viz: Frank 11., who is married 
 and a resident of Santa Cruz, Cal. ; Louis C. con- 
 tinues at home with his parents; the two deceased 
 sons were Charles D. and Eddie II. 
 
 Mr. Parker assisted in the ori>anization of tlie 
 
 First National Bank, of which he has been Vice 
 President and Director, and he is now a stockholder 
 and Director in the Beatrice National Bank. He is 
 President of the Beatrice Canning Factory and of 
 the Beatrice Sewer Pipe Works. Socially, he be- 
 longs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of 
 Beatrice Lodge No. 26, and in the I. O. O. F. was 
 Grand Master of the State. For a period of nine 
 years he has been a member of the School Board, 
 and has served as a member of the City Council. 
 He was one of the principal movers and a stock- 
 holder in the erection of the Masonic Temple and 
 the post-office building, which structures are a great 
 credit to the city, being ornamental as well as use- 
 ful. The fine brick residence occupied 1)}' the 
 familj' was erected in 1885, and is situated in a 
 commanding position in the western part of the 
 city. It is handsomely finished and furnished, and 
 its inmates enjoy the friendship of a large circle of 
 acquaintances, composed of the cultivated element 
 of the community. Mr. Parker cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote for Gen. Winfield Scott, and gives his 
 support to Republican principles. 
 
 •^h^<«: 
 
 <if)OSIAH M. RUMBAUGH has retired from 
 active business life and is now enjoying tiie 
 comfort and seclusion of his pleasant and 
 (i^^ attractive home in Blue Springs. He was 
 born in Westmoreland County, Pa., on the IGth 
 of August, 1839, his birthplace being one mile 
 north of Greensburg, and he is a son of Henry and 
 Susanna Rumbaugh, who were natives of Armstrong 
 County, of the same State. His father was a son 
 of Ilenr}- Rumbaugii, an officer in the Revolution- 
 ary War, in which he distinguished himself as an 
 able advocate of American freedom and liberty. 
 The father died in the year 1871, when he was 
 seventy-two years old, and the mother in 1874, at 
 the age of seventy-two years. Our subject spent 
 his early life in his native county, engaged in the 
 variuos duties of a farm life, and received his edu- 
 cation, which was a thorough one, in the Greensburg 
 Acadera}'. 
 
 At the beginning of the civil difficulties which so 
 ^^ 
 
-^^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 025 
 
 destro^'^ed the peace and prosperiU' of the country, 
 our subject hastened to offer liis assistance, with 
 that of thousands of other brave men, and enlisted 
 in Company I, 11th Pennsylvania Infantry. He 
 participated in the l)attles of Rappaliannoeic Sta- 
 tion, Tlioroughfare Gap. Warrenton, Second Bull 
 Run and others. In the second battle at Bull 
 Run he w.as wounded in such a manner that he was 
 unable to continue liis service, and was conse- 
 quently honorably discharged because of dis.ability. 
 After tiie war he went into the oil reoion of West 
 Virginia, and for three 3"ears was superintendent of 
 an extensive oil prospecting and speculating com- 
 pany. In tlie fall of 18G7 he went to Saginaw, 
 Mich., where he worked at tlie carpenter trade for 
 one year, thence to Adams County, 111., in the 
 spring of 18G9, and in 1870 lie eng.aged in the mer- 
 cantile business in Ursa, twelve miles north of 
 Quinc\\ 
 
 In February. 1880, our subject came to Blue 
 Springs, where he has since resided, and engaged 
 in the lumber business until 1886, at which time 
 he sold out his interest in tlie business, and retired 
 from active life, having .accumulated a competence 
 which enables him to live in very comfortable cir- 
 cumstances. On the 17th of .September, 1872, he 
 was united in marriage with Miss Belle Turner, a 
 daughter of Edwin and Ellen Turner, who are na- 
 tives of M.nss.achusetts. Mrs. Rnmbaugli was born 
 in Wa^-ne County, 111., on the 8th of September, 
 184.T, and is an accomplished and intelligent lady, 
 possessing a truij- refined .and womanly disposition, 
 well qualified to grace lier pleasant home and her 
 prominent position in society. She is the mother 
 of four children, named Alice L., Clarence (de- 
 cea.sed), AV'innie and Clyde, wlio have been the re- 
 cipients of her kindest .and most tenrU.r care. 
 
 Our subject bears tiie honor of liaving been 
 elected the first Ma^-or of Blue Springs, in which 
 capaciti' he served with much credit to himself and 
 general satisfaction to the public. Previous to his 
 election as Mayor he was a member of the Town 
 Board for two years, and was the mover and insti- 
 gator of man}' of the improvements which have 
 taken place in his cit^'. Socially, he is a member 
 in good standing of the Masonic fraternity, and 
 his honorable war career entitles liiin to member- 
 
 sliip in the G. A. R.. Rawlins Post No. 3.5. He 
 and his wife arc influential members of the Presb}'- 
 terian Church, and are among the well-known so- 
 ciety people, enjoying the esteem and friendship of 
 a host of acquaintances. 
 
 ^AMES KERR, Ju. One of the most beauti- 
 I ful and extensive stock farms of Filley 
 ^^^ , Township is owned and oiieraled b^' the sub- 
 (i^^ ject of this sketch. The greater part of it 
 lies on section 22, and is in grass, being entirely 
 devoted to the raising of cattle and hogs. By a 
 life of industry- Mr. Kerr has accumulated a gener- 
 ous share of this world's goods, and his career has 
 been that which has gained him the respect and 
 confidence of his fellowmen. 
 
 Our subject is of substantial Scotch ancestry, his 
 father, also James by name, having been born in 
 the '• land of the thistle." He emigrated to America 
 in early life, settling first in the Dominion of Can- 
 ada. Thence he emigrated to Ford County, 111., 
 where he still resides. He carried on stock farming 
 quite extensively at one time, but is now living 
 more retired from active labor. His wife, Mrs. 
 Rebecca Kerr, the mother of our subject, like her 
 iiusband a native of Scotland, died some j-ears ago 
 in Illinois. Their family consisted of ten children, 
 five sons and five daughters, only five of whom are 
 living: Elizabeth is married aivd lives in Pennsyl- 
 vania; Marj- is the wife of J. E. Bennett, also of 
 the Keystone Stale; Margaret, Mrs. Knight, is a 
 resident of Los Angeles, Cal. ; Andrew is farming 
 in this county. 
 
 James Kerr. Jr., was born in Upper Canada on 
 the 29th of June, 184.5, and there received his 
 primary education. He left liome at the age of 
 fourteen years, and jiroceeding to New York State, 
 remained about two years eng.aged in farming, and 
 upon pushing further westward to Illinois, was simi- 
 larly occupied another two years. In 1866 he mi- 
 grated to Colorado, where he became interested as 
 a stock dealer. He continued in that section of 
 country until 1878, but during the last six years of 
 his stay there was employed as tlie conductor of a 
 mule train of forlj-two wagons, which transported 
 
 — — ■► 
 
J^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 C>G 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 inerchiindise from Clieyenne to Sidney, Ntb. These 
 wagons usually carried aliout eleven carloads of 
 freight, and occupied from thirty to sixty days in 
 making the trip. Often the Indians were trouble- 
 some, and the train had to be guarded iiy an escort 
 of twenty to eighty soldiers. Often also they 
 were compelled to "corral," or form their wagons 
 in a circle, placing their animals insiile, and from 
 the breastwork thus constructed hide themselves 
 from or engage in warfare with their savage foe. 
 Not infrequently some uf his n.en were killed. 
 
 Mr. Kerr was the first man conducting a train of 
 supplies to the Black Hills, and was renowned for 
 his courage and daring. In this manner he traveled 
 over a large portion of Utah, Colorado, Montana, 
 Wyoming and Western Nebraska. The average 
 value of a cargo thus transported was $50,000, a 
 great responsibility, but Mr. Keir proved equal to 
 the tiisk of conveying his goods without loss, and 
 therefore was given a generous salary of $2,400 per 
 j'ear and expenses. 
 
 Mr. Kerr, in 1878, having accumulated a snug 
 sum from his opeiations in the farther West, made 
 his way to this count}' and prepared to establish a 
 permanent home. He was married, on the 20th of 
 February of that year, to Miss Carrie, daughter of 
 Harvey and Kebecca Giddings, who vvere natives 
 of Pennsylvania, but came to this State in 1874. 
 Of this union there was born one child, a son, Ralph, 
 who died Dec. 7. 1885. Mrs. Carrie Kerr departed 
 this life Ai)ril 22, 1882, at the age of twenty-four. 
 
 Our subject, in 1883, was the second time mar- 
 ried, to Miss Jennie Giddings, a sister of his first 
 wife. This lady was born in Warren County, 111., 
 April 9, 18G0, and lived there with her parents un- 
 til fourteen years of age. Mr. Kerr upon coming 
 to Nebraska operated on rented land ft>r a period 
 of three years. In 1881 he purchased 320 acres on 
 section 22, which was then but partly improved. 
 He has completed its cultivation, put up fine build- 
 ings, including a $4,000 residence, and added the 
 other appliances essential to the complete country 
 estate. In 1885 he added 160 acres to his first pur- 
 chase, this latter lying on section 27. He rents out 
 200 acres and his stock operations occupj' the bal- 
 ance. 
 
 Each year Mr. Kerr seeks his old haunts in the 
 
 Western country. In imagination he lives over again 
 the wild scenes of his earlier days, his adventures 
 with the savage tribes, who are becoming subjugated 
 b}' the advance of civilization, and the perils which 
 none but a brave man would have the courage to 
 undertake. He meddles very little with political 
 matters, but his sympathies are with the Repulilican 
 party, and to it he gives his support. 
 
 There are in Gage County some splendid rural 
 residences and well-improved farms. Foremost 
 among the number is the place owned by Mr. Kerr. 
 A view of it accompanies this brief sketch of the 
 owner, one of the most enterprising and highly re- 
 pectcd citizens of this county. 
 
 -»o» a A w ^ ^*! ! '* ! * ^' * *^' 
 
 LEXANDER GRAHAM, who is connected 
 with the real-estate office of I. N. Mc- 
 Connell, of Beatrice, was born near the 
 ^'1 town of Utica, Licking Co., Ohio, Aug. 
 
 25, 1845. He was the sixth in a family of eight 
 children, seven sons and one daughter, the offspring 
 of Henry and Piety (Larue) Graham, who were of 
 French Huguenot and Scotch- Irish stock, the father 
 a native of Ireland, and the mother born near Win- 
 chester, Va. David, one of the brothers of our 
 subject, fell on the battle-field at Chickamauga, dur- 
 ing the late vvar. Six of the other children are still 
 living, and residing, one in Kansas, two in Ne- 
 braska, and three in Ohio. 
 
 The father of our subject was in early life a 
 weaver, but afterward abandoned his trade and took 
 up farming. He emigrated to America when a 
 30uth of seventeen j'ears, and settled among the 
 early pioneers of Licking Count}', Ohio. There he 
 owned and operated a farm, and was married in 
 1832. Later in life he removed to Logan County, 
 where he spent his last daj's, his death taking place 
 at Bellefontaine, in 1857, when Hftj'-seven j'ears of 
 age, his birth having occurred in Februar}', 1800. 
 The mother died Dec. 4, 1864. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of our subject were 
 spent under the parental roof, and he was a little 
 lad of seven years when his |)arents removed from 
 Licking to Logan Count}-, Ohio. Within the con- 
 fines of the latter he developed into manhood, and 
 
 1 ' 
 
-*^ 
 
 ^^►Hlr*^ 
 
 4 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 627 
 
 upon cnierjring from the district school became a 
 student at Geneva College, at North wood, where he 
 remained two years and until the outbreak of the 
 Civil War. Shorti3' after tiie first call for troops 
 he enlisted In Company D, 45th Ohio Infantrj-, as 
 a private, and was sent to the West, being assigned 
 to duty under the command of Gen. Buoll. He 
 was subsequently under Gens. Gordon, Granger 
 and Btirnside. He saw mucli of active warfare, be- 
 ing present at tlie seige of Knoxville, and in all the 
 battles of the Georgia campaign. He assisted in 
 liarrassing the enemy at Buzzard's Roost, during 
 the siege of Atlanta, was at Kesaca, Altoona, and in 
 man}' of the important engagements which followed. 
 On the 4lh of Jul3% 1864, he was shot through the 
 right leg by a minie ball, which confined him in 
 the hospital for four months. After being wounded 
 he did clerical duty at the headquarters of Gen. 
 Ewing for a time, then rejoined his regiment at 
 Nashville, and took part in that battle. To his 
 great satisfaction he was permitted to remain with 
 the army until the great conflict was ended, and he 
 was mustered out on the 12th of June, 1865, at 
 Camp Harker, Tenn. 
 
 Upon his release from militar3- duty, Mr. Graham 
 returned to his old haunts in Bellefontaine, Ohio, 
 where he secured the position of clerk, but not long 
 afterward re-established himself in the shoe trade 
 at Huntsville, Ohio. He sold out in 1870 and ac- 
 cepted a position with David Torrence, a shoe mer- 
 chant of New York Cit3', as traveling salesman, and 
 visited all the important points in Ohio and Ken- 
 tucky at intervals until 1872. He then withdrew 
 from this house to accept a position with the 
 Wapakoneta Spoke and Wheel Factory, and again 
 in the capacity of salesman traveled througli the 
 States of Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ne- 
 braska, Iowa, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, 
 Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mis- 
 sissippi and Louisiana. This route occupied six 
 months, and he continued with this house until 
 1877. 
 
 In August of 1877 Mr. Graham located in Clay 
 Center, Kan., where, departing soniewliat from his 
 former line of business, he opened a cigar and 
 tobacco store. From this he withdrew in 187t». 
 and coming to Nebraska, located in Nebraska City, 
 
 and 1880 found him settled in Beatrice and en- 
 gaged in the hardware trade for' the following five 
 years, operating with the firms of G. F. King and 
 C. G. Dorsey, two and one-half years with each. In 
 1885 he entered the employ of the house with 
 which he is now connected. 
 
 Mr. Graham after becoming a resident of Beatrice, 
 was united in marriage with Miss Florence Merrill, 
 the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, 
 Oct. 31, 1881. This lady is the daughter of Chaplin 
 H. and J. M. Merrill, who were natives of New 
 Hampshire and New York. Mr. Merrill is deceased ; 
 Mrs. M. is a resident of Monticello, Iowa. Mrs. G. 
 was born near Dundee, III., June 18, 1858. Of 
 this union there is one child only, a son, Herbert 
 Eldon. Mr. Graham is a stanch Republican, and 
 Secretary of the Republican County Central Com- 
 mittee, and did efficient service during the late 
 Presidential campaign. He was then elected a 
 member of the Board of County Supervisors, of 
 Gage CountJ^ lie was exceedingly popular, and 
 in fact, so assured were the opponent party of his 
 election, that they placed no candidate on their 
 ticket against him, he therefore receiving a unani- 
 mous election. 
 
 JAMES PACKER is the son of Capt. James 
 Packer, Sr., who was born in 1812. in Gro- 
 ton, Conn., on the Mystic River. The father 
 of our subject was the son of Capt. Packer, 
 and the grandson of Capt. Eldridge Packer, who 
 figured conspicuouslj' in the War of 1812. He ac- 
 companied his father on his voyages on the water 
 when he was very young, and at the age of fifteen 
 years he was placed in command of a Southern ves- 
 sel. He was prosperous in his voyages, and accu- 
 mulated a large fortune. In 1837 he was united 
 in marriage with Mary Ann Appleman, a daughter 
 of Capt. John Appleman, and after his marriage he 
 removed to New York City, and in company with 
 his brother Eldridge kept the City Hotel on Broad- 
 way. In that enterprise misfortune attended him, 
 and his hard-earned wealth was swept away. 
 
 Two years after he had suffered this loss the 
 father of our subject returned to his native place. 
 
 Ji» ^ B 4» 
 
A. 
 
 028 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 and took command of a vessel coasting between 
 New York and New Orleans, piloting among the 
 reefs of Florida in Ihe < ffort to save lives and 
 wrecked cargoes. In the winter of 185C, with none 
 but his son James, our subject, on board his vessel, 
 while going from Mystic to New Y'ork City, he en- 
 countered head winds and severely cold weather. 
 From their exposure they both suffered exceed- 
 ingly, and both barely escaped with their lives 
 from death by freezing; and the fatlier's hand being 
 permanently injured, he paid his friends in Iowa a 
 visit the following summer. 
 
 Cai)t. Packer, Sr., was so enrajjlnrcd with the 
 country during his visit to Iowa, that he removed 
 with his family to Clermont tiie nest year. He 
 engaged in Ihe flouring-mill with llessrs. Larrabec 
 & Appleman.but soon left the mill and removed to 
 his farm in Clayton County, on which he had built a 
 tine residence. He was ambitious, and his posses- 
 sions falling a little shoit of what he desired, and 
 being unable to place his farm in the condition he 
 wished, he resolved t(j again try his fortune on the 
 sea in the endeavor to rci)lenisli his purse. Misfort- 
 une fell upon him, Init nothing daunted he still 
 kept persevering, making an occasional visit to his 
 family during the summer. On his last voyage, 
 while in port at New Orleans, he was taken sick 
 with the dysentery, but urged on by will force he 
 continued across the Gulf and arrived at Key West, 
 where he was obliged to go to the hospital. He did 
 not rallj' from this illness, and died in a far-off 
 land, surrounded only by strangers. He was noted 
 for his wonderful energy and perseverance, and 
 his efforts to place his family in afHuence, to do 
 which he left his home, and was stricken in death 
 before he reached the goal for which he was striv- 
 ing. His wife, the mother of our subject, is living 
 in Iowa, having reached the age of seventy-seven 
 years. The}' had a family of five children, whose 
 names are: James, Gustavus, Ella, Maggie and 
 Frederica. 
 
 Oui- subject wf.s born in New Y'ork City (in the 
 City Hotel kept by his father), on the 10th of May, 
 1840, and his youth was spent in Mj-stic, Conn. 
 At the age of nine years he accompanied his father 
 on his voyages, and began his duties on board the 
 vessel as cook, gradually working his way up to 
 
 <■ "^ 
 
 the position of Captain. He followed sailing, off 
 and on, for ten years, having taken charge of ships 
 as Captain for five or six j-ears, and he understands 
 a mariner's life "to a T." His experience has been 
 varied, sometimes participating in the enjoyment 
 of a "jolly time," and sometimes barely escaping 
 with his life from the perils of the sea. In 1867 
 he went to Claj-ton County, Iowa, where he fol- 
 lowed the occupation of farming until 1881, in 
 which year he removed to Elm Township, this 
 county, and bought his present farm of 127 acres 
 on section 21. He broke and cultivated all the 
 land, set out orchards and fruit trees, and groves 
 of shade trees, and in various other ways made fine 
 improvements. 
 
 Mr. Packer was married in Clermont, Iowa, to 
 Miss Julia Goodrich, who was born in Chautauqua 
 Count}-, N. Y^., in 1844. Her great-grandfather, 
 Benjamin Goodrich, was of English descent, and was 
 born in 1715. while his wife, Hannah (Olmstad) 
 Goodrich, was born in 1714. Mrs. Packer's grand- 
 father was Enoch Goodrich, who was born in Rens- 
 selaer County, N. Y.,in 1764. He was a physician, 
 and as a soldier participated in the engagements of 
 the War of 1812. His wife was Rebecca Gall, 
 who was born in the same county in 1769. The 
 parents of Mrs. Packer were Charles and Rebecca 
 (Brownell) Goodrich, the former of whom was born 
 in Rensselaer County, N. Y., in 1799, and the lat- 
 ter in 1803. The father was a farmer, and the fam- 
 ily moved to Clermont. Iowa, but his health being 
 very poor, he and his wife went East for a visit, 
 and he died in Chautauqua County in 1869. His 
 wife returned to Clermont, in which place she died 
 in 1872. They had seven children, whose names 
 were as follows: D. G., Charles H. and Araminta 
 (both deceased), Caroline, Cynthia P., Henrietta and 
 Julia F. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have a family of nine 
 children, whose names are mentioned with the date 
 of their births, as follows: Charles J., born Nov. 
 11, 1865; Hiram A., March 19, 1869; James G., 
 Nov. 26, 1871 ; Willi.am H., Aug. 26. 1874; Julius 
 F., Feb. 2, 1876; Caroline C, April 4, 1878; Edda 
 F., born Oct. 4, 1879, and died Aug. 12, 1880, in 
 Clermont; Walter C, born May 21, 1882, and died 
 March 18, 1884; Maggie Ella M.ay, born June 13, 
 , , ■» 
 
I 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 629 ' ^ 
 
 1884. Charles mairied Miss Minnie Brat, anrl they 
 live in Elm Township, llie parents of one child, 
 William C. 
 
 Since onr subject abTmloned the life of a sailor 
 he has given his whole attention to farming, at 
 which he has been unusnally successful, and has 
 everything in vcr^' excellent shape. He has been a 
 member of the School Board for five years, and for 
 one year he acted as Road Overseer. In matters 
 of politics he favors the Republican party. Mrs. 
 Packer is iin admirable woman and possesses rare 
 qualifications as a wife and mother, and the manner 
 in which she presides over her well-ordered and 
 happ\- home is the outgrowth of a trulj- refined and 
 Christian spirit. The family is one of intelligence, 
 and ranks high in the community. A view of Mr. 
 P.icker's place is presented in this volume. 
 
 l^^ELSON S. SPE:NCER. To the intelligent 
 individual there is a certain pleasure in fol- 
 lowing the career of the self-made man, 
 noting his struggles and conflicts, and his final 
 victory over the difficulties which beset life's wjiy- 
 farers. These, .although they may be diversified in 
 their character, are seldom absent from the life of 
 any one person. The subject of this sketch, a lead- 
 ing architect of the city of Beatrice, has attained 
 to a good position among his fellowmen solely 
 through his own personal efforts, having begun at 
 the foot of the ladder, dependent upon his own re- 
 sources. He is now in the enjoyment of a com- 
 petency, a handsome and comfortable home, and 
 hosts of friends, whom he made simply by the exer- 
 cise of those traits of character which have com- 
 mended themselves to their admiration. 
 
 The eldest of five children comprising the fam- 
 ily of Aquilla and Marj' (Metier) Spencer, our 
 subject was born at Dixon, Lee Co., 111., Dec. 3, 
 1857. His parents were natives of Center County, 
 Pa., and removed from the Ke^'stone State at an 
 early period, pitching their tent among the early 
 pioneers of Illinois. Aquilla Spencer w.as a farmer 
 by occupation and is still living, making his home 
 in Beatrice. The motlicr entereil upon her final 
 rest at the homi^steml in September, 1882. The 
 
 other children of the family, all of whom are liv- 
 ing, are residents of Nebraska and Illinois. 
 
 David Spencer, the paternal grandfather of our 
 subject, was a native of Pennsj'lvania, where he 
 spent the years of his life. Grandfather Nathan 
 Hetler was of German ancestry, and died in Illinois 
 at a ripe old age. Nelson S., our subject, piissed 
 his boyhood in Lee County, III., and commenced 
 his education in the district school. When a youth 
 of twenty years he entered the Illinois State Uni- 
 versity' at Champaign, and devoted the greater part 
 of his time and attention to architecture. After a 
 five-j-ears course he was graduated in 1882, and 
 then coming to Beatrice entered upon his business 
 career by opening an ofHce, since which time he has 
 adhered closely to the profession in which he takes 
 great pride, and in which it cannot be denied that 
 he excels. He made the plans of the majority of 
 the finer business houses of Beatrice, notable among 
 which are the People's Bank building, the Beatrice 
 High School building, and others of which the city 
 is reasonably proud. 
 
 The marriage of our subject with Miss Ida Rush, 
 of Champaign. 111., was celebrated at the home of 
 the bride, in .September, 1882. Mrs. Spencer com- 
 jjleted her studies likewise in the State University 
 of Illinois, and there made the acquaintance of her 
 future husband. She was born Oct. 20, 1862, in 
 Ohio, and is the daughter of Clark and Catharine 
 M. Rush, who were natives of Ohio. Mrs. Rush 
 died Oct. 5, 1888. The father still resides in Cham- 
 paign. Of this union there have been born two 
 sons — Clifford R. and Charles B. The home of the 
 Spencers is situated in the southeastern part of the 
 city, on one of its finest streetjs, and indicates both 
 within and without cultivated t.astes and ample 
 means. 
 
 Our subject put up the Spencer Block in 1887. 
 Few persons passing through the citj' of Beatrice 
 fail to notice it. It is three stories in height above 
 the basement, and occupies an area of 4Gx80 feet. 
 The lower rooms are occupied as stores, and the 
 upper for offices. In one of these latter Mr. Spen- 
 cer may generally be found during business hours, 
 where he has around him all the paraphernalia of 
 1 his [)rofession. He receives orders from all parts 
 1 of this and adjoining counties. He has invested a 
 
 i 
 
u 
 
 -•► 
 
 630 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 part of liis caiiital in a rling-stove at Beatrice. He 
 also owns a i)laning-mill at Blue Springs which is 
 flevotecl to the dressing of all kinds of lumber, and 
 is one of the best equi|)ped establishments of its 
 kind in Southern Nebraska. 
 
 Mr. Spencer began in life entirely without capi- 
 tal, and worked his wa}- upward by degrees. He 
 is a member in good standing of the Congrega- 
 tional Church, and in politics a Prohibitionist. So- 
 cially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a 
 member of a lodge at Urbana, 111., and is also iden- 
 tified with the Modern Woodmen at Beatrice. 
 
 4 
 
 bAKP: BRIDKNTHAL has for two years held 
 the position of Cashier for the Citizens' 
 Bank of Wymore with much credit to him- 
 self. His father, .Tames W. Bridenthal, living in 
 Sicily Township, is a native of Pennsylvania, his 
 birth occurring on the 28th of April, 1836. He 
 removed with his parents to "Wayne County, Ohio, 
 in 1845, where he was educated in the common 
 schools of the district. Then he moved to Hunt- 
 ington County, Ind., thence to Marshall County, 
 and in the spring of 1855 he again changed his 
 residence, to Woodford County, 111., where he re- 
 mained for one season. After this he moved to 
 Peoria County, 111., where he remained until the 
 spring of 1860, and then went to Warren County. 
 
 On the 26th of October, 1860, tlie father of our 
 subject was united in marriage with Miss Ella L. 
 Butler, and to them have been born six children : 
 Kenneth D.; Lake, our subject; Maude, Mae, Char- 
 lie and Dick. All the family are living except 
 iNIaude, who departed this life on the 1st of July, 
 1 887, aged twenty-two years. The father, mother 
 and daughter Mae are members of the Christian 
 Church, of Wymore. For a number of years the 
 father held the office of Count}' Supervisor in War- 
 ren County, 111., and he has also held some town- 
 ship offices. 
 
 Lake Bridenthal, our subject, was born in Larch- 
 land, 111., on the 26th of August, 1864. In that 
 city he received his early education in the common 
 schools, and then took an elective course of two 
 years at the Presbyterian College of Monmouth. 
 
 After that he came West with his parents, and en- 
 gaged for two years in the profession of teaching, 
 first at Fillej', Neb., and then in the Indian Valley 
 School, his home school. His father having bought 
 a fine farm, our subject spent his vacations with 
 him, and then he came into the bank as book- 
 keeper, which position he held for one year. His 
 marked ability and strict integrity soon secured for 
 him the position of cashier, and he was probably 
 the youngest cashier in the State, being only 
 twenty-two 3-earsold when he accepted the position. 
 
 Our subject, having conducted himself in an hon- 
 orable and exemplary .manner, and given strict at- 
 tention to business, is still the incumbent of the 
 same responsible office, and he performs his duties 
 in a manner satisfactory to all concerned. He 
 affiliates with the Democratic part}', is a straight- 
 forward, honest man, and enjoys the esteem of all 
 the citizens of Wymore. 
 
 The father of our subject has a very fine farm, 
 consisting of 320 acres two miles west of town, and 
 on it he has made so many improvements that it is 
 now one of the finest places in Sicily Township. 
 He has several times been asked to become a can- 
 didate for the Legislature, but he has not consented 
 to the use of his name, though there would probably 
 be little doubt of his election. 
 
 ^^ EORGE H. DAVIS is the gentlemanly and 
 ml ^— , enterprising young Telegraph Operator and 
 ^^jj Station Agent at Holmesville, and the pro- 
 prietor of the stone quarry. He is very favorably 
 known as a man who is interested in the advance- 
 ment and progression of public institutions and en- 
 terprises, to which he lends his aid as far as he is 
 able. He is a son of Obadiah and Maria (Palmer) 
 Davis, the former of whom was born near the cele- 
 brated springs in Saratoga County, and the latter 
 in Jefferson County, N. Y. His paternal ancestors 
 were natives of Holland, and they, as well as his 
 parents, were members of the Society of Friends, 
 commonly called Quakers. After their marriage 
 the parents made their home in Saratoga County, of 
 their native State, where the father was engaged in 
 farming, and although he is now seventy-eight yean 
 
 ■!\ 
 
 ^ 
 
i 
 
 •4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 old, he still follows the vocation of his earlier years. 
 The mother is now seventy-three years old, and has 
 cared for a famih' of five children, named John H., 
 Adelaide, Timothy (who died at the age of ten 
 years). George H. and Anzonette. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 4th of August, 1857, 
 at the old homestead in Saratoga County, which had 
 been the birthplace of his father and his brothers 
 and sisters. He spent his early years on his father's 
 farm, and remained at home until he was twent}'- 
 one years old, in the meantime having enjoyed very 
 good educational advantages and derived much 
 benefit from them. When he reached the 3'ears of 
 manhood he turned his attention to the pedagogic 
 profession, which he adorned in his native county 
 for two years, after which he began to study teleg- 
 raphy, and attended the School of Telegraphy in 
 Janesville, Wis.; he finished his instruction in tiiat 
 art at the school in Plover, Portage Countj-. The 
 first office of wliich he took charge was at Bancroft, 
 on the Wisconsin Central Railroad, and in the fall 
 of 1880 he came to Holmesville to take charge of 
 the office in which he has since remained. On the 
 1st of January, 1 880, the first train ran over the 
 Omaha <fe Republican Valley Railroad, and our sub- 
 ject was the first Station Agent in charge. 
 
 Our subject has become interested in property in 
 Holmesville, now being solo proprietor of the Big 
 Blue Valley Stone Quarry, to carry on the work 
 of which he hires from ten to twenty men. He 
 supplies stone to the railroad company and ships to 
 different points in the eastern part of the State, viz. : 
 Kearney-, Fremont and Schuyler, furnishing stone to 
 the contractors in tliose cities to the amount of fifteen 
 cars per week. The stone is a good qualit}' of mag- 
 nesian limestone, and has been supplie<l for the Ma- 
 sonic Temple at Fremont, the First National Bank 
 building of Beatrice, and two mill foundations in 
 Columbus. 
 
 On the 10th of December, 1885, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Carrie L. Sears, who 
 resided in Monticello, Green Co., Wis. There were 
 two children named Carrie L. and Trilla P. in the 
 family when the father died, and the mother was 
 married a second time, to W. F. Crangle, by whom 
 she had six children, named Lora, Schuyler, Fred, 
 Aurelia. Mina and Cliester. The mother now lives 
 
 in Rockford Township. Mrs. Davis was born in 
 1863, in Green County, Wis., and came to Nebraska 
 in 1883. By her marriage with our subject she is 
 the mother of two children, named Lona and Carl, 
 to whom she is loving and devoted. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Davis are members of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal Church, of Holmesville, which the for- 
 mer helped to build, he having been a charter 
 member and Trustee from the organization. He has 
 also done much good work in the Sunday-school, 
 and is now serving his second 3'ear as Superintend- 
 ent. He is an ardent advocate of the temperance 
 cause, which identifies him with the Prohibition 
 party in politics, and is a highly respected and 
 good citizen. 
 
 «°i « i? « 2 i l[is - ^ ' 
 
 031 A 
 
 *5*- 
 
 ^j^^ IMON S. GRAVES. There is probably no 
 ^^^ homestead in this countj^ which for the 
 ^\/Ji) length of time in which it has been insti- 
 tuted gives better evidence of the industry 
 and enterprise of the proprietor than that which 
 belongs to the subject of this sketch. He is the 
 owner of 480 broad acres, embracing the west half 
 of section 27, Glenwood Township, and 160 acres 
 of the northeast quarter of section 35. the whole of 
 which is under cultivation, and presents one of the 
 most attractive pictures in the landscape of this part 
 of the county. The fences are well built, to keep the 
 animals of the farm within bounds, or prevent the 
 entrance of any not belonging there; the farm 
 machinery- is of good description, the buildings all 
 that are required for comfort, convenience and profit, 
 and the whole premises regulated after the ideas of 
 the modern and progressive agriculturist. The land 
 is mostly devoted to stock farming. His farm on 
 section 35 he has rented. Mr. Graves keeps on 
 an average a little over 100 head of cattle, and 
 about the same number of hogs, and fifteen head of 
 horses. The half -section that he lives on is fenced 
 hog-tight, and all except sixtj' acres is in tame 
 grass. 
 
 Mr. Graves is a native of Ross County, Ohio, his 
 birth taking place in Liberty Township, March 18, 
 1844. He was there reared to manhood, becoming 
 familiar with the employments of country life at an 
 
 V 
 
 •> j m ■ 4 « 
 
rtT^I I 4* 
 
 632 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 eai'ly age, anfl ncqiiirinir his eflucatioii in tlie dis- 
 trict school. When twenty years of age liis father 
 came westward to Peoria County, III., and settled 
 in Princeville Townshi[), where he engaged in farm- 
 ing, and where he still lives. .Simon S came also, 
 and continued with his parents until nearly twenty- 
 four years f)ld. when, deciding to establish a home 
 of his own, he was married. March 1, 18G8, to Miss 
 Martha Dnimmond. the wedding being celebrated 
 in Ross County. Ohio, and the young people set- 
 tling first in Princeville Township, Peoria Co., 111. 
 
 William Graves, the father of our subject, was 
 born in North Carolina, of English ancestry. His 
 ]iaternal grandfather emigrated to America in Colo- 
 nial days with William Penn. The Graves family 
 have alwaj's been a sturdy race, possessing in a 
 marked degree those substantial English attributes 
 which have made of them reliable citizens and 
 honest men. The wife of William Graves was in 
 her girlhood Miss Ann Rateliff. She was born in 
 Ross County. Ohio, where also her death took place 
 when she was coniparativeh' a j'oung woman, in 
 1856. Their family consisted of seven children, all 
 of whom are living. 
 
 The parents of Mrs. Graves were AVilliam and 
 Ruth (Cox) Drumniond, who ure still living in 
 Ross County, Ohio. Their household included 
 seven children, six of whom are now living. To 
 our subject and his wife there have been born seven 
 children, namely: Elba, Quincy; Pearl, who died 
 when one and one-half years old ; Florence. Alma, 
 ISIiley and Charles. They are a promising and in- 
 telligent group, blessed with the .advantages of a 
 inactical education, and there is every reason to 
 suppose will do honor to their parents in future 
 years. 
 
 No man in this part of Gage County takes a 
 livelier interest in the matters pertaining to the 
 general welfare and progress of the people, and to 
 the enterprises tending to this result he gives his 
 uniform and cheerfid support. To such men as he 
 is this county indebted for her moral and financial 
 growth, and the standing she has attained among 
 the other intelligent communities of the Great West. 
 In the building up of a creditable homestead, tlie 
 cultivation of the soil, the introduction of modern 
 methods, both of life and Labor, every man thus 
 
 contributes to the value of landed property, and to 
 his section of country as a desiralile dwelling-place. 
 Too much credit cannot be given him who has thus 
 improved his time and opportunities, and as the 
 Scripture saj's, "his works do follow him" long 
 after he shall have been gathered to his fathers. In 
 Ijolitics Mr. Graves is a stanch Democrat. 
 
 A fine view of the farms of Mr. Graves appears 
 in this work. 
 
 — i»»^>*^;><s?» 
 
 '*5*?«^*tf^ 
 
 \Y70nN B. NICHOLLS, a leading and wealthy 
 farmer of Fillej' Township, is the owner of a 
 valuable estate, including 320 acres of land in 
 this township and a valuable farm in Peter- 
 boro. Province of Ontario. Canada. He is a native of 
 the Dominion, having been born in Peterboro. July 
 20, 1838, and is the son of W. D. and Ann Nicholls, 
 a sketch of whom will be found on another page in 
 this volume. It will be seen that he is of excellent 
 ancestrj'. and naturally endowed with those traits 
 of character which have constituted him successful 
 in life, and a man recognized everywhere as possess- 
 ing more than ordinar}' ability. 
 
 Mr. Nicholls »vas reared and educated in his na- 
 tive town, attending school quite steadily until a 
 lad of eleven years, Tmd afterward working on a 
 farm in summer, while in the winter he resumed his 
 books. About 1847 his father purchased a farm, 
 among whose emploj'ments the youth was thereafter 
 steadily occupied until ready to establish a home of 
 his own. On the 26th of P'ebruary, 1862, he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Ann Nelson, daughter 
 of John and Margaretta (Johnson) Nelson, the 
 wedding taking place at the home of the bride in 
 Smith Township, Canada. Mr. Nelson was a native 
 of Countj- Cavan, Ireland, and born about 1798. 
 He emigrated to America in 1820, settling at Port 
 Hope in the Province of Ontario, Canada, where he 
 remained two years with his family, his wife having 
 been a native of his own countj' in Irelanil, and 
 born in the same j'ear as her husband. 
 
 From Port Hope the Nelson family removed to 
 North Peterboro, where the death of Mr. Nelson 
 took place in 1842, at the early age of forty-seven 
 years. The wife and mother survived her husband 
 
 :?^r#^ 
 
Residenceof J. B.NiCHOLLS , 5ec. 7. TiLLEY Township. 
 
 U^ 
 
 
 Residluce OF H. p. Crocker, Sec. 16. Fi LLEY Township. 
 
-4•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 f.35 
 
 !i pcriofl of forty years, remaining a widow, and 
 died at tiie same place at the advanced age of 
 eighty-seven. They had a family of twelve chil- 
 dren, six sons and six daughters, only five of whom 
 are living. These are: Sarah, the wife of Thomas 
 Casement, a farmer living near Grand Forks, Dak.; 
 Samuel, a produce dealer of North Peterboro, On- 
 tario, Canada; Martha, the wife of Joseph Fitzger- 
 ald, of Lakefield, Canada; Margaret. Mrs. Braden, 
 a widow, living in the town of Smith P. O. ; and 
 Ann. the wife of our subject. 
 
 Mrs. Niclujlls was born in North Peterboro, 
 Canada, Jan. 30, 1841, and reared not far from tiie 
 ear!}- home of her husband. .She enjoyed the ad- 
 vantages of llie common school, and remained a 
 member of the parental household until her mar- 
 riage. Mr. and Mrs. Nicliolls commenced the 
 journey of life together on a farm in their native 
 Province, which had been purchased by our subject 
 about that time, but four years later Mr. Nicholls 
 sold tills property and puichased land in an adjoining 
 township. This also he disposed of a year later, and 
 operated rented land fonr years. At the expiration 
 of this time he again invested in farm property, in 
 Smith Township, which he owned and cultivated 
 for sixteen years. In 1882 he left the Dominion, 
 and making his way to the region west of the Mis- 
 sissippi, resolved to cast his lot among the people 
 ot .Southern Nebraska. Being pleased with the out- 
 look in this county he purchased the west half of 
 section 7, Fille}' Township, and renting his farm in 
 Canada, has here since centered the main portion 
 of his interests. 
 
 In the spring of 1883 Mr. Nicholls commenced 
 breaking the prairie of his new purchase, and a few 
 months later had 105 acres of his estate in this 
 county under cultivation. He employed men to 
 stir the soil of this, and put fifty acres in flax, fol- 
 lowed later by the same .acreage in wheat. He then 
 returned to Canada, remaining there until midsum- 
 mer of 1884. He then revisited Nebraska, to see 
 about his crops, h.arvestcd 1,000 bushels of wheat, 
 1 .600 bushels of corn and 1 ,500 bushels of oats. In 
 November he went to Canada for his family, anil 
 tiie winter following commenced the erection of the 
 dwelling which he now occupies. It was completed 
 in the following February, and the family' took pos- 
 
 session of one of the most tasteful and .attractive 
 residences in this part of the county. 
 
 Mr. Nicholls, besides the thorough cultivation of 
 the greater pcntion of his land, which h.as been 
 no sm.all task, has planted several thousand forest 
 and shade trees, .an apple orchard and the smaller 
 fruits. His pleasant and intelligent family consists 
 of his wife and three sons: William J., Raymond 
 and Warden, at home, and a daughter, the wife of 
 W. A. Waddington. Postmaster of Fillej', member 
 of the hardware firm of Waddington Bros., and also 
 a railroad engineer. Our sniiject and his wife are 
 members of the Baptist Church, of Filley. of which 
 Mr. N. is a Trustee. He maintains a lively interest 
 in the temperance movement, and votes with the 
 Prohibition party. He makes periodical visits to 
 his old home in the Dominion, to see his friends 
 and look after his property. No man stands higher 
 in his community, or enjo3's in a greater measure 
 the esteem and confidence of its people than he. 
 
 Among the rural homesteads shown among the 
 illustrations given in this wQik m.a}' be found that 
 belonging to Mr. Nicholls, which is essentially rep- 
 resentative of the excellent community in which it 
 is situated. 
 
 IRAM P. CROCKER. The homestead be- 
 longing to this gentleman, vvhich is pleas- 
 antly situated amidst the delightful farming 
 community of Fille\' Township, and a view 
 of which the publishers present in this connection, 
 occupies the west part of section IG, and bears fair 
 comparison with anything of the kind in this re- 
 gion. The fields evince careful and judicious till- 
 age, the buildings are tasteful and substantial, and 
 the general appearance of the premises indicates 
 the exercise of cultivated tastes and ample means. 
 
 The main points in the family history of the 
 subject of this sketch are substantially as follows : 
 His father, Oscar F. C. Crocker, was born in New 
 York State, July 10, 1810, w.as reared to farming 
 pursuits, and followed tliese'during all the years of 
 his active life. The paternal grandfather was of 
 German descent, but born also in the Finpire State, 
 where with his excellent wife he spent his entire 
 
 ♦:4-^ 
 
t 
 
 636 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 life. Tlie latter was of ancestry similar to that of 
 lier husband. Grandfatiier Crocker was a tanner 
 by trade, but preferring agriculture left the tannery 
 for the farm, and with his wife died at their rural 
 homestead in the same year. 
 
 Oscar F. Crocker upon attaining manhood was 
 married to Miss Abigail Weatherlow, in Sardinia 
 Township, Erie Co., N. Y., about 1815. Her par- 
 ents, like his own, were of German descent, and 
 were early settlers of the Empire State. The father 
 of our subject became a very successful farmer and 
 accumulated a very fine property. He settled first 
 in the vieinit}' of Waterloo, N. Y.. but later re- 
 moved to Erie County, where the death of both 
 parents occurred. Their family consisted of five 
 children, one of whom died in childhood, and two 
 sons and two daughters are now living. Of these, 
 Hiram P., the subject of our sketch, is the eldest; 
 Helen is the wife of Gaylord Slierwood, of Lima, 
 Livingston Co.. N. Y., a pump dealer and farmer; 
 Leland D. is farming in the vicinity of Ceylon, 
 Erie Co., Ohio; Mercy R. is unmarried, and lives in 
 Sardinia, N. Y. 
 
 Mr. Crocker, our subject, was born in Sardinia, 
 N. Y., July 22, 1839, and lived tiiere with his par- 
 ents until a lad of thirteen years, attending school 
 and assisting his parents on the farm. Afterward 
 he made his home with his grandfather AVeatherlow 
 in the same town, and lived with him seven years, 
 attending school and working on the farm. His 
 studies were completed in the academy at York- 
 shire, and he then commenced working by the 
 month for two uncles, being thus employed three 
 years. 
 
 Young Crocker, at this time anxious to be more 
 his own man, now returned home and assumed 
 charge of his father's farm, wiiich he conducted un- 
 til his marriage. This very important event in his 
 life was celebrated Oct. 6, 1864, his bride being 
 Miss Ella L., daughter of Joseph and Sylvia E. 
 (Pickard) Cheney, old and well-known residents of 
 that section. Mr. Cheney was born in Freedom. 
 Cattaraugus Co.. N. Y., June 28, 1819, and his 
 wife Sylvia, March 5, 1824, in Springfield, Otsego 
 Co., N. Y. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Cheney 
 settled in Holland, Erie Count3\ whence in 1853 
 tliey removed to Protection, where the father car- 
 
 ried on farming and blacksmithing, and spent the 
 remainder of bis days, passing away June 9, 1884- 
 Jlrs. C. is still living, making her home on the old 
 homestead with her son. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Cheney there were born six 
 children, only two of whom are now living: George 
 H, of Warsaw, Wyoming Co., N. Y., and Ella L., 
 the wife of our subject. The former is a farmer 
 and flour manufacturer. Mrs. Crocker was born 
 March 20, 1846, at Holland, Erie Co., N. Y., and 
 remained at home with her parents until her mar- 
 riage. Soon afterward our subject assumed partial 
 charge of the farm of his father-in-law. where he 
 remained until the spring of 1869. Then remov- 
 ing with his family to Warren County. 111., he oper- 
 ated there as a farmer until migrating to Nebraska 
 in the spring of 1874. Soon after landing in this 
 countj' he purchased a tract of land on section 16, 
 in Filley Township, then designated Mud Creek. 
 He did not locate here then, however, but returned 
 to Illinois, and remained there until the spring of 
 1876. He then came to the vicinity of Beatrice, 
 and lived on a rented farm until ho could prepare 
 a portion of his own land for the raising of crops. 
 He broke 130 acres that year, and in the spring of 
 1877 put up a small house, of which he soon took 
 possession with his family, and upon this place has 
 since remained. 
 
 The farm of Mr. Crocker, however, bears little 
 resemblance to the tract of land which he purchased 
 upon first coming to Nebraska. Then there was 
 nothing to indicate that the e3'e of man had rested 
 upon it. Now there is the complete modern home- 
 stead, with its well-appointed buildings and latest 
 approved machinery, a fair assortment of live stock, 
 a valuable apple orchard of 300 trees, at le.ast sixty 
 trees of cherries, and all kinds of the smaller fruits. 
 The farm is largely devoted to the raising of grain 
 and stock. He has met with losses, like most men, 
 but, spending no time in lamentation, went about 
 repairing them in the most manly and sensible man- 
 ner*. He added to his first purchase, but in 1877 
 sold eighty acres, and in 1884 sold twent}'-four, so 
 that he now has 320 acres, the whole of which he 
 superintends himself. Besides the fruit trees al- 
 ready mentioned he has planted 1,000 catalp.as, 
 200 box elders and 100 maple trees, besides willows 
 
 A^ 
 
 t 
 
-4^ 
 
 4 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^ii^K* 
 
 r,37 
 
 and others. It will thus he seen that he has spent 
 few iflle hours. He has in this manner proved a 
 valuable acquisition to a section of country whose 
 development has been so largely dependent upon 
 the enterprise and industry of its pioneers. 
 
 The family of Mr. and Mrs. Crocker includes 
 three children, all sons, namelj': Frank C, Lloyd O. 
 and Dorr C, all at home with their parents, and 
 aged eleven, eight and six respectively. Mr. Crocker 
 cast his first Presidential vote for A. Lincoln, and 
 has uniformly supported Republican principles. Al- 
 though rejieatedl}- solicited to accept office, he has 
 steadily declined, preferring to give his attention 
 to his farm and his family. .Socially, lie belongs to 
 the Masonic fraternitj', being identified with the 
 lodge at Filley. 
 
 \f' OHN YOKE, the present Treasurer of Hooker 
 Township, is extensively engaged in farming 
 and stock raising on section 27. It may 
 well be said of him that he has risen to his 
 present position of affluence by his own energ3' 
 and perseverance, and the exercise of excellent 
 judgment in his business transactions. His grand- 
 father, Adam Y'"ohe, came from German)' and set- 
 tled in the State of Pennsylvania, and his father, 
 Henry Yohe, was born in 1825 or 1826, in Mifflin 
 Count)', Pa. His mother, Mtiry (Dick) Yohe, was 
 a native of Switzerland, who came to America in 
 the year 1824, and was united in marriage with the 
 father of our subject in 1848, after which they 
 settled in Jefiferson County, Pa. The father was 
 engaged in the lumbering business at Reynolds- 
 ville, and at one- time was the owner of hundreds 
 of acres of land in his native State, which have be- 
 come very valuable, owing to the discovery of the 
 coal fields buried beneath the surface. 
 
 The father of our subject was a strong Republican 
 in politics, and an able man, but his death unfortu- 
 nately occurring in the year 18G0, the large prop- 
 erty which he owned was sold unreasonably cheap 
 b)' the administrators of the estate, and his wife 
 and children left in a comparativel)' destitute con- 
 dition. Had the estate been disposed of according 
 to its real value it would have left the heirs an im- 
 
 mense fortune. There were five children in the 
 family, of whom Barbara, John and W. R. are liv- 
 ing, and Samuel is deceased. The mother is still 
 living, having reached the age of seventy years. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 13th of December, 
 18.')2, and was eight j'ears old when his father 
 died. Being the eldest son, and understanding the 
 necessity of prompt action on his part, although a 
 mere child he began to work out by the month, at 
 that early age already displ.iying his energy and 
 "grit." His mother married a second time, and in 
 1865 our subject came to Iowa with his mother 
 and stepfather, and the family, where he engaged in 
 breaking the prairie land until his funds became 
 sufficient to enable him to purch.ase an interest in a 
 threshing-machine. He made a fair profit on this 
 investment, which encouraged him to continue his 
 industry. In the year 1875 he was united in mar- 
 riage, at Emerson, Mills Co., Iowa, to Mi.ss Agnes 
 E. Duncan, a daughter of Robert G. and Mary 
 Duncan, who were natives of Pennsylvania and 
 Ohio respectively. They afterward moved to Hen- 
 derson County, 111., where they remained for a 
 number of years, and thence came to Iowa in 
 1870. They had two children, Thomas J. and 
 Agnes E., who suffered the loss of their mother in 
 1874, when she was ne.arly sixty j'ears old; the 
 father still lives on his farm in Iowa. The mother 
 had a son, John A. Barr, by a ra.arriage previous to 
 that with the father of Mrs. Y'ohe. 
 
 Mrs. Y'ohe was born on the 10th of July, 1855, 
 in Biggsville, 111., where she attended the common 
 schools, and received a fair education. After her 
 marriage with our subject they continued to reside 
 in Iowa until 1882, when they came to Nebraska, 
 and made their home on their present farm. Our 
 subject now owns 240 acres of land on sections 27 
 and 23, and in company with his brother. Wood, he 
 operates 320 acres on section 34. The brothers 
 bear an unblemished reputation as business men, 
 and their promptness in meeting financial obliga- 
 tions, united with their energy and true worth, has 
 gained for them the implicit confidence of the 
 public, which is manifested in its having elected 
 our subject Treasurer of the township. He has 
 150 head of cattle on his farm, and makes a regular 
 business of feeding a large number, besides selling 
 
 -? tJ f < • 
 
-4*- 
 
 G38 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 two carloads of bogs every year. He has invested 
 a great deal of business capability' in bis farm work, 
 which has insured his success to such an eminent 
 degree. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Yohe are caring for a family of 
 seven bright and interesting children; their names 
 are mentioned as follows: Harry, Arthur, Laurence, 
 Neil, Mary, Walter, and an infant unnamed. Our 
 subject has honorably tilled the office of Treasurer 
 ever since the organization of the towMship, and 
 his integrity and interest in the welfare of the 
 public have won for him the esteem of the whole 
 community. He affiliates with the Republican 
 party in politics. 
 
 ENRY C. JAYNES is a farmer, gardener and 
 raiser of small fruits, having a fine farm, 
 nearly all of which, with the exception of 
 (^) five acres, lies within the limits of the cor- 
 poration of the city of AVymore, (m section 29, 
 Blue Springs Township. Nathan Jaynes, the father 
 of our subjec^t, was born in 178G, in Brimfield, Mass. 
 The family name vvas spelled "Janes" until the year 
 1883, when at a family reunion all the descendants 
 of Nathan Jaynes agreed to insert the letter "y" in 
 the name, which alters it to the present mode of 
 spelling. This gentleman receiveil a good common- 
 school education, to which he added a course of in- 
 struction at the academy, also making a specialty 
 of surveying, so that after finishing his term at 
 schjol he was deemed competent to survey a large 
 part of the State of Vermont. 
 
 Going to Jefferson County, N. Y., the father of 
 our subject engaged in agricultural pursuits, com- 
 bining with it an interest in the mercantile busi- 
 ness. He married Miss Celinda Dexter, and they 
 became the parents of three children, who lived to 
 the age of maturitj', one daughter and two sons. 
 The brother went West when our subject was five 
 years old, and soon disappeared from the knowledge 
 of his family, having written them but one letter. 
 This leaves our subject the only representative of 
 his family. While in Jefferson Count}' Nathan 
 Jaynes was elected to fill the local township offices, 
 aud he was a member of the Masonic fraternity. 
 
 The mother of our subject died in the year 18.32, 
 and the father with his family soon afterward went 
 back to Vermont, where they lived until 1845, and 
 then went to Winnebago County, Wis. There the 
 father engaged in farming on a small scale, having 
 reached the age when he was no longer able to con- 
 tinue his arduous labors, and spent the remainder of 
 his days with his daughter until his death, which 
 occurred in 1869, at the advanced age of eighty- 
 three years. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 7th of July, 1827, 
 near Adams, Jefferson Co., N. Y., and after the 
 death of his mother he went with his father to Ver- 
 mont, where he attended the common- schools. He 
 was eighteen years old when he went to Wisconsin, 
 and continued the pursuit of his education in the 
 academy at Racine, after which he went to Winne- 
 bago County, and engaged in farming and mechani- 
 cal business. He was also successfully engaged in 
 the insurance business for eighteen years. After 
 remaining in Wisconsin for thirty years, he started 
 further west, prospecting through the Black Hills, 
 Dak., and other mining regions, also in Colorado. 
 
 In 1876 our subject came to Sicily Township and 
 bought a fine farm of 1 20 acres on the Otoe Reserva- 
 tion, on which he made all the improvements, and 
 remained for four years. In the place of the beau- 
 tiful little cit}' of Wyraore there were only farm- 
 ing lands when he came here, but after remaining 
 for fouryears he sold his laud and moved into the 
 new city proper. He vvas elected Justice of the 
 Peace, in which capacity he served for two terms, 
 aud Police Judge for two years, at the same time 
 carrying on the mercantile business with his son. 
 Then he engaged in the grocery business, which he 
 left for the insurance business. lie has been in 
 W^'more from its earliest date, and has been inter- 
 ested in all of its improvements. He has been con- 
 nected with the building association, having put 
 up a number of buildings himself, besides being the 
 contractor for about twenty-five stores and good 
 dwellings, some of which, however, were not in this 
 city. For fort}' 3'ears our subject has been a mem- 
 ber of the I. O. O. F., having joined the order in 
 the year 1848. In 1847 he was united in marriage 
 with Miss Ahnira L. Jacol)s, and they have gathered 
 around them a family of seven children, whose 
 
 •►^^r^! 
 
 i 
 
-4•- 
 
 -•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 639 
 
 names are: Henry S.. Orestes F., Charles L., Fre- 
 mont N., Helen N., Jessie and Kitlie E. Almira 
 L. Jacobs was born on the 1 8lh of Jul}', 1827, in 
 Washington County, Vt. She is a daughter of 
 Deacon Silas Jacobs, with whom she lived until the 
 time of her marriage, since which time she has been 
 a faithful helpmate to her husband and a loving 
 mother to her children. 
 
 Of this famil}', Henry S. is the Superintendent of 
 the Nebraska Division of the Chicago Ai Omalia 
 Railrotid, and is residing in Omaha; he m^irried Miss 
 Elnia Larapher, of Kansas City, and they have 
 three children — Herberta. Louisa .and Arthur. Ores- 
 tes F. is eng.aged in the real-estate business in 
 Omalia, and married Miss Ella Brown, of Ticonde- 
 roga, N. Y.; they have two children — Clinton B. 
 and Henry C. Charles married Miss Ina Drake; 
 Fremont N. is also eng.aged in the real-estate busi- 
 ness in Omaha, besides being a traveling agent for 
 the Rust Owen Lumber Company of Wisconsin ; 
 Helen N. became the wife of J. C. Emer}', of Bea- 
 trice; Jessie A. married Mr. L. Adams, and Kittie 
 E. married Mr. Ed Winters, both of this city. 
 
 Solomon Jaj'nes, the grandfather of our subject, 
 was a native of Massachusetts, and afterward moved 
 to East Calais, Vt., where he spent his latter days 
 as a farmer. He married Miss Bula Fisk, of M.assa- 
 chusetts, and thej" were the parents of three sons 
 and three daughter. The sons were Nathan ; Henry 
 F., who was at one time State Treasurer, and a Sen- 
 ator from Vermont, and Lorenzo; the daughters 
 were Bula, Mary and Lucretia. Mrs. Bula (Fisk) 
 Jaj'nes lived to the advanced age of ninety-four 
 years ; her death was caused bj' a fall, and took place 
 at East Calais, Vt., that of her husband having oc- 
 curred twenty years previous. 
 
 -^»!=?M^^<5^. 
 
 AVID H. JONES. Of the many instances 
 continually presented in a new country 
 such as Nebraska of men who have strug- 
 gled upward from comi)aralive poverty' to 
 ease of circumstance if not affluence, our subject is 
 one, and there are few more deserving, or who 
 more appreciate the improved condition than he. 
 He is a resident of Wymore Township, where he 
 
 owns a farm of 1 60 acres on section 29. He was 
 born in South Wales u\Hm the 10th of January. 
 1825, and is the son of Theophilus and JLary Jones, 
 both of whom are deceased, lie was received .as a 
 member of the Congregational Church at Trelech, 
 Sept. 27, 1838. 
 
 The early life of our subject was spent at hard 
 work, and he received his education in the schools 
 of his native place. He came to the United Stales 
 in April of 1851, and for one year lived in Herki- 
 mer County, N. Y., vvliere he worked as a hired 
 man. and then went to Iowa County, Wis., where 
 he worked as before on a farm until 1878; he then 
 came to this county, and settled where he now re- 
 sides. At that time there was no settlement south 
 of him, and but one log cabin where now stands 
 tlie proud and rising city of Wymore. Where the 
 beautiful Touzalin Hotel now is our subject 
 threshed wheat in the year 1878. There were very 
 few houses in Blue Springs, which was just begin- 
 ning to rise to the dignity of a village. 
 
 The land of our subject's farm is among the very 
 best of the county ; the soil is rich and tillable, 
 prettil}' undulating, and therefore well adapted for 
 stock farming, and is, moreover, well watered by 
 the Indian Creek, which, being a living stream, is a 
 comparatively sure source of suppl}'. These natural 
 advantages, which have been supplemented by the 
 constant, arduous and intelligent labor of Mr. 
 Jones, have made his property quite valuable, and 
 it is certainly to be valued at not less than ^50 per 
 acre. 
 
 Our subject is more interested in the moral 
 and religious welfare of the community than the 
 mere political. Wherever there are issues at stake 
 he is as anxious and uses his privilege as intelli- 
 gentlj' as any citizen, but he is of those who believe 
 it a wise thing to attend to making the citizens, es- 
 pecially the young who will soon enter that most 
 desirable position, true to the higher nature and 
 life. This explains the fact that while never anx- 
 ious to seek political office, he is very energetic in 
 all Sundaj'-school work, and has so continued from 
 his youth up, and is among the most devout mem- 
 bers of the Evangelical Association. Such men may 
 sometimes be misunderstood, but character, intelli- 
 gence and uprightness such as that of our subject 
 
-4^ 
 
 640 
 
 GAGE COUKTY. 
 
 always receive the admiration and regard of the 
 communit}', and to Mr. Jones are accorded heartilj'^ 
 these sentiments. He is one of wliom it is true that 
 the better they are known the more they are 
 esteemed. 
 
 I EV. GEORGE H. ALBRIGHT, pastor of the 
 Evangelical Lutheran Church at Beatrice, 
 was born near Martlnsbnrg, Blair Co., Pa., 
 ^^ Jan. 22. 1852. He continued with his par- 
 ents a resident of his native county until a lad of 
 fifteen ^years, then removed with them to the vicin- 
 ity of Polo, Ogle Co., 111. 
 
 The parents of our subject, John and Sarah 
 (Haram) Albright, were also natives of the Key- 
 stone State, and the father a farmer b}' occupation. 
 He was born in 1818, and departed this life at his 
 home in Polo, 111., in 1875. The mother is still 
 living, and now a resident of Beatrice, m.aking her 
 home with her son Jeremiah. She was born in 
 Lancaster Count}', Pa., in 1823, and is the daughter 
 of Uaniel Hamm, who spent his last years in Penn- 
 sylvania. 
 
 The family of John and Sarah Albright consisted 
 of seven children, one daughter ancT six sons, who 
 with one exception are all living, the five besides 
 our subject and his brother Rol)ert S. being resi- 
 dents of Beatrice. George H. was the second child 
 of the family, and after emerging from the district 
 school spent five years in the college at Carthage, 
 111., from which he was graduated in 1877. He 
 subsequently entered the Lutheran Theological 
 Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., from which he was 
 graduated in 1880. He began his ministerial labors 
 as pastor of the church at Mt C'armel, 111., where 
 he officiated for a period of four 3ears. In the 
 spring of 1884 he came to Beatrice, this State, and 
 organized Trinity Lutheran Church, of which he 
 has since been pastor. This was started with seven- 
 teen members, and such has been the efficiency 
 of the faithful pastor that the congregation now 
 numbers seventy-sis souls. There is every reason 
 to suppose that there will be a steady increase both 
 in the numbers and influence of this society. 
 
 The marriage of Rev. George II. Albright and 
 Miss Almira J. Acker was celebrated at the home 
 
 .>-^h^: 
 
 of the bride in Polo, 111., Nov. 4, 1880. Mrs. Al- 
 bright is the daughter of Abraham B. and Sarah 
 ( Shenefelt ) Acker, who were natives of Blair 
 County, Pa. Her father is dead; the mother still 
 resides in Polo, 111. Of this union there have been 
 born two daughters — Buela May and Edna. Mr. 
 Albright is prominent in all good works, being Presi- 
 dent of the Beatrice Christian Benevolent Associa- 
 tion, and wherever his labors or influence will avail 
 he is ever ready to contribute them to the service 
 of the Master. He is also member of the Board of 
 Trustees of the Chautauqua Assembly at Crete. 
 He has a third interest in the Wittenburg Addition 
 to Beatrice, which comprises 160 acres of valuable 
 land. 
 
 "^ OHN MULLER. Among the representative 
 general farmers and stock -raisers of Gage 
 Count}', few are more successful or thor- 
 oughly practical in their undertakings than 
 the gentleman whose biography is sketched in this 
 writing. His property is situated in Highland 
 Township, section 19, where he owns 160 acres. 
 The place of the nativity of our subject was Han- 
 over, Germany, where he vvas born on the 6th of 
 Januar}', 1848. At the age of nine months he suf- 
 fered the irreparable loss of his mother. He was 
 reared and educated in his native place, and in the 
 German language is quite a good scholar. As soon 
 as he became conversant with the English language 
 his education was at his command, and could be 
 utilized in both. 
 
 The year 1869 is somewhat memorable to Mr. 
 Muller, as that in wiiich he severed his connection 
 with the old home and its associations, and emi- 
 grated to the New World, his heart filled with 
 ambitious hopes and high resolves. The present 
 success presents in fact what was then but in thought. 
 He took passage on a Hamburg steamer, and after 
 an ocean voyage of fifteen days landed in New 
 York Cit}-. From this time he resided for about 
 eighteen months on Long Island ; at the end of that 
 time he came to Otoe County, Neb., arriving in the 
 month of April, 1871. It was not long before he 
 obtained work as a farm hand, and soon he was en- 
 
-^«N 
 
 -! 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^ 
 
 OJl 
 
 abled to rent hiiid and to operate it in liis own in- 
 terest. 
 
 "Nothing succeeds like success," and in 1880 Mr. 
 Muller with his fainil3' came to this county, pur- 
 cliasinj; IGO acres of the Burlington cfe Missouri 
 River Railroad land, for which he paid at the rate 
 of $') per acre. Its condition was in nowise differ- 
 ent from the surrounding unclaimed prairie, and 
 the cliange that lias passed over these acres, like 
 that which has changed tlie aspect of his position 
 and condition in life, is the effectual working of 
 hidden causes, namely ambition, illustrious hopes, 
 and intelligent effort. 
 
 One of the most potent factors in the prosperity 
 that has come to our subject is that which entered 
 into his life from the day he was united in marriage 
 with the lady who has since been the lode star 
 of his life and the brightness of his home. The 
 lady of his choice was Lena .Struckme3'er, and their 
 nuptials weie celebrated in Nebraska City on the 
 IGth of March, 1872. Miss Struckmeyer was born 
 on the 2tjth of August, 1851, and is the daughterof 
 Henry and Sophia Struckmeyer, natives of Germany. 
 In 1871 she accompanied her brother August to 
 this country, and they resided in Otoe County until 
 her marriage. The happiness of the married life of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Muller has been augmented by the 
 birth of their six children, four of whom are living: 
 Louisa S., who was born on the 17th of December, 
 1873; John F., Dec. 16. 1875; Robert, Nov. 17, 
 1877; Ernest, Aug. 12,1885. August is deceased, 
 and one child died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Muller are among the most active 
 and devout members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, and are deeply interested in Sunday-school 
 and church work. In religious circles, and every 
 other of society at large, there is accorded to them 
 the highest regard of the people. Our subject is 
 now serving his first term as School Director, and 
 being one who greatly enjoys such work, and in fact 
 anj'thing that is for the upbuilding and advance- 
 ment of the interests of the future citizens, their 
 wives and mothers, his every sj'mpathy and atten- 
 tion are sure to be engaged. It is not surprising, 
 therefore, that the manner in which he discharges 
 the duties arising from this office gives pleasure to 
 all [larties concerned. In political relations our 
 
 subject affiliates with the Republican party, of 
 which he has been a member ever since he became 
 a citizen, and which looks upon him as one of 'ts 
 active supporters, tried adherents, and stanch, un- 
 wavering friends. Upon another page of this vol- 
 ume will be found a view of the farm of our 
 subject, which, faithfully delineating the general 
 features of interest, will without doubt be fully ap- 
 preciated bj' the interested reader. 
 
 ■^ AMES R.BURKS, who may usually be found 
 at his business place, corner of Court and 
 Sixth street, deals quite extensively in farm 
 machinery and road vehicles. He is a fair 
 representative of the solid element of the commu- 
 nity, and no unimportant factor among its business 
 interests. A native of Boone Count}', Mo., he was 
 born near Columbia, the county seat, Jan. 22, 1836, 
 and is the son of James P. and Martha (Newman) 
 Burks, who were natives respectively of Kentuckj^ 
 and Virginia. The father of our subject was of 
 Scotch and English descent, and his paternal grand- 
 father, L'iam Burks, was one of the earliest settlers 
 of the Blue Grass State. 
 
 The parents of our subject emigrated to Missouri 
 during its Territorial days, and there spent the re- 
 mainder of their lives, the father dying when his 
 son James R. was a little lad nine years of age. 
 The family being in straightened circumstances 
 our subject was thus earlj' in life thrown upon his 
 own resources, and at the age of fifteen j-ears began 
 in earnest the coming struggle. He managed to 
 secure a common-school education, and was mostly 
 employed upon a farm during the mild seasons of 
 the year. At the age of twenty-five, in order to 
 increase his store of learning, he employed a private 
 teacher to instruct him evenings, and this he kept 
 up for a "period of three years. This action, so 
 commendable, was most beneficial in its results. 
 
 In July, 1865, Mr. Burks established himself at 
 Ashland, Boone Co., Mo., and began the manufact- 
 ure of wagons and plows, while at the same time 
 dealing in all kinds of farm machinery. This busi- 
 ness he continued there uninterruptedly for a period 
 of sixteen years, and built up a lucrative patronage. 
 
^I^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 C42 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 In tlie fiill of l.sT'J he cliangcd bis ri'sulence to 
 Beatrice, Neb., and the following spring established 
 the business in which he is now eng.aged at this 
 point. He carries a full line of everything per- 
 taining to this depaitraent of agriculture, including 
 the J. I. Case steam threshers, which are so popular 
 among the progressive farmers of the West. The 
 well-known reliabilit}' of Mr. Burks, his integrity, 
 and his straightforward methods of doing business, 
 have secured for him a large patronage throughout 
 Southern Nebraska, where his word is considered 
 as good as his bond. 
 
 Our subject established family and domestic ties 
 in November, 1872, when he was united in mar- 
 riage with Mrs. Nettie Dozier, daughter of Jacol) 
 and Frances Strode, of Boone County, Mo. Mrs. 
 Burks was born there in October, 1840, and is now 
 the mother of two bright children— James R., Jr., 
 and Mattie F. 
 
 Besides these there are three children of Mrs. B. 
 by a former marriage : Lizzie, a resident of Sedalia, 
 Mo., and the wife of Orvis Wilcox; William, of 
 Beatrice, and Ida, who remains at home with her 
 motlicr. The family residence, a neat and tasteful 
 structure, handsomely furnished, is situated on the 
 corner of Fourth and EUa. streets, and is the fre- 
 quent resort of the most cultivated people. Mr. 
 Burks is of that peculiar genial temperament which 
 attaches to him hosts of friends. Politically, he 
 affiliates with the Democratic party. He has been 
 connected with many of the moving enterprises of 
 Beatrice, and served four j'ears as President of the 
 Board of Trade. The mother of Mr. B. continued 
 a resident of Boone County, Mo., until her death, 
 which occurred in 1877. 
 
 ^5?iABRIEL JEFFRIES. This highly esteemed 
 III j_-, citizen of Glenwood Township came to this 
 ^^jj county in the spring of 1881, and purchased 
 160 acres of land on section 28, where he has since 
 resided, and effected the improvements which have 
 conduced to the comfort of himself and his family, 
 and enabled him to carry on agriculture in a profita- 
 ble manner. He has good buildings, a fair assortment 
 of live stock, and the farm machinery suitable for the 
 
 proper cultivation of the soil and the harvesting of 
 his crops. An ap[)le orchard and a goodl3- assortment 
 of the finer fruits administer further to the comforts 
 of the family-, who in their home surroundings pre- 
 sent that picture of contentment and peace which 
 is so pleasant to contemplate and comparatively so 
 seldom seen. 
 
 The branch of the Jeffries family to which our 
 subject owes his origin is traced to Monmouthshire, 
 England, where his father, George Jeffries, was 
 born and reared. The mother, Mrs. P^sther (Dando) 
 Jeffries, was born near the cit}' of Bristol, and after 
 marriage the parents settled in Monmouthshire, 
 where the father engaged in mining, and where 
 they lived untd the year 1852, when they decided 
 to seek their fortunes in the United States. Soon 
 after setting foot on American soil they made their 
 way to Alleghany Count}", Md., where the father 
 engaged in mining, and where both parents re- 
 mained until called hence. George Jeffries departed 
 this life in June, 1883, and his estimable wife in 
 1864. Their family consisted of ten sons and two 
 daughters, of whom the subject of this sketch was 
 the sixth child. Ten lived to mature years. 
 
 Gabriel Jeffries was born March 3, 1844, in Mon- 
 mouthshire, England, not far from the cldldhood 
 home of his father, and there received the rudiments 
 of his early education. He was a lad nine years of 
 age when his parents emigrated to America, and 
 remembers many of the incidents of the ocean 
 voj'age and their arrival upon the soil of a strange 
 land. Me settled with his parents in Maryland, and 
 remained with them until reaching his majority, 
 assisting his father in the maintenance of the family'. 
 Upon appro.aching manhood he entered the coal 
 mines of Maryland, and followed the occupation of 
 a miner until removing to Lee County, 111., in 1869. 
 There he rented a farm two years, but the results 
 not being entirely satisfactory', he crossed the Mis- 
 sissippi into Carroll County, Iowa, and purchased a 
 tract of land, the soil of which he cultivated until 
 1881, when he sold out and came to his present 
 home. 
 
 While a resident of the Prairie State Mr. Jeffries 
 was united in marriage with Miss Urith U. AV'iUiani- 
 son, the wedding taking place at the home of the 
 bride in Dixon, 111., Oct. 11, 1870. Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 •#-lh^- 
 
1 f^ 
 
■^i*- 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 r.i:. ik 
 
 Jeffries spent the flrst, two j'ears of tlieir wedderl 
 life in Lee, and thence went to Iowa. Tney are 
 now tlic parents of four ehiiilren — Howard J., Ross 
 W., Esther and Uritii, the eldest sixteen years of 
 age and tiie youngest two. Our subject with his 
 estimable wife is a member in good standing of the 
 Melhodi.sl Episcopal Cliurch, with which they became 
 identified in 1856 and 18G8. In politics Mr. Jeffries 
 votes tlie straight Uepnblican ticket, and is in favor 
 of everything tending to improve and elevate tiie 
 people. He has been connected with the School 
 Board of this district, and is a man in whom his 
 neigiibors have confidence, and whose esteem he 
 enjoys in an unlimited degree. 
 
 Mrs. Jeffries is tiie daugliter of John and INIar- 
 garet (Llhl) Williamson, tlie former a native of Ire- 
 land and the latter of Maryland. Her father died 
 a prisoner of war in Libby Prison, being starved to 
 death by the rebels; the motlier died in (Jarroll 
 Count}', Iowa, Jan. 29, 1887. Notice will be found 
 of them in the sitetches of her brothers, Ilenrj' and 
 George Williamson, on another page in this work. 
 Mrs. J. was born in Frostburg, Md., Sept. 29, 1848, 
 and spent her childiiood and j'outli under tlie pa- 
 rental roof, remaining with the household circle until 
 her marriage. She received the advantages of the 
 common school, and was trained to those house- 
 wifely duties so essential to the happiness of the 
 home. 
 
 WiILLIAM BLAKELY, Supervisor of Bl.akely 
 Townshi[), and one of the best known and 
 most prominent men of G.age County, also 
 one of its oldest -ictual settlers, is still located on 
 his original homestead in Blakely Township, which 
 was named in his honor, and where he has a good 
 f.arm of 160 acres on the southwest quarter of sec- 
 tion 20. Adjoining this he has a similar ajuount 
 on section 29, which was secured from the Govern- 
 ment by pre-emption before the Homestead Law 
 went into effect. His possessions all together ag- 
 gregate 520 .acres, situated on sections 19, 20, 29 
 and 30. 
 
 Mr. Blakely has been a resident of this county 
 since 1857, a period of over thirt}- years, having 
 landeil Jul}' 17th of that \xar, with his brother 
 
 Nathan, upon the present site of the city of Bea- 
 trice. It is hardly necessary to say that the "city" 
 at that dale bore little resemblance to its present 
 state, being then a bleak prairie. The land selected 
 by Mr. Blakely lies along Cub Creek, which was 
 formerly called Minnehaha Creek, the finding of 
 two bear cubs in this vicinity inducing the change 
 of name. This proved a most fortunate invest- 
 ment, the land being exceedingly fertile, owing 
 largely, of course, to the judicious treatment it has 
 undergone at the hands of its owner. The creek 
 has proved valuable, not only in furnishing ample 
 water facilities, but as a means of drainage, and 
 has also fed a stretch of fine walnut timber, besides 
 oak and hackbcrr}'. 
 
 The original log house built on his first pre- 
 emption claim is still occu[)ied bj' our subject, al- 
 though having been transferred some distance from 
 its original site and being subjected to the repairs 
 and additions required for the comfort and con- 
 venience of the modern household. In front of the 
 Blakel}' residence is a fine grove of trees, planted 
 by the hand of our subject man}' years ago, and 
 now 3'ielding a most grateful protection from the 
 heat of summer and the storms of winter. In 
 1841 Mr. Blakely commenced as a clerk with S. <fe 
 G. Smith in South Britton, Conn., in a general 
 country store, they dealing in about everything 
 that could be handled in a store, and received the 
 sum of ^50 with board for two years' services. In 
 1843 he was with Edwin Marble in the largest dry- 
 goods store in New Haven. His business was large 
 and the clerks were confined to the building twenty- 
 two hours out of twenty-four, and all for 5100 per 
 3'ear, including board. The close confinement and 
 change from countr}' to cit}' living was more than 
 his constitution could withstand, and before the 
 close of the year he w.os carried home upon a bed, 
 his friends claimed, with the same fatal disease 
 which had taken awa}' more of the family, viz: 
 consumption. He was placed in the care of an old 
 family physician, and in a few months was able to 
 buffet with mankind for a living. 
 
 In 1844 Mr. Blakely went to Middletown, N. J., 
 and commenced teaching a district school, and re- 
 mained in the school eighteen months. In 1846 he 
 removed to Long Branch, and was teaching three 
 
 f 
 
* ► i r ^ 
 
 GtO 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 years in one district, averaging Bffy scholars most of 
 the time. He, however, became tired of teaching, 
 and therefore went back to Connecticut, clerking 
 for Packerd Swift, in the old town of Derby, ten 
 miles from New Haven. In 1852 he was offered 
 the position of chief clerk and good p.ay by Lucins 
 Blackinan, of the cit^' of Birmingham, Conn., which 
 Mr. Blakely accepted, and here found plenty of 
 work, as Mr. Blackman not only carried a large as- 
 sortment of all kinds of goods usually carried, but 
 in addition dealt heavilj' in carpets, oil-cloths and 
 paper-hangings, which occupied eight different 
 rooms, and in less than two years Mr. B. once more 
 returned home to rest. 
 
 At home Mr. Blakely had an opportunity of 
 studying upon what he was to do in the future, and 
 soon made up his mind to follow the lamented 
 Greeley's advice, and started for the Western coun- 
 try. In 1855, Mr. Blakely, together with J. E. 
 Barnes, who was soon after Superintendent of 
 .Schools in Henderson Count}', 111., and his brother, 
 purchased a section of university land in Hardin 
 County, on the Iowa River, and attempted to 
 open up a new farm, but .as this was hard work he 
 soon concluded to start with an ox-team for an ex- 
 ploring trip in the northern and western part of the 
 State. In July he went to Dubuque with two yoke 
 of oxen, and bought a full load of everything 
 which would be useful to them while in the wilder- 
 ness. 
 
 J. E. Barnes, Nathan Blakely (our subject's 
 brother) and himself started from Eldora, the 
 county seat of Hardin County, Iowa, in August, 
 1855. with the two 3'oke of oxen and a fine cow. 
 which not only followed with the two dogs with- 
 out any care or attention, but also afforded them 
 plenty of both milk and butter. They first 
 went north through Franklin and Cerro Gonlo to 
 Mason City, which contained six log cabins; then 
 to Clear Lake, where they remained three days 
 near a band of the Winnebago Indians. They ap- 
 peared to be very hospitable, always appearing 
 about meal time, and soon devoured everjthing 
 either eatable or drinkable after they left the mess 
 box. There were only four families living around 
 the lake, but they had true Western cheek, and 
 claimed all the timber and all the water front 
 
 around the lake, either for themselves or some 
 imaginary persons. Mr. Blakely and [)arty left for 
 the West liirough Hancock and Kossuth, and there 
 found the county seat on the East Fork of the Des 
 Moines, called Algona, and occupied by a man 
 named Call. Starting West from here, they did not 
 see either a sign of an inhabitant or a white person 
 for six weeks, and in that time passed through the 
 countj- of Palo Alto, up the West Branch of the 
 Des Moines to the six lakes, called the Six Sisters, 
 in Emmet County, townshii) 98 north, range 33 
 west. They were obliged to follow the I)es Moines 
 across the State line into Minnesota before attempt- 
 ing to cross, and kept up along the east bank for 
 five days, then, in crossing, became fast in the mud 
 and unloaded for tiie first time. Mr. Barnes had 
 been sick with the ague for three weeks, and Nathan 
 Blakely one week. Besides this trouble a band of In- 
 dians annoyed them b}' attempting to steal anything 
 they wanted, and wouLl not give them the name of 
 their tribe. Our subject and party would not allow 
 them to take the least thing, although they knevv 
 they were entirely at their mercy, if an Indian has 
 any, but showed them that they proposed to main- 
 tain their own rights, and the}' finally left them. 
 They then turned south, and found the corner of 
 ranges 35 and 36 west, township 100 north, on the 
 north line of Dickinson, and soon found Spirit Lake 
 and Okoboji, and explored them for nearly a week. 
 The Sioux paid them a visit here, but gave thera 
 no trouble. From the lakes the}' went to Oceola, 
 O'Brien, Clay, Bu.ena Vista, Pocahontas and Hum- 
 boldt, where they once more found white people; 
 thence to Webster, at Ft. Dodge to attend the sale 
 of Government lands at the opening of the land- 
 ofBce at that place, and there encountered the first 
 snowstorm, on the 22d of October, 1855. The}' 
 soon went back to Eldora, after an absence of three 
 months, and immediately began selling goods for 
 J. W. Jones, and remained with him until leaving 
 for Nebraska, in May, 1857. 
 
 Mr. Blakely looks back to those early days as one 
 of the happiest periods of his life. He was a great 
 lover of Nature in her wild solitudes, enjoying noth- 
 ing better than to travel over the quiet country, 
 which in many sections lay yet undisturbed by the 
 hand of man. When making settlement here Mr. 
 
•^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 (547 
 
 Blakely found tliat his nearest iieiglibor was two and 
 one-linlf miles away. It was no uncommon occur- 
 rence to travel thirty miles to visit a neighbor, the 
 journe}' usually oc-cupyiug from five to six days. 
 The people at that time were each interested in the 
 welf.are of the other, and such was the confidence a 
 man had in his neighbor that it was seldom the for- 
 mality of a note was given for the loan of money. 
 Their religion was the maxim of the Golden Rule, 
 each man striving to do unto his neighbor as he 
 would be done by. With the influx of a mixed 
 population, however, more stringent measures be- 
 came necessary. 
 
 The Blakely family' traces its later origin to New 
 England, where the subject of our sketch w,as born 
 in Litchfield County, Conn., July 3. 1821. His 
 father and his paternal grandfather, who both bore 
 the name of Daniel, were also natives of the same 
 State, and followed farming all their lives, the latter 
 spending his wholly upon the soil of Connecticut, 
 where his bones were laid to their final i-epose. 
 Daniel, Jr., was reared in his native county, fol- 
 lowed farming like his forefathers, and was married 
 first to Miss Chatfield, a lady of iincestry similar to 
 bis own. William and his brother Nathan contin- 
 ued in the '-land of steady habits" until after the 
 deatli of the motlier, which took place in 1839, to- 
 gether with the death of a daughter, Sophia. Will.- 
 iam L., the eldest son, died when a lad. Daniel 
 Blakely left his native State in 1856 and joined his 
 sons in Iowa. Our subject and his brother Nathan 
 had left Connecticut in the spring of 1 854, and com- 
 ing to the West, located fust in Hardin County, Iowa, 
 near the embr^'o town of Eldora, among the early 
 pioneers. At this place Daniel Blakely, Jr., looked 
 his last upon the things of earth, passing away in 
 Februarj', 18G1. 
 
 William Blakely came to this county a single 
 man, but after determining upon his future course 
 in life, took to himself a wife and helpmate in the 
 person of Miss Cornelia D. Bailey, who was born in 
 Racine County, Wis., Oct. 24, 1843. Her parents, 
 Asa F. and Janet (Ford) Bailey, were natives of 
 New Hampshire and New York, and came to Ne- 
 braska in the spring of 18G3. They endured the 
 common lot of pioneer life, its struggles, hard- 
 ships and privations, and are still living at an 
 
 advanced age, their home now being in the city of 
 Beatrice. 
 
 Mrs. Blakely had grown to womaniiood when her 
 parents came to this county, and has had her full 
 experience of life in a new country. She is the 
 mother of three children, the eldest of whom, Je.-sie 
 L., followed teaching in the schools of this county, 
 but is now married. George A. and Albert C. con- 
 tinue at home with their ])arents. Mrs. B. and her 
 daughter are members of the Congregational Church, 
 of Blakely Township. Mr. Blakely, politically, 
 votes independently, and has held other ollices be- 
 sides his present one, to which he was elected in the 
 fall of 1885. 
 
 Mr. Blakely has been a prominent and useful 
 man in his county, beginning his public services as 
 early as 1858, when he was appointed Probate Judge 
 for a term of two years. From 18G2 to 18ti5 he 
 was Government Assessor for the .South Platte Dis- 
 trict, and in 1870 served as Deput}' Marshal, and 
 likewise took the census of Gage Countj'. He w.as 
 also one year the Assessor of Gage County, lie was 
 one of the organizers of the Republican party in 
 Southern Nebraska, and has never felt that he had 
 reason to depart from the principles to which he then 
 gave his cordial support. During the Grange move- 
 ment in 1872 and 1873, he was appointed Deputy 
 Grand Master, and also served on the Executive 
 Committee for the State from 1873 to 1876. He in 
 the meantime organized a number of Grange Lodges 
 in this part of the State, and distinguished iiimsclf 
 here as elsewhere by his industry and usefulness. On 
 the 28th of July, 1886, he was api)ointed and com- 
 missioned bj' James W. Dawes, Governor of Ne- 
 braska, as a rielegate to the National Farmers' 
 Congress, which met in St. Paul, Minn., and was in 
 session three d.ays, August 25, 20 and 27. 
 
 The Old Settlers' Association finds in Mr. Blakely 
 one of its most ellicient members. In the I. O. O. 
 F. he has been actively interested for fortj' years, 
 being Grand Master of the State in 1885-86, and a 
 member of Subordinate Lodge No. 19, and Encamj)- 
 ment No. 1 6, both of Beatrice. As one of those who 
 looked u|)on this section of the Great West in its 
 primitive days, he is held in due consideration and 
 resiwct, and has built up the record of an honest man 
 and a good citizen. In a short time he will have 
 
*► i r^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 G4« 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 reached his threescore years and ten. He has 
 gathered from a varied experience of men and 
 things those lessons by which he has been enabled 
 to perform well his part,, and leave to his children 
 a name of w^hich they need never be ashamed. The 
 Album of Gage County is greatly enhanced b^' giv- 
 ing the portrait of Williaui Bhikely. which has been 
 made from a recent picture. 
 
 '->'^^^VH^^:5<^ 
 
 -t-r-V 
 
 ^i OSEPH K. LANG DON, one of the most en- 
 I terprising and successful merchants of Pad- 
 1 dock Township, of which he is a pioneer, is 
 / conducting a large business as a dealer in all 
 kinds of implements in Odell. He is a native of Lu- 
 zerne County, Pa., born Aug. 9, 1852, to Samuel P. 
 and Nancy (Emory) Langdon, natives of Pennsylva- 
 nia. In 1854 his parents removed to Wisconsin, and 
 continued to reside in that State for many years, 
 the father engaged in the hotel business. Mr. Lang- 
 don died May 2!', 188G, having attained the ripe 
 old age of nearly eighty years. He was a man of 
 sound principles, and of much decision of character, 
 readily commanding the respect of all with whom 
 he came in contact. The mother of our subject 
 makes her home with him, surrounded by all the 
 comforts that loving hands can provide to make 
 her declining 3-ears pleasant. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared in Wiscon- 
 sin, and received the preliminaries of his education 
 in her public schools. He subsequently entered 
 the Normal School of White Water, where he re- 
 ceived a thorough practical training, fitting him for 
 any career that he might choose to adopt in after 
 life. Upon leaving school, being desirous to become 
 m.aster of some lucrative trade, he set himself to 
 work to learn that of wheelwright, and was thus 
 employed in Wisconsin until the spring of 1880, 
 when he deteiniined to tiy life in the West beyond 
 the Mississippi, and we soon find him located in 
 what is now Paddock Township. As this township 
 was not laid out until tiie following fall, he thus 
 became one of its early settlers. He soon found 
 work at his trade, and was engaged in a wagon- 
 shop for two years. In the spring of 1882 Mr. 
 Langdon, with characteristic enterprise and fore- 
 
 sight, saw a fine opportunity in this new and rapid Ij' 
 growing country to establish himself in his present 
 business, immediately availing himself of it, and 
 has since carried it on with gratifying success. He 
 came here a poor man, but by industry and good 
 management he has made money, and has increased 
 his sales from $300 the first year to from $12,000 to 
 $15,000 per annum. He has besides acquired con- 
 siderable properly by judicious investments; he owns 
 two pieces of desirable resident property, has his 
 business house and lot, and also owns some stock 
 in the county, horses, cattle and hogs. 
 
 Mr. Langdon was married in Wisconsin, July 3, 
 1877, to Miss Emma Thompson, a daughter of Ed- 
 win and Alma (Folsom) Thompson. Her mother 
 died in Wisconsin in Februaiy, 1809. Her father 
 is still a resident of that State. To Mr. and Mrs. 
 Langdon have been born two children: Fay, their 
 only son, and a daughter, Lona, who died Sejit. 23, 
 1884. 
 
 Mr, Langdon is a young man of education and 
 fine business talents, that promise to place him 
 among the moneyed men of Gage County within a 
 few years. His geniality and ready tact make him 
 well liked by all who have the pleasure of knowing 
 him, and he has secured many warm friends since 
 coming to Nebraska. In his political views, he is 
 an unswerving Republican ; he does not aspire to 
 oflflce, although he takes decided interest in pro- 
 moting the prosperity of his township. 
 
 ORRIS JONES. It is quite common to re- 
 mark among the prominent men of a com- 
 munity in almost every department and 
 circle, that they who are looked upon and 
 spoken of as the successful men have come up 
 through trial and difficulty from the lower plane 
 to the higher level in life, the fact being, that by 
 just such piocesses of disappointment, difficulty 
 and adverse circumstances is the man developed, 
 and abilities and powers that would otherwise have 
 remained unknown, although possessed, have been 
 brought into action, and thus ever}' opposing force 
 has become a blessing and a benediction. This is 
 true throuohout the whole realm of nature. 
 
-U 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 CIO 
 
 The biograiihy of Mr. Morris Jones might well 
 serve as a case in point, and illustration of the 
 above. He is the son of David and Margaret Jones, 
 the former of vviiom is now deceased. They were 
 natives of Wales, in which country our subject was 
 born in Jul}', 1849. He accompanied his p-irents to 
 the United States in 1870; settling in Wisconsin 
 he engaged in d.ay labor until 1879. when he came 
 to this count}', and rented some land and began farm- 
 ing. In this good fortune continued to attend 
 him, so th.at to-day he is the owner of 160 acres of 
 good land for purposes of agriculture and stock- 
 raising, which he follows exclusively, devoting 
 more especial attention to the latter, finding the 
 breeding of higher grades of stock verj' remunera- 
 tive in a rapidly developing countrj' such as Ne- 
 braska. 
 
 While living in Wisconsin our subject m.ade the 
 acquaintance of a verj' excellent young lady. Ann, 
 daughter of Thomas J. and Margaret Jones, of 
 LaFayelte County, Wis. She was born in said 
 county. Dec. 9, 1858. On the 22d of February, 
 1875, this lady, Ann Jones, and our subject plighted 
 their troth and sealed their marriage vows. Their 
 union was fruitful in the birth of five children, 
 whose names are a-s follows: Margaret, Miriam, 
 James. Thom.as O. and William L. 
 
 The wife of our subject is a member of the Welsh 
 Methodist Church, with which she has continued 
 since childhood. Our subject is affiliated with the 
 Republican part}', and has for many years been an 
 active worker in behalf of the same. 
 
 
 ^^EORGE W. KIERSEY, of Glenwood Town- 
 Ill (— -, ship, is spoken of as one of its solid and re- 
 ^^Jj liable men, steady-going and thorough in 
 his farming operations, prompt to meet his business 
 obligations, peaceable and law-abiding as a citizen. 
 He cast his lot witii the people of this county in the 
 spring of 1879, and has since been numbered among 
 the most highly respected members of the com- 
 munity. 
 
 The property of our subject embraces 160 acres 
 of Uind on section 20 in the western part of Glenwood 
 Townshi(), where for a pcrioil of nearly eleven years 
 
 he has labored industriously in the cultivation of the 
 soil and the production of the crops best ada|)tcd 
 to tiie region of Southern Nebrjiska. For this task 
 he was well fitted both b}' experience and early 
 training, having spent the greater part of his days 
 amid the peaceful employments of country life. In 
 his young manhood ho became a soldier of the 
 Union Array, and for a period of four years de- 
 voted himself to fighting successful!}' the battles of 
 freedom and Union. 
 
 A native of Licking Count}-, Ohic), Mr. Kiersey 
 was born June 29, 1846, and there lived until the 
 death of his mother, which occurred when he was 
 eight years of .age. He w.as then taken into the 
 home of his uncle in Allegany County, N. Y., where 
 he spent several years, and then moved with the 
 latter to Pennsylvania. After eighteen months 
 spent in the Keystone State, young Kiei-sey moved 
 to Licking County, Ohio, making his home this time 
 with a sister of his. Later he migrated to his native 
 county in Ohio, and from there in a few months 
 proceeded to Ogle County, III., where he was en- 
 gaged on a farm until the outbreak of the late Civil 
 AVar. 
 
 Soon after the first call for troops Mr. Kiersey 
 enlisted, Nov. 5, 1861, in Company H, 46th Illinois 
 Infantry, and followed the fortunes of war until its 
 close. He endured the hardships and privations 
 incident to the life of a soldier, meeting the enemy 
 in many important battles, and gathering from his 
 army experiences a fund of practical knowledge 
 with which he would not willingly part. He fort- 
 unately escaped wounds and other injury, with the 
 exception of the often severe strain upon strength 
 and endurance, and at the close received his hon- 
 orable discharge at Baton Rouge, La. 
 
 Upon retiring from the service Mr. Kiersey re- 
 turned to Illinois, and located upon a farm in White 
 Rock Township, in the vicinity of Rochelle. Ogle 
 County, where he carried on agriculture most of the 
 time until the beginning of 1868. Then, disposing 
 of his interests in the Prairie State, he crossed the 
 Mississippi and located in Story County, Iowa, and 
 worked on a farm there and in W.ashington County 
 about three years. From the former he came to 
 Nel>raska in April, 1879, anil in 1884 secured the 
 quarter-section of land which he has since owned 
 
 V 
 
^ 
 
 ••► 
 
 650 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 and occupied. In llie moantime lie visited Kansas, 
 spending three years in Wasiiington C'oiint3'. 
 
 In Washington County, Kan., Mr. Kiersej' married 
 Miss Harriet P.. Atwood, Pel). 19, 1882. Mrs. 
 Kiersey is the dangliterof Moses and Marj' Atwood, 
 and was liorn in Georgetown. Mass., Feb. 1, 1.S50. 
 Her |>arents were natives of New Hampshire, and 
 came west to Iowa abont 1855, and to Kansas in 
 1878. Tlie mother passed away at their lioine in 
 Washington Connty, Kan., in September, 1880. The 
 fatlier is still living. Their family consisted of 
 eight children, five of whom are living. 
 
 To our subject and his wife there has been born 
 r>ne child only. William L., Nov. 15, 1883. Mr. 
 Kiersey carries on general farming, and has a fair 
 assortment of live stock. He has planted a goodly 
 array of fruit and shade trees, and with his little 
 family is surrounded with all the comforts of life, 
 besides having a piospeet of something to fall back 
 ujion on a rainy day. Politically, he is a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 ■-^Q 
 
 
 i= 
 
 ■jw? EROY PAYNE. The subject of this sketch 
 I 0) came to this State in the fall of 1868, tak- 
 jl'— ^^. ing up his abode first in Saunders County. 
 He had moved to that region from LaSalle County, 
 HI., where he had carried on farming. In Saun- 
 ders County he took up a homestead claim of 
 eighty acres, and resided there until the spring of 
 1878, when he came to this count}' and bought of 
 the Government 100 acres of land on section 
 10, in Glenwood Township, to the improvement 
 and cultivation of which he has since given his 
 time and attention. The present condition of his 
 property would indicate that he has labored to ex- 
 cellent advantage, for he has substantial buildings 
 and the other appliances necessary for the comfort 
 of his family and the carrying on of agriculture 
 in a successful and profitable manner. 
 
 A native of Wayne Connty, Pa., our subject was 
 born March 12, 1842, was reared on a farm and 
 educated in the common schools. His father. 
 Homer Payne, was a native of the same county as 
 his son, and married Miss Louisa Greeley, also a 
 native of the Keystone State. Thej' lived there 
 ^« 
 
 for a time after their marriage, then changed their 
 residence to Luzerne County, and from there emi- 
 grated to LaSalle County. III., where the father 
 engaged in farming, and where the death of the 
 mother took place in April, 1855. Homer Payne, 
 after the death of his wife, went to Smith County, 
 Kan., where he still resides. 
 
 To the parents of our subject there were born 
 six children, five sons and one daughter, of whom 
 Lero3' was the second child. He was eleven years 
 old when his patents left his native State, and he 
 resided with them until a youth of twenty 3'ears. 
 He was thereafter a resident of LaSalle County 
 most of the time until his marriage. This most im- 
 portant and interesting event of his life took pl.ice 
 in Ottawa, III., on the 28th of September, 1805, his 
 bride being Miss Almira White, who went with her 
 parents to LaSalle County, HI., when about ten 
 years old. Mrs. Payne was born in Schenectady 
 County, N. Y., Sept. 16, 1846, .and is the daughter 
 of Williur and Catherine (Leevey) White, who were 
 both natives of New York State and lived there 
 until going to Illinois. The}' are now residents of 
 Saunders County, Neb. Their family consisted of 
 five children, of whom Mrs. P. was the eldest. 
 She acquired her education in the district school, 
 and remained with her parents until becoming mis- 
 tress of a home of her own by her marriage with 
 our subject. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Payne spent the first few years of 
 their wedded life in LaSalle Count}', III., and 
 there their first child was born. They are now the 
 parents of four sons and four daughters, seven liv- 
 ing, namel}': Charles, Alice L., Ada, Nellie, Almira 
 May, Leroy and Glenn. Elmer died when one year 
 old. They are being properlj' trained and edu- 
 cated, and there is every reason to suppose will do 
 honor to their parents as good and worthy citizens 
 of the future. 
 
 ISIr. Payne was reared in the principles of De- 
 mocracy, and to this party has given bis honest 
 adherence since becoming a voter. He has been 
 prominent in local affairs, holding the office of 
 Township Assessor nine years, four years in Saun- 
 ders County and five years in Glenwood Townshij), 
 this county. He has also served .as Commissioner 
 of Highwaj-s. Socially, he belongs to the I. O. O. F., 
 
t. 
 
 ^•■ 
 
 gagp: county. 
 
 
 V 
 
 being Past Grand, and a delegate to the meeting of 
 the Grand Lodge at Omaha in the fall of 1888. 
 
 Mr. Payne, when a lad of tliirteen j^ears, while 
 driving a team of spirited horses whicli ran awaj', 
 was thrown out of the wagon and suffered the 
 In-eaking of his right arm. It was improperly set 
 and never recovered its former strength. In some 
 respects this has proved quite a drawback and con- 
 siderably interfered with his strength and efficiency 
 in the often arduous labors of the farm. His boys, 
 however, are growing up, and will soon be able to 
 take his place, and the industry with which he has 
 labored in former j-ears has secured tu him the 
 fair prospect of something for his ease and comfort 
 in liis declining years. 
 
 ^^ AMUEL ECCLE.S, one of the highly re- 
 ^^^^ spected and valued citizens of Rivei-side 
 lv^-3) io'fiisli'P' s"'^' whose residence is situated 
 upon section 3, was born in Chautauqua 
 County, N. Y., on the 19th of September, 1847. 
 When about three yeai-s old, his parents, John and 
 Mary (Whitehead) Eccles, removed across the 
 State line into Warren County, Pa., which adjoins 
 Chautauqua County'. Our subject was about three 
 years of age when this removal was made. There 
 he was brought up and educated, continuing thus 
 employed until he was in his sixteenth year. 
 
 Not long after p.assing his fifteenth birthd.ay 
 our subject enlisted in Company- M, 21st Pennsyl- 
 vania Cavahy, and served about seven months, 
 then was honorably discharged. His regiment was 
 in the battle of Gettysburg, and saw considerable 
 service in conflicts of lesser note. His armj- expe- 
 rience, while no less dangerous, though perhaps 
 somewhat briefer than that of many of his com- 
 rades, left him unwounded, although the horrors of 
 war will always present to his memory a picture 
 aglow with terrors, cruelties, sorrows, pain and 
 carnage. 
 
 When twenty years of age Mr. Eccles removed 
 to Henry County, 111., and there made his home for 
 two years, when he removed to Guthrie Countj', 
 Iowa, and staid for one jear. Thence he removed 
 to Michigan, and there made his home for another 
 
 < • 
 
 year. His healtli then failed him, and he went to 
 Tennessee, and resided at Pomona in that State for 
 about two years, and was rewarded by a complete 
 recovery of vigorous, rugged health. 
 
 Upon the 24th of September, 1872, about the 
 time our subject left Tennessee, he was united 
 in marriage with Miss Alzada Howd. After a 
 happy wedded life of about seven j'ears this l.adj* 
 died, on the 17th of September, 1879, leaving two 
 children, viz: James P., who was born on the 17th 
 of Se[)tember, 1877; and Esther M., who was born 
 Feb. 22, 1876, and died April 14, 1881. Our 
 subject w.as married a second time, on the 7th of 
 June, 1881, to Mary E. Cole, of Plattsmoutli, Neb., 
 and there have been born to them two children, 
 whose names are Grace and William L. 
 
 Mr. Eccles has a fine farm of 114 acres upon sec- 
 tion 3, and u|)on this he has erected a prett.y, sub- 
 stantial dwelling, well situated, and in the midst of 
 attractive surroundings. He has made ample pro- 
 vision for the comfort and welfare of his stock, his 
 stables being well constructed and arranged. The 
 date of his entrance to this county was March, 1874, 
 and at that time what is now a well-cultivated 
 farm was then native prairie in all its wildness. 
 By far the greater part of the life of our subject 
 h.as been spent in farming, and he is thoroughly 
 conversant with the various phases and parts of this 
 work. During the time spent in Michigan he was 
 eno^aged in handling lumber, and in Iowa was en- 
 ira.o'ec} in railroading. With these exceptions and 
 that of his army experience, he has followed agri- 
 cultural pursuits. 
 
 On coming to this State our subject had in his 
 possession some 8700 as tlie foundation of his fort- 
 une. The first year was an entire failure, owing 
 to the grasshoppers, and by them his crops were 
 entirely destroyed, leaving him to start the next 
 year with one team, a cow and a few implements. 
 That year he was more fortunate, and has been in- 
 creasingly so from that on; patience, perseverance 
 and industry Ijroughthim through that time of tri.al, 
 and have carried him on to prosperity. The 
 pleasant home which he to-d.ay enjoys, and his well- 
 stocked farm, are the harvests these have produced 
 forliim. He lias had all the trials and difficulties that 
 crowd upon one in beginning life in a new coun- 
 
-■1 ^ ° 
 
 -•► 
 
 cr)-2 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 try, but hns borno thein all, has eanied the coiifi- 
 (Ipiiceand csteom of all his neij^hbors, and attracted 
 to himself many friends liy his most praiseworthy 
 conduct throughout. The farm lies chiefly in the 
 valley of the Big Blue River, and is. therefore, 
 superior to the higher land, which is liable to suf- 
 fer from drouth, besides not being so rich in soil, 
 and this is one of the best farms in the county. 
 
 In 1886 our subject was elected Justice of the 
 Peace, and the following year Supervisor of the 
 township, and re-elected in 1888, which otHce he 
 still holds. Religiously, our subject and wife are 
 connected with the United Brethren Church, of 
 Beatrice, and are among its most devout members. 
 Mr. Eccles is also a member of the G. A. R., Raw- 
 lins Post No. 35, and Beatrice Lodge No. 19, of the 
 I. O. O. F. Politically, he is a Republican. There 
 are few families more appreciated in the com- 
 munity than this of our subject, few more highly 
 esteemed, and none more ^vorthJ^ 
 
 ■*- 
 
 -^ 
 
 I'^'AMESAV. BRIDKNTIIAL. Of the count- 
 less numbers who have gone to settle up the 
 new West, few have been more enthusiastic, 
 fj more thoroughly absorlied with the thought 
 that they were working foi' the future as well as for 
 their own interests, and therefore, more public- 
 spirited and liberal-minded, and better prepared to 
 undertake the hardships and trials of frontier life, 
 than many of those who came into this county. 
 The gentleman of whose life an epitome is here- 
 with presented affords a hap|iy illustration of the 
 above fact. 
 
 In Sicily Township, on section 23, is a beautiful 
 farm of 320 acres, in an excellent state of cultiva- 
 tion, the property of our subject, whose residence 
 thereon is one of the most pleasant homes in the 
 county. Mr. Bridenthal is a native of Pennsyl- 
 vania, and was born at Chambersburg, in that State, 
 on the 28th of April, 1836, and there spent the 
 first nine years of his life. In 1845 his parents 
 removed to AVayne County, Ohio, he of course 
 accompanying them, and in that place the greater 
 ))art of his education was received, both that ob- 
 tained in the common schools, and that which gave 
 
 him a knowledge of the work and management of 
 the farm. 
 
 Sul)scquently Mr. Bridenthal removed to Indi- 
 ana, and located successively in Huntington, Whit- 
 ley and Marshall Counties. From the latter, about 
 the year 1855, he removed to AVoodford County, 
 111., where he remained r.ntil the fall of the same 
 year, then moved to Peoria County, 111., where he 
 remained until 1 8G0, then went to Warren County. 
 During this time he had been laying broad and deep 
 a solid foundation for other days, and making pro- 
 vision for the successand prosperity that have since 
 come to him. The removal of our subject from 
 Illinois to Gage County was made in April, 1884, 
 when, after prospecting for some time, he concluded 
 arrangements which led to his present settlement. 
 Every 3'ear has seen his property increasing in value, 
 and the harvests more abundant. 
 
 While in Warren County, 111., our subject made 
 the acquaintance of Miss Ella S. Butler, who is a 
 (laughter of Isaac and Ann L. (.Tones) Butler, who 
 were n.atives of Virginia and Pennsylvania respect- 
 ively, but were married in Ohio, and in that State 
 made their home for several years, afterward re- 
 moving to Indiana, from thereto Illinois in 1864, 
 settling in Warren County. In the latter State her 
 father died, in 1875, aged seventy -one years, and 
 her mother, who is in her eightieth j'eai', is still 
 living. In ea.r\y life both became members of the 
 Christian Church, and to this communion Mrs. 
 Butler is still devoted. 
 
 The marriage of our subject was celebrated at 
 Plymouth, Marshall Co., Ind., on the 2Glh of Oc- 
 tober, 1860, and- there were six children born to 
 them, whose names are recorded as follows: Ken- 
 neth D., Lake, Maude, Mae, Charley W. and Dick. 
 All these are living except Maude, who passed 
 througli "the vallej' of the shadow of death" upon 
 the 1st of Jul}', 1887, having reached the age of 
 iwenty-two }'ears. Her death was as peaceful as 
 her life had been beautiful, and the mortograph 
 "So He givelh His beloved sleep" is most happily 
 fitting in her case. Kenneth was married, Feb. 5, 
 1884, to Miss Lizzie Rankin, of Warren Count\-. 
 111., and Lake is cashier of the Wymore Citizens' 
 Bank. 
 
 The parents of oui- subject, John and Lydi.a 
 
 -►jl-^ 
 

 I ]im- 
 
 rET 
 
 "^ 
 
 J3J 
 
 "ai 
 
 3^ 
 
u. 
 
 =u 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 G;j5 
 
 (Leiglity) Bridenthal. were natives of Pennsyl- 
 vania, where thej' were married, and lived until 
 their removal to Ohio in 1845. Their familj' com- 
 prised eleven children, of whom six survive. The 
 father of our subject departed this life in the year 
 1858, the mother in 1877, both at their home in 
 Indiana. Tlie names of the surviving ciiildren are: 
 Sarah, ICUen, Lydia, David and George. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bridenthal, with their daughter 
 Mae, are very devoted members of the Christian 
 Church, of Wymore, and are most highh' esteemed 
 in that communion. For a niiuiber of years our 
 subject held the ofiice of Townsiiip Supervisor in 
 Warren Countj', 111., and also several other town- 
 ship olfices. In matters of political economj^ he is 
 ileepl}' interested, and although usually voting the 
 Democratic ticket, is more concerned to leml his in- 
 fluence to the elevation to office of a good and able 
 man than a mere partis.in. 
 
 Accompanying the birgraphies of many of the 
 leading men of Gage County presented in this 
 volume are their portraits, while of others views of 
 their residence or farm property are given. Among 
 the latter class is Mr. Bridenthal, and the view 
 referred to is presented on an accompanying page. 
 
 •€-** 
 
 -^ 
 
 (^^^ AMUEL KING. ,Ir. Among the men who 
 
 ^^:;2, have had the forethought to discern the 
 
 %£Jj) S^'^^^ possibilities of the State of Nebraska 
 
 is the subject of this sketch, who has been 
 
 willing to labor and to wait, and who has suffered no 
 
 discouragements to dism.ay him. He has had his 
 
 battles to fight, having met with bitter reverses, but 
 
 has now found the open sea, and, with the comforts 
 
 of the complete modern home, is enjoying a large 
 
 measure of the good things of life. 
 
 This branch of the King familj' is of excellent 
 old Peiinsj'Ivanian stock, the father of our subject, 
 Samuel King, Sr., having been born in Chester 
 County, that State, in 1774. He was reared to 
 manhood among his native hills, where he carried 
 on farming for himself a few j'ears, and then 
 changing his location to the cit}' of Baltimore, 5[d., 
 changed also his occupation somewhat, and tried the 
 experiment of keeping hotel. The venture proved 
 
 >► m ^ <• 
 
 a success, and he followed the business for fifteen 
 j-ears, conducting one of the largest houses there. 
 In 1824, however, he went back to Pennsylvania 
 and purchased a large tract of land, erected tene- 
 ment houses, and engaged extensively in general 
 farming, including stock-raising, and making a 
 specially of the latter, dealing in stock, and feeding 
 and shipping. He was thus occupied until his 
 death, which took place June 11, 1841. 
 
 The mother of our subject was in her girlhood 
 Miss Ann Phillips, and was also born in Chester 
 Countj', Pa., in 1783. The parents were married 
 Oct. 4, 1804. The Phillips family were of Englisli 
 extraction. Mrs. Ann King survived her husband 
 a number of years, and died at the old homestead 
 in Pennsylvania, Dec. 12, 1858. The household 
 circle included nine children, six sons and three 
 daughters, six of whom are now living: The eldest, 
 William S., is medi<ral director in a department of 
 one of the Philadel[)hia colleges; Samuel, of our 
 sketch, is next to the eldest living; Israel 1). is a 
 minister of the Baptist Church,. in the Qu.akcr Citj' ; 
 Benjamin F. is engaged in the lumber trade at 
 Chester, Pa.; Louise B. is the wife of Philip R. 
 Davis (deceased), of Kingman Count}', Kan.; 
 Amanda R. is the wife of a retired merchant, Ellis 
 Adams, of Fairmount, 111. 
 
 Our subject was the seventh child of the parental 
 family, and was born in Baltimore, Md., on St. 
 Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 1821. Three years later 
 his father returned to Chester Count}', Pa., and he 
 continued a member of the parental household until 
 the death of his father, acquiring his education in 
 the common school, and assisting in the labors of 
 the farm. Afterward the family was broken up, 
 and our subject spent some time thereafter travel- 
 ing, going through the States of Virginia, Tennessee, 
 North and South Carolina, and also westward 
 through Illinois, Iowa and Michigan. At Ft. Atchi- 
 son, Iowa, he visited his brother William, who had 
 been sent by the Government to that point as Medi- 
 cal Director. The military post organized there at 
 that time was for the purpose of protecting the 
 Winnebago Indians, and was guarded by United 
 States troops. 
 
 Mr. King spent some time in this portion of the 
 West, hunting and fishing, and then returned to his 
 
 f 
 
•► 11 ^^ 
 
 4- 
 
 656 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 mother and her family in Philadelphia. He re- 
 mained with them a year, then going Into Spottsyl- 
 vania County, Va., commenced farming, and a j-ear 
 later, in 1844, was married to Miss Eliza Adams. 
 This lad}' was the daughter of Joseph and Martha 
 (Post) Adams, and was born in New York about 
 1822. Her parents were natives of New Jersey, 
 and spent their last days in Virginia. Our subject 
 followed farming in the Old Dominion until the 
 outbreak of the Rebellion. He had been born in a 
 peaceable Quaker community and did not believe 
 in fighting, much less in fighting against the Union, 
 and suffered all sorts of persecution. He was finally 
 ordered into the Confederate army, but refused to 
 serve, but as the means of saving his life took an 
 oath to countenance the Hebellion. He was then 
 allowed to return home, and was left in peace for a 
 year. 
 
 At the expiration of this time there was a general 
 conscription into the rebel army, and Mr. King was 
 again chosen as a victim, but through the interven- 
 tion of friends his release was again secured. Later 
 he was arrested on the charge of disloyalty, and 
 thrust into Libby Prison, where he was confined 
 five months, and suffered in common with the other 
 unfortunates there all the cruel outrages and pri- 
 vations which have become a matter of history. 
 Three out of every four succumbed to their sufferings 
 in tliat terrible place during the spjourn of Mr. King 
 there, and he barely escaped with iiis life. He was 
 finally summoned before Judge Baxter of the Con- 
 federate Court, and his release again effected 
 through the intervention of influential friends. 
 
 Mr. King, after reaching his home once more, to 
 which he had been transported in a public con- 
 veyance, remained with his family a month, and 
 then determined to escape the surveillance to which 
 he was subjected by the rebel authorities. Taking 
 one of his blooded horses, remarkable for its speed 
 and endurance, he set forth one night, and, swim- 
 ming the Rappahannock, managed to escape the rebel 
 guards and pass in safety through the Union lines 
 into Alexandria. There he told his story, and was 
 summoned before the Provost Marshal and ex- 
 amined as to his allegiance to the United States 
 Government. The result being satisfactory' he was 
 sent on to Washington, and shortly afterward his 
 
 knowledge of the face of tlie country .South was util- 
 ized in the mapping out of that section for the benefit 
 of the Union Army. He was thus engaged about three 
 months, and in the meantime his propertj' in Vir- 
 ginia was. being destroyed bj' the rebels, and his 
 family suffering all the indignities wliich the Con- 
 federates dared to heap upon them. His mill 
 building was razed to the ground, the household 
 furniture and piano broken up, and the whole prem- 
 ises laid waste. His farm had been very productive, 
 his crops of melons alone sometimes realizing for 
 bim the sum of 15,000. 
 
 The family of Mr. King finally joined him in 
 Washington, and, broken in health and spirits, 
 without means and far from his friends, Mr. King 
 commenced as best he could the desperate struggle 
 before him. He finally returned to his native city 
 of Baltimore, and engaged in life insurance, but this 
 proving a failure he next tried farming. He finall}' 
 effected an exchange of his land for property in 
 Tennessee, to which he repaired after the close of 
 the war, as even then he did not dare to return to his 
 old home in Virginia. The Tennessee laud, how- 
 ever, was unproductive, and in 1875 he left that 
 section of country for Vermilion County, 111., where 
 he followed farming a year, then moved to Dakota, 
 and engaged in wheat-raising quite successfully, 
 having fine crops. He still owns the forty acres he 
 filed there, and which was about the last of the land 
 gubject to pre-emption in that region. 
 
 Mr. King came to this State in 1887, and pur- 
 chased his present farm of 160 acres on section 2, 
 in Filley Township. He is now upon his feet again 
 and prospering, ra.aking a specialty of corn and 
 stock. The wife of his youth departed this life at 
 their home in Virginia, Sept. 17, 1857. Of this 
 union there had been born four children : Frank 
 M., who was born Dec. 22, 1856, is farming in 
 Pembina Countj', Dak. ; Anna L., born March 23, 
 1847, is living in Westport, Conn.; Laura M., born 
 April 20, 1849, is in Illinois; and Kate E., Mrs. 
 Booker, born July 16, 1851, is a resident of Dakota. 
 The second marriage of Mr. King occurred l\Iay 
 19, 1859, with Miss Ann Elizabeth, daughter of 
 James P. and Susan (Phillips) Chartters. who spent 
 the last ytars of their lives in Virginia. Mr. Chart 
 ters was born on the Atlantic Ocean during the 
 
 r. LUart- 
 ring the X 
 
GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 f>57 
 
 4^ 
 
 passage of his parents from Scotlaii<l, and his wife 
 was a native of the Old Dominion. Mr. C. was a 
 farmer by occupation, and lived to a good old age, 
 his death taking phice in Virginia, Jan. 4, 188C. 
 The mother passed away Aug. 29, 1885. 
 
 Mrs. Ann Elizabeth King was born in Spottsylva- 
 nia, Va., March 15, 1838, and of her marriage with 
 our subject there wore born the children whose 
 record is as follows: Lillie, now INlrs. Emmons 
 Davis, was married twice; her first husband w.as 
 Robert E. Lucas, who was drowned while trying to 
 cr<_iss a river in April, 1882; Mr. Davis is occupied 
 in farming in Eilley. James W. is farming in Dakota ; 
 Mary P. is the wife of Henr}' R. Haines, of Wash- 
 ington, D. C. ; David F., Ilarrj' M., Edgar H. and 
 Lelia M. are at home with their parents. It is 
 h.ardly necessar}' to say that Mr. King is a member 
 of the Repulilican party, and in religious matters 
 he and his family Itelong to the Baptist Church. 
 
 The liomestead, a view of which accompanies this 
 sketch, is pleasantly situated, the dwelling sur- 
 rounded with fruit .and shade trees, ai.d is without 
 question the abode of plenty and comfort. Mr. 
 King enjoys the confidence and respect of his neigh- 
 bois. and is contributing his quota toward the de- 
 velopment of the resources of this part of Nebraska. 
 
 j^^TEPHEN A. SMITH. Old i)ioneers and" 
 ^^^ settlers of Nebr.aska have often remarked 
 lll/_^) upon the change of climate, difference of 
 rainfall, and conseqvient improvement of 
 soil, since throughout the State so much attention 
 has been given to the planting of all kinds of fruit, 
 shade and other trees. If. as is stated, Nebr.aska 
 has been so largely benefited by forestry, men who, 
 like our subject, devote their time, attention and 
 skill to raising trees and bringing them to a con- 
 dition where thej' m.ay be safe to set out in the 
 open with everj' reasonable expectation of their 
 flourishing, are much-lo-be-prized members of a 
 communitj'. 
 
 The subject of this sketch, proprietor of the Blue 
 Springs and Wymore Nurseries, which are situated 
 on section 1 5 of Blue Springs Township, has brought 
 to this work an intimate knowledge of trees and 
 
 soils, the various advantageous and deleterious in- 
 fluences affecting favorably or otherwise the tender 
 life of the young tree. To this is owing the large 
 measure of success it is his pleasure to enjoy in his 
 business. He was born on the 17th of March, 
 1815. in McMinn County, Tcnn.. and is the son of 
 Elijah S. and Mary J. Smith, of McDonough County, 
 111. His father is a native of South C-irolina, who 
 migrated to Illinois about the year 1818. 
 
 In the matter of education our subject is better 
 off than many of his fellows, for. in addition to re- 
 ceiving the usual instruction in the classes of the 
 common school, he took the full course in the Bur- 
 lington Collegiate Institute, in the city of that 
 name in Iowa. After this he gave liis attention 
 to farming until the jear 1870, when became to 
 this county and settled in Sicily Township, six miles 
 west of Blue Springs and seven miles south of 
 Beatrice. 
 
 In 1870 our subject settled upon the property he 
 occupies at present, which includes IGO acres, all of 
 which is devoted to bis special line of business. It 
 is his successful endeavor to keep on hand every 
 stage of developing perfection, every variety of 
 budded fruit, and the large miscellany of standard 
 trees for which there is always a demand. Those 
 of the Russian species, which are more adapted to 
 this climate, receive from him speci.al attention. 
 His business has grown steadily and rapidly, it 
 being his reputation to be in all points strictly hon- 
 orable, and in all matters of business of unquestion- 
 able integrity. 
 
 Our subject was united in marriage, on the 1 1 tli 
 of November. 1874, with Ettie Tob^'ne, who vvas 
 born in Ogle County, 111.. July 19. 1855, .and is the 
 daughter of James and Caroline Tobyne. natives of 
 Can.ada and Germany respectively, and the former 
 of whom is deceased. To our subject have been 
 born three children, whose names are as follows: 
 Allen, Elton and Estelle. 
 
 Mr. .Smith and his wife are members in good 
 standing of the Methodist Ejiiscopal Church, and 
 enjoy the entire confidence and regard of not sim- 
 ply their fellow-members, but of the communitj- at 
 large. Alive to his responsibility as a citizen, and 
 ever ready to take his part in the same, he is, how- 
 ever, not enamored of ollice, and has never sought 
 
 !*::+-^ 
 
658 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 any of these public trusts, Political questions are 
 by him earefullj' studied, and he is well posted 
 upon the issues before the country and State. He 
 usually votes with the Prohibition party, but re- 
 serves for himself the privilege of voting rather ac- 
 cording to principle than party. 
 
 -^ ^^ ^ 
 
 /p!5)E0RGE BLACHART. In Adams Town- 
 (j[ (— — , ship no man is more highly respected than 
 ^^J the subject of the following narrative, who, 
 the onl^' unmarried child of his aged parents, is 
 giving to them his tender, filial care, and smoothing 
 their pathway down the decline of life. With them 
 he occupies a good farm in Adams Township, and 
 in his agricultural and business operations is meet- 
 ing vvith deserved success. 
 
 William and Catherine (Fuller) Biaciiart, the par- 
 ents of our subject, are natives of Fulton County, 
 Pa. The father engaged in keeping hotel at Blairs- 
 ville, Indiana Co., Pa., until being burned out in 
 1856. This involved the loss of all his earthly pos- 
 sessions, and left him a poor man with a family' of 
 five children on his hands. Believing that he could 
 do better in the young and rapidl3' growing State 
 of Illinois, he repaired thither with his family, set- 
 tling in Henderson County, where he engaged in 
 farming several years, and until coming to Ne- 
 braska. 
 
 The father of our subject upon coming to this 
 section secured 320 acres of land in Adams Town- 
 ship, and here he has since continued to reside. 
 He has now reached the advanced age of eighty 
 years, and the mother is seventy years old. Their 
 son William B. married IMiss Anna Grund ; J. E. 
 married Miss Jennie Helems. and has two chil- 
 dren — Katie M. and Fayette E. ; Mary became the 
 wife of J. O. Morris, and is the mother of three 
 children — Lily, Myrtle and Darley; Anna, Mrs. 
 D. H. Moore, resides in Adams Township, and is 
 the mother of seven children, namelj': Guy W., 
 Raj' I., Fred, Leon, Ernest and Burnus (twins), and 
 Hugh. 
 
 George Blachart was born in the native county 
 of his parents, Fulton, Pa., Oct. 9, 184'2, and re- 
 ceived a good education in the schools of Indi- 
 
 ana County, that State, to which his parents re- 
 moved when he was a child. As the oldest boy he 
 was at an early age invested with serious responsi- 
 bilities, especially after his fatlxer lost so mucii prop- 
 ert}' by the burning of his hotel. Upon the outbreak 
 of the Civil War, however, he devised a way by 
 which he could be spared from home to go and as- 
 sist in the subjugation of the enemies of freedom 
 and union. He enlisted in Companj' H, 156th Illi- 
 nois Infantrj-, for one year or during the war, and 
 with his company was most of the time engaged in 
 the reconstruction of railroads, guarding rebel pris- 
 .oners, and such other duties as were inseparably 
 connected with the success and well-being of the 
 Union forces. At the time of Lee's surrender Com- 
 pany H was stationed at Memphis, Tenn., and there 
 Mr. Blachart received his honorable disetiarge. 
 Our subject after leaving the array hastened home, 
 and since that time has been the mainstay of those 
 now dependent upon him. He has little time to 
 devote to matters outside, but keeps himself well 
 posted upon current events, and uniformly votes 
 the Republican ticket. 
 
 >*^^gl/OT^»^~-\/v~.- 
 
 ->'W»\«2j2£r©^ 
 
 VtJOHN W. WAGNER, of Midland Township, 
 is numbered among the early citizens of this 
 count}', his residence here dating from July, 
 ^^// 1867. He is the owner of a whole section 
 of land, the accumulation of a life of industry and 
 economj'. A native of County Cork, Ireland, he 
 was born on the 28th of March, 1816, and about 
 the year i819 his parents, William and Barbara 
 (Patterson) Wagner, left their native country and 
 came to America, locating on a farm embraced in 
 the parish of WestHeld, near St. Johns, New Bruns- 
 wick. The mother died about 1852, and the father 
 ten years later, in 1862. They left a family of 
 eight children, of whom our subject is the eldest 
 and the only one born in Ireland. Of the sisters 
 and brothers two are deceased, their names being 
 Sarah and Jane; the latter departed this life on the 
 1st of September, 1839. Mary, the wife of Thomas 
 Seelej', and Ann, Mrs. John McCluskey, are resi- 
 dents of New Brunswick; Margaret is the wife of 
 Joseph Burden, of Chelsea, Mass. ; Richard remains 
 
 T 
 
'^M.iuby^.- 
 
 ■^-fe-sivfeS:?:'-'- 
 
 
 ■"-^-^ . 
 
 
 ^^^-sa^ggcj^j^j^a^^caBaa^i^^Sj^sa^s^rS^ 
 
 S^^«^^^^ii^^ 
 
 RESIDENCE OF THOMAS LE POIDEVIN , 5 EC . 13 , IVl I D LAN D TP. 
 
 ■ 'i-.v;r-»e^?-o*:-:~ 
 
 
 -/fl!^S>«8J!ii^^^. 
 
 
 RESIDENCE OF J.W.WAGNER , 5EC. 2Z , MIDLAND TP 
 
'4^• 
 
 ^*»iHK-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 G61 
 
 in the country of his birth, and Henry is a resident 
 of tiiis county. 
 
 At the time of liis journey across the ocean Wr. 
 Wagner was too small to be impressed with nn}' of 
 the incidents of tlie voyage. He spent his early 
 3onth on liis father's farm, and attended school at 
 St. Johns, making his home with his parents until 
 he grew to manhood. In August, 1841, he was 
 united in marriage with the present companion and 
 sharer of his joys, who in her girlhood was Miss 
 Eleanor Lane. Mrs. Wagner is also a native of 
 County Cork, Ireland, the daughter of William and 
 Margaret (Daily) Lane, and was born on the 2d 
 of M.1J'. 1822. About the time of the great famine 
 in Ireland ( 1 847-48), the family emigrated to Amer- 
 ica, also choosing New Brunswick as a place of resi- 
 dence, and settled near St. Johns. The mother died 
 in that place, and after Miss Eleanor's marriage 
 with our subject her father came to Nebraska and 
 made his home with her, living to the age of one 
 hundred and six 3-ears and three months. The follow- 
 ing is the record so far as known of the nine children 
 who comprised the famil3' of Mr. and Mrs. Lane: 
 Henry and Eliza died in Wisconsin; William died 
 in Rochester, N. Y., leaving a huge famil}'; John 
 resides in New Brunswick, and of the remaining 
 members of the family all are deceased except the 
 wife of our subject. 
 
 After their marriage our subject and his wife re- 
 sided in New Brunswick until 1858, when the}' re- 
 moved to Kenosha Count}', Wis., where they were 
 engaged in farming until their removal to this State. 
 The estate embraces 480 acres of land on section 22, 
 Midland Township, and 160 acres on sections 10, 15, 
 4 and fi. The homestead is noticeal)le for its good 
 improvements, which include a substantial dwelling 
 and the necessary barns and stock buildings. Mr. 
 Wagner gives attention to the growing of cereals 
 .ind general farm products and the raising of cattle. 
 He and his estimable wife have reason to feel grati- 
 fied with the result of their labors, surrounded as 
 they are by all the comforts of life. 
 
 The Wagner familj' includes eight bright, intelli- 
 gent children (three others, named Ilenr}' L., War- 
 ren C. and Ella A., having been called from the 
 happ}' fold), and to them liave been given the names 
 of Frank T., William A., John P., Richard W., 
 
 Sarah Jane. George A., Abel E. and Margaret E. 
 The ancestors of our subject were adherents of the 
 Episcopal faith, and Mr. and Mrs. Wagner are mem- 
 bers of the same church. Among his fellowmen he 
 bears an unblemished reputation, and has received 
 from their hands the election to the office of Town- 
 ship Treasurer, which proves to what an extent he 
 enjoys their esteem. Where political matters are 
 discussed, our subject speaks heartily in favor of 
 the Republican party. 
 
 A view of the Wagner homestead and its sur- 
 roundings, which will be found on another page, 
 indicates perhaps better than any words which we 
 might use to what good purpose the time and talents 
 of the proprietor have been employed. 
 
 S'HOMAS LeFOIDEVIN is one of the pio- 
 neers of the year 1806. and one of the large 
 land-owners and substantial farmers of this 
 county, residing on section 13, Midland Township, 
 where he is very pleasantly located. He was born 
 on the Island of Guernsey, one of the beautiful 
 little islands in the English Channel, on the 25th of 
 March, 1840. His parents. Job and Rachael Le- 
 Poidevin, were also natives of Guernsey, and had 
 cared for a family of seven children, whose names 
 are appended : Thomas, Rachael, Amelia, Alice, 
 John, Joseph and Alfred. All of the sons came to 
 the United States, Joseph and Alfred being resi- 
 dents of New York City, John and Thomas of this 
 county. 
 
 The parents of our subject lived on a f;iriii. and 
 he, as the eldest son, was carl}' called to assume his 
 share of the family burden in assisting his father to 
 provide for their maintenance. Consequently he 
 was permitted to attend school but a short time, 
 and his education is the result of a business contact 
 with many people rather than a close acqu.aintance 
 with text-.books. In 1863 he left his native home 
 and came to the United States, going direct to 
 Wisconsin, and first stopping in Racine County, 
 where he for a time engaged as a farm hand. In 
 1866 he came to this State, and took advantage of 
 the generous ofifer of the Government to provide 
 him with a homestead, selecting the southwest quar- 
 ter of section 13, Midland Township, on which he 
 
■^^ 
 
 0(52 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4- 
 
 still resides. He now owns 240 acres of land, all 
 in an improved condition, which is the result of his 
 own perseverance and industry, on which he has 
 erected an attractive and substantial dwelling, with 
 convenient barns and farm buildings for the storage 
 of the farm produce and the shelter of the stock. 
 He gives attention to the raising of cattle, horses 
 and hogs, and from a financial standpoint his voca- 
 tion has |)roved successful. 
 
 On the 5th of December, 18C7, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Teanna Tanner, a na- 
 tive of Switzerland. She was born on the 14th of 
 January, 1847, near Berne, and is a daughter of 
 John and Catharine Tanner, who are now residing 
 in Logan Township, this county. The family of 
 our subject and his wife includes nine children, the 
 older members budding into young manhood and 
 womanhood, attractive and intelligent, on whom are 
 bestowed the following names: Adelia. Amelia, 
 John, Bertha, Mabel, Kzra, Charlie, Marie and Jose- 
 phine. The parents of our subject were religious 
 people, who did not shrink from the duty of plac- 
 ing before their children the truths of religion anil 
 the example of Christian lives; thus our subject was 
 early in life taught to believe in the Scriptures, ac- 
 cording to the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, but while he Is a believer in the Christian 
 religon he has not yet identified himself with any 
 church. 
 
 During his residence in his native land our sub- 
 ject was loyal to his Sovereign, and served for seven 
 years in the militia of H. R. II. (^ueen Victoria. 
 Since his removal to his adopted country he has 
 informed himself on all topics of public interest, in 
 order that he might be qualified to act as an intelli- 
 gent and enterprising citizen, and in matters of 
 politics affiliates with the Republican party. 
 
 A view of the farm property of Mr. LePoideviu 
 is shown in this connection. 
 
 ji^REDERlCK H. LOHMEYER. In February, 
 
 |l-^gi 1883, the subject of this sketch came to 
 jis Glenwood Township with iiis wife and one 
 child, settling on his present farm of IGO acres on 
 section 18. Since that time his little homestead has 
 
 received his entire attention, and is rising into 
 inorainence as one of the most desirable pieces 
 of property in the locality. He understands the 
 proper cultivation of the soil, and is effecting the im- 
 jjrovements consistent with his means, adding each 
 3'ear something to the beauty and value of the 
 premises. He has recently completed a handsome 
 () welling, and has around him alread3' many of the 
 comforts and conveniences suggestive of an older 
 man and a longer residence. 
 
 The early home of our subject was on the other 
 side of the Atlantic, he having been born in the 
 Province of Hanover, Germany, Ma}' 7. 1849. 
 When a lad of twenty j'ears he emigrated to the 
 United States alone. He first settled in the count}' 
 of Iowa, in the State of that name. After occupy- 
 ing this four years, he removed to the vicinity of 
 Fremont, Dodge Co., Neb., and from there a year 
 afterward changed his residence to Dawson County. 
 They lived there tiiree years, where he took a claim, 
 but which he kept about three years, then went to 
 Mitchell County, Kan. Our subject, after a sojourn 
 of three years in tlie latter, moved into Washington 
 County, that State, living there also three years, 
 and at the expiration of this time took up his abode 
 in this county. 
 
 In the Fatherland 3'oung Lohmeyer assisted his 
 father at blacksmithing, locksmithing and farming, 
 and also worked some in the distillery owned by 
 the latter. The father, Frederick Lohmeyer, was a 
 native of Hanover, and married Miss Margaret En- 
 gel, a native of his own Province. The}' were the 
 parents of six children, of whom Frederick, Jr., 
 was the eldest son and second child. Our subject 
 is considerably interested in stock-raising, and will 
 probably extend his operations in this direction, as 
 he gradually gathers about him the facilities for 
 doing so. 
 
 In Washington County, Kan., Mr. Lohmeyer was 
 married, Nov. 9, 1880, to Miss Caroline, daughter 
 of Jacob and Elizabeth Ann (Day) Gundelfinger^ 
 wlio were natives respectively of German}' and Illi- 
 nois. Mr. G. emigrated to America when a young 
 man, and is now living in Hanover, Washington 
 Co., Kan., having settled there in June, 1860. The 
 motiier died in Hanover, Kan., Aug. 29, 1885. 
 I They were the parents of eleven children, of whom 
 
^•••Hh-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 GC 
 
 Mrs. L. was tbe si'Coiul horn. She first opened her 
 ej-es to the light in Hanover, Wasliington Co., Kan., 
 Oct. 3. 1861. and was there reared to womaniiood, 
 remaining with her parents until her marriai^e. She 
 is now the mother of four ehihlreu, three of whom, 
 Maggie E. C, Anna and John G., thej' with sad 
 hearts consigned to little graves in infancy. Their 
 only child, Frederick Jacob, was born Aug. .5, 1881. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lohmeyer are members of the 
 Lutheran Church, in the doctrines of which they 
 had been trained from childhood. Mr. L. believes 
 in progress and reform, .ind politically, is a decided 
 Republican. 
 
 4 
 
 ff^ TEPHEN S. JONES, editor and proprietor 
 ^^^ of the Blue Springs Motor., comes of excel- 
 Illy D) '(^'it Welsh ancestry. His father, Edward 
 S. Jones, was born in Wales in 1818, and 
 emigr.ated to America when a joung man twenty- 
 two years of age. Locating in Pittsbuigh, Pa., lie 
 followed his trade of stair-builder, finally becoming 
 a eontr.nctor, and w.as a resident of the Smoky Citj' 
 for a period of twenty years. 
 
 Upon leaving Pennsylvania the father of our 
 subject took up his abode in Tiiurman, Ohio, where 
 he has resided since 1855. He followed his busi- 
 ness of contractor a number of years, then retired, 
 anil is spending his last days in peace and comfort. 
 The mother, Mrs. Eliza (Evans) Jones, was born in 
 Wales also, and emigrated to America when a young 
 lady of eighteen years. She subsequently lived in 
 Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Youngstovvn, Ohio, 
 and departed this life at iier home in Thurniau, 
 Ohio. April 21, 1888. The family included eight 
 children, five sons and three daughters, six of whom 
 are living, and are now residents mostly of Ohio. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was born at Pittsburgh, 
 Pa., Oct. 8, 1850, and when five years of age re- 
 moved to Thurman, Ohio, with his parents. He 
 received a common-school education, comi)leting 
 his studies at the academj' in Gallipolis, and the 
 Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, in 1870. He 
 afterward was employed as a teacher in the schools 
 of Thurman until 1872, and in May of that year 
 started for the West. His first residence in tliis 
 
 State was in Rulo, where he officiated as Principal 
 of the schools of that place two years, and from 
 there went to Galipolis, Ohio, and for a year was in 
 the teachers' department of the academy there. 
 Later he returned to Thurman, where he taught 
 school and studied law. He was admitted to the 
 bar, and returned to Rulo in 1876. There he was 
 again made Principal of the city schools, and in due 
 time was elected County Superintendent, serving as 
 such two years. Next he had charge of the Ster- 
 ling schools, with which he was connected for 
 one year, and in 1880 was called to Liberty, the 
 schools of which he was connected with one year. 
 Then becoming interested in newspaper work, he 
 purchased the Liberty Journal, wiiich he con- 
 ducted a year, then sold, and invested his capital in 
 the Blue Springs Motor, Feb. 1, 1883. This paper 
 he also sold a year later, and for two years follow- 
 ing was editor of the Beatrice Republican. At the 
 expiration of this time he returned to Blue Springs, 
 repurchased the Motor, and is now giving his at- 
 tention to the business connected therewith. 
 
 Mr. Jones was married, May 14, 1873, to Miss 
 Alberta R. Easley, of Rulo. and they have become 
 the parents of two children — Blanche and Easley. 
 Mrs. Jones was born in Halifax County, Va., July 
 11, 1855, and is the daughter of Albert and Eliza- 
 beth Easley, who were natives of Virginia, and are 
 now residents of Falls City, this State. The father is 
 retired from active business. Mrs. Jones was care- 
 fully reared and educated, and lived at home with 
 her parents until her marriage. 
 
 OHN S. JONES, a late resident of Barnes- 
 ton Township, having silent many 3ears in 
 well-doing, has gone to receive the reward 
 which is promised to those who lead con- 
 sistent and Christian lives on earth. He was born 
 in AVales, in September, 1844, and was a son of 
 Thomas Jones (deceased), who was a native of the 
 same counUy. When he was about twenty-seven 
 j'ears old he made up his mind to come to America, 
 and in 1872 he departed from his native land, and 
 after enduring the voyage across the water arriveil 
 safely' in the harbor for which he was bound. He 
 
 :^Ml^ 
 
-4«- 
 
 ■•► 
 
 0G4 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 made liis home in Shenandoah County, Pa., and 
 for five years worked in ihe cij:il mines, after which, 
 in 1877, lie went to Willianisburo, Iowa, and liegan 
 farming. For four j'oars lie continued the pur- 
 suit of agriculture in that place, and in the spring of 
 1881 he brought his family to this county, making 
 his home where the family- now live. 
 
 On the 18th of August, 1869, our subject was 
 united in marriage in his native country to Miss 
 Ann S. Lloyd, a daughter of John and Elizabeth 
 Lloyd, who were natives of the same country. She 
 was horn in September, 1842, and came with our 
 subject to the United States in 1872. By their 
 marriage they have become tlie parents of eight 
 children, whose names and thedates of whose births 
 are noted as follows; Lizzie was born on the loth 
 of August, 1870; Saraii, on the 4th of October, 
 1872; Maggie, on the 31st of March, 1 875 ;John T., 
 on the 3d of August, 1877; Mary E., on the 10th of 
 October, 1880 ; Robert V., on the 10th of November, 
 1882; Edith, on the KUhof April, 1885; and Lu- 
 ther E., on the 1st of March, 1887. At the time 
 wiien this growing family so much needed the care 
 and protection of a kind father he was taken from 
 them, leaving to his bereaved wife the burden of 
 caring for a family whose oldest son was about 
 eleven j-ears old. He died on the 10th of Jul}', 
 1888, and his family was not onl^' deprived of an 
 affectionate husband and a tender father, but their 
 loss was mourned by the community. 
 
 Our subject was one of the pillars in the Welsh 
 Presbyterian Church of Blue Valley, a good Chris- 
 tian man, respected and loved b}' all. He was a 
 friend to the i)oor man, sympathizing with him, and 
 as far as he was able assisting him in the accumula- 
 tion of this world's goods, and in the preparation 
 for a useful life. He had provided well for his 
 family, showing in that respect his love for them, to 
 the end that if he were taken from them they 
 might not be left in destitute circumstances. His 
 farm of 160 acres on section 18, Barneston Town- 
 ship, is managed by Mrs. Jones, who has assumed 
 the responsibilities from which her sons ma}' soon 
 be able to relieve her. When our subject died he 
 legretted to leave his loved family, but knowing 
 that he could not be with them always, and con- 
 scious of having led a useful and Christian life, he 
 
 was ready to answer the summons and sulwuit his 
 life to the hands of Him who gave it. None 
 knew him but to love him, and his memory will 
 long be cherished in the hearts of his warm and ad- 
 miring friends, who have much sympathy for the 
 widovv and family so earl}' bereaved of his tender 
 care. Me has gone to receive his reward, having 
 left an example worthy to be followed by his sons, 
 and worthy of the admiration of all. He was 
 forty-four years, nine months and twenty-seven 
 days old at his demise. 
 
 ENRY THEASMAEIR, of Clatonia Town- 
 ship, is numbered among its leading farmers' 
 and is considerably interested in stock- 
 raising. His homestead, a view of which is 
 given in this work, is pleasantly located on sec- 
 tion 15, and indicates the manner in which he has 
 labored during the years of his residence here, 
 which commenced in tlie spring of the year 1875. 
 A native of Germany, our subject was born in Dat- 
 mold, Feb. 21, 1850, and is the son of Henry and 
 Amelia (Talle) Theasmaeir, who left hiin an orphan 
 at an early age, the mother passing from earth when 
 he was two years old and the father four years 
 later. 
 
 Our subject was reared by relatives, and when 
 ten years of age began the struggle of life by work- 
 ing out on a farm, and was thus occupied four 
 years. He then engaged in a brickj'ard, where he 
 remained until 1869, then resolved to emigrate to 
 America. In the spring of that year he secured 
 passage on a sailing-vessel bound from the port of 
 Bremen to New York City, and after an ocean 
 voyage of twelve days landed upon American soil. 
 Proceeding directly to Stephenson County, 111., he 
 hired out on a farm, and was engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits in that region for a period of seven years, 
 working for onl}' three different parties during that 
 entire time. His first wages were 811 per month 
 and board, but he was soon promoted, and during 
 the last four years of his labors as an employe re- 
 ceived the creditable salarj' of $225 and his l)oard. 
 
 Mr. Theasmaeir in the spring of 1875 crossed the 
 Mississippi, anil coming into this county purchased 
 
||| ■ -.^l^ffSt 
 
 «■ ^ 
 
 y 
 
 ^CUIO / o/ccyyCc \ 
 
-#»■ 
 
 1 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 COT 
 
 eighty acres of railroad laiul on section 15 in Cle- 
 tonia Tuwiisliip. Tliis, it is hardly necessary to saj', 
 had been undisturbed by the plowshare, and tiiere 
 was neither shelter for man nor beast, but lie soon 
 erected a luiinhle dwelling. He was married to 
 Miss Susie Lauber, in Gage Count}', April 21, 1875, 
 and tliey took possession of theii' first abode with 
 hearts strong and hopeful for tlie future. In due 
 time the little household embraced five children: 
 Henry, l)orn Nov. 23, 1876; Anne, Aug. 28, 1878; 
 Emma, Oct. 23, 1880: George, .July 26, 1882, and 
 Nana, Aug. 5, 18^7. They are all living and con- 
 tinue under the home roof. 
 
 Mrs. Theasmaeir was born Julj' oO, 1852, in Ste- 
 phenson County, III., and is the daughter of Jacob 
 and Doretha (Rub}') Lauber. the former now de- 
 ceased and the mother a resident of Clatoniu Town- 
 ship. Mr. T., politically, votes the straight Repub- 
 lican ticket, and in religious matters is a member in 
 good standing of the Methodist Ei)iseopal Church, 
 being one of its chief pillars and most liberal sup- 
 porters. He rejjresents a fine jjroperty, accumulated 
 by his own industry and energy, and is one of the 
 thrifty and reliable citizens who have assisted in 
 bringing this county to its present condition. 
 
 * ^^f^^^^^s^i^ 5. 
 
 JACOB TAYLOR, one of the leading farmers 
 and land-ownei's of Sicily Township, was born 
 on the 3d of Sejjtember, 1827, in England, 
 and at the age of thirty-one years he left 
 his native country to come to America. .StarlTing 
 from Liverpool on the loth of October, 1858, he 
 endured a voyage of six weeks and two days, land- 
 ing at the end of that time in New Orleans. Go- 
 ing at once to Peoria, III., he stopped for six weeks 
 with his uncle, John (Jreeiihalgh. and thence mi- 
 grated to Wyoming. Stark Co., III., where he re- 
 mained for twenty-four years. At that place he 
 had a farm of 170 acres of land. He came to his 
 present home in March, 1883, where he has since 
 lived, having a fine farm of 551 acres splendidly 
 improved on section 36, Sicily Townshi|). He also 
 has 480 acres on sections 35, 2 and 7, on one of 
 which farms his son Sherman and daughter Eliza- 
 beth, now Mrs. John L. Dawson, reside. Our sub- 
 
 jeet gives attention to the raising of grain and live 
 stock. 
 
 On the 20th of August, 1650, Mr. T.aylor was 
 married, near Haywood, England, to Miss Alice Ho- 
 worth, and they have a family of seven children: 
 Elizabeth, who was married on the 20th of August, 
 1879, to Mr. John Dawson; Esther Ann, now Mrs. 
 John Kelly; James, John J., Edwin J., Sherman 
 and Albert D. The three eldest children are mar- 
 ried and live in this vicinity. 
 
 When Mr. and Mrs. Taylor arrived in Wyoming, 
 III., they luad about the sum of §60 in money, and by 
 industry and strict application to business, they 
 have since accumulated the valuable property men- 
 tioned. The farm is one of the best and finest im- 
 pioved in the neighborhood, being well stocked, 
 and having all the modern conveniences for the 
 pursuit of agriculture. The fine horse-teams draw- 
 ing the riding or buggy-plow, now seen in the fields, 
 present a great contr.ast to the teams of the earlier 
 settlers, they very often consisting of the slow and 
 harmless oxen, drawing the rude and i)rimitive 
 bre.aking-plow. 
 
 The father of our subject, John Taylor, was also 
 a native of England, in which country he married 
 Miss Ann Greenhalgh (our subject's mother). There 
 were ten children of this family, all of whom, with 
 the exceittion of our subject, remained in England, 
 and there the father and mother died. Jacob re- 
 ceived a common-scho<jl education in his own coun- 
 try, and at about the age of seventeen years he 
 beo^an learning the carpenter's trade with his father, 
 who then carried on that business; but later he 
 took a fancy to machinery, and then learned the 
 machinist's trade, at which he worked until he came 
 to America. The wages which he received as a 
 machinist were twenty-five shillings per week, being 
 the highest w.ages he ever received there. 
 
 Having adopted America as his country and future 
 place of residence, our subject made himself ac- 
 quainted with the form of govern meut and general 
 political information, that he might be enabled to 
 enjoy the privileges of an American citizen and 
 voter, and the policy of the Republican l)arty hav- 
 ing met his approval, he joined himself to that 
 organization. He takes an active interest in the 
 welfare of the country, in her educational and politi- 
 •^ 
 
 "i 
 
■ ► 1 1^ 
 
 008 
 
 GAGE COL'^TY. 
 
 cal advancement and prosperity, and in every way 
 he has striven to inaiie himself an lionorable resi- 
 dent of his commiinit}', winning li}' his own qiiali- 
 fieations of worth tlie highe-st esteem and the entire 
 approval of his feUowmen and associates in busi- 
 ness. 
 
 The poitrait of Mr. Taylor, which will be found 
 on an accompanying page, occupies its rightful posi- 
 tion among those of the men of wealth and influence 
 in Gage County, to the progress and development 
 of which he has contributed his full quota. 
 
 lENJAIMlN F. MOORE is entitled to honor- 
 able mention in this collection of biogra- 
 phies, because of his illustrious ancestors, 
 "^^^' and their connection with the American 
 struggle for independence, and subsequent wars; of 
 liis own war record, which lias been most gratify- 
 ing; of his early connection with this State, and the 
 subsequent manner in which he distinguished him- 
 self in its behalf, as well as tiie present position 
 which he so ably fills. His parents, James and 
 Harriet (Barton) Moore, were natives of Pennsyl- 
 vania, the former being born in Juniata County', 
 and the latter in Union County. The grandfather 
 of our subject. John jMoore, was a Major in the 
 Revolutionarj' War, and had two brothers killed in 
 the same war, one at Brandywine and one at Ben- 
 nington. The grandfather was born in Ringgold's 
 Manor, in Maryland, but the inhabitants were driven 
 out by the Indians to Juniata County, Pa. The 
 great-grandfather of our subject was of Scotch- 
 Irish descent, a Protestant in religion, and came to 
 Maryland with Lord Baltimore, being one of the 
 colon3' which settled in that State. They were 
 molested l)y the Indians, and they removed to 
 Pennsylvania, where the^- were among the first 
 permanent settlers. This illustrious ancestor of our 
 subject assisted William Penn in surveying the 
 boundary line for the State which bears his name. 
 
 The father of our subject was a ph^'sician, and 
 for fifty-eight years he practiced his profession in 
 Juniata Valley, Pa., living to the advanced age of 
 eighty six years, longevity being a characteristic of 
 
 this family. Some of the ancestors attained the 
 remarkable age of one hundred and five years, 
 others ninety-five, and thus transmitted the vigor of 
 advanced years to their descendants. Maj. Moore 
 was atone lime a slave-holder, but becoming con- 
 vinced of the curse of slavery, he liberated his 
 own servants and became a very strong Whig. 
 There is not a battle-field of the Union that is not 
 stained by the blood of this illustrious family, 
 unless it be that of the Seminole War. The father 
 was an examining surgeon in the War of 1812, 
 and in the late civil uni)leasantness eight of his sons, 
 including our subject, enlisted and served through- 
 out the war, all returning home alive, an incident 
 not duplicated in the history of the war. The 
 mother of our subject died on the 14th of Septem- 
 ber, 1864, in Fulton Count}', Pa., when she was 
 sixty-three years old, and had been a loving and 
 devoted mother to a family of twelve children. 
 Her death was an irreparable loss, not only to her 
 family, who deeply mourned the bereavement, but 
 to a laige circle of friends and acquaintances, who 
 understood and appreciated her true worth and 
 Christian character. Of her children we have the 
 following record: Kinebar A. resides in Adams; 
 Ellen died at the age of three years; Rebecca is 
 now Mrs. J. B. Alexander; John C. makes his home 
 in Harrisburg, Pa.; Dr. C. W. is in Sterling, Neb. ; 
 Julia is now Mrs. Gr.ay, of Adams; Harriet, now 
 Mrs. Kennedy, of Sterling; Maj. Joseph A., of 
 Harrisl)urg, Pa.; James M., of Adams; Lieut. Ben- 
 jamin Franklin (our subject) ; William H., deceased, 
 and'Curran E., in Cropsc}'. 
 
 Our subject was born on the 30th of January, 
 1838, at Shirleysburg, Huntingdon Co., Pa., under 
 the rafters of the old homestead. When he was 
 three j'ears of .age his father sold the homestead in 
 Huntingdon County, and went to Fulton County, 
 where he built a woolen factory and sawmills on 
 a large tract of land, thus the earliest scenes of 
 our subject's recollection were in the latter count}-. 
 He began to work when he w.as but a young 
 lad of eleven j'ears, lending his assistance in lum- 
 bering and farming, and attended the subscrip- 
 tion schools, although the educational advantages 
 were not great. The first school which he at- 
 tcndeil was held in a log house that he had hcli)ed 
 
•^^ 
 
 GAGE COUKTY. 
 
 ^•^T^ 
 
 669 
 
 to biiilil, and all llie siimjiiiuliiigs were of the most 
 primitive fashion. His father was a strong Whig 
 and a personal friend of Henry Clay, tlius our sub- 
 jeet was early imliued with ideas of freedom and 
 libertj', as were his seven brothers, and as lie grew 
 to manhood his strength of character and intellect- 
 ual faculties were developed from the association 
 with the greatest minds of the age. He served a 
 regular apprenticeship b^' which he learned the 
 plasterer's trade, which he followed for some time. 
 From his earliest recollections he h.is had a fond- 
 ness for collecting and preserving relics and bric-a- 
 brac, and has now quite a large collection of old 
 and interesting articles, many of which savor of 
 startling reminiscences of Colonial and Revolution- 
 arv times. 
 
 Having the patriotism thus inborn and innate in 
 a maul}' breast, at the breaking out of the Rebell- 
 ion our subject at once enlisted in Battery A, 1st 
 Pennsylvania Light Artillery, for three months' 
 service, and participated in the engagements at Sir 
 John's Run and Bath. He then re-enlisted in the 
 United States service for three years, or during the 
 war, in the same battery, and fought at Cedar 
 Mountain. Chancellorsville, South Mountain and 
 Antietam, when he was transferred, in Se|)tember, 
 1862, to Company K of the 6th United States 
 Cavalry. He next served at Sulphur Springs, Fred- 
 ericksburg, Stoneman's raid and Beverl3' Ford, 
 where they met the enemy in a hand-to-hand en- 
 gagement which was the largest and hardest fought 
 cavalry tight in the war. In this engagement his 
 horse was shot under bim, the bullet passing through 
 the unfortunate animal's bod^-, and it fell dead to 
 the ground, pinning underneath it our subject's left 
 leg, in trying to extricate which he was severely 
 and permanently injured. He next fought at Mid- 
 dleburg, then Upperville, and at Gettysburg he was 
 one of Gen. Me.ade's special detached officers. He 
 was in the center of the fight, and when the illus- 
 trious Hancock was shot our subject was right be- 
 side him. He was also at Brandy Station, and in 
 Ma3', 1S64, the time of his enlistment having ex- 
 pired, he re-enlisted as Second Lieutenant in Com- 
 pany A, 12th Maryland Infantry, for services of 
 bravery and valor being afterward promoted to the 
 rank of First Lieutenant. He was then appointed 
 
 aide on the staff of Gen. Lew Wallace, in the cam- 
 paign at Monocacy, against Gen. Earl}'. 
 
 Our subject was under fire in thirty-seven skir- 
 mishes and battles, and he assisted at the unloading 
 of the Anderson ville prisoners at Annapolis, being 
 retained six months longer in the special service of 
 the United .Slates, from which he obtained his final 
 discharge after the close of the war. His seven 
 brothers also fought long and valiantly, and it 
 seems almost due to the special protection of a kind 
 Providence that while they were in some of the 
 hottest engagements of tl»e Rebellion they all came 
 home alive. From a letter written by our subject 
 after the battle of Cedar Mountain, and one written 
 in reply by his loving mother, wc take the fi/Uowing 
 extracts : 
 
 "Artilleiu' Camp, near Clli>epek ) 
 •■Court House, Aug. 17, 1862. ) 
 
 "Dear Brother and Home: — Again having leis- 
 ure to write I thought it prudent to keep my pen 
 moving, and not forget home. We are again get- 
 ting fixed up and settled after the fight. I know 
 by this time what the reality of war is, and if I 
 should never happen in another engagement I should 
 be perfectly satisfied. But if I am called into other 
 engagements I will try to do the best I can for the 
 cause for which we are all battling. The old flag 
 is more precious to me th.an ever it was before. 
 Just to see the rebels carrying their motto before 
 them and trying to put down the old National 
 colors, I tell you it does stir up the so-called 
 •Yankee' blood within me. Yon can see none of 
 the Southern boldness at home in the North, here 
 plenty of it can be seen; however, we boys under 
 Gen. Pope make it hot for them when we get hohl 
 of them. Yesterday' a number of us went out to 
 the battle-field to get the hod}- of the man that was 
 killed on our gun. We buried him on Monday 
 right on the battle-field, but having made a coflin 
 for him we raised his body out of the first grave 
 and gave him a burial in the Soldiers' Cemetery. It 
 was a disagreeable and disheartening job, but we 
 thought it was right to give him a proper burial. 
 I was nearly all over the field and found where 
 many a brave fellow struck the dust for the last 
 time, both •boys of the blue' and "boys of the gray.' 
 The graves are large and many, and mark the 
 
•^f^ 
 
 CTO 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 batlle-fiekl of Cedar IMoiintain. It is no job to find 
 many trophies of the batlle-ficid, but I felt I could 
 not touch an3thinf; that belonged to the poor un- 
 fortunate ones who fell. The dying groans and 
 last struggles of the dying ones can never be de- 
 picted by the pen ; it is a sight those present alone 
 can behold, a sight which never can be expressed. 
 * * * Now write often to your affectionate 
 brother. Direct as liefore. Do your best for the 
 old folks, and [ will try to partly compensate yon 
 for your trouble. 1 sent 15 to Ellen for a dress, 
 anil when 1 draw my next pay I will send you some 
 more if j'ou want it. Good-b}". 
 
 "B. Fkank Mooke." 
 
 The following letter was written by the motlier 
 of our subject in reply to his of the 17th. above 
 noted : 
 
 "New Gkanada, August, 1862. 
 
 "Deak Frank: — You do not know what comfort 
 your letter gave us; as long as you are able to hold 
 a pen do not forget to write. * * * jjy sq,j, 
 while you are rallying around the flagof the Union, 
 do not f(jrget to rally around the standard of King 
 Jesus. Y'ou m.ay soon be ushered into His presence; 
 go in His fear, your cause is just. Pray that you 
 may be saved and restored to us; we pray unceas- 
 ingly for your preservation, and that you may be 
 guarded from all evil. Act as if every moment 
 were your last. Be careful of j'our diet; your 
 crackers may be hard, yet thej' are wholesome. 
 Avoid all evil companions; be subject to your 
 superiors. Give our respects to your Captain. The 
 Lord bless and take care of you is the prayer of 
 your mother, Harriet Moore." 
 
 "Who can say that it was not in answer to the 
 prayers of this loving and devoted mother, who 
 could send out her eight boys, not knowing that she 
 should ever again look upon one of their faces, and 
 yet so bravely encourage them to do their dut^- in 
 behalf of their country ? Who can sa}' that it was not 
 because of her devotion and sacrifice that her sons- 
 were peiinitted to return to their home.'' Having 
 served for four years, two months and three d.ays, 
 our subject was honorably discharged, and returned 
 to Ills home in Fulton County, Pa., on the 18th of 
 August, 1866. In the following year he started 
 from Pittsburgh ami came to Omaha, eugaging at 
 
 his trade for a few months, and in the same year, 
 on the 16th of October, he took up a homestead on 
 which the Cropsey post-office, in Adams Township, 
 is now located, where he was one of the first set- 
 tlers. He started for St. Joseph, stopped at Brown- 
 ville until December 24, and in company with two 
 of his brothers came to his own homestead. His 
 patent on the liomestead was signed by Ulysses S. 
 Grant, and was among the first homesteads issued. 
 In the spring of 1868, after Lincoln was located, 
 our subject worked in that city and through the 
 summer at plastering. He had the contract for 
 plastering the old cajjitol building, and with eight 
 men did the work, completing it on December 8, 
 with five men. 
 
 On the 13lh of January. 1869, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Amazctta K. McCord, 
 daughter of Mitchell K. and Amanda (Howell) 
 McCord, the former of whom was born, in Monon- 
 gahela Countj', Pa., and the latter in Louisville, Ky. 
 The father's parents died when he was very young, 
 and he was for a time engaged in working on flat- 
 boats on the Ohio and Mississipjji Rivers, vviiere he 
 made the acquaintance of young Abraham Lincoln, 
 who was engaged in the same work in his early 
 struggles with the world. The father of Mrs. 
 Moore went to Kentuckj' on a flatboat, and stopped 
 for awhile at Louisville, where he went into busi- 
 ness, and became a friend of Daniel Boone. While 
 there he also made the acquaintance of Peter Cart- 
 wright, and was himself widely known as a fron- 
 tiersman. He was a stock-trader, but he would 
 have no slaves, and in this respect he sympathized 
 with his friends James Lane and John Brown. He 
 went to Madison, Wis., when there was but one 
 traders' post there, about the year 1834, and kept 
 the hotel known as the •American House" for 
 some time. Li 1856, in company with Harry Gil- 
 mar, '-the raider," he started on an expedition tour 
 through the West, and in the course of their journey 
 they came to the Big Nemaha, which was much 
 swollen. In order to cross the stream Mr. Gilmar 
 took Mr. McCord on his back and swam the stream 
 near its mouth. There they formed the acquaint- 
 ance of John Brown and James Lane, of Kunsas_ 
 JNlr. McCord purchased a section of land in Rich- 
 ardson County and engaged in farming, and he 
 •>> 
 
-L 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•► 
 
 r.Ti 
 
 i' 
 
 also became the proprietor of a freight anfl stage 
 route. It fell to his lot to take the celebrated In- 
 dian eiiicfs White Cloud and Tecumseh to Illinois, 
 where llie^' took the railroad train to Washington, 
 on their first trip, or mission, to settle affairs in 
 regard to their lands. Both Mr. and Mrs. McCord 
 were very generous; at times the latter cooked for 
 .500 Indians, and as long .as they had provisions 
 they shared with them. The father was the leading 
 man in several gigantic enterprises, and w.as "up 
 and down" in the financial world several times. In 
 1871 he moved to South Lancaster Countj', where 
 he made his home, and after a long and busy life he 
 spent a few j-ears in retirement at Bennet. He died 
 there on the 13th of September, 1886, when he was 
 seventj'-seven years old, and his remains now rest 
 in Panama, where a handsome monument marks his 
 grave. Mrs.-MoCord still makes her home in Ben- 
 net, and is seventy-five years old; she is the mother 
 of nine children — William J., Joseph, Josephine, 
 Henry, Cassey, Carlton, Aniazetta, and two un- 
 named. 
 
 Mrs. Moore was born at Madison, Wis., on the 
 3d of Febniar3% 1849, where she passed her early 
 days, and she was nine years old when she came to 
 Nebraska, her parents moving across eountrj' ivith 
 one carriage and one wagon. She and her mother 
 rode on the first passenger train which left M.adison 
 for Louisville, Ky., and while living in the former 
 place her sister attended the acadeniv. After her 
 removal to Nebraska she attended a select school in 
 Richardson County, taught by a young lady named 
 Miss Cooper, in a private house, there being no 
 public schools and no churches there at th.at time. 
 While her father was keeping hotel in Brownville, 
 she made the acquaintance of our subject, and after 
 a brief courtship, at the age of twenty' years, she was 
 married, and left her father's roof to grace the home 
 of her husband, which she has done to perfection, 
 combining with her personal charms and fascinat- 
 ing manner the refinement of a true womanly 
 heart. She is the mother of three children, named: 
 Frank V., Thomas W. and Julia J., of whom the 
 firet is an engineer in the elevator at Adams, and 
 the two last named are at home attending school. 
 
 Our subject owns eighty-five acres of good farming 
 land, and a house and lot in town. He is independent 
 
 .^ 
 
 in i)olitical views, sufficiently non-partisan to vote 
 for men rather than for the upholding of anj' part}'. 
 He w.as elected almost unanimously for Supervisor 
 in 1888, which office he is now filling, and luas 
 been Constable and a member of the School Board. 
 Frank V. Moore was the first white cl>.ild born in the 
 Nemaha Valley, our subject having been an early 
 resident, and prominently' identified with public 
 affairs since that early day. Mrs. Moore owns a 
 millinery store in Adams, and her taste, abilit}' and 
 .affable ways have built up a fair trade for her. In 
 regard to the family of which our subject is a mem- 
 ber we clip the following interesting account from 
 the Sterling News: "The city of Sterling is the home 
 of many members of one of the most remarkable 
 families that America h.as produced — we refer to the 
 Moore family. Eight stalwart brothers of the said 
 family were in the War of the Rebellion at one 
 time, fighting for the defense of American liberties 
 and the perpetuation of American institutions. This 
 family will hold a reunion at the residence of Mrs. 
 H. L. Kennedy, one of the sisters, next Friday, the 
 occasion being the seventieth birthday of Judge 
 K. A. Moore, the oldest member of the family. 
 There will be present at this reunion. Judge K. A. 
 Moore; Hon. John C. Moore, of Ilarrisburg, Pa.: 
 Dr. C. W. Moore, James M. Moore. B. F. Mooie, 
 W. H. Moore, C. E. Moore, and two sisters, Mrs. 
 W. A. Gray and Mrs. H L. Kennedy. One sister, 
 Mrs. Alexander, and one brother, Capt. J. A. 
 Moore, who is Principal of the Whitehall Soldiers' 
 Orphans' Home, at Ilarrisburg, Pa., will not be 
 present." 
 
 A writer in the National Tribune in speaking 
 of this family says: "I hope you will allow me to 
 offer a tribute to the memory of the mother of 
 these eight heroes. When the war broke out she 
 was more than threescore j-ears old, and in April, 
 1861, the writer saw her approach five of her stal- 
 wart sons, every man of whom afterward distin- 
 guished himself .and came home only when the war 
 was ended, .as they stood in the ranks ready to 
 leave the home of their childhood for the bloody 
 fra}', and giving each a mother's kiss and a mother's 
 parting blessing, told them to acquit themselves 
 like men, and if the charge of cowardice ever was 
 attached to any one of them he must never intrude 
 
■♦- 
 
 -•»- 
 
 672 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 himself upon his mother again. The dear old lady 
 was a most devoted Christian, and thanked God for 
 honoring her by making her tlie mother of eight 
 soldiers for the Union. She had an unwavering 
 faith that God would return all of her sons to her 
 alive. In this she was not disai)poiiite(l ; her sons 
 all came home, but when they came the grand old 
 Spartan mother, whose prayers and bemidictionshad 
 made them strong in the hour of trial, had gone to 
 receive the crown of immortality." 
 
 -*- 
 
 4 
 
 RANKLIN L. CHAMBERLIN is a suecess- 
 (s^< ful farmer and stock-raiser residing on sec- 
 tion 20. Blue Springs Township, where be 
 has a fine farm of eighty acres. He was born in 
 Macomb. 111., on the 14th of February, 1857, his 
 father, Isaac G. Chamberlin, having moved to that 
 place from his native State. He was born on the 
 24th of October, 1817, in Adains County, Pa., near 
 Gettysburg, and his earliest recollections were of 
 the scenes and events of his home near the foot of 
 the Alleghany Mountains. He married Miss Mary 
 J. Adair, who was also a native of Adams County, 
 Pa. They were married in Illinois, in December, 
 1851. The father came to Nebraska with his fam- 
 ily in 1878, but owing to ill-health returned to his 
 son in McDonough County, 111., where he died soon 
 after in 1881, at the age of sixty-three. The 
 mother died at the home of her son, the subject of 
 this sketch, in Gage County, Neb., in May, 1880, 
 aged sixty-two years. Our subject spent the first 
 fourteen j-ears of bis life in his native city, after 
 which he moved with his parents to a farm about 
 eight miles distant, and engaged in the labors of 
 agricultural life. He received many valuable les- 
 sons fiom his father, which have been of much 
 benefit to him in conducting his own well-improved 
 and lucrative farm. 
 
 In vScptember, 1878, our subject came to this 
 county, the next spring settling on his present farm, 
 on which he has since resided, although five years 
 of the time he has engaged in business in Blue 
 Springs. He now gives his whole attention to his 
 farm, making a specialty of breeding graded stock. 
 His house, barns and other buildings are in good 
 
 <• 
 
 order, and the general appearance of the place, 
 with its well-kept fences and largely productive 
 fields, shows him to lie a man of thrift and in(]ustry. 
 He was married, on the 9th of May, 1883, to Miss 
 Mary Sandrilter, a daughter of Henry and Mar- 
 garet (letter) Sandritter, of Blue Springs, who 
 were natives of Germany, and came to this connt3' 
 in the year 1867. Mrs. Chamberlin was born in 
 Peoria, III., on the 20th of October, 1800, and came 
 to this county with her parents when she was seven 
 years old. She has been a faithful companion and 
 helpmate to her husband, and has often assisted him 
 in the management of his labor by her kindly ad- 
 vice and sympath}', bearing her share of the house- 
 hold labors. 
 
 Our subject devotes his time so closely to the 
 necessary work of his farm — than which there is no 
 occupation more confining, and at the same time 
 affording so wide and broad a scope for the de- 
 velopment of phj'sical strength and Christian prin- 
 ciples — that he does not engage prorainenth' in 
 the political field, and does not care to seek office, 
 but has well-defined views of the same, and affiliates 
 with the Republican partj'. He is a well-known 
 member of the I. O. O. F., in which order he has 
 passed all the degrees and chairs, and was the dele- 
 gate to the Grand Lodge of the State, held in 
 Omaha, in October, 1888. He and his wife are es- 
 teemed members of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
 at Blue Springs, and are well respected by the peo- 
 ple of their community. 
 
 f^DGAR C. SALISBURY, manager of the 
 i^ Beatrice Ice Company, is well known among 
 ^ — ^ the business men of the city, and possesses 
 the enterprise necessary for the superintendence of 
 the industrj' with which he is connected. He was 
 born in Georgetown, Madison Co., N. Y., March 
 8, 1849, and is the only son of Eber and Mary 
 (Atwood) Salisbury, who were also natives of the 
 Empire State. Mitchell Atwood, the maternal 
 grandfather of our subject, was one of the earliest 
 settlers of Madison County, to which he removed 
 with an ox-team from Connecticut during its pio- 
 
 *^h^ 
 
-U. 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 G73 
 
 
 neei- days. On the otlier side of the house Grand- 
 father Richard Salisbiirj' vv.asa pioneer in Rensselaer 
 Count}', N. Y., and there spent tiie remainder- of 
 his days. 
 
 The parents of our subject settled in Madison 
 Count}-, N. Y., after their marriage, where the 
 father pursued his trade .as wheehvriglit many years. 
 Later he became interested in milling and the lum- 
 ber trade. He still resides at Georgetown, N. Y. 
 The mother passed awa}' in 1882, at the age of 
 fifty-eight. Edgar B., after taking a course of 
 study in the common school near his early home, 
 became a student of Cazenovia Seminary, from 
 which he was graduated in 1868. He then began 
 teaching, which, however, he followed but a brief 
 time, then went into the flouring-mill with his father, 
 wiiere he remained until 1874. 
 
 We next find Mr. Salisbury in New York City, 
 eng.aged as clerk with the Wells Tea Company, his 
 residence in New York City extending over a pe- 
 riod of four years. In the spring of 1878 he came 
 to this State, and at Beatrice engaged as clerk with 
 the firm of H. A. LaSelle, who were carrying on 
 general merchandising. His capabilities were such 
 that he soon attracted the commendable attention 
 of his fellow-citizens, and received the appointment 
 of Deputy Sheriff, under Eugene Mack. Subse- 
 quently he returned to mercantile business, becom- 
 ing the clerk of George H. Clark & Co., with whom 
 he continued four years. Next he was with J. E. 
 Hill, a grocer. He then entered the real-estate 
 office of I. N. McConnell, but six months later pur- 
 chased the interest of O. N. Wheelock, grocer, of 
 the firm of Wheelock & Richards, continuing in 
 partnership with Mr. Richards from the fall of 1 883 
 until the spring of 1887, since which time he has 
 been settling up the business of the ohl firm. 
 
 Mr. Salisbury is one of the original stockholders 
 of the Beatrice Ice Company, which was organized 
 in 1885, and is now in possession of two-thirds the 
 Stock, the balance being owned by Mr. L. F. La- 
 Selle. They h.andle immense quantities of ice annu- 
 ally, having four good houses, in which the}' stored 
 last winter 2,000 tons. Our subject has served on 
 the Board of Education, of which he was at one 
 time the Secretary, and is a member of Beatrice 
 Lodge No. 26, A. F. & A. M., also of Chapter No. 
 
 10 and Commander}- No. 7. in the latter of which 
 he is Grand Senior Warden. Politically, he votes 
 the straight Republican ticket. 
 
 The marriage of Edgar C. Salisbury and Miss 
 Ellen D. L.aSelle, of Lebanon, N. Y., was celebrated 
 at the home of the bride iu Lebanon, March 1 1 , 
 1874. Mrs. Salisbury has fine artistic talent, as 
 can be seen from her many paintings in oil. The 
 wife of our subject is a sister of H. A. LaSelle, a 
 well-known and higlily respected citizen of Beatrice. 
 Of this union there have been born three children — 
 Clayton L., Mary Corinne and G. Marion. 
 
 .N-.v.a /,^^ 
 
 -^ 
 
 ICHARD CLEVELAND HOYT is senior 
 i^ member of the firm of Hoyt Bros. & Co., 
 dealers in lumber at Beatrice, and com- 
 <^ manding a large and lucrative trade. A 
 native of New York State, he was born near the city 
 of Utica, in Oneida County, Aug. 9, 1855, and was 
 the eldest of a family of three children, the off- 
 spring of William E. and Mary (Cleveland) Hoyt, 
 the latter a sister of the President of the United 
 States, and the daughter of Richard F. and Ann 
 (Allen) Cleveland. 
 
 AVilliam E. Hoyt, the father of our subject, em- 
 barked in business as a dry-goods merchant of 
 Theresa, N. Y., and later was an assistant in the 
 Paymaster's department of the army for a period 
 of ten years, during which time he was a resident 
 of Onondaga County, N. Y. The parental family 
 included two children, sons: William E. resides at 
 Fayetteville, N. Y., and his brother in New Orleans. 
 
 Richard C. passed his boyhood in Onondaga 
 County, and when a youth of sixteen years left 
 home and moved to Rock Island, III., where he 
 entered the office of Keater & Wilson, lumber deal- 
 ers, filling the position of book-keeper for that firm 
 for a period of seven years. Upon leaving this 
 house he became book-keeper in the Rock Island 
 National Bank, which position he occupied one year. 
 In the spring of 1879 he came to Nebr.aska and lo- 
 cated in Steele City, where he remained four years, 
 acting as agent for the lumber firm of J. S. Keator 
 & Co., of IMoline, with which he continued four 
 years. The month of June, 1883, found him in Bea- 
 
 f 
 
^ 
 
 ••»• 
 
 674 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 tiice, this State, as a niember of tlie firm of his 
 former erii|>h)y('rs, and in this firm continues. Suli- 
 spquentl^' tlie firm of Hoyt Bros. & Co. came into 
 existence, and has now become one of the indispen- 
 sable institutions of this part of the county. They 
 handle all grades of lumber, both soft and hard, be- 
 sides plasterers' material, lime, cement, hair, etc. 
 Their large and commodious office is convenienll3'' 
 arranged and well fitted up for the prf)])er trans- 
 action of an extensive business. The fittings and 
 furnishings are especially noticeable, the paneling 
 containing forty kinds of wood, both native and 
 foreign, the products of South America. 
 
 The marriage of Eichard C. Hoytand JMiss .Susan 
 Upson, of this county, was celebrated at the home of 
 the bride, June 4, 1«84. Mrs. Hoyt is theilaughter 
 of Lyman Ui)Sou; both her parents are deceased. 
 The latter were natives of New York, and went lo 
 Rockford, 111., subsequently coming to tins count}'. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt occupy a snug home in the 
 northern part of the city. Both are members of the 
 Congregational Church, in which Mr. Hoyt is an 
 active worker and a Trustee. 
 
 Charles G. Hoyt, the yr)unger brother, and 
 junior member of the firm of Hoyt Bros. & Co., was 
 l)orn in Jefferson County, N. Y., Aug. 19, 1800, 
 and completed his education in Onondaga and 
 Oneida County, near Utica, to which his parents sub- 
 sequently removed. He also early in life started 
 out for himself, his first venture after leaving the 
 home roof being in the capacity of cleik in the 
 office of the Rock Island Railroad Company at Rock 
 Island, ]11. Later he entered a wholesale hardware 
 establishment as book-keeper, but desirous of a more 
 active life started out on the ro.id for the same firm, 
 and continued as a traveling salesman until the 
 spring of 1881. 
 
 At the date above mentioned Mr. Hoyt made his 
 way to this State, locating first in Diller, and 
 officiating as airent for J. S. Keator & Co., lumber 
 dealers, with whom he remained two years. At the 
 expiration of this time, coming to Beatrice he be- 
 came the partner of his brother Richard C. and the 
 Keator Lumber Company. Mr. Hoyt was married, in 
 May of 1882, to Miss Rebecca Diller, of Diller, 
 Neb., and they are now the |)arenls of two bright 
 childien — Willct C. and Mary Catherine. 
 
 Mrs. Hoyt is the granddaughter of Samuel Diller, 
 who is among the early residents of Jefferson County, 
 this~State. and in honor of which family the town 
 was named. Charles G. is prominently connected 
 with the Presbyterian Church, and greatly interested 
 in the trail ing of the young, officiating as Superin- 
 tendent of the Sunda3-school and otherwise fur- 
 thering the Master's cause. He is a Director of the 
 Chautauqua Society at Crete. Jn 1 883 he identi- 
 fied himself with the Masonic fraternit}', and is at 
 present a member of Beatrice Lodge No. 26, Liv- 
 ingston Chai)ter No. 7, and Mt. Hermon Command- 
 ery. The brothers, iioliticall}', are Democrats. 
 
 ^?^EORGE W. PHILLIPS, a well-known and 
 
 II (— , highly respected citizen of Paddock Town- 
 "^^41 ship, is a piduiiuent grower of fine blooded 
 stock, paying special attention to rearing Clydes- 
 dale and Percheron-Norman horses, and also mules. 
 Mr. Phillips is a native of Ogle County, 111., Sept. 
 15, 1853, being the date of his birth. His parents, 
 Jacob and Mary K. (Brantner) Phillips, were na- 
 tives respectively of Maryland and Pennsylvania. 
 His father died in Illinois in Jul}', 1887, aged sixty- 
 five years, and his death was felt to be a loss to the 
 community in which he had lived, as he was a man 
 of rare stability of character, honest and upright in 
 his dealings, and none knew him butto respect him. 
 The mother of our subject, a lady of great worth, 
 still makes her home in Illinois. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared in his na- 
 tive county, and received a substantial education 
 in its public schools. He remained a resident of 
 Illinois until 1879, and in the meantime mai-ried, 
 Jan. 2,*187G, beinghis wedding ilay, and established 
 a home of his own. Miss Catherine Pyfer vvas the 
 maiden name of his wife, and she is a daughter 
 of George and Mary (Sw.agart) Pvfer. Her father 
 lives in Ogle County, III., where her mother died 
 Jan. 17, 1874. To Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have been 
 born four children, all of whom are living. 
 
 Mr. Phillips was reared on a farm, and has fol- 
 lowed agricultural pursuits all his life. In 1879 he 
 decided to try farming in Iowa, and on the 1st of 
 January moved with his famil}' to that State, and 
 
 1 ^ ■<' 
 

-U 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 677 k 
 
 settled in ^laislmll County. He did very well 
 Iheii', but conceiving that he could do still better 
 in Nebraska, the 1st of March, 18«5, found him in 
 this State, accompanied by his wife and children. 
 He purchased his present farm of eighty acres on 
 section 27. This is well improveil, and is amply 
 provided with all the necessary farm buildings, in- 
 cludingacommodions house, stable, etc.. and ever}'- 
 thing about the i)l:icc indicates the master hand of 
 a thrifty, practical, methodical man. Mr. Phillips 
 is making a great success in his stock-raising vent- 
 ures. He keeps several broo<l marcs, and his thor- 
 oughbred Norman-Percheron stallion and Clydes- 
 dale stallion are the finest in the township. He 
 also makes a specialtj' of laising mules, and has a 
 fine jack an<l ass. 
 
 Although Mr. Phillips has been aresidentof Pad- 
 dock Townshi]) but little more than three years, j-et 
 he has gained the confidence and esteem of the en- 
 tire comraunitj', and b^' his genial and ever courte- 
 ous manner he has won many warm friends. His 
 ability' and business tact have received due recog- 
 nition at their hands, as they elected him to the 
 office of Justice of the Peace for this township in 
 the fall of 18.S7, despite his reiterated protests at 
 having the office thrust upon him, as it were. He 
 still holds the position, and is discharging its duties 
 with fairness and to the entire satisfaction of his 
 fellow-citizens. He takes an intelligent interest in 
 politics, and uses his influence in an honorable way 
 to promote the interests of the Republican party. 
 
 <* l^ILLIAM CRAIG, Mayor of Blue Springs, 
 \rJ/i and largely identified with its business af- 
 \y^ fairs, represents considerable real estate in 
 which he is largely interested, the greater portion 
 being citj' propert3'. He is also conducting a flour- 
 ishing stove and hardware business, and as a man 
 and a citizen ranks among the most highly respected 
 residents of this county, and we are pleased to pre- 
 sent his portrait on the opposite page. 
 
 Our subject is of staunch Pennsylvania stock, his 
 father, Thomas Craig, having been born in North- 
 ampton (now Carbon) Count}-, that .State, in 1797. 
 The latter upon reaching manhood engaged in farm- 
 
 ing for a time, and later for near!}' a quarter-cent- 
 ury occupied himself as a hotel-keeper success- 
 fully at Lehigh AValer Gap, ami operated a large 
 store of general merchamlise at the same place. He 
 was also owner of the stage line running between 
 Mauch Cliiuik ami Eiston, from which he derived 
 a handsome income. In addition to this he was ex- 
 tensively engaged in boating or transporting lum- 
 ber from his mills on the Upper Lehigh over the 
 Lehigh Coal anil Navigation Company's canal to 
 Easton, Mauch Chunk ami other points, having his 
 own boat and making consideral)le money in this 
 enterprise. He had three sawmills and owned an 
 immense tract of timber land. During the memora- 
 ble freshet of 1841 he lost heavily in boats and 
 lumber, and his entire store and contents were swept 
 away. He continued as a hotel-keeper until within 
 about four years of his death. 
 
 The father of our subject was married in early 
 manhood to Miss Kuntz. who died young, leaving 
 two children. Subsequently, in 1828, he was mar- 
 ried to Miss Catherine Hagenbuch and they became 
 the parents of six children, five of whom lived to 
 mature years. He died in 1859, at Lehigh Water 
 Gap, where he had his home for so many years. 
 Mrs. Catherine Craig, the mother of our subject, 
 also a native of the Keystone State, was a daughter 
 of a hotel-keeper at Lehighton, where he spent 
 many years of his life, and where he entered upon 
 his final rest. Mrs. Craig remained with her par- 
 ents until her marriage, and survived her husband 
 twelve years, her death taking place at Lehigh Gap, 
 in 1871. 
 
 The father of our subject was reared a Presby- 
 terian, and the mother a Lutheran, and the former 
 was especially prominent and active in all those 
 matters pertaining to nKjral and religious education. 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, Thomas 
 Craig, Sr., a native of Northampton County, Pa., 
 served as a General in the Revolutionary War, and 
 after the independence of the Colonies had been 
 established, returned to his native place, where he 
 engaged in fai-ming, and lived to the ripe old age 
 of ninety years. He was the father of six children. 
 The subject of this sketch was born at Lehigli 
 Gap, Pa., April 22, 1811. His primary studies 
 were conducted in the schools of his native village. 
 
 i~ 
 
 ■^^^i^ 
 
•► ii ^^r 
 
 678 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Later he became a student at Allentown Seminar3^ 
 and completed his education in the Agricultural 
 College in Center County, Pa. He then began 
 teaching, but subsequently, in company with his 
 brother. Col. John Craig, embarked in general mer- 
 chandising at Lehigh Gap, to which he added the 
 business of boat-builder and railroad contractor. 
 These interests he operated extensively and suc- 
 cessfully, and alsu dealt largely in lumber, railroad 
 ties and coal at the same place, where he continued 
 to live until the fall of 1882. Socially and politi- 
 cally, he was prominent in the county and com- 
 munity; .and in fact the entire family wsis widely 
 and favorably known throughout that region as 
 comprising a portion of its best element. Three 
 of his brothers were in the Pennsylvania Legisla- 
 ture, and two were also elected to tlie Stite Senate. 
 
 Mr. Craig in 1882 disposed of his interests in 
 the Keystone State, and coming west into Southern 
 Nebraska located at once in Blue Springs, this 
 county, establishing himself in his present business. 
 Each year has added to his stock and his patronage, 
 so that his present business building, of which he is 
 owner, is entirely too contracted for the wants of 
 his trade, and a more capacious building will be a 
 necessity in the near future. His promptness and 
 reliability in his business transactions have made 
 him a general favorite with the men of his com- 
 munity, while socially, together with his family, he 
 occupies an enviable position. He takes a warm 
 interest in the buililing up of the town, and does 
 whatever lies in his power to further its moral and 
 educational interests. He cast his first Presidential 
 vote for McClellan, but soon changed his politics 
 and sustained the Republican party until 1880, when 
 his strong temperance proclivities led him to give 
 his support to the Prohibitionists, and he voted for 
 Neal Dow for President. He has been a member 
 of the School Board almost from the time of com- 
 ing lierc, and was elected to his present position of 
 Mayor in the spring of 1888. The fact that the 
 Republicans lead in this locality speaks well for his 
 standing in the community. Religiously, he be- 
 longs to the Evangelical Association, and is an ener- 
 getic laborer in the Sunday-school. 
 
 Mr. Craig was married, Sept. 26, 1807, to Miss 
 Mattie E. Gish, of Berlinsville, Pa., and they are 
 
 now the parents of five children, viz: Annie E., 
 William A.. Frederick G., .lesse V. and Mattie F. 
 The}' are all living at home with their parents, and 
 being given the training and education which will 
 qualify them for useful and worthy members of so- 
 ciety. Mrs. Craig was born Jan. 29, 1844, in 
 Berlinsville, Northampton Co., Pa., and is tiie 
 daughter of Abram and Elizabeth (Ilummel) Gish, 
 who were natives of Pennsylvania, and are now de- 
 ceased. Her father w.as a man of prominence, a 
 farmer and merchant combined, and officiated as a 
 Justice of the Peace for many }'ears. He was a mem- 
 ber of the Evangelical Church, and departed this 
 life at his home in Berlinsville in 1878. His ex- 
 cellent wife was a member of the same church, and 
 departed this life in June, 1884. 
 
 During the six years' residence of Mr. Craig in 
 this county he has fully established himself in the 
 esteem and confidence of the people about him. He 
 was nominated by the Prohibition convention of 
 1888 as candidate for Senator, an indication of the 
 estimation in which he is held, and a great compli- 
 ment to his worth and nobilitv. 
 
 ENRY RICHARDSON. Perseverance and 
 industry are necessary conditions to true 
 t^ success in any calling. These qualities are 
 (!^ possessed in an eminent degree by the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, a thrift}' and prosperous farmer 
 and stock-raiser on section 15 of Grant Town- 
 ship, and owner of a ver}' fine farming propert}' 
 of IGO acres (a partial view of which may be seen 
 upon another page), through which the Soap Creek 
 winds its way, and which Mr. Richardson secured 
 soon after coming to the county in October, 1867. 
 The previous owner w.as the venerated and beloved 
 " Uncle Sam," who has made generous provision 
 for thousands of his sons, and stands ready to as- 
 sist thousands more. 
 
 Previous to his arrival in Nebraska our subject 
 lived in Delaware County, Iowa, where he had 
 made his home for eighteen years. He was born in 
 that greatest city of the world. London, England, 
 on the 8th of January, 1847; his father, James 
 Richardson, was a full-blooded Scotchman, and was 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^^►Hh-^ 
 
 679 
 
 born ami brought up near the city of Glasgow, 
 upon the Clyde, removing from his Scotch home to 
 London vvhen about thirty years of age. After 
 leaving school he had served a full aiiprenticeslilp 
 as a carpenter and joiner, whiciitnade he continued 
 to follow in London, and was looked upon as a 
 very excellent, precise and aitistic workman. 
 Shortly after his removal to the great city he was 
 united in marriage with Eliza Timniins, a lady of 
 English birth and parentage. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, Sr., became the par- 
 ents of seven children, of whom our subject was the 
 eldest. Accoiniianied by two of these thej' came 
 to the United States, and settled at once in Chicago, 
 where the father found employment in tlie carshops, 
 in the department where the more finished and 
 skilled work was demanded. There he continued 
 for a number of years, and finally moved with his 
 family to Delaware County, Iowa, locating upon a 
 farm upon which they are 3'et living. The father 
 is now about seventy-five years of age, and the 
 mother is seventy-seven. Both en^oy excellent 
 health, and retain their natural faculties in a re- 
 markable degree. They come of families noted 
 for longevity. Grandfather Richardson, who lived 
 and died in Scotland, survived over ninety years, 
 and the prospect, so far as it is possible to judge 
 ''3' appearances, is that both Mr. and Mrs. Richard- 
 son will, in all probability, likewise live to a ripe 
 old age. 
 
 Our subject received his education in the schools 
 of Delaware County, Iowa, and after leaving his 
 studies he devoted his attention to farming. Upon 
 coming to Nebraska he found a great deal of liard 
 work before him, but his father had wisely inured 
 him for just such a life, and he was not altogether 
 unfitted to fill the position. The success that has 
 attended his efforts, the improvements that he h.as 
 made upon his land, and the reputation he has es- 
 tablished, all testify to the fact of his enthusiastic 
 devotion to his work. 
 
 Having provided liis house our subject early 
 realized that some one was needed to make it a 
 heme, and such a one he found in Miss Julia F. 
 Burgess, to whom he was married in Grant Town- 
 ship, Oct. 13, 1870. The wife of our subject is 
 the daughter of N. E. and Sophia (Woodman) 
 
 ■<• 
 
 Burgess (for further details see the sketch of Mr. 
 Burgess), and was born in Racine County, Wis., 
 in 1856, coming to Nebraska with her parents 
 vvhen about twelve years of age. Fler parents pro- 
 vided her with the opportunity to obtain agood edu- 
 cation in the common schools, of which she took 
 ever}' advantage. There have come to the home 
 of our subject and wife ten children, of whom, 
 however, two arc since deceased, viz: Pearl and 
 Ralph. Those still living are Willis, Lewis, Jean, 
 Arthur, Chloe, Elsie, Walter and Ida. 
 
 For several years oursuliject has been connected 
 with various township and district oHices, and is 
 now Township anil School Treasurer. He is also a 
 member of the A. O. U. W. All his life he has been 
 a stanch Republican, energetic in behalf of the 
 party he admires. At the same time he is a poli- 
 tician only in the most exalteit use of that word, 
 and is identified with almost ever}' good and 
 honorable effort and project for the true progress 
 and benefit of the community, and by his rectitude, 
 manly character and strict business integrity, has 
 won for himself and family the respect of all. 
 
 ♦^5»tj»>- 
 
 •>^«:s> 
 
 V ANIEL PENROD, an industrious and 
 1) highly respected young carpenter of Bea- 
 trice, came to this count}' with his parents 
 in the spring of 1880, and soon afterward 
 began his apprenticeship at the trade which he is 
 following, and of which he has novv a thorough un- 
 derstanding in all its details. He was born in the 
 town of Wooster, Wayne Co., Ohio, and is the third 
 son and seventh child of Jacob and Sarah (Fouch) 
 Penrod, whose family consisted of eight sons and 
 five daughters, ten of whom lived to mature years. 
 John Fouch, the maternal grandfather of our 
 subject, was a native of Germany, and spent his 
 last years in Pennsylvania, living to be nearly one 
 hundred years old. He had followed farming 
 mostly as one occupation, and as the result of a 
 temperate life and correct habits, was hale and 
 hearty as many a man of younger years. He 
 walked to the house of worship, three miles from 
 his home, the week before his death. Michael Pen- 
 
 ^?^:^f-^ 
 
680 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 .t 
 
 \ 
 
 rod, the paternal grandfather, was of substantial 
 German ancestry ; he spent the last j'ears of his life in 
 Pennsylvania, also passing away when ripe in years. 
 His son Jacob, the father of our subject, was born 
 in Somerset County', Pa., where he was reared to 
 manhood, receiving a common-school education. 
 There also he was married, and settled for one year 
 in Dale City, Pa., whence he removed at the expi- 
 ration of tills time to Wayne Count}', Ohio, where 
 he secured a tract of land and carried on farming 
 until coming to this State. 
 
 The father of our subject, upon coming to this 
 county, abandoned farming and took up his abode 
 in McConnell's subdivision in West Beatrice, where 
 he now lives retired from active labor. He was 
 born in 1 823. and is consequently sixty-five years 
 of age. He votes the Democratic ticket, and is in 
 the enjo3'ment of good health. The mother, who 
 was born in 1829, departed this life in the spring 
 of 1881. at Beatrice. 
 
 The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood 
 daj's upon the farm of his father in the Buckeye 
 State, attending the district school in winter and 
 working around the homestead in the summer sea- 
 son. After coming to Beatrice he began his ap- 
 prenticeship at the trade of carpenter, serving three 
 years, and obtaining a thorough knowledge of the 
 business. His enterprise and adaptability to his 
 business are noticeable from the fact that he has 
 purchased land and put up buildings for sale, 
 having in this manner fitted up eight houses, and 
 disposed of most of them at a figure which, while rea- 
 sonable to the purchaser, has netted him a good profit. 
 He is thus becoming one of the important factors 
 in the business interests of this go-ahead town. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Penrod and Miss Selma R. 
 Arpke was celebrated at the home of the bride in 
 Jefferson County. Neb., Jan. 1.1S83. Mrs. Pen- 
 ro<l is the daughter of Adolph and Caroline (Luh- 
 raan) Arpke, who were natives of Germany, and 
 came to America with their parents when children, 
 and to Nebraska in 1880. Of this union there 
 have been born two children — Carrie L. and Elsie 
 S. They occupy a snug home in the western part 
 of the city, on Court street, and are in the enjoy- 
 ment of the friendship of a large circle of acquaint- 
 ances. Mr. Penrod has but very little time to de- 
 
 vote to political matters but maintains the interest 
 which every intelligent man feels in the welfare 
 and prosperity of his county and State. He uni- 
 formly votes the straight Republican ticket. 
 
 /p!?lEORGE ENDELMAN. Upon section 1.5, 
 III (— -, Lincoln Township, is one of the most fertile 
 ^^^ and best-improved farms in the entire town- 
 ship, and the farm dwelling thereon is one of the 
 most substantially built and admirably arranged 
 within quite a large territory. Upon entrance, one 
 is instinctively led to remark the prevalence of a 
 quiet elegance and harmony of taste that are most 
 pleasing to the eye. It is the home and property 
 of the subject of this sketch, one of the most enter- 
 prising and thoroughly practical of the German- 
 American farmers of the district. 
 
 The possession of the above property by Mr. 
 Endelman dates from 1881. At that time it was 
 entirely' unimproved, and in a state of nature. The 
 change that has passed over it, the buildings that 
 have been erected, the home that has been furnished, 
 are the results of continued and earnest effort. 
 Previous to becoming a resident of this State the 
 home of Mr. P^ndelman was in Logan County, 111., 
 where for twelve j-ears he had farmed on rented 
 land. The ten years immediatel}' preceding he had 
 resided in Pekin, Tazewell Co., 111., where he had 
 been employed as a laborer. 
 
 In Barum, Germany, and not far from the North 
 Sea, our subject was born on the 15th of August, 
 in the year 1824. His father, Harr^' Endelman, 
 was a laborer throughout the whole of his life, 
 and died in his native Province in 1888, aged 
 ninety-five j'ears. Upon arriving at the usual .age 
 he entered the German military service, and fought 
 in the battle of Waterloo. The name of his wife, 
 the mother of our subject, was Gertrude Cramer, 
 who lived to be about seventy years of age. She 
 was a Lady of most lofty character, happj^ disposi- 
 tion and fair intelligence, and her added years sim- 
 ply increased her attractiveness. The old and 
 3-oung alike seemed to feel the refreshing, elevating 
 and brightening influence that was inseparable from 
 her presence, and upon her demise she was mourned 
 as one most loving and lovable. As maiden, wife 
 
 .^h^- 
 
 
Residence OF George Endelman,5ec.15. Lincoln Township. 
 
 .:3. ~^.. 
 
 '^'i^'^^^ttti : -"2^^^^. 
 
 .i-r«<i' 
 
 Residence or William Retchless 5ec.10. Liberty Township. 
 
*► II <• 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 G83 
 
 and mother, hov life presented a perfection of 
 beauty seldom met with and never excelled. She 
 was the mother of nine children, four of them being 
 sons. Only four are now living, our subject being 
 the second child. 
 
 The days of the boyiiood. youth and early man- 
 hood of our subject were spent in his native Prov- 
 ince, and there he received his early education ; 
 tiicre, also, in February of the year 1858, he 
 was married, the lady of his choice being Anna 
 Ruinka. She was born and lirought up within a 
 short distance of her husband's home, and they had 
 l)ractical!y grown up together. Almost immediately 
 after their marriage they came to this country, and 
 this excellent wife stood by the side of her husband 
 throughout all the daj's of his early struggles in 
 Illinois. After bringing up a family of four chil- 
 dren, this most admirable and excellent lady de- 
 parted this life upon the 14tli of February', 1883, at 
 the age of fiftj-two years. 
 
 Our subject and his wife continued from youth 
 consistent and devout members of the Lutheran 
 Church, and in the same faith their four children 
 have been brought up. These are named as here 
 a|)i)cnded: Harry, who mairied Sarah Nies, resides 
 upon his farm, which is situated in Lincoln Town- 
 ship; Fred remains at home, the assistant of his father 
 upon the farm; iSlinnie is the housekeeper for her 
 father, having ever since her mother's death striven 
 to perpetuate the home comforts; John, an intelli- 
 gent young man, is actively engaged upon his father's 
 farm, and gives promise of much ability. 
 
 IMr. Endelman and his sons usually vote the Dem- 
 ocratic ticket, Mr. E. having been a member (,>f that 
 party since becoming a naturalized citizen. The 
 family is held in high regard in the communit}', and 
 represents the best class of German-American citi- 
 zens. A view of their home and surroundings is 
 given ou another page. 
 
 J/ ESSE RICMAHDS. senior member of the 
 grocery firm of Richards & Parker, is num- 
 bered among the leading men of Beatrice, 
 and became a resident of the county April 
 8, 18(3!). His earl3' home was on the other side of 
 
 ■♦- 
 
 the Atlantic, in "Wiltshire, England, where his birth 
 took place .July 3, 1846. AVhen a little lad four 
 years of age his parents emigrated to America and 
 settled on a farm in Herkimer County. N. Y. There 
 the father, .Tasijer Richards, is still living, havingar. 
 rived at a ripe old age. The mother, Christina 
 (Knee) Richards, departed this life at the old home- 
 steacj in New York, Feb. 3, 1857. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of our subject were 
 spent in Herkimer County. N. Y., where he attended 
 the common school, and being of a studious dis- 
 position made good proBciency. At the age of 
 eighteen, leaving the i)arental roof, he migrated 
 to Ogle Count}', 111., where he worked on a farm, 
 the emploj'e of one man until reaching his majority. 
 In 1869 he came to Beatrice, walking into the town 
 from Brownville. His tirst emplo^'ment was build- 
 ing a rail fence around the present residence of 
 Albert Towle. Later he worked in a sawmill at 
 Blue S|)rings. In the meantime he homesteaded 
 160 acres west of the latter place, and on the 23d 
 of December, the same year, was married to Miss 
 Fanny V. Dodge. 
 
 The young people spent the following winter in 
 Ogle County, 111,, which had been the home of the 
 bride, and in Februar}-, 1870, our subject returned 
 to his homestead claim in this county, and with his 
 j'oung wife took possession, moving into the frame 
 house which he had erected. 'J'hey resided there 
 six years, when Mr. Richards purchased a farm near 
 the growing city of Beatrice, where they spent 
 another six years. Our subject now sold out again, 
 and in company with O. N. Wheelock, of Beatrice, 
 endiarked in the groceiy business. Two years later 
 Mr. Wheelock transferre<l his interest in the busi- 
 ness to E. C. Salisbury, and the firm of Richards & 
 Salisburj' during the three years of its existence 
 built up a good trade. Our subject then purchased 
 the interest of his partner, and continued alone 
 until in October, 1887, when he associated himself 
 with Mr. F. A. Parker. Ricliards & Parker carry a 
 full stock of groceries and all other goods in their 
 line, their quarters being in the Masonic Temple 
 and post-office block. Their storeroom is 25x120 
 feet in dimensiofis. 
 
 The family residence is located on Ninth and Mar- 
 ket streets, and comprises with its pleasant sur- 
 
■<^ 
 
 6«4 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 roundings one of the most desirable homes. To 
 our subject and his wife there have been born three 
 children, one of whom, Harry E., died wiien two 
 j'ears old. The survivors are Jasper \V. and Flora 
 M. ; they are students in the schools of Beatrice. 
 
 Mr. Richards while a resident of Sicily Town- 
 ship served as Justice of the Peace and was other- 
 wise prominent in local affairs. Politically, he votes 
 the straight Republican ticket. He is a member in 
 good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 of which he has been Treasurei' a period of five 
 years. Socially, he belongs to Lodge No. 26, A. 
 F. & A. M., Livingston Chapter No. 10, and Mt. 
 IJernion Commandery No. 7. He was Master of the 
 lodge four years, and High Priest three years. He 
 is warnil}' interested in the principles of Masonry, 
 to the furtherance of which he has generously con- 
 tributed of his lime and means. 
 
 ALVIN STARR, M. D. The medical pro- 
 fession of Beatrice is worthily represented 
 >f by the subject of this sketcli, who was born 
 near the city of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio, 
 on the 2d of April, 1 822. He was the youngest 
 son of a family of eleven children, all of whom 
 lived to mature years, but onl}' three of whom now 
 survive. 
 
 John Starr, the father of our sul)ject, was an 
 enterprising faimer and one of the early settlers of 
 the Buckeye State. Upon settling in Franklin 
 County, he purchased a tract of heavil3' timbered 
 land, from which he cleared and improved a fine 
 farm, and which, had it been kept in the family, 
 would have proved the source of an independent 
 fortune, as upon it now stands the city of Columbus. 
 John Starr upon reaching manhood was united in 
 marriage with Miss Betsey Havens, who was a 
 native of Grotou, Conn. John Starr was born 
 in Nova Scotia, whence he removed to Connecticut 
 during his younger years and from there to the 
 young State of Ohio, settling in Franklin County, as 
 above stated, as earl3- as 1M12, and when there was 
 l)Ul one log house upun the present site of the cit^' 
 ol Columbus. There he spent his last days, and there 
 rested from his earthly labors. The parents of 
 
 Dr. Starr are long since deceased, the father passing 
 away at the old homestead near Columbus, in 1837. 
 He was a very capable and Intelligent man, and 
 spent a portion of his early life as a scliool teacher. 
 Politically, he was a Whig. The mother of our 
 subject died in May, 1805, in Columbus, Ohio. 
 
 The boyhood of Calvin Starr was spent after the 
 manner of most farmers' sons, assisting his parents 
 around the homestead and receiving his first book 
 knowledge in the district school, mostly in the 
 summer season. He was bright and ambitious to 
 learn, and when of suitable years became a student 
 of Central College, at Blendon, Ohio, where he con- 
 tinued for a period of four years, and at the end of 
 which time in consequence of too close application 
 his health was considerablj'- impaired. After a 
 season of recreation, however, he was restoreil, and 
 entered upon the study of medicine under the in- 
 struction first of Dr. Morrell and later with Dr. B. 
 F. Gard, of Columbus. Later he entered the Ster- 
 ling Medical College, where he took two full courses 
 of lectures, and then prepared for admission to the 
 Cleveland Honueopathic College, from which he 
 was graduated on the 20th of February, 1851, with 
 honors. 
 
 Dr. Starr commenced the practice of his profession 
 in Xenia, Ohio, where he remained one year, then 
 removed to the city of Springfield, Ohio. After a 
 five-years residence at that point he turned his face 
 westward, and crossing the Mississippi in May, 1857, 
 took up his abode in Johnson County, at Iowa City, 
 Iowa, where he built up a large and lucrative prac- 
 tice and continued for a period of twenty years. 
 In November of 1877. desirous of a change of 
 scene and surroundings, he removed with his family 
 to Nebraska Cit}', where he followed his profession 
 until the summer of 1882. He then came to Bea- 
 trice, where he has since resided, and is now in the 
 enjoyment of a fine patronage from the best people 
 of this region. His career as a man and as a phy- 
 sician has been such as to commend him to the 
 people generally, among whom he has hosts of friends 
 and patrons. 
 
 The Doctor has been twice married, his first wife 
 been Miss Soi)hia J. McPherson, a native of Xenia, 
 Greene Co., Ohio, and wiio became the mother of 
 five children — George B., Clarence A., Emma H., 
 
 •► 
 
•^f^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Mary P. and Jolin A. Mrs. Sophia Starr departed 
 this life at her liome in Iowa Cit}% April 23, 1876. 
 The present wife of our siihjuct, to whom he was 
 married June 27, 1878, was formerly Mrs. Julia C. 
 Scudder, nee Candee, of Muscatine, Iowa. Her 
 l)arents, Nelson S. and Luc}' A. Candee, were na- 
 tives of Connecticut and Ohio respectively, and 
 are now living at Alma, Neb. Mrs. Starr bj^ her 
 first husband has one son. Horace Scudder, who 
 bears the same name as his father. Mrs. Starr is 
 the partner of her husband in his profession, being 
 educated in the medical department of the Iowa 
 Slate University, and attends upon patients equally 
 with him. Their joint office is at their residence 
 on Sixth street, where they have an attractive home. 
 Both the Doctor and his wife are people of intelli- 
 gence and culture, and in the duties of their pro- 
 fession are guided bj' the modern school of medi- 
 cine, and keep themselves well posted upon the 
 matters pertaining thereto. Socially, they have 
 many friends wherever it has been their lot to re- 
 side. He and his wife are both members of the 
 First Congregational Church, of Beatrice. 
 
 ■nMHeS.'®^^ 
 
 *-^^i/Z»2W»v 
 
 'jfJOIIN K. TREKELL, a native of Tippecanoe 
 County, Ind., was horn July 20, 1835, and 
 has been a resident of Highland Township 
 since the spring of 1882. He is recognized 
 as one of the most enterprising and industrious of 
 its farming community, is a successful stock-raiser, 
 and a man generally occupj'ing a leading position 
 among his felluw-citizens. 
 
 The offspring of an excellent family, our subject 
 is the son of Stephen and Jemima (Kinser) Trekell, 
 the former a native of Maryland, and the latter of 
 Ohio. His paternal ancestors were of Scotch origin, 
 and the mother traced her forefathers to Germany. 
 Adam Kinsef, the maternal grandfather, it is be- 
 lieved served as a soldier under Gen. Harrison at 
 Tippecanoe. 
 
 To Stephen and Jemima Trekell there were born 
 nine children, of whom the following survive: 
 Thomas J., of Henry Count}", 111. ; George W., liv- 
 ing in Washington Territory'; William H., residing 
 
 in California; John K., our subject; Harriet, Mrs. 
 Frj', and Rebecca, the wife of John May, also rcsi- 
 <lents of the Golden State. When John K. was a 
 little lad two years of age his parents left Indiana, 
 and took up their abode in Stark County, 111., 
 where the father followeil farming, and where they 
 lived for a period of ten years. Thence they re- 
 moved to Henry County, that State, where our sub- 
 ject attained his m.ijorily, and became acquainted 
 with tiie labors of pioneer life, the family being 
 among the earliest settlers of that region. 
 
 The educational advantages of young Trekel', 
 like those of Ids brothers and sisters, were exceed- 
 ingly limited, far inferior to those extended to the 
 generation of to-day. His services were utilized 
 on the farm as soon as he was old enough to be of 
 service, and he also worked considerably in a saw 
 and grist mill. He also became quite expert as a 
 carpenter, at which trade he labored when not 
 otherwise engaged. He was married in Henry 
 Countj', III., March 3, 1862, his bride being Miss 
 Theresa Walters, who was born in Ohio, in Tuscara- 
 was County, and is the daughter of David and 
 Susan (Baltzly) Walters, natives also of the Buck- 
 eye State, and who came to Nebraska in 1880, where 
 the father still resides. The mother departed this 
 life at her home in Highland Township, Aug. li), 
 1888. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Trekell after their marriage settled 
 in Henry County, 111., where they lived until the 
 spring of 1882, then came with their little family 
 to this county. They have three children: George 
 H. and Frank, who are residents of Alliance, Neb.; 
 Fred, who lives in Cortland. The propertj' of our 
 subject lies two miles west of the latter place, and 
 comprises 320 acres, which he purchased from the 
 Burlingt(m & Missouri River Railroad Company; 
 he also owns 365 acres of well-improved land in Illi- 
 nois. The homestead proper comprises eighty acres, 
 to which Mr. Trekell has given particular attention, 
 putting up a ver}' fine residence, and a large and 
 commodious barn, besides planting fruit and shade 
 trees, and adding other embellishments. A self- 
 made man in the closest sense of the word, he has 
 accumulated his proi)erty solely through his own 
 efforts, and accordingly knows how to take care of 
 it. He is progressive in his ideas, interested in 
 
G«C 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 those projects tending to the builrling up of his 
 county, and uniformly gives his support to Re- 
 publican principles. 
 
 The Trekell homestead, a view of which will be 
 found on another page, bears fair comparison with 
 its neighbors, and is fully worthy of representation 
 in a work designed to perpetuate the lives and labors 
 of the leading men of Gage County. 
 
 "if; OSEPII BROOKS, who resides on section 23, 
 Glcnwood Township, and there owns a good 
 farm including eighty acres, was l)orn Sept. 
 15, lSi37, in Athens County, Ohio, where he 
 made his home until 1S71. He had few opportuni- 
 ties for education and was reared upon a farm. The 
 first disturbing element in liis life was the late con- 
 flict, when, realizing the need of the Union, he en- 
 listed, on the 2.5th of Jul^', ISGl, in Company C, 
 30tli Ohio Infantry. 
 
 In the beginning of his militarj' service our sub- 
 ject took his place in the ranks as private, in which 
 he continued about one year and until the battle of 
 Vicksburg, where he received special mention for 
 bravery and efflciencj', and was commissioned Sec- 
 ond Lieutenant. In October, 1864, he was again 
 promoted and received the First Lieutenancy of 
 his companj'. In 1865 he was a|)pointod Captain 
 of Company C, and served until the 25th of August, 
 the s;ime 3'ear, wlien he was mustered out of the 
 service. He was an active combatant in twenty- 
 three general engagements, besides a number of 
 lesser important skirmishes, etc. Upon being mus- 
 tered out he returned home to Athens County. 
 When he had left it he h.ad marclied in the ranks a 
 simple private in his company; upon his return he 
 was at its head, its Captain and Commander. 
 
 Our subject now resumed the old occupation of 
 farming, and continued in the same until the spring 
 of 1871, when he removed to Iowa and settled in 
 Warren County, and purchased a farm and made it 
 his home until February, 1876. The next two 
 years were spent farming in Fremont County; from 
 there he removed at the end of that period and 
 settled on section 23, Glenwood Tovvnship, of this 
 county, where he bought of the Government eighty 
 
 acres of good land which formed a part of the Otoe 
 Indian Reservation, which he has improved by cul- 
 tivation and upon which he erected the usual farm 
 buildings and residence. 
 
 While a resident of Ohio our subject had made 
 the acquaintance of a lady of most amiable disposi- 
 tion and attractive womanly character, and upon 
 the 13tli of January', 1866, consummateil this ac- 
 quaintance by making her his wife. The Lad}' of 
 his choice was Miss Nancy A. Criss, who was born 
 in Washington County, Pa., on the 1st of .Januarj', 
 18'15. They became the jxarents of six children, 
 three of whom survive. Those deceased were named 
 listher I., Alice and Dallas; those still living are 
 Effie and Etta, who are twins, and jNIattie. Our 
 subject was called upon to part from his most esti- 
 mable and faithful partner in life on the 2()th of 
 December, 1873, and has since that lime never fully 
 recovered the brightness that was previously his. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Brooks, Mathew and Lydia 
 (Reeves) Brooks, were born in Athens Count}'. 
 Ohio, and continued to make their home in that 
 county until 1853, when the father of our subject 
 was called to his long home on the 18th of Septem- 
 ber. Not long after this his widow removed to 
 AVarren Count}', and made her home with our sub- 
 ject until her death, which occurred on the 28th of 
 July, 1875. Their family included ten children, 
 five of either sex; of these our subject was the sixth 
 child. Mrs. Brooks is the daughter of William and 
 Hester (Gilmore) Criss, natives of Pennsylvania. 
 Their family comprised seven children, all of whom 
 are dead with the exception of the eldest daughter. 
 The husband died in Athens County, Ohio, in the 
 year 1885, and Mrs. Criss in Harrisonville, Meigs 
 Count}', about the year 1883. 
 
 Mr. Brooks is most devoted to all that pertains 
 to the religious life, and is one of the most respected 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of 
 which communion, also, his wife vvas a lifelong 
 member. At the age of sixteen years he was ap- 
 pointed Class-Leader, and has never since been 
 long out of office. For several years he has been 
 one of the Stewards of the church, and has at some 
 time or other filled every office connected with the 
 church. In the engagements incidental to his con- 
 nection with this communion, our subject finds his 
 
"'t*^-:- 
 
 
 Residence or J. W. Breunsbach,Se:c36. Liberty Township. 
 
 Breeding Barn of James G.Ladd & Son. Fairgrounds, Be atrice.Neb. 
 
-M- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 C8a i i 
 
 greatest interest and pleasure, and has always been 
 most devout. His political sympathies are with the 
 Republican party, although they have alvvaysjbeeu 
 adjudged a secondary place in his consideration and 
 interest. At the same time he is most loyal to his 
 responsibility as a citizen of this great Reiiublic. 
 
 lAMKS G. LADD. Tlie farmers and stock- 
 growers of Gage Count}' find one of their 
 most energetic representatives in the subject 
 of this sketch. He is especially devoted to 
 the breeding of line trotting horses, in which he 
 takes great pride and in which he has been uni- 
 formly successful. An excellent judge of horse- 
 flesh, he exhibits with pardonable pride some of the 
 finest specimens of that noble animal in Southern 
 Nebraska. 
 
 Our subject was born at the farm of his father, 
 near the city of Utica. Herkimer Co., N. Y., May 
 10, 1826, and there his boyhood days were passed. 
 Olney Ladd, the father, owned a wide extent of 
 land where he raised horses and cattle, and thus 
 James G. .acquired the experience and knowledge 
 which have been invaluable to him in his later 
 years. The mother, Mrs. Jane M. (Powell) Ladd, 
 was a native of Wales, an<l emigrated to America 
 with her parents when a young girl of twelve years. 
 Her father was a sea captain for many years. After 
 coming to the United States lie settled on a farm in 
 Herkimer County, N. Y., where both he and his 
 faithful partner spent the remainder of their da3's. 
 Olney Ladd and his wife are botii deceased. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received the advan- 
 tages of a common-school education, and remained 
 with his parents until reaching his majority. .Soon 
 afterward he and an elder brother assumed the 
 management of the home farm, and during their 
 two 3'ears' oiierations together netted a handsome 
 sum as the reward of their labors. James G. con- 
 tinued farming and soon began dealing in horses 
 and cattle, selecting the most profitable breeds, 
 which he exhibited at the various count}' fairs in 
 that locality, sometimes to the extent of fifty head, 
 and which he was enabled to sell at high prices. His 
 
 business increased rapidly, and even at that early 
 date he soon began shipping by the carload. 
 
 A career which had l)een uniformly prosperous 
 was unfortunately checked by the action of our 
 subject in signing notes for a friend to the extent 
 of 118,000, which, as is usually the case in such 
 transactions, he was called upon to pay. To meet 
 this he was obliged to sacrifice a large amount of 
 property, and his feelings at that time can be better 
 imagined than described. Determined, however, 
 not to give way to discouragement, he resumed 
 business as soon as possible, but this time west of 
 the Mississippi, having secured a small amount of 
 money with which he came to Nebraska. 
 
 Upon coming to this State Mr. Ladd began 
 purchasing swine, which he fed and sold to good 
 advantage. He then took up a section of wild land, 
 of wiiich he retained possession five years, then dis- 
 posed of it for the snug sum of $14,000. With 
 this money he purchased 4cS0 acres, 200 of which 
 was improved, and the balance he devoted to past- 
 ure, placing upon it 100 head of cattle. These he 
 sold for $r),500, and thus completed the payments on 
 his land. 
 
 In March of 1886 Mr. Ladd visited Kentucky, 
 and purchased the noted horse "Counselor," which 
 has since made a record of 2:24, and in consider- 
 ation of which he gave his note for $6,000. This 
 horse, a picture of which is shown in the view of 
 Mr. Ladd's farm. Mr. Ladd brought with him to 
 Gage County, and he is now without doubt the most 
 valuable animal of his kind in the State of Nebraska. 
 He has already made over $10,000. He was on ex- 
 hibition at the State Breeders' Association, which 
 met at Lincoln in August, 1888, and last spring 
 Mr. Ladd refused an offer of $20,000 for him. 
 "Counselor" was bred from the most noted of Ken- 
 tucky stock, by Robert I*. Pepper, of Frankfort, 
 that State. 
 
 Mr. Ladd in the spring of 1888 removed from 
 his farm to the city of Heatrice, where he has a 
 comfortable residence in its northeastern portion. 
 He was married in the twenty-first year of his age 
 to Miss Klizalxah. daugiiter of Hiram Burton, late 
 of Herkimer County. N. Y., and who was killed by 
 the kick of a horse. The mother of Mrs. Ladd is 
 also deceased. This union resulted in the birth of 
 
«► i r ^ 
 
 t;;)0 
 
 GAGK COUMTY. 
 
 five children, namely: Olney B., William M.; 
 James A., now the partner of his father; Flora J. 
 ant) Lizzie. 
 
 Mr. Ladd is a very stirring and industrious man, 
 his busy brain always devising some project for the 
 benefit of himself or his neighbors. He is a favorite 
 in the social and business circles of Beatrice, a man 
 genial and companionable, and one who has given a 
 decided impetus to the agricultural and stock- 
 breeding interests of this section. Politically, he 
 supports the Republican party. 
 
 ^ OHN W. BREUNSBACH. Not many years 
 ago Illinois was considered the Far West, 
 but many of her sons have gone still further 
 in the direction of the setting sun, and 
 proved themselves to be among the most enterpris- 
 ing, prosperous and useful citizens of the new Ter- 
 ritories. Among these might be mentioned the 
 subject of this biography, whose farm is situated on 
 section 36 of Liberty Township, and comprises 
 eighty acres of fertile land, devoted largely to the 
 raising of such hay and gi'ain as are required forbis 
 stock, marketing only the surplus. 
 
 Our subject was born in LaSalle Count}'. 111., 
 Oct. 30, 1856. and is the son of Frank D. and Chris- 
 tinia Breunsbach, also natives of Germany, but 
 now residents of Pawnee County, Neb., where thej- 
 seltled in 18G9. John W. received no education 
 to speak of, but was brought up on the farm and 
 formed an intimate acquaintance with all the details 
 of farm work. His settlement in this county dates 
 from the year 187i». 
 
 In Januarj-, 1883, Mr. Breunsbach united his life 
 interests with those of Miss Maritni Cameron, who 
 has presented her husband with three children. 
 These received the names William D., Francis D. 
 and Robert R. Mrs. Breunsl)ach is the daughter of 
 Robert Cameron, of Brown Count}', Neb., and was 
 born in New York City, June 29, 1859. 
 
 Our subject and his famil}' receive the respect of 
 the community because of the high character always 
 sustained by them, and their uniform readiness to 
 interest themselves in the enterprises which promise 
 to be of value to the community. The homestead. 
 
 as will be seen by the view on another page, forms 
 one of the pleasant retreats for which Liberty 
 Township is noted, and which has been built up by 
 the exercise of the most persevering industry, econ- 
 omy and good management. 
 
 '■^l^*"^?!^ 
 
 <*?«s^-«^«<f~ 
 
 OATHANIEL E. MILLER, contractor and 
 / builder, occupies a good position among the 
 1 artisans of the city of Beatrice, and enjoys 
 an ample share of the patronage of the business 
 men. He is a Pennsylvanian by birth, his early 
 home having been in the vicinity of Sporting Hill, 
 Lancaster County, where he was born June 30, 
 1849. To his parents, George R. and Catherine 
 (Eicholtz) Miller, there were born seven sons and 
 two daughters, of whom our subject was the fifth 
 child. Of these eight are still living, all married 
 and with families of their own. 
 
 The parents of our subject were likewise natives 
 of the Keystone State, where the father is still liv- 
 ing. He was born in 1816. During his earlier 
 years he was engaged in the butcher business, and 
 made a good living for his famil}'. The mother, 
 who was born in 1813, died at the old homestead 
 April 18, 1881. The family was one of the most 
 highly respected in that region, possessing those 
 high moral principles by which their own lives 
 were uniformly guided, and which led them to rear 
 their children in such a manner as to make of them 
 useful and worthy members of society. 
 
 Nathaniel E. Miller remained on the old home- 
 stead until sixteen years of age, acquiring but a 
 limited education, attending school about two 
 months each j"ear. He then began an apprentice- 
 ship at the carpenter trade, of which he obtained a 
 thorough knowledge in two years, and w.as then 
 employed as a journeyman five years. At the ex- 
 piration of this time he established in business on 
 his own account as a contractor and builder, still 
 continuing in his native county. In 1870 he 
 migrated to AVayne County. Ohio, spending one 
 year in the Buckeye State, and then took up his line 
 of march toward Illinois. Locating in Decatur, he 
 spent one summer there, then changed his residence 
 to Sterling, where he met his future wife. Their 
 
 ■^•- 
 
 ■•► 
 
-^*- 
 
 ••► 
 
 GAGE COUNT V. 
 
 G'J! 
 
 wedding was celelinited Nov. 7, 1872. This ladj-, 
 fuimeriy Miss Fanny M. Pernod, was born Jan. 1, 
 1852, in Wayne County. Ohio, and is the daughter 
 of Jacob and Sarah (Koueh) I'eniod, who were 
 both natives of Pennsylvania. 
 
 After his marriage our subject returned with 
 his 3'oui)g wife to Ohio, sojourning for a time with 
 his father, wlio was carrying on a store of general 
 merchandise in Wajne Count}'. N. E. continued 
 a resident of the Buciieye State until 1880, then 
 making his waj- westward across the Mississippi to 
 Nebraska, took up his residence in Beatrice, and at 
 once established himself as a builder and contractor, 
 being successful from tlie start. A large propor- 
 tion of the prominent business houses in the city 
 were erected under his supervision, as well as many 
 of its fine residences. Being a thorough and skilled 
 workman himself, he consequently has the judg- 
 ment and discretion to give employment to none 
 but the same class of men. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Miller there have been born 
 two children only, a son and a daughter — Amanda 
 L. and Arthur Laverne. Their pleasant and comforta- 
 ble home is situated on the corner of Eleventh and 
 Ella streets. Besides his town propert}- Mr. Miller 
 has a good farm of eighty acres in Midland Town- 
 ship, and has three dwellings aside from the one he 
 occu|>ies, the rents of which assist in swelling his 
 comfortable income. Politically', he is a stanch 
 Republican, and while a resident of Paddock Town- 
 ship was Moderator in liis school district. Con- 
 sidering the fact that he commenced in life without 
 other resources than his own industry and resolu- 
 tion, he has ample reason to be satisfied with the re- 
 sults of his labors. He and his wife are members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 --^'—- -*»-#- ^~ 
 
 y-ii I^ILLIAM BEER Amor 
 " and well-to-do farmers of 
 ship is the gentleman wl 
 
 *>1LLIAM BEER Among the prosperous 
 I of Barneston Town- 
 vhose life is herein 
 sketched, who resides upon his farm, which is sit- 
 uated on section 29. He was born in Allegheny 
 County, Pa., on the 26th of June, 1819, and is the 
 son (jf William and Margaret Beer, natives of 
 Pennsylvania, the former born in Beaver County. 
 
 They were married in that State, and became the 
 parents of twelve children. The father is now 
 deceased. The educational facilities were such that 
 our subject could not do more tiian receive a rudi- 
 mentary education, there being none but subscrip- 
 tion schools, and these not of the best, besides which 
 the terms were quite brief and it was easier to forget 
 between the terms than to learn while they were in 
 progress. 
 
 With the exception of perhaps about three years, 
 farming has been the occupation of our subject 
 since his youth. He removed to Fulton County, 
 III., in 1836, and settled in Young Hickory Town- 
 ship. In 18a2 he started overland for California, 
 driving an ox-team the entire disUmce. In cross- 
 ing the forty-mile desert they took a supply of 
 water and grass for the oxen, giving them one feed 
 and one drink about midwaj'. Their pathway was 
 strewn to the right and left with the bodies of dead 
 horses, mules and cattle, and although many of 
 them had lain there for three or four years the}' 
 had not decayed, only dried hard. 
 
 Upon arriving in California our subject contin- 
 ued mining gold for about three years, and then 
 returned in 1855 and settled in Peoria County, 
 III., where for twenty years he made his liome and 
 engaged in farming. At the end' of that period, 
 i. e. in 1875, he removerl to Page Count}', Iowa, 
 and in 1881 he came to this county and settled 
 upon his pi-esent projjert}'. He is the owner of 200 
 acres of splendid agricultural land on section 29. 
 which he operates as a grain and stock farm. His 
 long experience has made him fully acquainted 
 with all the minutia of such work, and his success, 
 other things being equal, is quite good. He has been 
 enabled year by year, slowly but surely, to .accu- 
 mulate a comiJCtence that will remove ail fears 
 from the future, wherein labor will be an impossi- 
 bility. 
 
 On the 23d of Jul}', 1844, our subject was united 
 in marriage with Adeline Belsliee. This lady was 
 born in Ohio, March 22, 1828, to Joseph and 
 Hannah Belshee, the former of whom is deceased. 
 Of the above union there have been born to our 
 subject twelve children, eight of whom are still 
 living. The names these have received are here 
 subjoined, viz: John T., Angelinc, William C, 
 
 l ^j ^ ^l l ^> 
 
A 692 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Louisa, George M., Ella. Nellie anrl Paul. The five 
 oldest of them are married, and have homes of their 
 own not far from the old homestead. 
 
 Our subject has seen many ups and downs in life, 
 and it has often seemed as though the difficulties 
 presented were insurmountalile, but courage and 
 hard labor have presently devised a way and effected 
 a method that left him the victor. He is connected 
 with the membership of the United Brethren Church, 
 and is considered by all worthy of entire confidence 
 and respect. His life is an illustration of what may 
 be done by those who will courageously utilize the 
 powers they possess, and the opportunities that 
 come within their reach, which are so many rounds 
 in the ladder of success. 
 
 '&- 
 
 \f} ACOB UPLINGER bears the distinction of 
 being one of the oldest settlers of Highland 
 Township, to which he came in the fall of 
 the j'ear 1871. His earl}' home was in Lu- 
 zerne County, Pa., where his birth took place Feb. 
 17, lH4o. His parents, John and Elizabeth (Wood) 
 Uplinger, are still living, and residents of DeKalb 
 County, 111. Tliis branch of the Uplinger family is 
 traced back through eight generations, and believed 
 to have been of German origin. The mother of our 
 subject traced her forefathers back to England. 
 Jacob was one of a family of thirteen children, all 
 of whom lived to mature years, and with one ex- 
 ception still survive. Mary, the eldest daughter, 
 is the wife of Samuel Krisinger, of iSIinncsola; 
 Susan married Stephen Santee, of that State; Sarah 
 is the wife of H. H. Silver, of Higidaud Township, 
 this countj'; Almina died at the age of twenty-five 
 years; Amelia is the wife of P. Worthlcy, of Mar- 
 tin Count}', Minn. ; Maggie, Mrs. Ida Vanderburg, 
 lives in DeKalb County, III., of which Elizabeth, 
 Amanda, Martha, Charles, John and Benjamin are 
 also residents. 
 
 The subject of our sketch was reared to man's es- 
 tate in his native county amid the quiet surroundings 
 of farm life, and acquired his education in Llie com- 
 mon scliools. When in the seventeenth year of his 
 age he lelt home to learn the trade of harness- 
 
 maker, being thus occupied eighteen months at Ber- 
 wick, Pa. He subsequently returned to the farm, 
 worked for his father a year, then engaged in lum- 
 bering on the west branch of the Susquehanna, in 
 Center County. Eighteen months later he started 
 with a team for Oil City, and continued traveling 
 until reaching Sterling, 111. There he disposed of 
 his team, then proceeded across the Mississippi to 
 Dubuque, Iowa. After a brief sojourn in the 
 Hawkeye State he returned to the old homestead 
 in Pennsylvania, and a few months later established 
 himself as a butcher at the Lehigh mines in Luzerne 
 County. This business he conducted about two 
 years, and then moved to Illinois. 
 
 The marriage of Jacob Uplinger and Miss Sarah 
 Woodring was celebrated at the home of the bride 
 in Luzerne County, Pa., June 25, 18GG. Mrs. Up- 
 linger was born Dec. 2, 1844, in Luzerne County, 
 Pa., and of her union with our subject there have 
 been born six children, namely: Charles was bom 
 Ai)ril 3, 18G8; Frank, Aug. 31, 1871 ; Edward, Nov. 
 9, 1873; William, Oct. 26, 1875; Eosa, Dec. 19, 
 1877, and Alfred. The latter died when six mouths 
 old. Mr. and Mrs. U. after their marriage and the 
 birth of one child, came in 1870 to Nemaha County, 
 this State, whence the year following they removed 
 to their present homestead. The land upon which 
 they settled bore little resemblance then to its pres- 
 ent condition, being a wild and uncultivated tract 
 with no improvements. Mr. Uplinger secured a 
 homestead claim of eighty acres, and put up a very 
 simple habitation, which they occupied until able 
 to do better. They now possess a fine farm, 240 
 acres in extent, with admirable improvements and 
 situated amid all the comforts and many of the 
 luxuries of life. Aside from having no capital Mr. 
 Liplinger was obliged to run in debt at the com- 
 mencement, but it was soon found that he was a 
 man industrious and persevering, and one whose 
 word was as good as his bond. His property is now 
 without incumbrance, and he is in possession of 
 one of the finest homes in this region, a view of 
 which the publishers take pleasure in presenting 
 elsewhere in this volume. The farm stock and 
 machinery are of first-class quality and condition, 
 and everything about the [)remises indicates the 
 thrift and intelligence which have traveled hand iu 
 
I 
 
 M- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 693 
 
 \ 
 
 *■ 
 
 hand, and which have ln'ouglit about siicli admira- 
 ble results. Among the ea.v\y pioneers of Highland 
 Township none are more esteemed and honored, 
 and none more deserving, than Jacob Uplinger. 
 
 jn^EV. JEDIDIAH R. HOAG. One of the 
 ^V earliest pioneers, in relation to both its ma- 
 terial and religious condition and growth, 
 ^ is the gentleman whose biography is herein 
 briefly epitomized. Lyman Iloag. the father of 
 our subject, was born ou Long Island, N. Y., in the 
 year 1780, and received such education as was ob- 
 tainable in the common schools of that time, after 
 which he learned the trade of wheelwright, and 
 throughout the greater part of his life followed the 
 calling of a builder and contractor. When quite a 
 young man he removed to Rensselaer County, and 
 continued to make his home there for the greater 
 part of his life, making one more removal quite late 
 in life, and that to Lockport, Niagara County, 
 where he purchased a farm and operated the same 
 for about twenty years, and died at the age of 
 seventy-eight years, in the month of September, 
 1858. His wife, the mother of our subject, was 
 Mary Robinson, who was born in Rensselaer County, 
 N. Y., in the j'ear 1775, and was the daughter of 
 Jedidiah Robinson, a farmer in that county. This 
 lad\' was married when twenty years of age. and 
 lived until the year 1860. She became the mother 
 of eleven children, of whom nine grew to mature 
 years. Their religious connection was with the 
 Society of Friends. William Hoag, the grandfather 
 of our subject, was a native of Quaker Hill, Dutch- 
 ess Co., N. Y., and was very prominent among the 
 Friends. 
 
 Our subject was born in Rensselaer County on the 
 2Gth of August, 1822. His education was received 
 in the common schools of that place, until at the 
 age of twelve years he removed with his parents to 
 Orangeport, Niagara County, then considered the 
 Far West. Attwentj' years of age he entered tlie 
 Theological Seminary, of Me.idville, Pa., and after 
 taking the full course, was graduated, and entered the 
 ministry, and followed it regularly for thirty-seven 
 years, until his settlement in Wymore, in 1881. In 
 
 the discharge of his clerical duties he has held vari- 
 ous charges in New York State, Canada, Illinois, 
 Ohio, Indiana and Nebraska, coming to the latter 
 State in 1880, and locating at Blue Springs, and the 
 following year when Wymore was platted came to 
 this cit}', and was identified with its founding. He 
 was the owner of a homestead which was laid out 
 in town lots. This circumstance associated him 
 with prominent men engaged in the distribution 
 and sale of real estate, and leil to his cannection, 
 with the business. Since that time he has disposed 
 of more than 530 lots in the city. 
 
 Our subject was a member of the first .School 
 Board, and before a school district was organized 
 he, with his colleagues, ran a public school on their 
 own credit, thus [iroving their faith in the future 
 town by their works; our subject has always been 
 enthusiastic in educational matters, and whatso- 
 ever looks toward the advancement of the young 
 people. Upon the 3d of September, 1848, Mr. 
 Hoag was united in marriage with Electa E. Free- 
 man, at Orangepott, and to them have been born 
 eight children, five of whom are still living — Mary, 
 Freeman, Eva, Clara and Olive. Mrs. E. E. Hoag 
 is the daughter of William and Mary Freeman, na- 
 tives of New York. Their daughter was born 
 April 15, 1827. 
 
 Since Jan. 1, 1886, our subject has retired from 
 active labor and business, and has now reached the 
 advanced age of sixt3'-six years. He and his family" 
 enjoy the fullest confidence and respect of the com- 
 munity at large, and are held in highest esteem. 
 
 *mi 
 
 
 Jf NDREW KERR. The name of this geutle- 
 II man is prominently known throughout 
 Sherman Township and vicinity' as one of 
 its enterprising and successful farmers, and 
 a leader in those projects tending to the moral and 
 financial advancement of this community. He has 
 built up one of the finest farms in this part of Gage 
 Countj% and is one of the self-made men who have 
 been instrumental in bringing it to its present envi- 
 able condition. 
 
 A native of the Dominion of Canada, our sub- 
 ject -w.as born near the city of Kingston, Oct. 8, 
 c^ 
 
-W ^ ' 
 
 ••► 
 
 fi94 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -t 
 
 1839. When about fourteen j'ears of age he re- 
 moved with his pnrents to ConnpcticMit, they set- 
 tling on a farm, where they remained about six 
 years. Then, resolving to seek a home in the 
 West, they emigrated to Ford County, 111. From 
 there six years later Andrew moved to Monroe 
 County, Iowa, taking up his residence in Alhia, the 
 county seat, where he lived three years. He saved 
 what he could of his earnings, and his first invest- 
 ment was in eighty acres of land in Ford County, 
 111., npon which he lirongbt about some improve- 
 ments, then sold. 
 
 In the spring of 1869 Mr. Kerr came to Ne- 
 braska, at a time when this county was practicallj' 
 unsettled. Young Kerr was without capital, having 
 only his willing hands and stout heart, and secured 
 employment in breaking prairie by the acre. He 
 first rented land a year, then purchased eighty 
 acres in Sherman Township, which he improved, and 
 in due time added to it 120 acres adjoining. He 
 was prospered in his labors, and his next purchase 
 was 320 acres adjoining his (irevious purchases, so 
 that he l)ecaine tlie owner of 520 aciesin one bodj'. 
 Also he began dealing largel3' in live stock, bujing, 
 feeding and shipping to the Chicago market, in- 
 creasing his operations each year until they include<l 
 300 or 400 hogs and 100 cattle annually. This 
 industry he still jiursues to quite an extent, although 
 not so largelj' as in jears past. He also controls a 
 section of land adjoining his farm, which is devoted 
 to his stock interests. 
 
 The marriage of our subject with Miss Sarah E. 
 Bain was celebrated at the home of the bride, in 
 Albia, Iowa, Feb. 14, 18C6. Mrs. Kerr was born 
 near Zanesville, Ohio, and is the daughter of James 
 and M.ay (Sterett) Bain, who were also natives of 
 the Buckeye State, and are now dead. Of this 
 union there have been born six children, three sons 
 and three daughters — Ida M., George W., Frank, 
 AVilbur A., Laura and Pearl. Mr. Kerr has been 
 quite prominent in local affairs, having served as 
 School Director for a period of thirteen years, and 
 filled the various township offices, including that 
 of Supervisor. He gives his undivided support, 
 politically, to the Republican party, and for a period 
 of sixteen years has been chosen as the delegate 
 from his township to the county convention. His 
 
 whole career illustrates in a marked manner that of 
 a self-made man. who has arisen through many dif- 
 ficulties to an enviable position, socially and tinan- 
 cialjj', among his fellow-citizens. 
 
 The parents of our subject, James and Sarah 
 (Gamble) Kerr, were most excellent and worth}' 
 people, the father of excellent Scotch ancestry and 
 born in the '-land of the thistle." His ancestors were 
 driven from .Scotland to the North of Ireland on 
 account of their religious views during that hegira 
 which has become a matter of history. James Kerr 
 emigrated from Ireland to Canada and later to Illi- 
 nois. His wife, the mother of our subject, died 
 when the latter was quite small. Andrew received 
 only the advantages of a limited education, but has 
 made the most of his op|iortunities all through life, 
 and there are few men wlio have a better knowl- 
 edge of general business, or who are better posted 
 upon matters of interest to every intelligentcitizen. 
 
 ^ €-*-^-- 
 
 EV. DAVID EDWARDS. The principal 
 events in the history of the present pastor 
 of Wyniore Presbyterian Church are mainly 
 ^'as follows. He was born in 18G1 at Bangor, 
 a city of Carnarvonshire, North Wales, at the head of 
 Beaumaris B.aj', and in the midst of a romantic val- 
 ley. The town is traversed mainl}- by one narrow 
 street, nearly a mile in length, and has a cathedral, an 
 Episcoi'al palace, and a deanery founded in the 
 reign of Elizabeth. The town is a popular resort 
 for sea bathing. The first years of Mr. Edwards 
 were spent at home and in attendance at the British 
 schools and the grammar school. 
 
 When a la<l of fourteen years Mr. Edwards was 
 deprived by death of his mother, which melancholy 
 occurrence left a deep impression upon his mind, 
 and seemed to prove a turning point in his life. 
 Three years later he left home and w.as employed 
 as clerk in a woolen warehouse at Liverpool, En- 
 gland, where be staid nearly three j-ears. He had 
 always been a lad thoughtful and serious beyond 
 his years, liking to be in the company of ministers, 
 and conceived the idea that he would like to be a 
 pre.acher. As he approached manhood this matter 
 took a strong hold upon him, and he talked it over 
 
 w^ 
 
 T 
 
^ 
 
 -4•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 095 
 
 with some of his frienfls, who advised him to speak 
 in the pulpit as he had opportunity, to also enter a 
 private school, and prepare himself for college. 
 With this end in view young Edwarils left Liver- 
 pool and entered a private school at Oswestr3% in 
 Shropshire, and during his st.a}' there w.is admitted 
 a regular member of tiie presb^-terj' in 1882. Two 
 years later he became a student of Edinburgh Uni- 
 versity, Scotland, where he pursued his studies 
 faithfully for a period of three years, and then was 
 advised to cross the Atlantic and visit America, 
 before taking charge of any church. 
 
 In June, 1887, Mr. fid wards sailed from his na- 
 tive shores, arriving in New York Citj- the latter 
 part of the month, anticipating a stay of four 
 months in the United States. The climate, how- 
 ever, proving greatly benefici.al to his health, and 
 the further f.act that he received a unanimous call 
 to become the pastor of the Presbyterian Church 
 at Wj'niore, this county, were read}^ inducements 
 for him to remain. Altliough having been but 
 eighteen months in America he is becoming thor- 
 oughl}' accustomed to the ways of her people, and 
 by his upright and Christian course has drawn 
 around him many friends. He presides over a large 
 congregation, and in connection with the church, 
 through the efforts of Mr. Edwards, there has been 
 built up a flourishing Sunday-school, which is con- 
 ducted in the morning and mostly attended by 
 children, while the afternoon is given to a sermon; 
 there are also occasional week-day services, besides 
 the ordinary meetings of the church, thus keeping 
 the pastor fully employed. 
 
 JAMES H. JOHNSON. Prominent among the 
 pioneers of this county stands the name of 
 James H. Johnson, late of Blue Springs 
 Township, and although he has passed away 
 to enjoj' the recoui])ense due his long and useful 
 life, his memor}' still lives, and his honorable and 
 successful career stands forth as a fitting example 
 of what can be done by earnest and constant effort. 
 He was a man of upright, honest character, who 
 abhorred trickery and deceit, and in looking about 
 
 I' 
 
 over the long and useful life which he passed, he 
 might well feel gratified at the position he had won 
 in the esteem and confidence of honest men, and 
 the respect of all good citizens. He was ever kind 
 and hospitable in his home, to all new comers his 
 house was open and a hearty welcome extended, 
 free from cold formalitj'. He was born in Logan 
 County, Ohio, in March, 1818, and was a son of 
 Larkin and Mary Johnson, who were natives of 
 Ohio and North Carolina. The former is deceased. 
 
 In 1838 our subject moved to Iowa, whence he 
 came to this county about thirty j-ears ago, the 
 same time that Nathan Blakel}' and other early set- 
 lers came. Throughout his life he had been engagd 
 in the occupation of farming, and when he settled 
 on his land on section 9, Blue Springs Township 
 the Indians lived all through this section. The 
 earlj' settlers had to go to St. Joseph. Mo., over 
 100 miles distant, to trade and get their provisions, 
 and in making those long journeys they had neces- 
 sarilj' to undergo many hardships. The post-office 
 from which they received their mail was on Turkey 
 Creek in Pawnee County, about fifteen miles away, 
 and after making the long journey to the post-office 
 how glad they were to receive a letter from some 
 of their distant friends. The Indians seemed very 
 quarrelsome and threatening, and the settlers were 
 often obliged to run for their lives to the fort at 
 Blue Springs. The men would take their guns and 
 scour through the country to drive off the intruders 
 who had committed depredations and murder on 
 the adjoining settlements. 
 
 At one time during tiie residence of our subject 
 here the notorious rebel guerrilla, McCandless, 
 planned an attack on the settlers, in which he and 
 his .allies expected to blot out from existence the 
 thriving little colony, but the noted "Wild Bill 
 heard of it, and went to his house and shot the leader, 
 when the band of McCandless' men being without a 
 leader, disbanded and gave up their murderous in- 
 tention, the lives of many of the Blue Springs set- 
 tlers being saved by the courageous action of that 
 one brave man. But Indians and guerrillas were not 
 the only enemies with whom those early settlers had 
 to contend, there being wild animals and serpents 
 ever ready to increase the dangers, snakes being 
 very plentiful and very troublesome. Thej' often 
 
 -•^ 
 
^ » ^ ll » 
 
 fiOfi 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 {•rawled into the house, and even the deadly rattle- 
 snakes would sometimes creep in unnoticed. The 
 various hardships which were endured by those 
 stout-hearted ])ioneers with so mnfh fortitude can- 
 not help but inspire others with a great respect for 
 them. The wife of our subject grated corn on a 
 grater in order to make bread, mills being then quite 
 an unknown convenience in this part of the coun- 
 try, and sometimes she ground it on a hand-mill, 
 often working at it all day out of doors in the rain. 
 
 In 1842 our subject was united in marriage with 
 JIartha M. Robinson, a daughter of Richard and 
 Elizabeth Robinson, who also came to this country at 
 an early daj'. The former is deceased. The}' were the 
 parents of seven children, the five surviving members 
 bearing the names of Mary, Thomas, James, Richard 
 and Martha. One son named Allen R. was drowned 
 in the Blue River, when he had lived here but 
 one month. He was in his tenth j-ear, and his death 
 was the first one which occurred in this community, 
 and a ver}' sad one. Mrs. Johnson was the first 
 white woman who made her home in this county, 
 and the trials which she had to undergo have been 
 various and many, but with true womanly courage 
 and steadfastness of jjurpose she has passed through 
 them all, and is now enjoying more comfortable 
 surroundings. 
 
 Our subject was called from the scenes of his 
 early labors in the fall of 1865, and in his death the 
 family lost an affectionate husband and a tender 
 parent, and the community a valuable member of 
 society. He was a licensed minister, and exhorted 
 in the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his 
 wife is an esteemed member, and was loved and 
 respected by all and spent his life largelj- in doing 
 good. He was always ready to comfort and help the 
 widow and orphans in their afHiction, and went 
 about from place to pl.ace trying to lighten the 
 burdens of his fellowmen and bring sunshine into 
 lives that were otherwise dreary and desolate. 
 AVhen administering to the sick he contracted the 
 typhoid fever, from which he never recovered, and 
 we might s.ay of him what was said long ago, 
 "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay 
 down his life for his friends." He saved many 
 wayward and dissolute men from going down to 
 drunkards' graves, and countless other acts of love 
 
 and charity marked his pathway through life. The 
 rewanl which he receives shall be in proportion to 
 his labor, and the crown of immortality which he is 
 called to wear is surely- a bright one. 
 
 ^^" 
 
 Tli'r^ OBERT PRETZER. one of the early pioneers 
 lis^r of Clatonia Township, came to this section 
 /ii \V of country as early as 1870, and home- 
 ^@ steaded eighty acres of land in Highland 
 Township, this county. He lived there but a short 
 time, however, thence coming to Clatonia Township, 
 and on section 5 purchased 160 acres at $7 per 
 acre. This he settled upon and operated until the 
 spring of 1887. bringing about the improvements 
 which enabled him to sell it at a good figure. With 
 the proceeds he secured his present farm, which lies 
 on section 36. Here he has 240 acres of fertile 
 land, which under his careful management yields in 
 abundance. He is a thorough and skillful agricult- 
 urist, and as a member of the community is num- 
 bered among its most reliable citizens. 
 
 The subject of our sketch, like many of the well- 
 to-do farmers about him, was born in Germany, 
 Jan. 30, 1844. His parents. Christian and Caroline 
 Pretzer, were also of German birth and parentage, 
 and continue upon their native soil. Robert was 
 the eldest in the family, and, as is common with 
 most of the German youth, acquired a good educa- 
 tion in his native tongue. From the time he was 
 seventeen until twenty-three years old, he was em- 
 ployed as a boat hand on one of the inland rivers. 
 In the fall of 1867, determining to seek his fortune 
 on another continent, he secured passage on a 
 steamer at Hamburg, and after an ocean voj'age of 
 about two weeks landed safely in New York City. 
 Thence he soon migrated to Cleveland, Ohio, where 
 he spent his first winter. 
 
 Young Pretzer in the spring following made his 
 way to Wabasha County, Minn., where he was em- 
 plo^-ed for a time as a farm laborer, then took up 
 the trade of carpenter, which he followed a number 
 of months. About 1869 he crossed the Mississippi, 
 and coming into Lancaster County, this State, so- 
 journed there a brief time, then made his way to 
 this county. He homesteaded in Highland Town- 
 
-U 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 607 
 
 ship eighty acres of land, and liis snbseqnent course 
 we iiave aheady indicated. In 1874 he was united 
 in marriage with Miss Louisa Strucknipier. This 
 union resulted in the liirth of six children, namely: 
 Lena. Robert, Gustavo, George, Albert and Louisa. 
 They are all living and at home with their parents. 
 Mr. Pretzer votes the straight Republican ticket, 
 and is a member in good standing of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, being prominent in its confer- 
 ence and one of its most liberal supporters. He has 
 served as School Director in his district for the last 
 two years, and is a man who seeks to make himself 
 useful in his community. All his neighbors are his 
 friends, and his record is one of which his children 
 need never be ashamed. 
 
 -\«l2J2i2/©^^ 
 
 •©|.S!^3a Bt\^ -vv-v- 
 
 
 //^^i RAY "WARNER, well known among the lead- 
 llj I—, ing business interests of Beatrice, represents 
 ^^1) the dry -goods and millinery trade, and com- 
 mands a lucrative and steadily increasing patronage. 
 A native of Illinois, he was born near Ottawa, the 
 county seat of LaSalle County, Nov. 28, 1857, and 
 is the seventh of a family of eight children, the 
 offspring of Francis and Juliet P. (Back) Warner, 
 who were natives respectively of Massachusetts and 
 Vermont, and were of English ancestry. 
 
 The father of our subject followed farming dur- 
 ing his early manhood in the Bay State, not far 
 from the town of Walthani. About 1840 here- 
 solved to emigrate, and starting for the West located 
 in LaSalle County, 111., and there carried on farm- 
 ing until 1852. In the meantime his intelligence 
 and good business capacities brought him promi- 
 nently before the public, and in the year mentioned 
 he was elected Sheriff of LaSalle County, when he 
 left the farm and removed to Ottawa to enter the 
 duties of his office. Upon his retirement from the 
 Sheriffs office he was for ten years engaged in the 
 lumber business at Ottawa; then he moved to the 
 city of Chicago, where, with his estimable wife, 
 he still resides, and is now General Superintend- 
 ent of the American Express Company, a position 
 he has held for a period of five years. 
 
 Our subject in his boyhood attended the public 
 schools of Ottawa, and upon the removal of his 
 
 parents to Chicago he accompanied them, and se- 
 cured a position with the late well-known firm of 
 Field, LeiterifeCo.,asclerk in their wholesale house. 
 With this he was connected until reaching his ma- 
 jority'. Then going West he opened up a store in 
 Georgetown, Col., where, during a period of seven 
 years, he built up a successful trade in dry-goods 
 and notions. In the fall of 1883, coming to Bea- 
 trice, he spent tiie winter preparing for his spring 
 opening of dry -goods in this cit}', and associated 
 himself with his brother-in-law, Henry B. Gates, 
 which firm continued eighteen months under the 
 style of Warner k Gates. Mr. W. then purchased 
 the interest of his partner, and has since conducted 
 the business alone. This store occui)ies No. 412 
 Court street, and embraces an area of 25x125 feet, 
 being two stories in height. Here may be seen a full 
 line of everything pertaining to the dry-goods and 
 millinery tr.ade, and the establishment gives emplo}- 
 ment to both young men and young women, and 
 presents one of the busiest hives of industrv in the 
 
 city- 
 March 25, 1880, Mr. Warner led to the altar 
 Miss Carrie L. Griswold, of Chicago. Mrs. Warner 
 was born in Janesville, Wis.; her parents sul)se- 
 quently moved to Chicago; the latter, Lucien P. 
 and Maria L. (Sweet) Griswold, were natives of 
 New York. Of this union there are two children, 
 both daughters — F211a and Isabelle. The family 
 residence is a neat and substantial structure, located 
 in the eastern portion of the city, with homelike 
 surroundings and everything conducive to the com- 
 fort and happiness of the inmates. Our subject and 
 his estimable lad^' number among their friends and 
 acquaintances the cultivated people of Beatrice, for 
 which their attractive home forms a pleasant and 
 hospitable resort. 
 
 Mr. Warner purchased his first stock of goods 
 from Field, Leiter k. Co., who, on account of the 
 fidelity with which he had discharged his duties 
 while in their employ, became his personal friends. 
 The business traits which were developed in him at 
 an early age have* continued to enlarge, and the 
 fine trade which he now commands is due to his 
 systematic methods of dealing with his patrons and 
 his promptness in meeting his obligations. Although 
 having little time to give to politics, he uniformly 
 
 f 
 
698 
 
 a 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 supports the Kepublican party, and takes a genuine 
 interest in the enterprises set on foot to increase 
 the standing and importance of his adopted city. 
 He was elected a member of the Common Council 
 in 1886, serving with such acceptabilit}' that he was 
 continued in the office by the election of 1888. 
 Socially, he belongs to Beatrice Lodge No. 26, A. 
 F. <fe A. M.. and to Livingston Chapter No. 10, be- 
 ing Secretary of the latter. He is also Secretary of 
 the Beatrice Flaxseed Company. He is recog- 
 nized as one of the most public-spirited citizens of 
 his time, a representative man of inestimable value 
 in his community. 
 
 4 
 
 R. CHARLES S. BOGGS, a graduate of 
 the medical de[)artment of the Nebraska 
 State University, and a son of one of the 
 well-known early settlers of this county, is 
 worthily filling his niche in the busy world of men 
 and in his community. He has been located at 
 Filley as a physician since the spring of 1884, 
 and by his reliable qualities and faithful devo- 
 tion to the duties of his profession, is fast as- 
 suming that place in the confidence of the people 
 of this section which was so long and so worthily 
 filled by his honored father. 
 
 From the sketch of the Boggs family found on 
 another page in this volume, it will be found that 
 nature endowed them with those qualities natur- 
 all}' leading to a worthy and successful career, 
 among theui being the self-reliance and persever- 
 ance especially needed by the settlers in a new 
 country. Dr. Boggs, Sr., the father of our subject, 
 a citizen as useful as he has been a physician, came 
 to Southern Nebraska when spirits such as he were 
 most needed, and met right admirably the demands 
 made upon him. There was a new town to be 
 built up, together with the reputation of this sec- 
 tion as a desirable place of residence, and to these 
 things Dr. Boggs, Sr., bent his energies, in common 
 with the other intelligent men around him, con- 
 tributing his full quota to the development of this 
 part of Gage County. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in North 
 Manchester, Ind., June I'J, 18a7, and began his 
 
 ■<l«- 
 
 cducatiou in the public schools of Bureau and Mar- 
 shall Counties, Illinois and Indiana respectively. 
 When a lad of thirteen years of age his parents 
 came to Southern Nebraska, and from 1872 Charles 
 assisted in the labors of the farm, and attended 
 school at Beatrice alternately for a period of four 
 years. Afterward he entered the High School in 
 that city, and devoted his whole time to his books 
 for a year, then commenced teaching, which pro- 
 fession he followed four 3'ears in succession in this 
 county. At the expiration of this time he turned 
 his attention seriously to the study of medicine 
 under the instruction of his father three years, and 
 in the latter part of 1882 became a student of the 
 Iowa State University, leaving this institution a 
 year later to enter the Nebraska State University. 
 After receiving his diploma he practiced with his 
 father two years, and since that time has gradually 
 assumed the business of the latter as the elder phj'- 
 sician retired. 
 
 Dr. Charles Boggs has inherited much of his 
 father's natural adaptation to this important de- 
 partment of the professions, and has met with uni- 
 form success, building up for himself an enviable 
 reputation, both among the people of this countj', 
 and among his professional brethren. He makes a 
 specialt}' of surgery, and holds the position of Ex- 
 aminer for the Union Central Life Insurance Com- 
 pany of New York City, in this town. AVhen 
 twenty-five j'ears of age he was married to a very 
 estimable lady, Miss Mary C, daughter of David 
 S. and Elizabeth (Sn3'der) Faulder, of Hanover, 
 this county. Mr. Faulder is a native of Beaver 
 Creek, Md., and was born .Jan. 9, 1832. He con- 
 tinued a resident of his native place until 1875, 
 then removed to Ogle County, 111. From there 
 three years later he migrated across the Mississippi 
 into this State, and is now following farming in 
 Hanover Township, this county. He had learned 
 the cooper trade when a young man, but later 
 abandoned this for the more congenial pursuits of 
 agriculture. 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Faulder, the mother of Mrs. Boggs, 
 was born in AVashington County, Md., June 22, 
 1833, and is still living. The parental family in- 
 cluded eleven children, six sons and five daughters. 
 Nine of these are still living, namely: Jerome, 
 
•^f^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 699 i , 
 
 Cliarles E. mid Ira E.. farmers ')f Hanover; Irvin 
 E.. at iKune; Samuel R.. farming in Hanover; 
 Lanra E., tlie wife of James F. Boggs, a farmer of 
 Fllloy ; Mary C, the wife of onr subject; AnnaM., 
 the wife of M. II. Blackburn, who is studying medi- 
 cine in Filley. and Luc}' E., who is at home with 
 her parents. 
 
 Mrs. Mary C. Boggs was born in Beaver Creek, 
 Md., Dec. 28, 1 SCO, under the same roof where her 
 father first opened his eyes to the light twenty- 
 eight j'ears before, in 1832. She leceived a com- 
 nn)n-school education and excellent home training, 
 and lived with her parents until her marriage, which 
 occurred Sept. 28, 1882. Of her union with our 
 subject there has been born one child, a daughter, 
 Mabel M.. Nov. 15, 1885. The Doctor and his 
 little famil}- have a pleasant home in the southeastern 
 part of the village, ami number among their friends 
 and acquaintances the best people of the township. 
 IMrs. Boggs is a member of the Christian Church, 
 while the Doctor finds religious consolation in the 
 doctrines of the Methodist faith. Socially, be be- 
 longs to the Masonic fraternity, and the I. O. G. T. 
 lie is popular among his fellow-townsmen, and a 
 useful factor in his community, both as a phjsician 
 and a citizen. 
 
 ^- 
 
 -^^-s 
 
 I DWIN B. HINDS is one of the leading mer- 
 tpi} chants of Odell, where he is doing an ex- 
 '' — '-^ tensive business as a dealer in hardware. He 
 owns the flue building in which he conducts his 
 business, and also the commodious house in which 
 he dwells; and besides these he owns valuable farm 
 propert}', one farm of fortj' acres on section 1 9, 
 adjoining Odell. in Paddock Township, and another 
 of eighty acres within a mile of Lanham, this 
 county. He is well and favorably known in busi- 
 ness circles throughout Gage Count}-, having a good 
 reputation both financially and as a gentleman. 
 
 Mr. Hinds is a native of Vermont, born amid 
 the pleasant scenery of Windham County, Nov. 
 21, 1842. His parents, Charles C. and Lorena 
 (Burke) Hinds, natives of Vermont, left their New 
 England home in 1855 to take up their abode in 
 Clayton Count}', Iowa. The father died in that 
 
 State March 21, 1877. having rounded out sixty- 
 eight years of a Itusy and honorable life. His esti- 
 mable wife did not long survive the shock of his 
 death, her own occurring on the 14th of the fol- 
 lowing August, at the age of sixty-two. These 
 good people had but two children, our subject and 
 his brother Charles. The latter heroically gave up 
 his life for his country during the late war. dying 
 May 14, 18G3. at Grand Gulf, Miss., he having 
 been a member of Company B, 21st Iowa Infantry. 
 
 Edvvin Hinds, of whom we write, was a lad of 
 thirteen years when he accompanied his parents 
 from his native place to their new home in Iowa, 
 .and there he w;is reared to manhood, continuing 
 his education begun in his native State in the Iowa 
 public schools. AVhen the war broke out he watched 
 the course of events with intense interest and 
 longed with ardent patriotism to join the "boys in 
 blue" and march forth to fight for his country. At 
 length his wish was granted, and he was permitted 
 to enlist, although he had not attained his majority, 
 and in August, 18G2, he enrolled his name as a 
 member of Company M, 1st Iowa Cavalry, and 
 during the remainder of the war he faithfull}' 
 served the Union cause on many a hard-fought 
 battle-field, his military record as a brave and ef- 
 ficient soldier being one of which he m.ay well be 
 proud. He took part in the battles of Prairie 
 Grove, Little Rock, Camden, and many others. 
 He was through Texas with the gallant Gen. Custer, 
 and received his discharge from the army in March, 
 18GC, returning to his home without a scar, although 
 he had taken an active part in every battle in which 
 his regiment was engaged. 
 
 After his retirement from the service Mr. Hinds 
 returned to bis father's residence in Clayton County, 
 Iowa, and subsequently made his home in that 
 county until 1881. Wishing to supplement bis 
 education, be entered Eastman's College, Chicago, 
 111., where he remained a student for one term, re- 
 ceiving a fine business training. He then engaged 
 as a clerk in a store of general merchandise, but he 
 afterward turned his attention to farming, and was 
 very successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits 
 for nine years. He began life without money, but 
 by enterprise and close attention to business he se- 
 cured a competency, and decided iu wind up his 
 
i 
 
 700 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 affairs in Iowa and roalie his home for the future in 
 this part of the country. Acconlingi}-, in May, 
 1881, he visited Wasliington County, Kan., and 
 after staying there about three months came to 
 Odell in August, and shortly after establislied him- 
 self in the hardware business, in which he has ever 
 since engaged, witli the exception of one 3'ear. He 
 lias a fine assortment and an extensive stock, and 
 his trade is constantly increasing. His courteous 
 and obliging manners win him the esteem of his 
 patrons, and his strict attention to business and 
 honorable dealings have gained him their full con- 
 fidence. 
 
 Mr. Hinds was married to Miss Sarah Shaw, of 
 Clayton County, Iowa, Dec. 1, 1870, and they have 
 one son, Charles, who lives with them. Mrs. Hinds' 
 father. John Shaw, is now living in Hanson County', 
 Dak. Her mother died in Clayton Count}', Iowa, 
 in 1858, when Mrs. Hinds was a small child. 
 
 When Mr. Hinds came here a few years ago Odell 
 was an insignificant place, giving but little indica- 
 tion that it would ever reach its present importance 
 as a lively trading city. The railway was just being 
 built, and when Mr. Hinds commenced the erection 
 of his present store building, the weeds were as 
 high as a horse's back. Mr. Hinds has taken a 
 prominent i)art in the administration of [lublic af- 
 fairs in Paddock Township, and has served .as 
 Township Clerk since its organization. Politically, 
 he is a straight Republican, stanchly defending the 
 principles of that party by voice and vote. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hinds are people of high social status in 
 Odell. Mrs. Hinds is a member and an earnest 
 worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. 
 Hinds belongs to Reserve Post No. 148, G. A. R., 
 Odell; .also to Odell Lodge No. 97, I. O. O. F. 
 
 WILSON H. GALE. One of the chief points 
 -^^ of attraction in Filley Township is the fine 
 estate of the gentleman whose name stands 
 at the head of this sketch. This property, a view 
 of which we give in this Album, consists of 640 
 acres of land, all in one body and forming a com- 
 plete square. A beautiful residence was erected in 
 1885, and this, together with its numerous embel- 
 
 lishments, its shade trees, grounds and buildings 
 adjacent, forms one of the most pleasing pictures 
 in the landscape of this section. Mr. Gale is princi- 
 pallj' interested in fine horses, of which he keeps a 
 large number, breeding and training, having for this 
 purpose ample barns, stables, and all the other con- 
 veniences, including a half-mile track for speeding. 
 
 Next in importance to any man's career is that 
 of those to whom he owes his origin, and seldom 
 are the deeds of a man spoken of without allusion 
 to his ancestry. The father of our subject, Adol- 
 phus Gale, was born near the then infant city of 
 Columbus, Ohio, in 1816, and was of Welsh and 
 Irish ancestry on his f.ather's side, while his mother 
 traced her forefathers to Holland. They were an 
 agiicultural people, honest and industrious, and 
 left a worthy record to their descendants. 
 
 The [)aternal grandfather of our subject died 
 when his son Adolphus w.as a mere lad twelve 3'ears 
 of age, and the boy then left his native State, and 
 making his way to Sturgis, Mich., in com[)any 
 with his uncle, made his home with the latter for a 
 period of four years. He then returned to his na- 
 tive State, and locating in Crawford County, was 
 occupied there on a farm until his marriage. Soon 
 afterward, with his young wife, he moved to Steu- 
 ben County, Ind., where he followed farming until 
 1867, then changed his location to Stor^' County, 
 Iowa. 
 
 In the Hawkeje State Adolphus Gale experi- 
 mented in merchandising two years, although re- 
 taining possession of his land in Indiana. In 1869, 
 however, he exchanged this property for a tract of 
 land 1,440 acres in extent, in Southern Nebr.aska, 
 part, l^'ing in this count}' and part in Pawnee, the 
 larger part, however, in Gage County. He located 
 in Filley Township, landing here with others of the 
 family Nov. 19, 1869. On section 14 was a house, 
 where the}' boarded until thej' could put up a 
 dwelling, having for this purpose to transport lum- 
 ber from Brownville, fifty miles awa}'. By New 
 Year's Day the house was completed, and the three 
 families moved in, nine persons in all, including 
 Adolphus Gale and wife, his son, our subject and 
 family, and Mrs. F. L. Tinklepaugh, with her hus- 
 band and family. 
 
 The '-men folks" were busy all that winter build- 
 
 n 
 
-4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 r|r 
 
 ing stables, taking caie of their stock, and provid- 
 ing fuel for family use. 'llicre had been broken 
 •200 acres of the land, and in the spring of 1870 
 this was sowed to wheat. The father of our sub- 
 ject continued here until the summer of 1873, and 
 in .Tune of that year suffered a partial stroke of 
 paralysis, although not wholly disabled. Two years 
 later, however, he was stricken severelj-, and then 
 sold off his stock and returned to Steuben County, 
 Ind., where he remained nearly a year and until 
 October, 1876. He then came back to this State, 
 and in June, 1878, suffered the third stroke of par- 
 alysis, which rendered him ncaily helpless, but 
 under which he survived until Sept. 2, 1882, when 
 he passed away at his home in Filley Township. 
 
 The mother of our subject was in her girlhood 
 Miss Julia A. Miner, daughter of Andrew and 
 Fanny (Dart) Miner, of Crawford County, Ohio, 
 and was married to Adolphus Gale in 1837. An- 
 drew Miner was born in Delaware County, N. Y., 
 Aug. 29, 1793, his early home being near the Cat- 
 skill Mountains. His wife was born in Connecti- 
 cut. June 24, 1795, and when two years of age was 
 taken by her parents to the Empire State, thej- 
 settling in Delaware County, where she was mar- 
 ried to Mr. Gale at the age of twenty -one years. 
 From New York Mr. Miner removed to Ohio a 
 few years after his marriage, where he carried on 
 farming for ten years, and thence went into Craw- 
 ford County, sojourning there a period of eight 
 years. In 1838, still migrating westward, he sought 
 the prairies of Illinois, making his home in Peoria 
 County, and then crossing the Mississippi settled 
 in Iowa, where, with his estimable wife, he spent 
 the remainder of his days, he passing away in 1866. 
 Seven children, three sonsand four daughters, were 
 born to them, of whom only three are now living, 
 namel}' : Betsey Maria, the wife of Thomas Miller, 
 of Crawford County, Ohio; Luraan A., who is 
 farming in Franklin County, Iowa; and Julia A., 
 who is now living with her son, our subject. Miss 
 Miner was born in Crawford County, Ohio, May 3, 
 1820, and by her marriage with Adolphus Gale be- 
 came the mother of two children : Eliza K., the 
 sister of our subject, is the wife of F. L. Tinkle- 
 paugh, a well-to-do farmer of P'illey Township, this 
 County, and represented elsewhere in this volume. 
 
 i^ 
 
 G. H. Gale was born June 29, 1846, in Steuben 
 County, Ind., and until the age of eighteen years 
 spent his early life on the farm of his father. Upon 
 leaving home he engaged as clerk in a store of 
 general merchandise in Waterloo, Ind. Subse- 
 quently he learned the trade of a barber. In 1866 
 he went to Story County, Iowa, and thence came 
 to this county with his father. In Noveraljer, 1869, 
 he resumed the trade of a barber in Beatrice, but 
 three j-ears later returned to the farm. In 1875 he 
 migrated eastward as far as Steuben Count}', Ind.. 
 and there again resumed farming. The September 
 of 1878 found him again in this count}', where he 
 has since been contented to remain, engaged in the 
 peaceful pursuits of agriculture, and enjoying to 
 the full the delights of rural life. 
 
 'Ihe father of our subject in 1878 gave him the 
 section of land on which he now lives, and upon 
 which he h.as labored to such good advantage. 
 Previous to this, in 1870, he had set out a fine ar- 
 ray of forest trees along the front boundary line of 
 the farm, and perhaps no improvement which he 
 has made has been the source of more genuine sat- 
 isfaction or real use. Besides these trees there is a 
 grove of three or four acres near the house, which 
 is the admiration of the country around. In 1885 
 Mr. Gale erected the present fine residence of the 
 farail}', and which, with its surroundings, indicates 
 in a marked degree the tastes and means of the 
 proprietor. 
 
 For over twenty years there has presided over 
 the domestic affairs of Mr. Gale the amiable and 
 excellent Lady who became his wife Aug. 25, 1867, 
 and who was formerl)' Miss Flora A. Potter. She 
 was born in Fulton County, Ohio, Oct. 26, 1847, 
 and they are now the parents of live children — 
 Carl A., May, Mell, Roe and Frank, all at home 
 with their jjarents. Mrs. Gale is the daughter of 
 Joseph and Mary (Harlzell) Potter, natives re- 
 spectively of New York and Pennsylvania. The 
 father was born in 1815, and died in Ohio in 1857. 
 Mrs. Potter was born April 6, 1821. The father 
 was a wagon-maker by trade, and the}- had a fam- 
 ily of five children, three of whom are living: iCd- 
 ward is a farmer of DeKalb County, Ind.; Charles 
 is engaged on the Lake Shore & Michigan .Southern 
 Railroad there; Mrs. Gale is the youngest living. 
 
 f 
 
i 
 
 ^^ 
 
 702 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 She is a very pleasant and intelligent lad}', and the 
 suitable partner of sucii a man as her husband, 
 adorning and keeping in order tlieir in\ iting liome, 
 so that it forms an attractive spot both to her fam- 
 ily and to strangers. 
 
 In 1878 Mr. Gale, in company with his brother- 
 in-law, Mr. Tinklepangh, and Mr. Welsh, of Fillej' 
 Township, organized a Farmer's Club in the school- 
 house of their district, which met the approval of 
 its best men, and in due time made the call for a 
 Stale Alliance, which was duly honored. This little 
 movement grew and flourished, and from it sprang 
 the present Union Labor part}', in which the po- 
 litical sentiments of Mr. Gale are the most nearly 
 represented, and to which he gives his support. A 
 workingman in the highest sense of the term, he 
 believes in giving to the bone and sinew of the 
 country its rightful representation and its rightful 
 dues. 
 
 if^ AMUEL I. TRIPF. Among the younger 
 ^^^ farmers of Glenwood Township there are 
 |ll/\3) none more industrious and enterprising than 
 the subject of this sketch. He has 160 acres 
 of finely cultivated land on section 20, and is grad- 
 ually bringing about the improvements wjiich will 
 place it among the most desirable estates of the 
 township. He took i)ossession of it in 1879, and at 
 once commenced the labors which are now plainly 
 noticeable in their results and speak well for the 
 proprietor. 
 
 Mr. Tripp was born in Ogle County, III, July 17, 
 1800. His father, William I. Tripp, was a native 
 of Ohio, and born in Knox County, where he lived 
 until tvventy 3'enrs of age. The mother, who in 
 her girlhood was Miss Emily lialland. was a native 
 of J<ew York State, and they were marrie<l in 1858. 
 Ihe}' lived for the first fevv years in New York State, 
 then in Illinois, thence went to Iowa, and in 1879 
 to Gage County, Neb., and in 1885 to Washington 
 County, Kan., where they still reside, the father en- 
 gaged in farming. Their family consisted of eight 
 children, five boys and three girls, seven of whom 
 are living and residents of Washington. Samuel, 
 of our sketch, was the eldest, and was a little lad 
 of five years when his parents changed their resi- 
 
 dence to Boone County, Iowa. They were among 
 the pioneer settlers of that region; three years later 
 they removed to Story County, and there the early 
 education of our subject was carried on in the im- 
 perfect schools of that period. Subsequently he 
 completed his studies in the High School at Ames, 
 and in 1879 Samuel I., accompanied b}' his father, 
 made his first venture into the State of Nebraska. 
 The latter soon selected his location in Glenwood 
 Township, and here has since remained. 
 
 Mr. Tripp, in the same year that he came here, 
 took possession of the farm which he now owns and 
 occupies. lie was married, Nov. 5, 1882, in Stor^' 
 County, Iowa, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Will- 
 iam and Alvina Arrowsraith, the wedding taking 
 place at t'.ie home of the bride in Franklin Town- 
 ship. The parents of Mrs. Tripp are natives of In- 
 diana, and moved to Iowa about 1852, of which 
 they are still residents, living on a farm. Their fam- 
 ily consisted of thirteen children, all of whom are 
 living. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Tripp there have been born a 
 daughter and son, Verna B. and Delbert J., five 
 years and four months of age respectively. Mr. 
 Tripp is a member of the Cumberland Presb^'terinn 
 Church, and Superintendent of the .Union Sunday, 
 school in Glenwood Township. Politicall}-, he affili- 
 ates with the Republican party. 
 
 OWEN JONES is a very prosperous farmer and 
 stock-raiser residing on section 10, Barnes- 
 ton Township, where he owns 480 acres of 
 well-improved land, and is busily engaged in its 
 cultivation. He was born in the northern part of 
 Wales, in April, 1834, of parents who were natives 
 of the same country, and the father is now deceased. 
 When of suitable age to engage in business, young 
 Jones became a railroad contractor in his native 
 country and was successful, but wishing a broader 
 field in which to exercise his talents he decided to 
 try his fortune in America. Accordingly, in 1868, 
 he crossed the ocean to the United Slates, first mak- 
 ing his home in LaFayette County, Wis., where he 
 remained for about ten j'ears. 
 
 In 1878 our subject came to this county, settling 
 
 -•► 
 
<*• 
 
 ••»• 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 703 
 
 on section 7. Barneston Township, where he en- 
 gaged in farming until 1 883. He tlien bought the 
 land on wliieh he now resiiles, at the June land 
 sales, and has since made his home on section 10. 
 His large farm has been well improved b3' his own 
 labor and industry, and on it he has erected a good 
 house, barns, and the neeessarj^ farm buildings, made 
 fences and planted groves of native timber, besides 
 orchards of fruit trees. He is extensively engaged 
 in general farming and stock-raising, receiving from 
 his fertile fields abundant harvests of cereals and 
 the ordinary farm produce, while his pastures are 
 well stocked with a good grade of cattle, horses and 
 hogs. His farm, very pleasantly located, is sup- 
 plietl with running water, and is the source of a 
 comfortable income. 
 
 Mr. Jones was married in his native country, in 
 Januarj', 18G4, to Miss Ruth Williams, who was 
 also born in Wales. She grew to womanhood and 
 received her education near the home of her birth, 
 l)erfecting herself in the womanl3' virtues and ac- 
 complishments which have enabled her to make for 
 her husband a pleasant and attractive home. Since 
 their residence in this county they have gathered 
 around them a large circle of friends and acquaint- 
 ances. Thej' are members in good standing of the 
 Presbyterian Church, and are eminently worthy of 
 mention among the citizens of Barneston Town- 
 ship. 
 
 ,,.., NDREW S. BICKERTON, editor and pub- 
 ■@^l lisher of the Blue Springs Sentinel, has 
 been a resident of this place since the 
 spring of 1885. He is popular in his com- 
 munity, and well fitted for the position which he 
 occupies as the conductor of an important news 
 journal. The i)aper is ably edited, and has become 
 almost indispensable to the reading classes of this 
 part of the count}'. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is of pure English 
 ancestry, being the son of Thomas and Margaret 
 Bickerton, who crossed the Atlantic in 18.')4. Set- 
 tling in Marsliall County, III., the father engaged 
 in coal mining until 1870. Then, changing his resi- 
 dence to La.Salle County, he became engaged in 
 mercantile business, which he continued until his 
 
 death, which occurred on the 11th of March, 1872. 
 The mother was in her girlhood Miss Margaret 
 Stevenson, a native of the same country as her 
 husband, and who crossed the Atlantic with her 
 parents in 1854. They settled in Illinois, where 
 she was married to Thomas Bickerton that same 
 year. They became the parents of three children, 
 two only of whom are living: Mrs. Thomas S. Mor- 
 gan, residing at Streator, 111., and the subject of 
 this sketch. Mrs. Margaret Bickerton departed this 
 life May 12, 1879, at Streator, 111. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, also 
 Thomas by name, was a native of Northumlierland, 
 ?2ngland, and there spent his entire life engaged as 
 a coal miner. Andrew S., our subject, was born 
 at Sparland, Marshall Co., 111., and there received 
 his earl}' education in the common school. Later 
 he attended the High School at Streator, and after- 
 ward assisted his father in business, until learning 
 the printer's trade. He was first employed in the 
 office of the Monitor, and was connected afterward 
 with various oflSces in that part of the State. He 
 finally drifted to Chicago, and was employe<l in 
 various job offices in that city until 1885, in the 
 spring of which year he came to Blue Springs, and 
 shortly afterward established the Sentinel, and is 
 rapidly bringing it to the modern standard of the 
 local newspai)er. 
 
 A Republican politicalh', Mr. Bickerton is promi- 
 nent in political affairs, and has been sent as a dele- 
 gate to the State Conventions for the nomination 
 of important officials, and otherwise making him- 
 self indispensable to the well-being of the party in 
 this section. He resides with his family in the 
 western part of the cil}', where the}' are in the en- 
 joyment of a snug home, and all the other comforts 
 of life. The wife of our subject, to whom he w.as 
 married in Streator, III., Nov. 25, 1880. w.as for- 
 merly Miss Hettie E. Persons, who was born at the 
 farm homestead of her parents, near Chatsworth, 
 III.. Aug. 24. 1857, and is the daughter of Elihn 
 and Emily (Gunsul) Persons, both natives of New 
 York. Mr. Persons was reared to manhood in the 
 Empire State, where he resided, occupied as a far- 
 mer, until emigrating to Illinois, .and was one of the 
 earliest settlers of Kendall County. Late in life he 
 retired from active labor, and spent his last years 
 
 ^ 
 
•p^i^4^ 
 
 704 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 in the town of Salera, III., where his death took 
 place in the fall of 1874. 
 
 The mother of Mrs. Bickcrton, Emily (Gunsul) 
 Persons, is now living in Streator. The family in- 
 cluderl four children, three daughters and one son, 
 all of whom are living. The daughters remain with 
 their mother, assisting in the duties of the hotel, 
 restaurant and bakery, in which thej' became in- 
 terested in 1879, after the death of the father. Het- 
 tie, Mrs. Bickerton, received a fine musical education, 
 having at an early age evinced more than ordinary 
 talent in connection with this art. She excels as a 
 vocalist, and her voice is considered one of the 
 finest in this part of the county-. She is also a 
 skilled performer on the piano and other musical 
 instruments. 
 
 To our subject and his estimable wife there have 
 been born two children, one of whom, a son, died 
 when nine months old. The remaining child, 
 Emily Belle, was born May 19. 1882, and is now a 
 bright little girl of six years. 
 
 -^>^;^^^i^^^)<^^-^ 
 
 4 
 
 "if/OHN O. SAMSEL has seen a great deal of 
 pioneer life, having been one of the first 
 settlers in Elm Township, where he now 
 owns a fine farm on section 12. His father 
 was John G. Samsel, who was born in Frederick 
 County, Va., and was a harness- maker l)y trade. He 
 died in Virginia, after having reared a family of 
 six children, of whom our subject was tiie fourth. 
 His wife, the mother of our subject, was Rosa 
 (Grim) Samsel, who was born in Winchester. Va., 
 and is still living at the advanced age of eighty- 
 two years. Her father served as a private in the 
 Revolutionary War. 
 
 The gentleman in whose honor this sketch is 
 written was born in Frederick County, Va., on the 
 8th of September, 1830, and there he attended the 
 common schools, and received a fairly good educa- 
 tion. When he re.ached the age of twenty-two 
 years he began to carrj' on business for himself, 
 and engaged in farming, lu 1859 he moved to 
 Henry Count}'. Ind., where he continued his voca- 
 tion for a period of eight years, after which he 
 moved to Woodford County, 111. Desiring to see 
 
 still more of tills great undeveloped section, he 
 came farther West, and in 1875 settled in Elm 
 Township, this count}', on his present farm, con- 
 sisting of lUO .acres. There were but a few families 
 here when he .came, and in common with them he 
 had to undergo many hardships and labor under 
 many disadvantages in bringing his farm to its 
 present state of cultivation. 
 
 In October, 1851, our subject was married, in 
 Monongalia County, W. Va., to Miss Caroline 
 Davis, who was born in that county in 182G. Her 
 parents, Peter and Kezia Reed Davis, were both 
 natives of West Virginia, and reared a family 
 of seven children, of whom the wife of our subject 
 is the eldest. The mother died in the year 184G, 
 and the father in 1887. Mrs. Samsel is a woman of 
 great courage and force of character, and it was by 
 her encour.agement, sympathy and womanly aid 
 that her husband was enabled to persevere and 
 overcome the ditticulties which surrounded their 
 early life in this section, she having patiently sub- 
 mitted to the discomforts, hoping thereby to be 
 more pleasantly situated in the future. As a reward 
 of their labors they now have a veiy excellent 
 farm, on which they have made many improve- 
 ments, and have set out beautiful groves of forest 
 trees, and an orchard of fine fruit trees. 
 
 Our subject and his wife have been blessed with 
 a family of seven children, some of whom have 
 already gone forth from the parental roof, and are 
 nicely established in homes of their own. Their 
 names are: John W., Rosa, Amalva, Millard F., 
 Ulysses S., Delia and Eunice. John W. married 
 Miss Mary Richison, and they reside at Beatrice, at 
 which place he is baggagemaster; they have two 
 children — Daniel and RoUin. Rosa is the wife of 
 Henry Burke, and they also reside in Beatrice, 
 where Mr. B. is engaged in the insurance business; 
 they have four children — Carrie H., Effle, Henry 
 and Eugene. Amalva M. is the wife of Daniel R. 
 Wilson, who is engaged in the mercantile business 
 in Beatrice, and in their home they have four chil- 
 dren — Stella, Albert, John and Russel; Eunice is 
 the wife of William Lenhart, who is a molder in 
 the foundry at Beatrice, and they have two chil- 
 fli-en — Lulu and a babe; Millard F. married Miss 
 Marietta Andrews, and is farming in Sicily Town- 
 
-#*■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 70.: 
 
 ship; tlieN' have two children — Osa and Ora. Ulys- 
 ses and Delia are living at home with their parents. 
 
 While our subject has been so successful as an 
 agriculturist, he has yet shown a great deal of 
 enterprise and interest in behalf of the public wel- 
 fare, and for five j'ears has acted in capacitj' of 
 Treasurer of the schools of his township. He is a 
 Republican in politics, and is anxious that the best 
 methods should be adopted for the government of 
 the countr}'. He and his wife are esteemed and 
 active members in the Methodist Church, and as a 
 famil}' who have done much toward the building 
 up of this township the^' merit an honorable men- 
 tion in this work. 
 
 A view of our subject's place appears elsewhere 
 in this volume. 
 
 W)ILLIAM E. MUDGE, a view of whose 
 homestead appears elsewhere in this vol- 
 ume, is a well-to-do farmer of Elm Town- 
 ship, having his residence on .section 1. A man 
 but a trifle past his prime, he comes of an excellent 
 family, being the son of Edwin and Katherine 
 (Woollej-) Mudge, both of whom were born in 
 Kent, England, where the father in earl3' life fol- 
 lowed farming a short time, then became a brick- 
 maker. The parental family consisted of four chil- 
 dren — William E., Rosanna, Edwin and Eliza. 
 
 The subject of this sketcli was born on tiie Gtli 
 of October, 1833, in Kent, England, and remained 
 at home with his parents until he became of age. 
 In receiving his education he attended the district 
 school of his neighborhood until about nine j'ears 
 of age; after that time he was employed in the 
 brickyard assisting his father. A short time after 
 reaching his majoritj' he was married, Dec. 2.5, 
 1854, to Miss Elizabeth Homdin, in Kent. This 
 lady, a native of the same place as her husband, 
 was born on the 8th of April, 1836. Her parents, 
 Thomas and Cordelia (Berrj-) Homdin, were also 
 natives of Kent. The parental household included 
 eight children, namelj-: William, Thomas. John, 
 Richard, Robert, Sarah, Mary Anne and Elizabeth. 
 
 On the iSd of March, 1855, Mr. Mudge with ids 
 wife and familj' took passage on the sailing-vessel 
 
 "Webster" for America, and landed in Nevv York 
 Cit3' on the 30th of April following. They at once 
 proceeded to the vicinity of Utica, N. Y., where 
 Mr. Mudge engaged in farming three years. In 
 1858 they removed to Chillicothe, the county seat 
 of Livingston Countj', Mo., in which place our sub- 
 ject continued to work at his old trade of brick- 
 making three j'ears, and until near the opening of 
 the Civil War. There then being a companj' of 
 hostile Southerners known as Quantrell's Band, lo- 
 cated in the neighborhood near which our subject 
 lived, he being a strong Union man was com- 
 pelled to go further north in order to be free from 
 molestation from them. 
 
 In the spring of 1861 Mr. Mudge moved to Mud 
 Creek, Gage Countj', this State, where he bought 
 fortj' acres of land, and for two years carried on 
 farming. He took an interest in the improvement 
 of the country and helped to build the first school- 
 house at Beatrice. In the sjjring of 1863 he went 
 further west, and started •'Buffalo Ranch" on the 
 Little Blue, in what was then Nuckolls County, 
 which he operated for a little over three j'ears, and 
 was meeting with fair success until August, 1868, 
 when the Indians made a raid on the neighborhood, 
 drove awaj' nearlj' all the cattle, and Mr. Mudge 
 and his familj' were again compelled to seek safety 
 in flight. He lost all his stock, which was driven off 
 by the Indians, together with his household goods. 
 About all he and his family saved was the wearing 
 apparel which they had on. The loss of Mr. Mudge 
 and his partner was found by careful calculation to 
 be 4i7, -150.50. 
 
 Mr. Mudge served five months in the Territorial 
 militia called out by Gov. Butler, and took ])art in 
 the efforts made to disperse the Indians. He re- 
 ceived for his own services §16 per month, and for 
 his horse §12 and rations. Thev had no actual 
 battles with the savages, but our subject gained 
 quite an inkling of general warfare. After the 
 command was disbanded Mr. Mudge went back to 
 his ranch, where he remained about sixteen months. 
 He was obliged to commence at the foot of the lad- 
 der again, having lost everj'thing, and in August, 
 1866. sought refuge in Elm Township, this countj', 
 where he honiesteaded his present farm of 160 
 acres, which is located on sections 1 and 2, and 
 
•^1^^ 
 
 TOO 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 upon which he has made all the improvements 
 that we behold to-day. Later lie added forty 
 acies to his first purchase and has now 200 acres, 
 which is steadily increasing in value. 
 
 In the famil}' of our subject there have been 
 seven children, namely: Willie E., George T., Sam- 
 uel, Charles, Annie, Nathan and Katie. Willie E. 
 married Miss Elizabeth Mathias, and is residing in 
 Elm Township, being the father of two children — 
 Kay W. and Muriel. Samuel 11., living in Elm 
 Tf)wnship. married Miss Elizabeth Bevins. The 
 remainder of the children are at home with their 
 parents. Mr. Mudge has been a School Director 
 for eight j-ears. He belongs to the I. O. G. T., and 
 politically, is a very ardent Republican. Both he 
 and his wife are members of the Methodist Church. 
 
 In the summer of 1888 Mr. Mudge visited his 
 boyhood iiome and other places of interest in En- 
 gland, returning after an al>sence of about two 
 months. As a man enjo3Mng the esteem and confl- 
 <lence of his fellow-citizens, he is entitled to honora- 
 ble mention among the worth}' pioneers of Gage 
 Countj'. 
 
 \j. OHN AV. ISLEY. Upon section 33 of Ne- 
 maha Township is situated the residence and 
 farm of the gentleman whose name is at the 
 / head of this sketch, and it were hard to find 
 a more hospitable, genial man, or enterprising, in- 
 dustrious and successful farmer. The grandfather of 
 our subject, after whom he was named, was born in 
 Pennsylvania, of German parents, who had emi- 
 grated and settled in that State. His father, the 
 great-grandfather of our subject, served through 
 the llevolutionar}' War. The father of our sub- 
 ject was a native of Guilford County, N. C. as was 
 also his wife. He removed to Mi.ssouri in 1837, 
 taking with him his family and becoming one of 
 its earliest pioneers, entering witli zest into all the 
 experiences of that new life. Until about one year 
 after his marriage he had continued to reside in 
 North Carolina. He purchased a farm of IGO 
 acres in Missouri, and there accumulated considera- 
 ble property. In 18C8 he sold his farm there, and 
 came to this State, where he purchased a farm of 
 the same size as his Missouri property. He died 
 
 ■«»■ 
 
 in 1885, aged seventy-four years. His wife, the 
 mother of our subject, survived him about one year, 
 and died at the home of our subject in 1886. at 
 the advanced age of seventy-one 3'ears. Their fam- 
 ily included seven children, whose names are as 
 follows: John W. (our subject), Hannah J., Mary 
 E., Richard W., James O. K.,Dica A., and one who 
 died in infancy. 
 
 Our subject was born Aug. 9, 1 838, in Knox- 
 ville Township, Ra^' Co., Mo., which at that time 
 was nearly all covered with heavy timber growth. 
 The school system of the State at the time was 
 after a ver}' primitive fashion, and the school-houses 
 were situated at such distances as to render attend- 
 ance exceedingl}' precarious work. The education 
 of our subject was, therefore, very limited upon the 
 line of school topics, but diametrically reverse re- 
 garding the work of the farm, whether in the line 
 of general farm work or among the stock. 
 
 Until Mr. Isle}' had almost reached the age of 
 twenty-two years he remained working upon his 
 father's farm, but Sept. 15, 1860, he became the 
 husband of Miss Melinda C. Albright, and they 
 then started life for themselves. This lady was 
 the educated and beautiful daughter of Joshua and 
 Jane (Patton) Albright, both natives of North Car- 
 olina, and like Mr. and Mrs. Isley were of Germ.an 
 ancestry, of whom members had emigrated to Amer- 
 ica in anti-Revolutionary days, and had become 
 planters in Carolina, and helped to settle the ques- 
 tion of independence by taking a full share in the 
 Revolution, fighting for freedom. Her father died 
 at the age of sixty-eight years, in 1874. Her 
 mother still resides upon the homestead in Ray 
 County, Mo., whither they had removed in 1840; 
 she is sevent3'-six years of age, and is the mother 
 of five children, whose names are here given, viz: 
 Cornelia A., William, Melinda C, Delilah J. and 
 Eliza M. 
 
 The wife of our subject was born on the 1 1th of 
 August, 1 839, in Ray County, Mo. After her mar- 
 riage she resided with her husband at the old Isley 
 homestead in Missouri, and there were born five of 
 their children. In 1868 the family removed to 
 Nebraska, prosecuting the whole journey, which 
 occui>ied eighteen days, by tlie means of a wagon 
 and team. Ihey were accompanied by his father 
 
-^*- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 707 
 
 i 
 
 and famih", who also had his own wagon and team. 
 If the incidents of that journej-, with its hopes and 
 fears, its possibilities and actual happenings, could 
 be given, the modern method of journeying would 
 be insufferably dull and prosy, albeit so far in ad- 
 vance in point of comfort and rapidity. They lo- 
 cated in the northwestern corner of Gage County, 
 and were soon happily settled in their first dug-out, 
 where many of their happiest moments were spent, 
 and which will ever be remembered as their haven 
 of rest and refuge after their toilsome journe}- from 
 the southeast. One of the chief reasons for this 
 change was that a man of Northern sj'mpathies 
 could not enjoy his right of citizenship, owing to 
 the excitement of the times. 
 
 In this home were born the remainder of the 
 faniil}' of our subject, which included in all eleven 
 children, whose names are recorded as follows: 
 James M., who died in Missouri; Wilber C, Mary 
 J., Charles C Dica A., Flora A., Rosa L., Peter, 
 Johnnie, Hardy E. and Gracie. Wilber C. mar- 
 ried Miss Mary Littlejohn, and resides at Hanover; 
 Mary J. is the wife of Thomas Duncan, of Hooker 
 Township, and is the mother of one daughter, to 
 whom has been given the name of Bertha; Dica A. 
 is happily married to John Hannibal, of Hooker 
 Township; the other children are still at home. In 
 addition to the home farm, of which a faithful rep- 
 resentation will be found ou another page, our sub- 
 ject is operating 320 acres of Kincaid land, and 320 
 of ScuUj' land, and also owns another farm of 160 
 acres. His chief attention is given to general farm- 
 ing, to raising wheat, corn, flax and oats, although 
 considerable attention is devoted to cattle-raising. 
 Our subject seldom has less than about seventy-flve 
 head of cattle, and a third of that number of horses 
 upon his farm. He ships to the Eastern market 
 probablj' about thirty-five head of each per annum. 
 He has constant employment for seven teams of 
 horses and one span of mules. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Isley are both members in good 
 standing of the Grand View Baptist Church, and 
 are considered among the most atUiched and earn- 
 est of its members. The}' are justly held in the 
 highest esteem, for there are few who endeavor to 
 put into practice their profession more successful in 
 the same than they. Their residence presents all 
 
 those marks of refinement and beauty of arrange- 
 ment and detail that go to make home a place of 
 strongest attraction; that makes the membei-s of the 
 domestic circle feel it is the best place of any to 
 them, and the stranger and visitor within the gates 
 to retain lingering memories ever after of the most 
 delightfully restful and felicitous description. Tiiis 
 influence is, as it always must be. that of the wife 
 and mother. Our subject has for some j^ears held 
 the office of School Treasurer, .and discharged its 
 duties faithfully. His political sympathies are with 
 the Democriitic partj", but his manliness, high char- 
 acter, enterprise, lo_valty and success, are such that 
 his friends are not limited b^' the difference of po- 
 litical opinion. The entire community hold our 
 subject and family in highest regard. 
 
 The militarj' experience of our subject was not 
 lengthy, and yet not without its dangers and loj-al, 
 heroic effort. He enlisted in Company A. 5th Mis- 
 souri Cavahy, and was mustered in at Richmond, 
 of that State, for a term of three years. He took 
 part in a number of engagements, among others, at 
 Richmond, Lexington and Chillicothe. Daring his 
 service he engaged in several desperate skirmishes 
 and hand-to-hand fights with Quantrell's men, and 
 in one pursuit remained three da3's and three nights 
 in the saddle, but Bnallj' succeeded in the capture 
 of seventy-five of that notorious gang. Our sub- 
 ject was honorably discharged at Lexington in 
 1864, his term having expired, and returned home 
 to the duties of the farm, but while thus engaged 
 Was captured and carried off b^' members of the 
 same band, although he succeeded a short lime 
 after in making his escape b}' strategy. 
 
 — l-^-f-i— 
 
 JOHN L. DAVIS is widely and favorably 
 known as a stock-raiser and shipper. His 
 farm is situated on section 27 of Blue 
 Springs Township. He was born ou the 6th 
 of March, I860, in Cambria County, Pa., and is 
 the son of William Davis, now deceased, a native 
 of the same county, who w.as a blacksmith b^- tr.ade. 
 and considered a skilled worker. His home was in 
 Ebensbuig. the county seat of Cambria County, 
 where he had quite a large patronage and business. 
 
 i 
 
•^1^4^ 
 
 ros 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 In the above city the early 3-ears of our subject 
 were spent: in its schools he was educated, and 
 afterward engaged in general work, in which he 
 continued until he was about twentj'-two years 
 of age. In 1883 he came to this State, stopping 
 for five months to work in Red Cloud. Upon 
 reaching Blue Springs he began to work for the Na- 
 tional Lumber Company', and continued to do so 
 for about three and a half years, and then began 
 farming. 
 
 The farm of our subject is 250 acres in extent, 
 and is utilized chiefly as a stock farm, although 
 considerable attention is given to grain; at the 
 same time large quantities of feed are required for 
 his stock, which is never less than 1,500 bushels of 
 oats, the same of corn, and fifty tons of hay, be- 
 sides straw, etc., per annum. He has supplied his 
 farm with substantial, commodious barns, stables, 
 and other necessary buildings. Everything, how- 
 ever, indicates the practical, rather than the fancy 
 farmer, and although beauty is not lost sight of, 
 it is rendered subservient to utility. 
 
 Although dealing in raising and shipping stock 
 of all kinds, our subject makes a specialty of horse- 
 raising, and at the same time gives much attention 
 to the breeding of Poland-China hogs. In this re- 
 gard he has made a cfjusiderable reputation as rais- 
 ing and supp!3'ing only the best grades. In his stables 
 are to be found at all times a number of very fine 
 horses; this department of his farm receives his 
 chief attention, and of this section of his business 
 his chief delight is in raising fast trotting horses. 
 One cs|)ecially fine creature is named "Rebel Me- 
 dium," who was sired by "Happy Medium;" an- 
 other is "Lycurgus," who was sired by "Aberdeen." 
 The above and several other horses that might be 
 mentioned are pedigreed, standard thoroughbreds. 
 There is. perhaps, one other deserving mention 
 here, whose record is 2 :40, "Shakespeare," sired by 
 "Abdallah." Each of the above are Kentucky 
 horses, of which the owner is justly proud. 
 
 The business interests of our suliject engross his 
 altenti<in and demand the greater part of his time. 
 He does not, therefore, take so prominent a place 
 in political and other outside matters as he might 
 otherwise do. He is neither a seeker after, nor 
 holder of oliice, but whenever occasion demands is 
 
 <■ 
 
 quick to respond to any demand that maj' be made 
 upon him as a loyal and patriotic citizen. Usually 
 he votes with the Republican party. Socially, he 
 is connected with the Masonic fraternit}', and is a 
 member of Blue Springs Lodge No. 85, which 
 meets at Blue Springs. As a man of business he is 
 respected as being honorable in his transactions, as 
 a friend and citizen highly esteemed as a man of 
 high character, and welcomed as a genial, clever 
 and affable companion. 
 
 7/ RANCIS E. CROCKER. Upon the banks of 
 the Hudson River, whose beauties have 
 
 been told on both sides of the Atlantic, in 
 sober prose, or the more moving cadences of the 
 poet — the home of the Storm King; historic Sleepy 
 Hollow, and numerous other points of all-absorb- 
 ing interest — in a quiet homestead not far from Ft. 
 Edward was born, upon the 1st of April, 1832, the 
 subject of this biographical sketch. His father, 
 John Crocker, now deceased, and likewise several 
 generations had been born in that same dwelling. 
 His mother was a native of the same town. 
 
 Our subject spent his earl^' years in and around 
 the old homestead, and continued to do so until the 
 year 1853, when he went to California, and for two 
 j'ears tried his fortune at the gold mines. In this 
 he was somewhat favored, and before his return had 
 amassed sutiicient dust and nuggets to give him a 
 fairlj' good start in life. With this he proceeded 
 in 1856 to Ashland County, Ohio, and engaged in 
 mercantile business. Two years later he returned 
 to York State, and at the close of a like period set- 
 tled in Cumberland County. 111., removing after 
 another two years to Champaign County, in the 
 same State, in 1803, and engaged in farming, with 
 an annually increasing prosperity, until the j'ear 
 1882, with the exception of the last three years, 
 during which time he was eng.aged in transactions 
 of a general mercantile chaiacter at Bondville. In 
 1882 he established himself in business in Libertj', 
 and has manifested large business capacity, enter- 
 prise and push, with the result that his business has 
 continuously increased until the present time. He 
 usually carries a stock of not less than $6,000 value. 
 

 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 709 
 
 liis annual sales amounting in the gross to not 
 less than -$12,000, exclusive of his dealings ingrain 
 and cattle. 
 
 Upon the 1st of .January, 1S57, our subject en- 
 tered into ''the better state and completer life," 
 by his marriage with Mary A.. Huston. This lady 
 is the daughter of Samuel and Jane (McMurra3') 
 Huston, the former of whom is deceased, and was 
 born in the State of New York. She has presented 
 her husband with three children, two of whom are 
 still living, and are named Charles and Hattie. The 
 former is now the husband of Miss Alma Bickett, 
 and resides about seven miles northeast of Liberty, 
 in this county, and ids sister is the wife of J. New- 
 ton Lytic, also of tliis county, and is the mother of 
 three children, whose names are as follows : Mamie, 
 Frances and John. 
 
 While at Bondville, in Hlinois, our subject was 
 for several 3'ears Postmaster, and bj^ his prompt- 
 ness, exactitude and geniality, w.as both efficient and 
 higlily esteemed in that office. Both our subject 
 and wife had been members of the Methodist Church 
 for many j'ears until 1886, when they joined the 
 United Presbj'terian Church, and are regarded as 
 among the most stanch and devout members of 
 that communion, and by their uniform consistency 
 and interest in matters pertaining thereto are ac- 
 corded the confidence and respect of the entire 
 community. 
 
 , ICHARD J. MILLER, one of the most enter- 
 prising young farmers and business men of 
 Adams Township, deserves more than a 
 ^ passing notice among the solid citizens of 
 this part of the countj'. He began the struggle for 
 his maintenance at an earl^' age, and has fought his 
 way tlirough many obstacles unaided and alone. 
 That he has met with the legitimate reward of his 
 perseverance is a source of satisf.action, not only to 
 himself, but to the many friends whom he has made 
 by the exercise of those principles which form the 
 basis of all true manhood. Mr. Miller has now a 
 comfortiible home on section 17, and the prospect 
 of a competency in his old age. 
 
 Jefferson and Helen (Boston) Miller, the parents 
 of our subject, were natives of Kentucky, where they 
 
 were reared to mature 3'ears. Both left the Bine 
 Grass State and settled in Holt County, Mo., where 
 before the war the}' were married, and the father 
 engaged successful!}- in the drug trade and livery 
 business. He became wealthy, but his property 
 was swept away in the vicissitudes of that unhappy 
 conflict. He died while still a young man, in 1863, 
 leaving his widow and their only child, Richard J. 
 The latter was born June 2, 1861, in Holt County, 
 Mo., and lived there until a little lad sis years of 
 age. He has no recollections of his father. He 
 continued with his widowed mother, coming with 
 her in 1868 to Lancaster Count}', this State, of 
 which he remained a resident until the spring of 
 1888. He acquired a good etlucatioa in the city of 
 Lincoln, and was gr.aduated from the High School 
 there in the class of '81. 
 
 Young Miller commenced his business career as 
 a clerk in the store of H. C. Lett, with whom he 
 remained for a period of three years. We next find 
 hira in the employ of E. C. Miller two years, and 
 subsequently with the wholesale house of Osborn & 
 Draper. The experience which he had by this time 
 gained seemed to justify him in establishing a busi- 
 ness of his own. He became interested in the whole- 
 sale woolen and dry-goods trade, and traveled 
 considerably throughout Northern Nebraska and 
 Kansas. He was fairly successful, considering his 
 limited capital, but judged it best to close out for a 
 time at least, and in company with a partner set up 
 in the grocery trade at Lincoln, the firm name being 
 Miller & Miller. 
 
 Our subject built up a good trade in the grocery 
 line, and by his straightforward methods of doing 
 business secured many friends. At the same time 
 he speculated considerably in real estate. In the 
 meantime he established a home and domestic ties 
 by being married, July 22, 1883, to one of the most 
 intelligent and estimable young ladies of Lincoln, 
 namely. Miss Isadora, daughter of Joseph and Sarah 
 (Casebolt) Rhodes, of Uiclihind County, Wis. Mrs. 
 Miller is the fourth in a family of five children, 
 and was born at Baraboo, AYis,, June 30, 1862. 
 She was given a good education and completed 
 her studies at Sextonville High School, and sul>- 
 sequently taught four years in Richland County, 
 Wis. She came to Nebraska on a visit to Lincoln, 
 
 i~ 
 
 •^^hM* 
 
h 
 
 ' ^» ^ ll 4» 
 
 710 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 •t 
 
 iind formed the atqiiaintance of Mr. Miller, which 
 ripened into a nintiinl attaehnient. Thcj' are now 
 the parents of two intere-sting children, Karl and 
 Leoto, the former four years old and the latter one 
 year old. 
 
 Mr. Miller purchased his present very valuable 
 farm of 120 acres in Adams Township in liS88, and 
 is here building np a ver}' attractive home. He 
 keeps himself well informed in regard to matters of 
 general interest, and usually votes independently, 
 aiming to support the man best qualified to serve 
 the interests of the people. In 1872 and 1874 he 
 was a page in the Nebraska Legislature; during the 
 Constitutional Convention he was also a page. 
 
 ARC US LEACH. It goes without saying 
 that ever\' city that has ever been built has 
 been of interest and has made its reputa- 
 tion to a large extent because of the 
 structural beauty and design of its buildings, 
 whether they be simple residences, vast business 
 blocks, civic or State buildings, legal i)alaces or 
 public buildings for the purpose of instructing the 
 people in science, art, etc. It is, therefore, safe to 
 say that a most important profession in any city is 
 that of the architect. If he be proficient and pos- 
 sesses an adaptability for and delight in his work, 
 it is well; but how many important streets in large 
 cities have been spoiled b}' disfigurements of stone 
 and brick, because, forsooth, some architect had 
 made a mistake in the choice of professions. It is 
 a common remark that "a doctor's mistake is 
 buried; a surgeon's always stares him in the face." 
 The latter remark would be more truthful as a rule 
 if applied to the architect who lacks an appreciation 
 of the beauty and effect of a perfect outline, and a 
 care in the harmonious placing of the often compli- 
 cated and minor details incident to his designs. 
 
 One of the most worthy of mention in the above 
 profession is the subject of this writing, a resident 
 of Wymore. Our subject was born near Lockport, 
 N. Y., March 1, 1839. His father was a native of 
 Canada, and became the husband of Maria Farn- 
 ham, a native of Toronto, Canada, and in that city 
 they had a large property. Their famil3' included 
 
 nine sons and tvvo daughters, of whom all but one 
 are living, and he fell in the defense of his country. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leach removed with their family to 
 Franklin Grove, near Dixon, 111., and lived there 
 until the death of the former in the year 1855, 
 leaving to his family, a valual)le property in real 
 estate. Mrs. Leach is still living at Red Oak, Iowa, 
 with her youngest daughter, and is aged over sev- 
 enty-seven years. Her mother, Mrs. Farnham, was 
 removed by death only four years since, having 
 reached the very advanced age of ninety-nine j'ears 
 and six months. 
 
 Our subject was reared in Lockport until about 
 fifteen years of age, and in the schools of that place 
 received a good practical education. About the 
 year 1854 his parents removed to Dixon, 111. He 
 continued with his father, and was initiated into the 
 minutia of farm work until he came to the age of 
 sixteen j'ears. He then went to Mendota and after- 
 ward to LaSalle, 111., in order to study architecture 
 under a very efficient architect, and continued with 
 him for some time. While still a young man he 
 began contracting sometimes for quite large works. 
 In the year 18(52 he removed to Ackley, Iowa, and 
 was there for ten 3'ears, then went to Red Oak. At 
 the latter place he purchased a large stock farm, 
 and for five years was prominent as one of the most 
 successful stock-raisers, but at the end of that 
 period he sold his farm and stock, and took up his 
 old profession at Beaver Citj', Furnas County', in 
 this State, and after two years came to Wymore. The 
 date of his settlement was April, 1881, before the city 
 plats were recorded, and he erected the first house 
 worthy the name upon the site of the present bust- 
 ling, progressive and growing city. That house 
 still stands where built, but is much improved, the 
 location being the corner of Bloomfield and Nor- 
 wich streets. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leach have lived to see the city 
 develop from the above condition, and have 
 watched house after house erected until the city 
 attained its present growth. Nearly every build- 
 ing of note in the city has been designed by and 
 most of them contracted f(>r by our subject. Dur- 
 ing the last four years Mr. Leach has enjoyed a 
 very widespread reputation, and has put up many 
 large buildings in other cities. Among these might 
 
 =r 
 
^ 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 711 
 
 be cited those on which he is engaged at this writ- 
 ing. These are the court-house at Beaver City, 
 a sc'hool-iiouse at Arapahoe, Furnas County; he is 
 superintending the erection of the school-liouse at 
 Republican Citj% this State, and also at Almena 
 and Norton, Kan., the latter school-house being 
 under contract price of $1,300. These suffice to 
 show that the services of Mr. Leach are in demand, 
 and are valued throughout a large territory. Our 
 suljject is the owner of four houses and lots on 
 Norwicii street; he also owns a store and other real 
 estate, both improved and unimproved. He has at 
 present 150 men in regular employment, and is 
 seldom able to be at home during the summer. 
 
 The wedded life of our subject must be told in 
 two chapters; the one short and vailed in sadness, 
 the other both longer and brighter. He was united 
 in marriage aliout the year 1858, but after a brief 
 wedded life he was left by the death of his wife 
 with three young children, wiio were named Clara, 
 Don and Homer. On the 27th day of September, 
 187G, he became the husband of Alice C. Detrick, 
 of Belvidere, HI., who is still living. This lady 
 was born on the 11 th of March, 1 844, at Blooms- 
 burg, Columbia Co., Pa. When she was nine years 
 of age her parents removed to Illinois, and there 
 made their home, where Mrs. Leach lived until her 
 marriage. Her father, Benjamin Detrick, was by 
 occupation a miller, and was born upon a farm in 
 Columbia County, Pa. He died at Belvidere in 
 1860, aged forty-one years. His wife, the mother 
 of Mrs. Leach, was a Miss Margaret Brown, a na- 
 tive of the same State, who was born in the year 
 1818, daughter of Joseph Brown, who was engaged 
 in business as a boot and shoe maker in Bloomsburg. 
 Mrs. Detrick continued to live at home until her 
 marriage. She is still living, having bravely strug- 
 gled since her husband's death to give her children, 
 of whom there were seven, a fair start in life. 
 This she has been able to do for those who came to 
 3'ears of maturity, with the happiness of seeing 
 them present those characteristics which insure an 
 honorable and respected life and character. She 
 has now reached her seventy-first year, and makes 
 her home with her 3'aungest daughter. 
 
 Our subject and wife attend the Congregational 
 Church at Wj'morc, and they arc numbered among 
 
 the best citizens of that place, being very highly 
 esteemed by the whole community. Our subject 
 is a member of botli the I. O. O. F. and the A. F. 
 & A. M. fraternities, and in both enjo3's the entire 
 confidence of his fellows. In political matters he 
 has long been a ver^^ stanch Republican, and ener- 
 getic in behalf of that cause. 
 
 -M[-^- 
 
 DGAR E. HARDEN, the gentlemanly Cash- 
 ier of the bank in Libert^', in that capacity 
 does credit to his own ability, and to the 
 confidence reposed in him by the Directors of the 
 bank. He was born in Lee County, 111., on the 
 15th of April, 1859, and is a son of Solomon Har- 
 den (deceased), who was a native of Pennsylvania, 
 and went to Illinois about the j'ear 1848. Our 
 subject spent his childhood on his father's farm, 
 and finished his education by a course of instruction 
 in the Illinois State Universitj' at Champaign, being 
 graduated in June, 1880. In the time of his col- 
 legiate course, before he had made choice of the 
 profession which he would follow, he engaged for 
 one year in teaching school. Deciding that in the 
 legal profession there is much honor, and feeling 
 assured of a successful career if he were to adopt 
 that profession, he read law, beginning where all 
 students must begin, with tiie tiresome pages of 
 "Blackstone." 
 
 No doubt during this course of reading our sub- 
 ject suffered manj' a headache from the effort to 
 retain in his memory all the long technical terms 
 and illustrations of that excellent writer, but per- 
 severing to the end he finished his course in a satis- 
 factory manner, and was admitted to the Illinois 
 State Bar in 1881. In January, 1882, he came to 
 Beatrice and practiced his profession until October 
 of the same year, when, his present position in tiiis 
 city being offered him, he accepted it, and came to 
 Liberty. His older brother, William W. Harden, 
 is President of the bank, and is doing a large 
 amount of business, having the confidence of the 
 citizens of this thriving city. 
 
 Mr. Harden was married, on the 1st of March, 
 1 883, to Miss Georgia A. Geer, a daughter of James 
 Geer, of Lee County, III. To this established homo \ f 
 
 f 
 
 ^ ► ^B ^ » 
 
-•► 
 
 712 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 tlioro Imve foine tno cliildren, Fred and Grace, to 
 li<>lilpn the pathway of their parents, and brighten 
 theii- hoHic. Our subject has become the owner of 
 a lar^e amount of land, having 2S0 acres in this 
 cotnity. and 1.920 acres in the western part of this 
 Stnte and Kansas. While he is public-spirited, and 
 takes an active interest in the public affairs of the 
 day, he has not time to devote liis service exclu- 
 sively to outside affairs, and consequently never 
 seeks official honors. He is a member of the social 
 order of A. O. U. W. He affiliates with the Re- 
 publican party in politics, and is in a fair way to 
 attain the highest measure of success in life. At 
 j)resent he has discontinued the contemplation of 
 "incorporeal hereditaments," and confines himself 
 to the stern facts of everj'day business matters. 
 Mrs. Harden is a member of the Presbyterian 
 Church, and is in ever}' respect a most admirable 
 ladv. 
 
 ■ii^ L. TINKLEPAUGH. of Filley Townshii), 
 il^m is regarded as one of its most solid and sul)- 
 ^ stantial, as well as plain, raatterof-fact and 
 
 reliable men, whose word is as good as' his bond, 
 and whose judgment is held in universal respect. 
 He was one of the earliest settlers of this part of 
 the county, and came at a time when energetic and 
 resolute men were most needed to develop its re- 
 sources, and encourage to its borders .an industrious 
 and intelligent class of citizens. 
 
 Our snl)ject is the offspring of a sulistantial old 
 family. His father, Alraon Tinklepaugh, was born 
 in Smithfield, Madisoii Co., N. Y., Oct. 25,1811. 
 Upon leaving his boyhood tramping grounds he 
 migrated first to New York City, from there to 
 Brooklyn, and thence into Wayne Count}\ He had 
 learned cabinet-making early in life, which he fol- 
 lowed until its close. He married Miss Caroline 
 Ackermau, a native of Hackensack, N. J., who 
 was born Aug. 15,1813. From New York they 
 removed to various points, finally locating in La- 
 grange County. Ind., and from there moved to 
 Pentwater, Mich., where Mr. T. became owner of 
 a farm, carried on his trade, and also invested a 
 p:irt of his capital in dry -goods and general mer- 
 clKin<li;-t', carrying on business thus for some time. 
 
 In 1S72 he retired from active life, and. with his 
 excellent wife, is now enjoying the comforts of a 
 nice home in the city of Pentwater. 
 
 To Almoii and Caroline Tinklepaugh there were 
 born five children, two sons and three daughters. 
 Of these the only son living is our subject. He 
 was born Oct. 25, 1838, in Sodus, N. Y., where 
 his education began, Ijut before it was completeil 
 the family removed to Indiana. There he attended 
 school and worked on the farm, remaining under 
 the home roof until twenty years old. Wishing 
 now for a change of occupation, he engaged as 
 clerk in a clothing store at Lagrange, Ind., but one 
 year later, like many another lad, returned to the 
 farm, and was thereafter mostly engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits until his marriage. When twenty- 
 two years old l\Ir. Tinklepaugh took unto himself 
 a partner and helpmate. Miss Eliza R. Gale, daugh- 
 ter of Adolphus and Julia A. Gale, and sister of G. 
 H. Gale, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this 
 volume. The wedding occurred at the home of the 
 bride. May 18, 1861, and the young people com- 
 menced life together in Steuben Count}', Ind. 
 
 The wife of our subject was born in the latter- 
 named county, Sept. 16, 1839, and remained with 
 her parents until her marriage, receiving a fair edu- 
 cation, and being trained by a wise and sensible 
 mother in those duties which have made her an ad- 
 mirable partner for her husband and an excellent 
 mother to her children, Mr. and Mrs. T. spent the 
 first seven years of their married life engaged in 
 farming pursuits in Lagrange and Steuben Coun- 
 ties, Ind., and then our subject tried his hand at 
 merchandising with his father one 3'ear. In 1867 be 
 went to Storj^ County, Iowa, and purchased a farm 
 of 160 acres, but as his father-in-law had a large 
 tract of land in this county. Mr. T. was persuaded 
 to sell his Iowa land and join the former in this 
 county. The two families lived together until two 
 years later, when our subject put up the house 
 which he now occupies. 
 
 The property of Mr. Tinklepaugh includes a fine 
 farm 320 acres in extent, and he makes a specialty 
 of corn and oats. He has made all the improve- 
 ments on his farm himself, bringing them about 
 only by a course of plodding industry, the only 
 sure process by which success in any undertaking 
 
 r^^ 
 
Residence or IV15.* L.R.Waldron. Sec. 21. Hooker Township. 
 
 Residence OF F. L.Tinklepaugh . 5ec.4 Filley Township 
 
u 
 
 ^•►Hh-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 Tlo 
 
 can be aeliievcfl. Tlie lumber for his house was 
 hauled from Nebraska City, a distance of fifty miles, 
 and for it he was obliged to pay 5!;53, and has lum- 
 ber in the structure for wliich he i)aid as high as 
 175 per 1,000 feet. Fie drew stone for the founda- 
 tion nine miles, and was thus employed thirty-five 
 days. After the completion of the dwelling and 
 otiier necessar3' buildings, Mr. T. turned his atten- 
 tion largely to the pl.anting of trees. He has a fine 
 ai)ple orchard of six acres, five acres planted in 
 Cottonwood, box elder, ash and walnut, and a 
 goodly assortment of small fruit. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Tinklepaugh rented his farm, and 
 going to Pentwater, Mich., spent that year mostly 
 in visiting. He returned the j'ear following, but 
 in 1882, on account of the health of bis parents 
 and sister, and the education of his children, went 
 back, and this time remained until their family 
 affairs were sotisfactorih' adjusted. He has alwaj's 
 been distinguished as a public-spirited citizen, and 
 in company with his brother-in-law, Mr. Gale, was 
 one of the prime movers in the organization of the 
 Farmers' Club, which has finally developed into the 
 United Labor party in this State. This party most 
 nearly' represents his political ideas, although he 
 votes independentl}'. He was formerly a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 Of the five children born to our subject and his 
 wife, four are now living, namely : Delphine, the 
 ■wife of John Andrew, a leading farmer of Filley 
 Township; Charles G., also carrying on agriculture 
 in this township; Leora A. and Roj' D., at home 
 ■with their parents. There is also in their family a 
 little girl by the name of Grace, whom the}- are 
 bringing up. A view of the homestead owned b}' 
 Ml-. Tinklepaugh is presented among numerous 
 others in this Alhum. 
 
 ^^ILBERTC. FREEMAN is the enterprising 
 III ^~. editor and proprietor of the Liberty Joxirnal, 
 ^5^^ in which he sends out weekl}' his spicy edi- 
 torials in behalf of the Republican party, and the 
 newsy locals of that section of the count}'. The 
 Journal is a well-printed eight-column folio, full of 
 local and general items of information for the bene- 
 
 fit of the reading public, and at present its circula- 
 tion nuTubers about GOO coi)ics, with an increasing 
 subscription list. Topics of the da}- are freely dis- 
 cussed in an able manner on its pages, and the 
 space devoted to general literature is filled bj' 
 matter inferior to none. 
 
 Our subject was born in Clarion County, Pa., on 
 the 1st of Januar}-, 18.58, and is a son of Henry 
 Freeman, of Table Rock, Pawnee Co., Neb., who set- 
 tled there with his famil}' in 18G8. Our subject 
 remained with his father until March, 1887, having 
 received his education in the schools of Table Rock, 
 and there also learned the printer's trade. He 
 worked on the Table Rock Argus until the date 
 just mentioned, when he came to Lilierty, and 
 worked for one year with B. F. Thomas, on the 
 Liberty Journal. Here he received ample instruc- 
 tion in the management of a paper, and thoroughlj^ 
 understanding the editorial duties, he purchased 
 from Mr. Thomas the office, paper and presses t)f 
 the Journal, and has continued successfully to pub- 
 lish it. 
 
 If the editor of a country paper could be present 
 in the homes of his patrons when the paper is re- 
 ceived, especially on the farms where newspapers 
 do not appear too frequently, and could see the 
 gladness with which it is received and the eager- 
 ness with which it is perused, he would have cause 
 for much inward gratification. Even the younger 
 members of the family who would scarcely be sup- 
 posed to have cultivated a taste for general read- 
 ing, must have it in their turn, and from it they 
 gain much information concerning their acquaint- 
 ances in the immediate neighborhood, and a general 
 knowledge of what is going on in the world even in 
 the most distant parts. 
 
 The power for good which a well-conducted 
 newspaper exerts over the people of a community 
 can hardly be over estimated, molding and shaping 
 at will the opinions entertained by its readers, and 
 by its exposition of science, art an<l learning, it 
 becomes a rival to the more lengthy and thorough 
 publications devoted to one special subject. The 
 labors of an editor, however, are not always as 
 fully appreciated as they should be, and he is 
 criticized at times with much injustice b\' those 
 who do not enter into the sl)irit of his work. The 
 
 r 
 
-<^ 
 
 ,t 
 
 716 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 field of journalism is .1 biotid one. with some dis- 
 couragements and many encouragements tending 
 toward success. As a rule, the patrons of a paper 
 are the best educated, most enterprising and active 
 members of a communitj'. Our subject may well 
 be congratulated on the amount of success and the 
 appreciation with which his labors have been re- 
 warded. 
 
 "il? EANDER J. CARPENTER. In the shadowy 
 ll (^ P^st, when Ohio was in its formative con- 
 /llii^ (lition, when where the present proud city 
 of Columbus and the State capitol now stand was 
 unbroken, primitive forest, and the huntsman and 
 woodman "blazed" their way through its trackless 
 depths or wended their way across the plains, then 
 tiiere stood one little farm dwelling upon its some- 
 what diminutive clearing, and and there had settled, 
 in 180C, a family of pioneers from Montpelier, Vt. 
 In the family was a little boy, who at that time was 
 six years of age, and bore the name Royal Car- 
 penter. Amid these surroundings he was reared 
 to manhood, married and settled, and on the 2d of 
 F'ebruary, 1 834, became the parent of a son, Lean- 
 der J., the subject of this sketch. The father of 
 our subject died In the j'ear 1882, but his mother, 
 who was a native of Massachusetts, still survives. 
 
 Our subject received a common-school education, 
 and from that gravitated in harmony with his sur- 
 roundings to the farm and its emploj'ments, and 
 continued in the same until the last two years. 
 He went to Jo Daviess County, 111., in the summer 
 of 1 845, from there the following year to La Fay- 
 ette County, Wis., where he remained until 1864, 
 when he removed to Montana, and remained until 
 the fall of 1865, and then returned East. In 1876 
 he leased a farm in Marshall County, Kan., and 
 raised one crop; that accomplished he came in the 
 fall of the same year to Pawnee County, and settled 
 on Mission Creek. In 1884 he removed to Potter 
 County, Dak., and was one to assist in the or- 
 ganization of that county. He was elected Count}' 
 Commissioner in the fall of that year, and built the 
 court-house at Gett3'sburg. Twelve months later 
 he returned East, and in the spring of 1886 came 
 
 to Liberty and engaged in his present business, 
 which is supplemented bj' his farm. 
 
 On the 31st of December, 1856. our subject en- 
 tered into a matrimonial alliance with Miss Camelia 
 Howe. This lad}' is a daugiiter of John and Polly 
 (Johnson) Howe, who at present are residing a 
 little to the east of Libert}-. Her jsarents are na- 
 tives of New York, and the}' have a family of 
 seven children, of whom Mrs. Carpenter is the fifth. 
 She was born in Morrow County, Ohio, July 9, 
 1841, and is, by the comliincd influence of her 
 school and home training, eminently fitted and 
 capable of sustaining the position in society she is 
 called upon to fill. Five children have been born 
 to her, three of whom are living. Their names are 
 recorded as follows: Lorinda P., Lucien L. and 
 Lura Myrtle. Lorinda is the wife of Peter Bowhay, 
 of Liberty, and has two children. 
 
 While in the mountains engaged in mining oper- 
 ations our subject struck the famous Carpenter's 
 Bar, and after working it for a time sold it. The 
 purchasers became immensely rich, some of the 
 nuggets found being worth §40 and :^50. Mr. Car- 
 penter is connected with the society of Odd Fellows, 
 and is somewhat prominent in the order and highly 
 esteemed. He has developed large capacity for 
 business enterprise to go ahead, and energy to keep 
 in the advance : like Galileo, he believes that " the 
 world moves," and will, if possible, move with it. 
 
 ^^ HARLES H. PALMER is amply qualified 
 [l( ^L by his experience to judge of the compara- 
 ^^Jy tive worth of the dififerent States of the 
 Union, being a man of "much travel and many 
 States." He was born on the 18th of May, 1849, 
 in Detroit, Mich., and is a son of Nathaniel Palmer, 
 of Lockport, N. Y. When he was one and a half 
 years old his parents moved to Corfu, Genesee 
 Co., N. Y., in which place he grew up and received 
 his education. In 1866 he went to Lexington, 
 Mo., thence to the Rocky Mountain region in 1868, 
 living for awhile at Trinidad, Col. In the follow- 
 ing year he turned his footsteps toward the sunny 
 South, and for a time made his home in Madison, 
 N. M.. thence to Corfu, N. Y., in 1875, where he 
 
 -•►■ 
 
M^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^il^K-^ 
 
 ri7 
 
 remained for three years. In 1881 he came to this 
 ciiimtv and settled at Liberty, where he has since 
 remained. 
 
 On the .5th of March, 1878. dnrini; his last resi- 
 dence in New York, onr siihject was milted in mar- 
 riage to Frances A. Sisson, a danghter of Nelson 
 Si.sson. of Corfu. They have become tiie parents 
 of four cliiidren, whom we name as follows: Walter 
 L.. Bessie L., Florence L. and Charles L. 
 
 .Since liis resi<lence in this place our subject has 
 been engaged in carrying on a grocery .and provis- 
 ion store, tlie farms, gardens and orchards in the 
 surrounding conntrj- fnrnisliing a supply of fine 
 fruits and vegetal)les. By iiis gentlemanly manner 
 of supplying the wants of his customers, and the 
 excellent quality of tiie stociv on hand, Mr. Palmer 
 has built up a large tiade. and has well merited the 
 patronage which lie receives. He is strictly honest 
 .and honorable in his dealings, and numbers among 
 his patrons the best people of the city. 
 
 Among the many fraternities and social orders 
 with which men identify themselves, the M.asonic 
 fraternit}- takes a leading rank, both as to its early 
 establishment, its policy, and the amount of bene- 
 fits which it disburses. It comes promp,tlj' to the 
 relief of injured or ailing members, and if the 
 father of a family' is taken from them, the society 
 comes to the assistance of the widow and orphans, 
 not neglecting the education of the latter. It binds 
 men together by ties of brotherhood, and in everj' 
 way it strives to counteract the force of "man's in- 
 hum.anitj' to man." Of this societ}' our subject is 
 a member in good standing, and part of his success 
 in life is due to his having followed the te.achings 
 and advice so freely l)estowed within its halls. 
 
 '^UGUSTINE W. BRADT, Councilman from 
 @/lJ || the First \Vard in Beatrice, is numbered 
 w among the prominent men of this section, 
 and one who is closely identified with its 
 most imjjortant interests. A native of the Domin- 
 ion of Canada, he w.as born near Niagara Falls, 
 April 1. 1844, and when a little lad six years of 
 •age removed with his parents to the vicinity of 
 Buffalo, N. Y., where the father engaged in shipping 
 
 grain from Chicago to Buffalo. He was the owner 
 of several vessels. In Buffalo the family lived 
 about four years. Thence the^' removed to Win- 
 neb.ago County. HI., settling near Rockford. The 
 father, William Bradt, was a manufacturer of woolen 
 goods, but after his remov.al to the Prairi(! .State 
 turned his attention princi|)ally to agricultural pur- 
 suits. The faiiiiiy came to Nebraska in 1869, and 
 the father passed aw.ay in April of 1876. 
 
 The mother of our subject before her marriage 
 was Miss Rosana Hansler, also a native of Canada, 
 and of German descent. The parental household 
 included five children, four sons and one daughter, 
 namely: B3'ron ; Mary, the wife of C. W. Knnre; 
 William H.,and Augustine W., our subject. James 
 H. died in Beatrice when seventeen j-ears old. 
 Augustine was reared in Winnebago Countj', III., 
 where he was mostly educated, but completed his 
 studies in the commercial department of Eastman's 
 Business College, at Chicago. Upon emerging from 
 this institution he engaged in farming near the 
 homestead in Winneb.ago County, remaining there 
 until March of 1870, which witnessed his airi- 
 viil in this county. His first business venture here 
 was the opening of a meat-market at Beatrice, and 
 he also engaged in the shipping of stock, which 
 netted him excellent returns. A year later he dis- 
 posed of the market and gave his whole attention 
 to his stock business, adding thereto that of an ice 
 dealer, and in due time handled annually 1, ,")()() 
 tons. Thus was formed the basis of the snug fort- 
 une which he to-day enjoys. 
 
 One of the most important events in the life of 
 our subject was his marriage, Nov. 1!), 1869, his 
 bride being Miss Lottie Graham, of Ogle Count}', 
 111. Mrs. B. is also a native of Canada, and was 
 born near the city of Prescott, on the 12th of Au- 
 gust, 1844. Her parents were William and Marj' A. 
 (McCullom) Graham. About 1868 she and her 
 brother came to the States and located in Ogle 
 Count}', 111., where her marriage took place. Of 
 this union there have been born three children — 
 Mar}', Gertie and Anna. 
 
 Mr. Bradt in 1876, having evinced more than 
 ordinary capability and worth as a member of the 
 community, was elected a member of the City 
 Council, which position he has held continuously 
 
 ■♦►^H^ 
 
718 
 
 ■^ 
 
 .t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 for a period of eight years by successive re- 
 elections. He is now President of the Council, and 
 has been a member of the School Board three years. 
 He owns and occupies a tasteful and commodious 
 residence at No. 803 Market street, at the intersec- 
 tion of Eighth street, and which was built in 1870. 
 Its grounds and surroundings are pleasant and at- 
 tractive, and it is furnished in modern style, in keep- 
 ing with the taste and means of the proprietor. 
 Mr. Bradt is Republican in politics. 
 
 Andrew Hansler, the maternal grandfather of our 
 subject, was a native of Canada, to which his par- 
 ents removed from the State of Pennsylvania. He 
 married Miss Mary Snure, whose father was a na- 
 tive of Germany, whence he emigrated to the 
 United States during the Colonial d.ajs. The Bradt 
 family traces its ancestry back to Holland, and the 
 tirst representatives in America settled in Genesee 
 County, N. Y., securing a grant of land eleven 
 miles long and'eight miles wide. This property on 
 account of the Revolutionary War was lost to the 
 family. 
 
 1 ILBERT E. BP:NTLEY. There are few homes 
 of Riverside Township better situated, more 
 pleasant or complete in their arrangements, 
 than that of our subject. He stands in the front 
 rank as a farmer and stock-raiser, and makes a spe- 
 cialty of hogs. His admirabl}' operated and well- 
 kept farm, a view of which may be seen on another 
 page of this volume, is situated upon section 29, 
 and includes 240 acres. It originally comprised 
 320 acres, but eighty acres of this was given to the 
 eldest son. 
 
 Mr. Bentley was born in Chautauqua, N. Y., Jul^^ 
 18, 1833. Here he made his home for the first 
 eighteen years of his life, received his education, 
 and was afterward instructed in all things pertain- 
 ing to the management of the farm and stock. Upon 
 leaving New York State he went to Ogle County, 
 111., and settled near Polo and engaged in farming. 
 The success that comes as a reward of practical 
 knowledge, accompanied bj' energetic industry and 
 patient perseverance, here became his. He was a 
 resident of Ogle County until November, 1877, 
 when he removed in order to locate upon his pres- 
 
 ent property, which at that time was in a totally 
 unimproved condition. 
 
 During the period of his resi<ience in Ogle County, 
 111., Mr. Bentley made the acquaintance of Miss 
 Melvina A. Wilber, a resident of that county, but 
 a native of Delaware Count}', N. Y. This acquaint- 
 ance revealed to him that this estimable j'oung lady 
 was possessed of a disposition, education and quali- 
 ties that were calculated to make her companionship 
 the one thing to be desired, and the}' were united 
 in wedlock upon the 6th of April, 1851, at Oregon, 
 Ogle Co., 111. This lady was born in the above 
 county and State, March 2, 1833, and is the daugh- 
 ter of Anthony and Lucy Ann (Grant) Will)er, 
 natives of Dehiware Count}', N. Y. The father is 
 dead; the mother is now a resident of Florida. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bentley are the parents of a very 
 interesting farailj- of seven children, as follows: Ed- 
 win L., who died at the age of twent3'-flve j'ears, 
 on the 20th of September, 1887, was the second 
 son; Uriah G. married Addie Gifford, and lives on 
 what was a part of the home place; William W. is 
 single and at home; Charles; Herbert; Marlon E. is 
 unmarried, and is a teacher in the public schools of 
 Ogle County; the youngest daughter, Addie, is 
 most happily married to 3Ir. James Russell. One 
 interesting feature of the birth of the above chil- 
 dren is the fact that three children, viz. : Marion, 
 William and Addie, were each l)orn in the month 
 of February, upon the 8th, 4th and 2d of the month, 
 and are now thirt3'-three, twenty-five and twenty- 
 two years of age respectively. It is here noted that 
 each was born in the same month of the different 
 years; also, the even division of the month date is 
 unusually even ; the combined total of the j'ears of 
 their lives will be found to aggregate eighty years. 
 
 The farm of our subject is fully equipped with 
 the various machines, implements, conveniences and 
 devices for its complete operation. There are also 
 provided substantially built and well-arranged farm 
 buildings for every needed purpose. In the vicin- 
 ity of the house our subject has thoughtfully pro- 
 vided an extensive orchard, containing over 100 
 fruit trees of various kinds, all of high grade and 
 choice selection. As noted above, he gives con- 
 siderable attention to stock-raising, and possesses 
 some very fine Short-horn cattle, but his principal 
 
 ♦"-fr^: 
 
 ■^ 
 
 f 
 
-^•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 719 
 
 business in this line is with the Poiand-Ciiina hog, 
 of which he has seklom less than 100 head upon his 
 property at one time; lie usually ships large num- 
 bers ever}' year. 
 
 Mr. Bentlej' does not usually talve a prominent 
 part in politics, neither is he what would be called 
 a politician. At tlie same time he is deeply inter- 
 ested in the great issues before the people, and 
 usually votes irrespective of party, and solely ac- 
 cording to the dictates of liis conscience and intel- 
 ligence for that candidate whom it would appear was 
 best fitted for the oflice. In principle he is a very 
 strong Prohibitionist and very earnest in his ad- 
 vocacy of the right, as he understands it. Both he 
 and his family move in the best local society, and 
 are very highly esteemed by the community. For 
 five years he served as Road Supervisor of the 
 township; he is now Justice of the Peace, and has 
 repeatedly demonstrated his fine sense of justice 
 and right, and won to himself many friends by the 
 impartiality of his judgment. 
 
 \i7 EWIS FINK was born in Europe on the 14th 
 I (© °^ December, 1830, and came to the United 
 /lli^x> States with his parents, Jacob and Elizabeth 
 Fink, when he was about eleven years old. In 
 1841 his pai-ents located in Milwaukee County, 
 Wis., where our subject remained until 1886, when 
 he came to Nebraska and located on his present 
 farm, consisting of 240 acres on sections 25, 2 and 
 6, Sicily Township. He bought his land in 1878, 
 and since his residence here he has also bought 160 
 acres adjoining his home farm on the east, and in 
 Blue Springs Township. The parents of our sub- 
 ject died while he was living in Wisconsin. In 
 July, 1856, our subject was united in marriage with 
 Miss Elizabeth Schlosser, who was .also making her 
 home in Wisconsin. By this marriage they became 
 the parents of six children, all of whom are now 
 living. Mrs. Fink died in Wisconsin in June, 1869. 
 Our subject was then united in marriage with 
 Miss Theresa Mannet, by whom he had' tlirec chil- 
 dren, all of whom are now living. The mother of 
 these three children died in June, 1882, since which 
 time our subject married Augusta (Garit) Wor- 
 
 sehnkiky. Our subject and his parents were mem- 
 bers of the Free Thinkers' Society in Wisconsin, 
 and the former is an able advocate of the princi- 
 ples of that society. He is eminently a self-made 
 man, having started in life with but very little 
 means and being obliged to depend upon his own 
 labor for his success, and by much hard work and 
 careful man.agement he has secured a very good 
 home with fine improvements, which places hiiu in 
 a position to make and save quite a competence for 
 his older days. He is e.\teusively engaged in fann- 
 ing, combining with that vocation the raising of a 
 good grade of live stock, giving speci.il attention 
 to the breeding of cattle and hogs. 
 
 Mr. Fink appreciates the advantage of learning, 
 and has spared no pains to give his children all the 
 advantages of education which money can procure. 
 When his eldest childreu were young there were 
 no schools in the part of Wisconsin ip which he 
 lived, and in order that they might not grow up 
 with minds neglected and uncultivated, he organized 
 the first school of the neighborhood in his own 
 house, having since provided his younger children 
 with advantages at a great deal of expense. They 
 have ampl3' repaid his solicitude in their behalf, 
 and are intelligent, refined and cultivated young 
 men and women. His eldest son, Charles A., has 
 spent two and a half 3ears in school in Europe, and 
 after completing the regular course of instructiou 
 he took a special course of training in architecture. 
 Since his return he has located in Milwaukee, Wis., 
 where he is doing a lucrative business as an archi- 
 tect, and is known as the designer of the Bravier 
 Church work of Garnay. 
 
 -ft- 
 
 -#«#► 
 
 ->- 
 
 ORVILLE K. DEMING, one of the younger 
 members of the farming community of High- 
 land Township, is finely located on section 
 9, where in addition to general farming he makes a 
 specialty of stock-raising. His home and farm, of 
 which a view will be found upon another page, is 
 noticeable among those of the other enterprising 
 citizens of Gage County as that of a man who is 
 enterprising and industrious, and who is contribut- 
 ing his quota toward the building up of his town- 
 
 ^^^^ 
 
-^^ 
 
 F20 
 
 GAGE COUNT r. 
 
 ship by keeping pace witli tiie improvements of 
 the age, and availing himself of the information 
 that is to be gained bj- reading and by contact 
 with other intelligent men. He is the offspring of 
 an excellent family, and was l)orn in Saratoga 
 Count3', N. Y., Dec. 14, 1845. His tmrents, John 
 and Sarah (Rockwell) Deniing, were also natives of 
 the Empire State, and claim to be of English ances- 
 try. The household circle included four children, 
 all of whom are living, namely: Edgar, a resident 
 of Fulton County, N. Y.; Orville R., our subject; 
 Melvina. the wife of Enos Murphy, of Saratoga 
 County, N. Y., and Clark J., of Sedgwick County, 
 Kan. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Deniing were residents of 
 New York, and are now deceased. Our subject 
 was reared to manhood in his native count}', amid 
 the quiet pursuits of farm life, and acquired his 
 education in the district schools. He continued 
 under the home roof until 18G.S or 1869, and there- 
 after spent his lime in the lumber trade until his 
 marriage, which occurred when he was nearly thirty 
 years of age, on the 21st of November, 1875. His 
 bride. Miss Osie Whitney, was a native of his own 
 county in New York, and of their union there were 
 born five children, namely: Mervin, Aug. 17, 
 1877; Edna. Sept. 27, 1879; Maude, April 28, 
 1884, these being still living. The two deceased 
 are: Alta, who was born July 3, 1882, and died P'eb. 
 9, 1883; and Carl O., who was born April 30, 1886, 
 and died April 20, 1887. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Deming lived in their native Slate 
 a year after their marriage, and in the spring of 
 1876 changed their residence to DeKalb County, 
 111., where our subject engaged in farming until the 
 spring of 1879. Then selling out he came to Ne- 
 braska, and purchased 160 acres of land from the 
 Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, at 
 liS per acre. Upon this he labored industriously, 
 cultivating the soil and gradually erecting the 
 buildings necessary for his' comfort and conveni- 
 ence, and subsequent!}' added to his real estate un- 
 til he now has 240 acres, compi'ising some of the 
 finest land in Highland Township. Considering the 
 fact that he w.is couii)aratively without means when 
 crossing the Mississippi, he has certainly given evi- 
 dence of great industry and perseverance, and he 
 
 generously maintains that he has been ably as- 
 sisted by his excellent wife and helpmate, who has 
 stood by his side through sunshine and through 
 storm, and fulfilled her whole part in their mutual 
 toils and sacrifices. The Deming homestead is now 
 one of the most desirable in this part of Gage 
 County, and the family one of the most highly re- 
 spected in the communit}'. 
 
 Mr. Deming, politicallj', is in s_vmpathy with the 
 Democratic party, and socially, belongs to the A. F. 
 & A. M., with which he identified himself in 1870 
 at Northampton, N. Y. 
 
 The wife of our subject was born Jul}- 27. 1855, 
 and is the daughter of Oscar O. and Sarah R. 
 (Steele) Whitney, the former a native of Vermont, 
 and the latter of New York State. The household 
 circle included three children: Osie, Mrs. D. ; Leah, 
 who died when twenty-nine j-earsold, and William, 
 who is engaged in inventions and patents at Glens 
 Falls, N. Y. Calvin Brown, a favorite uncle of 
 Mrs. Deming, served as a soldier both in the Mexi- 
 can War and that of the late Rebellion; he is now 
 in Fulton County, N. Y. Mr. Deming's brother, 
 Edgar L., served in Company G, 115th New York 
 Volunteers, in the Rebellion, for three j'ears. 
 
 lkJi\ RS. ELIZABETH WALDRON is a woman 
 of noble sjjirit and courageous heart, who 
 has suffered the bereavement of her affec- 
 tionate husband and has devoted herself, 
 with a Christian resignation to her great loss, to 
 the care of her four children. Her father, Jacob 
 Oppenheimer, was a man of more than ordinary 
 perseverance and generosity, and our subject pos- 
 sesses these excellent qualities in a marked degree, 
 modified only to harmonize with the admirable 
 womanly qualities which characterize her. He was 
 born near Saxony, Germany, and was the only living 
 child of his parents; his father died when he was 
 quite young. He remained in Germany with his 
 mother as long as she lived, and after her death the 
 ties which bound him to his Fatherland were broken, 
 and, in company with some of his friends, he came 
 to America. When he reached the harbor of New 
 York he had about $10 in his pocket, and finding 
 
 ^lU 
 
*► II <• 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 r-ii 
 
 that his friends were nholij' destitute, the spirit of 
 generositj', which was one of his niurked character- 
 istics, urged him to bestow all lie had upon his un- 
 fortunate friends, and he started out with empt^' 
 hands. 
 
 The father of our subject was not of Jewish ex- 
 traction, his father having been a native of France 
 and his mother of Germany. After his generous 
 disposal of his money he went to work in the 
 Penns}'lvania Iron Works, and also engaged in 
 farming. He married in Ohio, and removed to Illi- 
 nois, making his home on a farm in Fulton County, 
 and having met with success, he became well situ- 
 ated, and surrounded his famil}' with the advan- 
 tages and luxuries that wealth can procure. He died 
 in 1 880 at the age of sixty-eight j-ears, but the 
 mother still lives at her home in Shenandoah, Iowa, 
 having reached the age of seventy-six years. They 
 were the parents of seven children, namely: David, 
 Sarah, James, Barbara, Eli. Elizabeth and Milton. 
 
 Our subject was born in Highland Countj^ Ohio, 
 on the 11th of June. 1850, and was but one year 
 old when she was taken to Illinois. She lived on 
 her father's farm and attended the common schools 
 of the district, and having unusually quick percep- 
 tion and keenness of intellectual faculties, she be- 
 came a cultivated and refined young woman, and 
 possessed many attractive qualities of mind and 
 heart. She was married, on the "iSd of January, 
 1873, to Mr. L. R. Waldron, a son of John and 
 Isabella (Steward) Waldron, who went to Johnson 
 County, Iowa, where the two families became ac- 
 quainted and cemented their friendshii) by- this 
 happy union. Mr. Waldron was born on the 12th of 
 January, 1850, in Ohio, and was but a child when 
 his parents went to Iowa. After their marriage 
 Mr. and Mrs. Waldron made their home in Mont- 
 gomery County, where the former was engaged as 
 a farmer, and after having charge of a rented farm 
 for three 3cars, he purchased some land and pros- 
 pered well on his own behalf. They came to Ne- 
 braska in 1882, and Mr. \\'aldron bought the north 
 half of section 27, Hooker Township, on which he 
 was meeting with prosperity, when, unfortunately, 
 his death occurred, on the loth of February, 1883, 
 and he left his wife and four children to mourn his 
 untimely departure. The fond mother centers all 
 
 her hopes in her four sons — Ralph, Arthur, Worth 
 and Ledrue — whom she will undoubtedly see become 
 useful and noble men. 
 
 Mrs. Waldron has shown a great deal of courage 
 and business capabilitj' in so successfully carrying 
 on the management of the farm since the de.ath of 
 her husliand. She is a member of the Presbyterian 
 Church, of Adams, and is a woman of firm temper- 
 ance principles. Her political views favor the ad- 
 ministration of the Democratic party in politics, 
 and she is everywhere esteemed as an estimable 
 woman and a refined lady. We are pleased to pre- 
 sent in this volume a view of her homestead. 
 
 R. THOMAS D. TIBBETS is one of the 
 
 I' leading physicians and surgeons residing 
 in Liberty. He was born in Munson, Me., 
 on the 9th of December, 1847, and is a 
 son of Edward Til)bets (deceased), who moved 
 from Munson to Augusta of the same State when 
 our subject was a child. From there he went to 
 DeKalb County, 111., in the year 1857, and eng.aged 
 in agriculture until 18C4, when he came to this 
 county. He settled on Wolf Creek two. miles 
 north of the place now occupied by the city of 
 Liberty, and at that time there were but two stores, 
 a post-ofBce and blacksmith-shop, in Beatrice. Jacob 
 Shaw then had charge of the blacksmith-shop, and 
 he still lives in the same city. There was not a 
 house in the place occupied by this thriving city, 
 and there were but three houses on Plum Creek, 
 fpur on Wolf Creek and three on Wild Cat Creek, 
 making in all perhaps not more than a dozen houses 
 in this vicinity. 
 
 AVhen the father of our subject came here the 
 Indians roamed at will over the vast prairies, too 
 indolent to make use of the unexcelled soil which 
 nature had prepared to be the greatest resource of 
 mankind. They indulged in the pastimes for which 
 they were so celebrated and at which they became 
 so expert, and had ample opportunity to cast their 
 arrows at the elk, deer, antelope and wolves which 
 abounded throughout this territory. But they are 
 gone, and the land which they held so indifferently 
 the hand of the enterprising white man has con 
 
 jn- ^ ' 
 
■^*- 
 
 J -22 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 vevteri into fertile fields wbicb produce abundant 
 crops. 
 
 Our subject received an education whicli qufili- 
 fied Lira to make tiie profession of instructing tlie 
 young and growing minds his principal occupation 
 for a period of eight years, being engaged .at differ- 
 ent times in the schools all over this neighborhood. 
 In his leisure time during that period he gave at- 
 tention to the study of medicine, and afterward was 
 graduated from the College of Physicians and Sur- 
 geons, of St. Joseph, Mo., on the 2d of March, 
 1880. He h.ad practiced in this vicinity four years 
 previous to his graduation, and when the city of 
 Libertj- was founded he located here, having since 
 that time built up quite a good practice. Not only 
 does a physician relieve physical pain and become 
 a confidant to whom suffering people willingly con- 
 fide their ills, but he endears himself to the families 
 because of his labors in their behalf, and thus en- 
 joys a constantly increasing host of friends. 
 
 On the 6th of October, 1874, Dr. Tibbets was 
 united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Losey, a 
 daughter of James M. Losey, of Clay County, Kan. 
 Five children came to their home, two of them 
 onl3' to remain for a short time, and the three now 
 living are Lionel, Stella and Myrtle. The mother 
 is an esteemed and well-known member of society, 
 and a sympathizing helpmate to her husband, en- 
 couraging him by her estimable disposition and 
 qualities of womanhood. Our subject has for two 
 years been a member of the County Board of 
 Supervisors, and has served as Chairman of the 
 Town Board of Trustees, being quick to support 
 the measures by which the improvement of the city 
 can be augmented. He is a member of the Re- 
 publican organization. 
 
 RANK G. L.\SELLE, a member of the firm 
 of LaSelle, Fiske & Co., dealers in general 
 merchandise, has charge of their store in 
 Cortland, the other half of the business being lo- 
 cated at Beatrice. He was born in Madison County, 
 N. Y., May 2. 1861, and passed his boyhood in his 
 native county, attending first a district and after- 
 ward a select school. Of his father, William M. La- 
 
 Selle, a sketch will be found elsewhere in this work. 
 The mother was Mary A. Grosvenor, the descend- 
 ant of a fine old family of New York .Slate. 
 
 Our subject came with his parents to Nebraska 
 in 1881, and soon afterward entered the emplo}' of his 
 uncle, H. A. LaSelle, at Beatrice, who was conduct- 
 ing a store of general merchandise. Subsequently 
 he operated at Hastings in the same capacity, and 
 from the latter place removed to Cortland, where he 
 became the partner of Peter Hastings, with whom 
 he continued until the latter gentleman disposed of 
 his interest in the business to the firm of LaSelle, 
 Fiske & Co. 
 
 Mr. LaSelle occupied himself in general mer- 
 chandising at Cortland for a period of four years, 
 at the end of which time his father, as a member of 
 the firm of LaSelle, Fiske <fe Co., purchased the 
 stock of goods of George R. Scott, in Beatrice. 
 Frank G. now h.as entire charge of the business at 
 Cortland, while the other partners manage the store 
 in Beatrice. The}' form a trio bound to succeed, 
 and their prompt niethoils of doing business have 
 commended them generally to the citizens of this 
 section. 
 
 Mr. LaSelle w.as married at Beatrice, in Septem- 
 ber, 1884, to one of the most estimable and accom- 
 plished young ladies of the city. Miss Hattie 
 Saunders, who was born in Ohio. Of this union 
 there are two children — Grosvenor V. and a babe 
 unnamed. 
 
 aALVIN K. HIGGINS resides on section 35, 
 _, Midland Township; he has been closely iden- 
 ^ tifled with public affairs in this county since 
 1874. He was born on the 17th of June, 1844, 
 in Pittsfleld, Me., and is a son of Heman and 
 Betsey (Tibbetts) Higgins, natives of Maine, and 
 still residing in that State. Our subject is the eldest 
 of the four children, of whom Charit}' became the 
 wife of William Dyer, an<l resides in Burnham; 
 George in Clinton, and Mary, the wife of Henry 
 Lancaster, in Palmyra, all in their native State. 
 
 Our subject spent the early years of his life on 
 his father's farm, eng.aged in the various duties in- 
 cident to a country life, and attending the common 
 schools, applying himself with such diligence to his 
 
^iBiiK 
 
 Residence and other Property 
 

 j^^ i.,,:;'^^;;^- ^^^^^ 
 
 N SMAH A ST. 
 
 '^ ^'^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 Hon.Elij/\h Filley, Town of Rlley.Neb. 
 
-^^ 
 
 ■» ~^ ll • 4 * 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 4 
 
 studies thiit he secured a very good education. 
 When Ills term of schooling was concluded he 
 engaged in the profession of teaching, which he fol- 
 lowed for five winters, alternating the arduous 
 duties of the school-room with the free and inde- 
 pendent life on a farm during the summer. In 1872 
 he Went to Lowell and served as watchman in one 
 of tlie large cotton mills uf that manufacturing city, 
 retaining his position for one j'ear, whence in 1874 
 he came to Nebraska. He had a sufficient amount 
 of mone3- to enable him to purchase fort}- acres of 
 Ir.nd in this county, and with a j'oke of oxen he 
 broke the sod, prepared it for cultivation, erected a 
 primitive st3le ••shanty," and estalilished himself in 
 his "bachelor's hall." 
 
 By unceasing iudustr}' and due economy our 
 subject prospered and accumulated quite a compe- 
 tence, which enabled him in the fall of 1881 to set- 
 tle where he now resides. He owns 160 acres of 
 splendid farming land adjoining the city of Bea- 
 trice, which is valued very highly, and for which 
 lie has been offered $150 per acre. He has erected 
 a neat and commodious dwelling and a good set of 
 farm buildings, and in various ways has he im- 
 proved the land and added to its attractiveness. A 
 view of his place ma}' be seen on another page of 
 this Album. But such a pleasimt home could not be 
 graced alone b}^ the owner, and in the same year that 
 he established himself in his new liome he brought 
 his charming bride to share the comforts with hiin. 
 The lady was Miss Rebecca Murgatroyd, who was 
 born in Wisconsin on the 3d of April, 1857, and is 
 a daughter of Emanuel and Ellen (Newson) Mur- 
 gatroj'd, of Beatrice. Two children, named Maj' 
 Ellen and Charlie, now bless the home of our sub- 
 ject and his wife. To Mr. and Mrs. Murgatroj-d 
 there were born ten children, five of whom are liv- 
 ing: Tlionias, in Dakota; Margaret, now Jlrs. Mid- 
 dleton, of Gage Coun&5';Mrs. Higgins; Ann, now 
 Mrs. Eccleston, of Saunders County, Neb., and Mar}', 
 at home with her parents in Beatrice. 
 
 While our subject gives close attention to the 
 work on his fine farm, and combines with his agri- 
 cultural pursuits the raising of stock and good 
 horses, he yet has time to devote to the service of 
 the public, and assumes a share of the labors tend- 
 ing to the public imi)roveineiit. He has acted in 
 
 the capacity of School Director, and in various 
 w.ays has manifested his interest in the advance- 
 ment of educati<jn and morality. He does not care 
 to identify himself with any political part}', but sup- 
 ports the men whom he thinks best qualified to til' 
 public ofHces, irrespective of party. All his wealth 
 has been accumul.ated by his own energy and good 
 management, aided b}' the inspiring presence and 
 kind advice of his wife, and among men he is known 
 to possess an unblemished reputation. 
 
 ^ ^^^ — 
 
 J I AMES E. BUSH, junior member of the law 
 firm of Pemberton & Bush, at Be.atrice, was 
 born in the city of Rockville, Ind., June 1, 
 1 845. His father. David Bush, a stonemason 
 by trade, was a native of New York, served as a sol- 
 dier in the Mexican War, and died in the service, 
 when our subject was a child two years of age. His 
 mother, Roxalana (Minter) Bush, was born in Ken- 
 tucky, and passed away the year following the de- 
 cease of her husband. Thus six children, four sons 
 and two daughters, were orphaned. Of these our 
 subject was the 3-oungest. 
 
 After the death of his father James was taken by 
 his mother to Kentuekj', and after the death of the 
 latter the six children went to Peoria Count}-. 111. 
 James there made his home with an aunt, Mrs. Han- 
 nah Gordon, with whom he remained until a lad 
 of eight years. After the marriage of his oldest 
 sister he made his home with her until the out- 
 break of the Rebellion. Mr. Bush, on the 8tii of 
 August. 186-2, enlisted in Company E. 112th Illi- 
 nois Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of 
 the Ohio. The following winter the regiment oper- 
 ated in Kentucky, and in the summer of 1863 as- 
 sisted in driving the Morgan raiders from the soil 
 of Kentucky and Ohio. Later tliey were with Gen. 
 Saunders on his raid in Tennessee. 
 
 On the 21st of August, 1863, the regiment to 
 which our subject was attached was assigned to 
 the command of Gen. Burnside, and started on 
 the campaign iu Eastern Tennessee. They subse- 
 quently participated in the battles of Knoxville, 
 Athens, Philadelphia, Dandndge and Bean's Sta- 
 tion. They wintered in Tennessee, and on the 
 
•^1^^ 
 
 (28 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^ 
 
 1st of Mny, 1864, joined Sherman in the Atlanta 
 campaign, and were present at the battle of Resaea, 
 the siege of Atlanta, the engagements at Etowah, 
 Jonesboro and Kenesaw Mountain. The rebels re- 
 trealeil from Atlanta, the lie3-stone city of the Con- 
 federac}', and the Union lines were advanced into 
 the rebel country 200 miles, the Confederate armies 
 contesting every foot of ground as they retired be- 
 fore the advance of the Union troops. 
 
 The Atlanta campaign lasted from the 1st of Maj' 
 to the 1st of August, 1804, when Sherman marched 
 his army into the city. In the battles which fol- 
 lowed, and which need not be recapitulated here, 
 being matters of history, Mr. Bush did valiant serv- 
 ice with his comrades, enduring the hardships and 
 privations incident to the soldier's life, the action 
 of the field, the hurried marches, and all the other 
 vicissitudes of warfare. After the battles of Frank- 
 lin and Nashville, which euiled the war in the West, 
 the 1 12th Regiment was sent first to AYashington 
 City and then to Ft. Fisher, on the coast of North 
 Carolina. In the spring of 1805 it rejoined the 
 army of Gen. Sherman at Goldsboro, N. C. Soon 
 after this followed the surrender of Johnston's arm3\ 
 Mr. Bush having received his honorable discharge, 
 was mustered out at Chicago in July, 1865. 
 
 Our subject, after being transformed from a sol- 
 dier into a civilian, made his way to Stark County, 
 111., and thereafter engaged in farming, also attend- 
 ing school two years. In November, 1872. he en- 
 tered upon the study of law in the office of Miles 
 A. Fuller, of Toulon, 111., and after having passed 
 his examination in the Supreme Court at Mt. 
 Vernon, 111., was admitted to the bar June 5. 1875. 
 lie commenced the practice of his profession at 
 Bradford, 111., where he continued until the 6th of 
 May, 1880. 
 
 Mr. Bush came to Beatrice in ilay of the j'ear 
 mentioned, and associating himself with J. N. Rick- 
 ards, entered upon the practice of his profession 
 here. The partnership was dissolved in 1884, and 
 in 1S80 Mr. Bush became associated with his pres- 
 ent partner. Sir. L. M. Pemberton. They are now 
 numliered among the leading attorneys of the city, 
 and are in the enjoyment of a lucrative and stead- 
 ily increasing business. Thej^ have a complete 
 library, and keep themselves posted upon the points 
 
 which are constantly arising in relation to the duties 
 of their calling. 
 
 The marriage of James E. Bush and Miss Anna 
 E. Dyer, of Toulon, III., was celebrated in Novem- 
 ber, 1867. Sirs. Bush was born in Genesee Count}', 
 N. Y.. April 21, 1846, and is the daughter of Lemon 
 and Philena Dyer, who were natives of New York. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bush are the parents of eight children, 
 two sons and six daughters, namely: Bertha E., 
 Charles E.. Dora E., Harold D., Maude C, Lena 
 Roxie, Mina Belle and Gladys. Mr. Bush, politi- 
 cally, is a Republican, and is a member in good 
 standing of Rawlins Post No. 36, G. A. R., at Bea- 
 trice, Neb. 
 
 pjl) ENJAMIN BURCH is one of the most prom- 
 ^* inent business men of Nebraska, being exten- 
 
 .»-W 
 
 sivelj' interested in the banking and real 
 estate business. He is the owner of town lots 
 and improved property in Wymore; three quarter- 
 sections of land in Frontier County, Neb.; one sec- 
 tion in Rush County, near the county seat. La Crosse ; 
 one-half section in Sherman Count}', Kan. He 
 also has a number of fine brick business blocks 
 in Creston, Iowa: also some real estate in Lincoln, 
 Neb. The land in Frontier Count}' is under culti- 
 vation. 
 
 John Burch, the father of our subject, was born 
 in Woodstock. Vt., on the 12lh of July, 1800. 
 AVhen he was six years old his parents left Ver- 
 mont and moved to the Shoot, fifty miles north of 
 Montreal, Canada. He received a common-school 
 education, after which he engaged in farming near 
 London, Canada, and there lived for fifteen years. 
 Then he moved to Port Stanley and remained until 
 abuut 1837, engaged in farming, but selling this 
 land he settled near Rockford, Winnebago Co., 111., 
 and there im|)roved an extensive farm. He also 
 engaged very largely in raising live stock, horses 
 and grain, being quite successful. In the fall of 
 1857 he went to Fayette, Iowa, where he engaged 
 in the drug business until the time of his death, in 
 1864. 
 
 While in Illinois the father of our subject was 
 Justice of the Peace for about ten years, and was 
 
 ■► 
 
■<»■ 
 
 =L. 
 
 i 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 r29 
 
 quite, a leading man in his day. He and his wife 
 were prominent an<l consistent members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Chiircii, lie usually acting as 
 Class-Leader and Steward of the church of which he 
 was a member, and also being identified with the 
 Sunday-school. For a long time he served faith- 
 fully as Superintendent of the Sunday-school, un- 
 til his advancing age obliged him to discontinue 
 his arduous labors. He was married to Miss Lydia 
 Hogabome iu the year 1819, and to them came 
 eight cliildren, all of whom lived until the years of 
 maturity, and with but one exception are still liv- 
 ing. One of the brothers and one sister of our 
 subject are living in Nebraska. 
 
 The mother of our subject was born in Saratoga, 
 N. Y.. in 1797, and when she was ten years old her 
 parents moved to Canada, where she remained with 
 her father until the time of her marriage. While 
 moving from New York to Canada, iu the year 
 1808. it very unfortunately happened that during 
 their journey across Lake Charaplain the team car- 
 rying the family broke through the ice, and her 
 mother and brother drowned, it being a very sad 
 death, and agreat bereavement to her family. Mrs. 
 Burch died in 1863, one year before the death of 
 her husband, which occurred in 1864. Benjamin 
 Burch, the grandfather of our subject, was born in 
 the New England States, and for a long time he 
 was engaged in milling in Vermont until going to 
 Canada, where he engaged in agriculture. lie 
 married Miss Strong, and they had a family of 
 thirteen children. 
 
 Benjamin Burch, our sul)ject, was born on the 
 17th of April, 1821, in London, Canada, where he 
 remained until he was thirteen j'ears old, attending 
 school, and then moved with his parents to Port 
 Stanley. During the Canada Rebellion, when he 
 was but sixteen j'ears old, he was obliged to leave 
 the country or be drafted into the array, whose 
 cause he did not espouse. Being but a mere boy 
 he did not sympathize with the cause of war, and 
 in order to escape from unpleasant duties he went 
 to Port Huron, Mich., where he engaged in a lum- 
 ber establishment, and when eighteen years old he 
 went with his parents to Rockford. 111. There he 
 remained with his father until he was twenty-one 
 years old, when he began to work for himself, and 
 
 immediately choosing the occupation of farming, 
 he continued at that woik in Illinois until Is.jO. 
 when he sold and moved to Niagara Country, N. 
 Y. There he engaged in the same business for five 
 years, and then selling his land he again turned his 
 face toward the setting sun. and bought an exten- 
 sive stock, dairy and wheat farm inFa3-ette County, 
 Iowa. 
 
 This enterprise of our subject proved to be a 
 very successful one, increasing the amount of real 
 estate which he owned by the purchase of properly 
 in town. By the year 1865 he was amply able to 
 begin in the mercantile business in Fayette, where 
 he carried a stock of general merchandise. In this 
 business he vvas financiall3- successful, and in 18G9 
 he took a railroad contract to Iniild seventy-five 
 miles of the Davenport & St. Paul (now called 
 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul) Railroad, begin- 
 ning at Edgewood, in Clayton County', extending 
 through Fa3ette and Winneshiek Counties to Cresco, 
 Howard County. At_thesame time he was engaged 
 in the mercantile business in Fayette and Straw- 
 berry Point. The contract into which our subject 
 had entered with the railroad company was finished 
 iu 1873, but about that time the company became 
 insolvent, and our subject had to get a mechanic's 
 lien on the railroad. 
 
 This Mr. Burch carried to the courts, first with the 
 stockholders, and then with the bondholders, tak- 
 ing the latter to the iiighcst courts in the United 
 States. This incident serves as an indication tp 
 the character and abilitj', as well .as the liuauoial 
 means of our subject, being able to fight to the 
 conquering end a large railroad corporation for his 
 rights. This same princii)Ie through life has brought 
 Mr. Burch to his present position of affluence, and 
 won for him the esteem of the citizens of his town 
 and the neighboring cities. His interest in the 
 railroad was sold by our subject to the present 
 owners. In 1874 he moved to C'l.ay Center, Kan. 
 
 In the last-named place our subject engaged in 
 fanning and the mercantile business until 1877, 
 when he moved to Creston, Iowa, and eng.aged in 
 the grocer}' business. While in Creston he carried 
 on an extensive real-estate business. In the j-ear 
 1882 he came to Wymore when it was only six 
 months old, and has since been established here, he 
 — •^ 
 
 
4 
 
 4^ 
 
 730 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 nnd his son, with M. H. Southwit-k, having bought 
 the Bank of Wytnore, of which the}' are still the 
 owners, and being interested in all of the improve- 
 ments of the town. He has built several fine build- 
 ings and one block of business houses, and he was 
 also one of the building committee of the school- 
 house and church just lately built. 
 
 Mr. Burch was united in marriage with Elizabeth 
 Rafter in 1 845. There were five children in this 
 family, as follows: George F., Francis E., Hiram 
 E.. John C. and Albert N. George F. was killed 
 when he was four years old by being run over by 
 a threshing-machine, and Francis died in Fayette 
 at the age of nineteen years. Hiram E. married 
 Miss Ada Bullock, of Fayette, and is now living in 
 ISIontana, engaged in the hardware business; John 
 C. was married to Miss Nell C. Tunison, of Fayette, 
 and is the business partner of our subject; they 
 have two children — Ray and Benjamin. Albert N. 
 is unmarried, and is .at present located in California. 
 
 ON. JOSEPH R. BUFFINGTON, M. D. 
 
 r )|! Among the disciples of Esculapius who in 
 this centur3' have graced the profession, few 
 
 (^) have been more successful than Dr. Buffing- 
 ton, the popular physician of Libert}'. He is a son 
 of James and Eliza A. (Sleeth) Bufflngton, and was 
 born on the 5th of January, 1840, six years pre- 
 vious to the .admission of Iowa as a State. His 
 father was a native of Meigs County, Ohio, his 
 mother of Jackson County, W. Va. The former was 
 an Ohio River ])ilot for al)out five 3'ears, and after 
 that removed to Iowa, and became one of the most 
 successful millwrights of the State, and erected quite 
 a number of large mills in different parts thereof. 
 In earlier days he had served an apprenticeship at 
 cabinet-making, in Wheeling, W. V.a., and found 
 frequent occasion to use the knowleilge thus ob- 
 tained. From mill building he gradually drifted 
 into and became extensively interested in the lum- 
 ber trade. He is now deceased. 
 
 Our subject received his education in the more 
 rudimentary branches in the common schools of his 
 native State, and afterward supplemented tiiis by 
 a full course at Mt. Pleasant Universitj', in Henry 
 
 County, Iowa, from which he was graduated in due 
 course with honor. Shortly after this he began the 
 study of medicine, being graduated in the year 1 868, 
 from the College of Physicians, at Keokuk. He 
 began the practice of medicine in Liberty on the 
 3d of April, 1881. and has since that time enjoyed 
 a ver}' large and lucrative business. 
 
 Our subject's study of medicine was interrupted 
 by the outbreak of the Civil War, and considerably 
 delayed, but feeling that the welfare of the country 
 was to be considered more than his as an individ- 
 ual, he enlisted. May 16, 1862, in Company F, 25th 
 Iowa Volunteers, and served for over three years. 
 In that time he was in active conflict in sixt^'-four 
 different engagements, and twenty-seven principal 
 battles. Among these were Sherman's Landing, 
 on Yazoo Bottom ; Arkansas Post, Jackson, Black 
 River, Grand Gulf, Atlanta (siege of fortj'-four 
 days), Jackson (2d), Canton, Tuscumbia, Ala.; 
 Lookout IVIountain, Mission Ridge, Ringgohl, Ga. ; 
 Lebanon, Ga.; Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain; Rome. 
 Ga. ; the battles of Atlanta, the march to the sea. 
 Mill Creek, Goldsboro, and others. 
 
 The great step in the life of our subject, one 
 that has perhaps inflnenced it more than anj- other, 
 not excepting his choice of profession or enlist- 
 ment, was that of his union in marriage with Cyn- 
 thia A. Sargent. Their home w.as enriched by the 
 birth of three children, who have received the 
 names of Flora E., AVilliam Q. and George A. 
 Nov. 22, 1881, Mr. B. became the husband of Josie 
 E. Hickok, who is the daughter of Robert Mal- 
 colm, of Moline, 111. To them has been born one 
 son, Fred R., Dec. 9, 1882. 
 
 By a very large majority Dr. Bufflngton was 
 elected to the Legislature in 1884, and served for 
 a period of two 3"ears. Although no measure of re- 
 markable historic import was undertaken or passed 
 in that term, sufficient op[)ortunity was offered for 
 him to manifest the many qualities possessed by 
 which he is speciallj' fitted for such work. He is a 
 man of liberal thought, public spirit and quick in- 
 telligence, and owing to these powers, his genial, 
 affable disposition, his intimate knowledge and skill 
 in his profession, combine to make him one of the 
 prominent citizens of Liberty. 
 
 Socially, our subject is connected with the G. A. 
 
1 
 
 •4^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 731 ' i 
 
 R. aiul also the Masonic fraternity, and in the 
 latter has served for a period of six years in the 
 Chair of the Worsiiipful Master. Dui'ing that time 
 the lodge over which he presided wauioted because 
 of its working efliciency and good discipline. The 
 Doctor has also given much attention to the politi- 
 cal questions of the day, and consistently supports 
 and advocates the cause of the Republican i)arty. 
 
 EBERHART ALBERT in the fall of 1874 
 set sail from his native German}', and soon 
 after reaching New Yorlc City made his wav 
 directly westward to this county. Here he has 
 since remained, and is thus entitled to be numbered 
 among its pioneer residents. He owns and occupies 
 a fine farm of 240 acres on section 25, Clatonia 
 Township, where he has erected good buildings, and 
 in all ways distinguished himself as an enterprising 
 and industrious citizen. He is known far and wide, 
 and just as thoroughly esteemed as he is known. 
 
 Our subject was born in German}-, Oct. 23, 1847, 
 and is the third son of David and Mary Albert. 
 He received a good education in his native tongue, 
 and was carefully trained in those habits of industry 
 and economy which have been the secret of his 
 success in life. Upon coming to this county he 
 purchased eighty acres of land from the Burlington 
 <fe Missouri River Railroad Company, for which he 
 paid $5 per acre. He met with success in his labors 
 of tilling the soil, and invested his surplus capital 
 in additional land, all of which he brought to a 
 good state of cultivation. Six years before leaving 
 his native country he was united in marriage with 
 Miss MaryElsha, and to them there have been born 
 seven children, namely: Lena, the wife of William 
 Brinkmeyer, of Clatonia Township; Charles, Louisa, 
 Sophia, Ella, Emma and Henry, all at home with their 
 parents. The land which Mr. Albert secured at that 
 early day, it is hardly necessary to s.ay, w.is in its 
 primitive condition, and he began at first principles 
 in the rearing of a homestead. He has now a goodly 
 assortment of live .stock, and the machinery nec- 
 essary for liis convenience and profit. He identified 
 liimself with the Republican party upon becoming 
 a naturalized citizen, and is a member in good stand- 
 
 ing of the German Methodist Episcopal Church and 
 Superintendent of the Sund.ay-school. In his dis- 
 trict he has served as School Treasurer three years. 
 As a typical representative of the sturdy, intelli- 
 gent and fearless German pioneer, he takes a place 
 in the front ranks, and has contributed in a marked 
 degree to the development of Clatonia Township. 
 He has watched its progress and prosperity with 
 genuine interest, encouraging in a substantial man- 
 ner those projects tending to the welfare of its 
 people. 
 
 Mrs. Albert is in all respects the suitable com- 
 panion of such a man as her husband, being ener- 
 getic, intelligent and industrious, and to her is no 
 small credit due for his success ih life. She has 
 stimulated him to his best efforts, and proved a 
 most wise and affectionate mother to her children. 
 In the respect and esteem of the community she 
 stands equal to her husband, and there is no pleas- 
 anter resort in this locality than the hospitable home 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Albert. 
 
 kM. SCHRODER is regarded by his neigh- 
 bors as a man of sterling worth and exem- 
 plary conduct, who may review his past life 
 and feel gratified that it has been so well spent and 
 so honorable. He was born in Prussia, near Bre- 
 men, on the 1st of May, 1818, of which country 
 his p.arents, Henry and Elizabeth, were also na- 
 tives. His father was a shepherd, and the family 
 circumstances were but lowly, so that our subject 
 began to rely upon himself for his daily needs when 
 only a boy of seven. He worked in the employ of 
 neighboring farmers, and was able to receive but a 
 limited education, because of the slender family 
 resources. His parents were devout members of 
 the Lutheran Churcli, and early instructed him in the 
 truths of their religion, so that when he was four- 
 teen years old he received his confirmation in the 
 church. 
 
 Our subject had early made up his mind to come 
 to Americ:i, but he did not allow his desires to in- 
 terfere with the strict and careful performance of 
 his labors, by his integrity and industry gaining 
 
 I' 
 
-U 
 
 ^ii^Hh-* 
 
 732 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 the confiflence and good wishes of his employer, 
 who became interested in Ills welfare. Finding 
 that lie wished to leave his native country to try 
 his fortunes in a land which offered great induce- 
 ments, his employer advanced sufficient raone}- to 
 pax his fare on the voyage,' and on the 1st of Au- 
 gust, 1,S36, he boarded the -raulina," which sailed 
 from Bremerhaven, and was tossed about on the 
 waves forty-two days. He landed at New York on 
 tiie 11th of Seplembei-, and having but fifty cents 
 left after l)aying his fare, he at once engaged in 
 work, choosing first to clerk in a mercantile house. 
 His honesty and genial manner soon gained for him 
 kind friends, who greatly relieved liis social wants, 
 and lie remained in the mercantile house for two 
 years, after which he started in business for him- 
 .self, but did not meet willi good success. 
 
 Onr suliject next engaged as a drayman for a 
 mahogany sawmill in Pittsljurgh, Pa., where he re- 
 mained for a long time, during which he was mar- 
 ried to Miss Elvira Miller. Mrs. Schroder was 
 born in New Jersey in 1823, and after her marriage 
 with our subject they made their home in New 
 1 ork City until about tlie close of the war, when 
 they removed to Bureau County, 111. They rented 
 a farm of 240 acres and prospered well, so that in 
 1871 they moved to Missouri and bought a farm. 
 But there they met with financial reverses, and 
 sickness overtook them, which wasted their means, 
 and when they came to this State they had but 
 8300 left of the snug little fortune which they had 
 accumulated. 
 
 On arrival here our subject and wife took eighty 
 acres of land on a school lease, and again the tide 
 turned. They prospered well and have accumu- 
 lated quite a competence, which enables them to 
 surround themselves with comforts and luxuries. 
 Our subject's son since purchased 100 acres on the 
 Pawnee Reservation, and eighty acres on section 
 IG, just north of his first claim. Mr. Schroder has 
 done well, financially, and through his integrity and 
 o-enialitv has drawn around him a host of warm and 
 lasting friends. He became naturalized as soon as 
 the Constitution permitted, and has become one of 
 the best citizens, seeking to advance the interests 
 of his community socially, educationally and relig- 
 iouslj". He and his wife are esteemed members of 
 
 the Presbyterian Church, of Beatrice, and he has 
 helped to build the Methodist Episcopal Church, of 
 Holmesville. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Schroder have become the parents 
 of eight children, named George, Hester, Lemuel, 
 Ella, Lottie, Freddie, Johnny and an infant, the three 
 last named dying in infancy. George grew to 
 manhood, and enlisted in the Gist Illinois Infantry, 
 serving during the last year of the war. 
 
 While our subject is a member of the Republican 
 part}- in politics, he strongly advocates the policy 
 of the Prohibition party, and is in favor of tem- 
 perance, or total abstinence from the use of intoxi- 
 cating beverages. He has never regretted his com- 
 ing to America, and the people of his community 
 are proud to number him among their friends. 
 
 "ii) OHN N. STEELE. Lying on section 3, in 
 Holt Township, is one of the model farms of 
 I this count}', and one of its most attractive 
 (j^jl/ homes, the property of the subject of this 
 sketch. It indicates in all its surroundings the ex- 
 istence of cultivated tastes and ample means, and 
 the residence of those whose lives have been good 
 and useful, and who have exerted a refining and 
 healthy influence upon those with whom thej' have 
 been associated. The Steele family is one of the 
 most widely and favorably known in this section, 
 and the est.ate one of the most desirable in Gage 
 County. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in South 
 Salem, Ross Co., Ohio, Oct. 6, 1823, and acquired 
 his education in the district school. In 1850 he 
 married a lady who was born in Warren County, 
 Ky., Oct. 29, 1828. The father of Mrs. Steele was 
 a native of Virginia, and the mother of Blooming- 
 burg, Fayette Co., Ohio. They migrated to Illi- 
 j noisin 1840, settling in Hennepin, Putnam Count}', 
 wher^ the father carried on general merchandising 
 and also held the office of Sheriff a number of years. 
 He was finally elected to the State Legislature, and 
 for many years continued active in public affairs. 
 The mother died when comparatively a young 
 woman, in 1 844, at the age of thirty-nine years. The 
 household circle included seven children, namely: 
 
 —^ 
 
1 
 
 -4«- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 r33 
 
 William, Fulton, Martha J., James, John, Mary and 
 Artie. 
 
 Mrs. Steele vvas a young girl twelve years of age 
 when her parents removed from Kentucky to Illi- 
 nois. She for a time attended the common sch(K)l 
 and completed her studies in South Salem Acad- 
 emy. She received careful home training, and re- 
 mained with her parents until her marri.ige. Soon 
 after their wedded life began Mr. and Mrs. Steele 
 moved into a snug dwelling in South Salem, where 
 Mr. S. engaged in the dry -goods trade until 1854, 
 when he sold out, and removing to Illinois engaged 
 in farming until after the outbreak of the Civil 
 War. He watched the conflict until the j'ear follow- 
 ing, then laid aside his personal interests to proffer 
 bis services in support of the Union, enlisting in 
 Company E, 4th Illinois Cavalry, for three years, 
 or during the war. Such were the privations and 
 hardships which he endured that his health began to 
 fail, and at the end of two years he was obliged to 
 accept his honorable discharge. The faithful wife 
 and mother at home had in the meantime suffered 
 the utmost anxiety, not only on account of her 
 husband, but her four brothers who were fighting the 
 battles of union and freedom. One brother was 
 a Colonel and an officer held in high esteem on 
 account of his bravery and fidelity to duty. 
 
 After his return from the army Mr. Steele resided 
 in Ohio until the close of 1873. In Januarj', 1874, 
 resolving upon a change of location, he disposed of 
 his property interests in the Buckeye State and 
 came with his family to Nebraska. He purchased 
 land in Holt Township, this county', and struggled 
 through many difficulties and drawbacks in the 
 development of his farm and the building up of a 
 comfortable homestead. His labors were greatly 
 prospered, as a glance at the handsome and com- 
 fortable home of the Steeles at once indicates. 
 
 To our subject and his estimable wife there have 
 been born seven children, namely: Artie, Alice, 
 Annie, Harry, AVardlaw and Minnie (twins), and 
 Pattie. The ehlest daughter is the wife of Robert 
 Henderson, a resident of this State, and they have 
 five children; Alice married Charles Harnes, a car- 
 penter by trade; she is the mother of two children — 
 Ralph and Lyle. Thej' are residents of Auburn, 
 Nemaha County. Annie is the wife of John Mosler, 
 
 a mechanical engineer, and tlicy reside in San Mateo 
 County, Cal.; they have one child, a daughter. Kit- 
 tie. Harr^- is married, and is a prominent railroad 
 man residing in Sacramento, Cal.; he has one child, 
 a son, Eddie. Wardlaw is occupj'ing a homestead 
 claim in Kansas, and is unmarried; Minnie is the 
 wife of George Jackson, of Holt Township, this 
 county, and the mother of two children — Gertie and 
 Edna; Pattie is at home with her parents. 
 
 The Steele property includes 160 acres of good 
 land, with a comfortable fr.ame house, a fine orchard, 
 a goodly assortment of live stock, improved farm 
 machinerj', and the other appliances indicative of 
 the progressive agriculturist. Both our subject and 
 his estimable wife are members in good standing of 
 the Congregational Church at Cortland. Mr. Steele, 
 politically, is a stanch Republican. Mrs. S. is a lad}' 
 of great refinement and intelligence, and became 
 acquainted with her husband while they were attend- 
 ing college. Their children form a bright and in- 
 teresting group, who have been carefully educated 
 and are well fitted for the honored stations which 
 they will ever occupy in life. 
 
 i]/_^ON. ALBERT H. BABCOCK, ex-member of 
 the Nebr.aska Legislature, one of the leading 
 lawyers of Southeastern Nebraska, and a resi- 
 dent of Beatrice, was born near the cit}' of 
 Bath, Steuben Co., N. Y., June 4, 1836. The 
 family of his parents, John S. and Jane H. (Flem- 
 ing) Babcock, consisted of two sons and one daugh- 
 ter, of whom Albert H. was the eldest, and all of 
 whom are living. John S. Babcock is also a native 
 of the Empire State, a blacksmith bj' trade, and 
 with his excellent wife is still living, their home 
 now being in Monroe County, Mich. 
 
 The subject of this sketch when an infant of 
 six weeks was taken b}' his parents from his native 
 State to Michigan, thej- settling among the pioneers 
 of Monroe County. There he was reared to man- 
 hood, pursuing his studies first at Dundee and later 
 in the seminar}' at Ypsilanti, where he was prepared 
 for college. He then entered the law department 
 of the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor, 
 where he took a full course, and at the expiration 
 
 f 
 
■^^ 
 
 734 
 
 •t^ 
 
 -U 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 of this time the outbreak of tlie Civil War furnisiied 
 Tinloolved-for emplo3"ment. Entering the service 
 of his coiintrj', in Company 11, ISth Michigan In- 
 fantry, he was soon made First Lieutenant, and 
 was subsequently promoted to Captain, his regi- 
 ment being assigned to duty around the city of 
 Covington, Ky.. resisting the enemy under Gen. 
 Kirbj- Smith. When the nece.ssity for their pres- 
 ence there had ceased the regiment received march- 
 ing orders for Lexington, Ky., and at that point 
 went into winter quarters. The following spring 
 occurred the Morgan raid, tuul tiie regiment of 
 Capt. Habcock was assigned to garrison duty for 
 a time. Thence they proceeded to Nashville, Tenn., 
 where our subject was on provost duty one year, 
 and they were next assigned to Decatur, Ala., 
 where they were attacked and repulsed by Hood's 
 army in a siege of four days, the Union forces being 
 under command of Gen. R. S. Granger. During 
 the fight at Nashville Cai)t. Labcock was sent to 
 hold Stevenson, Ala. Breckinridge was then at- 
 tempting to cut off their supplies at Chattanooga, 
 Leaving Nashville they were ordered to Huntsville, 
 Ala., where Capt. B. was constituted Provost Mar- 
 shal of the Northern District of Alabama, on the 
 staff of Gen. Granger, and was thus occupied until 
 the close of the war, being mustered out in July. 
 1805. 
 
 Our subject now returned to Ann Arbor, Mich., 
 and in the State University completed his law 
 course, being graduated in the class of '68. Soon 
 afterward, coming to Nebraska, he located in Paw- 
 nee City, where he commenced the practice of 
 his profession. In the fall of 1873 he was elected 
 a n:ember of the Legislature from Pawnee County, 
 serving the sessions of 1873-74. He continued 
 his residence in Pawnee City until 1879, then re- 
 moved to Beatrice, where he has since built up a 
 good business, practicing in the District, State and 
 Federal Courts. 
 
 Capt. Babeock was married. May 6, 1880, to Miss 
 Jeanette DuBois, the wedding taking place at the 
 home of the bride in Pawnee City. Mrs. B. was a 
 resident of Atlanta, Ga.. and at the time of making 
 acquaintance with our subject was visiting friends 
 in Pawnee City. She was born in Madison, Fla., 
 JMurih 17, 1S,')6, and is the daughter of Col. L. 
 
 •T 
 
 W. and Lavina (Tarrant) DuBois. Of this union 
 there have been horn a son and daughter — Laura 
 E. and Eugene. Mr. B. is a member of Pawnee 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. IM.. also of Blue Lodge, Chapter 
 and Council. In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 s^^ I LAS L. MORRIS. In this sketch it will be 
 endeavored succinctly to present to the 
 reader some of the more salient features in 
 tlie life of the present Supervisor of Grant 
 Township, whose home is situated on section 24. 
 where he owns and operates a farm of some eighty 
 acres in extent, nearly the whole of which he has in 
 a good state of .cultivation, and which is provided 
 with a fairly good set of the buildings needed in 
 connection therewith. 
 
 Our subject has been a resident of Grant Town- 
 ship for about thirteen years, and before making 
 his home on section 24 resided on section 3, where 
 he located in 1876. when the land was in its original 
 wild and uncultivated condition. He made some 
 improvements there, i)ut finding a good purchaser 
 sold it in order to transfer his interest to his present 
 property. 
 
 Mr. Morris is a native of Ohio, and was born in 
 Portage County, that State, on the 28tb of January, 
 1829. He was a mere child when his father, John 
 Morris, removed to Geauga County of the same 
 State. The memory of his childhood, his school 
 days and early manhood, is supplied from this 
 source, for there he made his home until he came 
 of age, acquiring somewhat thoroughly the branches 
 of a practical English education, and then began at 
 the lowest round of the ladder of farming, gradu- 
 ally making his way to his present position. 
 
 In Munson, Geauga Co., Ohio, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Annette Warner, who was 
 a native of that place, and was born Dec. 13, 1837. 
 Her father was a practical, well-read farmer, and 
 her life was spent upon the farm, forshe was brought 
 up at home, and continued to reside witli her par- 
 ents until her marriage. This union has resulted in 
 the birth of four children, viz: Charles L., now the 
 husband of Alice Kinzie, and a farmer in Grant 
 Township; Altha, the wife of Marion Gaston, and 
 
 «^ 
 
■<- 
 
 -•► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 lesidiiifT iie:ir Beatrice; Sadie L., now Mrs. Hemy 
 Gill, wiiose home is in Colorado, and Frank S., 
 married to Minna McClure, of Indianapolis; they 
 live in York County, this State, where this son has 
 a lucrative practice as a physician and surgeon. 
 
 With the exception of about three years our sub- 
 ject has been occupied as a farmer all his life. For 
 about eight years prior to his settlement in Ne- 
 braska he was a resident of aAliller County, Mo. 
 Mr. Morris has worthily filled the offices of Town- 
 ship Treasurer and Justice of the Peace, in addition 
 to that now held liy hira. He has been a stanch 
 adherent of the Republican parly for nian3' j-ears, 
 and will <l(jubtless so continue. His connection 
 with the I. O. O. F. is at once length}' and honor- 
 able, and at present he is a member of Lodge No. 
 103, of DeWitt. and has filled all the chairs, includ- 
 ing that of the Noble Grand; he is also a member 
 of the Grand Lodge of this State, and Deputy 
 Grand Master of tliis district. He has been in all 
 the relations of life a man worth}' of the confidence 
 and esteem of his fellows. 
 
 A fine lithographic view of the Morris farm will 
 be found on another page. Not onl}' does it assist 
 in the embellishment of the Alp.xm of Gage Count}', 
 but is one of the attractive features of the land- 
 scape of Grant Township. 
 
 ON. NATHAN BLAKELY. The farming 
 and business interests of Southern Nebraska 
 have found no more enterprising and capa- 
 ble exponent than the subject of this sketch, 
 who has aided materially in the cultivation and de- 
 velopment of one of the richest sections of the great 
 country lying west of the Mississippi. A native of 
 Litchfield County, Conn., he was born in the town 
 of Iloxbury, July 25, 1824, and was the youngest 
 in a family of four children, the offspring of Daniel 
 and Lovina (Chntfield) Blakely, who were also na- 
 tives of Connecticut, and descended from English 
 ancestry. 
 
 Daniel Blakely, the paternal grandfather of our 
 subject, was a farmer by occupation, and spent all 
 of his life in Connecticut, dying in Roxbury, Litch- 
 field County, at an advanced age. Daniel lUakely, 
 
 following in the footsteps of his father, pursued the 
 occupation of an agriculturist. The ehlest brother 
 of Nathan died when a lad ; the mother and an only 
 sister died in Roxbury, Conn., in 1839. The father 
 in 1855 came west to Iowa, settling in Hardin 
 County, where his death took place in February, 
 1 86 1 , being seventy-six years old. He was a strong 
 Abolitionist, and as the exponent of Free-Soil 
 doctrines voted in 1844 for the Abolition candi- 
 date. James Ct. Birney, for President.' In 1848 he 
 voted for Van Buren, in 1852 for John P. Halej 
 and in 185G for John C. Fremont. His last Presi- 
 dential vote, in 18G0, was given to Abraham Lin- 
 coln. 
 
 Nathan Blakely acquired his early education in 
 the <listrict school, which he attended until fif- 
 teen years of age, mostly during the winter sea- 
 son, being employed upon the farm in summer. 
 Later he was a student at Roxbury Academy, 
 where he studied two winters, and then commenced 
 teaching, receiving for his services the munificent 
 salary of §10 per month for his first school, and 
 boarded around among the scholars; this school was 
 in Westchester County, N. Y., in a neighborhood 
 called "Mount Airy," about two miles east of the 
 Hudson River, about an equal distance from Peek- 
 skill and Sing Sing. He taught the same school the 
 succeeding fall and winter, his salary being advanced 
 to $12 per month. This was thought by some of 
 the patrons of the school to be excessive, and more 
 than any "schoolmaster" could earn. In the spring 
 of 1846 he migrated to Monmouth County, N. J., 
 where he followed teaching (intil 1852, officiating as 
 tutor nine terms at the now celebrated summer re- 
 sort. Long Branch. 
 
 In the spring of 1852 Mr. Blakely, resolving upon 
 a change of occupation, returned to his native 
 State, and in company with W. S. Waterbury, pur- 
 chased the Derby Journal at Birmingham, Conn., 
 which they conducted together until the fall of 
 1853. Mr. Blakely then disposed of his interest to 
 his partner, and in December of the same year, 
 in company with J. E. Barnes, a friend and former 
 teacher in New Jer.sey, started for Chicago, 111., and 
 the following winter taught a district school near 
 the present site of Riverside, a few miles from Chi- 
 cago. At the close of this engagement he mi- 
 
-^^ 
 
 ■•► 
 
 .t 
 
 738 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 grated to Newton, Iowa, there bought land, but 
 subsequent!}' bought land and moved to Hardin 
 County, Iowa, hut spent the following summer in 
 the vicinity of Newton, where he made his first pur- 
 chase of land. He returned to Ciiicago in the fall 
 of 1854, and resumed teaching in the school he va- 
 cated the previous spring, and in the spring of 1855, 
 in compan}' with his brother, who had just arrived 
 from Connecticut, and his friend Barnes, left for 
 Hardin County. Iowa, to improve their lands. At 
 this time the railroad was only completed to Ga- 
 lena; thence they went by steamboat to Dubuque, 
 then by stage and private conveyance to Eldora, in 
 Hardin County. 
 
 About this time reports were heard about Spirit 
 Lake, said to be 150 or 200 miles northwest, in 
 Dickinson County, Iowa, near the State line. It 
 was said to be a ver^' large lake, mostl^y surrounded 
 by a large body of fine timber. This land was all 
 in market, and subject to entry at $1.25 per acre, 
 prairie lands being considered high in Hardin 
 County at $2.50 and $3 per acre, and timber from 
 $3 to $10. The prospect of ''vvealth" was too per- 
 ceptible to be ignored, and they decided to get a 
 couple of thousand acres of the cream of that sec- 
 tion, and in August the trio loaded a wagon with a 
 tent, a barrel of sugar, a sack of coffee, a chest of 
 tea, hams and bacon, flour and meal, besides other 
 articles necessary to put up cabins and make their 
 homes in that wild and unsettled part of the State, 
 and with two yoke of oxen, and one cow, with dogs, 
 guns and revolvers, left Hardin Count}' for tlie 
 "promised land." No. trouble appeared until be- 
 yond the reach of settlements. 'I'hen there were no 
 roads, and ponds, marshes and ravines were dail}' 
 encountered, and travel accordingly slow, so that 
 Spirit Lake was not reached until in October. The 
 frost had killed the grass, and it was unfit to put up 
 for hay; two of the party were suffering with the 
 ague and could do nothing but eat. The bright 
 picture of invagination of a few months before had 
 rapidly vanished. The ague left two of the party 
 so weak they could not travel to find out the num- 
 bers of the land, or hunt up the corners, and after 
 camping two nights on the margin of this lovely 
 lake, decided to retrace their steps to Hardin 
 County and leave all of the "wealth" to their fol- 
 
 lowers, whoever they might be. Those followers, 
 numbering several families, settled around the lake 
 within a year or two, secured their lands, built their 
 cabins and opened up their farms, when the Indiajis 
 appeared and massacred most of the settlers, some 
 thirty in number. 
 
 The severity of the winters of 1855-5G and 
 1856-57 led Mr. Blakely to the conclusion that 
 the climate of the Hawke^'c State would not be 
 altogether favorable to his health and comfort, and 
 he accordingly, as soon as practicable, sought the 
 milder atmosphere of Southern Nebraska. He ar- 
 rived at Beatrice on the 17th of July, 1857, at a 
 period in the history of this now flourishing town 
 when it could not boast of even a log cabin, al- 
 though one h.ad been commenced by Pap Towle. 
 A few days after his arrival Mr. Btakely took up a 
 Government claim two miles up the river, upon 
 which he operated until the spring of 18G5, engag- 
 ing in freighting and farming combined. 
 
 Mr. Blakely upon leaving his farm purchased a 
 half-interest in the store of D. Latham, at Beatrice, 
 and for the space of four 3' ears conducted a mer- 
 cantile business; in 1867 he purchased Mr. Latham's 
 interest in the store, and in 1868 formed a partner- 
 ship with Reynolds & Townsend, the firm being 
 Blakely, Reynolds & Co. In the summer of 1869 
 he disposed of his interest in the business to his 
 partners, and in 1872 he associated himself with 
 E. M. Hill, in general merchandising, until 1875. 
 
 In addition to his extensive business transactions 
 Mr. Blakely has always maintained a lively interest 
 in the affairs of his adopted countj', and in 1858 
 was elected County Clerk, serving so acceptably 
 that he was re-elected the following year. In 1861 
 he was chosen to represent this county in the Terri- 
 torial Legislature, the ilistrict being composed of 
 the counties of Gage, Johnson, Clay and Jones, 
 now Jefferson. In 1866 he was again elected Rep- 
 resentative, the Legislature meeting in Omaha, for 
 the purpose of adopting the Constitution for the 
 State, and of electing two United States Senators. 
 Mr. Blakely voted in caucus for T. AV. Tipton and 
 A. S. Paddock. Tipton and Thayer received the 
 nomination and election. 
 
 Mr. Blakely in 1868 was again elected to the 
 Legislature, attending the first session held at 
 
 ^ 
 
h 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 739 
 
 4- 
 
 Lincoln. The 3'ear following he was appointed Re- 
 ceiver of the United States Land Office, by Presi- 
 dent (iiant,%assuming charge of the oflice on the 
 1st of Oclolier, anil which he held until Oct. 1, 
 1875. Of the manner in which he discharged his 
 duties, the I'entrice Exjircss. dated October 7 of tiiat 
 year, IM. A. Brown, editor and proprietor, speaks as 
 follows : 
 
 '•Hon. Nathan Blakely entered upon the discharge 
 of his duties as Receiver of the United States Laud 
 Otfice at this place Oct. 1, 18G9. On the 1st of 
 October, 1875, he stepped down and out, Hon. R. 
 B. Harrington having been appointed to the office. 
 It will be seen that h*had filled the important posi- 
 tion of receiver of public moneys for precisely' 
 six years. During that time he had received and 
 turned over to the Government $625,013.24, and 
 when he closed his official labors his accounts were 
 found to be correct to the cent. In these days of 
 defalcation and dishonesty no higher encomium 
 can I)e paid to a retiring officer than to say 'his ac- 
 counts were found correct, and he had the money 
 on hand to balance.' " 
 
 But, notwithstanding the large amount handled 
 by Mr. Blakely, and his long term of office, this 
 can be truthfully said of him. At times during 
 his six years' service he had not only an important 
 position to fill, but also one of dangei'ous responsi- 
 bilit}^ For several years after he took charge of 
 the office there were no banks in Beatrice where he 
 could deposit the monej*, nor was there any rail- 
 road or express line connecting with this city by 
 which he could send the money away. The Gov- 
 ernment required him to make monthly deposits at 
 Omaha. In order to get the money to the river 
 he would hire his brother to take it to the bank of 
 John L. Carson, at Brownville, which required 
 sixty-five miles of staging; at times Mr. Blakelj-'s 
 brother "William has staged it to Brownville with 
 strangers, and about $60,000 in his pocket. We 
 know Mr. Blakely has plenty of nerve, but we 
 are of the opinion he felt easier when he had Mr. 
 Carson's certificate of deposit. 
 
 During the month of June, 1 870, Mr. Blakely 
 took in as Receiver 886,236.69, and on the 13th of 
 the same month the sum of $38,126.31. These 
 were the "big bonanza" days of his terra of office. 
 
 We would he glad to be able to give a brief out- 
 line of Mr. Blakely's history, but except as to the 
 above figures he has not given us any data from 
 which to write him up. However, we learn, but 
 not from him. that lie has been a teacher, an editor, 
 has served several terms in the Legislature, has 
 been a farmer, mcrciiant, County Clerk, was gradu- 
 ated as an ox-driver (but we don't believe he ever 
 drove mules .as he doesn't swear), has accumulated 
 property, if we owned it we would think it to be 
 worth at least $50,000, but we don't, and what is 
 best, he has accumulated it honestly. 
 
 Mr. Blakely is one of the self-made men of the 
 State. He came here poor, freighted over the Cali- 
 fornia route, and Ijy dint of energy and honesty in 
 thisgrasshoppered American desert, he has laid by a 
 goodly sum for a rainy d.ay. He is a positive man, 
 hence he has w.arm friends and some bitter oppo- 
 nents. He will stand by a friend through thick 
 and thin. Almost all incumbents of land-offices 
 are accused of resorting to ways that are dark to 
 make a dollar, yet in this large district no man has 
 ever accused Mr. Blakely of trickery or dishonesty. 
 We don't know what business he intends to engage 
 in, but wherever he is or whatever he does he will be 
 known as a man of blunt honesty, strict integrity' 
 and undoubted ahilitj'. 
 
 The marriage of Hon. Nathan Blakely and Miss 
 Maggie C. Tinkham was celebrated at the home of 
 the bride, about two miles east of Beatrice, Nov. 9, 
 1868, and the young people began the journey of 
 life together in Beatrice. Mrs. Blakely was born 
 in Morrow County, Ohio, in October, 1 843, and is 
 the second daughter of Rev. A. L. Tinkham, a 
 minister of the Methodist Church, who came to this 
 State in 1860, settling in the embryo town of Bea- 
 trice among its earliest residents. He is 3'et liv- 
 ing. The mother of Mrs. Blakely is also living, 
 still residing at theii- old homestead, near Beatrice. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Blakely there were born two sons, 
 — Charles and Clarence. The latter died Sept. 21, 
 1873, when nearly two years old. Charles was 
 born Jan. 5, 1870. He graduated from the High 
 School in Beatrice, in June, 18.88, and is now a 
 student at the Wesleyan University, at Delaware, 
 Ohio. 
 
 Mr. Blakely has been identified with the major- 
 
 .^-Ht^^ 
 
 i^^ri-^ 
 
-4^ 
 740 
 
 ■•► 
 
 ,t 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 it^' of the enterprises set on foot for the advance- 
 ment and prosperity of the count}-. He is a director 
 and stockholder in the Beatrice National Bank 
 and the American Savings Bank of Beatrice, and 
 his landed interests are quite large, most of which 
 is under lease. The family residence is situated in 
 tlie southeastern suburlis of the city, and is a hand- 
 some and imposing structure, constituting with its 
 surroundings one of the finest homes in or near the 
 city. 
 
 Among the portraits of many of the most valued 
 citizens of the county given in this volume may be 
 found that of Mr. Blakely, given on an adjoining 
 p.age. 
 
 -^ ^^B- ^^ 
 
 (SB JKlLLIAM KRAMER is an enterprising Ger- 
 \^f/ '""" ™'"-' started in life with the detei-min- 
 C7 \y ation to make his mark in the world, and 
 has succeeded in fulfilling his determination to such 
 an extent that he may feel justly gratified because 
 of his achievements. His parents, Herman and 
 Mary Kramer, were born in Hanover, Germany, 
 and the father was engaged in farming until the 
 time of his death. The mother is still living, and is 
 now sevent\'-five years old. Tliere were seven chil- 
 dren in their familj, viz: Gerhard, Herman, Henry, 
 Johnny, an infant unnamed, William and Annie. 
 
 Our subject was born in German}', on the 24th of 
 June, 1848, and as his father was very comfortably 
 situated in regard to this world's goods, he received 
 the advantages of education which might have 
 otherwise been denied him. His parents were mem- 
 bers of the German Lutheran Church, and-he re- 
 ceived his confirmation at the age of fourteen. He 
 early possessed a desire to come to America, and 
 when he was eighteen j'earsold he embarked on the 
 sailing-ship -'Augusta," which left Bremen on the 4tli 
 <jf September, and reached New Orleans after a 
 voyage of eleven weeks across the water. He re- 
 mained in St. Louis for one month, and then went 
 to Washington County, 111., and lived there two 
 years, then went to Menard County. III., where 
 after a time he married Miss Minnie Sachtleban. 
 
 After their marriage, which occurred on the 18th 
 of March, 1 875, Mr. and Mrs. Kramer rented a farm, 
 on which they remained for eleven jears and pros- 
 
 pared well. In 1 886 they came to Nebraska, and 
 bought their present farm, consisting of 240 acres, 
 100 on section 3, and eighty acres on section 10, 
 Nemaha Township. Our subject has improved his 
 farm and increas-.d its value, until now it presents 
 a fine appearance and is the source of a lucrative 
 income. He has built an attractive looking and 
 commodious new house, set out groves of trees and 
 various kinds of shrubbery, and has supplied his 
 farm and stock with water by means of a good 
 wind-pump. An observer would scarcely imagine 
 all of these improvements to be possible from the 
 hands of so recent a settler, but our subject is ener- 
 getic and enterprising, as the results of his labor 
 plainly indicate. 
 
 The family of our subject and his wife includes 
 five bright, intelligent children, whose names are 
 Annie, Johnny, Henry, Maggie and Minnie, all of 
 whom are at home. The parents are members of 
 the German Lutheran Church, and in the time of 
 their residence here they have gained a large circle 
 of friends. Our subject takes an .nctive part in 
 matters pertaining to education as well as those 
 pertaining to church and State. He is a Democrat 
 in i)olitics, and at jiresent is serving as School 
 Moderator, his election to that office so soon after 
 his removal here speaking well for his intelligence 
 and the favor with which he has been received by 
 the best men of the township. lie received his 
 naturalization papers in 1872. and in every way is 
 a lojal citizen of his adopted country. 
 
 tT"*"^" 
 
 -^ 
 
 ^^EORGE R. FOUKE. There are few indus- 
 [|| (^— ^ tries that have grown more rapidly or ex- 
 ^^ijl tensively than that of house and general fur- 
 niture. The age has forever passed when the 
 people will be content with the ancient order of 
 things in this department, and even in the Far West 
 in some little claim shant}' or sod house are found 
 articles of furniture that for value, perfection of 
 work, and beauty of finish, would grace a Fifth ave- 
 nue mansion. Among the tradesmen of Liberty 
 few are more successful or have a better knowl- 
 edge of the minutia of their business than has our 
 subject, who is cng.agcd in business as a general 
 
 t 
 
-4•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 741 f 
 
 house furnisher and implement dealer. Mr. Foiike 
 was liorn in Ilagerstown, Md., upon the 10th of 
 February, 1853, to George J. and Elizabeth (Nes:- 
 ley) Fouke, the former of whom was a native of 
 ]\Iarj'laiid and is now deceased, and the latter of 
 Franklin County, Pa. Two uncles of our subject 
 were soldiers iu the Mexican ^Yar, his uncle Henry 
 serving as a Colonel. 
 
 Our subject continued to make his home in his 
 native place until he was sixteen j'ears old. He 
 then decided to strike out for himself; his father 
 thereupon furnished him with a ticket to San Fran- 
 cisco, and $20 in cash; with that he started in life. 
 Owing to the ravages of war he had little or no 
 opportunity to obtain an education, and was, there- 
 fore, minus this great help. He had a brother and 
 uncle somewhere in the mountains of El Dorado 
 Countj% and he went to work to locate them and 
 renew their acquaintance. After some time be was 
 successful in his search, and sliortly afterward 
 started out in the endeavor to obtain work. The 
 first day be walked over forty miles, meeting only 
 failure, but the following morning he found himself 
 in the company of an English sheep-raiser. John 
 Richardson by name, and with him engaged as a 
 shepherd, continuing in that employment several 
 months. After that he was employed ujjon a farm 
 for about twent\'-seveu months, and thence went to 
 the Sacramento Valley and drove a team, uniting 
 with this employment that of farming for about 
 twenty-seven months, at a salary that ranged from 
 $35 to $65 a month. During this time he occa- 
 sionally attended school, usuall}' at night, and also 
 for a time the school at Sacramento City. In the 
 fall of 1877, owing to a protracted sickness, he re- 
 turned to Iowa, stopping in Cedar County, where he 
 worked upon a farm for about a year, and fi>r the 
 following five years rented property in difi'erent 
 counties, farming upon his own account. 
 
 Our subject entered the marriage state upon the 
 1 1th of Februarj', 1871), and was united witli Emma 
 Shaw, a daughter of Charles Shaw, of Scott County, 
 Iowa. This lady died in November, 1881, leaving 
 one daughter, who was named Florence. A second 
 alliance was entered into on the 18th of December, 
 1883, the lady of his selection being Miss Sarah 
 Wherr^', a native of Guernsey County, Ohio. 
 
 Our subject came to Liberty in July, 1885, and 
 embarked in the business of general house furnisher. 
 Recognizing the need of a reliable implement firm, 
 the following year he added that department. In 
 1886 he received into partnership his nephew, Da- 
 vid Wlierry, his business having grown so rapidly 
 as to demand some such step. Mr. Fouke is one 
 who realizes the march of time and progress of the 
 age, and endeavors to keep in the front rank of 
 those who .are engaged in business, especially' of his 
 particular calling. His religious connections are 
 with the United Presbyterian Church, and in this 
 communion he is received as one of its ablest sup- 
 porters. 
 
 l^\ RS. REBECCA (LONG) PRICE. This 
 estimable lady resides in Odell, where she 
 has a beautiful home, which she shares 
 with her son and daughter, and in their 
 pleasant companionship she is quietly passing the 
 closing 3-ears of a useful life, surrounded b3' every 
 comfort that heart could wish, enjoying in the high- 
 est degree the respect and esteem of a large circle 
 of friends, who have been attracted to her by her 
 many amiable qualities. She is the widow of the 
 late lamented Rev. William B. Price, whose death 
 occurred Nov. 14, 1886, when he was seemingly 
 scarcely past the prime of life, being but fifty-one 
 years of age, and in the midst of a busy and honor- 
 able career as an .agriculturist and as a preacher in 
 the German Baptist Church. 
 
 Mrs. Price is a native of Washington County, 
 Md., and a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth 
 (Fridle^') Long. When our subject was thirteen 
 years of age, her parents removed to Ogle County, 
 111., where they located, and where, in 1848, oc- 
 curred the death of the mother. Mrs. Price from 
 that time faithfullj' cared for her father's welfare 
 until his death in 1856. She still continued to re- 
 side in Ogle County, and there, on the 17th of 
 November, 1858, her marri.age with William B. 
 Price was solemnized. He was a native of Vir- 
 ginia, born near Harper's Ferry, and a son of .lohn 
 Price, a native of Virginia, who died iu Illinois. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Price settled up his affairs in Illinois, 
 having decided to make his home for the future 
 
 r 
 
.•4=*^ 
 
 "► ^ii <• 
 
 142 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 under the sunn}' skies of Nebraska, to receive the 
 benefit of its fine climate and the advantages of its 
 rich soil. On his arrival here with his family he 
 selected a suitable location near Beatrice, and he 
 thus liecame an early settler of Gage Count}'. In 
 1882 he removed with his wife and children to 
 Odell, where he purchased the 100 acres of land 
 that forms the fine farm on which his famil}' still 
 live. He erected a commodious house and other 
 necessarj' buildings, besides making other substan- 
 tial improvements. In the pleasant home that he 
 thus secured to his family, in the few 3'ears given 
 him to labor here, he laid down the burden of life 
 one autumn day, and fell into that dreamless sleep 
 that knows no waking this side of eternity, leaving 
 a devoted wife, a son and a daughter to hold his 
 memory in sacred remembrance. His death was a 
 severe blow to the moral and material interests of 
 Odell, as he was a public-spirited, conscientious 
 citizen, and labored to sustain the religious as well 
 as the financial prosperity of the community, and 
 he was i-evered and beloved by all who had the 
 pleasure of associating with him. He was connected 
 with the German Baptist Church, in which for ten 
 years he was an earnest preacher; he died fearless 
 and triumphant in tlie faith, and now, across the 
 River, he, with the friends who have gone before, 
 awaits those who have yet to enter the Golden 
 Gate. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Price was blessed 
 to them by the birth of two children — Olin L. and 
 Anna R. The son manages the farm, keeping it 
 up to the same high standard of cultivation that it 
 had attained under his father's supervision, and he 
 is also quite successfully engaged in stock-raising. 
 
 Mrs. Price is a member of the church in which 
 her husband labored so long and faithfuUj'; she 
 cherishes his memory, and in man}' ways forwards 
 the good work in which he was engaged. 
 
 #~^- 
 
 -S-- 
 
 y 
 
 erty 
 
 ALTER T. GORE is well known and has 
 built quite a reputation for himself as a 
 general merchant and stock dealer of Lib- 
 
 His father, George W. Gore, is a native 
 
 of Loudoun County, Va., and now a resident of 
 
 Clarksburg, in the same State. Our subject w.as 
 born on the 12th of February, 18.54, in Hampshire 
 County, Va. (now West Virginia), and spent the 
 early jiart of his youth on a farm in his native 
 county. In the year 1808 he removed with his 
 parents to Blacksburg, Montgomery County, in the 
 same State, and while residing there he took a 
 three-years course of instruction at the Preston 
 and Oland Institute. 
 
 In March of the year 1 871 our subject went to Ma- 
 rion County, Iowa, and engaged in teaching school 
 for two or three winters, spending his vacation dur- 
 ing the summers on a farm. Subsequently he re- 
 moved to Chariton, Iowa, where he continued the 
 occupation of a farmer, combining it with the buy- 
 ing and selling of live stock until the year 1879. 
 Then he came to this county and located on Wolf 
 Creek, six miles north of this city, though at that 
 time the city had not yet been platted; but after it 
 was founded he came here, and has since made his 
 home in this place. In company with Mr. D. S. 
 Hardin he established the first real-estate office of 
 this city, and they are still carrying on the business. 
 
 In 1884 Mr. Gore engaged in the mercantile 
 business, carrying a general stock of goods, and by 
 honorable dealing and giving strict attention to the 
 management of his business he has built up a large 
 trade and has been meeting with good success, He 
 also pays especial attention to the buying and sell- 
 ing of live stock, which he ships to Chicago, Kan- 
 sas City and Omaha, and in that also he is doing a 
 flourishing business. 
 
 Our subject w.as married, on the 11th of March, 
 1884, to MissMellie A. Nelson, a daughter of -Jesse 
 Nelson, of Liberty. They had one child to bless 
 their home, Tilghman M., but the mother was not 
 permitted to remain in her home for a long time, 
 being called by death on tiie 18th of February, 
 1888, and while the husband was in the depth of 
 his mourning for her, the little child was taken from 
 him on the 31st of July. 188,8, at the age of six 
 months, making the bereavement double and al- 
 most unbearable. 
 
 Mr. Gore has met with universal success in his 
 business dealings, commanding the respect and es- 
 teem of the business men with whom he engages, 
 and he has also become an extensive land-owner, 
 ^^ 
 
■<*• 
 
 ^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 r4:{ 
 
 •T 
 
 having possession of IGO acres of lanrl in this 
 connty, ItJO acres in Pawnee Countj% and 480 acres 
 in Northwestern Kansas, in Sheridan and Gove 
 Counties. The character which onr suhject bears 
 in his vicinity justifies the residents in electing him 
 to the olHcc of .Tnstice of the Peace, which office 
 he h.as filled with credit to himself for six 3-ears. 
 Although this section of the State h.as been but a 
 few j^ears in developing to its present condition, 
 its outlook for the future is most promising, since 
 there are now numbered among its inhabitants so 
 many reliable, enterprising men of good business 
 standing to give strength and solidity to the foun- 
 dation of its enterprises, among whom our subject 
 is entitled to a rank with the foremost. 
 
 JACOB HILDEBRAND. The life history of 
 the subject of this sketch reads more like a 
 romance than the sober statements of real 
 life. Born amid tiie wild and beautiful scen- 
 ery of Switzerland, in close proximity to the Alps 
 and Lake Lucerne, he earl}' in life imbibed the lib- 
 ertj'-loving air of a free and independent people 
 and the spirit with which the hero William Tell 
 rendered himself immortal. The seventh child in 
 a family of six sons and five daughters, he was born 
 in the canton of Lucerne, Jan. 31, 1834, and still 
 preserves a clear recollection of the home of his in- 
 fancy, enshrined among the hills and made charm- 
 ing, simple as it was, b}' the delights of lake, wood, 
 field and stream. 
 
 The father of our subject, Joseph Hildebrand, 
 was born in the same region of countr}' as his son, 
 and married a Miss Shedhalt«r; tlie parents spent 
 their entire lives in their native land, both living 
 to the advanced age of eighty j'cars. Jacob was 
 trained at an early age to habits of industry, and 
 as soon as old enough began to make himself useful 
 by doing such little jobs around his neighborhood 
 as he was able. At the age of fourteen he started 
 out in earnest to battle with tlie world, and soon 
 formed his own ideas in regard to his future as ho 
 determined it should be — with a home of his own 
 and some day a com|)etencj'. While yet a boj' at- 
 tending school in his native canton he had con- 
 
 ceived the idea of coming to America, and in this 
 project was warmly seconded by his brother Lone, 
 to whom he was most warmly attached. The two 
 boys spent many an hour discussing the future, 
 which thej' determined should be spent as near as 
 possible together. 
 
 At the age of sixteen years Jacob Ilildelnand 
 drifted over into France, where he staid three 
 years, and his favorite brother became a soldier in 
 the Italian army. They thus lost sight of each 
 other, and Jacob, in October, 1853, took passage 
 on a sailing-vessel bound from Havre, France, to 
 New York City. He arrived upon the soil of 
 America in November following, and for several 
 months was empk)yed in Cayuga County, N. Y., at 
 $50 per month. In 1855 he started to cross the 
 Mississippi, and on the way was employed in differ- 
 ent places as carpenter, brickmaker, and at various 
 other occupations until arriving in Iowa. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Hildebrand most unexpectedly and 
 to his great J03' learned that his brother Lone was 
 not onl}' in America, but in the Territory of Ne- 
 braska, located on a piece of land in Nemaha Town- 
 ship, this county, and it is hardly necessarj' to s.aj^ 
 that he at once laid his plans to join him. The fol- 
 lowing spring they were happily reunited. Lone 
 was never married and made his home with our 
 subject until called hence b}' the decree which 
 sooner or later overtakes all mankind. After a 
 well-spent, most honorable and praiseworthy life, 
 he died in 1887, mourned by a large circle of 
 friends, at the age of sixty -one years. 
 
 IVIr. Hildebrand, in the spring of 1858, accom- 
 p.mied by an acquaintance, William Betler, started 
 on foot from Iowa to this county. They walked 
 the greater part of the w.ay, and the meeting of the 
 long separated bri)thers can better be imagined than 
 described. Lone had pre-empted 140 acres of land, 
 and after the arrival of Jacob the brothers each 
 homesteaded eighty acres, and thus had together a 
 snug area, which was destined in future to become 
 of good value. They remained here until 1862, 
 then repaired to Colorado, and for three j'ears en- 
 gaged in mining and ranching, employing them- 
 selves in the mines at Boulder City during the 
 winter, and repairing to their ranch Ahen the spring 
 came to look after their cattle. They were in 
 
 f 
 
M^ 
 
 744 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 
 Boulder wlien the news of the assassination of 
 President Lincoln reached them, and the Swiss 
 brothers who in their native land stood upon the 
 very spot where fell the tyrant Gesler by the hand 
 of William Tell, signified their sympathy with the 
 cause of liberty in their adopted country by in- 
 augurating solemn services among the miners upon 
 the death of the martyred President. A Confeder- 
 ate in the vicinity, wlio expressed sympathy with 
 the assassin Booth, was summarily dealt with. 
 
 The llildebrand brothers were greatly prospered 
 in their mutual labors, and gained hosts of friends 
 on account of their straightforward honesty and 
 fair dealings with their fellowmen. Upon return- 
 ing to Nebraska, they resumed farming upon their 
 land, hauling their wheat to Nebr.aska City and 
 bringing back loads of lumber and provisions, 
 which they landed in Beatrice, and for which they 
 received ample returns. The country was new and 
 they carried with them their provisions, camping 
 out wherever night overtook them. They im- 
 proved their land as rapidly as possible, setting out 
 fruit and shade trees, erecting handsome and sub- 
 stantial buildings, and instituting those comforts and 
 conveniences essential to the well-being of the mod- 
 ern and progressive farmer. 
 
 Jacob llildebrand in 1875 w.as united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Edith Morris, who was born in 
 Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in IS.'Jo. Mrs. H. re- 
 ceived a common-school education and came to 
 Nebraska with her unnle, David Blatchart, in 1874. 
 Of her union with our subject there have been born 
 six children, namely : Mary. James, Nettie, Minnie, 
 Josie and William. Mr. llildebrand is one of the 
 most loyal adherents of the Republican partj', and 
 always interested in those projects calculated to ad- 
 vance the prosperity and intelligence of his com- 
 nuinit}'. 
 
 be: 
 
 EUBEN ALBERT. In the following sketch 
 it will be the endeavor succinctly to present 
 some of the more salient features of the life 
 l^of one of Highland Township's pioneers, 
 whose residence is upon section 4, where he has a 
 beautiful and somewliat exceptionalh' fertile farm, 
 lie is a native of the Keystone Stale, having been 
 
 born in Northampton County, on the 7th of Jan- 
 uary, 1834. He is the son of John and Mar3- M. 
 (Albert) Albert, both natives of the same State. 
 Our subject was the eldest son, and was reared to 
 manhood in his native county, and in its public 
 scliools received a fair, practical English education. 
 
 In December of 1863 our subject was united in 
 marriage with Melinda Mosser. The happiness of 
 her union witli our subject has been more fully as- 
 sured and its joj's enhanced by the birth of their 
 three children, to whom have been given the names 
 here following, viz: Ulysses G., Frank R. and Ger- 
 trude. 
 
 In the summer of 18G2, in answer to the bugle 
 note from Washington, our subject stepped to the 
 front as a volunteer in defense of the old flag, 
 enlisting in Company D, 129th Pennsylvania In- 
 fantry, which became part of the yth Army Corps 
 of the Army of Virginia, under command of the 
 intrepid McClellan, and subsequently Gen. Burn- 
 side. Besides an interminable round of minor en- 
 gagements and skirmishes, our subject took part 
 in a number of the larger battles, of which he has 
 chief cause to remember that at Fredei'icksburg, 
 where he was severely wounded in the right thigh, 
 which necessitated his subsequent confinement for 
 about three mouths in the Pleasant Hill (Washing- 
 ton) and Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia) Hospitals. 
 Upon recovery he received an honorable discharge 
 in the spring of 1863. Our subject continued to 
 reside in Pennsylvania until about 1869, when he 
 removed to Montgomery County, Iowa, where he 
 resided until the fall of 1871, when he came to 
 this county. Upon arrival he homesteaded 160 
 acres of good land in Highland Township, the same 
 upon which he now resides. If it was good then 
 his industrj' and intelligent, careful luiltivation have 
 vastly improved it. At the time of his settlement 
 his nearest neighbor was over seven miles distant 
 from him, and everything was in a most primitive 
 condition, and it has been with pleasurable pride 
 that he and his family have watched the surround- 
 ings develop and improve, and the State as a whole 
 march with unusually rapid step and length}' stride 
 to the front place in the rank of Western States. 
 
 Besides the above farm our subject owns another 
 of like extent in Sheridan County, Kan., which has 
 
 *^ 
 
^•^^4r^ 
 
 GAGE <JOU^TY. 
 
 irj 
 
 developed fnto quite a valuable property. He has 
 served as Coustable for two years, besides also some 
 other of the township offices. Socially, he is con- 
 nected with the G. A. R. It is tiardly necessary to 
 add that Mr. All)ert is an affiliate of the Repub- 
 lican ])arty, at once one of its stanchest friends, 
 stoutest defenders and steadfast supporters. 
 
 •i- 
 
 o el 
 
 lYRON P. ZUVER. The grandparents up- 
 on the paternal side of the family of which 
 our subject is a member were Henry and 
 Margaret (Schneider) Zuver; upon the ma- 
 ternal side John and Elizabeth (Zuver) Kerns. Both 
 these families were of Holland origin, and became 
 residents of America previous to the Revolutionary 
 War. That of the Kerns dates back to 1727. 
 They included within their circles a large number 
 of children, of whom were Solomon Zuver and 
 Julia Ann Kerns, the father and mother of our 
 subject, who were born in the j'ear 1819, the one 
 in Pennsylvania, the other in Ohio. They were 
 united in marriage in 1839, in Wayne County, 
 Ohio, whither the father of our subject had accom- 
 panied his parents. Of this union there were born 
 five children; the eldest of these was Byron, our 
 subject. The others were Saiah S., John H., George 
 W. and Henr3-. The latter died when quite young; 
 John H. departed this life in 1883, in Sonoma 
 County, Cal; Sarah resides in Los Angeles, and 
 George W. near Adams, of this State. 
 
 Mr. Solomon Zuver became (juite prosperous in 
 his farming and mercantile busine.ss. which very 
 rapi<lly extended, and in a sliort lime he became 
 comparatively well-to-do, but reverses followed rap- 
 idly upon the heels of successes, owing to some 
 unfortunate transiictions, and his fortune melted 
 away and left him nothing but the unsubstantial 
 memory and sometimes bitter reflections of baffled 
 hopes and desires. In 1855, a poor man and start- 
 ing lite a second time, he removed to Cerro Gordo 
 County, Iowa, where he was one of the early pio- 
 neers. He there engaged in keeping hotel, ami in 
 the summer of 1864 had so succeeded in business 
 as to be able to take quite an extensive trip to the 
 Pacific and through the Northwestern Stiites. Upon 
 
 his return home he removed to Kansas, where he 
 lived until Oct. 5, 1878, when he departed this life, 
 aged fifty-eight years. He was married three times, 
 but had no children by the last two marriages. 
 
 Our subject was born Nov. 8, 1840, in Waj'ne 
 County, Ohio. After the removal of the family 
 to Iowa he attended the common sch(>ol,and in the 
 winter of 1860 taught school. He left the teacher's 
 desk to attend the classes of the Western College, 
 in Linn County, and April 28, 1861, enlisted in 
 Company D, 12th Iowa Infantry, being the first 
 to enlist from this count}-. Owing to the fact that 
 no more three-months men could be utilized to ad- 
 vantage, he was obliged to re-enlist on the 20lh of 
 September, 1861. The organization of this com- 
 pany for service w.-is at Cedar Rapids, where the 
 ladies of the city presented them with a silken flag 
 that was afterward carried into the conflict and be- 
 came a source of inspiration and courage to the 
 faint-hearted or weary soldier. From that city 
 they went to Dubuque, and November 28 went by 
 car to St. Louis, where they were stationed until 
 Jan. 28, 1862, and then went to Smithland, Ky.; 
 thence to Ft. Henry, which was reached February 
 6, and that very day the fort surrendered. Our 
 subject was an active participant in the battle and 
 splendid victory of Ft. Donelson. At Mineral 
 Landing they took the boats for Pittsburg Land- 
 ing, where they arrived March 20. and on the 6th 
 of the following month were in the battle of Shiloh. 
 On the evening of that day several regiments were 
 taken prisoners, and among them the 1 2th Iowa, 
 that having been in the conflict all day and fought 
 to the bitter end in the portion of the field known 
 as Hornet's Nest and Hell's Hollow by the enemy. 
 
 The prisoners — among them our subject — were 
 hurried off to Corinth, thence to Memphis; from 
 Memphis successively to Granada, Jackson, Merid- 
 ian. Miss., and Mobile. There they were put u[ion 
 the bo.ats and sent to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the}' 
 arrived on the tenth day of their imprisonment. It 
 was the great misfortune of these prisoners to be 
 under the charge of the notorious tj'rani, Henry 
 Wirz, of Andersonville fame, from whom they suf- 
 fered, directly or indirectly, the most scandalous 
 treatment and untold brutality. Leaving Tusca- 
 loosa, the}- were then taken to Montgomery, and 
 
• ► i r^ 
 
 7oO 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 were there paroled on the 22(1 of May. Our sub- 
 ject joined tlie army again at Iluntsville, Ala., on 
 the 30th of the same month, and as a paroled pris- 
 oner-of-war was sent to rvashville, Louisville, Cairo, 
 and tinally, on the 10th of July, to Benton Bar- 
 racks, at St. Louis, where he remained until the re- 
 organization of the regiment, on the 1st day of 
 January of the following year, i. e., 1863. 
 
 Leaving St. Louis on the 9th of April, our sub- 
 ject witii his regiment started once more to the 
 front. Their first battle was that of Grand Gulf, 
 La., and this was speedily followed by the engage- 
 ments at Ft. Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Clin- 
 ton, Edmund Station, Champion Hills, Black River 
 Bridge, and then on to the siege of Vicksburg, near 
 which place they remained until its fall, July 4, 
 1863. They next engaged in the eight-days siege 
 of Jackson, Miss., which fell in the same month. 
 Next was the battle of Brandon, which was fought 
 upon the 19th of July. Keturning to Vicksburg, 
 they were stationed there until the Canton expedi- 
 tion in October, in which they took part. In the 
 next month they went back to Memphis, guarding 
 the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, and in this 
 work the regiment continued during the winter of 
 1803-64, at Chewalla, Tenn. 
 
 On Christmas Day of the year 1863 Mr. Zuver 
 re-enlisted as a veteran, and Febiuary 1 following 
 started once more for Vicksburg, where the regi- 
 ment was engaged in guard duty at the Black River 
 Bridge until the 4th of March. The next four 
 days were spent in VicUsliurg, and March 8 they 
 left for home, and arrived at Davenport on the 
 22d. After a much-needed rest and recreation 
 lluy re-assembled at Davenport, on the 26th of 
 A|)ril, and proceeded immediately to Memphis, 
 where tliey arrived May 1 , and were engaged until 
 the 16th in picket duty. Then Company D, with 
 five others, was detailed to go to the mouth of the 
 White River, Ark., for garrison duty, and re- 
 turned on the 3d of June to Memphis and again 
 took up picket duty. Active hostilities for this 
 company recommenced with the battle of Tupelo, 
 which lasted from the 13th to the 16th of July. 
 This was the occasion when the 12th Iowa Regi- 
 ment covered itself with a mantle of glory that 
 can never grow old or dim ; thej' were the heroes 
 
 of the day. Upon the 22d they were b.ack to Mem- 
 phis, and on the 31st of the same month started out 
 for the Oxford expedition. At this time our sub- 
 ject was detailed for provost duty part of the time 
 at Holly Springs, and also took part in the battles 
 of Abbeville and Tallahatchie, Miss. 
 
 The regiment returned to Memphis on the 30th 
 of August, and proceeded to Duval's Bluff on 
 the 8th of September, thence to Brownsville on the 
 11th, then leaving to go on the "Pap" Price ex- 
 pedition, whom they followed for 350 miles. Land- 
 ing at Cape Girardeau on the 5th of October, thej' 
 went to St. Louis, thence to Jefferson City, arriv- 
 ing on the 18th; thence by cars to LaMine Bridge, 
 and there commenced the march to the scene of 
 action. On the way thej' passed through Sedalia, 
 Lexington and Independence, and arrived on the 
 battle-field of the Big Blue on the 24th of the 
 same month, just after the fight was over. From 
 that |)lace they went to Santa Fe, Kan., reaching 
 Ilarrisville, Mo., on the 26th. They left again on 
 the 30th for St. Louis, via Sedalia. 
 
 Upon the 8th of November our subject voted in 
 the capitol building of Missouri in favor of Abra- 
 ham Lincoln. This is memorable to him as being 
 his first Presidential vote. Our subject was just 
 twentj'-four years of age at the time. Leaving St. 
 Louis on the 23d, he proceeded with his regiment 
 to Cairo, which was reached in four days; thence 
 on to Nashville, where they supported Gen. Thomas. 
 In the battle of Nashville, December 15 and 10, 
 our subji^ct and his brave comrades were again 
 under fire, and added fresh laurels to those already 
 won. After this they went on the Hood expedi- 
 tion. Our subject and his regiment belonged to 
 the 16tli Army Corps, which became known by the 
 opprobri(_)us appellation "Smith's Guerrillas." The 
 expedition was continued to the Tennessee River, 
 where they arrived Jan. 2, 1865. On the 10th the^' 
 were at I^astport, Miss., and there remained until 
 the 7th of February. Then they went to Paducah, 
 Cairo, Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans, where 
 they arrived on the 21st. During this time our 
 subject, being detached from his regiment, was 
 transferre<l to the ordnance department of the 
 division as Ordnance Sergeant, in which he re- 
 mained until near the close of the war. 
 
 ' •► 
 
 t 
 
-€*■ 
 
 4- 
 
 GAGK COUNTY. 
 
 751 
 
 From Lake I'ontcliaitiaiii tliej' loft for IMoliile 
 Baj', tlience to S|)aiiisli Fort, participating in the 
 sit'uc of that place, and also at Ft. Blakesley, which 
 foil April 10, 18Go,aiHl was the cause of the evacu- 
 ation of Mobile the next day. From there they 
 marched to Montgomery, Ala., which was reached 
 upon the 25th. Dni-ing said marcii they learned of 
 Lee's surrender, and shortly' after of Johnston's. 
 During the summer and fall of 1.SG5 they did duty 
 at Selnia and Talladega, then turning their faces 
 northward they took up their march to Memphis, 
 Tenn., then to Demf)polis, Meridian and Corinth, 
 where they arrived .Jan. 3, 1 806. Our subject re- 
 turned to his company on the lOtli of July, IStJo, 
 with the rank of Sergeant. Leaving Mem|>his upon 
 the 18th they reached Cairo on the 20th and Dav- 
 enport on the 23d. The regiment w.as mustered out, 
 to date the 20th of Jannar}-, and was paid off on 
 arrival at Davenport, where they who had marched, 
 labored, fought and suffered together so long, 
 answered the words of command for the last time, 
 bade each other their affectionate farewells, and dis- 
 banded. 
 
 Our subject was in the service of his country a 
 period of four years and four months. During this 
 time he marched over 4,000 miles in all weathers, 
 suffering from heat and dust, frost and wet, over 
 roads lough, hard and rocky, and through streams 
 and swamps, or i)lodding wearil_y through deep clay 
 and mud ; no easy task or pleasant journey. The miles 
 covered in the journey' by railroad amounted to 
 5,000, and upon the steamboat 8,000. It is some- 
 what remarkable that in spite of the fact that Mr. 
 Zuver was so long in the service, so often an active 
 combatant, so ficquently engaged in lesser hand- 
 to-hand conflicts, he only sustained one wound, and 
 that of comparatively slight nature, which occurred 
 at the battle of Shiloh. Our subject kept a ver}' 
 careful record of all the happenings and circum- 
 stances of anj' importance from the lirst to the l:ist 
 of his military' experience, and has since written a 
 very complete, accurate and interesting history of 
 Company- D, 12th Iowa Veteran Volunteers, and has 
 received the honor of an appointment as a member 
 of the Regimental Historical Committee. 
 
 After the war our subject rctui-ned to Mason 
 City, Iowa, and eng.iged as clerk in a itiercantile 
 
 house, and in the fall of 18G6 engaged in the hotel 
 Imsiness at Waterloo, Iowa, continuing until the 
 spring of the following 3'ear, then came with his 
 brother, George W., to Nebraska Cit}-, where he 
 arrived on the 1st of July, reaching Urownville 
 the next d.ay. During the summer he engaged in 
 farming, and in the winter as teacher. Upon the 
 17th of July, the following year, 1867, he took a 
 homestead in Hooker Township of^his county, and 
 it was during this time that he became acquainted 
 with Miss Nanc3' Adams, the daughter of John 0. 
 Adams (see sketch of Nelson Adams), the veteran 
 pioneer; to this lady our subject was united on the 
 16th of October, 1873, by nuptial vows. Of this 
 union have been born si.x children: George L., who 
 died when twelve years of .age ; Mary A. and Martha 
 A. (twins); Anna A. and John Arthur, both of 
 whom died in infaiic}', and Byron Price. 
 
 Mrs. Zuver's great-grandfather. John Lawrence, 
 was born in England, and left in infanc}' an orphan 
 and adopted In' one Mr. Adams, of Massachusetts, 
 and from that time took the name of his a('opted 
 parent. He came to America a lad of about nine 
 or ten years of age, and settled in New York State- 
 and upon reaching manhoo<l was married. He made 
 his home in Now Y'ork for some years, then removed 
 to New Jersey, next to Kentucky, and after several 
 years went to Dubois County, Ind., where he died 
 in 1839, .aged ninety-four years. The grandfather, 
 David Adams, was born in New York, vvas married 
 to Ester A. Ross, and died in Iniliana, aged sev- 
 enty years; the father was born in New Jersey on 
 the 17th of Jul}-, 1808, and was married on the 13th 
 of February-, 1840, to Miss Letitia Harris. The 
 Harris family had settled in Virginia in its earlier 
 days, and had taken quite a prominent place among 
 its citizens. Grandfather Harris was born in that 
 State in the j'ear 1788. Grandmother Harris was 
 Polly Corn, a l.ad^- who w.as of Scotch-Welsh 
 extraction. 
 
 Miss Nancy Adams, now the wife of our subject, 
 was born Oct. 16, 1842, in Dubois County, Ind., 
 where she continued to make her home until she 
 was fourteen years of age, removing with her par- 
 ents to Ncbriiska in 1857. Her education was by 
 force of circumstances quite meager so far as 
 schooling was concerned, although she has earnestly 
 
 -1 
 
.► i r^ 
 
 7') 2 
 
 GxVGK COUNTY. 
 
 -t 
 
 endeavored to make up for any loss in that direc- 
 tion. Tlie home in Indiana was in a district where 
 the settlers were nearly all German Catholics and 
 had their own schools, which were, however, not 
 the place for Miss Adams. Upon removal to Ne- 
 braska, the country iieing quite new and settlers 
 few, the only schools available were a few private 
 schools, which were located in the more developed 
 part of the State. The first scliool in tlie Upper 
 Nemaha Valle3' was held in her father's house, who 
 did everything in his power to advance the interests 
 of the young people in this regard. 
 
 Our subject's farm comprises IGO acres of well- 
 improved, rich, arable land, which he horaesteaded, 
 and which is situated in Hooker Township. His 
 Adams Township property comprises 160 acres be- 
 longing to both parties jointly, as fine land as lies 
 out of doors where they now reside. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Zuver are members of the Adams Metliodist Epis- 
 copal Church. Our sul)ject is a prominent member 
 of the Sergt. Cox Post No. 100, G. A, R., Adams, 
 and has been Commander for two year.s, and is now 
 serving his second year as Adjutant. He is also a 
 Mason. For several years he was Justice of the 
 Peace of Hooker Township, and occupies the same 
 position now in that of Adams; also both Township 
 Assessor and Deputy County Assessor. He has 
 served on the Petit Jury and the United States 
 Circuit Jury. For a number of years he was ap- 
 pointed bj' the Governor Register of Voters. His 
 connection with the Mail Department is both long 
 and honorable. He was route .agent for this depart- 
 ment from Omaha to Ogden, Utah, from Jan. 1, 
 1 880, and was transferred at his own request to the 
 route from St. Joseph, Mo., to Grand Island, Neb., 
 in June, 1880, serving on this division until in 1883, 
 and was then Postal Clerk from Columbus, Neb., 
 to Atchison, Kan., until Dec. 10, 1886. It is hardly 
 necessary after the foregoing military and official 
 record to state that in political matters our subject 
 is entirely Republican, and that all his influence and 
 energj' are at its service. 
 
 Our subject has alwa^'S been deeply interested in 
 everytiiing that pertains to the education of the 
 young. For more than twelve years he has served 
 heartily and faithfully in the various school offices, 
 and is still the School Treasurer of his district. An 
 
 intimation has already been made to the effect that 
 our subject has made a reputation as a writer upon 
 the thrilling, painful and patriotic history of the 
 war. To this department of literature he has added 
 that of a writer of travels. The productions of his 
 pen in this department are very interesting, because 
 he is a man of keen perceptions and knows what to 
 observe and how to observe it, and what is perhaps 
 more rare, how to present it. In 1884 he m.ade a 
 trip to California, and supplied the columns of the 
 Beatrice Express with regular letters of deep inter- 
 est concerning the journey. Comment upon such 
 a history as the foregoing is superfluous; it is its 
 own compliment as to the character of the subject 
 and the estimation in which he is held by his fel- 
 lows. 
 
 During the past autumn our subject has attended 
 the National Encampment at Columbus, Ohio, and 
 visited his old home, from which he had been ab- 
 sent thirty-three j'ears. 
 
 ILAS W. WADSWORTH, the oldest rep- 
 resentative of the jewehy business in the 
 cit}' of Beatrice, established himself here in 
 the fall of 1869, and now owns and occu- 
 pies his own store, while in the central part of the 
 city he has a tasteful brick residence, which, with 
 its surroundings, forms a very pleasant and attract- 
 ive home. His career has been distinguished by a 
 close application to business, which has brought its 
 legitimate reward in the shape of a competency. 
 
 Our subject was born in Columbia County, N. 
 Y., the modest home of his parents being in the 
 town of New Lebanon, where he first opened his 
 eyes to the light June 19, 1836. His father, Eben- 
 ezer S. Wadsworth, was a farmer in comfortable 
 circumstances, and with his estimable wife, Jerusha 
 (Vincent) Wadsworth, was also a n.ativeof the Em- 
 pire State. Col. Ebeuezer was born in New Leba- 
 non, Columbia Co., N. Y., on the old Wadsworth 
 homestead, now owned by his children. It was 
 bought by his grandfather 117 years ago (1771), 
 first by John Wadsworth, then by his son, John 
 Wadsworth, and in 1836 Ebeuezer S. came in pos- 
 session o*f it and owned it until he died, June 17, 
 
u 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 753 
 
 1880. lie was appointed Lieutenant in the 73d 
 Infantry, in 1831, and May 5, 1832, Captain. In 
 1 830 he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 
 same regiment. He was a zealous^'Christian ; in 
 1838 he planned and built a church upon one cor- 
 ner of his farm, which still stands and is in good 
 repair. ■ He was for many years the magistrate of 
 the community, and was looked upon as a safe 
 counselor, ever ready to advise with his neighbors 
 and friends, who eagerly sought his counsel. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, John 
 W.adsworth by name, was born April 1, 1762, in 
 New Lebanon, N. Y., and in early manhood mar- 
 ried Miss Rachel Wheeler, whose birth took place 
 June 18, 1766. They became the parents of twelve 
 children, four sons and eight daughters, and Kbene- 
 zer S., the father of our subject, was born Dec. 12, 
 1 802. He spent his entire life in his n.ative State, and 
 departed hence on the 17th of June, 1880. The wife 
 and mother was born April 24, 1808, and passed 
 away a number of years before the decease of her 
 husband, Dec. 11, 1871. 
 
 To the parents of our subject there were born 
 twelve children, nine sons and three daugliters. of 
 whom the following survive: John G., George K., 
 Constant W., Silas W. (our subject), Jane Ann, 
 Dow v., Elbert E., William P. and Joseph G. F. 
 Maria A. died Dec. 4, 18G5; Rachel R., June 6, 
 1869, and Andrew W., June 11, 1861. Silas W.. 
 like his brothers and sisters, passed his life quietly 
 and uneventfully upon the farm, acquiring his edu- 
 cation in the district school. When twenty years 
 old he left home, and going to Fulton, Oswego Co.. 
 N. Y., began an apprenticeship at the jeweler's trade 
 under the instruction of S. S. Morrell, brother of 
 Senator Justin Morrell, of Vermont, serving four 
 j'ears. 
 
 At the expiration of his apprenticeship 3"OUDg 
 Wadsworth estal)lished in business for himself in 
 East Chatham, N. Y., where he manufactured and 
 dealt in jewelry until 1868. Then, desirous of a 
 change of location, he sought the country west of 
 the Mississippi, locating first in Tecumseh. Johnson 
 County, this State. He only remained there, how- 
 ever, until the fall of 1869, when he changed his 
 residence to Beatrice, where lie h.as since lived. Dur- 
 ing the period of nearly twenty years which he 
 
 4« 
 
 has spent among the people of this city he has 
 made for himself a good record as a business man 
 and a citizen, and has watched the growth of 
 Southern Nebraska with the warm interest which is 
 felt bj' every enterprising and public-spirited man. 
 
 Mr. Wadsworth was married in Fulton, Oswego 
 County, N. Y., Feb. 27, 1859, to Miss M. Celia 
 Perry, who was born in that city Jan. 12, 1837, 
 and is the daughter of Jarvis and Sarah Maria 
 Perry, who were natives of New York, ami are 
 now deceased. Of this nnion there are no children, 
 but Mr. and Mrs. W. some j-ears ago adopted a 
 boj', whom they called Frank, and who is now a 
 promising boy nine years old. Mr. Wadsworth 
 built his store in 1874, and his residence in 1886. 
 The former occupies an area of 22.^.56 feet, is two 
 stories in height, the lower part occupied b}' his 
 own business, and the balance by AY. A. Watson, 
 his watchmaker, and b}' W. H. Striker, dentist. 
 
 Mr. Wadsworth is rather conservative in his 
 political ideas, but supports tlie Republican ticket. 
 He identified himself with the M.isonic fraternity 
 about 1860, and is at present a member and Treas- 
 urer of Beatrice Lodge No. 26, and Livingston 
 Chapter No. 10, besides Mt. Vernon Commandery 
 No. 7. 
 
 ENRY REIMUND, of Blakely Township, 
 1 came to this county in 1870, as a proposed 
 settler, although he had visited Nebraska 
 (^) two years previously. For a period of over 
 twenty years his chief interests have centered here. 
 He established himself in the spring of the year 
 mentioned on a tract of 160 acres occupying the 
 southwest quarter of section 36, and to the improve- 
 ment and cultivation of this has since given 
 most of his time and attention. In the meantime 
 he visited California, but even in the Golden State 
 found nothing more desirable than the country of 
 Southern Nebraska. 
 
 Mr. Reimund came to this county from the vicin- 
 it}' of Urbana, III., where he had been engaged .as 
 a merchant tailor, and located first in Beatrice, es- 
 tablishing a tailor shop, and pursuing the trade with 
 which he had become familiar in early manhood. 
 He operated thus until 1884, then changed his lo- 
 
 i 
 
h 
 
 754 
 
 ■i^h-^ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ^i^ 
 
 cation and occupation for the more congenial pur- 
 suits of farm life. Like most men he has met with 
 reverses, and at one time, through the rascality of a 
 partner, suffered the loss of a small fortune. He 
 has, however, been fortunate in recovering from 
 this, iiaving now a good propert}' and a competence 
 for his old age. 
 
 Mr. Roiniund was born near Bedford Springs, 
 Bedford Co., Pa., Sept. 8, 1822, and is the son of 
 Solomon and Elizabeth (Hessiger) Reiraund. The 
 father was born in Virginia, and was a wheelwright 
 by trade, and also an adept at chairmaking. After 
 marriage he settled in Pennsylvania, in which State 
 he spent the remainder of his days, his death t.<iking 
 place in Bedford County, at the advanced age of 
 eiglily-two years. The mother preceded her hus- 
 band to the silent land, passing away at the old 
 homestead in Bedford County, when fifty-five years 
 old. They were the parents of three children only, 
 of whom our subject is the sole survivor. He was 
 the }-onngest, and was but twelve years of age when 
 he was apprenticed to learn the tailor's trade, to 
 which he applied himself diligently for a period of 
 seven and a half years, under the instruction of a 
 paternal uncle, George Reimund. After being re- 
 leased from his apprenticeship, young Reimund 
 operated as a jouniej'man tailor for a time, then es- 
 tablished a shop of his own in his native town, 
 about 1842, continuing there a number of years. 
 In the meantime he was married, March 27, 1851, 
 to Miss IMary A. Radebaugh, who is a native of 
 his own county, and born Jan. 5, 1831. Her par- 
 ents. Peter and Eliza (Waters) Radebaugh, were 
 also natives of the Keystone Slate ; the latter is of 
 Scotch anccstrj-. The father was a gardener by pro- 
 fession; he spent his entire life in his native county 
 of Bedford, dying there after he had reached his 
 threescore and ten years. The mother, in 1887, 
 joined her children in this county, and now makes 
 her home with them ; she is about seventy-seven 
 years old. 
 
 Mrs. Reimund was reared to womanhood in her 
 native county, receiving, like her husband, an or- 
 dinary education in the common school. She was 
 trained by a careful mother in all needful house- 
 hold duties, and thus became amply fitted for her 
 position as the wife of a good m.an and the mother 
 
 of a family. Of her union with our subject there 
 have been born four children, one of whom, a 
 daughter, Eliza, died in infancy. Those surviving 
 are: Ambrose B., who married Miss Mary Ave}-, of 
 this county, and is carrying on his own farm in 
 Lincoln Township; William O., who is unmarried, 
 and operates the home farm with his father; Al- 
 phonso W.,a tailor by trade, and carrying on busi- 
 ness successfully' for himself in Beatrice; he married 
 Miss Josephine Dobbs, who was born and reared in 
 this count}'. Henry Reimund changed his location 
 from McConnellstown, Pa., to Princeton, 111., and 
 from the Prairie State migrated north to Min- 
 nesota. In the latter State he opened up a new 
 farm, which he carried on seven years. Then re- 
 turning to Illinois, he settled on a farm in the vicin- 
 ity of Urbana, Champaign County. He finally 
 abandoned farming for business in that city, and 
 from there, in 1870, came to this county. Our sub- 
 ject and his excellent lady are members in good 
 standing of the Methodist Elpiscopal Church, of 
 Beatiice. Mr. Reimund for many years was a firm 
 supporter of the Republican party, but his warm 
 interest in the temperance movement led him in 
 1884 to cast his influence with the Prohibitionists. 
 A view of his pleasant homestead will be found on 
 another page in this Album. 
 
 ■*- 
 
 ^/ YMAN DART, one of the older residents of 
 I (^ Holt Township, is a fine illustration of the 
 /l^^ self-made man. who has worked his w.ay 
 from the difficulties surrounding his early life, the 
 disadvantages of ill-health and other adverse cir- 
 cumstances, to a good position socially and finan- 
 cially. His farm lies on section 10, and with its 
 fertile soil and comfortable buildings forms one of 
 the landmarks in the history of the county. 
 
 James Dart, the father of our subject, was born 
 in Addison County, Vt., while the mother, Sarah 
 by name, was a native of Essex County, N. Y. The 
 elder Dart was a carpenter and ship builder, and 
 took up his residence in the Empire State at an 
 early day. living in Essex County until 1831. Later 
 he removed to Wayne County, where his death 
 took place after a two-months residence there, 
 
 I 
 
 ^^T^ 
 
^ 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 leaving his wife and cliiUiren in limited circum- 
 stances. 
 
 Lyman Dart was born July 17, 1818, in Essex 
 County, N. Y., and spent his boyhood mostly on 
 the banks of Lake Cham plain. He began to work 
 out when a lad of twelve or thirteen years, acquir- 
 ing his education during the short term of the 
 winter school. Upon reaching manhood he was 
 married, in 1841. to Miss .lane P. Monroe, of Brown 
 County, N. Y. They settled upon a farm, where 
 Mr. L. operated as a renter until 1845. He then 
 changed his residence to Hillsdale County, Mich., 
 where he also rented land, and in connection with 
 this carried on threshing. He became the father 
 of two daughters : Harriet and Helen L., and met 
 his first great affliction in the death of his wife, 
 which occurred in December, 1845. 
 
 Mr. L^'man removed to Illinois in 1860, and 
 lived for a time in Will and Iroquois Counties. 
 He had been married the second time, in Hillsdale 
 County, Mich., to Miss Clarissa Monroe, a sister 
 of his first wife, and who was also a native of Brown 
 County, N. Y. In 1867 they returned to Michi- 
 gan, and thence in Ma_v, 1870, came to Nebraska. 
 Mr. Dart made his headquarters at Dry Creek, and 
 spent some time looking over the country. He 
 finall3- leased a tract of school land, his present 
 farm, the location of which pleased him, and in 
 1873 It became his property. 
 
 To our subject and his present wife there have 
 been born four children, namely: Philraelia, Mar- 
 tha, Emma and Frank AV. Mr. Dart was the first 
 Moderator in his school district, in the organiza- 
 tion of which he assisted, and has been active in 
 those enterprises calculated for the general good. 
 He was Township Assessor seven years, and in pol- 
 itics votes with the Democratic party. 
 
 JOHN A. McMURRAY resides on section 15, 
 Libert}' Township, where he has a very fine 
 farm of 320 acres devoted to the purposes of 
 farming and stock-raising. But few years 
 have passed since this section of the countrj' was 
 claimed for the habitation of white men, its natural 
 resources being recognized by the Government. 
 
 There is an abundant water supply furnished by 
 the numerous streams and creeks which traverse it, 
 and the soil is of such a char.-icter that it will bear 
 cultivation without lessening materially the qualities 
 necessary to produce abundant harvests. The gre.".t- 
 est need of this section seems to be occasioned by 
 the scarcity of trees, they being rarely found ex- 
 cept along the banks of the creeks, and in the 
 groves planted by a few enterprising farmers who 
 recognized the need of them. No more fruitful 
 country could be imagined, and no more perfect 
 could be desired, unless by some one who is habit- 
 ually discontented with all the gifts of the Creator. 
 
 To this county our subject came in March, 1883, 
 when the labors of the earliest settlers had made a 
 marked improvement, and he lived for one summer 
 in Liberty, after which he settled on his present 
 farm in November. He w.as born on the 1 4th of 
 February, 1841, in Washington County, N. Y.,and 
 is a son of William McMurray,a native of the same 
 county and iState. He was early acquainted with 
 the duties of farm life, and the instruction which he 
 received from his father having been well received 
 and remembered, has enabled him to bring his farm 
 to its present fine condition. It has occasionally 
 been said that a man without education can success- 
 full}- follow the pursuit of agriculture, but if that 
 sayiug has been proved true in a few instances, it is 
 not true .as a rule, for on the farm as well as in any 
 of the learned professions knowledge is power. A 
 scientific farmer is able to analyze the soil which he 
 means to cultivate, and he is able to tell sufficient 
 of its character to know which seeds will receive 
 most nourishment from it, and what kinds of crops 
 to plant. He knows the best season for sowing and 
 reaping the various grains, and if he has fruit trees, 
 he understands the pruning of them as well as the 
 mulching of his vines and shrubbery. 
 
 In order then to become a successful farmer, our 
 subject received first the instruction from the com- 
 mon schools, and then attended the Argyle Acidemy 
 in his native county, receiving thereby a good prep- 
 aration for business life. In March, 1868, he left 
 his count}' and moved to Jasper County, Iowa, 
 where he lived until he came to his present farm. 
 He was married, on the I'ith of February, 1862, to 
 Mary J. McFaddeu, a daughter of Isaiah McFad 
 
 i~ 
 
 ■► ^B < • 
 
u. 
 
 ■H^i-M* 
 
 750 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 flen (flpoeaspfl). and llipy have loarprl a family of 
 six cliildren. AVilliani .1. lieiiig called from tliem in 
 his sixtceiilii j-ear. just as he was bordering on early 
 manhood. The surviving members of the family 
 are : Margaret T., Lawrence N., Frankie M., George 
 and Arthur. IMargaret married Eugene Abbott, of 
 Humboldt. Kan., and has one ehilil named Mai; 
 Frankie IVf. married .1. R. Spicer. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. McMurray are leading members of 
 the United Presbyterian Church, the former hav- 
 ing acted in the capacity of Deacon in that chnrch 
 for sevei'al years. As a successful farmer, and as a 
 Christian man and enterprising citizen, he is worthy 
 the esteem which is accorded him by his friends and 
 neighbors. 
 
 
 ■fl ONATHAN SHARP is the owner of a very 
 fine farm, some 200 acres in extent, situated 
 on sections 1 and 2, Liberty Township, and 
 containing some of the best agricultural land 
 in the county. It is devoted to the raising of all 
 kinds of cereals, and also stock. He was born in 
 Claiborne County, Tenn., June 13, 1826, and is the 
 son of George and Agnes (Kirk) .Sharp, who were 
 natives of Vermont and Virginia respectivel}'. His 
 father served throughout the War of 1812 in com- 
 pany with a brother. He is now deceased. 
 
 Our subject was reared and educated in his native 
 county. He went to Christian County, III., in the 
 fall of 1864, and in the spring of the following year 
 came to this county and bought his present farm, 
 and has since continued to reside upon it. At the 
 time of settlement our subject was almost alone, as 
 there were but two other families in the county. 
 The nearest place of supply and post-oflice was Paw- 
 nee, a distance of twenty miles. Our subject paid the 
 expense of establishing a post-ofiice at Liberty in 
 the fall of 1866, and Pleasant Johnson was appointed 
 to take charge of the same. Indians were numer- 
 ous and not always honest; at one time our subject 
 almost precipitateil trouble among them in his anx- 
 iety to recapture a horse the}' had stolen. 
 
 The conveniences of residence under such cir- 
 cumstances as the above can be appreciated when it 
 is remembered that in later d.ays, when the country 
 was better settled, our subject when he desired to 
 
 go to mill went either to Mar3"sville, Kan., or Table 
 Rock, Neb., a distance of twenty -two miles in the one 
 case .and twentj'-seven in the other. He became 
 the owner of a small grocery store at Beatrice, ca- 
 pable of containing, perhaps, one wagon-load of 
 slock, sufficient, however, for the new cabins of 
 that place. 
 
 Our subject was married, on the 8lh of Januarj', 
 1846, to Margaret E. Lynch, a daughter of Aaron 
 Lynch (deceased), and there have been given to 
 them twelve children, of whom eleven live, whose 
 names are given as follows: Martha, .Susan, Sarah, 
 CorJelia, Ella, Lizzie. William, Nicholas. Lewis, 
 Nathaniel and George. For about two 5'ears our 
 subject held the office of Assessor, and filled the 
 chair of Justice of the Peace for eleven years. He 
 is a very earnest member of the Baptist Chnrch. 
 Usually Mr. .Sharp votes the Republican ticket, and 
 is active in behalf of th.at party, but at the same 
 time is very careful, especially in local matters, to 
 .aid in the election only of good men. being swayed 
 in his decision by what appears to be the people's 
 interest. 
 
 Lewis B. Sharp, son of the above, was born in 
 Claiborne County. Tenn. .on the 20th of Novem- 
 ber, 185.5, and came to this place with his father in 
 the j-ear 1865. and has resided here ever since. He 
 is at present engaged as aclerk in the mercantile bus- 
 iness in Libert}', where he has been for about seven 
 years. Previous to that time he had been engaged 
 in farming. He is the owner of 240 acres of valu- 
 able land, and possesses character and personal 
 qualities that would warrant the assumption that 
 tlie future has greater things in store for this enter- 
 prising and able young man. 
 
 -~w-tl^^£»®J@~^^^.^^^«KJ^r^^»-. 
 
 ON. NATHAN K. GRIGG.S, senior mem- 
 ber of the law firm of Griggs & Rinaker,. 
 stands among the prominent men of this 
 Ml county, who have made their mark not only 
 in the profession, but as business men !»nd citizens, 
 without whose enterprise and public spirit the city 
 of Beatrice would by no means have attained its 
 present importance. Mr. Griggs is in the prime of 
 life, a native of Indiana, and was born in Frank- 
 
if^ 
 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 fort, the county seat of Clinton County, Oct. 25, 
 ] 844. The second in a family of four ciiildren, he 
 is the son of Lueien D. and Mary T. (Kirk) Griggs, 
 the former a native of Connecticut and the latter 
 of Ohio. The parents were married in Clinton 
 County, Ind.. and were among the pioneers of that 
 State. The father was one of the most prominent 
 attorneys of Indiana, and continued in his profes- 
 sion until his death at Frankfort, in 1848. The 
 mother is still a widow, lives in Beatrice, and is 
 still seeraingl}' quite a j-oung woman. 
 
 The boyhood of our subject was passed at the 
 old homestead in Indiana, and at an early age he 
 evinced a disposition for stud}% and more than 
 ordinarj' mental cai)acities. After emerging from 
 the district school, where he had made so good a 
 use of his time and opportunities, that he was able 
 to take charge of several advanceil schools, he en- 
 tered the law department of the University of In- 
 diana, from which he was graduated in the spring 
 of 18G7. Immediately' after leaving the university, 
 in the early spring of 1867, he came to Pawnee 
 County, this State, and in the month of June fol- 
 lowing selected the cit}' of Beatrice as his future 
 scene of operations. Opening a law office he com- 
 menced the practice of his profession, combining 
 with it the duties again of a pedagogue and also a 
 collector. In due time he established himself in the 
 banking business, associating himself with a part- 
 ner, Mr. AVebb, the latter atttending mostly to the 
 duties of the bank, while Mr. Griggs pursued his 
 law practice. 
 
 These gentlemen continued together until 1874, 
 when our subject withdrew from tlie bank. In 
 1871 he formed a law partnership with Capt. W. 
 II. Ashby, the late candidate of the Democratic 
 party of Gage County for Senator, which partner- 
 ship continued until 1875. Mr. Griggs then con- 
 tinued his law business alone until 1876, when he 
 ..was appointed by Gen. Grant Consul to Germany. 
 The duties of this office occupied his time until tlie 
 fall of 1882, at which time he recrossed the Atlantic 
 homeward, and returning to Beatrice formed a 
 partnership with H. J. Dobbs, and continued the 
 practice of law with him until 1884, when the latter 
 was appointed Register of the United States Land 
 Oflice. In August, 1885, he associated himself 
 
 with his present partner, Samuel Rinaker, son of 
 the well-known Gen. Rinaker. of Macoupin County, 
 111., and the firm has alreadj- a good proportion of 
 the choice legal business of the county. The firm 
 is a strong one, both members being men of more 
 than ordinar3' legal talent. 
 
 The marriage of Hon. ^'athan K. Griggs and 
 Miss F^psie E. Saunders, of Delhi, Iowa, was cele- 
 brated at the bride's home, Dec. 21, 1869. Mrs. 
 Griggs was born in Rochester, N. Y.. and is the 
 daughter of Charles and Eliza Saunders, who were 
 natives of England, and later became residents of 
 Ohio. Both are now dead. Of this union there 
 have been born three children, two daughters and 
 a son — Nelly K.. Era E. and Dora M. The family 
 residence is located on the corner of Fifth and Elk 
 streets, in the business part of the city, and with its 
 surroundings forms a home in every waj' suitable 
 to the means and standing of the proprietor. 
 
 In 1871 Mr. Griggs was elected a member of the 
 Constitutional Convention from the Twelfth Sen.a- 
 torial District. Two years later he was elected 
 State Senator from the same district, and at the 
 expiration of this term of office was re-elected, his 
 district extending from the eastern lii.e of Gage 
 County to the western line of the .State. During 
 the last session of the Senate he was unanimously 
 elected its President. While holding this position 
 he was unanimously chosen by the Legislature as a 
 member of the Board of the Deaf and Dumb In- 
 stitution at Omaha, and then received the unani- 
 mous vote for President of the institution, only 
 withdrawing upon his appointment as Consul to 
 Germany. He has been five times elected Presi- 
 dent of State Republican Conventions, and thus his 
 party politics are sufficiently indicated. In 1883 
 he was a candidate for the nomination of Judge of 
 the Supreme Court, but was defeated by Judge 
 Reese. 
 
 Mr. Griggs has for many jears been warmly in- 
 terested in the principles of Masonr3-, and for a 
 period of five 3'ears was Master of the lodge at 
 Beatrice, being its first presiding officer, and deliv- 
 ered two addresses before the Grand Lodge of Ne- 
 braska, which were highly commended bj' the 
 brethren. A man of extraordinarily- fine tastes and 
 a great lover of music, he has evinced more than 
 
 •►HH^ 
 
 -.^^Jh-^. 
 
•► if^ 
 
 t 
 
 r58 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 ordinary devotion to this art. As a composer he 
 has published a large number of songs in sheet 
 music, both in New York and Chicago, and has at 
 the present time quite an extended composition in 
 the hands of the publishers, which his friends an- 
 ticipate will be a little be3-ond the ordinary. 
 
 Our subject was one of the original appraisers 
 of the school lands of this county, in connection 
 with William Blakely and Luther P. Chandler, the 
 latter then Sheriff of Gage County, but now a resi- 
 dent of Roseburg, Ore. Mr. Chandler, during the 
 late war, participated in the conflict as a soldier of 
 the Union army, was captured by the rebels, and 
 at different times confined in every Southern prison, 
 from each of which he made his escai)e in spite of 
 bloodhounds and the vigilance of his captors. At 
 one time he spent weeks hiding in the marshes at 
 Charleston, S. C, and finally escaped by swimming 
 to a United States gunboat. During the associa- 
 tion of oar subject with Mr. Chandler there sprang 
 up between them a warm friendship, which has 
 continued to this day. 
 
 IDILLO H. DOBBS. Among the families 
 identified with the pioneer history of Ne- 
 braska, and of those who have been constant, 
 earnest and active throughoutthe period of its devel- 
 opment, so far as their district was concerned, is 
 that of the gentleman whose biography is here 
 sketched. His home is situated upon section 14 of 
 Rockford Township, and forms a beautiful, well- 
 cultivated, and ver3' fertile farm. 
 
 Our subject is the son of Joel and Sally Dobbs. 
 They were both born in Buncombe County, N. C. 
 The family ancestry is clearly and directly traced 
 back to pre-Revolutionary times, to Scotch emigrants 
 who settled in North Carolina generations ago, and 
 from the first became identified with the country, 
 its interests and institutions. Chensey Dobbs, the 
 paternal grandfather of our subject, served seven 
 years in the Revolutionary War, and when this was 
 over settled in East Tennessee, where he became the 
 father of a familj' of nineteen chiUlren, fourteen of 
 
 whom arrived at years of maturity. Of these w.as 
 Joel, the father of our subject, who w.as the eight- 
 eenth child born to his parents. lie and three of his 
 brothers were in tiie War of 1812, they serving as 
 regimental blacksmiths under the command of Gen. 
 Jackson, and had their full siiare of the hard knocks, 
 hard fare and other hardships incidental to the biv- 
 ouac, march and conflict. 
 
 The father of our subject after the war returned 
 to Claiborne County, Tenn.. where he was married 
 in 181.5, and vvhence he removed to Casey County, 
 K}'., where his wife died in 1828, aged forty years. 
 She was the mother of nine children, whose names 
 are as subjoined : Hugh, Russell L., Barthenia, An- 
 derson, Orleany, Fidillo H.. AVilliam C, Archibald 
 and Sally. A second marriage was contracted, the 
 name of the lady being Elizabeth Langvill, and of 
 this union seven children were born, five of whom 
 they were permitted to bring up. From 1829 un- 
 til April of 1837 the family resided in Indiana, 
 from that ou in the State of Missouri. Mr. Dobbs, 
 Sr., always worked in the blaeksmitli-shop, and was 
 very successful, leaving at his death in the j'ear 
 1842 an estate of about $20,000. 
 
 The date of the birth of our subject is given as 
 the 4th of March, 1823, and his native place Casej- 
 County, Ky. At the age of six years he accom- 
 panied his parents to Indiana. He had even at 
 that early age begun to la}' the foundation of an 
 education, having attended one of the Kentucky 
 schools. Educational advantages in Indiana were 
 limited to subscription schools, and were confined 
 to three months' teaching per annum. When 
 young Dobbs reached the age of fourteen years the 
 family removed to Missouri, a trip most thoroughly 
 enjoyed by our subject, who was then at an age 
 fully to appreciate such an expedition. He carried 
 his rifle the entire distance, for the most part walk- 
 ing near the wagon, unless called aside by some ob- 
 ject of sport that brought into play his skill as a 
 marksman. 
 
 The introduction to Missouri was to our subject 
 also an introduction to the sterner realities of life. 
 Under the tuition of his father he learned the black- 
 smith trade and also farming. "All work and no 
 play makes Jack a dull boy" was then and still is 
 true, and in order to escape the dread fiat of the 
 
;- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY, 
 
 7:) 9 
 
 4* 
 
 proverb, the few hours that he couhl crII his own 
 from time to time were employed in iiiinting, and 
 many a (Jeer lias fallen before his rifle muzzle. 
 For about five or six years he devoted from per- 
 haps three to six mouths in school teaching, at 
 which he was very successful. He ofifered himself 
 for service in the Mexican War, but was not ac- 
 cepted because the ranks were already filled. 
 
 Mr. Dobbs was united in marriage, Aug. 1, 1847, 
 witli Miss Mar3' Jane Siiullenbarger, a daughter of 
 Jacob and Susan (Simeon) Shullenbargar, who were 
 of German descent, but the father a native of North 
 Carolina, and the mother (>f Butler County, Ohio. 
 They were married in Indiana, from which .State 
 they removed first to Iowa, and finally' to Missouri. 
 Their family included twelve children, whose names 
 are recorded as follows: Mary Jane, John F., Henry 
 S., Catherine, William M.. Sophia, Lucy, Daniel M., 
 Ellen, Joseph L., Louis, and one who died in infancy 
 unnamed. The wife of our subject was born on 
 the 20tb of August, 1831, in Randolph County, 
 Ind. While quite small she accompanied her par- 
 ents to Dubuque, Iowa. When she was thirteen 
 j-ears of age the family started for Arkansas, but 
 stopped at Springfield, Mo., and there formed the 
 acquaintance of our subject in 184o. The follow- 
 ing year the daughter Mary became a pupil in the 
 school of our subject, and in 1847 the3' were mar- 
 ried. 
 
 After their marriage the young couple settled in 
 Southern Missouri, but after five years removed to 
 the northwestern part of the State. The occupation 
 of our subject was that of farming, but owing to a 
 severe sickness, which lasted four j-ears, he could 
 not make much progress. In 1856 he went to Kan- 
 sas, but on account of hostilities there he soon re- 
 turned to Missouri, remaining two years. On the 
 0th of August, 1858, he came into Nebraska Terri- 
 torj', and located a claim on Mud Creek in this 
 county. In March of the following year he took 
 up his residence therewith his family, bringing with 
 hira his possessi(Mis, which, in his own expressive 
 phrase, were "mighty little." Upon the 12th of 
 May, 1859, Mr. Dobbs removed to his present farm. 
 The onlj' time he has left this home was upon the 
 occasion of the Indian massacre of August, 1864; 
 , but he soon returned, nnd has since continued his 
 
 uninterrupted residence here. He homesteaded 
 his claim upon the 5th of August, 18C3, and it was 
 among the very first granted. 
 
 Mr. Dobbs is justlj- proud of his connection with 
 the pioneer history of Nebraska, and has anxiously 
 but gladly watched the State and county develop 
 their resources in response to the labor of the in- 
 coming settlers. While the State has been devel- 
 oping, the family' of our subject also grew until his 
 children numbered eleven, who were named AVill- 
 iam J., Hugh J., Susan C. (who died at the age of 
 thirteen months), Russell L., Sarah J., Louisa F., 
 Joel B., Josephine, John A.. Thomas F. and Lucy A. 
 
 Our subject was one of the men who voted for 
 the adoption of the State Constitution in 1860, and 
 also in 1866. He has served as County Commis- 
 sioner and in a number of other offices, educational 
 and political, and has conscientiousl}' labored for 
 the best interests of his fellow-citizens. It is his 
 belief that every citizen should fully inform himself 
 regarding the political issues and reform measures 
 of the age, then with that knowledge to exercise his 
 right of ballot. He is a Republican, and in 1 844 
 voted for Henry Claj-, in 1848 for TajMor; from 
 that time until 1 864 he voted the Democratic ticket, 
 but since then has in every instant handed in a 
 straight Republican ballot. Mr. Dobbs still owns 
 the old homestead of 160 acres, and looks upon it 
 with both pride and aflfection. He regards it as a 
 gift from his country, and saj-s " I always thought 
 more of a present than an3-thing else I owned." 
 His log cabin, built in 1865, still stands, and this 
 too has a place in his affections, being held in that 
 peculiar respect accorded the relics that are part of 
 the life of former days. The benevolence of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Dobbs is proverbial, and those needing rest 
 and refreshments have seldom been turned empty- 
 handed from their door. They are widely and 
 favorably known for the beaut}' of their lives, the 
 consistency' of their actions, au<l their liberal hospi- 
 tality. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Dobbs have for a long period been 
 members of the Baptist Church, at Beatrice, and for 
 twenty years our subject has served as Deacon. He 
 has also been prominently identified with Sunday- 
 school work, having organized the first Baptist 
 Sunday-school in the county, of which he was Super- 
 
 :^^h-^ 
 
-4^ 
 
 760 
 
 GAGE COUKTY. 
 
 intendent for ten years, and with his wife is still 
 luimliered among the most ellicient and devoted 
 Christians and workers in the community. 
 
 In the view of the homestead of Mr. Dobbs, and 
 wliioli will he found on another page, is perhaps 
 illustrated better than any words whicli we can 
 employ the skill and industry of the proprietor as 
 an agriculturist, and his good judgment in the in- 
 vestment of the capital he acquired by his perse- 
 vering toil. 
 
 ^ ^-*-^ 
 
 \i p-,i/ RANCIS M. BARNES, whose home and farm 
 it^g) are situated on section 36, Barneston Town- 
 JL, ship, is one who has been upon the frontier 
 for many years, and has watched witli satisfaction 
 and pride the phenomenal development and growth 
 of the State. He was born in the city of Baltimore. 
 Md., u|)on the 1st of May, 1832, and is the son 
 of William and Linda Barnes, natives of Carroll 
 (Jounty, of the same State. His father, now de- 
 ceased, was bj' trade a millwright, and was consid- 
 ered a thoroughly competent and skilled workman. 
 He removed to St. Louis, Mo., in 1842, and there 
 followed his calling until his death, which occurred 
 in the year 1855. 
 
 Our subject attended the St. Louis city schools, 
 and there laid the foundation upon which he has 
 since been building his life interests. He devel- 
 oped an aptitude for study, and made fairly rapid 
 progress. Upon leaving school he worked for three 
 years at ship carpentering, and in 1854 went to 
 Kansas City, where he engaged in transfer busi- 
 ness. Four years later he came to this State, and 
 settled in Richard.son County. There he followed 
 freighting and general farming until about 1870, 
 when he came to this county and settled upon his 
 present property. 
 
 The land purchased by our subject belonged to 
 the Otoe (Missouri) Confederate band of Indians, 
 who occupied the land here for twenty-6ve miles 
 east and west, and ten north and south. They 
 sold a portion in 1876-77. The reservation then 
 extended two miles into Kansas, being ten miles 
 north and south, and six and three-quarters east 
 and west. For eleven years he lived hei'C among 
 
 the Indians, engaged in farming and mercantile 
 transactions at the Otoe Agency, where Barneston 
 now stands, and for over ten 3'ears enjoyed quite a 
 large and lucrative trade, mostly from the Indians, 
 all the time carr3'ing on his farming, and at differ- 
 ent times giving attention to stock-raising. He 
 owns 240 acres on Mission Creek, mostly excellent 
 bottom land, well adapted to his purpose. 
 
 Upon the 16th of November, 1856, our subject 
 was united in marriage with Miss Jane Dripps, 
 daughter of Andrew and Mary Dripps. The former 
 is deceased. She was born at Bellevue, in this State, 
 upon the 15th of November, 1829. Their family 
 circle included seven children, five of whom are 
 living. The names given them are as follows: 
 William, Chailes G., Emmett F., Frederick H. and 
 Katie. Emmett was united in marriage to Nannie 
 Kirkendall, of Barneston, and resides in Barneston; 
 they are the parents of one child, to whom has been 
 given the name Harold ; Katie is happily married 
 to Charles AVarren, of Barneston. 
 
 During the late vvar our subject expressed the 
 patriotism and love of the old flag and the Union 
 that burned within him by helping to raise two com- 
 panies of well-drilled men for the United States 
 service. Among the various fraternities our sub- 
 ject is quite well known, being a member of the A. 
 O. U. W., the I. O. O. F., and also the Masonic 
 fraternity. In each he is received as a true and 
 worthy brother, and is held in respect and high re- 
 gard. The political sentiments of our subject are 
 in harmony with those of the Democratic party, of 
 which for many 3'ears he has been a member. 
 
 -i-i^^^^^^-i^ 
 
 J' ACOB LEWIS is successfullj' engaged in the 
 pursuit of agriculture and stock-raising on 
 his farm on section 23, Blue Springs Town- 
 ship. He was born in Pickaway County, 
 Ohio, on the 15th of August, 1847, and is a son of 
 Daniel and Catharine Lewis, the former of whom 
 was a native of Maryland and the latter of Ohio. 
 The father was taken by his parents to Ohio, 
 where he grew to manhood and married the mother 
 of our subject, and engaged in farming. Our sub- 
 ject spent his early life on his father's farm, and in 
 
 t 
 
-^•■ 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 761 f 
 
 the yeai's devoted to the acquisition of an educa- 
 tion he attended the eonimun schools and diligently 
 applied himself that he might be prepared for a suc- 
 cessful future. When the time came for him to 
 devote himself entirely to labor his han<ls performed 
 the routine tasks of the farm life, while his mind 
 developed and strengthened and absorbed the teach- 
 ings in common wiih those of all loj'al citizens, 
 and thus the time passed until the breaking out of 
 the Civil War. 
 
 Filled with the fire and enthusiasm of healthy 
 young manhood, and sympathizing with his country 
 in the time of her great need, our subject wished to 
 give evi<lence of his loyalty and courage, and went 
 to enlist in the service. But what a disappointment 
 to him to find his willing offer rejected because he was 
 under age and had not yet attiiined the full meas- 
 ure of manhood's stature. He recovered from the 
 disappointment as best he could, and continued his 
 vocation, in which he was successful. In February, 
 1885, he came to this county, making his home in 
 Blue Springs Township, where he now owns eighty 
 acres of good farming land, on which he has made 
 many improvements, and is giving his attention to 
 farming and stock-raising. He is well and com- 
 fortably situated, his house and farm buildings in 
 good order and supplied with many of the modern 
 conveniences which so facilitate the labor of the 
 farm, and his surroundings of a pleasing and at- 
 tractive nature. 
 
 On the 2'Jth of January, 1873, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Fetty, who 
 is a daughter of Nimrod and Harriet Fetty, and 
 was born in Fayette County, Ohio, on the 18th of 
 April, 1855. Her parents were natives of Ohio and 
 Maryland, and she grew to womanhood under the 
 shelter of their roof, perfecting herself in womanly 
 accomplishments and virtues that she might fill a 
 useful station in life. She is the mother of fi-ve 
 children, named Pliny K., Clinton, Roy B., Glenn 
 and Laura, the oldest of whom are already begin- 
 ning to lift some of the smaller burdens from the 
 shoulders of their kind and considerate parents. 
 Our subject is well known and respected as a mem- 
 ber of the Masonic fraternity, his life and conduct 
 being in accordance with the principles advocated 
 by that honorable order, and he and his wife are 
 
 consistent members of the Methodist Elpiscopal 
 Church, of Blue Springs. He is a member of the 
 Republican party in politics, but is not aggressive 
 and does not seek office from the hand of party or 
 power, preferring to lead a more retired life in the 
 shelter and seclusion of his own home rather than . 
 endure the trials and animosities consequent upon 
 a political life. 
 
 VM. OSTENDORF, one of the most popu- 
 lar men of Gage County, operates the Doug- 
 las Ranch of 640 acres, owned by Smith 
 Bros., of Beatrice. He is a self-made man in the 
 strictest sense of the term. Through the disadvan- 
 tages surrounding his early life, he struggled man- 
 fully upward, and occupies a good position among 
 Ids fellow-citizens. Although of limited education, 
 he has kept his eyes open to what was going on 
 around him in the world, and is thoroughly well 
 informed, especially in regard to the interests with 
 which he is at present connected. 
 
 The Ostendorfs are noted for their physical 
 strength and symmetry, being large and handsome, 
 and invariably attracting attention wherever found. 
 Our subject was born in Germany, Sept. 8,1854, 
 and was the second in a family of four children. 
 His father came with his famil}' to America in 1858, 
 and followed farming as before in his native coun- 
 try. He settled in Nebraska in 1887, and is now, 
 with his estimable wife, a resident of Holt County, 
 this State. They are aged sixty and fifty-seven 
 years, respectively. 
 
 Mr. Ostendorf entered upon the serious business 
 of life at the early age of fifteen years. Upon reach- 
 ing manhood he was married, .June 17, 1876, to 
 Miss Belle Parker, who was born in Brown County, 
 111., Oct. 24, 1858, and is the fifth in a family of 
 nine children. Mr. and Mrs. O. lived in Illinois 
 about six years, then moved to Washington County, 
 Kan., where they lived one winter. In the spring 
 of 1882 the}- bec^aine residents of this county. 
 They lived in Logan Townshii) several years, and 
 until Mr. Ostendorf was proffered his present posi- 
 tion. 
 
 To our subject and wife there were born seven 
 
7(J2 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 children, viz. : Isaac, Oliver. Johnnie, M.aggie, AVill- 
 iani. Fred and P^ddie. Mr. O., politically, is for the 
 most part an advocate of Democratic doctrines, al- 
 though he votes independently. He has alvva3's 
 been a reader, and at one period in his life obtained 
 quite a local reputation as a debater. He possesses 
 considerable skill as a machinist, and in former 
 years operated a threshing-machine fourteen sum- 
 mers. Douglas Ranch gives employment to five 
 men, two two-horse teams and three three- horse 
 teams. It requires no small amount of tact and 
 ability to carry it on successfully, but Superintendent 
 Osteudorf has |)roved himself equal to the emer- 
 gency. 
 
 '^! R. DODDS, editor and publisher of the Wy- 
 more Democrat, is proprietor of the oldest 
 paper in this part of Gage County. It is 
 Democratic in politics, and is conducted in 
 that business-like manner which has made it popu- 
 lar and placed its editor among the front ranks of 
 journalists in Southern Neliraska. 
 
 The branch of the Dodds family to which our 
 subject belongs emigrated from Scotland to the 
 North of Ireland, and from there to the United 
 States, locating in the Abheville District, near 
 Charleston, S. C, where James Dodds married Miss 
 Marietta Craig. The male members of the family 
 took an active part in the Revolutionar}' War under 
 the direct command of Gen. Washington, and Mrs. 
 Dodds, remaining on the plantation, had a full view 
 of Cornwallis and his army. 
 
 In 1705 the plantation was sold, and the Dodds 
 family started for Caldwell County, K3'., where 
 Mrs. Margaret Dodds arrived some time later, her 
 journey having been sadly interrupted by the death 
 of her husband and onl}" daughter, who died before 
 p.assing the State line in South Carolina. The 
 mother was accompanied by her five sons, and after 
 a comparatively brief sojourn in Kentucky changed 
 her location to Sangamon County, III., where two 
 of her sons, Joseph and Rev. Gilbert Dodds, were 
 already located. She died in Illinois, Jan. 17, 
 1 846, aged njnety-seven. 
 
 Joseph Dodds, the paternal grandfather of our 
 
 subject, was born May 28, 1785, in Abbeville Dis- 
 trict, S. C, and was mari'ied to Mattie Drenuan, 
 May 3, 1810. They had eleven children, three 
 born in Kentucky and the others in Illinois. 
 Among these children was William Drenuan Dodds, 
 the father of our subject, and the eldest of the 
 family'. He was born Sept. 18, 1811. in Cald- 
 well County, Ky., and married Miss Mary Eads. in 
 Sangamon County, III, Sept. 18, 18.34. In the fall 
 of that year he, in company with his father-in-law, 
 AVilliam D. Eads, crossed the Mississip|)i at Old 
 Flint Hills, where the city of Burlington, Iowa, 
 now stands. He was the leading pioneer of that 
 region, blazing his track along the banks of Flint 
 River, and his eldest son, William E., is the oldest 
 native citizen of the State of Iowa. Here si.xteen 
 children were born to William and Mar\' Dodds, 
 nine sons and seven daughters. 
 
 Josei)h R. Dodds, the fourth child of his parents, 
 was born Jan. 1, 1841, and was married to Sarah 
 E. Mains, Feb. 7, 18G1. They became the parents 
 of five children, the eldest of whom, a son, died 
 when thirteen months old. Mary L., the eldest 
 daughter, was born Sept. 18, 18G5, and married 
 Charles T. Taylor, of Corning, Mo. ; the}' have two 
 children, Guy D. and Beach B.. and are now resi- 
 dents of Wymore, this county. Carrie R. was mar- 
 ried at Wymore to J. N. Howland, and they are 
 residents of Plattsmouth, being the parents of two 
 children — Harry L. and Jessie C. Lulu A. was 
 married to Arthur W. Fischer, of Wymore, and 
 became the mother of one child, whom they named 
 Vistani L., and died when the latter was one week 
 old; the little girl and her father reside with Jlr. 
 Dodds. Cyrene E., the youngest daughter, is the 
 wife of James Murphy, of Wymore, a 3'oung man 
 who has held the responsible position of private 
 secretary to C. D. Rodgers, Superintendent of the 
 Burlington & Missouri River Railroad at this place. 
 
 The second 3'ear of the war Mr. Dodds enlisted 
 in the Union Army at Burlington, Iowa. Sept. 21, 
 18G2, and served three years and one day. After 
 resuming the duties of citizenship he became a 
 railroad agent and telegraph operator, and was thus 
 occupied thirteen years. He came to W^moie in 
 May, 1H81. interested himself at once in the up- 
 building of the city, and on the 12th of May, 1882, 
 
■^•" 
 
 l'' 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 763 
 
 issued the first number of the Wymore Eagle from 
 the basement of the Citizens' Bank buihling. which 
 was erected by him, and was the first brick structure 
 in the city. In the fall of that year he purchased 
 the old Gage County Leader, consolidated it with 
 the Eagle, and later merged the two into tlie Wy- 
 more Democrat, then as now the leading paper of 
 Southern Nebraska. He .took an active part in 
 opening up the Otoe Reservation adjoining the city, 
 and which for years had been controlled l)y a syn- 
 dicate of ])lundcrers. The mother of our subject 
 died June 1, 1886, and the father April 30, 1888. 
 
 '■^♦^^^•i^ 
 
 «^?*<?-»*^<s<- 
 
 ^ DWARD ROBERTS is successfully engaged 
 •^ in farming and stock-raising on section 28, 
 , ' — ^ Barneston Township, wliere he has a fine 
 farm of 360 acres, a view of which is shown in this 
 work. He is a native of Wales, and was born on the 
 26th of May, 1 833, in the town of Mioneth, where he 
 remained until he was about thirtj'-one j'ears old. 
 In March, 1868, he left his native country with the 
 intention of seeking a home in the United States, 
 and after a long voyage on the water he arrived 
 safely on American soil. He first made his home 
 in Dodge County, Wis., thence went to Iowa Count}', 
 Iowa, ill the following 3'ear, in which latter place 
 he remained for about eleven years. In March, 
 1880, he came to this count}' and made his home 
 where he now lives, having become the owner of 
 360 acres of well-improved land in Barneston Town- 
 ship, besides some property in Blue Springs. He 
 has been exlensivel}- engaged in farming and stock- 
 raising, in wliich business he has been ver}' pros- 
 perous, having improved liis land by the exercise 
 of mucli diligence and hard labor from the primi- 
 tive condition of wild prairie land. 
 
 Our subject is the son of Robert E. and Jane 
 Roberts, who were the parents of seven children, 
 named as follows: Robert J., deceased, and buried 
 in the churcli}ard in Barneston Township; Catha- 
 rine resides in Wales; Edward, onr subject; Guan 
 and Richard, also in Wales; John and Ellen, in 
 Barneston Township. All were born in Wales. 
 Robert and Catharine are onl}' half brother and 
 sister; their father's name was Robert Jones. 
 
 In the 3'ear 1858 onr subject was united in mar- 
 ri.age with Miss Jane Roberts, who was a danghter 
 of Ellis Roberts, and was born in Wales. She be- 
 came tlie mother of one child, a daughter, Ellen, 
 but our suljject was soon bereft of her companion- 
 ship, her deatli occurring while he was a resident of 
 his native country, and he came to the United 
 States, bringing his motherless daughter Ellen. His 
 daughter marrie<l Robert J. Jones, of Marshall 
 County, Kan., and has one child, named Edward R. 
 Our subject was a second time married, in the fall 
 of 1873, to Mrs. Mary Jones, who was born in 
 Wales, in 1841. Her parents, William and Eliza- 
 beth Jones, were natives of Wales, and died in their 
 native land. 
 
 Our subject and his wife are the parents of five 
 children, on whom they have bestowed the names 
 Robert, Edward, Jane, Lizzie and Evan. Mrs. 
 Roberts is the mother of a son by her first mar- 
 riage, John P. Jones, a native of Wales. Besides 
 giving close attention to the improvement of his 
 farm and the raising of stock, our subject has taken 
 an important part in the public affairs of his town- 
 ship, and lias borne a share of the public honors. 
 In the fall of 1887 he was elected Supervisor of the 
 township, and had previously been Road Supervisor 
 for two years. He is widely known as an industri- 
 ous and enterprising business man, who has made a 
 success of his vocation and has won the esteem and 
 confidence of his fellowmen. He is a prominent 
 member of the Welsh Presbyterian Church, and 
 both he and his wife are popular in society circles. 
 
 ,OBERT LITTLEJ(MIX, a well-to-do f.armer 
 of Hanover Township, who is comfortably 
 located on section 10, was born in the town 
 ^pof Kilburnie, Ayrshire, Scotland, Nov. 10, 
 1857. When a cliihl three years of age he came to 
 America with his parents and his brother David. 
 Of the latter a sketch will l)e found elsewhere in 
 this volume. 
 
 The parents of our subject settled in Morgan 
 Count}', 111., and the latter when a boy was em- 
 ployed in the coal bines at Alton. He grew to 
 man's estate in that county, and was married, in 
 
 f 
 
± 
 
 64 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 1882, to Miss Jennie, (laughter of William Schultz. 
 Mrs. Littlejoliii was born in Wisconsin, Oct. 4, 1854, 
 and is the youngest of a famil}' of seven children. 
 Her mother died when she was but one j'ear old, 
 and her father died when she was a little girl of 
 seven. She was reared by her grandparents in Rock 
 Island, 111., and came to Nebraska with Mr. T. B. 
 Essex, of Rockford Township, with whose family 
 she remained until her marriage. Of this union 
 there are two children — Bertha M. and an infant. 
 
 The farm of our subject embraces 320 acres of 
 valuable land, which, with its buildings, its live 
 stock and its machinery, forms one of the most valu- 
 able estates in this part of the count}'. Mr. Little- 
 john possesses in a marked degree all the reliable 
 qualities of a nationality which is reverted to with 
 pardonable pride by every son of "bonnie" Scotland. 
 He is a man of strict integrit}', one whose word is 
 considered as good as his bond. Mrs. Litllejohn is 
 in every respect the suitable companion of such a 
 man as her husband, a lady of more than ordinary 
 intelligence, possessing all the womanly virtues, and 
 a member in good standing of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church. Politically, Mr. L. is a stanch Re- 
 publican. 
 
 ^5§E0RGE WYMORE, a very successful market 
 ill (— , gardener of the village which bears his 
 ^^4! name, was born in Kentucky, Jan. 24, 1825, 
 and remained with his parents until reaching his 
 majority; then, starting out for himself, he com- 
 menced farming in Indiana. Later he moved to 
 Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of new land, 
 which he improved. He was there married to Miss 
 Sarah J. Hollingsworth, and remained a resident 
 of the Hawkeye State until 1861. Later ho removed 
 again, first to Kansas and then to Missouri, finally 
 returning to Iowa, and thence came to W3'more in 
 1878, before the village had been laid out. He pur- 
 chased land, and "also took up other land in the 
 county north of Odell, and after Wymore began to 
 assume the semblance of a town established his 
 market garden, and is now doing a very successful 
 business, having a snug home and a good income. 
 
 He raises all kinds of fruits and vegetables, finding 
 for them a ready market in the city. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Wymore there were born eleven 
 children, two of whom died unnamed. The others 
 were: Robert J., Newton, Lillian G., Margaret J., 
 William, Sarah E., George, Amanda and Oliver. 
 Four of these are at home, namely : Robert, who is 
 engaged in the grocery business; Oliver, Jane and 
 Lillian. William is a resident of Kansas; he mar- 
 ried a Miss Wymore, who is now deceased. George 
 married Miss Alva Hollingsworth, and is the father 
 of two children, and lives in W3'more Township; 
 Margaret is the wife of Lewis Vanes, and a resident 
 of Kansas; they have seven children. Amanda is 
 the wife of W. R. Wymore, a resident of Iowa, and 
 they have three children. Mr. Wymore and his 
 family belong to the Christian Church. 
 
 Mrs. Sarah (Hollingsworth) Wymore was born in 
 Iowa, in 1 828, and is the daughter of John Hollings- 
 worth. She received a common-school education, 
 and lived with her parents until her marriage. Of 
 this excellent lady her family was deprived by de.ath 
 in 1868, while they w^re residents of Missouri. She 
 possessed more than ordinary strength of character, 
 and performed life's duties in the most praiseworthy 
 manner. Her death was greatly mourned by her 
 family and friends. Her father removed from 
 North Carolina to Illinois during its pioneer days, 
 and a few years later to Iowa, where he carried on 
 farming extensively. He finally removed to Chase 
 County, Kan., where he died about 1876, and his 
 wife two or three years later. 
 
 Samuel Wymore, the father of our subject, and 
 also a native of Kentucky, was born about 1780. 
 He left the Blue Grass regions while a young man, 
 but had been married in Owen County to Miss 
 Prudence Hadden, and they became the parents of 
 eight children, all of whom lived to mature j'ears. 
 Mr. Wymore continued farming in Montgomery 
 County, Ind., until his death, which occurred in 
 1843, when he had attained a little more than three- 
 score years. The wife and mother survived her 
 husband about ten years. 
 
 Mr. Wymore upon coming to this vicinity often 
 saw wild game, and the country around bore little 
 evidence of white settlement. He has been a very 
 energetic and industrious man, and improved a 
 
-M- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 /G.) 
 
 large amount of land, breaking, in Iowa alone, 
 200 acres, besides what he has accomplished in this 
 line in Missouri and Nebraska. He lias a neat resi- 
 dence, and about three sicres of land. 
 
 ^f^^ HILLIP II. .lAMES, a representative farmer 
 |p; and stock-raiser of Highland Township, 
 was born in Pike County, 111., July 4, 1842. 
 His father, Samuel James, is now deceased, 
 and his motlier, Mrs. Catherine James, resides on 
 the old homestead in the Buckeye State. They 
 were both natives of Ohio, and the family is of 
 English ancestry. The maternal grandfather served 
 as a soldier during the early troubles between the 
 Colonists and the mother countr}'. 
 
 The father of our subject departed this life in 
 Januarj', 18G2. The parental household included 
 ten children, of whom the following survive, 
 namely: John, a resident of Kansas; Phillip H.. 
 our subject; Gilbert, of Ohio; Samantlia, Mrs. 
 William Pratt, of Jackson Count3',that State; Mar}' 
 R., Mrs. Nelson Anderson, also living in Ohio; 
 David, of Lancaster County, this State, and Har- 
 riet, in Ohio. 
 
 Our subject was reared to manhood on a farm, 
 acquiring his education in the common schools. 
 On the yth of Julj', 1861, he enlisted as a Union 
 soldier in Corapanj' I, 2Uth Ohio Infantry, this 
 being assigned to the Arm}' of the Cumberland. 
 He fought in the battles of Shiloh, Murfreesboro, 
 Corinth, luka, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, 
 and was at thesiegeof Kuoxville. He veteranized at 
 the esiiiration of his term of enlistment, remaining 
 in the same regiment, and after a furlough rejoined 
 his comrades, and participated in the Atlanta cam- 
 paign, and fought in the battles of Franklin and 
 N.asbville, Tenn. He then accompanied the army 
 in its tour of observation to Texas, and after the 
 close of the war was mustered out, Oct. 25, 1865. 
 
 After his discharge Mr. James remained nearly a 
 year in Texas, then returned to Ohio, and was mar- 
 ried, in April, 18G6, to Miss Catharine Kepler, who 
 was born in that State, and who bore him six chil- 
 dren, namely : David F., Alice, Ada, Cora, Samuel 
 M. and Nellie. They live<l in Ohio until 1870, 
 
 tlien coming to Nebraska located in Nemalia 
 County, and after living there one year came in 
 the spring of 1«72 to this county. Mr. James se- 
 cured at once 160 acres of land on section 22, in 
 Highland Township, settling upon it before a fur- 
 row had been turned, and being the first man to 
 locate in his immediate neighborhood. He came 
 to this section cora[)aratively without means, and 
 endured in common with the pioneers around him 
 the hardships and privations of frontier life. 
 
 The homestead of Mr. James comprises 329 acres 
 of good land, all of which is improved, and he has 
 good buildings, together with the live stock and 
 machinery, the necessar}' accessories of the modern 
 and progressive farmer. He h.is . been prominent 
 in local affairs, and is a strict Republican in poli- 
 tics. He has served as Assessor of Highland Town- 
 ship for many years, still occupying the position. 
 Socially, he belongs to the G. A. R. Post at Cort- 
 land. He is a man holding a good position in his 
 community, and one whose opinions are uniformly 
 respected. 
 
 -*- 
 
 JOHN DWYER, commercial agent of the Bur- 
 lington & Missouri River Railroad, and hav- 
 I ing his headquarters in the city of Beatrice, 
 ' was born in Hamilton, Province of Ontari<,>, 
 Canada, Jidy 21, 1856, being the eldest of ten chil- 
 dren, five sons and five daughters, all living. The 
 father, Stephen Dwyer, was also a native of the 
 Dominion, and a farmer by occupation. The mother, 
 Mrs. Nora (Gooley) Dwyer, was the daughter of 
 Robert Gooley, Esq., a native of the same section 
 of countr}'. 
 
 In 1870 the subject of this sketch came with his 
 parents to the United States, settling in Fairfield, 
 Jefferson Co., Iowa, where the latter now reside 
 on a farm. John olitaiued his education in the com- 
 mon school, and lived with his parents in Jefferson 
 Count}', Iowa, until September, 1872, when he re- 
 paired to Burlington and entered the employ of the 
 Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, in the mean- 
 time also learning telegraphy. Six months later he 
 was given the position of ticket agent at Chariton. 
 In Septemlier, l>>7o, still in the eni[)loy of this 
 
 ■•► 
 
^ 
 
 7G6 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 road, he came to Nebraska and established a station 
 at Greenwood. In October following he was trans- 
 ferred to Wilber, where be remained as agent until 
 July, 187G. Thence he came to Beatrice, taking 
 charge of the office at this place, and attending to 
 both freight and passenger business until August, 
 1888. He was then appointed commercial agent, 
 and has the supervision in his line of 1,300 miles 
 of this road. 
 
 Mr. Dwyer was married, in June, 1884, to a very 
 estimable lady, Jliss Emma V., daughter of Job and 
 Jane Buchanan, of Beatrice. Politically, Mr. Dwyer 
 is a stanch member of the Democratic party, and 
 socially, belongs to Benton Lodge No. 26, A. F. 
 & A. M.; also to Livingston Chapter No. 10, and 
 Mt. Hermon Commandery No. 7, K. T. 
 
 '««aa2'B^-' 
 
 ./^^wnra*- 
 
 (W_^ ON. E. O. KRETSINGER, Mayor of Bca- 
 '[f)jj) trice, was born in Ogle County, 111., July 
 
 ^ 3, 1858. His parents. Lewis and Caroline 
 (Ziegier) Kretsinger, were born and reared 
 in the State of Virginia, where they were married. 
 Not long afterward llicy emigrated to Illinois, lo- 
 cating among the pioneer settlers of Ogle County, 
 where the father became one of the most successful 
 farmers in that part of the State. The parents are 
 both living at the old homestead. 
 
 Our subject attended the district school in his 
 native county during his boyhood days, and later 
 pursued his studies at Mt. Morris about two years. 
 He entered upon the study of law in the office of 
 Judge E. J. Mitchell, of Boone, Iowa, and was ad- 
 mitted to the bar in 1879. In the spring of the 
 year following he came to Beatrice, but later 
 opened an office at Blue Springs, where he con- 
 ducted a successful practice, and in 1882 was elected 
 County Judge, serving four years. On the 1st of 
 July, that year, he took up his residence in Bea- 
 trice, in order to enter upon the duties of his office. 
 
 Upon retiring from the bench Judge Kretsinger 
 resumed his law practice in Beatrice, and in April, 
 1886, was elected Mayor of the city, in which posi- 
 tion he acquitted himself creditably and with satis- 
 faction to all concerned, proof of which is given in 
 
 <■ 
 
 the fact that he was re-elected in 1 888. tEc mar- 
 riage of Mayor Kretsinger with Miss E. L. Tele- 
 ringtin, of Rock Island, III., took place in December, 
 1881, and they have one child, a son, Store}' O. 
 
 ^/ ACOB BOND, a leading grain buyer and 
 shipper of Cortland, was born in Stephenson 
 County, 111., Dec. 15, 1854. His parents 
 I were Thomas and Catherine Bond, who were 
 natives of Northampton County, Pa., and are now 
 residents of Wilber, this State. His paternal grand- 
 father, Jacob Bond, was also a native of the Key- 
 stone State, and said to have been of Welsh-English 
 origin. 
 
 The parents of our subject were blessed with a 
 large family of children, five only of whom survive, 
 namely : Sarah, the wife of William Keller, of 
 Junction City, Kan.; Hattie S., Mrs. B. F. Eyer, 
 of Cortland, this county; Jacob, our subject; Rosa, 
 Mrs. W. L. Hauck, of AVilber; and Emma I., the 
 wife of O. T. Keller, also of Wilber. Thomas 
 Bond established in the mercantile business at Wil- 
 ber in the spring of 1879, in which he has since 
 been successfully occupied, having a good trade. 
 While a resident of Illinois he was a Commissioner 
 of Stephenson County, and politically, he is a stanch 
 Republican. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic 
 fraternity. 
 
 Our subject was reared to manhood in bis native 
 county, and pursued his education in the graded 
 schools of Davis and Durand, 111. In the fall of 
 1876 he entered Arnold Business College at Rock- 
 ford, where he completed his education after an 
 attendance of two terms, six months each. The 
 year following he was married, Dec. 25, 1877, in 
 Stephenson County, to Miss Mary A. Kurtz, a 
 native of Center County, Pa., and the daughter of 
 Levis Kurtz, who later became a resident of Ste- 
 phenson County, 111. Of this union there were born 
 two children : Beulah B., now deceased, and Ray T. 
 
 In tiie spring of 1879 Mr. Bond came to Ne- 
 braska and engaged in the mercantile business with 
 his father, with whom he continued about five 
 years. He came to Cortland in the spring of 1884, 
 as soon as the town was started, and was one of its 
 
; 
 
 -<•- 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 -•► 
 
 rG7 
 
 i~ 
 
 pioueer merchants. He sold out two years later, 
 however, and turned his attention to the grain trade. 
 He handles annually about 300,000 bushels, the 
 bulk of this being corn and oats, and ships princi- 
 pally to Chicago. 
 
 Mr. Bond is serving his third term as Village 
 Clerk of Cortland, to which office he was elected in 
 the spring of 188.5. Politlcall}', he is a stanch Re- 
 publican. He possesses considerable musical talent, 
 being one of the organizers of the Cortland Brass 
 Band, and is now its Treasurer. He is a stirring 
 business man, and is doing well tinancially. 
 
 ENRY D. BIXLER,of Glenwood Township, 
 is numbered among its most public-spirited 
 and enterprising men. He has a good farm 
 of 160 acres, whereon he settled in the fall 
 of 1885, and gives his attention largely to stock- 
 raising, although his fertile fields yield a goodly 
 proportion of the other rich products of this section. 
 David Bixler, the father of our subject, was a 
 native of Maryland, and married Miss Magdalena 
 G rover, who was born in German}', and came to 
 America with her parents when a little child two 
 years of age. David Bixler and his wife are now 
 residents of Cedar County, Iowa. Their family 
 consisted of four children, all sons, of whom Henry 
 D. was the third in order of birth. His native place 
 was Stark Count}', Ohio, where he fii-st opened his 
 eyes to the light March 1, 1848. From the time 
 lie was nine years old he was reared upon a farm, 
 and made his home with his parents until a man of 
 twenty-five. lu the meantime they had moved to 
 Iowa, and he purchased a farm in Cedar County, 
 adjoining his fatlier's homestead, upon whicli he 
 lived for a time, then sold it and purchased another 
 in that vicinity. 
 
 With the exception of four 3'ears spent in a 
 creamery at Clarence, Iowa, our subject has been 
 continuouslj' engaged in farming pursuits. He was 
 married in .Jones County, Aug. 24, 1871, to Miss 
 Martha Fortney. This lady was born in Pennsyl- 
 vania, Dec. 6, 1852, and is the daughter of Benja- 
 min and Cornelia (York) Fortney, the former of 
 whom died in Fayette County. To Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 Bixler there have been born two sons only — Walter 
 I. and Warren O. Mr. B. is accounted one of the 
 most reliable men of his community, and votes the 
 straight Republican ticket. 
 
 ••^>t}»>- 
 
 ^^ 
 
 •«tf«c^ 
 
 "* 
 
 C. EMERY. Deputy Recorder of Gage 
 County, was born in Lawrence, Kan.. Dec. 
 23. I860. His parents were Charles and 
 Mary (Benson) Emery, the former a native 
 of Augusta, Me., and the latter of Dublin, Ireland. 
 The paternal grandfatiier was a lumberman b}' occu- 
 pation, and traced his ancestry to England. He 
 served .as a soldier in the War of 1812. 
 
 The father of our subject emigrated to Kansas 
 in 1853. during its pioneer days, and began freight- 
 ing to Denver and west to the mountains. For 
 further information of the family history see the 
 sketch of Charles Emery on another page of this 
 work. He came to Beatrice in 1870, when J. C. 
 was a lad of ten years, and has since been a resident 
 of this city, together with his excellent wife. They 
 are aged fifty-eight ami fifty-three years respect- 
 ivelj'. Their family consisted of two sons: George, 
 the County Clerk, and Jack C, of our sketch. Our 
 subject attended the Catholic School at Atchison, 
 and later accompanied his father in his freighting 
 expeditions over the plains, enjoying the adventures 
 connected therewith in a high degree. He came to 
 this county in a wagon, riding a distance of 200 
 miles through a wild and romantic country, the 
 scenes of which he often reverts to as one of the 
 most interesting reminiscences of his life. After 
 the family settled in Beatrice he attended the High 
 School, and entered upon the more serious business 
 of life in 1879 as Assistant County Clerk under 
 Capt. Hill, who was this year (1888) candidate for 
 State Treasurer. 
 
 Mr. Emery has been connected with the Re- 
 corder's office a number of years. He was married, 
 in 1881, to Miss Helen, daughter of H. C. Jaymes, 
 of Wymore Township. Mrs. Emery was born in 
 Oshkosh, Wis., Jan. 3, 1863, and came to Beatrice 
 in 1879. She received a good education, being a 
 graduate of Wisconsin University. She is a very 
 
 • J > J f < • 
 
u 
 
 •9^ 
 
 768 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 
 •f 
 
 amialile and estimable lady, and the little house- 
 hold lias lieen increased by the birtii of one ciiild, 
 a daiijjhter, Mollie. Mr. Emery votes the straight 
 Rt'|)ul)liean ticket, and in 1880 was Deputy County 
 Treasurer. 
 
 \f;ESSE H. THOMPSON, a settler of May. 
 18G6, in RIakely Township, owns and occu- 
 pies a farm of 1 60 aci'es taken as a home- 
 / stead at the time mentioned, and pleasantly' 
 located on section 1. He has made good improve- 
 ments and gives special attention to stock-raising, 
 having Jersey red swine, good grades of cattle and 
 fast trotting stock, includnig some very promising 
 j'oung horses, principally Hambletonians. In this 
 industry he has been quite successful, and is rated 
 among the substantial men of Gage Count}'. 
 
 Mr. Thompson came to the 8tate of Nebraska from 
 AVashington County, Iowa, where he had lived with 
 his parents since a boy eight years of age. He 
 was born near Danville, Highland Co., Ohio, Sept. 
 0, 1831, and is the son of James Thompson, a 
 native of New York, of New England parentage 
 and English descent. The latter emigrated to Ohio 
 when a young man, and was married in Highland 
 County to Miss Mary Lander, who was born in 
 Lower Canada, of German parents. The maternal 
 grandfather of our subject served as a soldier in 
 the Revolutionary War, and lived to be one hun- 
 dred and ten years old, preserving to the last a 
 large portion of his remarkable physical strength. 
 
 The parents of our subject after their marriage 
 settled on a farm in Highland County, Ohio, among 
 the pioneers of that region, but in I 839 came to the 
 farther West, locating on a tract of new land in 
 Washington County, Iowa. There they spent the 
 remainder of their days, the mother dying when 
 forty-seven j'ears old, and the father at the ad- 
 vanced age of eighty-eight. They were people 
 of sterling worth, and the mother was a member of 
 the Dunkard Church. Jesse R. was the youngest 
 of two sons and three daughters, of whom there are 
 living only himself and his sister, Mrs. Snyder, of 
 Johnson County, Iowa. 
 
 Mr. Thompson lived in Iowa with his parents 
 
 until a youth of eighteen j'ears, then set out on his 
 own account. He, however, selected his wife from 
 one of the maidens of Washington County, Iowa, 
 Miss Martha J. Bunker, a native of AVayne County, 
 Ind., and who was born in 1836, Mrs. Thompson is 
 the daughter of David and Marion (Hunt) Bunker, 
 both of whom are now deceased, the father dying in 
 Washington County, June 2.), 1886. at the age of 
 seventy-four years, and the mother also dying there 
 in middle life. Thej' likewise were among its pio- 
 neer settlers, and Mrs. Thompson was but a babe of 
 six months when she w.as taken by her parents 
 from her native State. 
 
 To our subject and his wife there have been born 
 five children, two of whom, DeWitt C. and an in- 
 fant unnamed, are deceased ; David, the eldest 
 living, is at home with his parents, having the man- 
 agement of the farm ; M.iggie is the wife of Peter 
 Goom, a farmer of Beatrice Township; Anna re- 
 mains at home ■with her parents. Mr. Thompson 
 belongs to Lodge No. Ill, A. F. & A. M., at 
 DeWitt, and David is identitted also with the fra- 
 ternity. Our subject, politically, is a solid Repub- 
 lican, and has held the various school offices of his 
 district. 
 
 Vy, LINCOLN BURGESS, the veterin.ary sur- 
 geon of West Beatrice, and who has followed 
 the practice of his profession successfully 
 for a long period, is a genuine New En- 
 glander, having been born on the Atlantic Coast in 
 Calais, Me., Aug. 14, 1855. The first ten years of 
 his life were spent in the Pine Tree State, where 
 he attended the common school. His fothei-. Rev. 
 I. J. Burgess, was a minister of the Baptist Church, 
 and born of English parents, in the West Indies. 
 
 When our subject was a lad of thirteen years his 
 parents removed to Middleboro, Mass., where he 
 resided a period of ten years. Upon reaching 
 man's estate he drifted westward to the home of 
 his uncle, John Milne, in Minnesota, where he spent 
 two years. Then returning to Middleboro, and 
 desirous of brightening up his knowledge, he en- 
 tered the High School, wdiere he studied two years; 
 later he engaged as book-keeper for the firm of 
 Milne & McKenzie nearly three years. From this 
 
 _! ^ ■<' 
 
••► 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 769 
 
 place lie went to the Connecticut Hospital, where 
 he studied medicine and spent three years and ten 
 months. Later he studied a year with Prof. Blais- 
 den, of Middletown, Conn., and one of the most 
 noted veterinary surgeons of that region. 
 
 The three years following Dr. Burgess spent with 
 his father-in-law, D. II. Smith, an extensive dealer 
 in horses, who shipped from Indiana and the Cana- 
 das to the Eastern markets. In October, 1883, he 
 came to Nebraska, bringing to Beatrice a herd of 
 thirty-three head of fine Jersey cattle, which he 
 disposed of here. From this time on he gave his 
 entire attention to the practice of his profession, 
 which extends throughout the city and into the 
 country, and in which he has been successful. Not 
 only does he treat the equine race, but also cattle 
 and swine. He makes his headquarters in a con- 
 venient office at the corner of Court and LaSelle 
 streets. 
 
 Dr. Burgess was married in Middletown, Conn., 
 Aug. 14, 1878, to Miss Nellie R., daughter of D. 
 II. Smith, of that place. Of this union there has 
 been born one child onl3', a son, D. Julien, now 
 (1888) seven years of age. The Doctor has been 
 quite prominent in local affairs, and was elected the 
 first Councilman of the Third Ward in West Bea- 
 trice. Socially, he belongs to the Knights of Honor. 
 His family connections are quite distinguish.ed. His 
 father is still living, making his residence at Wal- 
 nut Hill, Mass. His brother, Isaac B., a finely edu- 
 cated gentleman, is a graduate of Brown University, 
 and at present occupies the position of Latin Mas- 
 ter at the Newport High School. His sister, Hattie 
 B., is the wife of the Principal of Cohasset High 
 School. Another sister, Mary H., has charge of 
 one of the largest kindergardens in the city of 
 Boston. 
 
 NDREW J. HALE, prominent among the 
 extensive farmers and stock-raisers of Gage 
 Countj', and at present a resident of Bea- 
 ^J trice, was born in Chittenden County, Vt., 
 
 near the town of Burlington, IMarch 8, 1842. His 
 parents, Stephen and Mary (Luce) Hale, were natives 
 respectively of New Hampshire and Vermont, and 
 Andrew J. was their onl}' child. He si)ent his boy- 
 
 -^ 
 
 hood and youth in his native county, attending 
 first the common school, sfnd later entered Fairfax 
 Institute, where he spent three years. At the ex- 
 piration of this time he entered the Albany Law 
 School, from which he was graduated with honjrs 
 and admitted to the bar. 
 
 In the summer of 1867 Mr. Halo turned his face 
 toward the farther West, coming to this State, and 
 first taking up his abode in Nebraska City, of which 
 he remained a resident a period of ten years, en- 
 gaged in a successful law practice. From there he 
 came to Beatrice, and acquitted himself creditably 
 among his legal brethren until his retirement from 
 the profession in 1886. Since that time he has 
 given his attention to the breeding of fine horses, 
 and has become quite an extensive land-owner, hav- 
 ing purchased three farms in this county. He has 
 five horses of fine Kentucky stock, and some seven 
 head which are devoted entirely to breeding pur- 
 poses. He exhibits some of the handsomest and 
 most valuable animals in Southern Nebraska. 
 
 Mr. Hale was first married, in 1864, to Miss Irene 
 Powel, who died three years later, leaving two 
 children, a son and daughter, Stephen Fremont and 
 Laura. Of his present marriage there have been 
 born two children — Clyde II. and Helen H. He is 
 a man generally respected in his community, and 
 possessed of more than ordinary capabilities. He 
 keeps himself well posted on political matters, and 
 uniformly votes the Republican ticket. The main 
 farm of 320 acres lies about eleven miles from the 
 city, and besides his horses Mr. Hale has a fine herd 
 of Short-horn cattle. He has developed the quali- 
 ties essential to the successful stock-raiser, and in 
 connection with this industry has contributed in no 
 small degree to the reputation of this section of 
 countrj\ While having large person.al interests to 
 absorb his mind and time, he h.as the reputation of 
 a liberal and public-spirited citizen. 
 I The parents of our subject remained at their old 
 home in the Green Mountain State until 1878, then, 
 making the long journey to the home of their son, 
 our subject, lived with him until their decease, the 
 father p.assing away in 1885, at the age of eighty- 
 seven years, and the mother in 1886, when seventy- 
 six years old. Mr. Hale, Sr.. was a man of fine busi- 
 ness ca[«cities, and speculated considerably in lands 
 
 ds. A 
 
■■'r-^., 
 
 If 
 
 S ^^ 
 
 '/ 
 
 ^ 
 
/h^.S.^^^^^L (J. X^ 
 
>► m^ » 
 
 i 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 OX. ELI.TAII EILLEY. No one sojouriis 
 long- witliiii the pret-iiu-ts of Oaup County 
 witliont heroniino; familiar with the name 
 ((^ of tlie suhjeft of tliis l)ioorai)h_v. a man 
 wUn lias boi'ne no iniiinpoi'tanl part in its develop- 
 ment and ])rosi)eritv. \ self-made man in the 
 strictest sense of the word, he has ri.scn from a 
 modest jiosition in life to one of wealth and influ- 
 cnec. and is distinguished for his ]ml)lie spirited- 
 ne.ss. liberality, intcliigenee and good judgment, 
 lie has one of the most beautiful homes in the 
 county, and with a relined and interesting fainily. 
 is >urr(iunded by .-ill the cdmforts and luxuries of 
 lifi'.- 
 
 ()nr snliject is the scion of a snbstauti:d old 
 family, being the son of .Vmmi Filley. who was 
 born in Hloomlield. Conn.. .Ian. 2, 1808. The latter 
 sojourned there un il a man twenty-nine years old. 
 then in 1837. leaving New England, enngrated to 
 ^liehigan aliont the time of its tra'.isformation from 
 a Tei'ritory to a Htate, settling in Jackson County. 
 In Connetticut he had been engngcd with his father 
 i:i the slaughtering ami jiacking business, liut upon 
 coming West took up the pursuit of agriculture, 
 and prosecuted this in the Wolverine .State for a 
 pcricd vf thirty years. In the sununer of 1867. 
 retiring from aeiive labor, lie came to this county, 
 and made his home with his son Elijah until his 
 death, whic-li occurre<l Miiy !•'>. isstl. ;it Ihc ai;<> of 
 seventy-two ;\ ears. 
 
 In 18(il.at the lirst c;dl for defenders of our flag 
 :ind country. Amnii Filley enlisted in Company 1). 
 2d .M iehigan Caviilry. and si'rved thi'ough the <>n- 
 lire war. participating in many of the prominent 
 battles of the Army of the East, and also taking 
 pirt in the siege of N'ieksburg and llic famous 
 chargi' at Ft. Donclson. 
 
 .Mi's. .Mary (.Marxin) Filley. llic mutlier of our 
 subject, was. like hei- husliand. a native of IJIoom- 
 licld. Conn., and they became the parents of six 
 chiMien. four sons and two daughters, and four 
 of these are still living. .*-usaii is the.wife of Wil- 
 lie Suiton. a well-to-do farmer of .Inckson Countj', 
 Mich.; .\bel '!". is a retired farmer of Fairlmry. 
 III.; -Vnijuida li. is the wife of .himes Z. r.;dlard. a 
 retired farmer in good circumstances, and now a 
 resiile.it of .Michigan Center. .Mich. 
 
 ]Mr. Elijah Filley. the subject of this sketch, was 
 born in Jackson County. Mich.. Nov. 28, 18;5!).an(l 
 lived there until 18.")S. During this lime, from 
 the age of twelve years, he attended the public 
 school in the winter, working mornings and even- 
 ings for his boai'd. and in the summer was em- 
 liloyed by the nu)nth 1)V the farmers in that region. 
 In the year mentioned he repaired to Joliet. 111., 
 and one sunnncr was in the emjiloy of Fool it 
 King, who oiH-ratcd a boat on the Michigan Canal. 
 The winter following he was occujiied in sawing 
 wood for a railroad com|iany willi a trca<l-power 
 buzz saw. 
 
 In the sjiring (vf ]X'>'.> .Mr. I'illey <-h;nige(l his 
 residence to()(h'll. Livingston Co.. 111., where he 
 worked on a farm one year with D. A. Heese; next 
 we find him in EaSalle County, that State, where 
 he li\ ed three years, engaged in herding, driving 
 and dealing in stock for AVilliam Strawn. under 
 whose tuition he gained the knowledge and exjjeri- 
 ence which years afterwai-(l hiid the foundation of 
 his present fortune. In due tinu' he conunencrd 
 f.anning for himself in Livingston County, of which 
 he was a resident until 18(!7. 
 
 The mariiage of Mr. IJijah Filley and ^liss 
 Emily IJurd was celebrated at the hcmie of the 
 Inide in the town of Pleasant Ridge. Livingston 
 Co.. 111.. Nov. 4. 18();5. This lady w.as liorn Nov. 
 6. 181 L in Will County. 111., which w.as then the 
 home of her parents, and is the dnughter of Silas 
 and Betsy Ann Kurd. Silas was born Dec. 8, 1818. 
 in Wayne County. N. J., and departeil this life in 
 Waco. Tex., where he was sojourning for his licnllii. 
 Feb. 22, 1859. Mrs. liurd was born in Wayne 
 County, N. Y.. Sept. 1:5, 1817. and is still living, 
 making her home with her ilanghter. .Mrs. Flij.ah 
 Filley. 
 
 Mrs. Filley is a woman of noble ;ind generous 
 impulses, and has Ihc love and respect of all who 
 know her. and to the deserving poor .she is a friend 
 and benefactress, ller riding traits are industry 
 and a love of svstcmalic .ai-rangement in all work, 
 study, recreation, and a close .>iynipathy for all ani- 
 mal and vegetable nature, as well as fdr humanity. 
 To her valuable .assistance and timely suggestions 
 Mr. Filley attriliutes in a large measure his success 
 in life. In the venrs to come, long after these pnges 
 
 n 
 
-4*- 
 
 77(; 
 
 GAGE COUNTY. 
 
 arc yellow witli the tint of time, she will be re- 
 meiubered for her many ii(jl)le qualities of hotli 
 lie;irt and niiiid. 'Ihc family eonsistcd of six chil- 
 dren, of wlK)m three are livino-; Hiram A., born 
 Aun'. 22. lK(if;; Oscar K.. .lune 2;"). 1870; Daisy C 
 
 .h 
 
 2. ISTi;. Abel Filch, bom Oct. 23. l«(M.died 
 
 Oct. 10. 1H7(); Kniily .lane, born Auu. 27, l^tSH. 
 died .Sept. (!. IHHt!; Klmer ('.. born Auu'. 22, 1H74, 
 died May 2;i. 1S77. 
 
 The close application of .Mr. Filley to liis busi- 
 ness, and his pei'severinj)' industry, bore their legiti- 
 mate fruits, and lie biund that, he could advanta- 
 l;c()us1\- operate a nuich l.ariier tract of land than 
 that in llliudis. I le accordintjly started out in the . 
 summer of lS(i7. .'ind cnminu' to the newly made 
 Sl.-ite of N<>braska. bent his .steps to this county, 
 lookint; for l.-uid. lie was favorabl\ impressed 
 with the face of the country, and soon purchased 
 two sections from the (iovernment, lying along 
 Mud (reek. Ilavini; lost his horses which he 
 brougiil from Illinois, he purchased twelve yoke of 
 oxen anil I'ommenieil lueaking prairie, not only 
 foi- liiiiiscK lull for the |)cople around him. in order 
 to pay for his oxen. lie w.'is thus occupied about 
 three years, and in the meantime worked \ipon his 
 Land as time and opportunity permitte<l. 
 
 AN'lien iMr. Filley first settled upon his land, in- 
 stead of liviii")- in a '•dug-out" or "sod house." as 
 did most of the early settlers, he lived in a tent 
 through the summer, and when fall admonished 
 him that this was rather thin protection against Ne- 
 braska zephyrs, he commenced the erect iim of what 
 is now known far and wide as the -old stone house." 
 Jlr. I''illey (piari'ied the stone and burned the liine. 
 while .Mrs. I''illey did the hmiling with oxen, and 
 toiiclher they made the mortar and laid upthe walls 
 around the tent, and roofed them over. 'I'hey lived 
 in this one loom during that winter, and the fol- 
 lowing summer ailded nnae rooms, until they li.ad 
 ((uite a commodious ami comfortable dwt41insi-.which 
 they occupied for a period of sixteen years. In 
 the year 1H7 1 -Mr. Filley erected a stone barn, near 
 the hou.se, at a cost of ^.").000. 
 
 Soon aftei' coming to \ebraska Mr. Fille\ beoan 
 to buy cattle in order to Stock his farm, and also 
 dealt largely in land for a number of years. He 
 .soon began feeding ancl sliipping. and upon the 
 
 completion of the railroad through Beatrice, loaded 
 the first car of cattle transported from Gage County 
 to Chicago. Later, when the railroad was com- 
 l)leted U) F'illey. he erected a large and eoinmodions 
 elevator, anrl liegan dealing in grain, which busi- 
 ness he h.'is followed for years. AVhen the Burling- 
 ton & Missouri River Railroad was completed from 
 Beatrice U> Neliraska City, Mr. Filley, in the sum- 
 mei- of ISK.'i. founded the town which bears his 
 nanu', and which is located on one of his farms. In 
 188;") the n;ime of the township of ^Nlud Creek was 
 ch.anged to F'illey, in Inmor of its first settler. 
 
 Air. Filley is the leading, farmer and business 
 ni.-ui of this region, carrying on .agricultui'i' exti'n- 
 sively. also stock-raising, buying and shiiiping. At 
 this uiiting he has 700 head of steers in feeding 
 for the spiing market. 
 
 ()ur subject labors diligently both with mind 
 and muscle, and takes a deei) intei'est in G.age 
 County, eimtributing of his means and inHuenee to 
 the enterprises which have for their object the 
 best good of the jieople, socialh'. morallv and (in.-ui- 
 cially. 
 
 .Mr. Filh'3-, |)olitic"illy, is a stanch Republican, 
 and in 18,si .and 18,s;! rei)resented Gage County in 
 the Nebraska, Legislature. Later he was elected 
 .■IS Senator from his district, serving until IM.sri. and 
 in this, as in all other relati<ms of life, performed 
 his duty with tli.-it cimscientious care which is a 
 distinguishing trait of his character. He identified 
 himself with the Masonic fra ernity about LSiWi. 
 and belongs to both Chapter .and Comniandery, !);•- 
 ing also blaster of the lodge at Filley. He is also 
 .•I Director of the Bank of l-'illev, and of the First 
 Nation.-d I'.ank of Beatrice. 
 
 Mr. Filley is a Wes'ern man, and is never so 
 happy as when engaged in subduing the wilderness, 
 and making it liloom and blossom with the veget.a- 
 tion of civilization. Only a few years sim/e. where 
 the vill.'ige of F'illey stands was the primitive 
 pr;iirii'. with only .Mr. I'illey to transform it from 
 its wild sta'f to one of civilizati<m; now, throuih 
 his instrumentality, a beautiful little village has 
 sjjrung up. and is rapidly striding toward the 
 magnitude of a city. 
 
 When the future historian writes of the pioiici-rs 
 of Nebraska, and gives e.aeh his propei' mead of 
 credit, he will jilace the name of the ll<m. lOlijah 
 F'illey in the front rank. It is with pleasure that 
 we present the jiortrait of Air. Filley in connection 
 with this sketch, and also that of his most estimable 
 wife. A fine doulile-]iage vii'w of his | lace is also 
 shown in tins work. 
 
 ■► ■— 
 
 t 
 
■•► 
 
 s^^.. 
 
 ^^TRANSPORTATION =^ 
 
 
 ■-^i^^ ^ 
 
 ; \E of the most important fac- 
 tors in tlic business develop- 
 ment and prosperity of a 
 eitv. county or State, is its 
 «■ s^s! railroad communications. A 
 retrospection of the iiistory 
 of tlie Soutli Platte Country since 
 tlie advent of railroad facilities, will 
 convince the careful observer of the 
 immense Ijcnelit resulting from the 
 introduction of this essential adjunct 
 of commercial cnterjirise. The fol- 
 lowing brief sketches of the leading 
 railroads of this section of the great 
 coninionwealtli will form an interesting feature of 
 this Ai.iu ji. It may be remarked in this connec- 
 tion that the roads referred to are not only the im- 
 portant corporations of Nebraska, but stand among 
 the first in the Nation. 
 
 The liin-liiiKton & 31is.souri Kivor Railroad 
 in Nebraska. 
 
 «I1IS important road was commenced at Platts- 
 mouth, Neb., where it connected with the 
 Chicago. Burlington &. (^uincy Raihoad, in 
 the year 18Glt, and the main line of the road was 
 
 extended westward to Kearney, 191 miles, during 
 1 870-72, being completed to Kearney in the latter 
 year. The Denver extensions south and west of 
 Hastings, begun in 1878. finished to Denver in 1882, 
 and later, in 1883-84, the main line to Denver was 
 shortened b3- the construction of the line from 
 Kennesaw to Oxford. By the acquirement of the 
 Omaha ife Southwestern Railroad, the Atchison & 
 Nebraska Railroad, the building of the Short 
 Line from Omaha to Ashland, and the extension to 
 Cheyenne, Wyo., the corajiany has absolutely the 
 shortest line from nearly all Missouri River points 
 to Denver, Cheyenne, and connecting with the 
 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, the Union Pacific 
 Railw.ay, and the Colorado Midland at Denver, and 
 with the l^nion Pacific Railway at (Hie3enne, makes 
 a most desirable route to all Colorado, Utah, Ore- 
 gon and Pacific Coast points. At Omaha connec- 
 tions are made with the Chicago, Burlington & 
 Quincy, Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs, 
 Union Pacific, Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Val- 
 lej-, Chicago, Rock Island ife Pacific, Chicago, Mil- 
 waukee <fc St. Paul, Wabash, Western and Missouri 
 Pacific, at different points in the State, all the main 
 roads traversing Nebraska. The company has 
 built three steel bridges across the Missouri River, 
 one at Plattsmouth. one ut Nebraska City and one 
 
 ■♦■ 
 
 • _ ' ^ W <• 
 
■^•- 
 
 ■•► 
 
 TRANSPORTATION. 
 
 at Riilo. The length of the main line in Nebraska 
 from Plattsmouth to the Colorado line, passing 
 through Lincoln, Hastings and other principal points. 
 is 364.52 miles, and all other branches in this State 
 1755.78 miles. The road is liallasted with stone, 
 gravel, cinders and earth. Of the 2,120.30 miles 
 of road in Nebraska, 1, GOO. 08 miles are laiil with 
 steel rails, the rest being laid with iron. The total 
 mileage compi'ised in the Burlington system west of 
 the Missouri River is 2,778.78 miles. 
 
 When it is remembered tiiat the above-stated 
 Nebraska mileage of the Burlington & Missouri 
 River Railroad constitutes but little short of one- 
 iialf of the entire railroad mileage of the State, 
 it will readily be seen how important a factor this 
 great railroad must have been in that recent mar- 
 velous development of material resources which 
 lias raised Nebraska to her present proud position 
 in the sisterhood of States. Indeed the growtli of 
 the State in population, wealth, and everything that 
 goes to the making-up of a great commonwealth, 
 has tiiroughout been coincident with the extension 
 of this great railroad system. It is only necessary 
 to look back over a brief period of seven years, to 
 find the aggregate railroad mileage of tiie State less 
 by 200 miles than the present mileage of this one 
 line. Two yeais ago, even, large ])ortions of the 
 State, in nowise inferior in their capabilities to the 
 best settled and most productive sections along the 
 Missouri River, were entirely destitute of railroad 
 facilities, and were consequently cut off, not only 
 from the great markets of the continent, but even 
 from the chief centers of population in the Slate 
 itself. But by a truly marvelous transformation 
 these oullj'ing regions have been lirought near, and 
 the magnificent display of agricultural products 
 that was made at the State fair of 1888, bv counties 
 among the most recently settled and the farthest 
 west, abundantly justified the enterpi'ise that has 
 been displayed, and forever •set at rest all those 
 lingering fallacies that would have limited the agri- 
 cultural possibilities of the western half of the 
 State. 
 
 The road has practically three trunk lines run- 
 ning the entire length of the State. These are 
 connected by a network of l>ranclies so perfectiv 
 organized that there are no two points of importance 
 
 within its territory between which the great rail- 
 road may not be said to have an air line. No fewer 
 than fifty-seven counties of the State are reached 
 b3' these v.arious lines, and those numerous addi- 
 tional feeders which have been thrown out, with the 
 object of bringing the various products of all the 
 best sections of the State within reach of that great 
 Burlington s_ystem, which carries the greatest grain 
 and live-stock market in the world a larger jjro- 
 portion of its supplies than is handled bj' anj' other 
 road. It is a fact, largely by virtue of its relations 
 with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and 
 other roads, constituting what is popularly known 
 as the Burlington Route, that the Burlington & 
 Missouri River Railroad is enabled to afford the 
 people of Nebraska the unequaled railroa<l facili- 
 ties they enjoy, laying hold with one hand upon 
 the great mountain chain of the continent. It 
 stretches over the vast agricultui-al region of the 
 West, to p.ay tribute with the other to that most 
 magnificent of all inland waterways, the Great 
 Lake System of America, besides connecting with 
 those various steel highw.avs which form the chief 
 lines of travel, and for the larger half of the j'car, 
 the only commercial arteries between Chicago and 
 the Atlantic seaboard. The only line of which 
 this can be said, it naturally commands not only 
 an immense freight tralfic, liut a through passenger 
 travel of great volume and importance, so much so, 
 indeed, that it has twelve superbly appointed ex- 
 press p.assenger trains traversing Nebraska from 
 end to end ever3' day in the year. Of these six 
 run between Denver and Chicago, four between 
 Denver and Kansas City, and two between Denver 
 and St. Louis. The Denver <t Chicago trains run 
 via Omaha, Neb., commercial metropolis, Lincoln, 
 its be.'iutiful and flourishing capital, and man}' other 
 rapidly growing towns and cities in the State. From 
 the capital of the State there radiate no fewer than 
 six separate lines, in as manj- different directions. 
 At Nebr.aska City one of its lines crosses the mag- 
 nificent steel bridge, recently built at that point by 
 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and 
 connects with the trains of that corajjany to and 
 from Chicago at Red Oak, Iowa, but the facts will 
 be sufHcientlj- apparent from the foregoing general 
 statements, as will also the absolute identity of 
 
 • ^ w •» 
 
I 
 
 1 
 
 TRANSPORTATION. 
 
 interests that exist between tlie flourishing State of 
 Nebraska and that great railroad system which has 
 done so much to promote its development. 
 
 -^ ♦ ^ ' 4 ^' ^^ 
 
 The Missouri Pacific Kailroart. 
 
 ffllS great trunlc line wliich now threads its 
 waj- through several States west of the Mis- 
 sissippi River, has been a potential factor in 
 the development of Missouri and Kansas, and with 
 its accustomed enterprise, a short time ago pene- 
 trated with its lines into the rich agricultural districts 
 of Nebraska, to compete in this growing State, with 
 its rapidlj' accumulating business. It was also 
 among the pioneer roads in Kansas, and its many 
 branches now traverse in different directions the 
 most thickly settled portions of that State. It has 
 contributed in a large measure, by its liberal and 
 aggressive policy, toward the rapid development 
 of the great resources of Kansas. It is interesting 
 to note briett}' its history, as it was the first road 
 built n-est from St. Louis, as carl}' as 1850-51. 
 
 The preliminary steps to build the road were 
 taken, and it lias since gradually extended its lines, 
 like the arteries and veins of tlie human system, 
 until it has encompassed in its range the best por- 
 tions of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, and has 
 even reached out and tapped the large commercial 
 centers of Texas and Colorado. Its splendid and 
 far-reaching man;igement extends to its patrons 
 both in freight and p.asscnger traffic the best facili- 
 ties for reaching the seaboard and the great Eastern 
 marts of trade. The growth and development of 
 the Missouri Pacific system have been rapid and 
 fully al)reast of the times. Its local business is 
 enormous and rajjidly increasing. In respect to its 
 through l)usiness no other road or S3'stein in Ne- 
 braska is belter equipped than this. Its steel-rail 
 tracks, well-ballasted road-beds, and superior pas- 
 senger coaches, constitute it one of the greatest 
 railroad systems of the West. Its superb fast train 
 between St. Louis and Denver via Kansas City and 
 I'ueblo, is umiuestionably the most elegant and best 
 eiiuipped train of any road which enters the i)eerless 
 city of the plains. It runs more p.assenger trains 
 and finer coaches between St. Louis and Kansas 
 •<• 
 
 City than any other road. It has contributed in a 
 wonderful degree toward the building up of the 
 various cities along its numerous lines. Kansas 
 City has felt its intiuenco as much as an}' other road 
 centering in that metropolis, as its lines lead into 
 the heart of the coal and iron fields of Missouri. 
 It is thus enablcil to laj- down at the doors of the 
 growing towns of the West those two essential 
 factors in the bnihling up of a new country, more 
 quickly and cheaper than almost any other road 
 can do. It gives to its numerous and rapidly in- 
 creasing patronage in Nebraska and Kansas unsur- 
 passed facilities for reaching the great health resorts 
 of Arkansas and Texas. Over its line from Omaha 
 to St. Louis, about 500 miles in extent, it runs the 
 finest trains between those two cities, passing through 
 Weeping Water, Nebraska City and Falls City, in 
 Nebr.aska, and St. Joseph, Atchison and Leaven- 
 worth, before reaching Kansas City. The length of 
 its main line and branches in Nebraska is 322 miles, 
 its northern terminus being Omaha, whose connec- 
 tions are made with all the roads centering in that 
 metropolis. The line from Omaha to Falls C'ity is 
 115 miles: the Crete branch 5S miles; Lincoln to 
 Auburn, 7G miles; Warwick to Prosser, 73 miles. 
 Various extensions and .additions are constantly 
 being made in Nebraska. 
 
 Thus it will be seen that this road alrea<ly taps 
 the two leading cities in the State, Omaha and Lin- 
 coln, besides Nebraska City, rapidly growing intt) 
 importance, likewise Hastings. Thus it will be seen 
 that this is one of the iiniK)rlant roads centering in 
 Omaha, the metropolis of Nebraska; on account of 
 its extensive mileage and the ramification of the 
 system, it is destined to promote in a large degree 
 the development of the material interests of the 
 country through which it passes. 
 
 Cliicaffo, Kocli Islaiul & Pacific. 
 
 .^p^IIIS is the last important trunk line to enter 
 '^'^^ the South Platte country. It enters the 
 State at Berwick, and runs in a north and 
 westerly direction to Fairbury and Nelson. At 
 Fairbury the road branches and connects with the 
 main line for Denver, thus giving the southern part 
 
 _ >» ^ « ^ 
 
M^ 
 
 i^l-t. 
 
 TRANSPORTATION. 
 
 of tlie State another direct cominunieatioii with the 
 great lumber and other interests of Chicago and 
 Kansas City, and the great lake and seaboard 
 marts of trade. 
 
 Union P;i«-ili<-, 
 
 THE I'ATIIFlXniili Ol- TIIK OVKHLAXD ItOUTK. 
 
 ll^^ EBRASKA and the Platte River ^'alle.v were 
 II jjj first opened up to civilization and the out- 
 
 !■; 
 
 1^1^. side world by the energy- ancl entei-prise of 
 the promoters of tjie Union Pacific, and a rapid 
 
 impetus given to her commercial and agricultural 
 development. Besides branches, the main line trav- 
 erses the State from Omaha to the western line, along 
 the Platte, and extends its steel highway- aci'oss the 
 Rocky Alountains. It was the first road to bring 
 an interchange of productions between the Western 
 world and the Orient. Its enterprise has ever been 
 co-extensive with the development of Nebraska and 
 the West, and its numerous branches extending in 
 different directions through the State have been a 
 potential factor in the development of the same. 
 
 4 
 
 «<*■ 
 
 4 
 
■^•- 
 
 -•► 
 
 ¥ 
 
 BIOGF{fI^F7l(9plj. 
 
 ->4§§i-€- 
 
 Acton, William N 508 
 
 Adams, John 23 
 
 Adams, John Q 39 
 
 Adams, Nelson 2c8 
 
 Albers, Gerd 262 
 
 Alberi, Eberbart 731 
 
 Albert, Reuben 744 
 
 Albright, G. H 040 
 
 Albright, Dr. R. S 467 
 
 Allington, O. B 230 
 
 Alsbach, John. M. D ^163 
 
 Armstrong, Dr- J. T 159 
 
 Arnold. Edward 461 
 
 Arthur, Chester A 99 
 
 Aukes, E. E., M . D 247 
 
 Austin. L. S 24g 
 
 B 
 
 Babcoclc, Hon. A. H 73^ 
 
 Bachle, Jacob 229 
 
 Bailey, Jeremiah 298 
 
 Baker, G. W 407 
 
 Barkey, Enos, Sr 325 
 
 Eiark hurst, J . F 204 
 
 Barmore, H . C 321 
 
 Barnes. F. M 760 
 
 Barnum, H.S.... 176 
 
 Barratt, John /. .207 
 
 Barry. Thomas 481 
 
 Banlett, Edward 394 
 
 Beer, William 6gi 
 
 Bennett, J. M 279 
 
 Bentley, G. E ...718 
 
 Bickerton, A. S 703 
 
 Bilderback. H. B 354 
 
 Bintz. Frederick 322 
 
 Bixicr, Henry D 767 
 
 Blachart. George 658 
 
 Blakely, Hon. Nathan 737 
 
 Blakely, William 645 
 
 Boggs, C. S.. M. D 698 
 
 Boggs, Hon. L. B 257 
 
 Boiler, Henry 317 
 
 Bond. Jacob 766 
 
 Bossemeycr, Ernest 518 
 
 Boyd, John C 324 
 
 Boydston, J. L 612 
 
 Brace, Isaac O 481 
 
 Bradt, A. W 717 
 
 Breunsbach, J. W 6go 
 
 Bridenthal, J. W 652 
 
 Bridenthal, Lake 630 
 
 Bridges, H. C 203 
 
 Brink worth, J. C 479 
 
 Broady, J.H 584 
 
 Brooks, Joseph 686 
 
 Brooks, R. C 234 
 
 Brubaker, A. H 535 
 
 Bryant, C. N 362 
 
 Buchanan, James 75 
 
 Buffington, J. R 730 
 
 Biirch, Benjamin 728 
 
 Burger, John G 313 
 
 Burgess, A.L 318 
 
 Burgess, J. L 768 
 
 Burgess, N. E 205 
 
 Burgess, William J 551 
 
 Bu ring ton. E. H 527 
 
 Burks. J. R 641 
 
 Burton, Henderson 239 
 
 Bush, James E 727 
 
 Bute, Ernst 264 
 
 Butler, David 111 
 
 Calkins, C. H 483 
 
 Callan. J. W 495 
 
 Cambridge, George 226 
 
 Cambridge, Joseph 234 
 
 Campbell, George W 382 
 
 Carpenter, Jonathan 533 
 
 Carpenter, Leander J 716 
 
 Carpenter, M. L 266 
 
 Carpenter, Theodore 263 
 
 Carstens, John 384 
 
 Carstens, Tebbc G 222 
 
 Casebeer, I. D . 378 
 
 Cavett, Reuben .sS4 
 
 Chamberlin, David. 488 
 
 Chamber lin, F. L 672 
 
 Chapman. M-E 478 
 
 Cheney, John M 317 
 
 Cherry, John 386 
 
 Chittenden. Warren E 421 
 
 Clark, J. E 531 
 
 Clayton, I. R 211 
 
 Cleveland, S G rover 103 
 
 Clopine, George A 417 
 
 C to ugh, M. M 201 
 
 Clough. William W 164 
 
 Coburn. M. H 408 
 
 Cole, W'arren »--- .517 
 
 Colgrove, James F 487 
 
 Collins, George F 329 
 
 Conine, Alfred 215 
 
 Cook, Frank ,. . . .567 
 
 Cook, HaUey 342 
 
 Cooper, Garrett 590 
 
 Cooper, Oliver svO 
 
 Cozine, Jesse 500 
 
 Creaig, John H 250 
 
 Craig, Hon. S. H .151 
 
 Craig. James 254 
 
 Craig, William 677 
 
 Crocker, F. E 708 
 
 Crocker, H P 635 
 
 Cruae, Charles 331 
 
 Cully, R.J 555 
 
 D 
 
 Dart, Lyman 754 
 
 Davis, A. S 274 
 
 Davis, George H 630 
 
 Davis, John L 707 
 
 Davis, T. L 583 
 
 Dawes, James W 127 
 
 Daj', Alden E 273 
 
 Deming, Orville R 719 
 
 Dewey, T.G.. 277 
 
 Dewey, W.F 261 
 
 Dibble, R 504 
 
 Dobbs. F. H 758 
 
 Dobbs, Joel 299 . 
 
 Dodds, J. R 762 
 
 Dolan, Benjamin 290 
 
 Doming, J . A 295 
 
 Doyle, Edward 236 
 
 Drake, EG S34 
 
 Dwyer, John 765 
 
 Eccles, Samuel 651 
 
 Edmands, Thomas 339 
 
 Edwards, David 694 
 
 Elerbeck, James 271 
 
 Elliott, Charles 287 
 
 Ellis, Joseph 573 
 
 Ellis, Martin V 265 
 
 Emery, G. E 501 
 
 Emery, J, C 767 
 
 Endelman, George t8o 
 
 Essex, T. B 25Q 
 
 Everitt, Hon. George B 608 
 
 F 
 
 Faulder, D. S 266 
 
 Feese, Jacob. . 464 
 
 Fellers. Wesley ...4,7 
 
 Filley. Elijah 775 
 
 Fillmore. Millard 67 
 
 Fink, Lewis 71^ 
 
 Fiske,I. S 53, 
 
 Fisser, Tebbe T ^51 
 
 Foreman, W, A 225 
 
 Fouke, George^ R 740 
 
 Francis, A. R 251 
 
 Frantz, LJ 345 
 
 Freeman. Daniel 521 
 
 Freeman, Gilbert C 715 
 
 Funck, Hon. I. W 482 
 
 Funk, W.H ..366 
 
 Furnas, Robert W 115 
 
 G 
 
 Gafford, Dr. C.C 542 
 
 Gale, George 146 
 
 Gale, G. H 700 
 
 Garber, Silas 119 
 
 Garfield, James A 95 
 
 Garrison, Omcr T 242 
 
 Gehman, Jacob 211 
 
 . C.W. 
 
 Gerdes, Gerd 457 
 
 Giddings, H . W 301 
 
 Gilmore, Robert O 433 
 
 Glass, Richard 244 
 
 Gore, W. T 742 
 
 Grable, Jonathan S 450 
 
 Grace, Thomas 326 
 
 ^ 
 
-4^ 
 
 Graf, Franklin 284 
 
 Graham, Alexander..' 626 
 
 Graham. James W 237 
 
 Grant, George 252 
 
 Grant, J- B 362 
 
 Grant, Ulysses S 87 
 
 Graves, Simon S .631 
 
 G ra y . VV . A 3g6 
 
 Green, Thaddeus ^02 
 
 Greer, George R 513 
 
 Griggs, Hon. N. K 756 
 
 Groves. Henry H 250 
 
 Grund, Frederick 304 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 H 
 
 H aft-- r land. Christian 323 
 
 Hale, A. J 769 
 
 Hammond, Willis F 260 
 
 Hand, John 477 
 
 Hand. Thomas 512 
 
 Harden, E. F. 711 
 
 Hardy, Mrs- Fanny 231 
 
 Harrison, Wil'iam Henry -■ .51 
 
 Hauver, Hiram 449 
 
 Hayes, Rutherford B gi 
 
 Hazcn, Hon. S. M 524 
 
 Ht^Ut^r, Edward 328 
 
 Hemphill. R C 241 
 
 Henderson, R. K 410 
 
 Herron, Nathaniel 514 
 
 Hertzler, B. F 468 
 
 Hibbert,T. E 238 
 
 Higgins, ('. K 722 
 
 Higgins. J. R 480 
 
 Hildebrand, Jacob 743 
 
 Hill, Christian 515 
 
 Hill, Herbert ..263 
 
 Hill, John L 507 
 
 Hill, \V. C 148 
 
 Hilton, E. E 469 
 
 Hinds, E . B 699 
 
 Hoag, J. R (393 
 
 Holienback, J.H 280 
 
 Hollenback, W. A 270 
 
 H oiling worth, Joseph 268 
 
 Hooker, William A 219 
 
 Hoyt. R. C 673 
 
 Hubka, Albert 285 
 
 Hutchinson, C. L 471 
 
 Hutcliinson, O. W 311 
 
 Huyck, Isaac 365 
 
 Islcy, John W 706 
 
 Jackson, Andrew ^3 
 
 James, C B 486 
 
 James, Phillip H 765 
 
 Jaynes, H.C 638 
 
 Jefferson, Thomas 27 
 
 Jeffries, Gabriel 642 
 
 Jerman, R. T 353 
 
 Jewell, Samuel V 283 
 
 Jewell. W. H 288 
 
 Johnson, Andrew 83 
 
 Johnson, James H 695 
 
 Jones, David H 639 
 
 Jones, Henry H 226 
 
 Jones, John S 663 
 
 Jones, Morris 648 
 
 Jones, Owen . - ..702 
 
 Jones, S. S 663 
 
 Jones, W. R 490 
 
 K 
 
 Kassing, F. W 436 
 
 Kelley. L. W 272 
 
 Kelly. John E 254 
 
 Kenyon, J. F , 6ii 
 
 Kepple, John 477 
 
 Kerr, Andrew 693 
 
 Kerr, James 625 
 
 Kiersey, George W 649 
 
 Kiess, Samuel 185 
 
 Kilpatrick Bros )8i 
 
 King, Samuel 655 
 
 Kinzie, James 579 
 
 Klein. Jacob 445 
 
 Klipper, C. Henry 233 
 
 Knoche, Christopher 161 
 
 Knochcl, Michael 620 
 
 Kracke, Fred 232 
 
 Kracke, Herman 431 
 
 Kramer, William ...740 
 
 Krauter, George 240 
 
 Kretsinger. Hon- E. O 766 
 
 Kyd. Robert..... 620 
 
 Lacy, Hiram 171 
 
 Ladd, James G . .689 
 
 Lamb, Isaac 41S 
 
 Lamb, William 587 
 
 Langdon, J . K 648 
 
 Langworthy, W. O .. - 458 
 
 LaSelle,F. G 722 
 
 LaSelle, H. A 160 
 
 LaSelle, W. M 159 
 
 Laishaw, Joseph , .235 
 
 Leach, Marcus 710 
 
 Leigh, E.C 455 
 
 Leighion, W. W 336 
 
 Leonard, Edward 435 
 
 LePoidevin, Thomas 661 
 
 Lester, S. P 493 
 
 Levis, J. B 616 
 
 Lewis, Jacob. ..; 760 
 
 Lewis, Norvel 303 
 
 Lewis, Richard egg 
 
 Lincoln, Abraham 79 
 
 Littlejohn, David 356 
 
 Littlejohn. Robert 763 
 
 Lohmeyer. F. H 662 
 
 Lynk, Z. W 343 
 
 Lyons, J . B 197 
 
 Lyons, John, Sr 447 
 
 M 
 
 Madison, James 31 
 
 Maguire, John -216 
 
 Maguire, Thomas 423 
 
 Mahloch, William 346 
 
 Mangus. William 427 
 
 Martin, Thomas M 402 
 
 Marvin, G. P 565 
 
 Mason. H.O 411 
 
 Mattison, J. W 220 
 
 Maxwe'l, William J 332 
 
 Mayborn, Thomas 452 
 
 McClunj, George 172 
 
 McConnell, L N 470 
 
 McCormack, Ezekiel 344 
 
 McCuUough, C. W 428 
 
 McGlaughlin, J. B .532 
 
 McHugh.D. A 316 
 
 McKay, George W 429 
 
 McM urray, J. A • ■ -755 
 
 Merrick. H. J 212 
 
 Meserve, J - M 369 
 
 Meyers, Valentine 194 
 
 Miller. A. M. T 593 
 
 Miller, Nathaniel E 690 
 
 Miller. R. J 709 
 
 Mitchell, George T 435 
 
 Moil roe, James ^s 
 
 Moore, Benjamin F 668 
 
 Mordhorst, John 438 
 
 Morris, A. R 206 
 
 Morris, S. L 734 
 
 Moschel, Charles 440 
 
 Moschel, Daniel .548 
 
 Moseiey, Frank 609 
 
 Moses, Ebenezer 442 
 
 Mowry, C. C 178 
 
 Mudge, W. E 705 
 
 Mudge, William E 210 
 
 MuUer. John .640 
 
 Mvimford, J. B 437 
 
 Muniford, J. W 371 
 
 Myers, J. D 441 
 
 Myers, P. J 472 
 
 N 
 
 Nance, Albinus 123 
 
 Nay lor, Isaac 401 
 
 Nelson, Lind 4g7 
 
 Nelson, Mens 440 
 
 Nelson, Peter 516 
 
 Netzly, D. K 414 
 
 Neumann, Julius 175 
 
 Newcom, G . W . .^ii 
 
 Newcomer, Oliver 487 
 
 Nicholls, J. B 632 
 
 -•► 
 
 Nicholls,W. D 451 
 
 Norcross. H. F -,8i 
 
 Noxon, Mrs. Hannah 222 
 
 o 
 
 Oden, J. H 536 
 
 Ortman, John 606 
 
 Ostendorf, William 761 
 
 Packer, James 627 
 
 Paddock, Hon. A.G 143 
 
 Palmer, C. H 716 
 
 Palmer, John 206 
 
 Parker, Hon. H. W 621 
 
 Patterson, Rev. John 224 
 
 Paul, John G 306 
 
 Payne, Leroy 650 
 
 Pemberton, L. M 364 
 
 Penner, Rev. Gerhart 186 
 
 Penrod, Daniel 679 
 
 Phelps, G. B 197 
 
 Phillips, George W 674 
 
 Pierce, Franklin 71 
 
 Pirie, A. B 153 
 
 Pitienger, B. F 216 
 
 Plucknelt, James 203 
 
 Plucknett, William 605 
 
 Polk, James K 59 
 
 Postlewait, John 618 
 
 Powell. J. E i8s 
 
 Pretzer, Robert 696 
 
 Price, C. H 267 
 
 Price. F. J 286 
 
 Price, Mrs. Rebecca .,.741 
 
 Quackenbush, D. C 221 
 
 Quick, Thomas 541 
 
 R 
 
 Ramsey, J.H ,. 389 
 
 Randall, Henry J ---452 
 
 Rathbun, E. G 350 
 
 Rathijun, James 576 
 
 Reimund, Henry 753 
 
 Remmers. J. E 569 
 
 Retch less, WiUiam 238 
 
 Reynolds, Ben 588 
 
 Reynolds, G. B 544 
 
 Reynolds, J. H 564 
 
 Rice, Henry 4S4 
 
 Richards, Jesse 683 
 
 Richardson. Henry 678 
 
 Rickard, David 340 
 
 Rickards, F. M 307 
 
 Ri:;g, Samuel E 580 
 
 Rile, T.J. 
 
 .502 
 
 • •> M ^' 
 
u 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Rinaker, Samuel ^gft 
 
 Rishel, Eno»i .. .^07 
 
 Roberts, Edward 763 
 
 Roderick, E. J 55; 
 
 Rotters, W. L .ftoo 
 
 Roscmaii, I'^raiik A 59^ 
 
 Roi.Klcn,\V H 585 
 
 Roycr, D. \V 568 
 
 R II mba ugh , J . M 622 
 
 Riipprecht, Frederick 589 
 
 Ruyle. \V. H 243 
 
 Sahin, Dr. A . C 607 
 
 Sat;e, A. D 2q3 
 
 Salisbury, E . C 672 
 
 Samsel.JohnO 704 
 
 Sanders, S.S 313 
 
 Savage, J. O 214 
 
 Schenbeck, Frederick 429 
 
 Schmuck, John 467 
 
 Schock, Eli ^56 
 
 Schock, Joel 374 
 
 Schramm, William 364 
 
 Schroder, L. M .731 
 
 Scott, George R 570 
 
 Scott, James H 47^ 
 
 Seilz. Isaac 448 
 
 Seng, Sebas:ian 248 
 
 Shaffer, Levi 4-jo 
 
 Sharp, George L. 363 
 
 Sharp, Jonathan 756 
 
 Shaw, H.J 302 
 
 Shaw. James I 372 
 
 Shaw, S. V J 56 
 
 Sheen, Lawrence 523 
 
 Shelley. James \V 610 
 
 Shelley, R. E 399 
 
 Siems, Clans. 334 
 
 Silver, Hon. H. H 424 
 
 Silvernail, W. W 4,2 
 
 S met hers. P.J 476 
 
 Smith, D. H 595 
 
 Smith, R. J 563 
 
 Smith, S. A 657 
 
 Smith, T.J 391 
 
 Snyder, H, H 379 
 
 Sparks, John 409 
 
 Sparks, W.N 388 
 
 Speer,Josiah A 232 
 
 Spencer, Marquis 566 
 
 Spencer, N. S. . 629 
 
 Spier. Silas S 577 
 
 Sprague, W. B 1 385 
 
 Statr, Calvin, M. D 684 
 
 Steece, George M 446 
 
 Stee le , J . N , . . . 732 
 
 St.einmeyer, William 315 
 
 Stockton, W.H 578 
 
 Stoll. H.C i66 
 
 Strawder, .Ambrose 398 
 
 Strohm, WiUi.im C . .^b% 
 
 Struck meicr, August 188 
 
 Swain, Cyrus 360 
 
 Swiler. J. B 3-5 
 
 Sykes, Wi k-rt B 289 
 
 Tarrants. J.M 34^ 
 
 Tatge, William 543 
 
 Taylor, Jacob 667 
 
 l^ylor. James .. 554 
 
 TaylDr, Zachary .63 
 
 I'eagarden. 'I". 1' 397 
 
 Terry, SD 380 
 
 Thajer, John M 131 
 
 Theasmacir, Henry 6^4 
 
 Thorn, Peter C . .425 
 
 Thomas. B- P 567 
 
 Thompson, Asa 354 
 
 'ihnmpson. Jesse R 708 
 
 Thnmann, George -. ^4 
 
 Tilihets, Dr. Thomas I) 721 
 
 'linlvlcpaugh. F. L 712 
 
 'i'oljy ne. S N 498 
 
 'I'ounsend, Hnn . rj'ver 558 
 
 lownscnd, William 5^5 
 
 Trekell, John K. 685 
 
 Tripp, Samuel I 70'-' 
 
 Trowbridge, D. H 169 
 
 Tuck,C. K 552 
 
 Tyler, John ■ -55 
 
 u 
 
 Uplinger, Jacob. . 
 
 V 
 
 Van Buren, Martin.. 
 
 Van PlU. C. E 
 
 Vondcrfecht, August . 
 Voorhces, M . B 
 
 .693 
 
 ••47 
 .526 
 •547 
 .576 
 
 w 
 
 Wadsworth, S . W 752 
 
 Wagner, Henry 574 
 
 Wauner, LP 466 
 
 W:.gner. John W 658 
 
 Wauner, W. A 498 
 
 WaLlron, Mrs. Elizabeth -.. .720 
 
 Walker, Andrew 576 
 
 Wjilker, Franklin 500 
 
 Walker. L. E 485 
 
 Walker, Perry 541 
 
 Waliher, E.G 545 
 
 Wardcl, August i94 
 
 W'ardl.iw, Hon. J. M 422 
 
 Warner, Gray ^97 
 
 Washbuin, W. G 546 
 
 Wasfiington, George 19 
 
 Way, A. L... .478 
 
 Wesler, J. P 387 
 
 Weston. M. F 484 
 
 Wheeler, Thomas G. ...... . .404 
 
 VV'hiitemore, V. S 335 
 
 Wickcrsham, A . H 355 
 
 Wickham,H- M 327 
 
 Adams, John 22 
 
 Adams, J. Q 38 
 
 Arthur. C A gS 
 
 Baker,G. W 406 
 
 Bakt-r, Mrs. Mary 406 
 
 rinkcly, Hon. Nathan 736 
 
 Plakcly, William 644 
 
 lioggs. Dr. L. B 256 
 
 Boggs, M rs. L. B 256 
 
 But;hanan, James 74 
 
 Builer, David no 
 
 Cleveland. S. Grover 102 
 
 Clough.M. M 200 
 
 Craig. S. H 150 
 
 Craig, William 676 
 
 Davis. Mrs. Lydia 582 , 
 
 Davis. Truman L 582 
 
 Dawes. J. W ,..126 j 
 
 Ellis, Joseph . 572 
 
 Fi!ley, Elijah 773 | 
 
 Filley, Mrs. Elijah 773 ! 
 
 Fillmore. Millard 66 
 
 Freeman. Daniel 520 . 
 
 Furnas, Robert W 114 | 
 
 Gar Iter. Si lis ii8 ^ 
 
 GaifivM. James A 94 I 
 
 Grant. L'ly<scs S ...■ ...-86 
 
 Harrison. W. H 50 
 
 Hayes, Rutherford B go 
 
 Hooker. W A 218 
 
 Jackson. Anlre.v .42 
 
 Jefferson. Thomas art 
 
 Jolin>on. Andrew 82 
 
 Klein. Jacob 444 
 
 Lincc'ln. Abraham 78 
 
 Madi-^on. James 30 
 
 Martin, Thomas M 403 
 
 Meserve. J.M 368 
 
 Meserve. .Mrs, Elizabeth C .368 
 
 Monroe. James .34 
 
 Nance, Albinus .. 122 
 
 Neumann, j ulius 174 
 
 Newcom. G. W 310 
 
 Paddock, Hon . A. S 142 
 
 Pierce. FrjinM'n 70 
 
 Wikoff, W.S 489 
 
 WiUox, E. C 459 
 
 Wilkinson, George C 349 
 
 Williams, Hon. John W 615 
 
 Williams, J. C 556 
 
 Wi lianis, Thadtlciis 196 
 
 Williamson, George 4?9 
 
 Williamson, Henry 54"? 
 
 Windl-;, Joseph .4"5 
 
 Wisherd.S. O 586 
 
 With, J. W 536 
 
 Wolf, August 496 
 
 Wolfe, John 162 
 
 Wonder, Dr. Ezra - 154 
 
 Woolsey, W 511 
 
 Wright, Amos L 400 
 
 Wright, George 34' 
 
 Wright. S. D 182 
 
 Wymore, George 764 
 
 Wymore, L. H 248 
 
 Wymore, Samuel 191 
 
 Varnnll, Ziba S 187 
 
 Yohe, John 637 
 
 Yohe. W. R 596 
 
 Vother, I . N 578 
 
 Yonn:;, Wi Ham 172 
 
 Young. William M 537 
 
 Yule, Thomas 105 
 
 Yulo, W. P 50; 
 
 Zahltcn. .A ugnsl I'^s 
 
 Ziegcniiaiii, Charles -619 
 
 Zimmerman. P. J 602 
 
 Ziinmci mann. Thomas R 575 
 
 Zuver, R. P 749 
 
 Zuver, George W 193 
 
 ..^t^ 
 
 Pluckncit, William 604 
 
 Polk, James K 58 
 
 Quick, Thomas 540 
 
 Reynolds, J . H 565 
 
 Sage. A. D 292 
 
 Taylor, Jacob 666 
 
 Tayl'>r, Zachary 62 
 
 Thayer, J. M 130 
 
 Tjler.John 54 
 
 Van Buren. Martin. 46 
 
 Washington, George 18 
 
 Wilkinson, G.C 348 
 
 Wymore, Mrs. Isabella igo 
 
 Wymore. Samuel i&o 
 
 Yule. Thomas 19s 
 
I 
 
 -^^ 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 liartleti. Fdward 395 
 
 I'entlcy, G. E 227 
 
 liogtjs. L. It 597 
 
 Bo>d<ton. J . L 613 
 
 Bridcmhal.J. W 653 
 
 Uruensbach. J. W 68S 
 
 IJiirgcss, William J 549 
 
 Cooper^ Clarrett 591 
 
 Cooper, Oliver 591 
 
 Crocker, H. I* 633 
 
 Ucming, C) . R 463 
 
 Dobbs, F. H 377 
 
 KtlmnnJs, Thomas 337 
 
 Kilis, Joseph — £,60-561 
 
 KiidcliiKin, Cicorqe .681 
 
 [■"uHcrs, Wel'^y - . -4 '5 
 
 Fill?y, F.lijah 724-725 
 
 I'irst Homcste:ul 529 
 
 G n le , G . H 509 
 
 Gilinore, Robert G 319 
 
 Gnivcs, S. 5 433 
 
 Henderson, R. F 319 
 
 Higgins,C. K 227 
 
 Hooker, William A 59' 
 
 Isley, J. W 463 
 
 J outs, W. R 491 
 
 Kerr, James 624 
 
 Kilpa trick Hros i8o 
 
 Kinq, Samuel 653 
 
 Ladd, James G :688 
 
 Leigh ton, W. W 337 
 
 Lel'oidevin. 1 ho 111:1s 659 
 
 Lester, S. P -.491 
 
 Litil'-'john. David 357 
 
 Morris, Silas S 281 
 
 Moschcl, Daniel 549 
 
 Miidge, W. K 545 
 
 Mnlicr, John 463 
 
 Myers, r. J 473 
 
 Neb. Inst, for Feeiile-M inded 
 
 Youth ....158 
 
 Netzly, D. K 415 
 
 Nicholls, J R 633 
 
 Packer. James .433 
 
 Reiniund, Henry 281 
 
 Retchless. William 681 
 
 Rice, Henry - ... 377 
 
 Richardson, Henry 281 
 
 Robert-;, Edward 509 
 
 Samsel, John O 227 
 
 Shelley, James W 43^ 
 
 Silver, H. H 319 
 
 SioU. H.C X67 
 
 Swain, Cyrus 357 
 
 Theasmaeir, H 245 
 
 Tinklepaugh, F. L 713 
 
 Trekell, John K .^77 
 
 Uplinger, Jacob :m5 
 
 Wagner, John W 659 
 
 Waldron, Mrs. L. R 7':^ 
 
 Wardel, August 395 
 
 Williams, J. W 613 
 
 Y(dic. \V. R S97 
 
 'h 
 
 -•► 
 
 DEC ^31948 
 

 
 
 
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